The Château
was built more than 200 years ago, by the French ambassador Augustin de
Vernouillet, ancestor of the present owner. The house is a testimony to elegance
and charm with its facades of pinks bricks and tuffeau, the white stone of the
Loire Valley, and the superbly crafted ironwork of the front stairs and balcony.
It is set in a park of over 70 acres, with a "jardin à la française" at the
front of the house sloping gently toward a pond, an Arboretum of approximately
250 rare species of bushes and small trees chosen for their spectacular flowers,
a walled kitchen garden in which the gardener grows flowers that guests are
welcome to pick, a brand new tennis court and, for the children, a very nice
little pony, named Oulala!
Accommodation
The Château is a private family home in excellent condition and decorated
exclusively with fine antiques. Guests will have the exclusive use of the
château.
On the ground floor, the entrance hall opens onto the "salon rouge". It is a
very nice room to relax, with French windows on both sides of the room and a
direct access to the terrace. Small groups of armchairs here and there offer
places to read, listen to music, play the piano or play card-games.
The "grand salon" is a majestic reception room, with wood panelling, XVI century
tapestries from the famous Gobelins manufactory, a marble chimney, a grand
piano, a crystal chandelier, antiques and ancestors portraits. This vast room
(50 square meters) is said to have been built "around" the beautiful Spanish
carpet, which adorns the parquet. Plenty of wood will be provided if the guests
wish to use one of the chimneys of the ground floor. The dining room is very
large and can seat up to twenty-two guests when the table is extended. Its walls
are covered with tapestries and yellow silk damask for a dramatic backdrop to
the antiques and the collection of green and white vases brought back from China
by the owners.
Less grand, but equally useful, guests will find on this floor, adjoining the
formal dining room, a small kitchen with all the amenities. In addition, on the
other side of the house, they will find a brand new large kitchen with all the
amenities one can dream of to cook like a chef (large central island with a
granite countertop, stainless appliances, 6 burner gas hob…). The new kitchen
leads into a redecorated informal dining room-cum-library.
On the ground floor, children also have their own corner with books, games,
teddy bears and even a wooden castle to play in. Additionally in the basement
they will a find a room with a table tennis
All the bedrooms, that sleep 13 people, are situated on the second floor and are
furnished with antiques. There are 4 doubles, 1 twin and 1 triple.
-
The "chambre des dames", recently redecorated with a bright yellow and blue
wallpaper. This bedroom has a large en-suite bathroom (pink Toile de Jouy on the
walls and soft white carpet on the floor).
-
The "chambre des illustres" with a breathtaking view onto the park has an
en-suite new shower room.
-
The "chambre des oiseaux" where many books in French and in English are
available to the avid reader, is decorated with old engravings of birds and
benefit from the morning light.
-
The "chambre bleu" with its exotic bleu birds on the wallpaper has an en-suite
bathroom (toilets are independent).
-
The "chambre des anges", recently redecorated in yellow and green, has two
single beds and since it occupies the exact centre of the château it has the
best view on the "jardin à la française".
-
The "chambre Empire" decorated in the Empire style with a striking antique
wallpaper, has three single beds and a large en-suite bathroom (blue Toile de
Jouy on the walls and soft blue carpet on the floor).
Finally, on the third floor, there is a little chapel with a vaulted ceiling and
an original trompe l’oeil wallpaper. The original servant quarters on the top
floor and the attic are not for rent.
Activities
On the estate you can:
- Play tennis, table tennis or badminton
- Fish in the pond (fishing poles provided)
- Ride a pony or a bicycle
- Practice pétanque (the traditional French boule game)
Near by you can:
- Play golf at Champigné
- Anjou Golf & Country Club
- Visit the exquisite gardens of the Chateau de Craon
For a day trip you can go:
- To the Mont Saint-Michel, a World heritage site.
- Visit the castles along the Loire Valley, UNESCO World Heritage Site:
from the close by Plessis-Bourré to the more distant Chateau de Villandry and
its unique vegetable garden.
- Discover Angers and its fantastic tapestries from the XIVth century in
the medieval castle, its cathedral or its amazing market on Saturday morning.
- Explore Nantes.
- Follow the Loire river and visit its picturesque villages in search of
antiques.
- Enjoy some wine tasting, from Nantes and its Muscadet to less known but
exquisite Coteaux du layon in the south of Angers.
- There are many restaurants to explore and it is impossible to mention
all of them, we can recommend 10 minutes away the Restaurant la Diligence at
Loiré.
- Or along the Loire river, in the very picturesque village of Béhuard,
the most famous island on the Loire river the Restaurant les Tonnelles.
“It is the most beautiful, yet the most comfortable and lived in house you are
ever likely to find, and it contains everything you could ever want or need for
an incredible stay and more!" V. Miller
"We have been to the chateau for three summers. It is a great privilege to stay
in such a magnificent home... Set in the heart of the French countryside, it is
the most peaceful, relaxing and beautiful house - in a grand style. The whole
family had a fabulous time including the children who always had something to
do: playing tennis, table tennis, cycling around the park, looking for red
squirrels, fishing in the pond and going pony trekking in the nearby stable."
I. Ashe-Taylor
