The Manoir de Mathan is a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

located in the town of

Crépon Crépon () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territ ...

in the

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...

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 The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French ) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for grow ...

, and a

bread oven upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool that is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been use ...

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 A stairwell or stair room is a room in a building where a stair is located, and is used to connect walkways between floors so that one can move in height. Collectively, a set of stairs and a stairwell is referred to as a staircase or stairway ...

, and the triangular

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

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 A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

, storage building, and

stables A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

were added, arranged around a square

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

. This is the current configuration of the manor. The building was raised slightly and a new entryway was constructed. An old-fashioned water

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes Slurry, slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of application ...

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 (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

External links

General Inventory of cultural patrimony of Low Normandy
Buildings and structures in Calvados (department) Mathan {{France-struct-stub