Château du Grand-Besse
Encyclopedia
The Château du Grand-Besse is a castle
in the commune
of Saint-Maur
in the Cher département of France.
, lit by mullioned windows. This keep from the early 15th century dates the construction, or reconstruction, of the castle.. Of the surrounding walls, the only remains are a round tower and stretch of wall and part of a moat
still filled with water. Also from the same era are a round staircase tower with small square windows and, in the south east, a doorway opening into the courtyard whose lintel
is decorated with an escutcheon
.
The new residence dates from the 17th century and was enlarged in the 19th with the addition of a neo-gothic staircase tower. The residential building is of rectangular plan, with a staircase tower in the centre. A small brick "pepperpot" (not accessible) is in one corner. The roof is crowned with metal spikes.
The farm buildings are decorated with alternate layers of brick and stone.
Château du Grand-Besse is listed as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saint-Maur
Saint-Maur, Cher
Saint-Maur is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A farming area comprising the village and four hamlets situated by the banks of the small river Portefeuille, some south of Bourges at the junction of the D62 with the D65 and the D127...
in the Cher département of France.
Architecture
The present castle consists of a very robust square keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, lit by mullioned windows. This keep from the early 15th century dates the construction, or reconstruction, of the castle.. Of the surrounding walls, the only remains are a round tower and stretch of wall and part of a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
still filled with water. Also from the same era are a round staircase tower with small square windows and, in the south east, a doorway opening into the courtyard whose lintel
Lintel (architecture)
A lintel can be a load-bearing building component, a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over portals, doors, and windows.-Structural uses:...
is decorated with an escutcheon
Escutcheon
In heraldry, an escutcheon is a shield which forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word is used in two related senses....
.
The new residence dates from the 17th century and was enlarged in the 19th with the addition of a neo-gothic staircase tower. The residential building is of rectangular plan, with a staircase tower in the centre. A small brick "pepperpot" (not accessible) is in one corner. The roof is crowned with metal spikes.
The farm buildings are decorated with alternate layers of brick and stone.
Château du Grand-Besse is listed as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.