Wandering around La Rochefoucauld, Charente, France. A taste of this lovely small French town

We visited La Rochefoucauld on a wet afternoon in March 2023. La Rochefoucauld is a small town to the north-east of Angouleme in the Charente department (in the Poitou-Charentes region) of France. The town is well worth visiting although it is best known for (and most visited because of) the Chateau de La Rochefoucauld, which stands above the Tardoire River but you will also find several other interesting historic monuments in the town.
The arched bridge across the river Tardoire below the castle dates from the 15th century - one of the best views of the castle is from the other side of the bridge.
There are several other interesting buildings to discover in La Rochefoucauld itself, such as the gothic style Collegiale Notre Dame de l'Assomption. The church dates from the 13th century although a significant part of the church we see today is a late 16th century reconstruction after the building had suffered damage in the Hundred Years War and then again during the Wars of Religion. L'église Saint Cybard at the heart of La Rouchefoucauld is a rare example of Gothic architecture in the Angoumois area.
The cloisters and other buildings at the 'Carmes Convent' were central to the religious community of Carmes that were established here during the 14th century, with the highlights including the nicely renovated cloisters.
You can also see some medieval half-timbered houses, the 19th century grain trading hall that now holds the La Rochefoucauld Office of Tourism and the small Olerat Church with its facade including carvings of animals and dating from the 12th century. La Rue Liancourt features several houses with remarkable facades dating between the 15th - 19th centuries and La Rue Des Bans takes it's name from "bancs" or stalls of the former itinerant market traders. The remains of a 12th century chapel are still visible in the stone wall on a house there. La Place Gourville the square was the commercial centre of the town flanked by 17th and 18th century buildings.