A 16th- and 17th-century farm of three restored half-timbered houses surrounded
by 9 hectares of orchards between Lisieux and Pont-l’Évêque in Calvados
by 9 hectares of orchards between Lisieux and Pont-l’Évêque in Calvados
Lisieux,
CALVADOS
lower-normandy
14100
FR
Location
The farmstead is set in the rolling landscape of the Pays d’Auge in eastern Calvados. La Touques is near Deauville and Trouville, which are about 30 kilometres away. Lisieux, with the Basilica of Saint Thérèse, is 6 km away and is the main urban centre in the area. Pontl’Évêque is 12 km away. You can get to Paris by train in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The capital is about 200 km away via the A13.
Description
Accessible via a gate concealed behind tall trees, the property stretches out across a vast, open landscape overlooking the valley. Just past the entrance, two houses stand alongside an old bread oven and a caretaker’s cottage. There is a parking area nearby. The main residence, built in the 16th century and subsequently extended in the 17th century, comprises a tall, three-storey half-timbered house, with a ground floor at garden level and two storeys above. The facade features several windows, which open onto an entrance hall, a dining room and a living room. The doors, solid or fitted with small panes of glass, and the various sized windows are protected by wooden shutters. The half-timbered framework rests on a rubble stone plinth, whilst the slope of the land allows level access to a cellar from the garden. The building is topped by a gable roof with flat tiles and dormer windows. The floors are marked out by irregular course stones and bear witness to the building’s ancient origins. The second house is similar to the first, but on a smaller scale. A conservatory extends from it. There is a swimming pool at the back. A little further on, a small path leads to a barn that has been partially converted. The buildings stand amidst large lawns, separated from the meadows and orchards by discreet fences.
The main house
The ground floor
The floor is paved throughout with square terracotta tiles. The décor features half-timbering, exposed beams and joists. The walls are made of rubble stone, some of which are plastered. The entrance leads into the dining room with its monumental ashlar fireplace and light coming in from windows on both sides. The room opens onto a kitchen, a cellar and a hallway. This leads to a wooden staircase leading to the upper floors. Next come a study, a bathroom with a toilet, and a living room with a hewn-stone fireplace, the centrepiece of the house. The space is brightly lit by windows on three sides.
The first floor
A landing leads to the rest of this level, which has a slightly sloping ceiling and is lit by dormer windows. The floor is paved with old terracotta tiles and the décor is similar to that of the previous level: timber framing, exposed roof trusses, rubble masonry and rendered walls. On one side, a spacious room extends the full depth of the room, dominated by the monumental hewn-stone base of the dining room fireplace. After this come a study and a bathroom with a bath, a walk-in shower and toilets. A bathroom and two bedrooms share the space on the other side of the landing; the larger of the two bedrooms is dominated by a hewn-stone fireplace.
The attic
The attic, which is entirely under the eaves, comprises a bedroom with straight-grained parquet flooring, lit by gable windows and dormer windows. Adjoining this, two adjoining attic rooms take up the rest of the floor.
The basement
This can be accessed from the dining room as well as from outside. It comprises a geothermal and oil-fired boiler room, a utility room, a wine cellar and storage areas.
The second house
The ground floor
The entrance opens onto a spacious hall, which continues onto a wooden staircase. The area leads to a bathroom fitted with a shower and a toilet. Beyond this there is a kitchen, followed by a double living room with a carved wooden and brick fireplace. The entire floor is laid with patterned parquet flooring made from Philippine timber. The walls combine half-timbering, exposed rubble stone and light-coloured render. A pair of windows lights up the room.
The attic
On this floor, with its sloping roof, the rooms are lit by hipped dormers and roof windows. A corridor leads to three bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet. The floor is covered with strip pattern parquet flooring. Half-timbering adorns the walls.
The caretaker's house
This is a half-timbered building and has a slate gable roof. The entrance leads straight into a large living area, with a corner fireplace and a wood-burning stove. A hallway leads to a kitchen/dining room where the dividing half-timbering is exposed and afterwards a bathroom, a toilet and the beginning of a wooden staircase. Upstairs four bedrooms have been created in the attic, one of which is independent and accessible by a straight wooden staircase from the outside. It measures approximately 90 m². It is currently let.
The garden and outbuildings
Large lawns stretch out between the buildings. The area is brought to life by beds of hydrangeas, camellias, rhododendrons and roses, whilst tall trees — magnolias, ginkgos, Lebanese cedars, Virginia tulip trees and purple beeches — lend the garden its lush, verdant character. Orchards and meadows then naturally extend the estate towards the fruit orchards. The lawns are separated from the meadows by simple fences. An old bread oven is still in working order. A barn which has partially been converted into a games room, also houses two garages, loft storage space, a toilet and a water point in an adjoining lean-to.
The pastures
An orchard is mainly planted with apple trees; it contains 150 trees of a dozen varieties, which yield 15–20 tonnes per year. The harvest is entrusted to a local cider producer. The adjoining pastures, covering approximately 8 hectares, are managed under an agreement with Safer, ensuring the continuity of agricultural activity and the maintenance of the grassland.
Our opinion
Set amongst the hedgerows, an old Augeronne farmhouse which has retained all of its original character. Surrounded by an orchard that is still in production, the carefully restored buildings form an elegant and characterful ensemble, in which each house naturally fulfils its purpose. Ornamental trees, meadows and apple trees capture the spirit of the place, whilst the proximity of the Normandy coast adds to the appeal of a property that combines rural heritage, a vibrant landscape and practical appeal.
1 490 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 228348
| Main building floor area | 181 m² |
| Outbuildings floor area | 405 m² |
| including refurbished area | 220 m² |
| Land registry surface area | 9 ha 28 a 9 ca |
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.
