A former 19th-century convent and grounds of nearly
7 hectares, on the edge of a village, in the south of the Orne department
7 hectares, on the edge of a village, in the south of the Orne department
Domfront,
ORNE
lower-normandy
61700
FR
Location
Near the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park, Ceaucé is nestled within a wooded landscape, alternating between small verdant valleys and deep woods, while the town, with approximately 1,200 inhabitants and only a 3.5-hour drive from the capital, boasts essential services such as as a primary school, local shops and a weekly green market. Perched on its rocky spur, the nearby medieval village of Domfront, about ten kilometres away, as is Lassay-les-Châteaux, is a popular tourist destination thanks to its rich historical heritage, washhouses and small streets lined with flowers, whereas the area is accessible via both the airports in Rennes and Caen as well as the train stations in Flers and Laval, which provide railway service to Paris in three hours.
Description
Not far from the village, the property is set back from a small road and concealed behind a front garden planted with trees, while a lane winds its way through this verdant setting and leads to the former convent’s impressive main façade, facing southeast.
Built out of regularly dressed stone, the four-storey edifice, designed with monastic symmetry, features vertical windows with stone surrounds, a central pediment, a slate gable roof topped with a small bell tower, chimneys and skylights, whereas two sets of exterior double staircases lead to the building’s two entrances, the main one of which is located in the middle of the façade and stands out from the edifice’s other rectangular doors and windows thanks to its semi-circular arch crowned with a stone cross.
As for the back, a perpendicular central wing is extended by the chapel’s choir, which features a Gothic arch window and a gambrel roof covered in slate tiles, while several different structures were built on either side: a room level with the convent’s main floor and its living areas, as well as a turret with a lavatory on each floor.
Set back from the convent to the northeast, the two-storey former presbytery is currently being renovated, whereas, nearby, a stone washhouse stands next to an old wall. In addition, the premises also include several outbuildings, including a small sentry box, a workshop topped with an immense patio and a chicken coop. Lastly, behind the buildings, immense grounds of nearly 6.5 hectares, including meadows, orchards, animal pens, thickets, hedgerows and farmland, reach all the way to the horizon, while a stream slices through the property’s verdant fields.
Built out of regularly dressed stone, the four-storey edifice, designed with monastic symmetry, features vertical windows with stone surrounds, a central pediment, a slate gable roof topped with a small bell tower, chimneys and skylights, whereas two sets of exterior double staircases lead to the building’s two entrances, the main one of which is located in the middle of the façade and stands out from the edifice’s other rectangular doors and windows thanks to its semi-circular arch crowned with a stone cross.
As for the back, a perpendicular central wing is extended by the chapel’s choir, which features a Gothic arch window and a gambrel roof covered in slate tiles, while several different structures were built on either side: a room level with the convent’s main floor and its living areas, as well as a turret with a lavatory on each floor.
Set back from the convent to the northeast, the two-storey former presbytery is currently being renovated, whereas, nearby, a stone washhouse stands next to an old wall. In addition, the premises also include several outbuildings, including a small sentry box, a workshop topped with an immense patio and a chicken coop. Lastly, behind the buildings, immense grounds of nearly 6.5 hectares, including meadows, orchards, animal pens, thickets, hedgerows and farmland, reach all the way to the horizon, while a stream slices through the property’s verdant fields.
The Convent
The basement
Semi-underground, this floor was once used for service-related purposes. Today, the former tiled refectory has been transformed into an area for relaxation, with two rooms, one for games, the other for fitness, while the adjacent space includes a furnace room, a laundry room and a large workshop. Accessible from the outside via three staircases, this level is primarily lit to the southeast and northwest by high windows with wide embrasures.
The garden-level floor
This floor contains a chapel with a two-bay nave and a cement tile floor located on the lower floor of the central perpendicular wing. Illuminated by four high windows, pilasters support the semi-circular coffered arch that precedes the choir, while the latter, with hardwood floors, is topped with a semi-circular vault and its flat apse features a pointed Gothic arch window.
The first floor
Featuring an open gallery of approximately 24 x 6.5 metres, with hardwood floors and a series of windows to the southeast overlooking the front garden, this floor is accessible via the building’s central entrance. Directly opposite, a door with an ornate fanlight leads to the chapel, while on one end of the room is a kitchen with a tile floor and, on the other, a living room is organised around its wood-burning stove.
As for the building’s original restored staircase, it defines the border between the kitchen and living room, whereas, from the gallery, another door also provides access to a room with a cathedral-style ceiling, which is once again laid out around its wood-burning stove.
The second floor
A long hallway communicates with seven immense bedrooms. The main one, on its northeast end, abuts a shower room, as does the bedroom located in the perpendicular central wing, while three shared lavatoriess are also accessible from the hallway, and an open living room was created on this floor’s southwest end.
The third floor
Located under the eaves and featuring visible wooden rafters, this level, entirely open like the first floor, has been converted into a large dormitory, bathed in light by a number of skylights.
The Former Presbytery
With two doors and two windows in the front, this three-storey stone building features an upstairs floor, under the eaves, which is topped with sloping ceilings and illuminated thanks to two dormers, while, in the back, the sloping terrain made it possible to create a cellar, accessible from the outside. Although the entire building is currently being renovated, many of its ancient details have been preserved, including a rustic stone fireplace, visible ceiling beams and rafters, as well as an original staircase. In addition, to the west a lean-to is used as a chicken coop, while, below and to the east, a stone washhouse is supplied with water via the stream that traverses the property.
The Workshop
Located in an ancient stone building, its top floor, which was in ruins, was removed and transformed into a panoramic patio.
The Pavilion
Square in shape, topped with a hipped roof and currently used for storage, each of this structure’s four stone walls features either a door or a window.
The Garden
In the front, the garden was landscaped with a large swath of lawn planted with trees, while a small oratory is located on one end and a goat pen contains the convent’s former lavatories. Behind the dwelling, more immense lawns provide unobstructed views of the village, whereas, in the back, a stream is lined on either side by trees and, further on, past a pedestrian path, the property’s farmland stretches all the way to the horizon.
Our opinion
Set within a charming and bucolic setting, this property, with its rich and unique history, features a wide range of buildings whose various sizes offer a number of exciting possibilities. As for its convent, chapel, presbytery and outbuildings, they were designed to create a highly coherent ensemble, now ready to be reinvented, while its immense spaces, both interior and exterior, once focused on community and prayer, are ideal for a family-oriented project as well as a tourism-based or event venue activity. As for its future occupants, they will find that this property, immense and well organised, is the ideal site for an ambitious undertaking, only three hours from Paris.
957 447 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 601974
| Land registry surface area | 6 ha 42 a 6 ca |
| Main building floor area | 718 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Number of lots | 1 |
Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
Share
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.
