A 19th century ship-owner's manor house with walled grounds, near Saint-Malo, close to the beaches and shops in Saint-Servan - ref 568783
A 19th century ship-owner's manor house with walled grounds, near Saint-Malo, close to the beaches and shops in Saint-Servan.
Saint-Malo, located in the northeast of Brittany, is one of the gems of the Emerald Coast. The maritime city continues to enchant its visitors and population thanks to its natural environment, architectural heritage and its history. The house is located in Saint-Servan, a former neighbouring municipality assimilated by Saint-Malo in 1967. Schools and shops are close by as well as the local market and beaches. The historical centre of Saint-Malo is 20 minutes away on foot and less than 10 minutes by bicycle. The station can be reached in 30 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by bike, from where Rennes can be reached in less than 1 hour and Paris in less than 3 hours. Lastly, from the port of Saint-Malo, the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey can be reached by ferry, as can England.
The house stands at a crossroads of several streets. The main entrance, slightly set back from the street, is via an imposing wooden gate with a curved top, framed by granite pillars flanked with guard stones, opening into an inner courtyard. The garden is tucked away behind high stone walls that enclose the rear of the property. It originally had a larger garden. The house, which has remained in the same family since its construction, was built at the beginning of the 18th century for a seafaring family of the Compagnie des Indes, with links to Isle de France, now known as Mauritius. The south-facing edifice has three storeys one of which is in the attic space.
The main façade has three vertical rows of openings. The elevations are made of rough-hewn blocks of granite, while the window and door frames are made of dressed granite blocks. The slate hipped roof has three dormer windows topped with pediments and is flanked at each end by two tall chimney stacks, while two smaller chimney stacks stand in the centre. The roof guttering is inserted in a wooden cornice.
To the rear, a semi-circular conservatory is topped by a slate roof. To the southeast, at a right angle to the main building and standing against a neighbouring edifice, there is a brick and rubble stone outbuilding topped with a slate roof. Part of it is used for storage and another part has been converted into living space.
The manor house
The ground floor
The layout is typical of the large ship-owners' residences from the early 18th century. A monumental wooden staircase stands in the entrance, opposite which a lounge opens out onto the garden. Afterwards, on one side there is a dining room and an office, while on the other there is a living room. The reception rooms have high ceilings and period wood stripped flooring, with Arenberg patterning in the living room. The walls in the large lounge are entirely covered with pearl grey wood panelling, embellished by a golden trim, which is a decorative feature typical of the 18th century. The panelling frames a red marble fireplace with light-coloured graining, as well as four tall windows to the north, south and west. A ceiling rose and large cornice complete the decor. The small lounge is more sober but also boasts a ceiling rose and cornice. To the north, it leads into the conservatory, built on a stone sleeper wall. The vast windows are framed by pilasters and it boasts 180° views of the garden. The dining room and adjacent kitchen are paved with Saint-Cast stone slabs, formerly referred to locally as 'platin'. The dining room is south-facing, while the kitchen is north-facing with French windows opening onto the garden. In the dining room, an imposing fireplace, with a lintel and jambs made of granite, bears a coat of arms. Lastly, a cellar can be reached via door underneath the staircase.
The first floor
This level can be reached by the period, curved wooden staircase with a ...
