Discovery of our park
The 30 acre park was first designed in those years. Yet, it now divides in three distinct parts.
The first one is classical and matches the original drawings. The main entrance leads to the castle from the gate lodge through a steep, straight ramp, now planted "à l'italienne", then through a shaded curved alley called "half-moon" and then at last through the principal driveway up to the main courtyard punctuated with trimmed yews and bordered with lime trees and foliage. Regular alleys enclose them on both sides.
This design which has lost its trees in the lower part, was known in 1775.
But, from this time ,remains also a cedar of Lebanon - Remarkable Tree - and undoubtedly one of the first planted in France, always flanking the castle.
The second part, next to the castle is more contemporary. One of its particularities is that the garden comes close to the walls of the building itself. And this is not common in French castles.
In the middle of the sixties, the previous owners had in deed called on British garden designer Russell Page. In trying to lessen the steepness around the house, he framed the castle with trimmed lime trees, gently declining lawns and groups of cherry trees, thus creating enclosed chambers, water gardens and rose gardens.
He combined the very structured French style garden with more informal species like the wisteria around the terrace and he created a palisade of beech and a large half circle of "Gigantica thujas". Since he had not finished his project, it was extended by famous gardener Louis Benech under the present owners' directions.
The third part is "romantic". In the 1860's when the property was acquired by the present owners' family, the lower part of the park was modified by another garden designer Victor Crombez. We owe him the "serpentine", the cascades and the pond which lead, after a short walk, to a "chaumière", a thatched roof pavilion for entertaining which dates from the 18th century. It is surrounded with a water garden and apple orchard.
This series of gardens is remarkable for the integration of successive designs which shows many historical periods for gardens and yet let nature have its way. It is an eternal renewal which reminds us endlessly of the fragility of our efforts which we enjoy sharing with you during the time of your visit.
