[2] It is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the east of Montignac on the Charente River, which meanders from north to south.

It lay to the north of the great road from Saintes via Limoges to Lyon, which crossed the Charente at Montignac.

[2] The castrum is in an isolated location on a natural mound known as the "butte de la Garenne".

He left a bastard son, Arnaud Manzer, but was succeeded by his cousin, Count Bernard of Périgord.

[10] The irregular oval outline of the wall, in 14 juxtaposed sections, conforms to the shape of the hill.

[9] The enclosure was about 1,200 square metres (13,000 sq ft) in area and held seven stone buildings and two courts.

[9] The function of the smaller buildings to the south is not clear, but they may have been used for workshops, storage and for housing the count's staff.

[11] The stone construction is unusual, since most buildings of that period in France were of wood, other than the great royal residences.

[10] Findings include coins, tools, weapons, many horse fittings, small glass vessels, flat glass plates, furniture of stone, bone and wood, ceramic vessels and small earthenware objects.

The remains of four horses and seven donkeys were found, as well as a few bones of dog, squirrel, badger, cats and black rats, which were numerous.