Castle Sillé-le-Guillaume - 7 bedrooms - 460m²

Historic Manor House Listed as a Monument, Set Within an Unspoilt Landscaped Estate

Location and accessibility

Set within a peaceful and unspoilt rural environment, this distinguished historic property lies in the northern part of the Pays de la Loire region, in the department of Mayenne, close to the town of Sillé-le-Guillaume.

The latter provides a full range of everyday amenities as well as a railway station offering regular services to Le Mans, reached in approximately twenty minutes.

The location offers a rare balance between privacy and ease of access.

Le Mans, with its TGV high-speed rail connections, is around 50 kilometres away.

Alençon lies approximately 30 kilometres to the north, while Laval, which benefits from an airport, is less than an hour’s drive.

An access to the motorway network can be reached in about thirty minutes, allowing travel to Paris in roughly two and a half hours.

Two nearby villages offer essential local shops, including a bakery and grocery store, while the broader commercial and service infrastructure of Sillé-le-Guillaume ensures day-to-day convenience without compromising the rural character of the setting.

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A discreet approach and a carefully structured natural setting

The property is approached via a quiet country lane, followed by a private driveway that crosses open pastureland and gently rolling countryside.

This leads to an historic entrance porch, which opens onto a spacious main courtyard forming the heart of the estate.

The manor house is arranged around this courtyard, accompanied by several stone-built outbuildings positioned to the east and west, while an additional annex completes the enclosure.

A secondary access road runs alongside the main residence and serves the outbuildings located to the rear of the property.

Meadows extend on either side of the driveway and continue northwards into an established oak woodland, which then stretches westward.

To the rear of the manor, a landscaped garden overlooks a gently flowing stream.

Beyond this watercourse, two further meadows are accessed via a stone bridge, creating a continuous and harmonious estate layout.

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The manor house – Architectural character

Constructed of stone and rendered rubble masonry, the manor is partially built over ancient cellars.

It rises over four levels, including two attic storeys, and presents a refined architectural composition typical of historic noble residences in the region.

The slate roofs are pitched on two sides and punctuated by sculpted dormer windows that animate the elevations.

Stone-mullioned windows rhythmically punctuate the façades, while a double-flight stone staircase leads to the principal entrance, enhancing the sense of arrival.

At the rear, the main building is complemented by a series of distinctive architectural features: a square tower capped with a pavilion roof, a stair tower, and a round tower topped with a conical “pepper-pot” roof.

A smaller adjoining structure, attached to the eastern side of the square tower, rises over two levels beneath a hipped slate roof.

An independent cellar, accessible from the exterior, is built of small-cut sandstone masonry and is thought to date from the 11th or 12th centuries, attesting to the long history of the site.

The façades and roofs of the manor, along with the low eastern wing, are officially listed as Historic Monuments.

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Interior layout

Ground floor

The main entrance opens directly into a generous reception room combining living and dining areas.

This central space is also accessible via a secondary entrance located within the stair tower, allowing for fluid circulation.

From here, access is provided to a study, a kitchen housed within the square tower, and a corridor with guest facilities leading to the round tower.

The lower level of this tower has been converted into a unique wellness area, comprising a bathroom, sauna, fireplace, and vaulted ceiling.

The kitchen connects to an adjoining service room used as a pantry and boiler room.

Throughout this level, the property retains a wealth of period features, including monumental granite fireplaces, stone window surrounds, and paneled wooden doors fitted with original ironwork, some crowned with carved stone decorations.

Stained glass panels remain in the upper sections of the windows.

Floors are largely laid with terracotta tiles, and ceilings feature exposed timber beams.

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First floor

A stone spiral staircase leads to the first floor, which includes a bedroom and a shower room located within the round tower, complete with a fireplace and separate toilet.

A first-floor sitting room provides access to a second bedroom located in the square tower, followed by a corridor leading to an additional shower room, separate toilet facilities, and a third bedroom.

This level is distinguished by large fireplaces with painted granite surrounds.

One partition wall features a decorated beam adorned with painted cartouches depicting geometric motifs, floral arrangements, and stylised landscapes characteristic of 17th-century ornamentation.

Terracotta floors and exposed beams continue throughout.

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Second floor

The staircase continues to the upper level, where a landing gives access to a bedroom in the round tower, featuring a painted fireplace, historic wood panelling, and a ceiling with radiating timber beams.

A water point adjoins this room.

A separate landing leads to two further bedrooms, a bathroom, independent toilet facilities, and a storage room.

An additional bedroom, located in the square tower, benefits from a substantial stone and brick fireplace.

A series of interconnected attics, totalling approximately 41 sqm, link the upper levels of the main house and both towers.

Exposed roof timbers offer further potential for adaptation, subject to the necessary permissions.

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Outbuildings

Several stone-built outbuildings with slate roofs are arranged around the main courtyard.

To the east, a two-storey former agricultural building offers approximately 240 sqm of floor space.

Stone-paved floors and original feeding racks remain in place, reflecting its historic use.

It is currently arranged as a workshop, with a large upper-level hall.

To the west of the courtyard, a second outbuilding extends over roughly 220 sqm across two levels, including attic space, and is presently used for storage and as a granary.

To the rear of the manor, a large open-sided barn supported by two stone pillars provides approximately 117 sqm of ground surface, with a ridge height of 8.75 metres.

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Grounds and landscape

The estate combines structured gardens, open pastureland, and mature woodland into a cohesive and serene environment.

The access drive, lined with apple trees, leads to a grassed courtyard centred around a mature lime tree.

Surrounding paths are planted with roses, trees, and shrubs of varied species.

Below the manor, a medieval-inspired garden overlooks the stream.

It is arranged into enclosed green “rooms” bordered by hornbeam hedges and enhanced by box and yew topiary.

One section is dedicated to medicinal plants, accompanied by the gentle sound of running water.

The meadows, reached via a stone bridge, extend to the north and south-west of the property.

They are framed by hedgerows and winding watercourses, while the oak woodland borders the land to the north and continues westward, completing this rare and harmonious historic estate.

• Prime location in nature, close to Sillé-le-Guillaume.
• Historic manor fully renovated with preserved original features.
• Landscaped park with medieval garden and picturesque meadows.

Restored 16th-century manor house, listed Historic Monument, 12 hectares of land with a river, woods

Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr

Ref : KP1-13097 - Date : 07/03/2026