Château des Ouches

English translation

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History

Former feudal manor transformed, consisting of a main body and two wings. Its primitive construction dates back to the Romanesque period (vaults of the ground floor). The castle is flanked by four towers dating back to the 14th or 15th century. In the time of Henry II, the crenellations of the towers were razed to make way for new roof structures. The left wing and the central door date back to this period, but were altered in 1707 by the architect Pierre Le Duc, called Le Toscane. At this period, the double mullions were removed from the windows and Mansard roofs were established. Before the 1850 restoration, the right wing was closer to the centre of the main courtyard and comprised a square keep equipped with a vault for the passage of carriages. This keep was removed in 1850 and the right wing became approximately similar to the left wing. To the right and outside the castle is a large tower, perhaps an ancient defensive work, used as a dovecote since the 17th century. The interior is pierced with 1735 pigeon oculi. Before the dry moats which surround the castle, there was an enclosure composed of walls and ditches, flanked by a tower at each corner. That of the north corner subsists and the walls have remained intact on the side which overlooks the valley. The enclosure contains the outbuildings built in 1709-1710 by the architect Guy Ogeron, called "La Bonté".