Sunday, 15 February 2026

Le Caillou


 Caillou Farm is too far south to be included in the diorama, but given that it was the location of Napoleon's final bivouac prior to the Waterloo debacle in seems fitting to construct a stand-alone section showing the farm and adjacent buildings.  As ever, the model is built by my father and I think he has done an especially good job of capturing the look of the original.

The original building was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt.  What is there now does not correspond with the original although the walled garden is exactly the same as it would have been in 1815.


The best image of the original building, deroofed from fire damage at the end of the battle



The two image above are very useful and corroborates the shape of the building.  They also shows a high uneven wall to the south.

The North wall of the garden.  It's much higher than the West wall and has a roundhouse built into the centre

This image helpfully shows the shape of the walled garden, but confusingly shows the main building in a slightly different configuration.  It also shows stabling in two separate buildings to the East.  Neither of these buildings exists today.

The modern aerial photo shows the walled garden is exactly the same shape.  The roundhouse in the middle of the North wall is the same.




The stables behind are taking shape



The view looking West.

the well looks similar to the one at La Belle Alliance.  The model version is yet to be built


The West wall from within the garden - the ground is raised and so the wall looks lower.

The East wall from within the garden






The modern building isn't much help.



This water colour painted immediately after the battle suggests that the roof of the farm must have been burnt a few days later.


This model mistakenly uses the modern building, not the original














7 comments:

  1. Is the current building a business of some sort? Museum? Restaurant?

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  2. Hi Bob - yes, it's a museum, and one very much dedicated to the Francophile view of the battle. Visiting Le Caillou today one might believe that Napoleon actually stayed in the modern building when in fact it is a complete reconstruction. One might also believe that Napoleon was not in fact defeated!

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  3. I must admit I was taken in, I didn't realise it wasn't the original building when I visited. Do they still have the exhumed skeleton (IIRC believed to be a French Hussar?) on show - I recall there was a bit of a fuss back then about putting remains on display.
    I find your research into what all these buildings were like back then fascinating, keep it coming. Wasn't the 1er Chasseur à Pied at Le Caillou? If so, are you going to do them for the stand alone piece?

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  5. That's right Rob, it was the 1/1st Chasseurs who were detailed to guard the imperial baggage. Later in the day they went forward to defend the high road in Plancenoit.

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  6. "I think he has done an especially good job of capturing the look of the original". I agree wholeheartedly. Your Dad's modelling skills are so impressive and I am particularly taken by the way that he has reproduced the individuality and minor 'imperfections' of the original, hand-made bricks.
    Best wishes, James

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