Rivers of France ...

... and I'm picking up from where I left you last week.  The river Le Loir, from its source, runs through some picturesque rolling countryside with little villages here and there.  Today, we're taking a stroll through Châteaudun.  Read on …

From its source near Illiers the river meanders and by-passes villages and old mills, flows under bridges and continues until it skirts the western side of Bonneval and then cuts through the southern half of the small town.  An old medieval fortified village, Bonneval has preserved its ancient character.  There’s the 13th-century Tour du Roi (The King’s Tower), an abbey and the 12th-13th-century church of Notre Dame.  Well worth a visit, but if you continue along the river a little further, you will find Châteaudun, with its fabulous fort towering above the town.

There is camping here and when I last visited, it was still Monsieur who stood as tall as a tree with his magnificent mop of thick grey hair.  This time around, there’s an automatic barrier, and the campsite is empty apart from a single campervan.  I park up and take a look.  There are no longer all the French caravans that come for the season.  In fact as I walk along the avenue towards my favourite spot – right at the back with a clear view of the fort on its promontory – I notice that the swans are still in residence.  I decide not to stay.  I prefer to camp with some neighbours that are not too far away.
It’s a decent walk into town from the campsite, but on a warm day with the sun in the right aspect, it can be a pleasant stroll.  From the junction with the main road into town, you take a left, and a few metres away is the entrance to the château.  The fort actually sits on the south bank of the river which splits to the north-east of the campsite and creates a long island at one side of the town.

The fortress was built between the 12^th and 16^th centuries.  It was Thibault 5, the Count of Blois, who had the original keep built towards the end of the 12^th century.  Sainte-Chapelle, the chapel within the confines of the château, was built in the 15th century by Jean, bâtard d’Orléans and comrade in arms with Joan of Arc.  He received the estates of Dunois and the viscountcy from his brother and began the reconstruction and improvement of the château.  He converted the military stronghold into a stunning and comfortable residence.  The main body of the building is roofed in the Gothic style, and there is a finely carved staircase from the same period.  Jean also fought to have the bar symbolising his illegitimacy removed from his coat of arms.

The historic monument has many fine rooms to view, including a seigneurial courtroom and a second, later, and more extravagant staircase added by the Duc de Longueville in the early 16th century, which is part of the Belvedere Tower. You can while away a whole day meandering through this residence and the gardens.
But it’s time for me to move on, and the next stop along the river on my journey will be Vendôme.

Look out for my next post next month, and if you want to know more, you can find my previous post Here