Château de la Tranchade, Medieval castle in Garat, France
Château de la Tranchade is a medieval castle made up of two buildings arranged at right angles next to a rectangular keep with a hexagonal tower containing a spiral staircase. The structure perches on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Anguienne valley.
The castle belonged to the Pressac lords during the Hundred Years War, with Aymard de Pressac building the tall square keep. This family's influence shaped the fortress and its role in the region for generations.
The entrance displays asymmetrical square towers with shell-decorated machicolations that reflect how building preferences changed over time. These ornamental features reveal the tastes of different generations who shaped the place.
The site is only open for guided group tours that require advance booking. Visitors should plan ahead since access is restricted to organized tours.
The grounds are surrounded by moats that are carved directly into the bedrock beneath the castle. This natural fortification uses the landscape itself as a defensive barrier.
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