A grand house built in 1810 with a French formal garden, an outbuilding
and 5,100m² of grounds in a small town on Normandy’s Cotentin peninsula
and 5,100m² of grounds in a small town on Normandy’s Cotentin peninsula
Saint-Clair-sur-l'Elle,
MANCHE
lower-normandy
50680
FR
Location
The house stands in the centre of a historical town in France’s Manche department, not far from the town of Saint-Lô. It is four kilometres from Lison train station, from where you can reach central Paris in 2 hours and 30 minutes by rail. The coast is 17 kilometres away. The property combines closeness to shops with Normandy’s hedge-lined meadows.
Description
You enter the property via a gate framed between stone pillars and trimmed hedges. It leads into a gravelled court of honour. The house’s rear elevation is adorned with a luxuriant Virginia creeper. This rear elevation looks out at a French formal garden with a neat, tidy layout. Tall trees and hedges form an enclosing wall of vegetation, creating a cosy atmosphere. The house was built in 1810. It has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof space. It is crowned with a hipped slate roof. A self-contained outbuilding lies perpendicular to the main house. It has a ground floor and a first floor. This outbuilding was built at the same time as the main house. It offers the possibility to increase the property’s floor area. A garage that can house two cars adjoins it.
The house
The ground floor
The entrance door, in the middle of the facade, faces the court of honour. This entrance door is a double door with a glazed semicircular fanlight above it. It leads into an entrance hall, the centrepiece of which is a pale-wood staircase with a balustrade crowned with a sculpted pinnacle. The floor is adorned with pale stone tiles. On one side, there is a dual-aspect lounge, bathed in natural light from two double windows, one of which looks out at the court of honour and the other one of which looks out at the garden. Standing against the western end wall, there is a Louis XV style fireplace, ornamented with a sculpted shell in the middle that is framed between decorative acanthus leaves and plain mouldings. On the other side of the entrance hall, there is a dining room with a floor of stone tiles. Two double windows face the court of honour. Standing against the eastern end wall, there is a stone fireplace that dates back to the house’s time of construction. A kitchen adjoins this room. It has a floor of terracotta tiles and leads out to the garden through French windows.
The intermediate level
This intermediate level has a bathroom, which is filled with natural light from a tall large-paned double window. This window offers a beautiful view of the French formal garden. The window is fitted with panelled shutters. Above the washbasins, there is a mirror that takes up the wall. It plays with views and brightens up the room. The ceiling is underlined with a finely crafted cornice.
The first floor
On the first floor, a landing connects, on either side, to two double bedrooms in a symmetrical layout. Wood strip flooring extends across the two bedrooms, which are bathed in natural light from small-paned double windows that look out at the court of honour. Each one connects to a room, which could be turned into a child’s bedroom, an office or a walk-in wardrobe.
The intermediate level
This intermediate level has a boudoir-like room, which lies between the first-floor landing and the door to the loft. A window offers a broad view of the garden. Wood strip flooring extends across the room. The window is fitted with wooden indoor shutters.
The outbuilding
You can enter the outbuilding from the road side or the garden side. Inside the building, there is an entrance corridor. On either side of this entrance corridor, there are two rooms on the road side. They have tiled floors and several windows and French windows. One of these rooms used to serve as a waiting room for the other one, which is bigger and currently designed as a doctor’s consultation office that looks out at the court of honour. A large lounge lies upstairs and includes an open-plan kitchen. Next to this room, there is a bedroom. This top level is carpeted and filled with natural light from a window and three roof windows.
Our opinion
This sumptuous property, ideally located in Normandy’s Manche department yet also close to the region’s Calvados department, combines the elegance of classical architecture with the sublime comfort of a large family house. The delightful dwelling is bathed in natural light. It has kept many historical decorative features and a distinctive upper-middle-class atmosphere. It stands beside a large outbuilding, the current layout of which would perfectly suit a private practice. From the main courtyard to the French formal garden, stone and vegetation form a subtle, refined combination, creating a Normandy haven with charming authenticity.
Reference 270042
| Land registry surface area | 5100 m² |
| Main building floor area | 163 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 144 m² |
| including refurbished area | 144 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
