An episcopal manor from the 15th and 16th centuries, tucked away in France's Calvados department in Normandy, near the CĂ´te Fleurie coastline - ref 80
An episcopal manor from the 15th and 16th centuries, tucked away in France's Calvados department in Normandy, near the CĂ´te Fleurie coastline.
The property lies in the town of Glos, in France's Calvados department in Normandy, next to the town of Lisieux and 40 minutes from the town of Deauville. Around it, the valleys and meadows of Normandy's Pays d'Auge province form a remarkable natural backdrop. And historical Norman manors, including the Manoir de Colandon, the Manoir de Bray and the Manoir de la Brairie, form true gems of built heritage. There are shops and amenities in Lisieux, which is only 10 minutes away. The A13 motorway takes you to the city of Caen, from where you can reach Paris in 1 hour and 45 minutes by rail.
From a covered carriage entrance at the top of the grounds, an open driveway snakes down to the manor. The edifice is listed as a historical monument. From its commanding position, it looks down at a valley of meadows lined with hedges and woods. The house and its adjoining outbuilding follow the slope of the land. The edifice dates back to the 16th century. It includes a huge main section with timber framing and a stone base course. It has a garden-level floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof space. Its gable end and rear elevation have a garden level of brick and stone laid in a checked pattern. The facade, which faces the garden and the valley, is remarkable, with timber beams sculpted with Gothic motifs, ogee arches, pinnacles, corbels and coats of arms. The corbelled beam above the garden-level floor is embellished with beast heads. The decor also includes studded doors. The windows are fitted with indoor shutters, as well as old-style small-paned glazing and stained glass with round embellishments. Arrangements of red and green glazed bricks add decorative touches to the timber framing. The steep-sloped roof has flat tiles and two large dormers that bring out the verticality of the facade's bays. A monumental chimney stack made of brick and stone crowns the building. The outbuilding, lower in height, adjoins the main section. It follows the slope of the land to create a dovetailing of floors inside. This part is similar to the main section in style, but the materials used are less embellished. Nevertheless, the studded doors and small-paned windows give a lot of character to this secondary space. The garden is demarcated with an equestrian fence. The grounds slope gently down to the valley, with a clear view of the surrounding meadows and woods.
The houseOn each floor, the rooms are dual-aspect spaces that connect to each other. Many windows bring in an abundance of natural light.
The garden-level floor
The small entrance door in the facade leads into a dining room with a large fireplace of white limestone that has plain corbelling and a timber lintel. The room has a terracotta-tiled floor and half-timbered walls. The windows have indoor shutters and stained glass. Exposed beams run across the ceiling. Next, there is a lounge that is similar in style, with a fireplace that looks like the one in the dining room. The fireplace in the lounge has a decorative strip of brickwork on its hood. On the other side of the entrance area, a hallway leads to a small mezzanine, which takes you to a bedroom with a sloping attic ceiling and a shower room. Next, there is a long kitchen, which is rather uneven in form. This kitchen looks out at the back of the manor. Opposite the entrance door, a small spiral staircase leads upstairs in a stairwell with half-timbered walls. Warm tones brighten up the timber beams.
The first floor
The landing connects to a bathroom with wooden panelling, stained-glass windows with round embellishments and a terracotta-tiled floor embellished with glazed motifs. This room lies beside two connecting bedrooms with corbelled ...
