The
Castle is a listed monument
Built from 1120, the château de Lucheux was one of the
largest fortified towns in the region. Some interesting ruins
remain today.
You can still admire:
• A magnificent series of windows from a large XIIIth century
room, which is considered to be one of the oldest in the region
and one of the most remarkable vestiges of XIIIth century civil
architecture. In Gothic style, it hides behind twin windows
under crown point arches. Facing due south, it gave guests a
fine view over the Grouches valley.
• The keep from the XIIth and XIIIth centuries: raised
on a man-made mound, the original keep (Roman period) had
a square base. In the reign of Saint-Louis, the Count of Saint-Pol
rebuilt the upper section in a round shape, adding four towers
at the corners of the old keep. The changeover from a square
plane to a circular plane at such a height can only be found
at Lucheux.
• The machicolations on XIIth century arches: this is
an Arabic defense system which was brought back from the Third
Crusade by Hugo IV of Campdavesne, Count of Saint-Pol. Very
rare in Northern France, they are a first-class piece of military
architecture.
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History of the building
Situated on the border between Artois
and Picardy, the castle was one of the largest fortified
towns in the region. Built from 1120 by Hugo of Campdavesnes,
Count of Saint-Pol and Lord of Lucheux, it continued
to expand throughout the Middle Ages. It was the XIIth
century that seems to have been the most outstanding
era in the castle's history because it was in the reign
of Saint-Louis that the Counts of Saint-Pol acquired
high rank at the heart of the royal court. Since then,
drawn by the counts' hospitality and by the pleasures
of hunting, many sovereigns stayed at Lucheux: Philip
the Handsome, Philip of Valois, Charles VI, Philip the
Good of Burgundy, Charles the Bold and most notably
King Louis XI.
The castle suffered attacks by the
English and the Imperial forces (1522), the Burgundians
(1552) and the Spanish (1595). The XVIIth and XVIIIth
centuries saw the decline of Lucheux.
In the village: Romanesque
church with outstanding historiated Romanesque capitals,
the Belfry, the Arbre des Épousailles or "Nuptials
Tree" (300 year old linden tree).
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Practical info
Opening times
Guided tours at 2:30pm and 4:30pm: weekends in June and September
and every day from 01/07 to 31/08. Meet at the village square.
Prices
Adults : 4 €
Children (7-12): 1.50 €
Tourist Office
rue du Bourg - BP 69 - 80600 DOULLENS
Tel / Fax : +33 (0)3 22 32 54 52
E-mail : office-de-tourisme-doullens@wanadoo.fr
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