What is a castle mound (motte castrale)?

It is an artificial earthen mound on which a wooden fortification once stood, usually accompanied by a bailey enclosure for domestic activities.

Can the mounds at Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze be visited freely?

The site is outdoors and reachable on foot, but no opening hours or fees are known.

Are there any remaining structures on site?

No, only the shapes of the terrain, the mounds and bailey enclosures, still testify to the medieval occupation.

Where exactly is this site located?

At the place called les Mottes, about three kilometres south-southwest of the village of Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze, in the Creuse department.

Mottes castrales de Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze

Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Château féodal de Crocqfrom €2.5019 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Lavaud-Promis (Lavaud-Promis Castle)Accommodation on site22 km

Mottes castrales de Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze stands in Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze (Creuse), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine 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.

At the place known as les Mottes, three kilometres from the village of Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze, stand three castle mounds together with their attached bailey enclosures. This medieval open-air site reflects a rural defensive system dating from the Middle Ages. The interest lies less in visible structures than in reading the landscape itself, shaped by these man-made mounds raised to support timber and earth fortifications.

Written from Mottes castrales de Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze

What to know

The site is outdoors, about three kilometres south-southwest of the village centre.
No buildings remain, only the earthen mounds and their bailey enclosures can be seen.
Visiting means walking across natural terrain, with no known specific facilities.
The whole site has been a listed historic monument since 1993.

Where this château is

Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze · Creuse · Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Map of the area around Mottes castrales de Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze, Creuse

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 PA00125511
Period of construction: Middle Ages

In pictures

Frequently asked

What is a castle mound (motte castrale)?: It is an artificial earthen mound on which a wooden fortification once stood, usually accompanied by a bailey enclosure for domestic activities.
Can the mounds at Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze be visited freely?: The site is outdoors and reachable on foot, but no opening hours or fees are known.
Are there any remaining structures on site?: No, only the shapes of the terrain, the mounds and bailey enclosures, still testify to the medieval occupation.
Where exactly is this site located?: At the place called les Mottes, about three kilometres south-southwest of the village of Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze, in the Creuse department.