A 460-m² 18th-century mansion in 9 hectares of parkland, near the Baie de Somme, 2 hours from Paris - ref 550971
A 460-m² 18th-century mansion in 9 hectares of parkland, near the Baie de Somme, 2 hours from Paris.
This mansion is located in an environment of waterways and farmland, in the Somme area, 7 kilometres from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, in the municipality of Lanchères, renowned for its architecture and history. Shops, services and amenities can be found nearby. The nearest coastline is 3 kilometres away, while Amiens, Lille and Paris are respectively 60, 150 and 220 kilometres away by road, with easy access to the region thanks to the A16 motorway. From the railway station in Abbeville, Paris is within 1 hour 30 minutes' reach.
The mansion was built in 1790 for Pierre Fanneau de la Horie, lord of La Touche and the King's engineer responsible for developments of the ports along the Picardy coastline and in the Baie de Somme. He acquired the fiefdom of Lanchères in 1774. The building that had previously stood there was entirely demolished. The architect of the residence, which was typical of the neo-classical school, was Antoine-Charles Aubert, who designed the Palais Bourbon in Paris as well as a range of buildings and townhouses that have since been demolished, including a folly that used to stand on the Chaillot hill. The canals and parkland were excavated and planted during the same era.
A gate opens onto a large, round lawn, planted with pruned yew trees. An also circular drive enables parking for vehicles in front of the mansion. Two pavilions, one of which is used as a garage and the other as a storeroom, are situated at each side of the courtyard's entrance.
A short distance away, a chapel and dovecote seem to watch over the property while to the west there is a walled orchard with period greenhouses, an orangery used as a workshop and a swimming pool. A former farm situated to the east is adjacent to a maze of hedges. The estate boasts 9-hectares of planted parkland with an ornamental garden (listed in the Mérimée archives), an orchard, pastureland, woods and canals that are linked to the network of marshes at Lanchères and Cayeux-sur-Mer.
The mansionIt was built following the 18th-century architectural style with a light main facade, both in terms of its layout and the colour of the region's white limestone, outlined by delicate dark lines. The three-storey, rectangular, southeast-facing edifice is flanked by two wings on either side, while the north and south facades are symmetrically punctuated by large-paned, double-leaf windows. In the centre of the southern facade, the glazed, double-leaf entrance door is topped by a triangular pediment and framed by two French lanterns. The roof is punctuated by four bullseye windows on the north side and four on the south, as well as five red brick chimney stacks. The northwest facing facade overlooks the parkland. All the windows are fitted with external shutters.The ground floorFrom the entrance hall, all the rooms, which are connected by double-leaf doors, are situated one after another, while a 19th-century wooden staircase climbs to the upper floors. The kitchen is sophisticatedly ornate, has a central island unit and cupboard furnishings. French windows open out onto the patio overlooking the tree-filled grounds, which can be reached by a flight of stone steps, as well the canals further away. A double-leaf door leads into the main lounge, with ceiling mouldings and chevron parquet flooring, which is bathed in light through four tall windows. The doors and fireplaces are topped by trumeau panels depicting child-like putto figures. The lounge is followed by a large room currently used as an office.
From the hall, a double-leaf door opens into a gallery that leads to a boot room as well as a suite made up of a bedroom, an exotically decorated lounge, a bathroom and storage ...
