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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Ouilly Manor House is a former seigneurial residence located 500 metres east of the town of Ouilly-le-Tesson, in the Calvados department. This site, which belonged to the Ouilly family, was later owned by M. d'Aubigny in 1850. The mansion consists of two houses in square, with an octagonal 15th century tower serving as stairs. Until the 19th century, the whole was surrounded by ditches, and remains of the 14th century, now used as a barn, still remain.

The current mansion, built between the late 15th and 16th centuries, has been transformed into a farm over the centuries. Arcisse de Caumont, in 1850, describes a vaulted room under the main building, supported by a central column, as well as medieval-style windows. Two elements of the mansion are classified as Historical Monuments: the turrets of the entrance building (1927) and a five-span building with foothills (1928).

The origins of the mansion date back to the early 14th century, with an old house now in ruins. The current house, dating from the mid-16th century, bears witness to the architectural transformations suffered by the site. The descriptions of Arcisse de Caumont and the protections under the Historic Monuments underline the heritage importance of this site, mixing defensive, residential and agricultural elements.

The Ouilly mansion illustrates the evolution of seigneurial residences in Normandy, moving from a residential and defensive function to agricultural use. The lost ditches, the vaulted crypt and the medieval windows recall its prestigious past, while the rankings of 1927 and 1928 ensure the preservation of its most remarkable elements.

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