Château de Campbon

The Château de Campbon is a ruined medieval castle located in the centre of the commune of Campbon, in the Loire-Atlantique department of the Pays de la Loire region in western France (Rue Saint-Martin).

It was the seat of the châtellenie of Campbon from the 11th century and was built mainly in the 11th and 13th centuries. A stone bearing the date 1008 (MVIII) was discovered at the foot of the tower during the digging of a ditch, confirming the site’s early origins. The châtellenie exercised jurisdiction over several local seigneuries, including Coislin, Chapelle-Launay, Quilly and Guenrouët.

In the 14th century the castle became a rear-fief of the powerful Clisson family before passing to the Rohan family, then to Arthur de Montauban and the barons of Pontchâteau. In 1565 the châtellenie was acquired by René du Cambout, seigneur de Coislin. This marked the beginning of the rise of the Cambout-Coislin family, who later obtained the titles of marquis and duke-peer. By 1681 the château was already in ruins and had ceased to serve as a fortress or seigneurial residence.

The surviving remains consist of approximately ten metres of ramparts and a circular tower known as the Tour d’Enfer (Tower of Hell). In 1850 the tower still retained two levels; today only one level survives, accessible from the embankment. It preserves a medieval window with its original arch and stone window-seat (coussiège). The tower is thought to have served at times as a seigneurial prison.

The remains of the ramparts were inscribed as a Monument historique on 29 May 1934. The site is private property.