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Origin and history

The Château de Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer stands on the same name in the Seine-Maritime department in Normandy. Originally, it was a medieval strong house designed to defend the Dun Valley, as it was common at river mouths in the Middle Ages. From this time still remain the cellars on two levels and a cylindrical dovecote, originally designed as a defense tower before being converted in the seventeenth century.

The first attested seigneur of Saint-Aubin dates back to 1205 with Henri de Ferrières, who came from a powerful Anglo-Norman feudal family. For four centuries, until 1653, the estate depended on the Barony of Ferrières. In 1604, a confession by Charlotte des Ursins already mentions the ruins of the old defensive building, destroyed by wars. The present castle was rebuilt before 1650 by Alphonse Auber de Daubeuf, who partly used the materials of the previous building.

In 1653 Charles Le Conte, Marquis de Nonant, acquired the property, followed in 1682 by Simon Arnauld, Marquis de Pomponne, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under Louis XIV. In 1697, Alphonse Auber de Daubeuf launched the construction of the present castle, mixing sandstone, bricks and flint. The estate then changed hands several times: the Fontanieus (1719), family of royal financiers, then the Caillot de Coqueréaumont (1745), before being associated with the prestigious name of the Choiseul-Gouffier in 1771, close to Marie-Antoinette.

The 18th century marked the height of the castle, with the layout of the park, including a beech alley and a wolf jump. The French Revolution, however, divided the estate of 611 hectares, sold in 1818 to Choiseul-Gouffier heirs. In 1858, Eustache Dely Houdeville, a Rouennais industrialist, bought the castle, which had since remained in its progeny. During World War II, he served as German Kommandantur, suffering extensive damage.

Architecturally, the castle combines a slender Louis XIII style with medieval defensive elements. Its facades, alternating with pink sandstone and bricks, contrast with the south wing in sandstone and flint. The dovecote, with thick walls of one metre, bears witness to its military past. Ranked in 1943 and registered with the Historical Monuments in 1976, the estate now adjoins the coast and the Dun Valley, a site protected by the Conservatoire du littoral.

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