A medieval manor house and its moat, surrounded by 11 ha of land,
near to Saint-Lô on the Cotentin peninsula
near to Saint-Lô on the Cotentin peninsula
Saint-Lô, MANCHE
lower-normandy
50000
FR
Location
This manor house, in the midst of Norman bocage countryside, near to Saint-Lô and the D-Day Landing beaches, is less than three hours from Paris.
Description
A long avenue off the secondary road runs partially alongside a river, belonging in part to the manor house, and leads to a grassy courtyard, dominated by a weeping willow. Set out around this courtyard are four buildings, with slate roofs: the manor covered with Virginia creeper, its towers and chimney stacks, an outbuilding once used as stables and a woodshed, a bigger outbuilding, spanning two levels, formerly used as a cowshed and then offices and, lastly, a building used for garage and storage purposes. The property is encircled by a moat fed by a millrace.
The manor house
Constructed from granite stone blocks, this house has Virginia creeper covering its main facade. It spans two levels under an attic floor which is illuminated via roof dormers with slate roofs. The gable roof features four chimney stacks. A large central tower houses the stairway. Two other, smaller towers, both with hip roofs, flank the opposite facade. The presence of very old architectural features, such as gun-loops, etc., bear witness to a construction dating back to 1437. A veranda, protected by picture windows and double-glazed windows, was added by the previous owner.
Ground floor
The entrance door opens into a vestibule which leads, on one side, to a small study, opposite, to a fully fitted kitchen and, on the other side, to reception rooms: a dining room, a lounge and a veranda. Opposite the lounge are a second small kitchen and the large, spiral stairway (made of stone, slate and terracotta tiles).
First floor
This level, with slightly uneven floors, comprises three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. They all have fireplaces, some of which are monumental.
Second floor
The second floor includes another three bedrooms, each with its own bath or shower room, two of which are en-suite. As on the first floor, each bedroom has a fireplace.
Third floor
A door on the stairway isolates the latter from the top floor. With sloping ceilings, this level comprises another two bedrooms, one of which has a fireplace, and a small shower room.
The main outbuilding
This more modern outbuilding was formerly used as a cowshed. Bigger than the others and covered with rendering, it spans two levels. It is currently used for storage purposes and has offices upstairs. An existing shower room means that it could easily be used for other purposes.
The stables
Built from quarry stone blocks, this building has a gable roof covered with slate. Once stables and a woodshed, it was constructed after the manor house and is now used as storage space and a garden shed. Its size is such that it could be converted into additional accommodation.
The garage
This last outbuilding is a garage able to take five cars.
The horse loose boxes
A shelter for two horses is to be found in the grounds amidst the meadows.
The garden
A structural element of the garden is the presence of a stream, one section of which gives full water ownership rights on both banks, whilst another section has water ownership rights on just one bank. A system of millraces feeds the moat. Spanning approx. 1 ha, this garden is surrounded by 10 ha of meadows and orchards.
Our opinion
This sober house is laid out in a very rational manner. A spiral stairway, leading individually to the six bedrooms, with bathrooms, and to the extra bedrooms with sloping ceilings on the top floor, guarantees residents their independence and privacy. New owners, whether using the property as a large family home or continuing the current bed & breakfast activity, will soon settle in. The outbuildings and the 11 ha of adjoining land are ideal for a variety of projects, possibly involving holiday rental accommodation or horse-riding. The presence of streams and millraces, with full water ownership rights over several hundreds of metres in addition to their former defensive use, promises some good fishing in a pastoral setting.
766 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 490177
| Land registry surface area | 10 ha 92 a 65 ca |
| Main building surface area | 500 m2 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 200 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 9 |
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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.
