Bayeux, La Basse Normandie 14400

A fortified manor-farm, with outbuildings and 38 hectares of land in the Calvados area, near to Bayeux. Fortified manor-farms are a typical feature of the Bessin sector. The one in question pays witness to a time of prosperity, when architecture served an enlightened economic ambition, fuelled by the direct cultivation of the land. It was built in the style of medieval fortress and is laid out in a way that gave it defensive control. Behind a monumental gateway with three openings, framed by pilasters and topped with fleuron pinnacles, the vast property is spread out around a courtyard that is practically closed, on one side by the buildings and on the other by the semi-circular moat. The manor stands like a figurehead, before those who visit it.Opposite, a semi-open cart shed with a series of regular arches is graced with well-balanced and robust lines. The meticulous layout and considerable volumes strike a rare balance between functionality and elegance. Next to this, there is a huge barn that has been modified over time and whose height is today equal to that of a church nave, almost like a cathedral dedicated to cultivating the fields. Another barn, standing perpendicular to the cart shed, closes the northern side of the courtyard. To the west, there are several remarkable buildings one after another: a stone building still houses a press boasting its period mechanisms and a perfectly preserved 17th-century trough, a cottage from the same era parallel to the manor and, lastly, a 19th-century stone and brick building, bearing witness to continuous occupation and successive adaptations. The stone pavilion, which resembles a watchtower, is the second focal point of the courtyard. Its axe head shaped roof, which transforms from lozenge to rectangular in shape, and its faade punctuated by arrow slit windows are listed as historical monuments. The partially filled in moat stands to the eastern flank of the manor and reinforces the defensive character of the estate.