The manor stands on slopes on the north side of Lisieux, near the River Touques. It is nestled in a lush backdrop. The property’s origins date back to the Middle Ages. It owes its name to a canon who would receive a prebend from the bishop in return for teaching the Holy Scriptures. The extensive plot of land forms a triangle where two calm roads meet. The majestic building is a single edifice that looks out at lush lawns, which extend around a driveway. The driveway leads to the manor and garage. It splits into two separate lanes that run along either side of the manor. A group of tall trees on the north side lies beyond an orchard, a vegetable patch and lawns. A thick thuja hedge encloses the grounds, ensuring absolute privacy. Beyond it, there is a semi-rural environment of green landscape that is dotted with woods and that stretches to the horizon. The manor was built in the 1780s and 1790s when forest-clearing had almost been completed in the region. It is a half-timbered construction with timber framing that is typical of architecture in the Pays d’Auge province. The main section has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof space. Oak was used for the building’s framework. Cob filler was used for the spaces between the beams and then lime-rendered. This method was inexpensive during the house’s period of construction. Today, it characterises the identity and charm of traditional Norman homes. The timber framing is mainly in the building’s upper section, its lower section being made of brick and stone. Old tiles cover the hipped roof. A protruding section on the east side that leads out southwards was built in the same style as the rest of the house, probably after the Second World War. Its roof has a jerkinhead end and eaves. The roof also has two dormers that face, at a right angle, two dormers on the roof’s east slope. On the entrance side, there are three other hipped dormers. Two brick chimney stacks rise up from the roof too. All the windows are single-glazed and have small panes. At the end of the house, an additional section adjoins the manor. It has a gable roof of old tiles with a small dormer. This extension forms a garage. It is used as a utility section and was probably originally a farm building to which the manor was added.

The manor

The ground floor
A large hallway leads to a lounge, a dining room, a lavatory and a boiler room. The rooms are spacious and have kept high-quality old materials: terracotta, timber and stone. The entrance hall sets the tone for the rest of the interior. A glazed double door leads to an extensive space with a floor of terracotta tiles that dates back to the 19th century. At the end of the corridor there are the first steps of the staircase. On each side of the hallway, glazed doors lead to the main reception rooms: two rooms with herringbone parquet from the end of the 19th century and ceilings of exposed beams. On the right, the large lounge is filled with natural light from many small-paned windows and French windows. This room was formed by two rooms being opened up into one. So a double-sided fireplace can be enjoyed here. An 18th-century stone mantel with a hearth of thin bricks is crowned with a timber lintel and a hood of white stone. It gives the lounge’s first section a rustic appearance. On the other side of the same wall, in the lounge’s second section, there is another stone fireplace with a hearth of thin bricks. This Louis XVI style fireplace has a fluted mantelpiece and fluted jambs. Above it there is a small 18th-century trumeau panel with a mercury mirror. On the other side of the hallway, there is a dining room decorated in a pale yellow tone. It is similar to the lounge as it is spacious, it is bathed in natural light and it has a straight Louis XVI fireplace. The fireplace’s mantelpiece is decorated with a sculpted basket of flowers. On the left, there is a fitted kitchen with a floor of terracotta tiles. A scullery adjoins it. Lastly, an additional section that extends the ground floor is used as a boiler room, a utility room and a garage.

The first floor
A Louis XIV style oak staircase leads up to a broad landing with rustic wood-strip flooring. Above the lounge, this landing connects to two bedrooms and an office. On the other side, it connects to another bedroom and two old shower rooms. Like on the floor below, all the beams here are exposed. Wood strip flooring extends across the bedroom floors, most of which are carpeted. Many of the walls are adorned with fabric.

The second floor
On the top floor, in the roof space, there are two other bedrooms, each of which is around 10m², and two loft spaces that could be converted – one is around 20m² and the other is around 30m².