Can you visit the Château de Garde-Épée?

No, it is a private property closed to the public; only the fortified gate and the dovecote can be seen from outside.

How old is the Château de Garde-Épée?

The original house was built around 1553, with the main building altered at the end of the 18th century.

What remains of the original fortifications?

The gate with machicolations, a corner turret and the large 16th-century round dovecote still stand.

Is the Château de Garde-Épée a listed historic monument?

It has been listed as a historic monument since 30 October 1973.

Château de Garde-Épée

Garde-Épée Castle

Saint-Brice

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Where: Saint-Brice

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Garde-Épée stands in Saint-Brice (Charente), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 16th century, first quarter of the 17th century). Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

The Château de Garde-Épée stands in Saint-Brice, in the Charente department, on a plateau overlooking the Charente valley. Built in the mid-16th century for a merchant named Ancelin, it still shows from that period a fortified gateway with machicolations and a large round dovecote, both visible from outside the grounds. The main house closing the courtyard was rebuilt in the late 18th century, giving the whole the look of a working manor rather than a stronghold. The site today belongs to a private wine estate.

Written from Château de Garde-Épée

What to know

The château is privately owned and not open to visitors, though the gateway and dovecote can be seen from outside.
The estate today operates as a wine-producing property.
The building has been listed as a historic monument since 30 October 1973, a protection covering the crenellated wall, the gate, the turret and the dovecote.
There are no visiting hours or admission fees since the site is not open to the public.

Where this château is

Saint-Brice · Charente · Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Map of the area around Château de Garde-Épée

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

16100 Saint-Brice

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00104494
Period of construction: 16th century, first quarter of the 17th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the Château de Garde-Épée?: No, it is a private property closed to the public; only the fortified gate and the dovecote can be seen from outside.
How old is the Château de Garde-Épée?: The original house was built around 1553, with the main building altered at the end of the 18th century.
What remains of the original fortifications?: The gate with machicolations, a corner turret and the large 16th-century round dovecote still stand.
Is the Château de Garde-Épée a listed historic monument?: It has been listed as a historic monument since 30 October 1973.