overlooking a valley in the Calvados department in the midst of Swiss Normandy

Location
This large, luxurious home is in the heart of a village in Swiss Normandy, a picturesque region, heavily marked by medieval architecture, not to be missed. The hamlet dominates valleys and forests as well as the river Orne that winds its way through this landscape.
Caen and slip roads for the A13 motorway are 25 minutes away by car. Paris can be reached in two hours by road or by train.
The village, with all local shops as well as water sports and other outdoor activities, is 8 km away.
Description
The large, luxurious home
Visitors are immediately struck by the perfect symmetry of this elegant facade. Constructed from the shale quarry blocks so typical of the region, it reflects a beautifully sober air. The surrounds framing the openings are made of dressed stone. The roof, gable in one section and featuring the Mansard style in another, is covered with slate. An ornamental pond in the shape of a mythical animal’s mouth is next to a gable wall. Major renovation works have been carried out in the aim of restoring all of its authenticity. This property is meticulously kept throughout.
Ground floor
Double entrance doors open into a vast, impressively-sized hall, its ceiling going up to a height of 7 m. The floor is paved with wide flagstones, whilst the stone walls, the beams and the joists have all been left exposed. A very wide, dressed stone stairway, its steps worn by centuries of use, goes up to the first floor. Two openings lead, on one side, to a lounge and, on the other, to a dining room. The lounge boasts strip pattern parquet flooring. Its beams and joists are exposed and a marble fireplace decorates one of its walls. It precedes a vast kitchen, with wide flagstones, notably illuminated via double French windows that open on to the garden. It is followed by a room in use as a laundry room. A back wooden stairway goes to a staff bedroom and a shower room. A fireplace in the dining room is topped with a mirror. It is flanked by painted, wooden cupboards, built-into the walls. A glazed partition wall delimits a small, adjoining, ladies’ sitting room. The floor is covered with cement tiles, featuring a fleur-de-lis pattern. A door opens into a corridor that leads, on one hand, to a cellar and, on the other, to a second cosier kitchen. It is adjoined by a staff bedroom and its shower room and an opening provides access to a terrace.
First floor
The stairway goes up to a landing. A door opens into a corridor that separates two bedrooms with their bathrooms. A second door opens into a third bedroom.
Second floor
The second floor is reached via an interior stairway. A corridor leads to a bedroom, a bathroom and a separate toilet. Another door opens into a flat, comprising a lounge, a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a separate toilet. Roof dormers illuminate these rooms.
Attic
The floor surface area of this level is approx. 150 m². This vast area, awaiting conversion, is illuminated by three south-facing windows, looking out over the garden.
The outbuildings
These three outbuildings span a surface area of approx. 270 m². Garages, a cowshed, a henhouse and an old bakery, with its bread oven in good working order, have been restored to their original state. Two hundred years ago, the village’s bread was cooked in this oven.
The garden
The garden, reflecting a medieval air, is divided into several areas: squares comprising a vegetable garden, a herb garden and an orchard. Decoratively trimmed boxwood and cypress trees form copses. The house is separated from the garden by a semi-circular archway set in a quarry stone block wall. It is adjoined by a greenhouse. The lawns are dotted throughout with trees, including a Japanese flowering cherry, a red maple, a willow and conifers. A fountain as well as a statue are to be found amongst the plants. The view from these wide-open grassy areas extends as far as the mountains on the other side of the valley.
Our opinion
This large, luxurious home, lived in since the Middle-Ages, is still steeped in its original character. The initial builders created a robust, sober dwelling. Since this time, architectural features have been enhanced with meticulous attention to detail. The spacious rooms have been preserved and, obviously, exude a great deal of warmth and comfort. The proximity of picturesque villages, some renowned for their organic markets, rivers and forests make this a wonderfully pastoral setting. The henhouse is in use. The outbuildings are but waiting to be converted as a means of adding the finishing touches to the care taken with the layout of these premises.
Reference 902770
Land registry surface area | 4996 m2 |
Main building surface area | 370 m2 |
Outbuilding surface area | 270 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 6 |
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.