South of the Normandy-Maine Regional Park, a 15th century feudal manor house, its outbuildings and its pond - ref 406623
South of the Normandy-Maine Regional Park, a 15th century feudal manor house, its outbuildings and its pond.
The estate is located in the Alpes Mancelles hills, south of the Normandy-Maine Regional Park. The countryside includes fields and hedgerows and is popular for outdoor sports like hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, fishing and kayaking. A village with all essential shops and services is 1.5 km away. The historic towns of Fresnay-sur-Sarthe, Saint-Léonard-des-Bois and Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei are less than ten kilometres away.
Paris is 245 km from the property via the A28 motorway, and 55 minutes by TGV from Le Mans station, which can be reached by car in 45 minutes. The property is located 25 minutes from Alençon and 10 minutes from a regional TER railway station.
Access to the property is via a driveway framed by an orchard and a vegetable plot. Old outbuildings face each other on either side. The residence stands at the back of the courtyard. Meadows planted with hedges enclose the buildings. They protect them from the wind and provide shelter from prying eyes. The complex offers views over the surrounding countryside, from the pastures to the cultivated fields. Two ponds receive water from a stream that flows into the Sarthe, a few meadows away. The origins of the site date back to the eleventh century. In the 14th century, this was one of the largest feudal manors in the area. During the French Revolution, it lost its influence. Built around 1450 by the Saint-Berthevin family, the cellar and the central part of the present building, with its monumental fireplace, bear witness to this feudal past. However, the defensive towers once abutting this feudal building have not survived. In the 18th century, the parish registers mentioned the old pond and the fishing rights for the farm.
The manor houseWith a rectangular plan and facing north-south, this was originally a tall building set against a lower building to the east. Built of coursed rubble Roussard sandstone, its roof is slate on one side with one part in interlocking tiles. The southern side of the roof is clad with traditional local tiles. The manor house, with its different levels, is built on two cellars and is accessed by a stone staircase. The stoop is currently used as small terrace.
The ground floor
The entrance leads directly into the large living room with its kitchen and monumental fireplace. Windows on either side provide abundant light. On one side, a few steps lead down to the sitting room and its fireplace with insert. The walls are exposed stone, pointed with lime. Beamed ceilings complement tiled floors. On the other side of the entrance, a few steps provide access to two bedrooms, a toilet and a shower room.
The first floor
At the end of the corridor, a staircase leads to the first floor with its parquet floor landing serving two bedrooms, a shower room and a toilet. A few exposed beams and timbers in the walls structure the spaces.
The basement
Two cellars are accessed from outdoors. They are vaulted, one opens to the north and the other to the south. From the west gable, a double door opens onto a large shed which is partly used as a boiler room. The outbuildingsAt right angles to the residence, a long outbuilding of coursed rubble masonry and topped with a gable roof clad with local tiles marks the end of the property to the north-east. It is topped by high roofs, exposed beams and attics with potential for conversion. The saddlery, a horse stall, a small house, a barn and the shop follow one after another. Opposite, a smaller building houses various sheds and garages. To the east of the residence, small independent buildings of rubble masonry and topped with gable roofs serve as sheep barn and henhouse. They ...
