Chateau Ganne, France

Clients: Service Départemental d'Archéologie du Calvados

Authors: Joe Severn (MoLAS) and Duncan Lees(Plowman Craven Associates)

During September 2004, MoLAS and Plowman Craven Associates (PCA) undertook the three-dimensional recording of the 11th-century gatehouse at Chateau Ganne, Pommeraye, in the heart of ‘La Suisse Normande’, 35km to the south of Caen, France. This fortification, atypical in Normandy, has parallels in Exeter Castle and the hall of Chepstow Castle. The Service Départemental d'Archéologie du Calvados (SDAC) required the full suite of three-dimensional deliverables, including a three-dimensional model, true orthophotos and line work 1:20 elevations and cross-sections. PCA used a combination of laser scanning and photogrammetric photography to accurately and efficiently record the extant masonry remains. Added value for the client in the form of 360° panoramic photography was also provided. The non-contact nature of the recording techniques was an important factor in the work as a number of Health and Safety concerns were engendered by the perilous state of much of the remains. The survey work will inform and direct much of the restoration work that is planned for the monument prior to its opening to the general public. The complete data set is a powerful and metrically accurate visualisation tool that allows the SDAC to clearly identify and isolate the areas of the monument for which remedial action is paramount.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2004: annual review