Château des Fouilloux

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What has been the most surprising aspect of château life that you didn’t expect?

The most surprising aspect of Chateau life is the sheer amount of work required maintaining the land, on top of the renovation of the chateau itself. With so much land requiring new skills, having only ever had a small garden in London, we had to learn fast. We have cut down many trees that had self-seeded in the centre of the Chateau park, blocking the stunning views across the countryside and limiting the use of the park itself. Pollarding the old tree-lined carriage driveway was left to the professionals, however, we managed to remove 50 large pine trees that were in front of the courtyard railings, as they not only hid the chateau, casting shade over the courtyard & chateau but threatened the retaining wall & railings. Ray learned to use the chainsaw and was in charge of cutting, whilst Sophie pulled on the rope to fell them. Ray is now a master at log cutting, which was essential as our only source of heating being a woodburner in the dining room. This has heated us successfully now for several years.

How do you balance modern living with the historic charm of your château?

alancing modern living with being in a 500 year old chateau, abandoned for over 40 years required creating usable family rooms as a priority. The old septic tank had to be replaced, to cope with modern usage; the bedrooms were given a coat of white paint, after a thorough clear & clean up and made comfortable for the family to sleep. The kitchen was a large project, coinciding with re-wiring for modern day usage & equipment plus an essential safety element. We stripped out the old, unusable kitchen and bought solid wood units to fit the space, installed a dual-fuel range cooker and other modern appliances. We also created a sitting room, where the family could be together. We had originally only one usable bathroom on the ground floor but it served us well until installing an additional one on the first floor.

What are the biggest challenges of maintaining a château?

The biggest challenges of maintaining a chateau are to prioritise our needs of living in a large home comfortably, with working in order of necessity first. Clearing rubbish, burning where possible. When we arrived, the chateau was cold, unfriendly, dirty and had been a home for birds, mice & a very large hornet nest in one of the attics. After a major clear out & many trips to the rubbish tip, we focussed on essential repairs and creating a blank canvas. It’s a regular chore finding any access points to the home for rodents and plugging them, fixing any issues as and when they arise and ensuring the building can sustain another 500 years of life. We were also faced with all the internal walls being covered in ‘crepis’, a type of pebble-dash insulation, which we didn’t feel was attractive, so Sophie learned quickly to plaster, which is a mammoth task in itself but so enjoyable when you look at the finished product and we felt was essential for a more attractive finish.

What is your favourite room or space in the château and why?

Our favourite room is the Library Suite. This was a very sad, dark room when we arrived, with a busy swirling carpet, which was also on the back wall; the woodwork was painted in dark green, clashing with the red carpet. The ensuite bathroom walls were covered in a busy burgundy fabric and the ceiling too, the woodwork was a dark burgundy gloss and the tiles were large turquoise 70’s addition. It was cramped and the tiny cast-iron bath was not fit for purpose. We wanted this to be the first guest suite as we didn’t need an additional salon for our modern-day life and it was necessary to create and provide much-needed income. Sophie felt this would be an ideal Library, having already planned to remove the massive bookcase currently located in an upstairs bedroom, to the main feature wall of this room. This took us having to slice it in half and bring down in two sections, before finally putting back together. The finish effect is stunning and provides a fabulous feature in this now titled ‘Library Suite’. The adjoining ensuite bathroom complements it perfectly, having been stripped back, a new tiled floor laid, new equipment and using an old wooden cupboard to house the basin, combined old style with modern needs.

What has been the most rewarding renovation project you’ve undertaken so far?

The most rewarding renovation project was probably in the Tower Suite. It was also our largest project to-date. It was a huge area, divided into two bedrooms & two bathrooms. We didn’t under-estimate the amount of work involved to turn this into a large open bedroom & salon area, with adjoining en-suite bathroom but it was impossible to envisage the sheer volume of rubbish this involved, the dirt & years of hidden grime to strip back to the basic shell of the area. This took 10 months of work, long hours & back-breaking tasks – most new to us, such as plasterboarding a vaulted ceiling, however, to see the final creation gives us so much pleasure.

Have you encountered any unexpected obstacles during your renovations?

The obstacles we’ve encountered during the renovations are firstly, the location of the new septic tank which before was a small manhole in the front courtyard which hid the underground pipework. This had to be updated to a larger system designed to cope with the chateau being fully occupied and not just our family of 4. This needed a lot of planning by the local council, soil studies etc., then the decision of the new location required a large trench to be dug across the front of the chateau, down to a side area of the chateau; a large tank installed deep in the ground with additional pipework leading to the soak-away bed. Digging for this encountered several issues as the location was where one of the original towers resided before it was knocked down, accidentally, and this area was full of a huge amount of foundation stones needing to be removed. This took several months of work and was double the price originally budgeted for. Secondly, when enquiring about the possibility of installing a swimming pool in the Chateau garden, it was revealed our land was designated ‘agricultural’ and therefore, this was not allowed. Our local Mayor was on our side against the government body but a solution was found in a different area of our land, so fingers crossed we will get around to this one day!

What tips do you have for someone considering restoring a historic property?

The main tips for those choosing to renovate an historic property area a) check if the property has any restrictions / historic status on it as this can hugely impact the works you hope to carry out. Also check the restrictions on the land, as this can be restrictive too; b) unlike the UK, structural surveys aren’t really a thing when buying a property and although the full property report will show information such as status of septic tank, signs of any toxic materials present, it will not detail any hidden issues such as the roof structure. We would recommend asking the agent for any contacts known to them and have a quote for any repairs they envisage in this area. Do not be concerned at reports of Lead presence as this is undoubtedly in the paintwork and easily remedied. Always get several quotes for any work as the prices can vary hugely, for example we were quoted by a ‘rogue trader’ for 50k to re-wire the whole chateau, when we eventually paid less than half, from a reputable electrician. Also ensure the tradesmen have a good reputation and are covered by the regulatory bodies for their specific trade. Word of mouth is not always a guarantee. On a happier note, it’s easily to become overwhelmed at the sheer volume of work, however, we work best when taking it in bitesize chunks, sorting priority, comfort and necessity area by area. Most of all – enjoy the process and revel in your achievements, it’s so worth it. You have to be a little bonkers but bonkers can be fun!

How do you source authentic materials and furnishings for your château?

We source our materials, particularly authentic items in-keeping with the age and style of the property and our tastes by several means. Sophie regularly trawls second-hand sites such as Leboncoin and local brocantes. She is a bit of a Magpie and if she spots a bargain, she gets it. We have a room full of bits ‘n’ bobs, ready to go into a future project. Building materials can also be sourced on the second-hand sites but otherwise our local builders merchants are very knowledgeable on which materials work well in an old building.

What is the next big project you’re planning for the château?

The next project for us is to spruce up the front of the chateau. Having already spent a lot of time & work removing the overgrown trees at the front of the courtyard, it is important we clean up the wrought-iron railings and gateway by giving it a new coat of paint. The gravel area needs cleaning up & re-stocking. We also have an additional bedroom to create, on the second floor of the chateau.

How has living in France influenced your daily routine and lifestyle?

Living in France has completely changed our daily routine & lifestyle. The land requires a lot of maintenance during the spring & summer months and a lot of our time is spent outdoors during these periods. The whole family gets to enjoy spending time on the land, if not maintenance & upgrading, we get to go on lovely walks, play outside games and be together so much of the time. With the renovations on the house our life & work, it’s so important we spend as much quality time together. The French lifestyle leans heavily on family time, living well, eating well & spending our free time with family & friends. With France being three times the size of the UK, we have so much more of the country to explore and hope to make time to do this in the future.

What are some of your favourite local traditions or customs that you’ve adopted?

We haven’t really adopted any French traditions other than naturally embracing the lifestyle that France & living in the countryside offers us. We love spending time with new friends, both French & English, embracing the ‘aperitif hour’, coming together to share our news and the progress of our chateau renovations. We love meeting new people and the family enjoy practicing speaking French, wherever possible. The pace of life here is vastly different to that of living in London.

Can you share a typical day in your life at the château?

A typical day at the chateau varies in the seasons. In the winter, the priority is always ensuring there is plenty of wood by the fireplace, being that this has been our only source of heating for so many years. We load up from the log shed and this has to be topped up at the end of the summer season by having removed dead trees and creating the logs which are left to season outside first. In the spring, the grounds wake up and that requires inspection and clearing, where necessary. We also get ready for the next renovation job inside, where we can plaster & paint, knowing it will dry quicker and quite honestly when it is more bearable to work in!

What do you love most about the local community and area?

We love the community we live in. Such a small village but we have got to know the Mayor & his colleagues very well and quickly after moving in. It’s important to reach out to locals and let them know we are happy to be joining them and respecting not only the culture of the area but the history of the home we now own. We have had so much support as people are thrilled to see the chateau being brought back to life, after being left sad & empty for decades.

How do you celebrate holidays and special occasions in France?

We embrace the local traditions & special occasions, even if we’re too busy to join in, we support local events and even incorporate them into our own lives, with maybe a twist.