Château de La Landelle

Château de La Landelle is a 16th-century manor house in Clécy, in the Suisse Normande area of Calvados, and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the town.

What does the château look like?

The building dates back to the 16th century and was originally laid out in a cross shape, standing just one storey high. Over the following centuries its owners reworked the wings, replacing them with staircases and raising the whole structure by an extra floor. The result is a silhouette quite different from the original design, though the cross-shaped core is still recognisable today. The château sits within an old, wooded park, visible in surviving photographs from the early 20th century.

Where does the name La Landelle come from?

The name comes from "lande," the Norman word for scrubby wasteland covered in gorse, broom and heather. Before the château was built, this stretch of land was exactly that kind of wild, unproductive heath, typical of the higher ground around Suisse Normande.

Who lived in the château?

From at least 1872 the estate belonged to Sylvain Verjat, a public works contractor and general councillor for Calvados. After his death in 1918, the château passed to his son, Louis Victor Émile Verjat, who made it his primary residence and lived there until his own death in 1933. He is credited as the presumed photographer of the surviving stereoscopic images of the château and its grounds, now held at the Musée Adrien Mentienne in Bry-sur-Marne.

What happened to the château during the war?

During the Second World War the building was requisitioned and occupied by German forces — one of the few documented facts from this period of its history. Despite the occupation, the château remained in the hands of the same family for decades afterwards.

Can visitors see the château today?

It remains a private residence, so the interior is not open to visitors. The building can, however, be seen from nearby roads and walking trails through Suisse Normande, a region known for its scenic hills, the Clécy viaduct and the Pain de Sucre rock formation. Château de La Landelle is listed among the town's historic landmarks, alongside other local manors such as Cantelou and Placy.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Château de La Landelle? It dates from the 16th century, making it one of the oldest monuments in Clécy.

Does the château's name mean anything? Yes — "La Landelle" refers to the wasteland once covered in gorse, broom and heather that stood on the site, a common landscape feature in this part of Normandy.

Who owned the château historically? The Verjat family, from the 1870s onward: first Sylvain Verjat, then his son Louis Victor Émile Verjat after 1918.

Is the château open to the public? No, it is private property. It can only be admired from outside, along the surrounding trails of Suisse Normande.