Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Castle of Regnière-Écluse, former domain of the Count of Hinnisdal, extends over the communes of Machy, Vron and Regnière-Écluse in the Somme. Acquired around 1030 by the same family, he remained in his possession almost a millennium. The Tyrel, Soissons-Moreuil, and then the Soyecourt (from 1424) succeeded as owners. A fireplace dated 1553 in the library attests to its medieval origin.

In the 19th century, Count Herman of Hinnisdal radically transformed the estate into a neo-Gothic style, with architect Jean Herbault. He added a model farm, an English garden, and two game parks, rare for the time. The Duthoit brothers, Amienese ornamentists, sculpted the decorations for twenty years, including a large staircase carried by railway in 1850. The 135 hectare park, designed by Louis-Sulpice Varé, was planted with 138,000 trees from the forest of Crécy.

During the two world wars, the estate was occupied by the English army in 1914-1918, then requisitioned by the Germans in 1939-1945 as a hospital. It was later abandoned and served as a holiday settlement before being restored in 1961 by Count Raymond de Nicolaÿ, descendant of the owners. Ranked a historic monument in 2006, the estate (815 hectares) was ceded in 2008 to the Conservatoire du littoral, while remaining partially inhabited by the family.

The castle, with a private chapel and richly decorated salons, served as a setting for film productions such as Le Flux et le Reflux (Les Petits Murtres series by Agatha Christie, 2013) and Murder Party (2022). The facades, roofs, and park have been protected since 1976, while the model farm has been since 2005. The local association is now responsible for management and valuation.

External links