There’s so much to do here!
First of all there are the wonderful gardens to explore. Extending for four hectares and encompassing a delightful stretch of the River Aa, there are lawns for entertaining or playing games, with meadows and the tennis court beyond.
You might have been planning to spend your time at the chateau lazing around, chatting and reading. Good luck with that.
If you like to be active on your holidays…
… or you like your children to be active (!) we have a great range of diversions for you.
Coming soon…
Our brand new pool is being built right now and will be finished early in the New Year. At the moment it is a big hole with a concrete base, but we will update you on progress. The picture above is a mock-up of where the pool will be—without the fence that will run round it. The pool will be open from the beginning of May until mid-September.
Bikes
Tennis
Boules
Paddling Pool
Table Football
Table Tennis
Board Games
Snooker
Barbecue
Sunloungers
Music Player
Movies
Badminton
Mini Tennis
Nerf Guns
Piano
Books
Trampoline
Playstation 3
Puzzles
Garden Swing
Scrabble
Parkland
Wild Swimming
Now for the details...
OUTDOOR SPORTS
There are eight bikes, plenty of helmets, and immediately beyond the chateau you can choose a hilly gravel road or a flat path that runs alongside the local railway line.
We have Nerf guns! And protective goggles!
There is a hard tennis court in the grounds and a badminton set for use on the lawn.
We are also delighted to have an organic boules pitch. No, that’s probably not really a thing – but we don’t use weedkiller on our gravel.
The River Aa runs through our garden and this is a great spot for some wild swimming — chilly but life-affirming. Wild swimming seems to have become very fashionable in the last few years and it’s a brilliant way to end a warm summer’s afternoon. For adults with wild swimming experience.
INDOOR GAMES
In the house we have a fantastic games room with table tennis and table football.
Also on the top floor, our trampoline room — just like the one in Downton Abbey.
Downstairs there is an elegant Snooker Room with a 3/4 size table for snooker or pool — or for the purists, billiards.
In the stables we have an indoor mini-tennis court. This isn’t just for kids — and doubles is great fun.
We take jigsaw puzzles seriously and we have a good selection of well-made wooden puzzles. We are great believers in the life-enhancing properties of the puzzle, whether as a calming solo effort or a sociable group activity. If you haven’t done a puzzle for decades, this could be your moment!
RELAXING
Outdoors in the summer the barbecue comes into its own, while the kids can play on the swing or in the paddling pool.
In the house, the library has a home cinema system with a collection of DVDs. Plus, of course, some books!
There is a TV room on the top floor for the kids, complete with a PlayStation 3 and a selection of childrens’ movies on DVD.
We have a good collection of board games including our favourite, Scrabble. We even have the French version of Monopoly — “Allez en Prison: ne passez pas par la case départ, ne touchez pas 200 Euros”!
There is a music player in the kitchen to encourage the washer-uppers.
There is even a piano in the dining room — where else would it be?!
Gather in the glade
“It’s winter” said Dan. “It must be time for a barbeque!”
Before the sensible people in the room had time to stop him, he was drawing up plans. What emerged was the “Fire Basket and Benches” project.
Sometimes the sensible people need to take a back seat. Or even a seat by the fire outdoors, with a toasted marshmallow and a mug of warm cider.
IF ALL THAT ACTIVITY SOUNDS LIKE YOUR SORT OF FUN…
PUT YOU FEET UP AND CALL US!