Just a few miles from Bayeux, this garden has become one of Normandy’s most remarkable in just 20 years. English journalists rave about it, and they don't give praise lightly. An extraordinary property, listed for sale by BARNES.
Have you heard of Penelope Hobhouse? A landscape gardener, lecturer, writer and television presenter in the UK and the US since the 90s, this Brit, a specialist in remarkable gardens, is a star in her field. She designs and creates gardens around the world, particularly for celebrities like the Queen Mother and Steve Jobs. What is the connection between Penelope Hobhouse and the gardens at La Brunvillière? Quite simply the connection she immediately felt: “As soon as I step foot here, I felt that we were within reach of excellence”, she said in June 2011. For Anne and Jean-Jacques Liégeois, the owners of this estate on the edge of Bayeux (Calvados), this assessment is truly the holy grail. And it is entirely deserved.
This fantastic 19th century Norman property, set at the heart of a magnificent landscaped park spanning 3 hectares (7.4 acres), has retained all its authenticity and period charm. The main house, dating from 1848, in Caen stone, offers approximately 210m2 (2,260 sq ft) and was entirely restored and redesigned by Anne and Jean-Jacques Liégeois when it was bought in 2000. On the ground floor, the dining room and hall are covered in terracotta floor tiles, while the original stone kitchen is equipped with an AGA cooker (the 100% SoBARNES touch that makes all the difference!). The exposed ceiling joists are painted. The 1st floor, with its two bedrooms, features original parquet flooring and painted walls. The upper floor, accessible via a superb walnut wood staircase, also comprises two bedrooms. The 80m2 (861 sq ft) guest house is decorated with equal style, and provides two additional bedrooms. The 350m2 (3,767 sq ft) of outbuildings are currently fitted out as a workshop, shed, cellar and garages, but offer great potential for other options.
A carefully selected colour palette
The property’s top selling point is its landscaped grounds with their rose-lined path, Renaissance-style garden and wilderness: a small wood with a tree house, a meadow, an orchard, a vegetable patch and tree-lined paths... Anne and Jean-Jacques Liégeois have always known what they want: a well-maintained garden with elegant proportions that keeps its charm all year round. These expansive vistas draw the visitor’s gaze to the surrounding nature. The garden gradually unfolds as you wander through the cleverly designed grounds. The plans were laid out for the entire garden before starting the works, and remained unchanged during the ten years it took to create this magnificent ensemble as presented today. Jean Jacques designed and built the chestnut fences while Anne chose the plants and flowers based on a pre-defined colour palette. Twenty years later, the garden has achieved an astonishing maturity. The Gallica Rose flowerbeds, an ancient variety grown as far back as the Romans, are considered a model among British horticultural journalists, and that’s certainly saying something!
“In the mirror of our lives, this garden is the reflection of all we have seen, loved, read and experienced, all that we have become”, explains Anne Liégeois. “Beauty is the promise of happiness, wrote Stendhal... And we couldn't agree more!”
What more is there to say? Except that this Norman property is for sale with BARNES Deauville ?
Barnes Deauville, 5, rue Hoche, 14800 Deauville - tél. : +33 (0)2 31 81 28 29
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