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Origin and history

The Coutainville Manor House is a former fort house built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries on the territory of Agon-Coutainville, in the department of the English Channel. Built in granite, this fortified house originally belonged to Jehan de Costentin, Sieur de Tourville and the quarter of camp of the Ile-de-France regiment. Its architecture reflects the characteristics of the fortified rural houses of this time, adapted to the defensive and residential needs of the local lords.

In 1610, a conflict between Charles Buret, Sieur d'Agon, and Jean de Costentin concerning a disputed right over Coutainville's fief. Charles Buret's widow, Charlotte Goueslard, obtained in 1625 permission to lift the fief. Later, in 1743, Jean-Baptiste-César de Costentin, Count of Vauville, made confession for the same fief, confirming his belonging to the Costentin lineage. These archives illustrate the estate and feudal stakes associated with this mansion over centuries.

The site preserves a dovecote transformed into a dwelling, built after 1610, as evidenced by the documents of the time mentioning its absence during the litigation of that year. The manor house, which has been listed as a historic monument since 1937, has been converted into guest rooms, combining heritage and contemporary use. Its location on a height of the "Old Coutainville", near the church of Saint-Évroult, highlights its historical importance in the local landscape.

The materials and structure of the mansion, typical of Norman seigneurial constructions, reveal a desire for durability and prestige. Granite, the dominant stone, was commonly used in the region for its resistance. The inscription in the title of historical monuments in 1937 preserved this architectural testimony of the 15th and 16th centuries, while adapting it to modern uses such as tourist accommodation.

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