Donation of Count Robert II 1111-1193 (≈ 1152)
Terroir ceded to the abbey of Bourbourg (*terra nova*).
1458
Destruction of the strong house
Destruction of the strong house 1458 (≈ 1458)
Site mentioned as ruined this year.
24 août 1979
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 24 août 1979 (≈ 1979)
Official protection of the moth and lower yard.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Feudal motte and lower court (Box B 235): inscription by order of 24 August 1979
Key figures
Robert II de Flandre - Count of Flanders
Donor of the terroir at Bourbourg Abbey.
Origin and history
The feudal motte of Eringhem, located in the village of the same name in the Hauts-de-France region, is a former strong house built in the Middle Ages. This site is mentioned as destroyed in 1458, but its origin dates back to a donation by Count Robert II of Flanders to the Abbey of Bourbourg between 1193 and 1111. The terroir, called terra nova (New Earth), has retained this name in its Flemish translation Nieuwland, reflecting its local historical importance.
The construction of this strong house is probably linked to the management of the estate by Bourbourg Abbey, an influential religious institution in the region. The site, composed of a motte and a low courtyard, was listed as a Historic Monument by order of 24 August 1979. Today, its location is estimated to be satisfactory a priori, although visible remains remain limited.
The historical context of this motte is part of that of medieval private fortifications, often built to control land or protect resources. In Flanders, these structures played a key role in local power networks, between secular and ecclesiastical lords. Early destruction of the site (before 1458) suggests conflicts or a decline in its strategic utility, typical of many strong houses in the late Middle Ages.
