Entries are arranged in letter-by-letter alphabetical order up to the first punctuation in the headword, except that names beginning with Mc are ordered as if they were spelt Mac, and St and Ste (French) are arranged as if they were spelt Saint and Sainte. Château and châteaux appear in full as headwords, but are abbreviated to Ch and Chx elsewhere. Entries appear under the name of the château, and not under C.

Cross-references are denoted by red small capitals and indicate the entry to which attention is being directed. We have attempted to limit cross-references to other entries likely to amplify or increase understanding of the entry being read. They are not given in all instances where the name of an entry appears in the text.