Tucked away on a hillside overlooking the sweeping Dropt Valley lies Le Jardin Du Château, a listed monument which has been lovingly restored by British owner Oliver Price. He has successfully blended the finest features of its long history with all the elements you’d expect in a chic modern hideaway.
While the exterior remains classically French, with shutters to throw open in the morning, the interior has stripped-back wooden flooring, sleek design-led furniture and neutral tones. At the top of its 800-year-old tower sits the highest of the property’s six bedrooms offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside in Lot-et-Garonne, south-west France.
The chateau’s gardens once supplied fruit to the dukes and duchesses of Duras, who held court in the 13th century castle, which looms large over the grounds. These days the balance of power has shifted, at least to the extent that you can control the castle illuminations via a mobile app, spelling hours of fun for younger guests as they compete with neighbours for command of the light show.
While its centuries-long story is central to the chateau’s appeal, it is still a wonderfully luxurious place to relax. On hotter days you can just base yourself around the pool, then move from the gazebo to the outdoor dining area for a family barbecue. Its stone walls help the interior stay cool, even in the expansive open plan kitchen, which has more than enough room to entertain any number of friends. In the evenings, we climbed the spiral staircase and enjoyed a glass of local Côtes de Duras wine while watching the sunset from the sofas in the upper garden.
From there a short path leads to the little town of Duras with its narrow lanes, boulangeries and small shops. Guests at Le Jardin Du Château have the option of booking a private chef and we were lucky enough to be looked after by Yann Florio, a former Masterchef: The Professionals finalist. I met Florio at the town’s thriving market for his guided tour of the stalls and he explained how he was selecting the ingredients for that evening’s meal. The chef, who was born in Lorraine but is now based in Hackney Wick, tossed me a peak season Charentais melon from a local farm as he wound his way around the cobbled streets. His mission was to source our dinner entirely from the market and nearby farms. These included courgettes he saw being harvested on his way to the market that he used in a tartare for grilled mackerel, with a confit of violet garlic and preserved lemon.
This is all part of the service when you book with Oliver’s Travels, who specialise in high-end villa holidays across Europe. Le Jardin Du Château lives up to that billing with everything you’d expect from a luxury escape. It is also the perfect place from which to explore the epic scenery of the neighbouring Dordogne region and just a 40-minute drive from medieval Bergerac.
We visited in the summer — and it made the ideal getaway, but it would also make a wonderful trip all year round. It is less than an hour’s drive from some of Bordeaux’s most famous vineyards and across October will host new wine and food weekends. Wine expert Nicolle Croft will take guests to Saint-Émilion before giving a masterclass on food and wine pairing for dinner. As well as the more well-known wineries, she will guide guests through the small independent producers of Bordeaux so you can stock up without needing to remortgage.
So whether it’s wine tours or simply the battle to control the castle, we found that Le Jardin Du Chateau is a holiday for the ages.
Book it: Weekly October half term and Spring rates start from £3,638 for 12 guests. Summer rates start from £5,745. oliverstravels.com. 0333 888 0205
easyJet flies from London Gatwick and Luton to Bordeaux with fares starting from £17.99 per person one way.
