Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former mansion of the Val-Richer Abbey, called Ferme de Foudenpant, is a Cistercian barn located in Espins (Calvados), on the edge of the Cinglais forest. Dating from the 14th–XVIth centuries, it includes a 14th-century tithe barn and a 16th-century prioral house, remodeled in the 19th century. This site, registered with the Historical Monuments since 1995, illustrates Norman agricultural religious architecture, with square pillars typical of the West Cistercian school.

Originally, the estate was given in 1149 by Robert Tesson, lord of Harcourt, to the monks of Souleuvre (Carville), before being assigned to the abbey of Val-Richer in 1167. The barn, built in shale, was used to collect tithes (taxes in kind). The house, rebuilt in the 16th century, houses a classified armored fireplace. Transformed into a rural gite, the site retains its historical character while adapting to contemporary use.

The tithe barn (26 m wide) is a remarkable example of the Cistercian influence in Normandy, comparable to the Grange de Vaulerent. Its inscription in 1995 concerns the barn and fireplace of the house, testimonies of architectural changes over five centuries. The sources also mention its role in the medieval clearings of the region, linked to the agricultural expansion of the abbeys.

Today, the site combines heritage and tourism: open to the public since 2013 (source Ouest-France), it offers visits and accommodation. Its precise location (2 Rue de la Grange aux Dimes) and its code Insee 14248 (Espins, Calvados) make it a landmark for the study of Norman monastic architecture.

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