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Origin and history

Villers-Châtel Castle is an ancient 14th-century fortress with a quadrangular plan surrounded by round towers and a rectangular dungeon. The western round tower, called "the fort", is the medieval part still standing. In 1750, part of the castle was demolished and rebuilt, of which the entrance façade remains. In the 19th century, the Belgian architect Baron Béthune added a neo-Gothic chapel (1860), a troubadour gallery and a wing in return with a square dungeon.

During World War I, the castle served as a military infirmary. He was successively occupied by the English and Germans during World War II. A model farm, rebuilt after 1918, and a closed orchard garden complete the whole. The castle, partially listed as a historical monument in 2004, now houses guest rooms.

Originally, the fortress belonged to the lord of Gournay during the siege of Arras in 1414. It changed hands several times: Habarcq's family owned it until the 16th century, and then it passed into the hands of Gilles de Lens, families of Marquais, Cassina, The Hague, Lannoy and Haynin. In 1747, Nicolas Mazel de Leval bought and transformed him deeply.

Under the Old Regime, Villers-Châtel was the province of Artois and the local custom established in 1535. The commune, originally attached to Mingoval, became independent between 1793 and 1801. General Barbot, commander of the 77th Alpine Division, died there in 1916 after being transported there wounded.

The castle park, with its fence and grills, as well as the vegetable garden and the neo-Gothic chapel, have been protected since 2004. The chapel, the work of Baron Bethune, is notable for its interior decor. A cave in Lourdes was also built in the park, reflecting the eclectic additions of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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