Castle Coutances (50)

A 17th century chateau and its outbuildings, with 17 ha of land, less than 10 km from the beaches, near to Coutances on the Cotentin peninsula.
Three hours from Paris and an hour from Mont St-Michel. The D-day Landing beaches and golf courses are just a few minutes away.
Wrought iron gates precede a long driveway, bordered by trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. It leads to a group of perfectly laid out buildings.
A chateau is surrounded by a chapel, on the one hand, with a dovecote, outbuildings and a caretaker’s cottage, on the other. A wide, spring-fed ornamental pool and its reflections soften the appearance of these 17th century, quarry stone buildings. A little house, nestling in the parklands, has been completely renovated. Further away, a farm shed houses the equipment needed for maintaining the property.
A second, smaller entrance at the end of the parklands has remote-controlled gates.
The chateauThis chateau, dating from the Henri IV era, is constructed from quarry stone blocks and topped with a slate roof. A central building is flanked by two square pavilions. The various sections of roof were, no doubt, redesigned at the end of the 17th century at the same time as the windows in the central building were enlarged. The chateau faces north-south, an unusual layout in this region.
Ground floor
The ground floor comprises, from left to right, a kitchen, with a fireplace, a back kitchen, with its entrance and its back stairway, followed by a dining room, with a fireplace, adjoining the entrance hall, with the main stairway, as well as a lounge, with a fireplace, and lastly a bedroom, all on a level, with a dressing room, a bathroom and a toilet. All through rooms, their windows and French windows, opening on to the terrace on the south side, are double-glazed, and the floors, with underfloor heating, are paved with terracotta tiles.
First floor
The first floor comprises four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, toilet and dressing room. These are symmetrically laid out on either side of the stairway and reached via a gallery.
Attic
An independent study, on the attic floor, can be reached via the kitchen stairway. It communicates with the rest of the attics, reached via the main stairway. These could very easily be converted courtesy of their high ceilings, resulting from the shape of the roof.The main outbuildingsFacing the chateau, the cowsheds and the stables have been fully renovated for use as function and exhibition rooms.
Large openings have been added, giving a view of the chateau and the annexe buildings. The floors and the electric wiring have been redone. Bathroom and toilet facilities have been installed and an interior stairway goes up to offices on a closed mezzanine. The attics, running the full length of the building, could be used as additional storage space. Several entrances would make it possible to reorganise the layout of the building in accordance with requirements: exhibitions, weddings, artists’ studios.
The old caretaker’s cottageThis 2-storey house has been fully renovated for use as a refreshment area/café with a lounge/ bar, a kitchen as well as bathroom and toilet facilities on the ground floor. The upstairs, reached via an outside stairway, has been converted into a staff flat (a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen area and a lounge). Adjacent to the house, a large, paved terrace, running alongside the house, is able to accommodate several dozen people.The dovecoteThis is the only feature which has not been restored. Its roof and its original roofing framework are in need of repair.