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Origin and history

The castle of Poutrincourt, located in Lancheres in the west of the Somme department, is a medieval vestige of the 15th century. Its ruins, protected since 1980, recall its membership of the Biencourt family as early as 1403. Close to the Bay of Somme, this castle illustrates the defensive architecture of the era, with its walls made of flint and brick.

In the 16th century, the castle was owned by Jacques de Biencourt, brother of Jean de Poutrincourt, a major figure in French settlement in Nova Scotia. The latter founded the Habitation de Port-Royal in 1604, creating a historical link between the Picard monument and Canada. Until the Revolution, the estate remained in the same family line.

The current remains, listed as historical monuments in 1980, are limited to portions of side walls and a long side, the facade having disappeared. Built with tuff blocks at angles, these walls about 0.75 m thick reflect the construction techniques of the era. Around 1930, the castle still retained its four walls, before falling into progressive ruin.

A project to acquire the ruins by the Canadian government, in tribute to Jean de Poutrincourt, was mentioned but never realized. Today, these remains recall both the local history of the Somme and the beginnings of the French presence in North America.

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