Chateau Hougoumont was a crucial site during the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. Defended by the Allies, the farm and its surrounding woodlands were repeatedly attacked throughout the day by Napoleon's forces. Below, Defence of the Chateau de Hougoumont by the flank Company, Coldstream Guards,1815, by artist Denis Dighton (1792-1827), Wikimedia Commons, National Army Museum, London.
When we visited in 2010, the chateau grounds were given over to an encampment of reenactors participating in one of their summer extravaganzas, living almost as their ancestors did.
The chateau was extensively conserved for the Bicentenary in 2015 and the barn restored for the presentation of a film telling its story. Below, the Memorial of 2025; right, the chapel.
Above left, the Upper Courtyard; right. the altar with memorial wreaths. Below left, the crucifix badly burned in the battle; right, the remains of the surrounding woodlands in 2022.
Below, scenes from the multimedia presentation on multiple screens in the barn.
Next, the Palace of Fontainebleau, March, 2022
RSS Feed