A former priory with nine centuries of history, listed as a historical monument
in the Pays d’Auge sector, in the Calvados area
in the Pays d’Auge sector, in the Calvados area
Saint-Hymer,
CALVADOS
lower-normandy
14130
FR
Location
Saint-Hymer, in the Calvados area in the region of Normandy, is a rural village scattered over a landscape of meadows, orchards and stud farms. The priory is located in an isolated hamlet. The town of Pont-l’Évêque, which can be reached in several minutes via the D16 road and A13 motorway, possesses shops, services and a market. Paris is within 2 hours 10 minutes from its railway station, while the Deauville-Normandie airport is 20 minutes away.
Description
The property is made up of a monastic complex founded in the 11th century, where William the Conqueror installed a collegiate community of canons regular. Later, the site played host to the Benedictine monks of the Bec abbey, before becoming a Jansenist centre until the French Revolution. A white stone gateway with two doors, preceded by a caretaker’s house, leads to the priory’s grounds. A drive passes around the church’s radiating chapel dotted with Gothic windows, forming a curve in front of the priory’s southern wing that adjoins the southern branch of the transept. The white stone facade of the three-storey building is divided into nine vertical rows of openings beneath a roof of flat tiles. The ground floor and first floor are separated by a stringcourse and topped by a cornice and dormers on the roof. The drive then passes the south wing’s gable end, arriving in front of the west wing, whose facade with eight vertical rows of openings is set back. A powerful vertical impression is given by the openings with imposing surrounds as well as straight lintels adorned with protruding keystones. The masonry is rendered in pink ochre between the vertical rows of openings. The west wing is completed by a ground floor level pavilion. The drive continues round to between the church and the northern facade of the west wing, where there is a cloister of which only two galleries remain. The arcades are made up of simple semi-circular arches resting on corbels, while the roof structure is a series of exposed trusses. A tall door leads into the church. Recent transformations of the two wings have been removed, leaving vast open spaces.
The rest of the property includes several outbuildings with half-timbering, including a press and a stone pavilion, as well as water features, fishponds, fountains, ponds and washhouses. The priory buildings, press, porch and caretaker’s house are listed as historical monuments. The inn with a half-timbered facade is located to the west outside the priory’s walls.
The rest of the property includes several outbuildings with half-timbering, including a press and a stone pavilion, as well as water features, fishponds, fountains, ponds and washhouses. The priory buildings, press, porch and caretaker’s house are listed as historical monuments. The inn with a half-timbered facade is located to the west outside the priory’s walls.
The priory
The two wings that make up the living quarters form a T-shape. The vast volumes that the monks’ living spaces used to occupy have undergone many transformations and have been progressively altered by unsuitable occupations. Today, these alterations from the past have been removed. The cob walls amid the half-timbering have also been removed, revealing ducting and wastewater pipes. Several features pay witness to the former splendour of the edifice, such as a staircase with a balustrade whose patterns are typical of the 18th century, a stone fireplace, small-paned wooden framed windows and period terracotta tiles.
The caretaker’s house
This edifice is adjacent to the entrance porch and requires renovating. Its facade and roof are listed as historical monuments. It comprises a single section, topped by a hipped slate roof. Part of the rear facade facing the cemetery includes half-timbering, while the rest of the masonry is made up of rendered brick. The ground floor includes an entrance hall and two main rooms with exposed beams and joists. There is terracotta tiled flooring in the kitchen and an old painted fireplace stands against one of the walls in the living room. A small wooden staircase leads upstairs, where a small landing leads to two bedrooms. One of them is adjacent to a bathroom and the exposed beams on the ceiling have been painted.
The press
This building is isolated on a hill to the south of the priory and is also listed as a historical monument. The two-storey, rectangular, white stone edifice has a hipped roof made of flat tiles. Adjoining the rectangular section, there is a protruding wing. The main entrance door is topped by an arched lintel adorned with a protruding keystone. The press still boasts its machinery, with many barrels still lining the walls. The upper floor can be reached from outside to the rear, thanks to the slope in the land. It is made up of a large room with exposed stone walls, while there are also wood stripped flooring and an exposed roof frame.
The inn
This building is adjacent to a house in the hamlet and requires renovation work. It is made up of two different sized volumes made of half-timbering on a white stone sleeper wall. The gabled slate roofs are topped by two chimney stacks. The facade is dotted with white framed openings of various sizes with small-paned windows and green shutters. The interior boasts ceilings with exposed beams and half-timbered walls. The lower level is made up of a kitchen without furnishings, while upstairs there is a first floor and loft space.
The garden
The exterior comprises a vast enclosure with different ambiances. There are two entrances in the surrounding wall: the main porch next to the caretaker’s house and a secondary entrance porch to the west. Sandy drives wind between the lawns, open meadows and fallow areas waiting to be reused. Many old trees, such as oak, beech and hornbeam punctuate the various parts.
Our opinion
This remarkable former religious estate steeped in almost one thousand years of history is located in the Pays d’Auge sector. Today, the Saint-Hymer priory forms a cohesive whole in architectural terms, making it ideal for an ambitious project, such as a hotel or corporate head office. The excellently preserved church bestows a strong identity on the site, while the vast buildings and outbuildings provide ample and flexible volumes to be converted. It requires a comprehensive renovation, though inside there are materials and features that can be retained: fireplaces, staircases and half-timbered walls. The walled garden, which would benefit from being re-landscaped, and the site’s peace and quiet contribute to the appeal of this authentic and unique site, around 2 hours from Paris.
3 055 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 325250
| Land registry surface area | 5 ha 28 a 39 ca |
| Main building floor area | 1200 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | +20 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 482 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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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.
