Château de la Motte Fénelon: A Nineteenth-Century Residence in Cambrai
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page11 sections
History
Château de la Motte Fénelon is a nineteenth-century château in Cambrai, France, built around 1850 for the Brabant family during the period’s revival and reinterpretation of historical architectural forms. The residence was designed by Jacques Ignace Hittorff, a Parisian architect associated with major works in the capital, and stands in the former commune of Morenchies, which was incorporated into Cambrai in 1971.
Industrial wealth and construction
The château emerged from the industrial development of the Cambrai area. In the mid-nineteenth century, the Brabant brothers, textile manufacturers operating bleaching works in the city, drained the great marsh of Escaudœuvres and established their factory there. Alphonse Brabant de Leau bought nearby land in 1844 and commissioned Hittorff to design his residence. The building was constructed on marshy ground using white Creil stone and oak piles, with extensive basements providing additional separation from the terrain.
After Anne married Guy de la Motte Saint Pierre, the residence became known as Château de la Motte Saint Pierre. The La Motte Saint Pierre family retained possession through the château’s early history. During the First World War, German forces occupied the building and installed a concrete shelter in its cellars. The residence suffered wartime damage, and the family recovered the property after the 1918 armistice.
War damage and restoration
The château was occupied again during the Second World War, from 1940 to 1945. Hunting trophies displayed in the gallery were stolen, and the heavily damaged residence was abandoned as the park became overgrown. Maison Familiale, an international property-development group, purchased the property in 1962 together with adjoining land intended for the Résidence La Forêt.
Restoration began in 1973 with the stated aim of respecting the original architecture and decoration. The château was inaugurated under its present name in 1975. The name combines the former owners’ La Motte Saint Pierre name with that of François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénelon, commonly known as Fénelon, a French Catholic archbishop and writer who served as archbishop of Cambrai.
Later use and conservation
After the château became a centre for conferences and corporate events, a major renovation programme began in 1991. It included the redecoration of salons, the replanting of the park, and the creation of further accommodation, including single-storey rooms in the grounds and prestige rooms in the château, as part of its development as a star-rated hotel. A second programme in 2010 redecorated the salons and bedrooms while seeking to preserve the character of the historic interiors and Hittorff’s work. The property continues to combine heritage preservation with renovation, accommodation, dining, seminars, and corporate events.
Remains
Château de la Motte Fénelon occupies an estate of 8 hectares within a wooded park. The grounds contain trees of many species, including some more than 150 years old. The principal building, its extensive substructures, the former stables, and the park form the surviving estate landscape.
The château
Exterior and foundations
The main building is constructed in white Creil stone on oak piles, a foundation method suited to the marshy ground. Hittorff designed extensive basements to isolate the residence further from the terrain. These substructures use grey Solesmes stone. On the ground floor, rusticated stonework frames semicircular-headed openings, while the first floor has rectangular windows.
Interiors and staircase
The château retains one of the few Hittorff-designed interior arrangements still visible. Its salons include painted ceilings, whose decoration was respected during the 1973 restoration. Wall panelling was produced from carefully dimensioned drawings. During the same restoration, the grand staircase was extended to the second floor and equipped with an ornamental wrought-iron balustrade.
Service buildings and cellars
Former stables and Orangerie
Beside the château stand former stables built from locally produced brick. Now called the Orangerie, the building retains visible stalls and mangers. Its ground floor contains seminar and reception rooms, while bedrooms occupy the upper floor.
Les Douves restaurant
The vaulted cellars were built in red brick and grey Solesmes stone. They now contain Les Douves, a gastronomic restaurant, adapting the château’s substantial underground spaces to a later use while retaining their historic construction.
Nearby sites
