History
Since the Early middle ages there was a castle on the natural "hillock" of Fontaine-La-Soret, dominating the valley of Risle.
Around the turn of the XVIIIth century, the "estate of La Rivière Thibouville " belonged to Mr Lambert d'Herbigny, knight, marquis de Thibouville, which held it from his father, adviser of State, who held it itself from his father, intendant of Rouen.
In 1740, the estate is sold to Mr Alexandre d'Augny general intendant of the kingdom,
and in such capacity in charge of the construction of the Paris - Caen road, in
order to develop the communications between Paris and the ports of the
English Channel and beyond, the trade with England.
This road crossed the about equidistant village of
Fontaine La Soret between the two cities; construction which
spread out from 1738 to 1768.
Mr d'Augny built the current castle from 1764 to 1769 and equipped it moreover, taking into account its geographical position, with an important "manège" and structured the "large park" (today the forest) of alleys and roundabouts favourable for horse-training.
When Mr d'Augny died during the revolution (28 nivose year 6) his cousin Nicolas d'Augny inherited the property; when this one died (5 pluviose year 11) the estate returned to its legatee Mr Joseph de Revillasse, then to its nephew, Charles de Revillasse, at the time of his marriage with Miss de Louvencourt.
Until the middle of the XIXth century, the estate remains the property of the Revillasse family which sold it on January 15th, 1858 to the count and to the countess of Epremesnil. Then sold it to Mr Louis de Clercq, March 12th, 1869.
Mr Louis de Clercq
had a sister Berthe, count Alexandre de Boisgelin's wife .
Berthe and Louis de Clercq were themselves the children of Mr Louis François Xavier de
Clercq, businessman, originating from the north of France, deceased in
1838.
This last had repurchased the whole of the goods and rights
depending on the succession of prince de Rohan-Soubise, undoubtedly
one of the first fortunes of the kingdom and deceased during the
revolution.
In the number of these goods the forest of Beaumont-Le-Roger
appeared, bequeathed thereafter to his daughter Berthe , who had become countess
Alexandre de Boisgelin. And it is thus to approach his
sister that Mr Louis de Clercq
acquired the estate of Fontaine-La-Soret, since then (1869) always
remained in the same family.
When Mr Louis de Clercq died on December 27th, 1901, this one returned
indeed to his nephew and sole legatee the count Louis de Boisgelin.
This one brings it in dowry to his son the count Henri de
Boisgelin at the time of his marriage with Mlle Rachel Strong, American, while reserving the
use, then after he died in Montreux (Swiss) in 1948 to the benefit
of his wife, born Winifred Consett (the Consett family, originating from England, had repurchased the castle of "Champ de bataille" to the
duke d'Harcourt and had beenits owner during around fifty years around the turn of the century).
When the countess Louis de Boisgelin died in September 1962, the property of the estate was thus allocated to the count and to the countess Henri de Boisgelin. It is them which refitted the park, by appealing, in the years 1960, to the famous English landscape designer Russel Page and gave him its current aspect.
The count Henri de Boisgelin, without descendant, made donation of the estate to his nephews and nieces, children of the count François de Boisgelin. One of his daughters, Irene, became thus the current owner of the castle and the park.