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13th century, listed keep and its 18th century farm in Lower Normandy
Location
A farm situated in the heart of a Lower Normandy village, in Swiss Normandy, thirty or so minutes from Caen via a dual carriageway and the A13 motorway. French SNCF train station, airport, ferry, schools sixth form colleges and universities are nearby.
Description
The property
Belonging long ago to an illustrious Barony, and having been in the current owners’ family for the past 10 centuries, the property is accessed via a driveway on the same level as that of the bottom of the dried-up moat.
The U-shaped lower bailey and its outbuildings span a surface area of almost 3 ha (7.41 acres) of pastures and garden. It comprises 2 dwellings and 3 barns with 2 stories, built between 1828 and 1890.
Three other buildings, a cider cellar, a cowshed and two stables, are situated on the right-hand side of the lower bailey in an independent enclosure together with a well with water at a depth of 14 metres (46 ft).
The 13th century keep stands proudly dominating this part of the property.
In front of the dwellings is a garden of approx. 3,700 m² (0.9 acres); this vestige of the past requires some attention.
All the buildings were constructed between the 12th and the 18th centuries.
The keep
Sole vestige of an older castle destroyed after the French revolution and built in the 13th century, it was topped with a roof in the 16th century. It is directly built on an older motte of feudal land. At the beginning of the 17th century, the motte was transformed into modern fortifications with the addition of 4 bastions in accordance with a star-shaped layout. Underground passageways were then created for connecting the bastions to the tower. The cellar dug beneath the tower and the moats date from this era. The same cellar has destabilised the ground and weakened the building, following the collapse of the stairway.
21 metres high (69 ft) and 12 metres (39 ft) in diameter, despite its mode of construction unique to Normandy, all that remains today is the carcass, the division of the floors, the well and the latrines as well as the wonderful Louis XIII style fireplaces. The inside basically dates from the 15th and 17th centuries when it was redesigned. It was partially destroyed after the French revolution, when it was used as a quarry by its owner. Quadrangular in shape on the inside, it is circular on the outside. The construction mode said to be unique for the tower can be seen on the façade where 7 or 8 jobbers left marks: before the stones were laid, signs were engraved by the masons as if they were signing their work with simple geometrical figures (crosses, lines, triangles) and letters of the alphabet.
The dwellings span a living area of approx. 350 m² (3,767 sq ft), are aligned one after the other and are adjoining.
The oldest, from the 18th century and built around 1795, spans three stories, part of which awaits complete restoration. The slate roof features dormer windows with projecting eaves; the Caen stone facade has numerous windows, which like the dormers, have rounded pediments.
Inside, the rooms are luminous and spacious with numerous windows and French windows. Fortunately, decorative features worthy of interest in the reception rooms have been preserved. The floors are of slate or terracotta tiles. One of the dining rooms, said to be “noble” has a fireplace with an outstanding mantelpiece as well as panelling on the bottom half of the walls. The bedrooms have parquet flooring; four of them have fireplaces.
Our opinion
A superb place for purchasers seeking an ambitious project. Obviously, the restoration of a ruin can only be undertaken by enlightened and motivated enthusiasts. The most recent of the dwellings can be lived in, leaving time to renovate the oldest dwelling which has some wonderful features from the past. Given the French MH classification of the keep, the fiscal aspect, the grants and the tax allowances are not to be ignored, a superb way of preserving and saving our heritage.
The project is clearly ambitious as there are many buildings. But their layout on the land and the fact that one of them can be lived in at little cost, will enable the future owners to invest in, and schedule, the works straightaway. The keep is not only the main historic feature paying tribute to the site’s past but also the symbol of the architectural quality of the property.
550 000 €
Our fees are included in the stated sale price.
Reference 2515MM
| Land registry surface area | 2ha84a89ca |
| Main building surface area | 350 m² |
| Outbuilding surface area | 1276 m² |
Regional representative
Marie Merien +33 (0)6 08 80 21 01
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.
