Le Bois des Moutiers, 1898 for Guillaume Mallet, © Andrew Barnett

Les Communes, 1909 for Guillaume Mallet, © Andrew Barnett

Background

The Mallets were Protestant bankers who came to Lutyens through knowing Mrs Earle, Lady Emily’s aunt.

Lutyens retained the 19th-century Normandy villa but made many alterations adding a new music room to the west and a staircase and great chimney to the front elevation. The staircase projection has four oriels, like the ones at Roseneath but much longer, and probably derived from both Shaw and Mackmurdo’s at No.25 Cadogan Gardens. Behind this projection the rest of the house runs through as a flat-faced block, with leaded mullion windows under a great tiled roof. This smoothness is soon broken by a great chimney breast which projects forward to form an enclosure to the entrance court.

By contrast the East elevations is an early example of Lutyens’s more extreme Mannerism, comparable to the work of Beresford Pite of exactly this date. A curved chimney, used as a gable end runs up two storeys offering a blank face. Below are two small gabled wings, tile hung, with stone cornices curving down in a semi-circle. Between the gables at ground floor window height is a balcony striped with red tile courses and beneath this a stone cornice with great Michalangelesque voussoirs.

Hussey remarks: ‘In this design whether deriving from Paris or Glasgow occurs one of the rare instances in his work of the influence of nouveau art modernism’. – Roderick Gradidge, Exhibition Catalogue

Lutyens designed 2 other buildings for the Mallet family:  the butterfly-planned Le Maison des Communes, Varengeville (1909); Domaine de Ranguin, Southern France (1912) and a proposed but unbuilt work Clos du Dan (1898).

Getting to the coach pick-up point

We will be travelling by coach, who will pick us up outside the international side of Ashford International (train) Station. The international side can be accessed from the domestic side internally by exiting the tunnel under the platforms at the Platform 1-2 end. On existing the building, left left. The pick-up point is at the end of the building.

Parking: We would advise parking in the Multi-Storey Car Park at Ashford International. This can be pre-booked in advance at https://ashfordintl.co.uk/parking. The pick up point is a 2 minute walk. Buses and taxis are also available at the station and from Park Street, if you are coming from the town centre (fees apply). Ground-level parking is also available on site and is cheaper than the multi-storey, but less secure. Number-plate recognition is in operation and you pay on return for the ground-level car parks (C & D) using kiosks inside the international foyer.

Rail: Southeastern run direct high-speed train services from St Pancras International in Central London to Ashford International (via Stratford & Ebbsfleet). Conventional train services call at Ashford Domestic station from destinations in Sussex, Kent and London. For more information please visit the Southeastern website.

Car 

From the West and London: Leave the M20 at Junction 9 taking the A20 towards Ashford town centre, take the second exit at the Maidestone Roundabout on to the A292 and you will find signposts to Ashford International.

From the East: Leave the M20 at Junction 10 taking the A292 towards Ashford town centre, after approximately half a mile you will find signposts to Ashford International.

Terms & Conditions

EVENTS DISCLAIMER

Neither The Lutyens Trust nor the Leader or Organiser of any event or walk advertised in this Newsletter or any other programme organised by The Lutyens Trust shall be held liable for the death of or injury or damage to the person or property (including theft or loss) of any member of the Trust or any guest or any person occurring during or arising from participation in any of the events advertised in this Newsletter or programme. Members are reminded that they should have adequate personal and travel insurance cover.

CANCELLATION

Refunds for cancellations requested after the 14-day cooling-off period are subject to a £25 administration charge.

Refunds will only be issued for cancellations made no later than 14 days prior to the event start date. It may be possible to make a member substitution if you contact us at least a week in advance of the event.

Transfers to another event cannot generally be made. Any such transfers that are agreed by the Lutyens Trust will be subject to a £25 administration charge.

If the Lutyens Trust cancels the events, we will refund the event fee in full.

If the Lutyens Trust postpones, reschedules or relocates that event, or makes any other material alterations which mean you are no longer able to attend, we will refund the event fee in full.

Le Bois des Moutiers & Maison des Communes (Lutyens in Northern France)

Friday, 15 and Saturday 16 May 2026, (time tbc)

Coach pick up location: Ashford International Station, Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1EZ (International side)

By kind invitation of the owners of Le Bois des Moutiers and Maison des Communes in Varengeville-sur-Mer, Northern France, members are invited to join a tour of of the properties this May.

Details are being finalised this coming week. The price is expected to include midi-coach transport throughout (departing from Ashford International Station); 1 nights stay in close to Varengeville on B&B basis; a welcome dinner; lunch on Saturday and entrance fees. A further property is being explored, to be visited after lunch.

Excludes: wi-fi; travel insurance and gratuities.

Please note that luggage is restricted to 1 cabin bag per person plus handbag and laptop bag.