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Origin and history

The Coquerie Manor House, located in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (former commune of Querqueville, Manche), is a fortified house whose origins probably date back to the 15th century, but which was thoroughly redesigned in the 17th century. It is distinguished by its hybrid architecture, mixing defensive elements (cylindrical, murderous tower) and Renaissance characteristics (carrier in the middle of the hanger, door windows). The site, mentioned on the map of Cassini, organizes around a rectangular closed courtyard, framed by buildings in shale, sandstone and limestone, typical of local materials. His name could come from Robert III the Rooster, quoted in 1502 as the first owner, although traces of an earlier building, destroyed during an English landing in 1522 in Landemer, suggest an older occupation.

The manable house, the heart of the house, has an exterior staircase leading to a Renaissance door surmounted by a triangular pediment flanked by Tuscan pilasters. The sled windows, some of them with straight sills, and the Louis XIII-style fireplaces (early 17th century) show successive changes. Two older chimneys, dating from the 15th century, also remain. The chapel, adjacent to the wall of enclosure, features a Renaissance door framed with Corinthian pilasters and a pointed bell tower, while the commons, with their triple arcade charter, illustrate the adaptation of the manor to agricultural and community uses.

The manor house has been partially listed as historical monuments since 1973, covering facades, roofs, entrance porch and four chimneys. His history is linked to the fief of Querqueville: at the beginning of the seventeenth century, David Le Chibellier, Sieur de la Cocquerie, was probably the owner. The ensemble, though transformed, retains defensive elements (pillars, deconstructed tower) recalling its initial protective role. Today owned by the city, it serves partially as a meeting room, while preserving heritage elements such as an outdoor well and original paving.

Historical sources, including Françoise Lamotte's work (1980), suggest that the mansion depended on Querqueville Castle. Its strategic location, 600 metres from Notre-Dame Church and 300 metres from Château Mairie, reinforces its importance in the local historical landscape. The materials (stone, shale, limestone) and construction techniques reflect regional resources and know-how, while the successive changes illustrate the evolution of needs, from fortification to seigneurial residence, to mixed use (agricultural and administrative).

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