Can you visit the inside of a castle at Rivray?

No, no building remains standing; only the earthen motte and its ditches can be seen.

How old is the Rivray feudal motte?

It dates from the 10th and 11th centuries, a period before stone keeps were built.

Why did the Rivray castle disappear?

It was destroyed around 1428 by the English during the Hundred Years' War.

Is there anything else to see on site?

An old castle chapel stands close to the motte.

Rivray Motte

Sablons sur Huisne

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Sablons sur Huisne

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Château Saint-Jean de Nogent-le-Rotroufrom €5.0010 km
Manoir de Courboyerfrom €3.0015 km
Manoir de Lormaringrounds open in summer during exhibitions, Friday to Sunday from 2pm to 7pm or by appointment; exhibition from 20 June to 12 July 2026; exhibition from 19 July to 16 August 2026; exhibition from 16 August to 20 September 202614 km

Sleep nearby

Motte féodale de Rivray stands in Sablons sur Huisne (Orne), in the Normandie region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: Middle Ages). The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

In Sablons sur Huisne, in the Orne department, the Rivray motte preserves the memory of an earthwork fortification raised between the 10th and 11th centuries, on high ground overlooking the old road linking Chartres to Le Mans. No building remains standing: it is the earthwork itself, still ringed by its ditches, that bears witness to this timber stronghold destroyed in 1428 during the Hundred Years' War. An old castle chapel stands close by.

Written from Motte féodale de Rivray

What to know

The site consists of an earthen mound and surrounding ditches, with no standing medieval building to visit.
An old castle chapel stands near the motte.
As no opening hours or fees are set, the site is seen from outside, without formal visiting arrangements.
The ground is elevated and not developed for tourism, so sturdy footwear is advisable.
It suits a short stop as part of a walk through the Huisne valley.

Where this château is

Sablons sur Huisne · Orne · Normandie

Map of the area around Motte féodale de Rivray

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Sablons sur Huisne, Orne

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

Get directions View on a map

Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00110781
Period of construction: Middle Ages

Itineraries

Normandy castles in 2 days from Caen

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the inside of a castle at Rivray?: No, no building remains standing; only the earthen motte and its ditches can be seen.
How old is the Rivray feudal motte?: It dates from the 10th and 11th centuries, a period before stone keeps were built.
Why did the Rivray castle disappear?: It was destroyed around 1428 by the English during the Hundred Years' War.
Is there anything else to see on site?: An old castle chapel stands close to the motte.