I’ve just been in Rochechouart – saladdodger’s Richard the Lionheart route goes right through it. Sounds like exactly what you’re after – really lovely rural countryside with rolling hills and incredibly quiet when we were there. There were quite a few fetes and things going on but generally not many people about at all.
We went out on bikes for several hours most days and would generally only see one or two cars on the back roads. They all seemed in pretty good nick as well.
stratobiker off here lives around there and knows the area very well. He sorted me out a nice little gite to stay in too. 🙂
By contrast we went to Normandy for a few days afterwards (near Coutances) and it seemed really really busy in comparison.