There are many
Chateaux across France and one of our to dos will be to see as many
as we can while living in France. A recent trip to the Charente
region was no exception. Having made a pit stop at Verteuil sur
Charente we wandered around this pretty village. The imposing Chateau
de Verteuil on the hill was not available to view. Many close at the
end of summer and besides we were on our way to a private tour at
Chateau de Bayers later in the afternoon. It still looks beautiful
even in September. First a visit to Le Moulin de Verteuil where we
witnessed a working mill and purchased some beautiful tasting brioche
loaves made at the mill. Followed by tea and cake overlooking the
Charente river teeming with fish. We were led to believe that it was
a good place to fish for trout. A meandering walk up a steep hill to
the Église Saint Medard and magnificent views across the
countryside.
A short journey took us to our final destination of
Château de Bayers. The Château had closed on 31st August,
but the housekeeper had agreed to do a private tour as there were a
number of guests over from the UK. Although in French, our host
spoke slowly and the permanent residents of France in the group were able to
understand pretty much of what she was saying, with the help of notes
she had printed in English for us. How thoughtful.
The Château has
endured much over the centuries. Each owner and century leaving it's
footprint, to create an eclectic history. It was purchased in 1976
by Dr Andre Mouton Degorce, who died in November 2014, at a ripe old
age of 94. For him it was a labour of love to invest time, energy and
money to bring life to the Château and invite tourists such as
ourselves to appreciate it's history. We were rather thankful of
sampling the ripe fruits from the trees in the gardens, and hope that
the Château has continued support and visitors.
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