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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Coutant, located in Saint-Hilaire-sur-Helpe in the department of the North, is a building whose origins date back to the thirteenth century. From this early period, today only a round tower and remains of 16th century masonry remain. The main body, U-shaped with three unequal wings, is flanked by three square towers and an older round tower, all with characteristic bulb roofs. The current massive structure combines limestone, blue stone, pink and slate bricks, reflecting the successive transformations of the 17th and 19th centuries.

Most of the present castle was built around 1714 by François de la Combe, Marshal of the camps and armies of the King, also director of the fortifications of Hainaut under Vauban. He was the owner of the estate since 1696, followed by Jean Le Brunqui in 1721, then by Jean-Baptiste Cordier de Caudry. In the 19th century, the Recq de Malzine family became its owner until 1946, when industrialist Paul Delannoy acquired it. Since the 2000s, the castle belongs to Master Landmann. The estate, including moat, vegetable garden pavilion and pond, was listed at the Historic Monuments on April 28, 1947.

Prior to 1875, the park was surrounded by walls and accessible by a drawbridge, including remains of the entrance pillars. The farmhouse, dating from the 17th century, completes the architectural ensemble. The park's façade, with seven spans on two levels, features a central window topped by a wrought iron balcony. The most recent northeast tower houses a dovecote and dates mainly from the 19th century. These elements illustrate the evolution of the castle, marked by military, residential and agricultural adaptations over the centuries.

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