Château de l'Ébaupinay was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. By the late 15th century, the Lord of Vendel owned the castle and its estate. The structure was reportedly devastated by a fire in January 1794, possibly caused by the Grignon column. However, due to a lack of factual evidence (written or physical traces of the event), it could be a legend linked to the proximity of a battle where another castle in the region was indeed set ablaze.
According to Stéphane Berhault, a heritage architect, similar to other castles in the region, such as the Château de Glénay, the Château de l'Ébaupinay was simply dismantled. This dismantling involved removing roof framework elements and floors to recover materials, benefiting other constructions in the vicinity. The former interior coatings on the top floor still exist, contradicting the theory of a fire.
In the late 2010s, the Corbière family, owners since the 19th century, struggled to save l'Ébaupinay and its five hectares of land, later putting the property up for sale. The castle's purchase and restoration project became the subject of a crowdfunding campaign by Dartagnans. In 2024, the castle was put back on the market.
The castle, dating from the late Middle Ages, features late Gothic style. Its architecture is characterized by five elegant towers flanking a square dwelling with a roof pierced by triangular gabled dormers, which are still in place. The ensemble is topped with a chemin de ronde with machicolations. On the north and east sides of the castle, the moats are still filled with water. The courtyard, with its small guard towers and a dismantled gate, once housed the castle's outbuildings.
References:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).