Château de Houlbec-près-le-Gros-Theil was originally a square castle with rounded corner towers. It was built in the Middle Ages and conquered by English in 1418 (Hundred Years' War) and by Catholic League in 1588 (during the Wars of Religion). The castle was rebuilt in 1786 and heavily damaged by fire in 1910. Today the château is abandoned but two towers and other signicant ruins still remain.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.