No. 93793
Château de Thil
France
ChâteauRuinFor events14th century
No. 28475
Château · France
Château d'Anstrude
ChâteauRestoredInstitutional
No. 28475 · 47.596 N, 4.183 E
Quick summary
Château d'Anstrude is a château in France, listed as reference No. 28475.
Château d'Anstrude is a château in France with origins associated with the 14th century.
See all castles in FranceThe Château d’Anstrude stands in Bierry-les-Belles-Fontaines, France; it was constructed within French society by a local seigneur of Scottish origin.
The family that gave the château its name appears in records far earlier than the house itself. In 1337 an ancestor named David d’Anstrude served as an archer in the Scottish Guard under Robert Stuart, who held the office of Marshal of France. This note links the household to a line of Scottish-born nobles who settled into service in France.
The present château was raised in 1710 by André François d’Anstruther. During the seigneurial period the residence maintained a close relationship with the neighbouring parish church: an enclosed passage connected the house to the church so that the lord and his attendants could enter services without stepping outdoors.
Social advancement followed the building phase. On 7 September 1730 François-César d’Anstrude, a member of the same family, married Hélène-Thérèse Quarré-d’Augny, whose father François served as advocate general at the parlement of Dijon. Royal letters dated August 1737, recorded in Dijon in July 1738, raised the estate to the status of a barony in favor of François-César. Around this period the reigning monarch, Louis XV, adapted the family surname into the francized form “Anstrude,” a spelling that at times was also applied to the commune itself.
In the twentieth century the château received formal protection for its heritage value when it was listed as a monument historique by decree dated 12 June 1946.
Condition
The château presents a symmetrical plan centered on a main living block with secondary wings extending on each side. The central block is bookended by two round towers that terminate the principal mass, and lower lateral wings continue the composition outward. The complex dates to the construction campaign of 1710.
Access to the property is marked by an imposing wrought-iron gate set between two pilasters. The gate serves as the formal entrance and is notable for its metalwork; the pilasters frame the opening and establish a ceremonious approach to the house.
The two circular towers are finished with slate roofing, a material chosen for the tower caps. Their rounded form frames the central block and contributes to the château’s 18th-century profile. The enclosed covered passage that links the residence to the adjacent church is a documented feature of use, built to permit the seigneur and his retinue to attend services without going outside.
The estate’s status and name evolved alongside these physical elements. The property was elevated to a barony by royal letters in 1737–1738, and the francized family name “Anstrude” became associated with the place. The building’s cultural recognition was formalized when it was entered on the register of protected historic monuments by decree of 12 June 1946.
Location
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