Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode30
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00:00Across France are thousands of chateaux, many left abandoned and forgotten.
00:08It's like a pond.
00:09I know, it's a bit green, isn't it?
00:11Yet a brave few...
00:13We're not new to gardening, but this is on a completely different level, isn't it?
00:17...are taking on the challenge...
00:19What could possibly go wrong?
00:22...of restoring these timeless treasures.
00:25Seamless. You'd never know I'd been here.
00:28Renovating ancient buildings...
00:31It's making a hollow sound. It means that it's coming away from the wall.
00:34...into magical homes...
00:36I can't actually really believe it's almost finished now.
00:39...and thriving businesses...
00:42Perfect is the goal.
00:44...isn't for the faint-hearted...
00:46Well, you've got to laugh about it, otherwise you'd curl up in a corner and cry.
00:50...but those with passion and grit...
00:53You have to put the effort in, don't you? Just get the reward.
00:55...can enjoy the ultimate prize.
00:57I love doing this, it's one of my favourite things.
01:00...of living out their dreams...
01:02It's starting to look a bit more ready for occupation.
01:05...as stewards...
01:07It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it is amazing.
01:09...of their very own piece of history.
01:15Today, a shocking discovery for one couple...
01:19Can you see it?
01:24...while a whole heap of trouble...
01:26This is only half of what we're getting in total.
01:29...challenges a two-year garden project.
01:32It's a lot. That's all I can say.
01:34Come on, boys, let's do this!
01:36...and this chateau has a forest to fell.
01:39Oh!
01:41Plenty of work to do!
01:50Nestling in the beautiful Normandy countryside...
01:53...lies the majestic 18th century Chateau de la Lasselle.
02:00Sitting in 21 acres...
02:03...it comprises 25 impressive rooms...
02:07...and a spectacular central spiral staircase.
02:11It had lain derelict for four decades...
02:15...when Middlesbrough couple...
02:17...Terry...
02:18...and Ashley...
02:19...bought it in 2020...
02:22...for £250,000.
02:26They live here with Terry's mum, Tracy...
02:29...and nephew, Jonathan.
02:32Every day we wake up...
02:33...I sort of pinch myself, like, coming down the stairs.
02:36You look around and there's so much work to do...
02:38...but you sort of see past that...
02:40...and you just see how magical the place is...
02:43...and just thinking about...
02:45...how it would have been back in the day and...
02:47...yeah, and what it was once like...
02:49...and to think that we're part of that story now.
02:52It's a dream.
02:53Yeah, it really is.
02:58Located an hour's drive from Le Mans...
03:02...the couple dream of running high-end holiday lets...
03:05...and have already created a magnificent suite of guest rooms.
03:13The last time we saw them...
03:15...they had started to tackle another mammoth job...
03:19...bringing the chateau's formal gardens back to life.
03:24They had lain nearly a kilometre of irrigation pipes...
03:28This is harder than what it was digging it out.
03:30This is the art job.
03:32...received help digging out six huge flower beds...
03:36Patrick, that's a pleasure.
03:38...and taken delivery of 450 tonnes of gravel...
03:43...to create a spectacular design of pathways.
03:46Just looking at it thinking that we have to move it all by hand.
03:51Today, Tracy, Jonathan and Terry's Uncle Pete...
03:57...are all helping...
03:59...as they have a deadline to complete the gardens...
04:02...for a chateau open day in just eight weeks' time.
04:07We're just collecting stones from down the bottom field...
04:10...to bring up here...
04:11...to put in as a base before we start putting the gravel in.
04:13With 450 tonnes of gravel about to go down on the pathways...
04:20...Terry has discovered a problem...
04:23...in the kilometre of piping.
04:26So, come here, there's a leak over here somewhere.
04:29Yeah, we've got one.
04:33Yeah, that one's looking good.
04:35So, we've got two leaks on the whole connection...
04:39...which isn't too bad...
04:40...considering we've got 30 of the teepees.
04:42So, that's going to be 90 joints that we've got in total.
04:46With the water turned off, Terry attempts to fix the problem.
04:51Well, I've just put it on so tight I can't get it off.
04:54There we go.
04:56So, that's our little washing, you can see.
05:00So, it's got a little bit of a kink in it.
05:04That'll keep it in place now so we can get it on properly.
05:07Hopefully that's it solved.
05:09Let's all go and do that other one.
05:12Obviously, even a little leak is a bit of a problem...
05:14...because we're going to be wasting water and money, so...
05:17...it needs to be sorted.
05:18It's a massive relief having no leaks on the whole system now.
05:28So, we can move on to the next stage.
05:30We can get all these covered up to protect them
05:32and then start getting the gravel in.
05:35An essential problem has been fixed.
05:39That just leaves 450 tonnes of gravel to shift by hand.
05:48Hidden in the lush countryside of Limousin in central France
05:52lies the majestic 19th century Chateau de la Grière.
05:59Along with two stunning towers and a fairytale turret,
06:05it boasts 12 bedrooms and two grands salons.
06:11It was bought fully furnished by Oxfordshire couple Sharon,
06:15a retired district nurse...
06:18So, that should sit in there like so.
06:20..and Tim, a former construction manager,
06:23who snapped it up in 2022 for £500,000.
06:30I can absolutely honestly say
06:33when we first brought the property
06:35and we got the keys for it,
06:37we came in and for the first hour we were going,
06:40oh, my goodness, we own this.
06:42I think what's special about the building is
06:44it has some history to it.
06:47It's been loved all the way through its life.
06:50But every time I come up that driveway and I see it,
06:53I think, wow!
06:56Located two and a half hours north of Toulouse,
07:00they have already redecorated eight rooms in the Chateau
07:05and taken on the stressful project of adding a swimming pool.
07:10Hey!
07:12Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
07:13It's almost unbearable to watch.
07:17The last time we were here,
07:19they started a mammoth pool house build.
07:23Aren't you pleased we've done it now?
07:24Well, not yet.
07:25It will be when it's finished.
07:26Yeah.
07:30But today they need to park that
07:33as there's a guest bedroom in need of a refurb,
07:36which Sharon has already stripped of wallpaper.
07:40Tim is very fastidious with how he does things.
07:43He's very precise.
07:44I'm very slapdash, so we don't always agree.
07:48I enjoy doing the nuts and bolts of the work and you...
07:53Tolerate doing that because I want to get to the end result
07:56by putting up the curtains and...
07:57You like the faffing about, don't you?
07:58I like the dressing of a room.
08:01But before they can start redecorating the room,
08:05they need to clear the chimney breast,
08:08which hasn't been swept for over 20 years.
08:14Right, ready?
08:16There's some insulation up here.
08:21Some slightly nervous what is going to come down.
08:24Do you think it's going to be busy?
08:26I think it might be busy.
08:30Oh, yeah, it's rammed.
08:39This is the chimney that's the most difficult to get to,
08:44to put caps on.
08:46So, we have a problem with Jackdaw's building nests in this one,
08:49right in the middle of the chateau.
08:51They like the warmth of the chimney,
08:53so the warmth of the chimney inside the house is perfect.
08:55Perfect.
08:58Oh!
09:01So that's what...
09:02Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
09:04Oh!
09:06There's a bird head!
09:11Can you see it?
09:12Yeah.
09:16OK.
09:17We done? We carry on?
09:18Oh!
09:19Oh!
09:20Oh!
09:21Oh!
09:23Oh!
09:25Oh!
09:27It's been in there for years, I suspect.
09:29Oh!
09:30Happy with that?
09:31Oh!
09:32OK.
09:33Oh, Christ.
09:35Oh!
09:36I found...
09:37I think I found the daddy.
09:42Have you?
09:43Yeah.
09:44Put it down then.
09:45Come on, Chucky Egg.
09:47Come on, Chucky Egg.
09:49There you go!
09:50Look at that!
09:51You've lost an angel for you.
09:52What happened to fear?
10:01This chimney is ten metres high, making it difficult to know if all the blockage is out.
10:08And how long have you been in there, Chucky Egg?
10:10There you go.
10:11Oh, wow.
10:12Yeah.
10:14I'll go outside and see if I can see the thing out the top.
10:18Hey!
10:20That's great news, that's come out the top of there.
10:22Perfect.
10:24With the blockage cleared, there's just the debris to get rid of.
10:30Don't lean forward, lean back, otherwise it could pull you out.
10:35The eagle has landed.
10:37Literally.
10:38Job done.
10:40Not something I do every day, but there's something else to add to my CV.
10:47Sharon has overcome her fears and performed a clean sweep on the bedroom chimney.
10:54That just leaves them with a whole room to renovate.
11:00Coming up, this couple calls in the troops.
11:04The chateau really keeps you fit.
11:08To conquer years of undergrowth.
11:11And competition is rife between Sharon and Tim.
11:15Don't make it any more tense than it is.
11:18As they battle to renovate a new bedroom.
11:21Why am I getting so hit up about it?
11:22No help about it.
11:30In the picturesque Lotte Valley in southwest France stands the stunning Chateau de Césirac.
11:37Surrounded by four acres, this enchanting property comprises ten bedrooms, a medieval tower, and a private chapel.
11:51It belongs to keen cyclists John and Carmen, who bought it in 2022 for £175,000, and who planned to eventually open for high-end holiday lets.
12:08It was a beautiful summer's day and the sun was shining on the chapel stone.
12:13I looked at the stone and I thought, I love it. I absolutely love it.
12:17I sort of thought about the huge costs and time to do it, but within seconds said, yeah, let's do it.
12:23It was crazy. It was absolutely crazy.
12:25And we put an offer on the next day and they accepted it.
12:27Here we are.
12:30Located two hours east of Bordeaux.
12:34Un, deux, trois.
12:36Oh, look at that.
12:38This year, they finished their first bathroom, complete with massive copper baths.
12:45Cheers.
12:47Turned a smoke-damaged kitchen into a stunning medieval dining room.
12:52Cheers, Carmen.
12:53Cheers to our Chateau.
12:54And, created from scratch, a much needed downstairs loo.
13:01Before moving outside to update their neglected swimming pool.
13:06It's a dream come true.
13:08It's becoming reality.
13:09I can't believe it.
13:10I can't believe we've done this.
13:14Today, they're looking to make a unique addition to their garden.
13:19Well, we have a tree house, which is a bit rundown and a wreck, so we decided we'd make it into a gin house.
13:26Yeah.
13:28Their dream of sipping gin amongst the trees, with a view of their Chateau, is, however, currently spoilt by years of dense undergrowth.
13:38Our project is clear it all down, cut all of the, lots and lots of brush and trees out of the way.
13:44Expose the Chateau again.
13:45Expose the Chateau to it, so you get a nice vista.
13:48Come on, boys, let's do this!
13:51Luckily, John's sons are here on holiday with friends, and are about to earn their keep.
13:57What about this big boy?
14:01Getting the big chainsaw out.
14:08Timber!
14:09Oh, nice!
14:10Wow, look at the light coming through.
14:16So much different already, isn't it?
14:18I can't believe how much light it's let through.
14:20Look at the building, it looks amazing.
14:24Mind your back, mind your back.
14:28Good.
14:30Well done, Jo.
14:31Great job.
14:33With a clear view of the Chateau, that just leaves mounds of wood for John and Carmen to shift.
14:41There was a mention that they couldn't lift these logs that were left.
14:46All those boys, they said they were too heavy.
14:50Whew!
14:51That was a big one.
14:53The Chateau really keeps you fit.
14:55Plenty of work to do.
14:58When Carmen and I met, we came down here cycling.
15:02We fell in love with the stone, we fell in love with the history, we fell in love with the dream, I guess.
15:08One, two, three.
15:10Probably not.
15:12Hang on a minute, I think I've got the heavy end.
15:13No, can't possibly have.
15:14It's heavy?
15:15Can I pop it now, okay?
15:16Yeah, one, two, three.
15:20Well done.
15:21It's been a hard day's work, hasn't it?
15:22It has been a hard day's work.
15:23It has been a hard day's work.
15:25They've made a good start by clearing a view to the Chateau and have enough wood to see them through a few winters.
15:32There's just the dilapidated treehouse to restore.
15:43Two and a half hours north, at Sharon and Tim's...
15:46Do you want to get a scaffold in?
15:49No!
15:50The couple are about to go into battle as they start to redecorate a small guest bedroom.
15:57We know what each other's capable of and I think we've learnt that over the, in the first year, to not expect too much from each other in the areas that they're not very good at.
16:07Yes, and I think I've got better at my DIY.
16:12I think you have slightly got better.
16:13Well, I haven't been sacked.
16:15I haven't been taken off site yet.
16:16There's a big debate on who's a better wallpaper, but what we'll see in a short time is that the proof will be in the pudding and it'll obviously be me.
16:27Tim's never done wallpaper till he got here.
16:30So what makes him think he's an expert?
16:33He's done no more than I've done.
16:34I feel, I feel under pressure, I do.
16:39It's only wallpaper, so why am I getting so hit up about it?
16:43I might go and have 18 holes of golf while you put that one length up.
16:47Don't make it any more tense than it is.
16:50Can you manage or not?
16:51About to find out.
16:56Why are you laughing?
16:57Because you can't reach.
16:59I know I can't. I was just thinking, oh, I'm too sure.
17:01I shouldn't laugh because I'm up next.
17:07The only thing I can see is a scratch mark there.
17:14But I'm sure his nibs will see it and go, oh, it's a scratch mark.
17:19Right.
17:22Good God.
17:24Who picked that one paper?
17:27Let's just say I picked this quite quickly.
17:29It worked.
17:31Since you can't be a little wild and a bit out there in a chateau,
17:36when can you?
17:41Going second in the competition...
17:44OK, here we go, then.
17:45..means Tim's got to hang it straight
17:48and line up the busy design perfectly.
17:51See if we can match the pattern.
17:53It would be handy, wouldn't it?
17:55I think I've got a match.
17:58I think I've got a match.
18:03Right, can I put my piece up now?
18:04Yep.
18:10Sloppy.
18:12Speed is of the essence, Sharon.
18:14It's a bit sloppy because it's got it on the floor already.
18:17It's quite tricky to see the repeat, actually.
18:20So that is not sitting very well in there.
18:24That's all good.
18:26That's how you want it cut, like that.
18:28Nice and sharp.
18:30Nice and straight.
18:32OK?
18:33OK.
18:35I let you take a win.
18:37You might have done that piece better than me,
18:40but I'm going to do the rest.
18:42Crack on.
18:46Having taken up the gauntlet to finish the room herself,
18:50Sharon is still at it the next day.
18:53She hadn't factored in the uneven chateau walls.
18:57I can only assume it's the walls that are playing me up.
19:02I was quietly confident yesterday,
19:05and now I'm verbally non-confident,
19:08because it's much, much trickier.
19:11And you know the really annoying thing is,
19:13Tim is so good at it.
19:15And I'm yet to find something that I'm good at that Tim isn't,
19:20apart from plumping up a cushion.
19:22This is my third roll, and I have ten rolls.
19:27So I've got seven more to do.
19:30So potentially we'll have this done by Christmas.
19:34Sharon is on a roll with the wallpapering,
19:37but will the uneven chateau walls dampen her efforts to finish?
19:43Four and a half hours north, at Terry and Ashley's,
19:51there's an army of family members on hand
19:55to lay the 450 tonnes of gravel
19:59to help form the pathways of their new formal gardens.
20:04Luckily, our amazing friends have lent us a digger for a day or two,
20:07so it's just going to be a case of loading the wheelbarrows up as quick as we can,
20:12get as much of it moved as we can while we've got the digger.
20:15But the original 18th century garden walls
20:18mean that the gravel can only be transported via wheelbarrow.
20:24I should have stayed at home and went to work.
20:26No, I love it really.
20:30With Ashley on the digger, the rest of the family create a production line.
20:40Just here, please.
20:42We'll just build this up for now, is that alright?
20:44Are you alright doing it?
20:46Just here.
20:48Wherever you want.
20:50You're going to put it anywhere.
20:55Thanks.
20:56But as fast as they move it, more keeps coming from the quarry.
21:05It's...a lot.
21:08That's all I can say. It's a lot.
21:11And this is only half of what we're getting in total.
21:17Terry seems to be enjoying his directing role a bit too much.
21:23Bring her through!
21:24Oh, hey!
21:28Hold on!
21:30Anywhere!
21:32Anywhere you like!
21:33I don't need to turn the path!
21:43The shadow's just a special place.
21:46I think it embodies everything that we want to be in the long term, doesn't it?
21:48In terms of living here with our family and having them values and just working together and just to have our own little community here is brilliant.
21:57The shadow George you're in.
22:02With the whole family pulling together, they're slowly making progress.
22:07It's literally coming out of the ground, isn't it?
22:10Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's just...
22:12It's amazing.
22:14Without our families helping us, we wouldn't be as far along.
22:16Nowhere near.
22:17But there's a huge amount of pathway still to lay and massive flower beds to fill and plant before these formal gardens will blossom.
22:30Coming up...
22:32Right.
22:33John has to face his fears...
22:35I just don't like heights.
22:37...removing years of rot at a height of ten feet.
22:41And Sharon strives to make her mark on a bedroom.
22:46Is that appropriate?
22:47Well, I feel that the bedroom's got like a boudoir kind of feel.
22:57In the Lott Valley, at John and Carmen's, the couple are starting to clear out their dilapidated treehouse.
23:05With hopes of turning it into an outdoor haven, they're calling the Gin House.
23:12Well, it's a mess up here.
23:13Oh, yeah.
23:14Looks like I've got some work to do.
23:1613 years of neglect.
23:18And left in a state by children, I guess.
23:21What's this?
23:23Oh, it's a flag! It's a flag!
23:25It's a curtain.
23:26Oh.
23:27It was once a curtain, I think.
23:28Oh, yeah.
23:33Making a mess?
23:35We'll worry about it at the bottom.
23:40Oh, dear.
23:41Bit of work here to do, Carmen.
23:43Yep.
23:44It's going to be amazing in here when we finish.
23:47And it'll be our sanctuary.
23:48And then when we eventually have guests, it'll be a nice private place in the evening.
23:53To have a nice gin.
23:55It's in better nick than I thought.
23:56Yeah, it's not too bad. The floor needs a bit of tension.
24:01Look at the view!
24:03What a view!
24:04We didn't see that before.
24:05It's going to make a great gin house.
24:07It's going to make an awesome gin house.
24:09I've had an idea.
24:11There's that cabinet that was in the kitchen.
24:13So I'm thinking if we had a nice cabinet there for the gin and the glasses,
24:17and then three bistro tables in the other three corners, that would work well.
24:22And then decorate it all really nicely.
24:24Yeah, we'll get some lights.
24:25Yeah.
24:26Fair lights up.
24:27Yeah.
24:28That'd be great.
24:30Carmen is on a recycling challenge.
24:33I think it'll be lovely when it's finished.
24:35I'm going to need to give it a good wash down, rub down, and then get some paint on.
24:40And I think the gin bottles will look lovely inside there.
24:42And then the glass is at the bottom.
24:44Perfect.
24:47Oh, yeah!
24:48Back at the tree house, things aren't going quite so smoothly for John.
25:03I'm now going to do something quite precarious, which is to cut these off while doing a balancing act over a ten-foot drop.
25:11I just don't like heights.
25:13Now, these are so rotten, they should just literally fall out.
25:18For me now, what I'm going to do now is put a baton alongside this joist here, because I can't get underneath the railing.
25:35Easiest way is put another baton here, sit the joists on, so there's plenty of strength in those decking, and it's something quite safe.
25:41I'm using this colour because, again, I'm saving money, because this is leftover from the kitchen in the chapel.
25:51I think it's sort of green, and it's nature, and it goes in the tree house.
25:56Probably need two coats, as everything does.
25:59Your typical, true John style, it's...
26:03..snug.
26:05But snug is what we want when we...
26:06Oh, perfect.
26:12It's drying really quickly, I guess it's the heat.
26:25There's only one way to test it.
26:27Yeah! Look at that!
26:30That's good. Happy with that.
26:32How's it going, then, Johnny?
26:33Hello. Yeah, all good.
26:36Got the joists in now, so just a matter of cutting the pieces of length.
26:42Fantastic! Might be having that gin sooner than I thought.
26:45John and Carmen are inching closer to a G&T up in the trees.
26:52Good day's work. Good day's work.
26:53Good day's work.
26:54But with a balcony floor to make safe,
26:57and a drinks cabinet to get up and in,
27:00there's still a way to go.
27:02Over six hours north, at Terry and Ashley's,
27:12it's a hive of activity as they try to finish their garden makeover
27:21in time for this afternoon's special open day.
27:26So we've got people working all over the shadow on the grounds at the minute.
27:29In the last eight weeks, they have finished laying all 450 tonnes of gravel
27:37to create a design of pathways.
27:40But with massive flower beds to fill, there's a lot of planting still to go.
27:45So I'm cracking on here in the garden, and we've got my Auntie Paula,
27:51who's doing some of the mulch on the garden.
27:55We've got Rob and Mum that are scooping up some of the gravel for the driveway,
27:59just to level that out a bit.
28:01And then we've got ash on the lawnmower, just covering the last bit of grass, really.
28:06With locals and friends from all over France invited to this afternoon's open day,
28:21Terry and Ashley are beginning to feel the pressure.
28:25We really haven't got a clue with how many guests we're going to get.
28:27We've obviously put posts out, but people don't really confirm as such in France,
28:33so we don't know.
28:35We could have 10 people, we could have 100, we could have 200,
28:40so it's going to be a guessing game.
28:41We'll just wait and see.
28:44While the family workforce beaver away on the 30-metre-wide gardens,
28:50the uncertainty over visitor numbers has caused a flurry of activity inside as well.
28:58Just rushing around, making some final adjustments with it,
29:01making some makeshift tables out of our work benches.
29:06We'll put a tablecloth and you'll never know.
29:10And Aunty Paula is on tea duty.
29:14Are you doing the coffee to order?
29:16Yeah.
29:17So shall I keep that over there then?
29:18Coffee to order, tea, where they want it.
29:22In just a few hours, the gates are due to be flung open.
29:28Can Terry and Ashley pull off the grandest of garden makeovers?
29:33In time.
29:34In central France, at Chateau de la Gruyère, it's been three weeks in the making,
29:47and Sharon has finished wallpapering the guest bedroom,
29:51and has asked Tim to help with the finishing touches.
29:54Let's start in this corner.
29:57So I'd like a little mirror over in that corner where the plugs,
30:00so you can dry your hair.
30:02They bought the Chateau fully furnished,
30:06and Sharon recycles furniture from room to room.
30:10I'm toying with these two pictures.
30:14Maybe going on here, but until the others are up, I'm not sure.
30:18It's a bit like Coco Chanel.
30:20Put it all in and take one away.
30:21OK, sounds like a cloud.
30:24OK, so what are you thinking? Somewhere about there?
30:27About there?
30:28Yeah.
30:30I found this mirror in one of my shops.
30:34So everything that I didn't know what to do with,
30:38I put into certain rooms, and they call them my shop.
30:40So when I'm doing a room, I pick something and work the room round it.
30:45So Tim's more than happy for me to go shopping,
30:47as long as I don't leave the premises.
30:48Mirror, mirror.
30:49Who is the fairest of us all?
30:52OK, that's good.
30:53Next.
30:54About there.
30:55Are you sure?
30:56Yeah, perfect, thank you.
30:58While Tim cracks on with hanging pictures,
31:00Sharon goes shopping upstairs.
31:02I'm thinking the bedroom that we've created has got like a boudoir kind of feel to it, with the bed crown and the drapes. So I think this might work.
31:20Just need to make sure we can get the hooks on the back of her. That's pretty good. I'm pleased with those.
31:33Sharon has also taken the opportunity to finish off another job, a birthday surprise for Tim.
31:44I pre-did this cake yesterday, the one I made earlier, and I'm just going to do the topping now while he's busy upstairs putting some pictures up for me.
31:51Chocolate and raspberries go well.
31:56Keeping the birthday cake under wraps, Sharon has another surprise to show Tim.
32:03I found this. I think this might work.
32:08Is that appropriate?
32:10Well, I feel that the bedroom's got like a boudoir kind of feel.
32:15OK, well, we've got a hook up there. So, hand underneath, that's it. Can you see the hook at the back?
32:20Yep.
32:21So you can see the hook. Aim.
32:24OK, Sharon?
32:25Yep.
32:26Happy with that?
32:27Yeah, I like it.
32:29Lastly, a few ornaments and pieces of furniture.
32:34OK, don't trip over the mat.
32:37To finish off the room.
32:42I'm really happy with it. Are you?
32:44Yeah, I think it's...
32:45I feel quite emotional about it. I love it.
32:48Yeah, I think it's... It's really nice.
32:50It's turned out really well. I think you've done a great job, because you've done this all on your own.
32:54I've hardly had time to help you, so I think you've done brilliantly. Well done.
32:57Well done.
32:58Well done.
33:04Three weeks ago, the bedroom was looking tired, drab and outdated.
33:10Now, it looks every inch the elegant French boudoir that Sharon had dreamt of.
33:25The dramatic wallpaper creates a bold statement.
33:29Sharon has made the bed canopy using drapes from a third-floor room.
33:41And she's turned the remnants into curtains and table coverings to finish the dramatic look for their guest bedroom.
33:48Happy birthday!
33:51Oh!
33:52While you've been busy putting the pictures up for me, I made you a birthday cake.
33:57Thank you very much.
33:58You're welcome.
33:59Eight rooms done.
34:01Fourteen to go.
34:02Fourteen to go.
34:03Fourteen to go.
34:04Cake and present delivered.
34:05Your favourite.
34:06They can now celebrate Sharon's hard work on the guest bedroom.
34:19They may still have a huge pool house to finish and massive projects inside to complete, but they can rest easy at least, that their guests have somewhere splendid to rest their heads.
34:37Coming up, can Terry and Ashley finally complete?
34:42There's people everywhere just trying to get it all spick and spun.
34:46Their epic formal gardens in time for their open day.
34:50Oh!
34:51Let's have it.
34:52And it's a heavy balancing act for John and Carmen.
34:55Don't not let it slip.
34:57As they try to furnish the Gin Treehouse.
35:00Pull it in now.
35:01I'm letting go.
35:07In South West France, at Chateau de Céserac, John and Carmen are trying to finish their Gin House in time for guests.
35:20The decking floor is now completely safe.
35:23Oh my word!
35:25How's that?
35:26It's amazing!
35:27All right.
35:28And Carmen's upcycled treasure is ready for its new home.
35:34Now we just have to figure out how to get the cabinet up here.
35:38Ready?
35:39One, two, three.
35:41As it won't fit through the trap door, they're going to have to take another approach.
35:48That's it, right, OK?
35:50Right, I'm going up.
35:52Romeo, Romeo!
35:54Where far out thou, Romeo?
35:56I'm down here, messing about with the cabinet.
35:58Yeah, this is great fun.
36:00Carmen's idea of fun is very different to mine.
36:02Here we go.
36:03Yes!
36:04Good.
36:05Got it?
36:06Oh, it's heavy!
36:08Let's do it on three.
36:09One, two, three.
36:10OK.
36:11One, two, three.
36:12Wait.
36:13Yep.
36:14One, two, three.
36:15One, two, three.
36:16One, two, three.
36:17One, two, three.
36:18One, two, three.
36:19One, two, three.
36:20One, two, three.
36:21One, two, three.
36:22Oh.
36:23We're at the top now.
36:24We'll level with the top.
36:25Alright, I've got it.
36:26top now, we're level with the top. Right, I've got it.
36:30Don't not let it slip. I've got it!
36:34You have to pull it in now. Yeah, I've got it. I'm coming up. Easy.
36:38Told him it would be, didn't I?
36:42Oh, nice little gap there. Just shimmied it through, didn't we?
36:46Yeah, it's good. Get the gin bottles up there,
36:50in there. Yeah, lights up next.
36:54Right, if I hand you the lanterns, we can do those
36:58next. They're really nice. Green,
37:02nature, treehouse, just keep it all the same colour.
37:06We like green. I'm really into green at the moment.
37:14Oh, it looks lovely, John. So I'm going to put
37:18this table next to the gin cabinet, so we can make the drinks on it.
37:24The gin is going in. Last of all, a
37:28burrow load of the all-important
37:30tipple. Got the
37:32ginger. Oh, brilliant.
37:34This once-neglected and unused treehouse, which was hidden by decades of branches and undergrowth,
37:48is clear for all to see once again, and has been transformed into an enchanting hideaway for the grown-ups.
38:02It's now a place of calm to relax with the gin on balmy nights.
38:08Having cleared a stunning view back to the chateau, they have created a special haven with twinkling fairy lights and up-cycled bistro furniture.
38:20Carmen's once plain and unused cabinet has been reinvented as a gin cupboard and takes pride of place.
38:32It's a quirky, peaceful space for future guests to sit and enjoy the stunning new vista of the chateau.
38:40And just in time, as friends Vanessa and David have arrived.
38:46I think it's amazing, absolutely amazing.
38:50Come on then, shall we go get a drink?
38:52I've not done this in a dress before.
38:58Everybody, cheers!
39:00Cheers!
39:04I think the treehouse is absolutely amazing.
39:08It's nice, lovely.
39:10It's an amazing space. It's cool, it's calm and it's relaxing.
39:14It was hard work, but do you know what? This is the icing on the cake.
39:19Yeah, I mean, what a project.
39:21Yeah, but looking at it, it's a lovely space, isn't it?
39:23It is, it's beautiful.
39:24It's chilled, it's relaxed, it's cosy.
39:27Couple of gins and life is good, isn't it?
39:29Yeah.
39:30What's not to like on a nice sunny afternoon in the south of France?
39:35John and Carmen have plenty to feel proud of as they celebrate opening time at the Gin House.
39:43But with huge projects still to start inside the chateau and acres more gardens to tame,
39:52there's a lot of creative work to come.
39:55Further north in Normandy, at Chateau de la Lasselle,
40:06it's almost time for visitors to start arriving for the garden open day.
40:12And Terry and Ashley are adding the finishing touches.
40:17So it's all go, go, go, really.
40:19Obviously there's people everywhere just trying to get it all spick and span, ready for everyone arriving.
40:24Just a couple of little bits left to tidy up.
40:27Inside the chateau, there's also a buffet for the visitors to get ready.
40:33It's just nice, so when people come in, at least they can help themselves through a cake and a drink
40:37and enjoy the gardens and the chateau, really.
40:40Finally, the gardens are ready to welcome their first guests.
40:45But how many will turn up?
40:47It could literally be anything from ten people arriving to a thousand and it could be anything in between.
40:53So we'll see how interested people are with it.
40:55Yeah, we'll see how it goes.
40:56Terry and Ashley's dream of replicating the chateau's original formal gardens began in earnest two years ago.
41:12They started by clearing the decades of undergrowth from the long neglected land and had their vision mapped out by a landscape designer.
41:25So we went with the more formal, like you were wanting.
41:30The couple and their trusted team of helpers gradually started to dig out and lay a myriad of paths and enormous raised beds for the abundance of flowers to come.
41:43Today, what was a 30 metre wide expanse of muddy earth has been turned into an inspirational, symmetrical and grand formal garden in keeping with the opulence of the chateau.
42:04The clever design of sweeping gravel paths creates a classic walkway through six huge flower beds where there are the beginnings of traditional blooms taking hold.
42:17A circle of young cypress conifers have been added to give height.
42:23And classic fountains stand proudly on each side.
42:29Once again, this chateau has the formal gardens it deserves and just in time for the open day.
42:39I don't think we realised how hard it was going to be.
42:42Now at least with the garden getting sorted and the rooms getting sorted, there's light at the end of the tunnel.
42:50Yeah.
42:51We're so blessed to have just such an amazing family and friends that have been able to help us get this far as well.
42:56Yeah.
42:57Yeah.
42:58So it's going to be exciting to share it with everyone.
43:02There's relief all round as visitors are starting to arrive.
43:07I'll let you just have a look about it.
43:09Everything's open.
43:10It's part of the earth.
43:12And there's plenty of them.
43:14Inside, Terry is playing tour guide.
43:20When we were taking it all off or repairing it, we knew what to do.
43:23So.
43:24Because I was like, how did they get the electrics in there?
43:26Yeah.
43:27And then he's just, yeah.
43:29It's great.
43:30It's just fantastic to have so many people come and have a look around really.
43:35And as Terry and Ashley had hoped, the formal gardens are getting lots of admiration.
43:42The views are incredible.
43:44Yeah.
43:45That's what everyone said really.
43:46I didn't realise the views were stunning.
43:49It's absolutely wonderful.
43:51Magnificent.
43:52The work they're doing from what it was four years ago, it's, you know, they've come a long way and it's fantastic.
43:58And I think once they get it fully planted, it's going to be out of this world.
44:02And they've given us some ideas for our garden.
44:04Yeah.
44:05And even Viviane, the local mayor, has come.
44:12They've really worked very well at this level too.
44:16And when we see the little years and everything, it's amazing.
44:19We're really in a big castle.
44:21People are just enjoying it and they're more than welcome to it.
44:25It's lovely to see them actually enjoying it.
44:27And the chateau feels alive again.
44:29And that is the best feeling in the world.
44:33Two years of hard work have paid off.
44:36Merci, au revoir.
44:47Today's been an incredible experience just with everyone that's been here and the feedback that they've given.
44:52Yeah.
44:53It's just been a fantastic day.
44:54It really has.
44:55Massive success.
44:56Absolutely.
44:57There's at least ten people that have said to me today, it's a mini Versailles.
45:00Yeah.
45:01Oh, that's good.
45:02Terry and Ashley have brought the long forgotten formal gardens, bursting back into life and gained the seal of approval from their visitors.
45:14There's a huge amount of work still to tackle inside, but today they can bask in the glory of their magnificent gardens.
45:26We will see you next time.
45:28Thank you so much.