Château de l'Essongère

The Château (or Manoir) de l’Essongère is an 18th-century seigneurial residence located in Saint-Herblain, in the Loire-Atlantique department of the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It stands in the valley of the Chézine (Val de Chézine), on a hillside above the stream, hidden in a wooded setting reached by a winding avenue that crosses the water. The property is about 15 minutes from central Nantes.

It is a classical building consisting of a central corps de logis flanked by two pavilions/wings. The estate comprises a five-hectare park with remarkable trees, including a blue cedar and a Wellingtonia (sequoia). The west façade is framed by large trees and overlooks a broad lawn.

In 1936 the property was purchased by the writer Joseph-Marie Malègue and his wife Yvonne Pouzin (the first woman to practise as a hospital physician in France). In 1951 it was acquired by the grandparents of the present owners. Pascal Goüin spent his childhood there. After two years of careful restoration, Pascal and Laureen Goüin opened the west wing as a bed-and-breakfast in January 2024. The two guest rooms are named after the park’s notable trees (“Cèdre-bleu” and “Wellingtonia”).

The château remains private property. Guests have access to a tennis court, terrace, garden views, free parking and Wi-Fi. It is reachable by bicycle or on foot from central Nantes via the greenway that follows the Chézine from Parc de Procé.