Hardelot Castle
Hardelot Castle, locally known as Château d'Hardelot, sits defensively on a hilltop next to the village of Condette. The first castle at this site was built in the 12th century by the Counts of Boulogne. The curtain walls date back to that time. The present castle was built by Philip I, Count of Boulogne and son of Philip II of France, in 1222. The castle was taken and retaken several times by the French, the English and the Burgundians. In the 17th century Cardinal Richelieu had Hardelot Castle dismantled and the castle became a farm. In 1848 Hardelot Castle was bought by the Englishman Sir John Hare. He rebuilt one of the best remaining towers into a Tudor-style mansion. Large receptions were given here and the writer Charles Dickens, a friend of Hare, often visited the castle. (Condette, France)
