Who built Château Desandrouin?

The château was built around 1770 for Stanislas Desandrouin, from the family that operated glassworks and discovered coal at Fresnes. Partially demolished in the nineteenth century, it was reconstructed in 1834.

What is the Temple of Love?

It is a small circular building with eight Doric columns, attributed to architect Jean-François Chalgrin. It is a very rare type of garden folly in the region and has only two replicas in France, at the Petit Trianon and in Paris.

Can the château be visited?

The château and its park have been owned by the town since 1958. The park operates as a public garden; the château houses various municipal activities.

Château Desandrouin

Desandrouin Castle

Fresnes-sur-Escaut

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Fresnes-sur-Escaut

To make a day of it

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Atelier émaillage de céramiqueSun, Nov 8 · château de Flers39 km

Château Desandrouin stands in Fresnes-sur-Escaut (Nord), in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 18th century, 19th century, third quarter of the 18th century). No visits are on record for this building.

Built around 1770 for the Desandrouin family, industrial owners and mining magnates of northern France, this eighteenth-century château owes its existence to the discovery of coal at Fresnes in 1720. Wealth from coal extraction and glassworks funded luxury features: heated greenhouses, a picturesque park and ornamental structures, including the remarkable Temple of Love. Partially reconstructed in 1834 after a period of demolition, it retains a facade of moulded cement, a rare technique for its time. Becoming municipal property in 1958, it now serves as the city's public park.

What to know

The Temple of Love, attributed to architect Jean-François Chalgrin, is a circular structure with eight columns, comparable to similar temples at the Petit Trianon and Monceau park in Paris.
The park surrounding the château was redesigned in the nineteenth century in the English style, water supplied from the Escaut river, and remains publicly accessible as the town's municipal garden.
The château features a moulded cement facade, an innovative and rare technique when the building was reconstructed in 1834 for a structure of this type.
Buildings dating from 1810, notably the orangery and dovecote, complement the ensemble with the historic kitchen garden of the estate.

Where this château is

Fresnes-sur-Escaut · Nord · Hauts-de-France

Map of the area around Château Desandrouin

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Fresnes-sur-Escaut, Nord

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

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA59000226
Period of construction: 18th century, 19th century, third quarter of the 18th century

Itineraries

Castles near Lille and the Belgian border: 2 days by car

Frequently asked

Who built Château Desandrouin?: The château was built around 1770 for Stanislas Desandrouin, from the family that operated glassworks and discovered coal at Fresnes. Partially demolished in the nineteenth century, it was reconstructed in 1834.
What is the Temple of Love?: It is a small circular building with eight Doric columns, attributed to architect Jean-François Chalgrin. It is a very rare type of garden folly in the region and has only two replicas in France, at the Petit Trianon and in Paris.
Can the château be visited?: The château and its park have been owned by the town since 1958. The park operates as a public garden; the château houses various municipal activities.