Occasional messages on this forum about a day trip to Chantilly have made me curious about just where I was when I visited there in the mid-80s. I was on foot, all alone on a Sunday and I don't think I saw another soul the entire day. I walked from the train station in the direction that indicated the chateau. What I found was an abandoned but well-preserved building -- nothing like the beautiful Musee Conde and luxurious apartments shown in recent photos. It was all locked up and there were no signs indicating public access.
Those were there days of no GPS, no YouTube, no RS guidebooks, so I was just blindly wandering. I'm guessing I must have been at the Potager des Princes (the pheasant house), which now has lovely gardens and animal exhibits, right? I'm wondering if it was in an abandoned state at that time (mid-80s)?
If it wasn't the Potager des Princes, is there any other abandoned castle-like building within walking distance from the train station? Any clues would be welcome!