A house and farm complex dating back to the seventeenth century to be renovated on
grounds covering almost seventeen hectares on France's Cotentin peninsula, near beaches
grounds covering almost seventeen hectares on France's Cotentin peninsula, near beaches
Valognes,
MANCHE
lower-normandy
50700
FR
Location
Typically Norman countryside of tree-lined meadows extends south of the town of La Hague. A coastline of vast beaches edges this area to the west. The town of Les Pieux lies less than two kilometres from the property. It offers shops and amenities. Another town, Valognes, lies around thirty kilometres away and offers rail links to Paris. The city of Cherbourg is a thirty-minute drive from the property.
Description
A private lane runs from a secondary road through the property’s grounds to the old farm complex and country house. A track goes along the house’s rear face and leads to a large outbuilding. This track ends up in a courtyard on a gentle slope that is edged with a second large outbuilding on one side and a guesthouse on the other. Grassy areas, groves and fields surround the buildings.
The main house
The main house is a long building made of rubble masonry. Dressed granite blocks form its window surrounds, which are slightly arched on the first floor. The edifice has two floors and a loft. Flagstones cover its gable roof, which is punctuated with six chimney stacks and gabled wall dormers.
The ground floor
Three entrance doors lead into it. One of them opens into a large room with a monumental fireplace made of dressed granite blocks that a side oven adjoins. Large old stone slabs cover the floor in an irregular layout. Behind a door, a straight staircase leads upstairs. In line with this large room, there is a kitchen, then a second living room with another large granite fireplace and a wooden staircase that winds upstairs.
The second entrance takes you into a hallway with a straight staircase that leads upstairs. This hallway connects to a living room with wood flooring and a fireplace, then to a tiled room with a third door leading outside.
The first floor
Three different staircases lead up to the first floor. One of them lies at the end of the house and takes you to two bedrooms next to each other. Then there are four other bedrooms. One of them has a shower room. On this floor there is also a bathroom, a shower room and a separate lavatory. A corridor connects to them, as do the two other staircases. Wood strip flooring extends across this level. Some rooms have dado panelling and marble fireplaces. Windows looking out at the garden to the west fill these rooms with natural light. Behind two doors there is a straight staircase that leads up to the loft.
The attic
The loft has been partly converted. Dormer windows fill it with natural light.
The guesthouse
The guesthouse faces south. It has one floor and a converted loft. It is made of stone rubble masonry and is crowned with a gabled slate roof that is punctuated with a shed dormer and two chimney stacks at each end. Its rectangular window surrounds are made of granite. Inside, exposed stonework forms most of the walls. The fireplaces are made of dressed granite blocks. Exposed beams and joists run across the ceilings. The ground floor has a main room. From there, a straight staircase leads upstairs. On one side, this room connects to another room via two steps. Opposite the entrance door, there are two other rooms next to each other in a single-storey extension. The top floor offers another two rooms that are generously sized.
The outbuildings
The property includes two long outhouses. They are made of rubble masonry and have two floors and a loft. Flagstones and tiles cover their gable roofs. Their many rectangular door and window surrounds are made of dressed granite blocks. These buildings are used as barns, cowsheds and storage spaces.
The grounds
A garden enclosed with hedges extends in front of the main house. It is dotted with clusters of shrubs, box hedges and tall trees. Two wooden gates open into the courtyard and another gate leads onto the entry track. A small building stands on one side. It is built in the same style as the main house. It was once used as a dairy. A small garden enclosed with hedges also extends in front of the guesthouse. A majestic walnut tree towers in the courtyard. A circular granite trough surrounds it. Near the main house, granite steps lead up to a door in a tall wall of rubble stone masonry. It takes you into a secret garden where tall trees with long branches stand alongside fruit trees.
The grounds spread out all around the farm complex. They are mainly made up of meadows and groves. A small river edges the grounds to the west.
Our opinion
This splendid property in Normandy has all the charm of rural authenticity. The country house and the old farm complex blend seamlessly into the surrounding grove-lined meadows of the Cotentin peninsula. Beaches lie just a stone’s throw away. The fine stone house stands on a gentle slope. It is well separated from the outbuildings. Gardens extend beneath the branches of fruit trees and give a pleasant sense of space. The property needs to be restored. It offers all kinds of exciting possibilities for development.
Reference 187177
| Land registry surface area | 16 ha 60 a 29 ca |
| Main building surface area | 300 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 500 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 70 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.
