A 16th-century manor house set in 6 hectares of grounds
in the south of the Cotentin peninsula
in the south of the Cotentin peninsula
Avranches,
MANCHE
lower-normandy
50300
FR
Location
Cotentin, in Normandy in the north-west of France is full of hedged farmland, moors and unspoilt marshes. Part of the Armorican Massif, dotted with remarkable sites such as Cap de la Hague and the Pointe de Barfleur, the region is ideal for outdoor activities.
Just a 10-minute walk and a 3-minute drive away, the nearby market town offers all the amenities, shops and medical services you might need. Paris is 3.5 hours away by car. From Laval station, which is 1 hour's drive away, the TGV takes 1 hour 15 minutes to reach the capital. Mont Saint-Michel and the beaches in the south of La Manche are a 45-minute drive away.
Description
At the junction of a departmental road, a 900 m-long track leads to the driveway up to the manor house, which faces south. The first thing you see are two buildings. On one side there is an old bakery, and on the other, a larger building used as a warehouse for agricultural equipment. Further on you come to a chapel, dated 1712 according to an inscription on the pediment of its arched door. The driveway spans the moat surrounding the manor house, which is bordered at the back by a pond. The main facade is flanked at either end by two towers with narrow openings typical of 16th century fortified houses. The roof is made of slate. A second building from the same period is opposite it. Finally, a last building borders the pond: an old barn with a hayloft.
The manor house
Built as a "fortified house" as was the custom in Lower Normandy, it is surrounded by fortifications that are reminders of Norman history during the Wars of Religion. On the main facade, the manor house is flanked by two round towers with gable roofs. Opposite, a square tower and another round tower frame a listed facade.
Entirely built from exposed stonework with ashlar quoins and window surrounds, the top of the building features a tangle of slate roofs dotted with rounded dormer windows with bull's-eye windows. The solid walls opened up by a large number of large-paned windows scattered around.
Water-filled moats surround the manor house and its towers, as well as the old courtyard.
The ground floor
From the courtyard, at the foot of one of the towers, a small-paned glass door opens onto a dining room with a terracotta-tiled floor. On one side there is a monumental fireplace with a granite lintel and jambs. Next to this there is a door leading to a kitchen in another tower. On the other side, opposite the entrance, there is a window with a view over the pond. Adjoining the dining room, a lounge with a similar fireplace, a stone-paved floor and a beamed ceiling fills the centre of the manor house. Its walls are covered in wood panelling to window level. It is also accessible from the courtyard via a double small-paned glass door. The space is lit up by two symmetrical windows on either side of the entrance door. A door near the fireplace leads to a bedroom and bathroom in the turret opposite the first one.
The first floor
Two staircases, one from the dining room and the other from the living room, provide access to the upper level. They are wooden with a double quarter turn, and have pear-shaped balusters. The first floor has three bedrooms, two at either end of the manor house and one in the centre, all with en-suite bathrooms, two of which are located in the turrets. There are oak floors throughout.
The second floor
The floor under the roof has two bedrooms, the first with an en-suite bathroom and the second with a single washbasin. They have straight parquet flooring and the main beams are exposed.
The chapel
Dating back to 1712, it is listed as a historic monument. With its slate gable roof, exposed stonework, quoins and straight and arched ashlar window surrounds, the chapel is a modest example of early 18th century Norman rural architecture.
The secondary building
This is located in the courtyard opposite the manor house. Built around the same period entirely out of exposed stone, it is square-shaped and has a tiled gable roof. There is a small shower room and a utility room on the ground floor. A staircase leads upstairs to a fitted kitchen, dining area and mezzanine bedroom.
The outbuildings
At the entrance to the grounds there is an old bakery with a tiled gable roof.
Opposite the bakery there is a former barn with a slate gable roof, currently used to store farm equipment.
Finally, close to the pond, a second stone barn has been built with a tin gable roof, and a timber and cob framework.
The grounds
Covering a total area of 6 hectares, they include a 2.5 hectare meadow dotted with apple trees. Apart from the moat and pond, the grounds are grassed and bordered by beech trees and various other species of forest trees.
Our opinion
An imposing, solid Norman manor house, surrounded by forest cover and protected by a moat, which is typical of rural seigniorial architecture from the 16th and 17th centuries. The property's past as a fortified house can still be felt all over each building, in the size of each corner stone and in the thick walls. Built to stand the test of time and withstand the onslaught of the Wars of Religion, the manor house and its outbuildings are unshakeable reminders of a troubled era that left a lasting mark on the region. However, austerity has never taken precedence over comfort and grandeur.
Work is necessary to restore the various buildings.
820 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 891040
| Land registry surface area | 6 ha 41 a 50 ca |
| Main building surface area | 270 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 100 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 50 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.
