Jane and Rory
Rory and Jane credit Château DIY as the catalyst for their move. They are thrilled to be part of the community and look forward to seeing their château featured on the show. The filming process has been exciting—aside from the occasional mishap, like when a piece of coving fell on Jane’s head!
Sharon and Tim
Château de la Grillère is located on the outskirts of Saint Germain les Belles, a peaceful commune in the Haute-Vienne region of southwest France. Just 42 km (26 miles) from the city of Limoges and a 40-minute drive from Limoges International Airport, the chateau offers a tranquil escape with convenient access to nearby attractions.
Sarah and Bart
Their decision to embark on the restoration of the Grande Maison was fueled by a blend of eccentricity, audacity, and a belief in their own capabilities, despite the overwhelming amount of work ahead. Drawn by the region’s allure, with its vineyards and culinary delights, they were captivated by the charm of the area, the scenic vistas, and the untapped potential of their new home.
Jon and Carmen
This is no ordinary chateau – its tower was built in about 980 AD to protect the Lot river from marauders. The pirates turned into poachers and took over the tower and in 1450 (ish) added what is referred to as the ‘Pirates’ wing into the ground. Now Jon and Carmen are restoring it to it’s former glory!
Chris and Jolyon
Chris and Jolyon met when they used to work for the Foreign Office in 2008. Since they were kids, they both separately always dreamed of owning a Château, but never thought their dream could become a reality.
Julia and Paul
The Chateau is fortunate enough to still hold some of its original artwork. There is a huge 18th Century Directoire oil canvas on the wall behind the sweeping staircase which would have been incredibly fashionable during the 1790’s. They are looking forward to ensuring the painting is retained and protected to the highest standard.
Debbie, Paul, Aaron, Harriet & Hannah
Château de la Boutiniére, is 5 minutes’ drive from the picturesque village of Saint Pierre de Maillé. The River Gartemps runs through the centre of the village, so you can buy coffee and croissant from the local boulangerie and enjoy it whilst sitting next to the river, overlooking the weir and of the old watermill.
Christina and Sassan
After moving from the States (Christina) and Iran (Sassan) to the UK, it was a longtime dream for the couple to relocate to Europe. After reading a lot of travel novels and taking many trips across the channel, the couple decided that buying a chateau in France would be an amazing opportunity.
Nick and Nicole
Nick is half-French and Nicole is Swedish by origin. One of the reasons for moving is for a lifestyle change. They’re looking forward to moving away from the city and going back to nature. One of the plans they have for the Château is to create amazing experiences for people to reconnect with themselves and go back to their roots.
Philip and Angelina
Having grown up in Cornwall Philip eventually moved to London, working in property, where he met Angelina and they got engaged. After deciding London was no more, they started looking for somewhere to live while trying to find a wedding venue.
Alison and Zion
Château de la Boutiniére, is 5 minutes’ drive from the picturesque village of Saint Pierre de Maillé. The River Gartemps runs through the centre of the village, so you can buy coffee and croissant from the local boulangerie and enjoy it whilst sitting next to the river, overlooking the weir and of the old watermill.
George and Sarah
In 1823 the architect who designed the Château de Brives incorporated many interesting items from his travels around the world into the building. Chic and beautifully furnished with French decorative antiques, it sleeps 16 guests.
Wendy and Marcus
This 19th century château is in the heart of the Natural Regional Park the Caps et Marie d’Opale was built in 1875 by Andre Joseph Courtat to celebrate the birthplace of his wife. It hosts weddings and vow renewals too, and its gardens include a wedding chapel as well as a courtyard bar and barn.
Rebecca and Tim
A magical 18th century petit château split into two roughly identical wings and set in 15 acres of secluded, private parkland and woodland that includes a watermill.
Paul and Donna
Built in 1607 the Château de Saugé by the Rion family this property boasts domed ceilings and grounds that include much older vaulted caves.
Jayne and Steve
The Château de Thuries in March 2018, is a boutique Chambres d’Hotes and events venue.
Located under an hour from both Toulouse and Carcassonne it’s the perfect place to unwind.
Margreeth and Tim
The Château de Lys, or the “Castle of Lillies” is set in the Somme valley. The main house was originally built as a hunting retreat, and the château has grown over time with new each owner. It’s still being added to today.
Abbie, Karen Clive and Ross
Overlooking the medieval town of Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne, Château du Doux, was designed by one of the world’s leading 20th Century architects, Jean-Louis Pascal, who also designed the famous Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.
Sasha and Tim
A beautiful and tranquil boutique hotel with Spa, close to the Canal du Midi in sunny Cathar country. The Château du Puits es Pratx consists of the château itself, various outbuildings where vineyard workers used to live, and as a focal point, a stunning courtyard.
Helen and Matthew
The Chateau la Briance in the Limousin region of southwest France was built in 1740 and had two large turrets added 100 years later. Both have been converted into bedrooms. On the ground floor stands an impressive, wooden 6-metre ornate fireplace that’s at least 200 years old.
Ben and Billie
Situated in the Loire Valley, La Grande Maison is an historic house with part of it dating back to 1745. It’s even included in the area’s Cadastral plan for calculating land tax in the Napoleonic era.
Karen and Paul
This spacious six-bedroom château overlooks the forest of Chinon in the heart of the Loire Valley, the garden of France. It includes separate stables and a coach house, backs onto amazing caves and comes with 10 acres of walled parkland.
Anna and Edward
Originally a castle protected by a moat, this is the biggest château in the Bordeaux area. The vast medieval building gets its name from “The Great Gorce” a type of vegetation which grew in this region of France around the beginning of the 16th century.
Belinda and Lee
This ancient property dates back to the 15th century and was originally built as a castle to protect the local area from marauding bands of brigands. You can still see the original owner’s coat of arms engraved in the dungeon.
Julia
Château Mas de Pradie was built in the mid-1700s, with a large barn that served as a royal relay station for horses. It was also home to an old mill that operated when the lake flooded seasonally into the cave system below.
Ithaca and Alex
This 18th century building in the Hauts-de-France region of France is actually named Château d’Humeroeuille after the town in which it was built. But its owners and locals recognise it by its nickname: Château Flore, or Plant Castle, because its garden is as famous as the building.
Anna and Philipp
This 8th century château is situated on the edge of Honfleur, in the Calvados region of France. It was originally on a site of a fortified medieval building that had been burnt down. The main body was an 18th century hunting lodge, then a wing was added a century later.
