En un regard
Le château en bref
Near Coutances, in the commune of Saussey, Argences Manor is a seigneurial estate dating from the early 17th century, surrounded by moats and enhanced by renowned gardens. It was built for Robert Varin, a tax collector from Caen: the years 1607, 1610 and 1613, carved into the beams, mark the progress of the construction.
Around a dozen buildings are arranged around an enclosed courtyard. The dovecote, built at the same time as the house and made of Coutances diorite, contains no fewer than 844 nesting niches, a sign of the importance of the seigneury. In 1718, Philippe Le Prestre had the interiors refurbished.
The estate then passed to the Le Bas, Le Prestre, Huard, Lebrun and Laisney families; since 2015 it has belonged to Philippe Michaud and Jean Nguyen. Its three hectares of gardens, awarded the Bonpland prize in 1999 and labelled ‘Jardin remarquable’, make it one of the most appreciated sites in the Cotentin today. The manor is partially listed as a monument historique.