Château Audrieu, Normandy, France
Château Audrieu
The chateau of Audrieu, as you see it today, dates from the beginning of the 18th century, but its history goes back to the time of William the Conqueror.
The Lord Percy, family of the Dukes of Northumberland, was the first ruler of these lands. He was the personal chef of William the Conqueror and it was said that he distinguished himself at the Battle of Hastings when he felled a few Saxons with a colander spoon and for this he was dubbed a baron.
It was he who among other things founded the Abbey of Juaye-Mondaye, five kilometers away from Audrieu. It would appear that, at Audrieu itself, his residence was extremely modest: it was a feudal «motte» or mound of which the site still exists on the far side of the road, beyond the avenue. A few years ago excavations disclosed the exact plan of the building. It was a half timbered building surrounded by a deep moat, and enclosing a vast court-yard and a few serfs’ hovels.
Only at the end of the end of the 15th century did the family who remained in Normandy replace the feudal «motte» with a proper castle, of which there remains an outbuilding and the two existing wings of the chateau, refurbished after the fashion of the day, when the central building was constructed in the 18th century.
Subsequently the Norman branch of the Percys died out and it passed by marriage to Guillaume de Séran, Lord of Audrieu, Saint-Pierre Canivet, La Tour au Gras, Saint-Loup, Mandeville and other places. His fief of Audrieu was created a Barony, by letters patent from Louis XIII dated 1615 and which are preserved in the archives of the Château Audrieu.
During the French revolution, Audrieu was confiscated by the Revolutionary Government, and put up for sale (the public notice dated 9 Floréal An 3, also in the archives, is evidence of this). With the Restoration, the property was recovered, although the arms on the pediment of the Chateau had disappeared. Today Audrieu has these arms as a symbol (on the left, those of the Percys, and on the right, of the Sérans, with a Baron’s coronet ). Camille Léonor was the last Séran, Baron of Audrieu. The present owners are a direct descendant of his daughter Henriette.
Like the feudal «motte» during the Hundred Years’ War, the present day Château was very nearly destroyed at the time of the Normandy landings in 1944. For six weeks, it was in no-man’s land between enemy lines, and repeatedly attacked by the British and Canadians from one side, and by a German Panzer division from the other. It was hit by twenty-seven 105mm shells. Several anti-tank shells shot it through and through. But Caen stone proved tougher, the building resisted valiantly to the punishment, and there are now only a few traces of the damage from that period.
However, many trees were seriously damaged during these engagements and had to be cut down, and many of those which remain were riddled with shell splinters. Some shrapnel penetrated the wood to a depth of 40 centimeters.
The Château has a long and varied history and now serves to welcome visitors from around the world to this beautiful and historic part of France.
Credit cards accepted
CB, Visa, Amex, Master card, Diners
Why stay here?
Because you are close to Calvados where you can taste apple brandies and ciders
The most expensive wine on the list
Château Mouton Rothschild 1989, 928€
Oldest wine on the list
Cahors Clos Triguedina 1976
Cheapest wine on the list
Muscadet Vieilles vignes 2005, Domaine Leroux, 19€
St Nicolas de Bourgueil 2003, Alain Lorieux
Wines by the glass?
Yes.
Size of the cellar
6000 bottles and 750 labels
In the know…
The main lounge is very bright and there’s an excellent view of the parc of the Château
Looking the part
Casual during the day but people like to dress for dinner.
Bar talk
The very confortable bar with comfortable sofas and tables.
Guillaume, their barman, will advise on their selection of whiskies or a glass of Champagne and perhaps later on, you can enjoy a very old Calvados or a cigar from Cuba or San Domingo.
Languages spoken
English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German
Do not go if…
..You are in a hurry and if you don’t like the countryside
Do go if…
You are in Normandy for a few days and you like 18th century architecture. Jollity and elegance are the adjectives to describe the place.
Ingestion
Cyril Haberland offers a well-balanced, innovative, seasonal and modern cuisine with top quality local products. The restaurant is open every evening except on Monday and open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. They can open for a special lunchtime group during the week for party with a minimum of 10 persons.
Menu selections
Caramelized duck foie gras, andouille, Jerusalem artichokes cream; Local scallops cooked “à la plancha”, chestnuts juice and black truffle;
Norman veal rib cooked in stock, polenta with local hard cheese and basil; butter biscuits, milk chocolate – chestnuts and black truffle sorbet
No. of rooms
25 rooms plus 4 suites
Prices
$$
Closures
From December 9th to February 3th.
Take a tour by clicking on this link… or on any of the images below.
Chateau Audrieu
14250 Audrieu (Normandie)
France
Tel : +33 (0)2 31 80 21 52
Fax : +33 (0)2 31 80 24 73
audrieu@relaischateaux.com
www.chateaudaudrieu.com
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