Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Motte-aux-Bois, erected in 1075 by Robert le Frison in the heart of the forest of Nieppe, was a key fortress of the Counts of Flanders and the Dukes of Burgundy. He welcomed historical figures like Thomas Becket in 1164, exiled from England before his assassination. Over the centuries, he changed his hands among noble families, including Yolande de Flanders, who died there in 1395 after being embellished and endowed with a chapel dedicated to Saint Denis.

In the Middle Ages, the castle was a place of power and justice, independent of neighbouring jurisdictions such as Cassel or Hazebrouck. It was partially dismantled in 1328 after a siege, then rebuilt and enlarged by Isabelle de Portugal, wife of Philip the Good, in the 15th century. The seigneury became a county in 1614 under Robert de Saint-Omer, before being ruined by the 17th century wars, then rebuilt in 1660.

In modern times, the castle served as an administrative and judicial centre, even with water and forest control in 1679. Sold as a national property in 1795, it passed into the hands of the family of La Grange, which kept it until 1962. During the two world wars, he played a logistical role: welcoming British troops in 1914-1918 and bombing in 1944, followed by reconstruction in 1950.

Since 1962, the castle has been home to the Amaury de la Grange Aviation Institute (IAAG), consisting of several buildings including a "Cathedral" (course halls), a 19th century chapel, and sports infrastructure. The park, inscribed in the remarkable gardens, and the medieval cellars (XIII-15th centuries) bear witness to its rich past. The Memoir des pierres association preserves this heritage on Heritage Days.

Architecturally, the site blends medieval remains (fossed, towers, Gothic vaults) and reconstructions of the 17th–XXth centuries. The chapel, dedicated to Thomas Becket, incorporates a facade of the Fort Gassion of Aire-sur-la-Lys, acquired in 1928. The estate, once the heart of a Comtal forest, is today a place of teaching and memory, linked to aviation and Flemish history.

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