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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Olhain Castle, built between the 13th and 15th centuries in Fresnicourt-le-Dolmen (Pas-de-Calais), embodies the medieval military architecture of Artois. Built on the Lawe River, it is considered the most emblematic fortress of the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Its history is marked by successive reconstructions, especially in 1407 under the impulse of Jean de Nielles, chamberlain of the Duke of Burgundy, who used oaks from the wood of the Wault to erect the present building.

Olhain's family, attested since 1179, played a key role in its development. Hugues d'Olhain, captain during the Fourth Crusade (1204), would be at the origin of a first castle, replaced later. In the 15th century, the estate passed into the hands of Berghes-Saint-Winock through the marriage of Alix de Nielles with Jean I de Berghes, the great widower of France. This line, converted to Protestantism in the 16th century, had to deal with the Spanish authorities then masters of the Artois, before returning to Catholicism in 1628.

The castle was a strategic issue during the Franco-Spanish conflicts. In 1641 he was taken by the Champagne regiment during the conquest of the Artois by Louis XIII, then damaged by the Spaniards who blew up two towers. In the 18th century, the Berghes-Saint-Winock abandoned it for the benefit of Boubers-sur-Canche castle, although it remained maintained as a hunting appointment. The family kept it until 1900, when it was sold.

An exceptional neolithic site was discovered in 2021 under the wood of Olhain: a 25 hectare fortified circular enclosure, dated about 6,000 years, surrounded by three slopes and ditches. This vestige, revealed by LIDAR mapping, is among the best preserved in the region. The authorities are considering its protection as historical monuments, in collaboration with the National Forestry Board.

The architecture of the castle combines a farm body, a low-yard with moat, and a fortress topped by a 30-metre watchtower. Among its remarkable elements are a 19th-century chapel, a bread oven, and a Guards room decorated with the Berghes-Saint-Winock weapons (a lion). The site, which has been listed as historical monuments since 1989, also houses medieval kitchens built between merovingian walls.

In the 20th century, the castle belonged to the Dutoit family, which preserved it. During the First World War, he served briefly as headquarters at a French headquarters in 1915. Today, he visits in season, offering a rare testimony of feudal fortresses in northern France, between medieval heritage and prehistoric discoveries.

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