Domaine de Montgenoux

The name Montgenoux denotes an elevated position. The domaine was an ancient priory belonging to the Cistercian Abbey "La Colombe" at Tilly and it was one of the most important gricultural properties of this, streching from the Anglin river ot the Creuse. Cerals weregrown and animals bred. Surpringly vines grown althpugh the region no longer grows them.

We know there was wine production in the Middle Ages but it is less well known that the quality was sufficiently appreciated to give rise to an important trade.

The price of wines was one third higher that of Anjou and Gasconi wines. It is said that Henry III, king of England, had Montgenoux wine in his Westminster cellars, tansported up the Creuse, the Vienne, the Loire and then by sea.

The present house was built on the ancient foundations, whose cellars are still there.

Montgenoux played an important role in an episode of the Second World War, when in 1944 M. Pierre BEAUDOUIN (grandfather of the present owner) sheltered three English officers who had been parachuted into the hamlet of Montcousinat in Chitray during the night 5th – 6th June : Major Crown (Robert Crawshay), Captain Legrand-Scipion (Louis L’Elgouach), Lieutenant radio Bob-Yonne (René Meyer), wera the “Jedburgh Hugh Team”. Our house was the nerve-centre of the unified resistance in the Indre.

 The “interallied Mission “ coordinating different strategies of all the Maquis cells.The Mission provided the groups with weapons dopped by parachute and organized the dispatch of allied pilots, who came down on French soil, before they were sent back to England.

There was frantic activity day and night in Montgenoux until July 10th  when it was necessary to retreat with all the radio equipment to Chaillac and Beaulieu, because the German army advanced from the Vienne and had arrived at Bélâbre and St Gaultier.

A few days later the allied headquarters was moved to the Brenne at the Billarderie, Migné. These events, kept quiet at the time, have since been recognized as a chapter in the history of the liberation of Central France.