Château de Purnon is a place of grandeur, intrigue and challenges. But perhaps this will prove our greatest challenge.

Our attention has returned to the transformation of an 18th century maid’s room to the Château’s future Tisanerie, or tearoom.

Part of Château de Purnon’s beauty lies in her neoclassical design. The harmony and symmetry lies not just in the château itself but in the layout of it’s central courtyard flanked by two enormous outbuildings. But their purpose is not aesthetic!

Purnon’s pool was a horror show! But over that first hot summer we craved a place that we could escape to. So this year we decided the time had come to reawaken this sanctuary.

There is perhaps no more fitting example of the painstaking work being done by our stonemasons than the transformation of Purnon’s Dry Moat.

For almost two and a half centuries, they stood watch. Silent guardians. They saw Purnon at its most beautiful and in decline. Until, they too, became part of that decline. This week a new generation of lions begin their vigil on the Château bridge.

We completely transform a manky château bathroom into a luxury laundry.

In this episode we answer the questions we most frequently get asked

After more than six years, it is almost impossible to believe that there are new discoveries for us to uncover here at Château de Purnon. And yet, this week, we made one of our most extraordinary and historically significant discoveries!

Six years ago we discovered Château de Purnon and started an incredible journey to save her. Here’s a look over the last six years of restoration work.

Join us on the bridge as we take a candid look at everything that’s happening here at Château de Purnon.

It was once said that “no one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it”.

Restoring Château de Purnon is the culmination of tens of thousands of tasks. A reminder that an orchestra’s strength lies not in its loudest instrument but in the harmony of them all.

Our most frequent question:  What are our plans for Château de Purnon?

As the last days of spring draw to a close, we are surrounded by activity at Château de Purnon. Restored windows are carefully reinstalled, flooding some of our favorite rooms with sunlight after months of darkness. Our stonemasons work on the pavers on the northern terrace. While a local farmer lends a hand to cut our prairies and bale the hay.

This week, after years of preparatory work, the moment arrives when we can finally hang the first wallpapers in the Château tisanerie.

This is the story of our most incredible discovery. And so often, the greatest stories start in the most unexpected ways …

This week we tackle a room together… it didn’t look like much when we first arrived at but can we transform it into something that will make life a lot easier.

With our extraordinary artisans progressing work on the Château terrace and lions, we discover that small rooms can lead to big challenges.

This week we a journey to share the first part of the remarkable reawakening of Purnon’s majestic lions.

This week we share the months of painstaking work that has seen the Château’s front terrace restored.

For almost half a decade, Château de Purnon has been encased in scaffolding. This week after years of challenges, set backs and triumphs, the long awaited moment has finally arrived … our artisans can remove the final pieces of scaffolding!

This week watch as we continue the journey of restoring a long forgotten space – honouring its original spirit whilst creating a space to protect the Château’s extraordinary archives.

Seeing Château de Purnon for the first time you might be struck by the majestic slate roof visible for miles around. Or the harmony and symmetry of the chateau flanked by its two immense outbuildings – a perfect example of the splendour of neoclassical architecture.
Or perhaps it is the breathtaking view of the Grande Allee that extends for kilometers through the forest – eventually swallowed by the horizon.

This week our stone masons add the final touches to perfect the Château’s sublime 18th century facades, while we prepare Purnon for the 21st century.

When we arrived at Château de Purnon the leaking and failing roof was on the verge of being lost forever, along with the Château that it protected.
This week we celebrate the moment we have all been waiting for – the final slate shingle – one of 47,000 is nailed into place!

Purnon’s dry moat often sparks curiosity.
Why did the architect surround the chateau on three sides with a moat?
Was it intended to have water in it?
Was it an elaborate security measure or did it serve some other purpose?

It has been said that raindrops are like little kisses from the sky. If this is true, then Château de Purnon has been showered with love this week.

A question we are asked often: When will the restoration finally be finished? The answer often surprises people. We do not know. Perhaps not in our lifetime. Each small step, no matter how small in this enormous project, slowly brings us closer.

This week we share the meticulous planning process required to undertake a restoration project on the scale required to save Château de Purnon. Careful planning and preparation are essential to protect the château’s heritage elements while making it functional for modern living.

It’s the room that’s been nearly three years in the making and we are so excited to share it with you!

What is Château de Purnon and what is it to become? Is it a museum – locked in it’s 18th century time capsule? Is it just a shell – stripped inside by each generation trying to create contemporary living spaces?

It’s a new year and what does it have in store for us and the Château?

Our journey saving Château de Purnon sometimes feels like a roller coaster – moments of triumph mixed with moments of despair. As the year draws to a close we have a week with highs and lows.

It has been said that a room without books is like a body without a soul. This week we take you on a journey to create the soul of Château de Purnon.

With winter on the way we take some huge steps forward in the château restoration to make life a little more comfortable.

When we purchased Château de Purnon over 5 years ago we knew our journey to save the château was going to be long and hard. But some weeks so much happens that we can barely keep up!

This week our 18th century doors open for the first time after their restoration, the château roof experiences its first ever dusting of snow and we continue our work to protect the domain.

This week, as we mark November 11 and reflect on the tragedy of war, we travel to a corner of France in search of a cross that marks the final resting place of a servant who worked at Château de Purnon and fell for France during the First World War.

How much did the château cost? How much are the restorations costing? What have we spent so far? What are our future plans? All your answers are here!

With projects both outside and inside the château sometimes its a challenge to keep track of each element of this huge restoration and of course, there’s always unexpected surprises – some more unpleasant than others!

This week things get much worse before they can get better and we answer the question on everyone’s lips!

For two and half centuries Château de Purnon’s sublime bridge has been guarded by two lions. Carved in stone, facing outwards, protectors of the domain. Since arriving at the château over 5 years ago, one question has lingered in our minds … what will become of Purnon’s majestic protectors?

There’s one thing that’s been on our minds since arriving at Château de Purnon over five years ago. It’s the thing that keeps us up at night and wears on our conscious. Can we do enough to calm our fears and protect the château?

This week we open the Château de Purnon for Les Journees du patrimoine and break a record!

This week we prepare to open Chateau de Purnon for Les Journees du patrimoine, the European heritage days.

Château de Purnon’s bridge makes a bold statement at the back of the château. Crumbling and decaying from centuries of weathering when we arrived the bridge is now being returned to its former splendor.

Hints of the Second World War lie around us at Château de Purnon. In this episode discoveries of war diaries, letters and photos lead us on a journey to understand what happened to the château and the lives of those living here during France’s darkest hours.

Damaged extensively by the leaking roof and further disrupted during the roof and facade restoration, this week we were finally able to start the huge clean up of the second floor.

Five years ago we discovered Château de Purnon and from the moment we laid eyes on her, we knew we had found the challenge we had been looking for. Join us as we look back on the highs and lows of the last five years.

Last week Tim shared his 10 favorite discoveries and this week join Flick as she takes you on a tour around the château to share her 10 favorite discoveries.

It’s the discoveries which are helping bring life back to the château whilst giving us an understanding of the domain’s past.

Slate by slate … stone by stone … room by room the reawaking of Château de Purnon advances.

We’ve been planing this historic moment for years!

This week we take you on a tour of the château, inside and out, to take stock on all our existing restoration projects and take a look at what’s to come in the next 12 months.

For five years it’s been our dream to marry in Purnon’s sublime chapel. Last weekend, surround by family and friends, our dream became reality.

This week the restoration of the bridge reaches a milestone, ancient techniques are used to finish the base of the château and we put the finishing touches on a lovely powder and dressing room … just in time for the arrival of a special guest!

This week we start preparing the château chapel for the most important day of our lives.

This week there is more progress on the bridge, in the park & gardens and we take some time to tend to our bees.

What a week it’s been! The much anticipated restoration of the bridge has commenced and after years of restoration work the canopy protecting the roof of the western wing has been removed!

This week we share an historic first for the château!

It’s the tour you’ve been asking us for! Exclusive access to Château de Purnon’s 18th century kitchen and basement.

It’s been a hugely exciting week at Château de Purnon this week as the first phase of the moat restoration reaches completion!

Why are we doing this? It’s a question we get asked all the time! We want to save something of rare beauty that was at risk of being lost forever. But we also want to show that with patience and planning, protecting heritage can be consistent with contemporary living.

As our wedding date approaches, we find ourselves in a whirlwind of activity surrounded by the excitement of seeing whether its possible to get everything ready for our special celebration.

This week: Our roofers put the cherry on top of Chateau de Purnon’s majestic roof. Our stonemasons continue to transform the chateau’s southern façade. We hit the road to learn more about how to manage Purnon’s huge lawns.And we continue to race to prepare more of the estate for our upcoming wedding.

In this episode the race to finish rooms in time for our upcoming wedding continues whilst our adventure to save Château de Purnon takes us to the United States to share our book, Château Reawakening, and we race home to steal a moment to celebrate Mademoiselle Truffe’s birthday!

This week our roofers make incredible progress and we get a step closer to being water tight, more of the château’s original 18th century shutters return after two years of restoration work and we head to Paris to finalise some vital wedding arrangements.

In this episode the race to finish rooms in time for our upcoming wedding continues whilst our adventure to save Château de Purnon takes us to the United States to share our book, Château Reawakening, and we race home to steal a moment to celebrate Mademoiselle Truffe’s birthday!

With the seasons shaping our days and our work, each week brings challenges and surprises. But from sunrise until sunset we are held captive by this magical place – with its breathtaking views, it’s incredible light and it’s timelessness.

This is a week at our home, Château de Purnon.

The château’s long abandoned chai (wine barrel room) and pressoir (wine making room) were both crammed with an aladdin’s cave of regalia discarded over more than a century. We even came across an elegant, abandoned 19th century horse-drawn carriage.

Each week we marvel at the incredible skills of our artisans. But we also ask ourselves, how on earth did the artisans of the 18th century construct chateaux and cathedrals of such beauty without modern technology. So this week with our architect Frederic DIDIER we explore exactly how Château de Purnon was constructed at the end of the 18th century.

It was once said that to achieve great things, two things are needed – a plan and not quite enough time.

After 5 years of planning and work the château finally has its very first shower!

The transformation of a long forgotten room in the château has been a satisfying process. We share with you the transformation from start to finish.

We take you on a comprehensive tour of all our restoration projects both inside and outside the château and share a secret that has created a deadline!

It’s time to slow down a little, prepare the château for Christmas plus we take the time to celebrate an incredible year with our artisans.

It’s been a huge year here at Château de Purnon! Today we take a look back on the last 12 months.

Each day, as Château de Purnon returns to her original splendour, we watch spellbound as our artisans weave their magic.

This week we take you behind the scenes to share how we are managing what has become one of France’s largest private château restoration projects

The secret lives of Chateau de Purnon’s maids and servants. We explore the château’s hidden levels and the secret staircases that accessed them.

Join us for an emotional and heartfelt journey back to the château.

This week our quest to save Château de Purnon see our artisans make awe inspiring progress with an eerie but breathtaking backdrop.

The time has come to do some serious work restoring the château’s moat walls as we take the time to solve some of the moat’s mysteries.

This week we watch in awe at the skills of the artisans restoring Purnon’s rare oak frame.

This week the final section of the château roof is disappearing before our eyes and we progresses one of our first floor projects.

This week join us as the château is buzzing with the signs of restoration progress everywhere!

This week join us as our stonemasons start to place the final stones on the eastern wing plus the restoration of one of chateau’s entrances uncovers another of Château de Purnon’s ingenious design features.

This week, join us for Les Journées du Patrimoine as we welcome visitors to see, taste, smell hear & touch as this wonderful domain comes back to life.

This week come with us as we prepare for les Journees du patrimoine – the weekend each year when we open her majestic gates and invite visitors to experience this place alive – not just to see… but to taste, …to smell, …to hear… and to touch – heritage that belongs to us all.

This week at Château de Purnon we get to work laying the foundations for a series of projects that will occupy us over the coming months.

4 years ago we risked everything to try and save the remarkable Château de Purnon.

Part of Château de Purnon’s allure lies in her elusive mysteries. The answers hidden over the centuries but the clues lying all around us.

Our architect once said to us … all the keys are here …we just need to find them!

One of these mysteries lies under Chateau de Purnon’s immense central dome. A vast space – with a fireplace, a vaulted ceiling and spectacular views – the largest room in the chateau.

But why did Purnon’s architect create such a grand room high up in the chateau’s roof?

This week we share an extraordinary discovery that is shaping our ambitious quest to complete a journey that started over 250 years ago.

Unlike the château itself, the estate’s park and gardens where never finished. Interrupted by the outbreak of the French Revolution, marred by changing tastes and neglected and forgotten for decades. So the delicate task of designing a park and gardens for this 18th century gem falls to us, today, in the 21st century.

We are thrilled to reveal a room that has taken two years to restore! If there’s on thing the château is teaching us, it’s definitely patience!

This week we take you on a tour of four ruined rooms on the château second floor where our artisans put the final touches allowing the scaffolding to come down and reveal the product of 3 years of restoration work.

This week we take a heartbreaking journey to trace the life of one of the château’s first inhabitants.

Four years ago we purchased the majestic but crumbling Chateau de Purnon which lay in peril – only a few years away from being lost forever.

Why did we do it?
How much is it costing?
Will we be able to save it?
This week we answer all your questions!

4 years ago we purchased the magnificent Chateau de Purnon. Thought beyond salvation and destined to be lost forever we blindly took on the task of saving her and undertaking one of France’s largest private historical restoration projects

This week we swing open the doors of a domain that has always been kept private to give you a tour of how we are slowly reawakening and restoring her precious interiors.

We’ve been waiting 4 years for this moment!

The journey of Purnon’s royal busts has been full of intrigue and mystery. From their discovery through to their restoration and now the moment when they will once again grace the château roof.

This is the Day of Days!

This week at Château de Purnon our stonemasons apply the final touch to a unique architectural feature on the chateau facades, a centuries old wallpaper discovered at the chateau makes its way home and our roofing artisans skills are on display as they forge ahead using centuries old techniques.

This week the restoration of the chateau’s magnificent roof reaches other milestone. A familiar face arrives to give us a helping hand devegetating the Moulin Bigeard. Tim sets to work to rid the area of centuries of debris and witness the extraordinary uncovering of our centuries old dovecote.

At Château de Purnon the Château is not actually the oldest building on the estate. That title belongs to a building from the mid 17th century – over 100 years older than Château de Purnon!

This week at Chateau de Purnon nervous moments as we mark a monumental milestone on the restoration of the château facades plus our roofers weave their magic as they start to lay the first of the slate tiles on the western wing.

This week at Chateau de Purnon we reveal the incredible reawakening of the chateau’s rare wallpapers. Our baker puts our remarkable 18th century bread oven to the test and the restoration of the chateau’s coats of arms reaches its crowning point.

This week at Château de Purnon an emotional reunion as the majestic royal busts come home and nervous moments as our incredible stonemasons replace the stones on the château’s immense central pediment.

This week a remarkable transformation unfolds as work advances on the château’s first ever shower. The complex work to install the system of waste water evacuation steps up and our stonemasons begin the breathtaking restoration of the chateau’s immense central pediment.

A discovery in the château attic leads us solve the identity of the architect who created the château and to our surprise we learn he had a secret of his own …

Shortly after arriving at Château de Purnon, we made the most intriguing discovery. Two busts – one in pieces in the attic and the other buried amongst some stones in a collapsed outside cellar. With no idea who they were or where they had originally come from we were determined to solve this mystery.

This week Château de Purnon … triumph caps a months work to save the domain’s incredible chai, the first floor en-suite inches closer and our stonemasons install a massive corniche on the château façades.

This week at Château de Purnon the finishing touches are put on the chai roof, Flick weaves her magic to repair some wood boiserie, the château’s shutters return home after being restored and disaster strikes the fragile domain.

With the clock ticking can we possibly have everything ready for our wedding here at Chateau de Purnon in only a few months time?

This week scaffolding comes down, our roof continues to go up, tonnes of earth gets moved around and a timely repair gets the chateau one step closer to being ready.

This week our incredible stonemasons restore the stonework around the château’s epic coats of arms, we get one step closer to hanging wallpaper in.a first floor en-suite and more of the chai roof comes off!

This week immense progress is made on our chai roof restoration, we start work on a new project inside the chateau & we catch up with the artisans restoring the chateau roof’s enormous oak frame.

This week we have a change of heart, our next huge restoration project starts and the restoration of the beautiful stonework on the château facades turns a corner.

This week we share a once in a century chance to witness the removal of the château roof.

It’s a race against time to save one of the château domain’s most charming buildings.

It’s taken 12 months to get the château’s second ensuite to this point!

It’s taken two years to get to this point and we couldn’t be more excited … finally the last of 46 chimney pots is put into place on the château roof PLUS our artisans make an interesting discovery whilst working on one of the château chimneys.

Château de Purnon’s Louis XVI interiors are heritage listed for their craftsmanship and neoclassical design. Over the centuries many of her grand spaces have been covered in toxic lead paint to reflect changing fashions. In this episode we receive a visit from a representative from Smart Strip, a lead paint removal product, to assist us in starting the huge task of safely removing hundreds of square meters of toxic lead paint.

Château Reawakening is about daring to dream on the grandest scale. Our book captures the highs and lows of our journey to save the 18th century Château de Purnon. When we discovered a crumbling French château just south of the Loire Valley, we could not have imagined the crazy adventure that would follow. Recklessly committing our life savings and mastering new skills along the way, we uncover Château de Purnon’s intriguing past while working to safeguard her future.

We have hit the two year mark since the urgent works to save Château de Purnon started and the restoration has made a significant breakthrough!

In this episode we have the honour of joining the annual wine harvest with highly regarded bio-dynamic Loire Valley winemaker Fiona Beeston. Her traditional wine making method means her grapes are hand picked, hand de-stemed, aged in oak. Her traditional methods extend to tiling the soil with a plough horse. The result is sensational and makes her wines some of France’s the most highly sought after wines. Don’t miss the view from her incredible walled domain establised by monks in 1604!

What a week! We prepare to open Purnon to visitors as part of the Journées européennes du patrimoine, receive an invitation from the french President and after two years of restoration work the first levels of scaffolding come down to reveal the restored eastern pavilion!

The protection and preservation of Purnon’s rare and precious interiors has been at the forefront of our minds since arriving. How can we protect what remains of her original 18th century wallpapers, her original hand crafted wooden paneling and her custom 18th century paintings?

Our wild and wonderful adventure to save Château de Purnon has been captured in a stunning coffee table book!

With water restrictions in place due to the drought we start to unlock Purnon’s enormous underground water supplies and discover the domain’s mysterious vast tunnel network.

People always tell us that we arrived at Purnon just in time … its moments like this however that we wish we arrived earlier and we feel acutely the responsibility to fight to protect her.

In order to build a sustainable future for the château we need to look back at her past. In this episode the château walls uncover a hidden secret and an innovative Australian invention is introduced to the château.

What hints does Château de Purnon give us to the causes of the French Revolution and what happened to the lives of those living here during this time?

3 years ago we undertook the pharaonic task of saving Château de Purnon. We could have never imagined the scale of work required to save the château from certain ruin. Join us as we look back at how far we have come in the last 3 years.

Are we finally going to be able to have a shower? Never in its history has Purnon had a bathroom with a shower …. but that’s all about to change! After 3 years of planning the internal layouts and overcoming the challenges of the supply and evacuation of water, we are able to start work on creating the very first château bathroom.

The remarkable discovery of two incredible 18th century portraits found hidden and abandoned on Château de Purnon’s deuxieme étage has us eager to find their identities.

Mademoiselle Truffe returns to the truffle fields where she was born and learns to search for truffles in France’s Loire Valley. Will she now be able to find truffles at the Château?

In this episode we tackle the restoration of the collapsed enormous basse-cour wall.

In this episode we uncover unexpected discoveries in the Château’s ancient moat and explain the reason why there is no water in the moat.

In this episode we finish the smallest room in the Château.
Plus our architect uncovers an exciting discovery in the Château archives!

We discover the extent of the work required to maintain the vast network of stone walls encasing the Château and uncover an ingenious landscaping design feature.

How did we find Purnon?
How much is this all going to cost? Do we live here?
Do we have children? What does success look like?

.. and all your very tricky questions answered!

Join us as we share with you the incredible secrets behind the doors of the Communs Ouest

It’s been 250 years since the Château was first constructed and over time her roof has become terribly degraded. The work to restore the Château roof is now incredibly urgent and very complex.

Join us as we share with you the rebirth of the roof of Château de Purnon through a series of interviews with our artisans.

It’s a year in the making to prepare Château de Purnon each year to open for the public for the Journées du Patrimoine. This year we share with you for the first time the ups and downs of preparing for the most important weekend of the year for the Château.

À l’occasion des Journées européennes du patrimoine 2022, la Direction régionale des affaires culturelles de Nouvelle-Aquitaine vous propose une découverte patrimoniale méconnue. Au Nord de la région, dans le département de la Vienne, Tim et Felicity se sont lancés dans une aventure hors normes pour restaurer et sauver le château de Purnon. Le reportage vous emmène dans les coulisses de cette histoire passionnante qui illustre la difficulté de conservation et de restauration du patrimoine français. Une restauration qui est financée à hauteur de 60% par le ministère de la Culture/DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

We have a HUGE announcement concerning the future of Château de Purnon!

It’s been 250 years since the Château was constructed and the gradual deterioration in the condition of the roof has had a ruinous impact on the second floor. Visit the inside of the Château for the very first time as Felicity gives an impromptu tour of the ruined second floor.

Château de Purnon’s 250 year history and secrets revealed for the first time.

Join us for a view from the top of Château de Purnon’s rare Éolienne Bollée.

For the first time in her 250 year history Purnon is getting enormous new corniche stones. Join us as the nearly 800kg stone blocks hang precariously high above the château as they are carefully and precisely maneuvered into place.

How did it come to be that we made a life changing decision to buy a crumbling 18th century French château?

We continue to shape the history of the Château as we visit our stonemason’s atelier to witness the new facade stones being cut and shaped.

It’s taken nature 130 million years to make the stones which will be used to restore the facades of the Château. Join us as we visit the quarry with our stonemasons to choose the exact stone to be used in the restoration of the Château facades.

It’s been a monumental week here in the history of the Château with the commencement of the removal of the 47,000 slate tiles which cover the roof!

A nerve-racking day removing the chapel statues, which have been in place for nearly 250 years, to ensure they are protected during the chapel restoration works.

It was a nervous morning here at Purnon! In order to save the Chateau chai (barrel room) we needed to allow a large barn wall to fall down safely. The barn was falling and pulling the chai down with it.

It’s been one year since we arrived at the Château and what a year it’s been!

We hope you enjoy some of our favourite memories.

Voici the recent France 2 report with English subtitles.

Eliane Autin was born and raised in a small apartment the eastern outbuilding of the château. Here she revisits her former home for the first time in over 60 years and shares with us her childhood memories of growing up at Purnon.

Part of Château de Purnon’s allure lies in her elusive mysteries. The answers hidden over the centuries but the clues lying all around us.

Our architect once said to us … all the keys are here …we just need to find them!

One of these mysteries lies under Chateau de Purnon’s immense central dome. A vast space – with a fireplace, a vaulted ceiling and spectacular views – the largest room in the chateau.

But why did Purnon’s architect create such a grand room high up in the chateau’s roof?