First fief certificate XIVe siècle (≈ 1450)
Historical mention of the family owners.
XVe siècle
Construction of medieval tower
Construction of medieval tower XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
A circular tower and a wall that remains strong.
XIXe siècle
Reconstruction of the castle
Reconstruction of the castle XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Current building and development of the park.
1981
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 1981 (≈ 1981)
Protection of the round road and tower.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Remaining part of the round road with its tower (Box D 149): inscription by decree of 28 December 1981
Key figures
Famille de La Forest (ou Fourest) - First certified owners
Possession of the fief until the 16th century.
Familles Esgrin, de Bar, de La Souche, de Sarre - Successive owners
Holders of the castle before the Revolution.
Origin and history
The castle of the Forest, located in Ygrande in the Allier department, is a monument whose history extends from the 15th to the 19th century. The present building, built in the 19th century, replaces a medieval castle whose only remains a 15th century circular tower and a fortified wall. These remains, including a murderer, a door to the round road and a bay in the middle of the hangar, testify to its defensive past. The site is completed by a wooded park designed under the Second Empire, reflecting the landscape cannons of the time.
The fief of the Forest is attested from the 14th century and belonged successively to the families of La Forest (or Fourest) until the 16th century, then to the Esgrin, Bar, La Souche and Sarre before the Revolution. The medieval tower, connected to the castle by a wall with round path, illustrates the architectural evolution of the site, combining defensive heritage and residential reconstruction. The monument has been inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1981, protecting the remaining parts of the road and its tower.
Historical sources, including regional works such as Châteaux, fiefs, mottes, fortified houses and manor houses in Bourbonnais (2004), highlight the heritage importance of the castle in the Bourbonnais landscape. Today, the site belongs to an association and retains remarkable architectural elements, although its state of conservation and accessibility remain partially documented. The exact location, 2 km south of the town of Ygrand, makes it a point of interest for studying the transformations of castles between the Middle Ages and modern times.
