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Origin and history

The Château du Val-d'Arques is a 17th-century residence in the commune of Saint-Eustache-la-Forêt, Seine-Maritime (Normandie). Built around 1612, it illustrates the architectural style of Henri IV-Louis XIII, with brick facades decorated with dark crumbs, sandstone, white stone and cut flint. This small building, surrounded by agricultural buildings, is a testament to the rural architecture of the period.

The castle was erected by David Deschamps, lord of the Val d'Arques and commissioner of the Marine du Ponant. In 1644 he passed into the hands of the Fontaine family, and in 1755 he was acquired by Étienne Martin de Boisville. After a period of decline, he was bought in 1970 by Gabriel Beuriot, who began his restoration with Charles Clément-Grandcourt. These works save the monument, then in ruins.

Partially classified as historical monuments since 1972, the castle includes in its protection the facades and roofs of the house as well as five agricultural buildings: a carterie, a barn, a barn, a pigeon house and a well. These elements, built or modified between the 17th and 19th centuries, reflect the evolution of the agricultural and domestic uses of the estate. The covered well and cartage, absent from the 1823 cadastre, date back to the 19th century.

The current mansion replaces a former seigneury mentioned in 1172 under the name of Vallem Magnam, then in 1280 as Valle des Archis. The Deschamps family, anobliated in 1583, became its owner before ceding it in 1664. In the 18th century, it belonged to the Martin de Boisville family, which kept it until the mid-19th century. The enclosed garden, visible on the 1823 cadastre, has since disappeared.

Architecturally, the house combines brick and stone, with allegations in black flint. Dependencies, such as the brick dovecote or wood-panel barn, show a variety of materials and techniques. These characteristics make it a representative example of Normandy's rural heritage, marked by both noble and agricultural influences.

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