The 45-room French mansion which has welcomed a whole lot of visitors – and hosted dozens of weddings – for the Channel 4 collection Escape to the Chateau is being bought.
The chateau’s vibrant homeowners, Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree, purchased the run-down chateau in Saint-Maixent-l’ecole, western France, for simply £280,000 in 2015, with Channel 4 launching its massively fashionable collection following the transformation in 2016.
Seven years on, after the ultimate episode of the present aired this month, the couple are promoting the property, identified regionally as Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson, for £725,000.
The sprawling nineteenth century constructing – which has a classic tea room, cinema space and its personal moat – had been valued at £2million however is being marketed by French property agent Leggett Immobilier Worldwide for the extra humble sum, about the identical worth as a one-bed residence in central London.
Dick estimated in 2019 that the couple had spent round £280,000 renovating the chateau, which means their revenue margin in the event that they now promote at asking worth is more likely to be round £165,000.
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Au revoir! Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree, pictured with their two kids Dorothy and Arthur, have put their 45-room dwelling – star of Channel 4’s Escape to the Chateau – available on the market for £725,000, after the final episode of the ultimate collection of the programme aired in December
Dick, 60, and Angel, 41, who would cost as much as £38,000 per marriage ceremony – with a median worth at round £19,000, advised the Radio Occasions’ View from My Couch podcast their two kids, Arthur and Dorothy, had been key to creating the choice to finish the present and begin afresh.
They stated: ‘The kids are turning 9 and 10. They’ve had an innocence and pleasure in what we’ve achieved.
‘We’ve bought a lot of issues we nonetheless intend to do, however we wish to shield the household a part of it.’
The chateau has 9 bedrooms and 7 loos together with a mattress and breakfast suite and even its personal British meals retailer. Spanning 15,000 sq. metres, the charming chateau retains unique options together with uncovered stone partitions and stone staircases, beams, mouldings, tower and two giant vaulted cellars.
Property agent Leggett Immobilier Worldwide has now listed the spawling property, Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson, in Saint-Maixent-l’ecole, Western France, for £725,000 – across the similar worth as a London flat
The agent’s description reads: ‘The chateau has been renovated to a really excessive normal by the present homeowners, who’ve labored laborious to revive it to its rightful place within the hearts and lifetime of the area people’ (Pictured: a bed room within the chateau)
The chateau, which lies in Saint-Maixent-l’ecole, western France, has 9 bedrooms and 7 loos together with a mattress and breakfast suite and even its personal British meals retailer
Simply half-hour from the principle city of the Deux Sevres area in Niort, the property is 200 miles from Paris, and has hosted dozens of weddings since Dick and Angel moved in. Pictured: a bed room within the property
Self-sufficient: The property has an enormous kitchen and a separate mattress and breakfast – and had been valued at round £2million
Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree purchased the run-down 45-room chateau for simply £280,000 in 2015, with Channel 4 launching it is fashionable collection following the transformation in 2016
Outdoors is a small lake with water-side wood pavilion, a self-contained residence, stables, cowshed, a big barn, a searching lodge and extra.
Simply half-hour from the principle city of the Deux Sevres area in Niort, the property agent says the chateau is ideally positioned for exploring the area – with a lot to see regionally together with the Marais Poitevin, Futuroscope and the seashores on the coast.
The itemizing reads: “Lately restored, this stunning residence is an impressive household dwelling whereas providing a wealth of choices for a particular occasions/lodging exercise.
‘The chateau is already well-known regionally and additional afield because of its starring function on Ch4’s Escape to the Chateau DIY.
‘It has been renovated to a really excessive normal by the present homeowners, who’ve additionally labored laborious to revive it to its rightful place within the hearts and lifetime of the area people.
A cup of char? The English tearoom that the couple put in within the property after renovating it
Regardless of remodeling the property, the large chateau is not anticipated to fetch enormous sums – with many comparable French chateaux available on the market
The couple stored the decor within the property conventional – and would cost a median of £19,000 to host a whole-house marriage ceremony
A courtyard on the historic dwelling, which is formally referred to as Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson – and is nestled near the Loire Valley
A slice of Britain on the continent: One of many bedrooms has a union jack hung above the headboard
Restored: When the couple moved in, the property had no electrical energy, heating or water – and a sanitation system that was emptied within the moat
Tea on the terrace: The couple say their two kids are their motivation for in search of a brand new problem in 2023
‘While preserving the unique options, renovation work has included insulation, the creation of a self-contained residence and studio/gite, along with its much-loved fashionable Classic Tea Room (absolutely licensed), Mattress and Breakfast Suites and v fashionable British Meals Retailer!
‘Architectural plans, and permissions to create an extra six gites, a restaurant and a big reception room have already been obtained.’
The couple reworked the fortunes of the historic property after snapping it up whereas it was in want of a whole overhaul.
Dick is a retired Lieutenant Colonel within the Military who was beforehand most well-known for internet hosting the Scrapheap Problem. Angel is the founding father of The Classic Patisseries, a glamorous hospitality firm. She appeared on Dragon’s Den in 2010 and was supplied an £100,000 from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis for growing her web site and enterprise. Angel married Dick – whom she met by way of their shared agent – in November 2015.
The couple have been elevating their two kids – Arthur and Dorothy – on the chateau and the kids each attend native French colleges.
The collection was coined in 2014 after an govt at Spark Media heard that Angel and Dick (pictured in 2016) had been leaving their two- bed room flat in Southend, Essex, for a brand new life in France.
The collection was coined in 2014 after an govt at Spark Media heard that Angel and Dick had been leaving their two- bed room flat in Southend, Essex, for a brand new life in France.
After trying to find the chateau for 4 years, the pair purchased the sprawling nineteenth century constructing in 2015 after swapping their two-bed dwelling in east London.
The mansion is known as Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson and it’s within the picturesque Loire area of North West France round 200 miles from Paris.
After they moved in, the property had no electrical energy, heating or water – and a sanitation system that was emptied within the moat.
The sprawling nineteenth century constructing had been valued at £2million, with Dick, 60, and Angel, 41, receiving as much as £38,000 per marriage ceremony – however the finish of the present has seen a extra modest price ticket on the French dwelling
The couple additionally loved a booming merchandise enterprise off the again of the present, with a variety of books out there
Now the venue boasts a grand reception room which may host as much as 200 folks, or the salle à manger which may seat 12. The decadent orangery holds 80 folks for a marriage breakfast.
A six-course marriage ceremony dinner plus canapes upon arrival, a cheese and meat desk in the course of the night and a limiteless full bar for the day for the utmost 80 visitors value £20,000, a post-wedding brunch £1,600 and hiring the chateau for the weekend is £6,250.
In addition to weddings, the couple additionally bought glamping nights for £350 in ‘geodesic domes’ within the chateau’s grounds and £230 ‘days of decadence’ the place you’ll be able to meet Dick and Angel, having fun with lunch and afternoon tea on the chateau.
And the couple even cost visitors £75 for a ‘working day within the backyard’, with the web site saying: ‘Sure to be frankly sincere we’re charging you to return and work! And in return you must assist make the place stunning!’.
The chateau has since been valued at £2million however the couple additionally money in by way of TV rights from Channel 4 for the collection and its day-time spin off.
Channel 4 made 9 collection of Escape To The Chateau and the favored present bought nearly 3 million viewers each Sunday evening – making it one of many channel’s largest hits.
After trying to find the chateau for 4 years the pair purchased the sprawling nineteenth century constructing in 2015 after swapping their two-bed dwelling in east London
On the finish of collection one, which aired in June 2016, the connection between the Strawbridges and the unique Spark Media manufacturing crew had turn out to be dire
The collection continued, and by the top of filming collection 4, in 2017, Spark Media arrange a separate manufacturing firm, Kindling, by way of which they produced ETTC, with not one of the unique workforce
At its peak, its viewers is 50 per cent greater than Channel 4 usually get in the identical slot – however the collection wasn’t with out controversy.
There have since been claims that from the beginning, sources declare, the couple — reportedly paid hundreds per episode — wished management.
Dick, insiders stated, believed his earlier forays in tv satisfied him he may do higher than the crew. ‘He’d say, ‘Put your digital camera there, or observe that.’ They’d say how f*****g ineffective we had been,’ a supply advised in 2021.
One factor that’s clear is that on the finish of collection one, which aired in June 2016, the connection between the Strawbridges and the unique Spark Media manufacturing crew had turn out to be dire.
The couple reportedly stated they’d solely permit Spark Media to hold on making the collection if the present’s director was now not concerned.
Because the Spark supply depicts it: ‘When Channel 4 gave in to Angel’s request to eliminate him it was like they’d the ability to proceed this method to anybody they did not like . . . Channel 4 allow them to get away with something.’
To which Dick and Angel’s representatives retort: ‘My purchasers made it clear from the outset that solely those that had been competent and revered the sanctity of our household ought to work of their dwelling; as they had been absolutely entitled to do.’
The collection continued, and by the top of filming collection 4, in 2017, Spark Media arrange a separate manufacturing firm, Kindling, by way of which they produced ETTC, with not one of the unique workforce.
The ultimate three collection loved a smoother passage, with the final episode airing on Sunday 18th December.
Learn extra:
Goodbye Escape to the Chateau! As the ultimate episode airs, how Dick and Angel’s transformation of a £280,000 mansion grew to become Channel 4’s largest hit – however confronted claims of bullying and violence on set
Escape to the Chateau viewers go wild over Dick Strawbridge’s hunky tattooed chef son James as he helps prepare dinner up a storm within the kitchen
Escape to the Chateau stars Dick and Angel say it was ‘actually emotional’ filming the ultimate episode their son, Arthur, 9, broke down in tears
