Manoir de Mathan
Encyclopedia
The Manoir de Mathan is a manor house
located in the town of Crépon
in the Calvados
region of France.
The original structure was built in 1605, when it included a coach entry, which has since been removed. At that time, the manor belonged to the Hue de Mathan family after whom it was named. As well as the main house, there was a cellar
, kitchen garden
, and a bread oven
in a separate outbuilding. A pond fed by a stream that flowed through the grounds completed the ensemble.
The building’s most notable characteristics are its grand stone staircase
, and the triangular pediment
s above the doors and the entryway.
A century after it was built, the west end of the building was extended to twice its original size; later a barn
, storage building, and stables were added, arranged around a square courtyard
. This is the current configuration of the manor. The building was raised slightly and a new entryway was constructed. An old-fashioned water pump
has been preserved in the middle of the courtyard.
The Manoir de Mathan has been noted in the general inventory of the cultural patrimony of Low Normandy
.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
located in the town of Crépon
Crépon
Crépon is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Architecture:Historic architecture :* Parish church, Saint-Médard-et-Saint-Gildard, 12th-14th century...
in the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
region of France.
The original structure was built in 1605, when it included a coach entry, which has since been removed. At that time, the manor belonged to the Hue de Mathan family after whom it was named. As well as the main house, there was a cellar
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
, kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
, and a bread oven
Masonry oven
A masonry oven, colloquially known as a brick oven or stone oven, is an oven consisting of a baking chamber made of fireproof brick, concrete, stone, or clay. Though traditionally wood-fired, coal-fired ovens were common in the 19th century, modern masonry ovens are often fired with natural gas or...
in a separate outbuilding. A pond fed by a stream that flowed through the grounds completed the ensemble.
The building’s most notable characteristics are its grand stone staircase
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
, and the triangular pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s above the doors and the entryway.
A century after it was built, the west end of the building was extended to twice its original size; later a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
, storage building, and stables were added, arranged around a square courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
. This is the current configuration of the manor. The building was raised slightly and a new entryway was constructed. An old-fashioned water pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
has been preserved in the middle of the courtyard.
The Manoir de Mathan has been noted in the general inventory of the cultural patrimony of Low Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.