Abandoned Château in Rural France

Whilst taking time out with an old shoulder injury, we stumbled across a Chateau in need of plenty of restoration.

It was very close to a well known town. There seemed to be a public car park for visitors and no signs to deter entry; which seemed very bizarre, given the dangerous state of decay.

The Château was built in the 1870’s by a chemist and inventor. He also served as mayor to the local town. When it was built it would had views all the way down the valley. Indeed today the towers can still be seen from over a mile away.

Records seem to suggest this château may have been unloved since the 1950’s and probably unused since the 1980’s.

During 2006 a massive fire ravaged the building destroying virtually the entire roof. Since then, it has just been left to fall into total decay. The walls started to bow outwards and crumble.

What’s amazing is paintings still adorn the walls, staircases still have their ornate iron railings; albeit distorted by fire.

Maybe, this is a renovation too far for many. However, as Dan from Escape to Rural France is proving, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

This is not the only château like this in the Creuse. Whilst many know of Château de Chaumont, we know of at least 4 others in similar condition and we have only just moved to the area.

There are over 330 châteaux, tours and grand masons in the Creuse. We love spending our weekends touring the countryside, catching the abundant glimpses of an ancient castles and towers and learning about French history.