Thevray Castle

Thevray Castle, locally known as Château or Tour de Thevray or Château de La Tour, lies northwest of the village of the same name, in the Eure department in France.

The first castle at this site was probably a motte castle built in the 12th century by a member of the Thévray family. In the early 14th century, property of the castle transferred to the Ménilles family because of the marriage of Jeanne de Thévray with Laurent de Ménilles. At the end of the 14th century, the granddaughter of Jeanne married Robert de Chambray.

In 1418, during the Hundred Years' War, that first castle was burned to the ground by English troops. Around 1450 the Chambray family retrieved the ruined remains of their castle. At the end of the 15th century, Jacques de Chambray, had the present castle built on the remains of the old one. It was described as a "tower and house, enclosed by walls, surrounded by large, wide and deep moats." The octagonal keep was built out of brick, of rare use in the region at the time. By the time the keep, rebuilt according to the criteria of the Middle Ages, was finished it was already obsolete and no longer corresponded to military standards of the day. 

During the 17th century a manor house was built on the castle island, which disappeared by the end of the 19th century, leaving only the 15th century keep and the outbuildings. Sometime during the 20th century, the castle was abandoned. It now stands empty, with its outbuildings slowly falling to ruin.

At present, Thevray Castle is situated on private land. Its exterior can freely be viewed. A beautiful castle, I would have loved to view the interior of the keep.

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