Bois des Moutiers

Bois des Moutiers is the name of a manor house with large garden in Varengeville- sur -Mer, Haute -Normandie, on the French Atlantic coast. House and garden was created around 1900 by architect Edwin Lutyens and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and are famous for their holdings of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolia. Bois des Moutiers is since 1975 as a monument historique a historical monument and is open to the public. Newer reportedly it should however be on sale.

History

The land was purchased in 1897 by the ancient Protestant banking family originating Guillaume Mallet ( 1860-1946 ) and transformed into nearly 40 years of work. In 1898 he commissioned the young Edwin Lutyens with the conversion and enlargement of originating from the mid-19th century house and the already famous Gertrude Jekyll with the garden design. The Arts and Crafts style, with its emphasis on simplicity and material authenticity coined the conversion.

The park consists of seven sub- gardens ( chambres rouges - " green rooms "). Guillaume Mallet and his wife Marie- Adélaïde Grunelius were followers of Theosophy, and therefore placed particular emphasis on a harmonious design inside and out.

The couple Mallet died in 1946. House and garden had suffered severe damage during the German occupation, which were eliminated by the heirs, if possible. In 1970 the house was opened to the public and has since been visited by over 2 million people. In 1999 there were 52,000 paying visitors in 2010 but only 25,000. This trend of decreasing numbers of visitors and consequent deficits of the current financial management as well as the fragmentation of estates among heirs currently 11 but have stimulated media reports about a planned sale of Les Moutiers. The value of the land is recognized officially with about 5.8 million euros.