Bellencombre

Legend says that the name Belchamber originated from a little village in Normandy,France called Bellencombre.With Tricia, myself, Mike and Anny Spilberg set off on the 8.00am ferry from Portsmouth to Le Harve on the 9th October 2004.After a delightfully meal on board, we arrived in Le Harve at 3.00pm French time. We then set off towards Dieppe after arriving there about 5.00pm,Tricia and Anny set off shopping while Mike and I found a bar for a spot of people watching and a couple of beers. Later we had a walk around the town to seek out a place to eat that evening, after settling in at the Ibis hotel on the outskirts of Dieppe we made our way back to eat at the Le Grand Hotel right on the seafront chosen by Anny and what a delightful meal it was, I have not eaten better.

After a good nights sleep and a good breakfast we all set out towards Bellencombre after travelling through some beautiful countryside, we arrived in the village to the church bells ringing, they must have known we were coming.

The village is quite small and there is a T junction at the top with the war memorial and church, with quaint delightful houses on both sides of the road with a few shops and bars intermingled.There are houses from the 16th century to the modern houses on the outskirts of the village,most of which are decked out with flowers. First we drove through the village and having seen the cemetery we stopped too walk around, not expecting to find any Belchambers there I was not disappointed.

We went back down the hill towards Bellencombre and parked the car in the village and went for a much deserved cup of coffee in the Hotel de Dieppe, before walking around the village and taking it all in.

We left the village about 12.30 and headed out towards Totes, where we were told by the owner of one of the bars in Bellencombre that they served meals on Sunday. We eat at the auberge du cygnet where we had another delightful meal. Before heading back to Le Harve and the ferry back to Portsmouth.

BELLENCOMBRE:Hotel de Deippe Bellencombre.Here we dropped in for a cup of coffee

BELLENCOMBRE:The main street Bellencombre looking towards the church.

BELLENCOMBRE:The church Bellencombre

BELLENCOMBRE:Tricia,Mike,Anny and Me in the main street Bellencombre

BELLENCOMBRE:Tricia and Anny            Bellencombre

Hazel on the outskirts of Bellencombre August 2006

On The Castle Of Bellencombre

The Original seat of the family of De Warenne,in Normandy

 

By Mr.M.A.Lower

(Read at Arundel,August 9,1849)

 

 

 

The interest in the early history of the De Warenne family,excited by the discovery of the remains of William de warenne and Gundrada at Lewes Priory,in 1845,led me,during a recent brief stay in Normandy,to visit the principal seat of that ancient race-the Castle of Bellencombre

  For this purpose I left La Chapelle,the chateau of M de Breaute.member of the Institute of France,in the company with M.I’Abbe Cochet,of Dieppe,our foreign associate,taking in our way the towns of Longueville and S Victor,the former celebrated for its castle and abbey,built in the eleventh century by the Giffards,Earls of Buckingham,and the latter for it’s monastery,founded by William the Conqueror.

 

At the distance of a leaque and a half from S.Victor,at a place little known to the antiquary and rarely visited by the tourist,stand the remains of the habitation of the once potent De Warennes. A picturesque village of one broad street consisting of irregular antique houses,chiefly constructed with wood,and flanking the humble maire,constitutes the bourg of Bellencombre,which occupies a very agreeable and picturesque situation on the western bank of the river Varennes.This river which rises in,and gives name to,the neighbouring commune of Omonville-sur-Varenne,is now more generally known as the riviere d’Arques,because it passes the castle and town of Arques on its way to join the Bethune,which debouches a few miles northward at the haven of Dieppe. The town itself,in early times,bore the same name as the river,and from it the De Warennes took their surname. It was not until the graceful mound upon which the castle stands had been cast up,that the spot assumed another name,and was called Bellencombre which as Mr Stapleton observes ,may be literally translated Bellus Cumulus,”the fair mound or pile” At the present day,Bellencombre is the chef-lieu of a canton in the arrondissement of Dieppe,containing a population of less than 1000 inhabitant.

  The castle of Bellencombre recently belonged to M.Godard de Belbeuf of the Chateau de Belbeuf,near Rouen,and previously the the Duchess de Fontaine-Martel,near Bulbec,chatelaine de Cleres,who married the Duke de Bethume-Charrost. It is now in the hands of a small proprietor named M.Dillard.

  It occupies the artifical mound alluded to,and is apparently about 100 feet above the river Varenne. A few massive walls of stone and brick,once a portion of the keep or donjon,constitute the whole of the existing remains. Nor will this excite surprise,when I stae the the property was purchased by the present possessor for the sum od 10,000 francs,in the year 1835,for the express purpose of selling the materials;and so little ashamed is the old man of this sordid spoliatiom,that he told us,with an air of the utmost satisfaction,that he had,within the last ten years sold 18.000 feet of freestone,procured  by the demolition of the two entrance towers only. The height of these towers was about 50 feet. Unless some friendly influence should arrest the progrees of destruction,in a few years more it will have to be said of Bellencombre—

 

                                   “Etiam perierum Ruinac”

 

In the middle of the donjon,according to M.Dillard’s statement,stood a Chapel,no remains of which are now visible.The area enclosed by the vallum and fosse,measures between two and three acres,and includes the parish of St.Peter. Within the memory of man,a long flight of steps,extended from the warder’s lodge to the keep:but this also has disappeared.

The accompanying etchings have been made from drawings taken on the spot in 1832,before the building was delivered over to the spoliating cupidity of M.Dillard. At that date it consisted chiefly of two lofty round towers,with machicolations:but the battlements had disappeared. Between the towers were a principal and a side gateway:and over these were two longitudinal openings,by means of which the drawbridge was raised. Internally the towers were square;but the inner walls of the left hand tower had been removed previously to 1832. I need hardly state, that the present owner of Bellencombre Castle had never heard the name of a De Warenne !

 Very little appears to be known of the history of the descent of this castle. That it was the caput barinie of the Earls of Warenne is beyond question,although the Norman antiquaries and historians scarcely regonise the fact. Indeed,I was assured,by a very erudite archacologist,that the earliest record respecting it to be met with in Normandy was dated no earlier than the time of John sans Terre(2)  It is not,therefore,surprising that Dr Watson,the English historian of the family,gives only two of three incidental notices of Bellencombre. It appears from Dugdale,that William de Warenne,the second earl,with Isabel,alais Elizabeth,his wife,gave to the church of All Saits at Bellencombre, and the infirm brethren there serving God,all his arable lands at St Martin’s,probably part of the ancient paternal estate of the family.

 

 

 

(2) M.Leprevost,however in  his notes to the’Roman du ron` speaking of the De Warennes says ``Ils possedatent dans notre provinee entre autries domains,la terre et le Chateau de Bellencombre`` (Roman du ron p 211)

The brethren thus referred to were the constituents of a hospital of lepers,founded here in early times. Isabel,Countess de Warenne,3 likewise in the year 11.35,gave to these lepers the sum of one hundred shillings,arising out of the borough of Lewes.(4)
 William,fourth Earl of Warenne,by accord between King Stephen and Henry Duke of Normandy,resigned certain rights,on condition that Reginald de Warenne (son of William the second Earl) should if he thought fit,have the custody of the castles of  Bellencombre and Mortimer,giving hostages to the duke for the same,until Henry should become king of England 5 On the separation of England and Normandy,the connexion of the De Warennes with Bellencombre ceased. The castle however,remained as a fortess till a much later date. In the parish church (which exhibits very evident traces of the style known among us as that pertaining to the Norman period,and which was probably erected by one of the early Earls) is as incised slab,with an inscription which shows that the governorship of the castle was an office existing so lately as the year 1519, I is the the following effect:


``Beneath lie the visccra and intestines of the late noble and puissant Lord Monsieur James de Moy,in his lifetime Chevalier,Baron of Moy,and hereditary Castellan of this land,lordship,and castelry of Bellencmbre. His heart and body are buried in the collegiate church of Moy. He died on Sunday the 12th of February,in the year of grace 1519`` (5)

 

 

3 In the MS book of deeds relating to Lewes Priory (Vespas.F.xv,in Br.Mus.) the name of William de Bellencombre twice occurs as a witness to confirmatory charters of Countess Isabela,together with Reginald de Warenne,Willian his son.Oddo priest of Roger de Warenne & C (f.31,350

 

4 Dugd.Mon,  Watson`s Memoirs of the Earls of W

 

5 Chr.Noc.993 Helinsheds Chron. Watson

 

 

            Under the inscription are the arms of Moy:Gules,fretty or,of 6 pieces­­__a coat which,according to D`Eschavannes` `Armorial Universal,` was borne by a family of his name in Picardy.
At a still later period the castle must have been in a habitable state,as pieces of marble moulding,not older than the 17th century,are to be found among the rubbish. About six years since an oblong slab of black marble,inscribed with the following lines was found in the garden. It is certainly of the same period.

 

                    ``MON.HONNEUR.ET.MA.VIE

                   SONT.DEVX.LOTS.DE.MON.BIEN

                     QVAVD.L`UNE.M`EST.HAVIE.

                     L`AUTRE.NE.M`EST.PLCA.RIEN``

 

 

I inquired of M.Dillard if any other articles had been found and he stated that about two years since his wife had picked up a silver ring and an antique spur,both which she had sold. Many tiles of medieval date had also been found. The greater part of these were taken from a corridor in the castle and are now laid down in the kitchen of the old mans cottage.

I was fortunate enough to procure one relic of extremely interesting character,for which this modern Baron of Bellencombre demanded the moderate sum of two francs,and the sale of which seemed to him a very satisfactory transaction.It is a bronze wycern__in the opinion of M.I`abbe Cochet,of the 13th century. The wycern or two legged dragon was the crest of rather badge of the De Warenne family;and the article in question bears a striking general resemblance to some drawings of it made in the time of Henry V11,and engraved at page 13 vol.1 of Watson. The only material difference between them is,that the latter have expanded checquy wings,while in my bronze figure the wings are close and very slighty relieved from the back. I may mention that Alice,Countess of Warenne,and consort of John,the seventh earl,was buried in Lewes Priory,in 1200,before the high altar,under a marble tomb,whereon was sculptures a wzcern of heraldic dragon,with a branch in its mouth.The coincidence may be accidental,but is is certainly highly curious and deserving of further consideration.


 

 

 

These few facts,however meagre they may appear,are all that I was enable to glean regarding this once-important and interesting spot. I trust,however,that their relation to Sussex history,and their connection with a distinquished race,represented at this time by the noble proprietor of Arundel,will render them acceptable to the members of a society which may truly be said to have been called into existence by the discovery of the bones of William de Warenne and Gundrada.

 

Sussex Archealogy Collection VOL 3,  Sussex Archealogy Society  (P) 1851

 
 Thanks to Mr W H (Bill) Bellchambers