Origins of fief XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Former parts of the estate date back to this period.
4e quart XIXe siècle
Complete transformation of the castle
Complete transformation of the castle 4e quart XIXe siècle (≈ 1987)
Total renovation and construction of the cooler.
3 août 2007
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 3 août 2007 (≈ 2007)
Protection of the cooler by ministerial order.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
La glacière du château (Box B 484) : inscription by order of 3 August 2007
Key figures
Information non disponible - No characters cited in the sources
The available archives do not mention any names.
Origin and history
The Château de la Picotière, located in Saint-Gilles-de-Crétot in Normandy, finds its origins in a former fief named Claville. Although parts of the estate date back to the 17th century, the current whole is the result of a complete transformation carried out in the late 19th century. This reshaping gave rise to a castle whose architecture reflects the tastes of the era, combining tradition and technical innovations.
The castle cooler, built near a pond transformed into a piece of masonry water, is one of the most notable elements of the site. Built in brick with flint frames around the entrance, it houses a deep conical tank of about 3.50 meters for a diameter of 10 meters. Covered with a brick vault, it still retains its original grid and ladder, testifying to its past use for the conservation of food by cold. This cooler was also listed as a historic monument by order of 3 August 2007, highlighting its heritage interest.
Prior to its transformation, the Picotière estate was linked to Claville's fief, a territory whose history dates back to at least the seventeenth century. The total renovation at the end of the 19th century erased much of the traces of the earlier periods, but it also allowed the creation of a coherent architectural ensemble, characteristic of bourgeois or aristocratic residences of that time in Normandy. The presence of the cooler, a modern and practical equipment, illustrates the concern for the comfort and conservation of foodstuffs, typical of the large rural properties of the period.
Today, the Château de la Picotier remains a testimony of the evolution of seigneurial estates into country residences, marking the transition from a feudal economy to a society more oriented towards pleasure and technical progress. Its partial inscription in the title of historical monuments ensures the preservation of the cooler, a rare and representative element of the industrial and domestic heritage of the nineteenth century.
