Quesnay Castle

Quesnay Castle, locally known as Château du Quesnay or Vieux Château des Comtes de Meulan, lies south of the village of Vatteville-la-Rue, in the Seine-Maritime department in France. Historically the castle was known as Vatteville Castle. At present it is named after the hamlet it is situated in.

Vatteville Castle dates back to the 2nd half of the 11th century, when the fief of Vatteville together with the Brotonne forest were given to Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and Count of Meulan, by William the Conqueror. Robert and his family were companions of William during his conquest of England. The Beaumont family probably had a simple wooden motte-and-bailey castle built here.

In 1122 Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester and son of Robert, rebelled against the King of England, Henry I. This led to his castle at Vatteville being besieged and destroyed in 1124 and himself being imprisoned. After his release 5 years later, he had Vatteville Castle rebuilt as a shell keep with a polygonal stone tower. A residential hall and a chapel were built a short time later, next to the motte.

Around 1195 John, the future King of England, stayed at Vatteville Castle and had the seigneurial buildings rebuilt.

The Beaumont-Meulan family would own the castle until the 13th century when Philippe II of France confiscated it during his conquest of Normandy. The castle became a royal domain and it was administered by governors.

During the 14th century Vatteville Castle was strengthened. In the 15th century, during the Hundred Years' War, the castle's defenses were considered obsolete and it disappeared, it was either dismantled or fell to ruin after a partial destruction.

What remains at present is a motte, which is very much overgrown but still holds wall parts of the shell keep, and two wall parts of the ruined chapel.

At present Quesnay Castle can freely be visited. A small ruin, not very interesting.

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