Association de Sauvegarde du

CHATEAU DE GAVRAY

Presentation

Considerable changes in the Quaternary period considerably modified the geographical constitution of the Cotentin and led to the disappearance of the vast Gulf of Cotentin. The retreat of the coasts towards the east of the Lower Normandy shore, coasts that were once connected to the mainland: the Chausey Islands, the Minquiers plateau, the Ecréhou, the Dirouilles, Sark, Jersey and Alderney. Monsieur de Gerville gives as an indisputable fact, supported by old titles of the castellany of Pirou, that large woods surrounded this castle, and that a part of the woods which have disappeared are now covered by the ocean. Other variations, in the configuration of the Cotentin, allow us to understand that the heights of Gavray once had their bases beaten by the waves of the ocean. In those very remote times, Gaul was a wild country, covered with immense forests in which wild beasts such as the bear and the aurochs (a species of bison) were still found, now extinct. After Vercingetorix's revolt, it does not seem that Normandy was the theatre of struggle. The Gauls accepted Roman rule and were granted some freedoms.

Gavray, which became Gavray-Sur-Sienne on 1 January 2019 following the creation of this new commune bringing together the former communes of Mesnil-Amand, Mesnil Rogues and Sourdeval les Bois, is at the heart of the Normandy Bocage of the Manche. Former capital of an agricultural canton whose main attraction is nature: rounded hills between which many streams meander, bocage landscape, wooded areas, make it a very pleasant place for walkers.

In the Middle Ages, its location, on a ford of the Siena, at the crossroads of the roads which, from Caen and the North Cotentin, led to Mont-Saint-Michel and Brittany, made it an important trading centre: the Saint-Luc fair, which still takes place every year in October on the moor, is attested as early as the twelfth century.

It was also, at the time of the Norman duchy, an interesting strategic point, allowing control of the entire south of the Cotentin. This is why the Dukes of Normandy chose the site of Gavray as the seat of a viscounty and built a military castle there.

The visitor who arrives by the road to Coutances cannot fail to be struck by the hill that dominates the village of Gavray.
This is where the castle stood, on the upper part of the rocky outcrop, about sixty metres above the valleys of the Siena and its tributary, the Bérence.

The steep slopes of the hill, and the marshy valleys, made it easy to defend.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Gavray housed a garrison under the authority of the powers that be in the region: first the Normans, then the French, the Navarrese, the English and finally the French again at the end of the Hundred Years' War. The first time was in 1378 by Bertrand Du Guesclin, following which the King of France ordered its destruction. Rebuilt by the English, it was again besieged and taken in 1449 by Arthur de Richemont.After 1450, the castle was no longer of strategic interest, it was nevertheless restored in 1459 under the reign of Charles VII and it is known to have a captain until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Then, as it is no longer of any use, it is dismantled and used as materials. In 1832, the Compagnie du Cotentin, exercising the rights of the House of Orléans, ceded the land containing the castle free of charge to the commune of Gavray, because of its former rights of use.

Not much remains of the mighty fortress today, and the visitor who would expect to find towers and battlements would be very disappointed:
It is on the ground that he discovers shreds of walls, torn with great difficulty from brambles and oblivion, by an association of volunteers who have been interested in the site since 1980.

Archaeological excavations, carried out every summer for more than ten years, have made it possible to reconstruct the history of certain buildings and to better interpret the archival texts as well as the referencing in archaeological sites under the number 50191001 AP.
A landscaping project, carried out in 2001 under the aegis of the municipality of Gavray, highlights these remains.
Explanatory panels on the site allow visitors to understand them.
They are complemented by a KIT-M commentary tour, dedicated to smartphone owners. Targets and QR Codes are installed on oak brackets (For more details, refer to the "KIT-M Pathways" tab)

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