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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Belleforière farm, located in Beuvry, is a farm in the square surrounded by ditches (the so-called moats), built on sandstone bases and reinforced by stone-angle links. Its brick walls, adorned with a decorative toothed cornice gear, and two-paned roofs in mechanical tiles, date mainly from the 1st quarter of the 14th century and the 4th quarter of the 17th century. The house, the agricultural buildings (granges, stables) and a dovecote tower with a roof in the dardian pavilion make up the whole. Two carriageways, with wooden bridges and sandstone arches, allow access to the inner courtyard.

The first mention of the farm dates back to 1306, when Hachin Faverel sold the "Château de Belleforière" with his lands to Ernoul Caffet, receiver of Artois. In the 15th century, it belonged to the family of Le Val, then was acquired in 1499 by Jacques de Coupigny, seigneur of Sallau, who made it a vicomtière seigneury under the Count of Beuvry. The farm, then surrounded by moat and endowed with first justice, remains in this family nearly three centuries. In 1698, after the unrest of the Thirty Years' War, the current buildings were rebuilt on the old foundations, as attests a stone dated in the east wall.

In the 19th century, the Napoleonic cadastre of 1833 confirmed a similar settlement to today, also revealing the importance of the ditches linked to the river La Loisne. In 1876, the property moved to the family of the Marquis de Baynast de Septfontaines, described as a farm of 24 hectares with barns and stables. Damaged during the First World War, part of the home was rebuilt after 1918. In the 20th century, the farm was transformed for pig farming and endive cultivation, before being listed as a historical monument in 2007 for its facades and roofs. Today, it serves as a place of residence and reception.

The old dovecote tower also served as an observatory in a defence line protecting Bethune. A second round, destroyed during World War I, was once complete. The high windows with a brick frame and a basket handle arch, as well as the numerous skylights, show successive adaptations. The ditches, initially defensive, were fed by the former Beuvry and La Loisne marshes, highlighting the historical link between the site and its water environment.

The materials — brick, sandstone and cut stone — reflect local techniques, while the decorative elements (corns, gear teeth) reveal an aesthetic concern despite the agricultural vocation. The farm thus illustrates the evolution of rural farms from the Middle Ages to the modern era, combining defensive, residential and productive functions. Its registration in 2007 recognizes its heritage value, both architectural and historical.

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