In 1198, Eleanor of Aquitaine gave lands to Robert le Saucier, the bailiff of Domfront and kitchen officer of the English queen. Robert built a manor house, located near the Norman town of La Haute-Chapelle.
Throughout the Middle Ages the castle was expanded, and during the 15th and 16th century a miniature chateau was created as an entrance to the main manor house. This is the only part of the castle to survive, as a fire destroyed the manor in 1860.
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The site is now surrounded by fields and grasslands, along with two small lakes that are the remains of its original moat. Besides the medieval chateau, one can find the remains of a bakery, a well, a grinding wheel and the remains of a 19th century house. The ruins of a barn, dating from the 16th century, are also on the site. Manoir de la Sausserie is listed as a Monument historique in France. Their description notes:
The remaining fortified gate, bordered by water moats, consists of two massive circular towers, framing a roughly square building. The towers, pierced with numerous embrasures for couleuvrines, are each capped by a square floor built in pan of wood and bricks, and finished by an attic in the imperial. The central part is covered by a dome surmounted by a square pinnacle. On the corners of the rear facade rise half-timbered watchtowers. Between the towers, at ground level, opens a curved door surmounted by a carved coat of arms. It was preceded by a drawbridge. On the rear facade, traces of a drawbridge prove that the châtelet was entirely surrounded by moats. The postern, whose construction can date back to the middle of the 14th century, was to be crowned with machicolations and battlements. The upper parts were replaced in the 17th century by frame and brick constructions.
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Photo by Ikmo-ned / Wikimedia Commons
The property is listed for sale for € 390,000 by Patrice Besse. They offer this comment about the site:
This manor house, under its chestnut shingles, is a sleeping beauty. Its elegance and charm immediately catch the eye evoking a desire to protect it. This is the only building of this Seigneury, dating back to the Middle-Ages, left standing. It is almost certainly because of its robustness, but perhaps also because of the curiosity provoked by its round and square forms, the rigidity of its chimney stacks and their coping as well as the airy elegance of its inverted ship’s hull and dome-shaped roofs, that it has come down through the ages. It is archaic, original and rare. This manor house should be saved so that it might be admired by all.
Manoir de la Sausserie
Normandy, France
Asking Price: € 390,000
In 1198, Eleanor of Aquitaine gave lands to Robert le Saucier, the bailiff of Domfront and kitchen officer of the English queen. Robert built a manor house, located near the Norman town of La Haute-Chapelle.
Throughout the Middle Ages the castle was expanded, and during the 15th and 16th century a miniature chateau was created as an entrance to the main manor house. This is the only part of the castle to survive, as a fire destroyed the manor in 1860.
The site is now surrounded by fields and grasslands, along with two small lakes that are the remains of its original moat. Besides the medieval chateau, one can find the remains of a bakery, a well, a grinding wheel and the remains of a 19th century house. The ruins of a barn, dating from the 16th century, are also on the site. Manoir de la Sausserie is listed as a Monument historique in France. Their description notes:
The remaining fortified gate, bordered by water moats, consists of two massive circular towers, framing a roughly square building. The towers, pierced with numerous embrasures for couleuvrines, are each capped by a square floor built in pan of wood and bricks, and finished by an attic in the imperial. The central part is covered by a dome surmounted by a square pinnacle. On the corners of the rear facade rise half-timbered watchtowers. Between the towers, at ground level, opens a curved door surmounted by a carved coat of arms. It was preceded by a drawbridge. On the rear facade, traces of a drawbridge prove that the châtelet was entirely surrounded by moats. The postern, whose construction can date back to the middle of the 14th century, was to be crowned with machicolations and battlements. The upper parts were replaced in the 17th century by frame and brick constructions.
The property is listed for sale for € 390,000 by Patrice Besse. They offer this comment about the site:
This manor house, under its chestnut shingles, is a sleeping beauty. Its elegance and charm immediately catch the eye evoking a desire to protect it. This is the only building of this Seigneury, dating back to the Middle-Ages, left standing. It is almost certainly because of its robustness, but perhaps also because of the curiosity provoked by its round and square forms, the rigidity of its chimney stacks and their coping as well as the airy elegance of its inverted ship’s hull and dome-shaped roofs, that it has come down through the ages. It is archaic, original and rare. This manor house should be saved so that it might be admired by all.
Click here to view the property on Patrice Besse
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Top Image: Photo by Poulpy / Wikimedia Commons
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