Situated in the tightly-held Paquine valley, our historic longère is the house that David Hockney missed.
The History
No one knows the exact age of the house but it is thought to date to the early 1800s & that it was an outhouse for the workers at the local chateau (Ouilly du Houley).
We purchased the house six years ago from a Parisienne who had been the owner for 25 years. Before Madame, the owner was an English gent who lived here for a similarly long period of time. How times change.
We settled in a year before Covid struck. We will never forget arriving just as lock-down began. This house made our pandemic a time to savour (we were very fortunate in this regard). It was a special time to be able to watch the seasons come & go, & the changing face of the garden & trees.
Why we are selling?
We bought the house when we were living in the centre of Amsterdam.
The peace & nature of the Calvados countryside was the perfect panacea to the noise, tourism and concrete of Amsterdam. These days we live on a houseboat outside of Haarlem, and in nature, so our pressing need for a bolt-hole in France has eased. Also, our work is keeping us increasingly anchored in the Netherlands. We are not saying ‘never again’, but we are now absent more than present & this does not do the house justice.
We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the stunning countryside of the Pays d’Auge in Normandie. But our beautiful Calvados ‘residence secondaire’ deserves a new family to enjoy it & love it as we have.
About La Paquine
The house is now fully-renovated & features 3/4 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms (one up/ one down). The house comes with 3 acres of protected conservation land, a mix of pasture and rambling garden (& chook house).
Our house occupies a very private position with established trees and garden.
The house & land is surrounded on all sides by fields of pasture and cows. We are one paddock uphill from the small, pristine Paquine river.
We have recently added a fully-insulated, triple car, barn/ garage which (upon Marie approval) provides gite potential in the future.
The sensitive renovation sees the house retain its ‘shabby chic’ French rustique character.
The house will suit those wishing to be immersed in nature, while near villages/ cities.
Layout
On the ground floor the house features a renovated country kitchen with induction cooktop/oven & dishwasher, the living room with a wood burner & a full bathroom (with bath) with a huge new panoramic window to the adjacent fields.
Because of the long, open-plan layout of the ground floor, we have used the far end as our bedroom.
.
Upstairs there are a further 2-3 bedrooms and a second full bathroom with shower over the bath.
The original upstairs master bedroom (with a new skylight) has direct outside access via the external staircase. The small, half-timbered garage houses the laundry (washer/ dryer).
Need to Know
Thee house has central gas heating (underground cistern) & a wood burner. Hot water is via the gas boiler (relatively new). There is new plumbing, electrics and a new fosse septique. We have also replaced the original cottage windows with the same, only these are double-glazed. High speed, underground wifi from Orange is connected (although fibre is now also available).
The Trees & Garden
The house is surrounded by stunning nature featuring 100+ year old oaks, weeping linden tree, cherry blossoms and a cathedral of european beech trees out the back. There is also all manner of fruit & nut trees (apple, cherry, walnut, hazelnut), along with beautiful shrubs (the fragrant mock orange), roses & wild berries in summer.
Privacy
With no neighbours in eye-sight, the property offers utmost privacy yet the opportunity to be part of the dual communities of Ouilly du Houley and Marolles.
The Neighbourhood
The organic ciderie of Ouilly du Houley is up the road, and the local Chèvre de Noemie farm is around the corner. The gastro ‘Restaurant La Paquine’ is 1km away. For shops & services, there are the villages of Moyaux, Thiberville, the town of Cormeilles and the city of Lisieux.
Location
The house is:
4km – the historic village of Moyaux
6km – Thiberville
12km – Lisieux (with direct rail link to Saint-Lazare Paris)
35km – Deauville
50km – the Cabourg Ferry terminal
165km – the centre of Paris
Getting Out?
If you are seeking a French bolt-hole in this increasingly crazy & hectic world look no further.
If would like to know more or arrange a virtual or in-person visit, please email us on: lapaquineheaven@gmail.com
Come & discover amazing Calvados.
Price €365,000 neg (inc agent’s fee).
Cette maison est une véritable œuvre d’art architecturale, où le design épuré et la présence de superbes éléments typographiques se marient à merveille avec la beauté du paysage naturel. Les matériaux organiques, les grandes baies vitrées et l’attention portée à chaque détail créent une atmosphère harmonieuse et inspirante. J’ai été impressionné(e) par la façon dont la maison semble faire corps avec la nature environnante, offrant un espace aussi paisible qu’unique. La touche artistique apportée par les textes soignés et la lumière naturelle rendent l’ensemble particulièrement remarquable.
CONTACT
If you are looking for an authentic Calvados longère which has been sensitively renovated, then look now more. We love our house & are so sad to sell. We hope a new family will love it as we have.
Email us on:
if you wish to know more / organise a visit.