Castle Shopping

Not so long ago we were in France looking for run-down old houses to buy and do up. Then the global financial crisis came into play and we decided to put the idea on the back burner for the time being.

Here are some of the fabulous places we looked at. You know - they are not that expensive for what you get but many of them need a lot of work ...which in reality means a lot of money, unfortunately.

The Chateau St Gaultier was one of our favourites. It is located just off the town square of St Gaultier yet you would think you were well and truly in the country. The outbuildings have been beautifully renovated by an english couple with two young children. The main castle still needs some major work but they have already done some of the big jobs such as a new roof. The castle was the folly of a french architect and some of the architectural details such as ornate ceilings, elaborate stair and turreted roofs are truly gorgeous.

The grounds slope down to the river and there is even a run-down, walled potager (vegetable garden) just waiting for someone to re-instate it to its former glory!

The Chateau at Queaux was an absolute sleeping beauty. We were the first people to visit it for at least 10 years and we had to slash our way in to the grounds through the overgrown garden. Its hard to imagine these were just family holiday houses or hunting lodges as they are so over the top.