Sentiers du Patrimoine ®
Cherence
rendre à gauche le chemin du Tertre Saint-Denis puis à gauche le Sentier de la Nourrée. Au croisement, poursuivre en face sur le Sentier du Bois Nourri. Au bout de la route, monter par le chemin à droite jusqu’à la table de lecture du paysage
Prochain point : Lat.49.092107, Long. 1.671
The Priory Farm is directly adjacent to the parish church. It was very likely the site of a former priory belonging to the monks of the Abbey of Le Bec-Hellouin during the Middle Ages. A priory located immediately beside the church is indeed mentioned as early as the 13th century. The present farm comprises a series of buildings arranged around an almost triangular courtyard: a main house, a dovecote, a stable, barns, and a central trough. Some very old elements have been preserved, such as the 16th-century dovecote and a Gothic window that may date back to the 14th century, while other parts, such as one of the barns, could be from the 19th century, as indicated by the1895 inscription.
In 1783, the Duchess of Enville purchased the Priory Farm. Member of the La Rochefoucauld ducal family and chateau owner of La Roche-Guyon, the Duchess of Enville was an enlightened woman of her time, particularly interested in farming. During the French Revolution, the farm was seized and sold as national property. After passing through the hands of the Duke of Rohan-Chabot and various other owners, it was acquired in 1930 by Georges Dethan, who devoted himself to its restoration. His wife, Marie-Thérèse Dethan-Roulet (1870–1940), was a notable painter of landscapes and still lifes. She depicted Chérence in several of her works.
