Château History

The Château du Baffy was originally a Mill, powered by the diverted Seulles River and the focal building on the Château’s estate. The Château itself was built East of the Mill around 1735, with extensions occurring in the late Eighteenth Century and early Nineteenth Century. Although the Mill was torn down in 1840 due to tax infringements its remains are still visible providing an eerie contrast against the beautiful Château and a reminder of the class separation that existed in the France of the 1700’s.

The Château’s owners during the Second World War were the Vignerol family. The Comtesse Vignerol, her husband, two children, her father, servants and a governess were all resident and refused to depart when the Germans chose to use the fine manor house as a headquarters. The Comtesse left a diary which gives a deeper insight into the Château’s turbulent history.

A slit trench, 15 by 1 ½ feet existed in the grounds to provide some sort of shelter on the very heavy bombing raids that occurred at 04.00hrs on June 6th, which unbeknownst to them was in preparation for their liberation. There were two German gunmen positioned very near to the Château, one 150 yards away, the other 500 yards. The gun fire from the guns terrorised both the owners and nearby villagers. By 13:15hrs on June 6th, the Allied troops arrived at Colombiers-sur-Seulles and shooting intensified. Anne Vignerol records that by the end of the month:

‘All the fields [were] full of troops – not a blade of grass to be seen, not an empty corner, as thousands and thousands more troops and vehicles are landed.’