We searched for a listed site steeped in history and not too far from Paris for two years. And chance led us to the Château de Mainneville. We fell in love with this romantic green setting, enveloping a historic château with cottages, gardens, remarkable parkland and a 40-hectare forest. Located between Gisors and Lyons-la-Forêt, in the protected Lévrière valley in the centre of the Vexin region of Normandy, it was hard not to fall under its spell.
The château is surrounded by 44 hectares of walled gardens and woodland. The two entrance towers, dated 1307, show the medieval origins of the château, which was remodelled in the 16th and 17th centuries. The building has retained the characteristics of the Louis XIII style: brick architecture with stone quoins, topped by high roofs and large windows with rusticated quoins. The château is surrounded by a moat fed by the Lévrière, an ancient 13th-century fishpond. The inner courtyard boasts a remarkable topiary and, facing the château, the vast perspective of the Colonel's Meadow with its large water mirror. The interiors are an extension of this architectural harmony: wood panelling, large and small lounges with generous ceiling heights. There is a perfectly preserved 13th-century cellar under the outbuildings. The entire estate has been listed since 1948.
The château was built by Enguerrand de Marigny, Grand Chamberlain to Philip the Fair and one of the architects of the dissolution of the Order of the Temple. Sentenced to be hanged in 1315, the fief was returned to the crown. Louis X, known as "the Hutin", donated Mainneville to his wife, Queen Clémence of Hungary, daughter of Charles Martel. The fiefdom then became the property of his nephew, Humbert II, the last Dauphin of Viennois. The château was built by Enguerrand de Marigny, Grand Chamberlain to Philip the Fair and one of the architects of the dissolution of the Order of the Temple. Sentenced to be hanged in 1315, the fief was returned to the crown. Louis X, known as "the Hutin", donated Mainneville to his wife, Queen Clémence of Hungary, daughter of Charles Martel. The fiefdom then became the property of his nephew, Humbert II, the last Dauphin of Viennois. Through inheritance and marriage, the estate became the Marquisate of Mainneville-Dauvet in 1711. In 1839, the châtelet, a wing of the château and the chapel were dismantled and sold off. After a long period of neglect, the château was completely restored in the 1980s.
We offer our visitors an experience in a magical place, steeped in history, located on a protected site with no noise pollution. Here, the light plays a magical role on the property, with sumptuous sunrises and sunsets: the mist rises over the water and the river flows peacefully by. The château's woodland is ideal for walks along its paths to the lake at the end of the estate, with views over the listed site and opportunities to spot roe deer, does and stags. The grounds include a swimming pool with a pool house, a hard tennis court, a trampoline, a table tennis table and a boules pitch.
In the heart of the village of Lyons-la-Forêt, "La Licorne Royale", a Michelin-starred restaurant, offers a unique opportunity to savour refined cuisine amid the letters of Napoleon Bonaparte and his marshals. "L'Ardoise”, which holds the title of “Maître Restaurateur”, is a warm and friendly restaurant that celebrates home cooking prepared the old-fashioned way. In Martigny, "Vignes Normandes" has a wine cellar and meals accompanied by wine by artisan winemakers. Tastings, specialised selections and wine-related events are organised on a regular basis. In Gisors, the "Maison Alglave" makes fine pastries, chocolates and confectionery using traditional methods.
The property comprises the château and a cottage with a total capacity of 35 people. The château comprises a vestibule, a kitchen, a dining room and lounges (large, small, library and smoking room) spread over several levels, with several staircases leading to the four double bedrooms upstairs. The cottage has two lounges, a kitchen and 12 bedrooms - nine double beds (which can be separated if required), two singles and a dormitory with seven single beds. Each room has its own bathroom with a toilet, with the exception of the dormitory, which has two bathrooms and two toilets.
ref 768194
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