Houdan Keep

The Houdan Keep, locally known as Donjon de Houdan, lies in the village of the same name in the Yvelines department in France.

This keep is actually the last remnant of the castle of Houdan. It was built on a slight elevation by Amaury III de Montfort between 1105 and 1137. Subsequently a castral village grew up next to it.

Associated sometimes with the Duchy of Brittany and sometimes with the French Crown, according to the alliances of the owning family, the castle was apparently never taken by force.

In 1880 the interior of the keep was transformed into a water tower, capable of holding 200,000 liters. Although classified as an official historical building in 1889 it kept being used as a water tower until 1970. The keep was restored in 2014 and in 2016 opened for the public.

The Houdan Keep is thought to have been one of the earliest experiments in improving flanking fire from the battlements, and a transitional form between the rectangular keeps of the 11th to 12th centuries, and widespread adoption of cylindrical keeps in the 13th century. It is 25 meters in height and has an average wall thickness of 3 meters. It somewhat resembles the Ambleny Keep.

The keep can be visited for a fee, but, sadly, had just closed when I came by. An impressive keep.

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