Chateau De Jaques

Château de Jaques is an impressive 17th-century Monument Historique set in ten hectares of gardens and wooded grounds with an ancient pigeonnier, a medieval tower and old, private chapel. It is the labour of love of its highly creative and colourful owner, an international furniture designer and passionate admirer of all beautiful and historical things, who is slowly bringing it back to life. This is a work in progress, to repair not renew and therefore, preserve this protected monument’s original and charming patina. Here, it’s less about perfection and more about blending in and being part of this historic building and its past. Construction of Château De Jaques began at the end of the 1600s, on the foundations of an even older medieval castle, built in 1425. The three medieval towers and and the original castle cellars of this period still remain today. The gardens were designed by Le Notre, who was a famous garden architect in his day and well known for the gardens he created at Versailles. It was once visited by Charles II whilst he was in exile and also occupied by the Germans during World War II. The ‘orange’ room, the Bishop’s preferred bedroom and the priest’s confession room, still has the original wallpaper selected by the Earl and the kitchen in this château feels like a step-back-in time. Village church bells can be heard from the gardens and the bakery is just a short walk outside the château gates; almost close enough to smell the freshly baked bread and croissants. A picturesque 15-minute walk through the woods takes you to a delightful lake, with another lake a little further, and the Marne River is nearby for river cruising and a river beach. There are plenty of lovely walks and cycle paths to explore and horse riding close by. This authentic and traditional residence feels like an informal country house making it a perfect retreat for families and friends to get together and catering can be arranged by the resident Michelin-starred chef, who can also cater for weddings and special events. Château de Jaques is not a place to stay but an experience…a glimpse of the past, through the cracks and flaws created by the layers of history which made them. Features: Option 1 - Château (up to 20 guests/10 bedrooms/8 bathrooms) Includes château ground floor (excluding the private right wing) and 10 bedrooms on the first floor. Option 2 - Whole estate (up to 30 guests/15 bedrooms/10 bathrooms) Includes château ground floor (excluding the private right wing) and 10 bedrooms on the first floor, the gatehouse and the pigeonnier. Please note there should be no more than 2 guests in one bedroom (even where extra beds are available), excluding babies. Château Interior Ground Floor* - Large entrance hall with grand piano - Main living room with comfortable sofas, open fireplace, plenty of tables and chairs, I-pod docking system and billiard table - Dining room** with seating for up to 22 and open fireplace - Kitchen with large breakfast table, three electric ovens, plenty of gas hobs, fridge, freezer, two dishwashers - Guest WC *Please note that the newly renovated right wing, on the ground floor and with its own separate entrance, is a private apartment reserved for use by the owner on rare occasions. ** Please note that the dining room is not huge, so we would recommend that if you are taking the whole estate you do so in the warmer months, March – October, so that you can enjoy meals either outside or in the marquee, which can seat up to 80. If you do wish to stay here during the Winter with a large group, then you would need to consider more informal eating options. First Floor - Master bedroom (the bridal suite) with double bed and en-suite bathroom with bath and shower cubicle - Two interconnecting double bedrooms, sharing a bathroom with bath and shower, and separate WC - Large double bedroom with en-suite shower room - Twin bedroom with en-suite bathroom - Double bedroom with en-suite bathroom - Two further double bedrooms each with their own en-suite shower rooms - Interconnecting double and twin bedrooms, sharing bathroom with bath and shower, separate WC Château Outside Grounds - Courtyard - Gardens - Seating area - Parking space Château Facilities - Wi-Fi - Heating - Working fireplace - Board games - Grand piano - Gas Barbecue - Outdoors tables and chairs - Château’s professional laundry room (guests may use on request) Gatehouse Interior Located inside the gate, approximately 100m from the château Ground Floor - Living room with wood burning oven. - Dining room with open fireplace - Kitchen with oven, hob, dishwasher, fridge/freezer - 1 Bathroom with bath, shower and washing machine First Floor - 2 double bedrooms - 1 very small single room, suitable for a child Gatehouse Outside Grounds - Private terrace area - Private outside space with barbecue, table and chairs, leading onto the rest of the château gardens Gatehouse Facilities - Wi-Fi - Central heating - Open fireplace Pigeonnier Tower Interior Located approximately 25m from the château Ground Floor - Sitting room with table and chairs First Level (accessed via steep, spiral, open staircase) - Double bed (access to exterior) Second Level (accessed via steep, spiral, open staircase) - Double bed - Shower room Medieval Tower Interior Located approximately 150m from the château Ground Floor - Kitchen/dining room with hob, oven, fridge and washing machine  First Floor (access to iron spiral staircase) - Living room with double sofa bed Second Floor (access through stairs from the living room) - 1 Double bedroom with en-suite shower room Medieval Tower Outside Grounds - Own outside space with BBQ, table and chairs - Beautiful views over the chateau trees and gardens Location: The château is located in a small, pretty village with a delicious boulangerie for your morning pastries and a little grocery store with especially wonderful strawberries in season. There is a pizzeria in the next village, five minutes by car and a supermarket about a ten minutes drive away or you can head to nearby Chalons-en-Champagne (11km) for a wider choice of shops and restaurants. A picturesque 15-minute walk through the woods takes you to a delightful lake, and another lake a little further, and the Marne River is nearby for river cruising and a river beach. There are plenty of lovely walks and cycle paths to explore and horse riding close by.  You’ll also find a charming covered market three times a week (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) in Chalons-en-Champagne (11km), an impressive town known for its rich historical sites, lovely gardens and two UNESCO listed churches. Take a cruise through the beautiful canals to see the impressive architecture of the town as you sail through.  In July and August there’s a waterside ‘plage’ with sunbeds laid out over the lawns, a large sandpit, pony rides, loads of games plus canoes or pedalos around the canal. Golf lovers in the meantime will appreciate Golf de La Grande Romanie (30km) just to the east of the town. From Chalons you can also take the high-speed train to Paris within an hour and a half for a remarkable day exploring the amazing city or head to Disneyland Paris (140km) by car or train for a special day out for the family. You can start your Champagne tour by visiting Joseph Perrier’s vast chalk caves in Chalons, with samplings possible before heading out to discover.  Then head to the ‘route de champagne’ which takes you through some idyllic villages where you can taste and buy champagnes. There are small producers who will sit you around their kitchen table to try their wines, some who will take you on a cycling tour of the vineyards and of course some of the biggest champagne houses in the world. Some of the Champagne producing villages not to be missed include Avize, Vertus and Cramant, each about 40 minutes drive away. Then of course there is the lovely home of champagne, Reims (60km) with its rich historical past, stunning medieval buildings and inspiring Art Deco architecture.  There are some excellent restaurants in this city and if you travel on a Saturday be sure not to miss the impressive indoor market. Then travel further north to the Montagnes de Reims for further delightful villages and wonderful vineyards. Another noteworthy town to discover is Troyes (90km) about an hours drive south, one of France’s most romantic towns with an incredibly picturesque historic centre and yet more incredible dining and drinking opportunities. Terms & Conditions: Security deposit? €1000 paid by bank transfer to the owner one month before arrival and refunded two weeks after departure, subject to full inspection (and less deduction for cleaning). Arrival time? After 4 p.m. Departure time? Before 10 a.m. Energy costs included? Yes. Linen & towels included? All linen and bath towels are included in the rental price. Pets welcome? No Changeover day? Flexible. End of stay cleaning included? No, charged at €12 per person (including children) and deducted from the security deposit. Guests are required to leave the accommodation clean, tidy and in the same condition as on their arrival. Any extra cleaning, laundry, maintenance and/or rubbish disposal required will be charged against the security deposit. Smoking Allowed? No smoking in the property. Insurance? It is recommended that all guests take out insurance to cover them against potential cancellation and any accidental damage caused during their stay at the property. Other Ts and Cs? Stag and hen parties are not allowed. Please note that weddings and special events are only possible when booking the whole estate for its full capacity of up to 30 guests. Please refer to the ‘Features’ tab for full details of the layout and what is included for the 20-person rate and 30-person rate. Please note there should be no more than 2 guests in one bedroom (even where extra beds are available), excluding babies. Minimum stay? 2 nights. Heating costs included? Yes.