Welcome to Ailleville Castle and park

This is a site of a former medieval fief, that came into existence in the 12th century. The current castle was built around 1640 for Louis Yardin, gentleman of the king's quarters and governor of the city. 

In 1697, Nicolas Yardin sold it to Jacques De Lux de Ventelet, lieutenant colonel of cavalry. The De Lux de Ventelet family remained at the head of the estate for 121 years, until the death of Charles Jean Marie De Lux, on December 10, 1818. Eulalie Rosalie Magnyer de Gondreville, the woman he loved and to whom he left his legacy, then became its owner. Eulalie significantly modified the appearance of the castle exteriors by having an English style park laid out.

On May 25, 1833, she sold the estate to Ambroise Poignee, a merchant who would also become mayor of the town of Ailleville. This cultured man, passionate about ancient and modern history, had a substantial fortune. For 38 years, he endeavored to enrich the interiors of the castle and to

maintain the park. 
Following Ambroise Poignee, several owners succeeded one another who did not bring major changes to the estate. 

The château d'Ailleville was little maintained in the second half of the 20th century. Its association is now committed to the revival of the site and to this end, in 2022, received a grant from the "FEADER" for the rehabilitation of the park.

The main courtyard at Ailleville castle, with its 19th-century landscaping, service 

buildings, and small circular basin, offers a quaint picture of a noble country residence 

whose picturesque character has withstood the challenges of time. 

Originally, a long tree-lined path linked the present-day main road to the castle 

entrance. It is still in place and visible from rue Saint-Nicolas. Behind the gate, an elegant 

landscape composition unfolds, consisting of a central grassy area bordered by lime 

trees and encircled by a driveway. Inherited from the first half of the 19th century, as 

evidenced by the Napoleonic cadastre of 1836, this landscape design is in keeping with 

the aesthetic movement of romantic English gardens. This staging is probably the work of Eulalie Rosalie Magnyer de Gondreville, who owned the château between 1820 and 1833. 

Probably built at the same time as the castle in the 17th century, the service buildings 

were partially destroyed during the battles of the French Napoleonic Campaigns in 1814. 

They were rebuilt in the years that followed.