A priory complex of seven buildings, including a listed chapel,
180 km from Paris, in the Pays d'Auge Ornais
180 km from Paris, in the Pays d'Auge Ornais
Vimoutiers,
ORNE
lower-normandy
61120
FR
Location
Situated in the Pays d'Auge Ornais, the priory overlooks a valley interspersed with woods, fields and meadows. The property is 180 km from Paris, and can be reached from Argentan and Lisieux stations in 1 hour 40 minutes. The A28 motorway is 25 minutes away. Vimoutiers is 5 minutes away, with many shops, schools and public services. Cabourg is a 1 hour drive away.
Description
The property and its surrounding walls can be seen in the distance, upon a hillside, from a road that winds through the undulating, wooded Orne countryside. A gate opens onto a shaded driveway leading to a square courtyard. It is surrounded by a priory building and a chapel in one corner, an old bakery and, afterwards, a wine press and monastic cells. A tithe barn and an old dairy are opposite the wine press, separated by a pond. Set back from this are some old stables. In addition to the priory dwelling, the bakery, wine press, dairy and stables have been converted into a gite and spacious guest rooms. The facades of the various buildings, with their straight or arched windows, are made of ferruginous sandstone or half-timbering, and the roofs, with two or four slopes, are covered with flat tiles or slate.
The priory complex
Founded in the 10th century by the Jumièges Abbey monks, the priory contributed to the development of a region of oak forests. The chapel, tithe barn and surrounding walls were built from the 13th century onwards. During the Revolution, the estate was put up for sale as part of national property and remained in the same family until 1980. From the 13th to the 19th centuries, the building walls and foundations were built from ferruginous sandstone known as "Roussier stone". The roofs are covered with flat terracotta tiles, while the priory dwelling roof is made of slate.
The 18th-century priory dwelling
It was built in 1771 with a rectangular layout, with a central forecourt whose windows line up vertically on two floors. It has a four-sloped roof.
The ground floor
A double oak door opens onto a wide entrance hall with a white, stone tiled floor and panelled walls. A three-quarter turn staircase with a wrought iron banister leads upstairs. The entrance hall leads to a bright living room with light coming in from three sides, followed by a dining room and kitchen. These rooms have panelled walls, moulded ceilings and floors covered in grey and white marble or paved in the same white stone. The kitchen floor is paved with old hexagonal terracotta tiles, and the ceiling has exposed beams.
The first floor
A central landing followed by a long corridor leads to three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom or shower room with toilet. All are bathed in light coming in from the windows overlooking the garden.
The second floor
It has a slight mansard roof and is accessed via a wide, concealed staircase that leads to a long hallway. There are three bedrooms, a linen room and a bathroom with a toilet. There is a hardwood floor.
The 13th-century chapel, listed as a Historic Monument
It has an ancient roof frame under a gable roof. Five arched granite steps lead up to the chapel entrance. The 42 m² room with its whitewashed walls is lit up by a Gothic window. The vaulted ceiling is made of stave wood and the floor is covered in terracotta. The whole building has been restored. A later chestnut wood bell tower tops the ridge. Finally, an unexpected semi-buried cellar is accessible from outside.
The former 18th century bakery
Spanning approx. 50 m², it has been converted and made into living accommodation and utility rooms. The complex includes a laundry room, a pantry and a private toilet. An around 35 m² convertible attic can be accessed by a wide miller's staircase.
The ground floor
An entrance hall leads to a living room and adjoining kitchen, a staircase and finally a bedroom with a shower room and toilet. A large fireplace set against the living room wall separates it from the kitchen. The studs, beams and joists are exposed. There are modern floor tiles.
The upstairs
The landing leads to two bedrooms and a shower room with a toilet. As on the ground floor, the studs and beams are exposed.
The 18th century former dairy
The ground floor
It is divided into two independent sections: a bedroom with a shower room that opens directly on to the outside; and guest accommodation with a living room, kitchen, shower room and toilet.
The upstairs
The first floor has a mansard roof. The staircase leads to a landing with two bedrooms. The door to the west-facing bedroom is on one floor.
The 15th-century wine press and the 14th-century monastic cells, listed as Historic Monuments
The building has stood the test of time thanks to its imposing stone and timber architecture built to extraordinary dimensions. Lime-filled half-timbering under a gable roof covered with flat terracotta tiles gives the building its typically Norman style. It backs onto a two-storey stone cellar, which housed an attic above monastic cells converted into bedrooms.
The reception building
The press now holds a reception room around the crushing tower. The room, under an exposed roof frame is of an impressive size. The architectural details of the wine press have been given pride of place. The room is lit by windows that have replaced the wattle and daub between the half-timbering.
The ground floor
Two bedrooms have been fitted out in the former monastic cells. Each is next to a shower room with a toilet. The old floors are covered in square terracotta tiles or paved with stone, and the walls are built in exposed stone. The main beams and joists have been left exposed. An original, monumental stone fireplace is set against a wall. An oak entrance door harks back to the rooms' monastic past.
The upstairs
Set above the guest rooms, it is accessed by a wide wooden staircase with a landing protected by a canopy. A door opens into a 95 m² reception room with a cathedral ceiling and a floor covered with old square floor tiles. A small staircase provides access to a mezzanine area.
The 13th century tithe barn, listed as a Historic Monument
It consists of a single room with an approximately 360 m² floor surface area. Its eaves walls are flanked by buttresses. An imposing exposed oak framework rests on pillars set on sandstone plinths. The two carriageway entrances were walled up in the 19th century, so now there is only pedestrian access. Twin windows at the top of the gables provide natural lighting. An extension used as a garage, which was built in the 19th century, extends the building.
The former 18th and 19th century stables
These have been converted into reception rooms and guest rooms.
The ground floor
At the centre of the building, an entrance leads to two reception rooms and a kitchen. A 15th-century two-flight wooden staircase leads upstairs. The floor is covered in old square terracotta tiles. The walls are panelled in oak and a white marble fireplace occupies one side of one of the rooms.
The upstairs
This floor has a half mansard roof, with a large central landing leading to two large bedrooms, each measuring approximately 50 m², with separate bathrooms and toilets. They are decorated identically. The ceilings are lacquered and the walls are covered with tapestries.
The grounds and the physic garden
There are several different styles revealed as you wander through the grounds. The square courtyard is planted with 200-year-old trees surrounding a circular pond filled by a spring that overflows from a pond just above it. A garden has been landscaped at the back of the manor house. The unobstructed view over the valley provides a glimpse of the village on the horizon. Below, an English-style pond with a brick surround is fed by a spring and decorated with water lilies. A wooden platform provides plenty of height. Beyond the courtyard, on either side of an avenue of plane trees, you can wander through a traditional medieval physic garden, between two cascading water features, laid out in English style and crossed by a small bridge. A rose garden blossoms in the orchard or in a theatre of greenery made up of hornbeam hedges.
Our opinion
"Ora et labora" means "Pray and work", according to Benedictine rules. Men of God have worked here for nearly ten centuries combining faith and daily labour, to build a remarkable complex stone by stone dedicated to worship and monastic life. Patiently maintained and renovated over time, the buildings stand out both for their harmony and for their unchanging, robust appearance. The ancient features have been conserved as per the rules pertaining to historic monuments. Now a family property, the estate has lost none of its potential and would be ideal for renting out for accommodation or receptions in a typically Norman landscape.
1 390 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 132859
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 22 a 17 ca |
| Main building surface area | 450 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 13 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 1100 m2 |
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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.
