Château du Bel Esnault

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château du Bel Esnault, also known as Bellenau, is a 17th-century residence located in Saint-Côme-du-Mont, in the commune of Carentan-les-Marais, in the Manche department. The property takes its name from Raoul Enault, during the Renaissance; the La Fosse family acquired it in 1752. In 1847, the botanist and naturalist Pierre Étienne Joseph-Lafosse inherited the estate and devoted some forty years to transforming the park into a picturesque and exotic garden. This park of about two hectares combines canals, a lake with three small islands, an artificial rocky valley, grottoes, tunnels, bridges, a ruined false tower and a belvedere, planted with rare species. After the sale of 1897, roughly half of the park was converted into pasture; a second storey was added to the château in 1907. Only the park is listed as a monument historique, since 19 May 2010; the château itself is not protected. As a privately owned property, the château is closed to the public, while the park remains accessible.