Château de Poutrincourt

Château de Poutrincourt is a set of medieval castle ruins in Lanchères, a small commune in the Somme department, just a few kilometers from the Baie de Somme. The site carries an outsized piece of history — it was from here, in 1605, that Jean de Poutrincourt set off to help found Port-Royal in Acadia, the first permanent French settlement in North America, in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada.

How do you get there?

Lanchères sits in western Somme, along the coastal strip between Le Crotoy and Cayeux-sur-Mer. A car is the easiest way to reach it — Abbeville and Le Crotoy are the nearest larger towns, both a short drive away on local roads. The ruins themselves stand in the hamlet of Poutrincourt, administratively part of Lanchères, surrounded by the hedgerow farmland typical of the area.

What will you see?

The castle was built in the 15th or 16th century as the seat of the Biencourt family, who held the estate from 1403 until the French Revolution. Today only part of one long facade and its two side walls survive — the entire front wall is gone. The walls, roughly 0.75 meters thick, were built in a checkerboard pattern of flint and brick reinforced with tuf, a construction technique typical of defensive buildings in Picardy.

Two themed gardens have been laid out around the ruins: a medieval garden with around 250 plant species that would have been cultivated when the castle was built, and a Garden of Genesis featuring more than 80 plant varieties mentioned in the Bible. A small on-site museum displays a collection of agricultural tools, illustrating rural life in Picardy in past centuries.

The site's real significance goes beyond its walls. Jean de Poutrincourt, brother of Jacques de Biencourt, the castle's owner at the time, left from here to become one of the founders of Port-Royal — making this modest corner of Picardy the starting point of a landmark chapter in French colonial expansion in the Americas.

When should you visit?

The ruins, gardens, and museum are open seasonally, from May 1 to September 30. Guided tours run daily at 3:00 pm, except on Tuesdays. Summer is the best time to visit, when the gardens are in full bloom and conditions around the Baie de Somme are at their most pleasant.

Good to know

The site was listed as a French historical monument by decree on March 18, 1980, recognizing its value both as an example of regional defensive architecture and as a landmark in the story of French colonization.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the ruins on your own? No — tours are guided, held daily at 3:00 pm (except Tuesdays), during the season running from May to the end of September.

What is the castle's connection to Canada? Jean de Poutrincourt set out from here and helped establish Port-Royal in Acadia in 1604–1605, the first permanent French settlement in North America.

Is there more to see than just the ruins? Yes — the grounds include two themed gardens (a medieval garden and the biblical Garden of Genesis) and a small museum displaying historic farming tools.

How far is the castle from the Baie de Somme? Lanchères lies just a few kilometers from the bay, on the coastal strip between Le Crotoy and Cayeux-sur-Mer, making it easy to combine with a trip to the coast.