Chateau De Court

Description

Chateau De Court was built as the family seat for a famous Count and was completed on the eve of the French Revolution. Today's chateau stands on the vestiges of a medieval building dating back to the 11th century and unusually the chateau and the estate, (350 acres) which includes a farm, remained in the same family for generations until it was recently bought and lovingly restored by an American woman from New York.

Since 2005 the entire residence has been extensively renovated marrying the charm and style of France's elegant past with the most modern conveniences and comforts. The chateau is centrally heated and all rooms have en-suite bathrooms. The result is a property with the atmosphere of a welcoming family home which is large enough to host family celebrations, and intimate enough to make everyone feel relaxed and happy. Furthermore, the Chateau is listed on the National Register of Historic Monuments.

The castle is conveniently situated, just a couple of hours west of Paris by car or train and within easy reach of the Normandy coast offering guests an ideal base from which to explore Normandy's rich heritage. Local activities and nearby towns provide cultural and recreational fun. Farther afield, you are only two hours from the D-day Beaches, Mont Saint-Michel, Giverny and the Chateaux of the Loire.

Alternatively, you may just want to relax locally, explore the Chateau's private parklands, sip wine in the Cour D'honneur, or explore the surrounding countryside by bicycle or on foot. The property offers something for everyone who wants to experience the French ‘savoir vivre' and the best of Normandy country life.
The village is just a few minutes away and offers a full range of local services, including a boulangerie which still bakes bread in a traditional wood oven, a local cafe where you can enjoy a coffee or a simple lunch, and a local cider producer. There are regular open-air markets in the village offering you a chance to meet local producers selling fresh, seasonal vegetables and a wide variety of cheeses.

During the ‘Ancien Regime' (pre-revolution) the Chateau and its estate was completely self-sufficient and a wander around the private grounds reveals traces of this rich past. Throughout the grounds guests will find buildings that bear witness to chateau life - the glacie?re which was used for making and keeping ice, the spring house where the chateau laundry was washed, the Orangerie which was built to grow exotic fruit, and an exceptional 17th-century Protestant chapel.

The Chateau can be enjoyed as a self-catered venue or we can organise full-service support for guests who are looking for an increased level of attention during their stay. Additional services, which need to be pre-booked, can include on-site concierge, housekeeping, catering or private chef, and special event management for celebrations such as weddings and family gatherings. We also offer tailor made packages for conferences and meetings. No customer requirement is too big or too small so don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs.
Please note that advertised rates do not include the rental of the Orangerie (see 'Features' , 'Events' and T&Cs' for details).
Good news! For a little extra, this property is available as a Vill'otelYey! Wait… what is that?
It's the perfect combo of the privacy of your own personal villa, with all the luxury and convenience of a hotel. What's included?
Breakfast, cleaning, welcome drinks and hamper, plus more! Check the Extras tab for all the details.


#### Features
Chateau Interior and Outside Grounds

Chateau de Court was designed for easy entertaining of friends and family, with an accent on comfort and elegance. The ground floor is designed ‘enfilade', this means that all the rooms open one onto the other through a series of double doors creating an impression of both space and intimacy at the same time. Whether you are in the petit salon, large salon or the library, with its open fire and fine collection of books, you and your guest will enjoy light filled rooms and the sweeping views across the park and beyond.

The large dining hall, with the original parquet floor is lit by sparkling chandeliers and wall lights and seats 40 guests comfortably. The smaller private dining room is just the place for breakfasts and more intimate dinners for between 10-12 people. The fully equipped kitchen makes the chef's job easy, whether you decide to use an outside caterer or choose to ‘do it yourself'.
No visit to France would be complete without the opportunity of tasting the local produce and so the chateau's kitchen has been equipped to a professional standard which makes catering for large house parties a pleasure for the DIY chef or the professional. In addition to all the small utensils there are electric ovens, induction plates, microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators and a plate warmer. The kitchen has direct access to both the large and the small dining rooms which makes serving easy. The cellar houses extra freezer space and a cold room and is accessed directly from the kitchen too.

At the far end of the west wing we are also able to provide an en-suite ground floor bedroom, in the event of any guests having restricted mobility. Please let us know if you require this facility at the time of booking.

This grand 18th-century country house offers 8 bedrooms all with luxurious en-suite bathrooms. All bedrooms have luxurious en-suite bathrooms, thermostatically controlled heating and picture windows which frame the lovely open views onto the park and farm.

The chateau includes a large dining hall and a smaller private dining room (comfortably seating up to 10), an entrance foyer with magnificent chandelier, a sweeping "escalier d'honneur" with full-size portrait of the Marquis, two elegant and comfortably appointed salons, a charming library with working fireplace, a "fumoir" (18th-century gentleman's den), a Catholic chapel in the main house and a rare 17th-century Protestant temple in the grounds.
The grounds also include an Orangerie, fitted with a handsome stone chimney and French doors, a "glaciere"(an C18th ice house), a spring house once used as a laundry, stables, and an active farm. There are three conference rooms, a business centre, and Wi-Fi throughout the chateau and grounds.
Please note that up to 10 extra guests can be accommodated on request at a supplement. Contact our team for details.

#### Location
The closest train station is called L'Aigle which can be reached directly from Paris. The closest international airport is Paris Charles de Gaulle, which is 160km away.

The local town is just 10mins walk from the chateau and has two boulangeries (one with a wood-fired brick oven), a wine cave (where you can also buy the local calvados and cider for which Normandy is famous), an excellent butcher and charcutier, a mercerie (where the town's hospitable mayor presides over sewing supplies), a pharmacy, a convenience store, a bank and a bar.

On a Sunday, you'll be able to buy locally-produced camembert and foie gras, fresh vegetables and locally-raised meat and poultry. You'll also note the 19th Century church with its stained windows of the saints of France and ornately carved altars. On hallowed ground outside the church is the obligatory war monument to the France's lost generation of . Outside the mairie is artillery from the Battle of Normandy of 1945.

A 15-minute drive away is the charming cathedral town of Sees, one of the oldest diocese in France. The twin towers of its 13th-century gothic cathedral, lit from within at night, are a luminous beacon for miles around. Today, Sees is a bustling small town with a lively Saturday market.

Bayeux: This lovely town combines the roots of Norman history with proximity to the D-Day beaches of World War II. The Bayeux Museum displays one of oldest and certainly most famous embroidered “tapestries” (it is actually a cloth, not a woven tapestry) in the world. The 11th-century tapestry depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and is said to have been embroidered by William the Conqueror's Anglo-Saxon queen, Mathilda. The soaring cathedral, dating from the same epoch, was built by William's half-brother, Bishop Odo.

Numerous D-day beaches, museums and memorial sights are located along the Normandy coast, about 100km to the north of the chateau.

Not just for history enthusiasts, people also visit the seaside and coastal towns of Normandy for the sandy beaches and excellent seafood. You will find the best oysters in Courseulles!

Mont St Michel: Monastery and fortress, Mont Saint Michel rises from the sea just off the coast of Normandy: “like a fantastical manor, like a palace in a dream, eerily strange and beautiful” wrote Guy de Maupassant. You can walk to Saint-Michel at low tide. The abbey was founded in 708, one of the first sites consecrated to the Archangel Michael. The abbey is a textbook example of medieval architecture and its gardens, where the intrepid monks cultivated vegetables for their austere meals, are magnificent. You'll eat richer fare in one of the harbor town's many restaurants. Be sure to visit the boutique of Mere Poulard, known to generations of French schoolchildren for her buttery cookies.

Paris: The ultimate day trip from the Chateau is, of course, Paris. Only 1.5 hours on the train you can spend the day in Paris exploring the fast-paced City of Light and return back to the quiet French countryside for a locally prepared dinner and restful night's sleep.