Château des Anglais, Medieval fortress ruins in Autoire, France

Château des Anglais is a fortress built against a 50-metre limestone cliff in Autoire. Its surviving corps de logis, roofless and flanked by a turret, formed a narrow keep with the rock as its lower wall. Rectangular recesses cut into the cliff base and a second corps de logis to the east mark the fortified ensemble.

This fortress emerged between the 11th and 12th centuries as a major defensive stronghold. It housed an entire fortified village with residential structures protected by substantial stone walls.

The castle's name comes from the English companies that used it as a base during the Hundred Years' War. In 1378 it was occupied by the routier captain Bernard de La Salle, in the pay of the King of England. The site is also called La Rocca in old texts.

The site is split between private and municipal ownership, so only the parts open to the public can be visited. The remains lie directly under the cliff, and the fortified village stood slightly lower on the slope. Rock-climbing routes are equipped around the cliff face, so walkers should expect to share the approach with climbers.

The castle's name comes from the English Companies who used it as a base during the Hundred Years' War, not from any English builder. In 1378 it was held by the routier captain Bernard de La Salle, then in the pay of the king of England. The fortified cave cut into the cliff in the 12th century was part of the same defensive system.