From the street, nothing gives it away. That is perhaps the first thing to understand about this property: its absolute reticence, the high stone walls turned to the world, and then — once you step through the gate — the quiet revelation of an entirely different world. Bayeux, one of the few Norman cities to have come through the war unscathed, has preserved its grand townhouses like well-kept secrets. This one is among the most coveted.

The mansion sits at the heart of the historic center, steps from the main street, the shops, and everything the city has to offer — all within easy walking distance. Yet once the gate closes behind you, the city recedes. The mature trees absorb the noise, the walls draw the horizon close, and time seems to ease its pace.

Built in the early nineteenth century, the house extends across approximately 4,850 square feet of living space spread over three floors, with a full basement of vaulted cellars below. You enter through a vestibule whose proportions set the tone immediately — that particular moment when you sense the house is going to deliver on its promise. The three formal reception rooms — drawing room, study, and dining room — flow into one another for a combined 750 square feet, facing south and west onto the grounds, filled with light throughout the day. The kitchen adjoins the dining room and opens onto an enclosed courtyard under a glass roof. A second dining room of nearly 400 square feet stands ready for larger gatherings.

The first floor is reached either by elevator or by a staircase lit from above by an octagonal skylight — an architectural flourish that speaks to the original builder's ambitions. A 260-square-foot gallery leads to three generous bedrooms. The master, a corner room with four windows, has an en-suite bathroom and offers something few houses in Bayeux can promise: an unobstructed view over the property's own wooded grounds. The two other bedrooms on this floor each have private bathrooms or facilities, with provision for an additional one.

The second floor holds five more bedrooms along with a full bathroom. Taken together, the house offers a remarkable range of possibilities: primary family residence, multi-generational home, or a bed-and-breakfast of real character.

Throughout, the house has held on to its period details without over-restoration or anachronism: herringbone oak parquet, painted woodwork, stone fireplaces, plaster moldings. The proportions have been left alone. Central gas heating — newly installed boiler — provides every modern comfort without disturbing the atmosphere.

The property also includes a caretaker's cottage of roughly 750 square feet, two large garages, and the wooded grounds that give the whole estate its sense of depth and permanence. Walled on all sides, it forms a self-contained world — improbable, really, in the middle of a city. There are very few addresses like it left in Bayeux.

3D virtual tour available on request. Please ask us.

--- The price of this property is €1,890,000. The real estate agent's commission, in the amount of €90,000, is payable by the buyer. Price excluding the real estate agent's commission: €1,800,000. Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website www.georisques.gouv.fr. For reasons of discretion, the location of the property is given approximately. The information given in this description is based on our visit to the property and on information obtained from the current owner. The surface areas and dates of construction, in particular, are given for information only. They have no contractual value and we cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies or omissions. Photographs may be modified