This
delightful small manor house lies in a valley by a river, 12 km from the
beaches along the coast, from where you can see the Channel Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey and Sark. It was built as a fortified house during the Huguenot
rebellion in the 16th century and is quite unique in this part of Normandy. The
windows were specifically designed for attack and defence, one has an opening
for a rifle, the tower has openings from which to hurl tar and boiling oil onto
the invaders and, perhaps most tellingly, there is a liturgical basin. The last
Huguenot owner was executed in 1597 for crimes against the Abbaye de Blanchlande
to which the King awarded ownership of the manoir for a period of two hundred
years, in compensation. This though is only part of the story of the Cotentin
Peninsular. It is also an ancient Celtic land of hills, woods and marshes, myths
and legends, villages and traditions. The house is 3 km from a small town,
which has a large selection of shops, three supermarkets and a busy Wednesday
morning market, full of local produce. There are also numerous restaurants
throughout the area. The 16th century surroundings and beautiful furnishings
give a tremendously romantic feeling of stepping back into the period, in a part
of France where time passes by, unnoticed and with few changes.
Accommodation
The ground floor of the house has a large dining room with the original granite
fireplace, a sitting room furnished with Louis XIII style furniture with an 18th
century stone fireplace and satellite television and DVD set in an Henri II
dresser. The kitchen has a large U shaped work surfaces and is fully equipped
with everything needed, including a large fridge/freezer, oven and hob,
dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster and mixer. There is under floor heating
downstairs and radiators upstairs. The laundry room, next to the manoir, is
equipped with a washing machine, dryer and ironing facilities. One of the four
bedrooms is on the ground floor, a large twin room known as the Vendages. It
also has a small, antique, wrought iron cot and is decorated in the 16th century
style with a Louis XIV armoire and writing desk, a coffer and a tapestry. The
en-suite bathroom is in the tower. The three other bedrooms and two bathrooms
are upstairs. La chambre des Arts has two single beds, a 17th century coffer, a
fireplace of the same period, a tapestry, a fine writing bureau and the
liturgical basin. This was once the seigneurial master bedroom and it has a
wonderful bathroom in the tower. La chambre Yvonne, or the saffron room, is a
twin room with a dressing room and chest of drawers and la chambre Maria, known
as the paprika room, has twin beds, an armoire and a pretty window. All the
windows have interior shutters or wrought iron designs in 16th century style.
Outside
There is a courtyard terrace with garden furniture and a barbecue that has
lovely views of the river and the copse.
Activities
This is an amazing wildlife area with some marvellous walks or cycle ride
through the Marais where you can see crested cranes and herons, deer, goats and,
wild boar in the Mont d'Etenclin hills. Riding is another great way to see the
Cotentin and idyllic on the beach as the sun goes down. The huge beaches are
also ideal for sand surfing. You can go sailing from Portbail 5 kms from here or
simply spend the day fishing on the river here. Barneville-Carteret and
Agon-Coutainville have 9-hole golf courses, Cherbourg has an 18-hole golf
course.
The D-Day Landing beaches at Utah Beach and Ste Mère Eglise are 25 kms from
here. The infamous Abbaye de Blanchelande is 2 kms away. Portbail is a pretty
little port with a 12th century church and 13th century arched bridge, where you
can get ferries, either there or at Barneville-Carteret for a day in one of the
Channel Islands.
Click here to view a map of the area
