A 12th-century tithe barn to be restored with an outbuilding and 5,000m² of grounds
in the heart of a forest in Normandy, 45 minutes from the town of Honfleur
in the heart of a forest in Normandy, 45 minutes from the town of Honfleur
Mailleraye-sur-Seine,
SEINE-MARITIME
upper-normandy
76940
FR
Location
The property lies in a clearing in Brotonne forest in the Boucles de la Seine Normande regional nature park, on a famous trail of abbeys between the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. The plot covers 5,000m². In the local area, which offers a wealth of built heritage, you can admire sweeping vistas of the River Seine valley. In this natural backdrop, there are cliffs, slopes, forests and marshes. For a scenic mode of transport, you can cross the river by boat, notably from Heurteauville to Jumièges, near the property. There is an 18-hole golf course 20 minutes away. In the town of Yvetot, 25 minutes away, there is a train station where you can take a train on a rail link with many daily journeys between Paris and Le Havre. On the A13 motorway nearby, you can reach the Parisian business district of La Défense in 1 hour and 30 minutes. And the beaches of Normandy’s spectacular Côte Fleurie coastline are only 45 minutes away. The local town centre, four kilometres away, offers shops and amenities for everyday needs.
Description
Set back from the main roads, a country lane runs into a forest that covers over 6,700 hectares. This lane leads to a hamlet where there was once a priory. This priory was a farming satellite of Jumièges abbey, from the 12th century up to the French Revolution. The property is a vast series of natural spaces and remnants of built heritage. The remains of the Benedictine priory are documented: a stone dwelling for monks, a cart shelter, a well, an enclosing wall and a half-timbered construction. The tithe barn was a building in which tithes – a levy for the Catholic Church – were placed and collected, most often in the form of goods. The barn stands at the edge of the plot, which covers half a hectare on the building’s south side. Its huge slate roof with steep slopes has a centuries-old cathedral frame of oak. Its breeze-block walls, built in the 20th century, support and preserve the medieval timber structure, even though they do not exactly preserve the edifice’s true authenticity. On the east end, a more recent annexe adjoins the barn. It could serve as a workshop or garage. This annexe also needs to be renovated.
The barn
The main section is 30 metres long and has a full frame of oak, made up of traditional trusses with tie beams, rafters and posts in good condition. The framework’s mortise-and-tenon connections, which date back to the time of construction, have mostly been preserved and, in some spots, strengthened with modern touches. These connections bear witness to an old, robust, meticulously assembled construction. The outer walls have been rebuilt with breeze blocks, which made it possible for the timber framework to be rescued. So the oak structure has not been altered for centuries upon centuries, nor have parts of certain secondary walls, in which you can still see cob filler in timber openwork. A more recent construction adjoins the barn on its east end wall. This extra space offers a floor area of roughly 50m². There is a wooden upper floor in it too. The staircase that leads up to it needs to be rebuilt. The barn’s openings are on its south side, so the interior benefits from optimal exposure and sunshine. Three double doors of solid wood lead through the south wall into the barn. A single shed dormer stands out on the three-slope slate roof. Inside, the cavernous space with its timber frame recalls a cathedral nave. It is organised into a series of evenly spaced bays. The framework rests upon two parallel rows of vertical posts, evenly positioned to form a supporting base for the building. The roof ridge is around 10 metres up from the floor. It stretches above a single space without partitions, which bears witness to the building’s original purpose as a storage space for the agricultural priory. There is currently no flooring and no sanitation system. The whole building offers a floor area of around 310m². It needs to be entirely restored. The roofing was renovated 20 years ago.
The garage
The garage is a building made of breeze blocks. It stands on the western edge of the plot and is divided into three sections. This building serves as an open-sided garage and a storehouse for equipment. Corrugated sheet metal crowns it. The building, which offers a floor area of roughly 50m², also needs to be restored.
Our opinion
Absolute calm reigns on this historical property. It is a haven of unspoilt nature in the heart of Normandy’s Brotonne forest, which covers over 6,700 hectares between the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. The barn stands on the site of a former priory, an old satellite of the famous Jumièges abbey, beside a fertile valley. History tells us that the property was sold in 1183 by the Count of Meulan to the oldest and largest Benedictine monastery in Normandy. Today, the former priory is a hamlet with a handful of dwellings. The series of evenly spaced bays along the tithe barn, which creates visual and structural continuity, is characteristic of cavernous market halls or traditional rural buildings made of timber. Indeed, it is a fascinating token of the place’s long story. The remarkable spaciousness and centuries-old oak frame of this old barn open up possibilities for development, after future restoration work, with a view to showcasing its rich heritage.
Reference 620416
| Land registry surface area | 5000 m² |
| Main building floor area | 310 m² |
| Outbuildings floor area | 50 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.
