Château d'Hugémont

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

The origin of the farm would go back to the 15th century. In 1602, the count of Berlaimont sells a farm house to J. d'Anneux. In 1643, war ravages the region. In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees integrates the region of Avesnes into the kingdom of France. In 1674, the land is sold to Nicolas de Préseau, recently ennobled. He combines the functions of clerk of the magistrate, controller of Fortifications and provost of the land of Avesnes. He undertakes the construction of the château, completed in 1714. The gardens are laid out around 1760, to the south. The farm is enlarged during the second half of the 18th century. A certain number of buildings are added then: the first stables to the south, dating from around 1742, destroyed, the studs which still enclose the present farm courtyard, built around 1769 by Jacques-Marguerite de Préseau (1731-1800), inspector general of the Maréchaussée and master of cavalry. In 1764, the château undergoes a first remodelling, then around 1860, Jules de Colnet, mayor of Dompierre and general councillor updates it. In 1898, the south-east tower is destroyed in a fire. In 1895, the château passes by marriage to the De Chambure family to whom it still belongs and who exploit the lands. Access to the farm buildings is by a plane tree avenue. The large farm courtyard is surrounded by multiple buildings: in the north-west is found the oldest building (from the 16th century?) in roughly dressed stone, 40 metres long, with two levels of elevation; towards the north are arranged two private dwellings, recently restored; towards the south is found a ruin. The north and south sides of the courtyard are enclosed by the large and tall buildings of the former studs, built in large rubble stone with dressed stone corner chains, covered with slate, with large roof structure in good condition. Opposite, the stables present two levels, multiple walled-up openings, a few boxes with paved flooring. Towards the north are found a pigsty and a dovecote. To the west, a barn, enlarged around 1769, with imposing internal volume and remarkable original roof structure, comprises a gable façade. The château consists of a large rural dwelling, of rectangular plan, flanked by four square pavilions higher than the main body. The south façade overlooks the garden and dominates the park to the west. The building shows corner chains, openings frames and cordons in bricks and ashlar stones, and masonry in grey rubble stone. The park constitutes a vast remarkable landscape ensemble, with three ponds (originally fish ponds) over one hectare, a spring to the north-east formalised by a monumental fountain in blue stone with exedrae, staircase and terrace, probably dating from the mid-18th century. The ponds fed a mill below which still exists upstream of the river. There is also a collapsed stone ice house and two small bridges. To the south, the old formal garden has been replaced by an English lawn, probably around 1860: this part is separated from the ponds by a stone socle wall, surmounted by vases. The large avenue and the linden avenue have been recently replanted. The boundary wall is in dressed blue rubble stone. The large gate to the north-east is framed by two abandoned pavilions.