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Origin and history

The Château des Huguenots, located in the hamlet of Beuvreuil in Dampierre-en-Bray (Seine-Maritime), dates from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. His name comes from Huguenot seigneurial families who occupied him. Ranked Historic Monument by order of 2 May 1921, it is today a private property inaccessible to the public. This castle illustrates medieval defensive architecture in the country of Bray, a natural region on horseback on the Seine-Maritime and the Oise.

Dampierre-en-Bray, called "Terrace domni Petri" (Terre de Saint Pierre) in ancient texts, was structured around the parishes of Dampierre and Beuvreuil. In the Middle Ages, the territory was divided between the seigneuries of Dampierre, Rambures and Marigny. The castle of Beuvreuil, linked to the seigneury of Marigny, was transmitted by successive alliances to the families Le Portier, d'Auxi, and then Rambures. Enguerran III de Marigny, treasurer of Philip the Bel, was hanged in 1315, marking a turning point in local history.

The seigneury of Dampierre then passed into the hands of the Rambures and was sold to Nicolas Bénard in the 15th century. The fief de Marigny, adjacent, was passed on to the families of Fécamp, Gamaches and Roncherolles through strategic marriages. These alliances reflect feudal dynamics in Normandy, where lands and castles changed hands according to lines and conflicts, such as the Battle of Azincourt (1415), where several local lords found death.

The country of Bray, an agricultural and bocager region, was a strategic crossroads between Picardy and Normandy. Castles such as the Huguenots served both as seigneurial residences and as checkpoints on commercial roads, such as the D16 and the D84 which still cross Dampierre-en-Bray. The Epte, a historic border river between Normandy and Île-de-France, reinforced the geopolitical importance of the area.

In the 20th century, the castle was preserved for its architectural heritage, although its access remains restricted. Its ranking in 1921 underscores its historical value, linked to religious conflicts (hence its name) and feudal transformations. The nearby churches, such as Saint-Pierre de Beuvreuil (XI–XVIth centuries), complement this heritage landscape marked by medieval heritage and territorial recompositions.

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