- 5/3/2025
Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode 6
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00:00Across France, there are thousands of stunning chateaux.
00:06Many lying abandoned and unloved...
00:10If we hit water, you run.
00:13...are now being brought back to life by intrepid owners.
00:17We need to try and get this done as quick as we can.
00:20...taking on unique challenges...
00:22Stop! Stop!
00:24This is pretty nerve-wracking stuff.
00:26...to renovate these historic buildings.
00:29This is like surgery, isn't it?
00:31...into spectacular new homes...
00:34Creating our own, like, Louis XV-style bedroom from scratch, really.
00:39...and event venues.
00:44There'll be triumphs...
00:46Ooh, I like it.
00:48...and tribulations.
00:50I think we're going to need to repaste.
00:51How are we going to do that, then?
00:53...but with great effort...
00:55The level keeps dropping back down. It looks like I've done nothing.
00:58...comes great reward...
01:00Oh, my goodness.
01:02It's amazing.
01:04...as they get to live the dream...
01:06Cheers to the chickens!
01:07...chickens!
01:09...as custodians of their very own castle.
01:14Today, an epic suite renovation is hanging in the balance.
01:23What if I fall through, Phil?
01:26One Chatelaine gets thrifty with inventive upcycling.
01:30This is great to be able to repurpose something that's a gift.
01:34It's really expensive stuff as well.
01:36And this pair's dining room refit...
01:39Oh, it's a disaster.
01:42...doesn't go to plan.
01:44I think we just realised there's no easy way to strip all this.
01:46On the edge of the stunning Cévennes National Park, in southern France,
02:01lies the magical Château de la Fare,
02:05boasting 35 elegant rooms
02:08and an impressive 12th-century tower
02:13thought to have been constructed by a knight's templar.
02:19Since 2012, it's been home to Australian-born couple Janet
02:25and Philip,
02:27who previously worked as a senior coachman at Buckingham Palace.
02:31Would you, Papa?
02:32Château de la Fare has provided us with a huge adventure,
02:37with some fabulous highs
02:39and some pretty grovelling, dirty, difficult lows.
02:44But overall, I absolutely do not regret coming here.
02:49I think we're proud to have brought the building back to life.
02:53This building has reached out and wrapped itself around my heart.
02:57MUSIC PLAYS
02:59Located near the ancient city of Nîmes,
03:08Janet and Philip bought the Château for £318,000
03:12and run it as a luxury B&B.
03:17When we last saw them,
03:20they transformed part of the derelict medieval tower
03:23into an opulent master bedroom
03:26complete with stylish en suite.
03:28I cannot believe the transformation.
03:33It's fabulous.
03:34It's everything we were hoping for.
03:37The reality is, there's a pause,
03:40then the work keeps on going.
03:44And just next door is their next project.
03:48Three rooms that they want to transform
03:50into one majestic guest suite.
03:53I don't even know where to start in here.
03:56No.
03:57The tower suite is going to be a two-bedroom apartment.
04:02With a kitchen, a dining area,
04:05another large room, which is a salon.
04:08The first thing guests should feel should be a sense of awe.
04:12I think they should just go,
04:13wow.
04:14Wow.
04:19This is your famous secret door eventually, isn't it?
04:22Yeah.
04:22Yeah.
04:22So this will eventually be a bookcase along this wall here,
04:26and there'll be a door in the bookcase
04:27to go through into what would be the other room.
04:31Another bedroom.
04:33Every chateau needs a secret door.
04:35Of course.
04:37It's a hugely ambitious project.
04:40And today, they're starting on the tower suite salon.
04:43So this room basically has just been a storage area,
04:47so it's been a bit of a dumping ground, I'm afraid.
04:51First task is to clear out the space.
04:59Now, these haven't been open for a very long time.
05:03Oh, wow.
05:05And even the old shutters look like they're in workable condition.
05:09I'm sure we can resurrect those.
05:13I'm definitely in equal parts totally daunted
05:17and also very excited.
05:21To help speed up the clearing process,
05:25Philip has a novel idea.
05:27I'm going to move it to one side a bit.
05:29Yeah, I think it will work.
05:32Philip is the past master at finding creative shortcuts
05:37to mundane, boring tasks.
05:40I guess I'd be the one who plods up and down the stairs
05:44and Phil says,
05:45no, let's just throw it out the window.
05:49Doesn't look about right.
05:50It looks fantastic,
05:52as long as we don't hit the car.
05:54OK, ready, set it.
06:00Oh, almost.
06:03That wasn't even close.
06:05They're your plants, by the way.
06:08Only when we're ready.
06:09Go on then.
06:12Perfect.
06:13As she gets into the swing of it,
06:15Janet's now the one throwing caution to the wind.
06:19OK, ready for a bigger one?
06:20Well, yeah, I'm not sure it's a good idea,
06:22but anyway, let's do it.
06:24Don't be such a scaredy cat.
06:26OK, ready?
06:29Go on.
06:33OK.
06:35If Janet and Philip keep throwing everything
06:37they've got at this project,
06:40soon there'll be some demolition to get stuck into.
06:43Close to the Normandy coast in northern France
06:57stands the picturesque 19th century
06:59Chateau Trois-Cloches.
07:04Surrounded by several acres of woodland,
07:07this historic building has 20 rooms,
07:11a unique bell tower,
07:13and a stunning orangery.
07:17The proud owners are celebrity assistant Chris
07:20and husband Jolian.
07:23It still doesn't feel real.
07:24We are 100% living the dream.
07:26I mean, forget all of the hard work
07:28and the money worries,
07:29all of that type of thing.
07:30I mean, the orangery
07:31and the spiral staircase for me,
07:34the most magical bits of the Chateau.
07:36We're making good progress now
07:38and it feels like things
07:39are starting to fall into place.
07:45Situated just a 20-minute drive
07:47from the English Channel...
07:49Your favourite job, Jolie?
07:51Yeah.
07:52Making events.
07:54Chris and Jolian snapped up the place
07:56for £520,000 in 2022.
08:02And when we were last with them,
08:05they totally transformed their Grand Salon
08:08into a stylish and opulent space
08:10for entertaining.
08:12This has been a really big, long project, hasn't it?
08:16But it's kind of so incredible
08:18to know that it's finished
08:20and such an amazing result.
08:25With the summer fast approaching,
08:27Chris and Jolian have set their sights
08:30even higher,
08:31only this time
08:32in the dining room.
08:35So this is a room
08:36we've been wanting to do
08:36for a long time.
08:38It's not quite to our taste,
08:39I think we'll put it that way.
08:40We've got this, like,
08:41plan for it to be
08:42almost like a kind of a members club
08:45with stained wooden panelling
08:46and a bit like a captain's cabin on a ship.
08:50They were very close to the sea here.
08:52Hopefully we can draw some inspiration from that.
08:54Hmm.
08:56Today, they want to start
08:58by stripping the wooden doors.
09:01So last night,
09:02I put on lots of this gooey paste,
09:04which you stick on with a trowel
09:06and then you have to cover it with cling film
09:09and then leave it
09:10for sort of 12 hours or so.
09:12We've used this stuff before
09:13and it worked so well.
09:14It's the quickest way
09:15we've found of doing it by far.
09:17And I just cannot wait
09:18to peel off that horrible yellow colour.
09:22Right, shall we get going then?
09:25The poultice action of the chemical paste
09:27should draw out paint
09:29from the grain of the wood
09:30to make removal easy.
09:34I'm excited to see what's underneath.
09:41Oh, wow, look.
09:42It's amazing.
09:43It's come right back to the woods.
09:45That is so satisfying.
09:47It took a bit of a while last night,
09:49but it's definitely been worth it.
09:52It's saving us so much time now, isn't it?
09:54It's like four hours putting it on
09:56and then seconds to pull it off.
10:03It's these bits that are going to be
10:04a bit tricky, isn't it?
10:06I think different owners have done...
10:09applied different coats of paint to it.
10:13Shall we have a look?
10:16That looks really good.
10:17What do you reckon?
10:18Yeah, it's coming on great.
10:20The wood is...
10:21Beautiful.
10:21Yeah, that's the main thing.
10:23But once it's all done,
10:24it's going to look incredible.
10:25And actually, I've found you can
10:26crack the bits that are still on
10:29with this scraper.
10:30It's going to take a long time
10:31without a little scraper.
10:32Yeah.
10:32Good luck.
10:34With so many stubborn layers of paint to remove,
10:38Chris and Julian are in it for the long haul.
10:41I think we just realised there's no easy way
10:44to strip wood, is there?
10:45Yeah, I think this sort of job
10:47doesn't lend itself well to someone with ADHD
10:50like myself.
10:52And, yeah, I'm quite tempted to just move on
10:55to another job.
10:56But Chris, you wouldn't let me, I don't think.
10:59I'm not doing this one so, though.
11:01And once the woodwork is stripped,
11:04they'll need to varnish it
11:06before they can even contemplate the rest of the room.
11:14Coming up...
11:16One chateau owner battles for barbecue perfection...
11:21We're just going to scrape out the joint
11:22and repoint it with some lime mortar
11:25so that it is more in keeping.
11:27..and Janet and Philip...
11:30..hit a brick wall.
11:34This whole thing is a lot more solid than we anticipated.
11:44Amongst the lush forests
11:46and winding rivers of the Dordogne in south-west France
11:50stands the beautiful 14th century Domaine de la Barde.
11:58This former hotel has 18 characterful rooms
12:03and sits in 10 acres
12:05with five rental apartments
12:08and even a tennis court.
12:11It's home to train chef Tim,
12:14wife Chris,
12:15and their two boys, Owen and baby Ollie.
12:20Don't leave me hanging.
12:21Don't leave me hanging.
12:22Yes.
12:23I always wanted the big house in the country.
12:26That was what led me into the chateau world, I think.
12:29Just having land, space, big gardens, high ceilings,
12:33just having the grandeur.
12:35It was a dream that I didn't think I'd ever have.
12:37I'm very happy.
12:40We're all very happy
12:41that we have finally have got our forever home.
12:45And I'm very proud of it.
12:49Located 100 miles east of Bordeaux,
12:53Tim and Chris bought the chateau in 2020
12:56and set about the mammoth task
12:58of turning it into a gastro B&B.
13:01This is all good to go now.
13:03Yeah.
13:04And culinary centre.
13:07Please come in and see what we've done to the cookery school.
13:10Oh, my goodness.
13:12Oh, it's lovely.
13:13This is incredible.
13:14Now, Tim, along with friend and stonemason Steve,
13:20have begun work on a new alfresco dining area for guests.
13:25I'm pretty happy with that.
13:27Tim's vision is of a shady dining terrace
13:30looking onto a grass lawn and a new gravel garden
13:34with a communal four-grill barbecue at its heart.
13:39That's the last block in.
13:40With the summer season fast approaching,
13:44today Tim and Steve are back to it.
13:48So the barbecue's all built
13:49and now we're just going to scrape out the joints
13:52and repoint it with some lime water
13:55so that it is more in keeping aesthetically.
13:59We need to seal all the joints,
14:02A, so it stops the water getting in,
14:04and B, it helps tie it all together,
14:08make it more solid.
14:09Very important.
14:11It's time-consuming,
14:13but Tim is aiming for perfection.
14:16This is integral to what we're trying to offer.
14:21And not only is it practical for us,
14:23for the apartments,
14:25to have kind of four stations to cook out,
14:27also with the cookery school in mind and things like that,
14:29it means more people can interact
14:31and we can maybe make this part of the cookery school theme
14:35and the courses that we do, things like that.
14:37So it will be very multi-purpose.
14:42An hour and a half later,
14:44and it's time to call it a day.
14:47Pointing is complete.
14:50And it looks great.
14:51They just need it to set overnight.
15:01Eight o'clock the next morning,
15:04Tim and Steve crack on.
15:06The pointing is all dried enough now
15:10that we can start to brush it out.
15:12You don't want to leave it so it's so hard
15:14you can't brush it off,
15:15but it's still soft enough
15:17that you can without knocking it all out of the joints.
15:20It's a nice time of day to be about.
15:23Nice and quiet,
15:23just you and the birds singing.
15:24As the sun comes out,
15:30Chris, Owen and baby Ollie
15:33pop by to lend a hand.
15:35Wow!
15:37Look at this!
15:40You made this, Daddy!
15:41Yeah!
15:42I've left one for you, look.
15:45Yeah, look, if I do this
15:46and you brush off all the powder...
15:49Yeah, there you go.
15:53Did you have to do this?
15:55Jack of all trades, master of none.
15:59It's looking really immaculate, too.
16:02Yeah.
16:02No, I love it.
16:04Did you know that
16:04this is the only one in the world like it?
16:08Owned by de Mendele Bard,
16:10home of the Tim barbecue range.
16:13Yeah.
16:15It's all pointed, it's all cleaned up.
16:18Really, it's at the point now
16:19where we just need to let it set
16:20for a couple of days
16:21and then we can put all the metal work in
16:23and really, it's good to go.
16:29Right, are you happy with it, Owen?
16:31Can I have a hug?
16:31Hooray!
16:34Come on, there.
16:36Go.
16:36But there are still metal grill boxes to make,
16:41a herb garden to plant
16:42and the area to landscape
16:44before the al fresco dining haven
16:47of Tim's dreams is complete.
16:50400 miles away in Normandy,
17:00Chris and Jolyon are on a mission
17:02to create a maritime-inspired dining room.
17:06We've got all of the paint
17:07off the wood behind us,
17:09which was a big job.
17:10It was worth the effort to get there.
17:11Now all we need to do
17:12is stain it and varnish it.
17:14But before they do,
17:17the couple are headed
17:18to the nearby harbour town of Enfleur
17:21in search of design ideas.
17:25Hopefully we can find something
17:26that's going to give us some inspiration
17:28for the dining room
17:29and that kind of ship,
17:31kind of oldie-worldie vibe.
17:33St Catherine's Catholic Church
17:35is one of the oldest
17:37and largest timber churches
17:38in France.
17:42Wow, it's beautiful, isn't it?
17:44Blast it as well.
17:46Constructed in the 1400s,
17:49its unique ship-shaped ceiling
17:51reveals the town's naval heritage.
17:55The roof was built by shipbuilders,
17:58which is why it looks like
17:59a timber boat upside down.
18:01So clever.
18:03I love the colours as well.
18:04Yeah.
18:04I think the ceiling,
18:07that colour is, like, perfect, I think.
18:09That's going to kind of
18:10blend into our theme.
18:12It's just amazing
18:13that it's lasted so long
18:14given it's made of wood.
18:18It's so good to see.
18:19It felt like it stepped back in time.
18:22It also had all the different tones of wood
18:23and so we're going to blend
18:24all of that into the dining room.
18:26And it should come out really well, I think.
18:28I'm glad we did it.
18:28I'm excited.
18:30It's been a worthwhile trip.
18:32And back at the chateau,
18:35Chris and Jolyon are raring to go.
18:38I think we're going to try and replicate
18:40the sort of, the same tones
18:41that they have in the church
18:42on the wall behind us.
18:44Yeah, and bring a bit of enflare
18:45to the chateau.
18:48So we need to get the consistency right
18:50between varnish and stain.
18:52I'm going to go for 80%
18:54to 20% varnish.
18:58I mean, this is purely trial and error.
19:01I really should get some gloves.
19:05These are very industrial.
19:06They feel like kind of nuclear reactor type stuff
19:08but they should do the trick.
19:11With the mixture ready,
19:13it's the moment of truth.
19:15Ooh.
19:17Perfect.
19:18Something nice about bringing the old wood
19:21back to life a bit.
19:24It looks identical to the church
19:25we're throwing on flat already.
19:30We've got a way to go yet.
19:37Jolyon, meanwhile,
19:38has a challenge of his own,
19:40creating panelling
19:41to add character
19:42to the dining room walls.
19:45I've got a piece of plywood
19:47that I've cut out already
19:48and then also I'm going to be making
19:50a new dado rail
19:51just using some moulded bits of wood.
19:55Should look quite good, I think.
19:57I did, like, carpentry at school.
20:00It was probably, like,
20:01my one A-level A.
20:06With so much panelling
20:07to build and fit,
20:09all of Jolyon's woodworking credentials
20:12will be put to the test.
20:14Down in the south of France,
20:24at Chateau de la Fard.
20:27Well, that's a job
20:28well done, I think.
20:31Janet and Philip
20:32have finished clearing out the salon
20:34for their grand tower suite.
20:37Our next step
20:37is to tackle that
20:39set of cupboards there
20:40and try and pull those down.
20:42I don't want to just completely
20:44smash it all up
20:45because there could be
20:46a purpose for it in the future.
20:48I think that might be a challenge
20:49to try and pull that wall out
20:51and keep it in one piece.
20:53And we don't actually know
20:54quite what is behind it,
20:56what it's covering up.
20:58We might find a treasure
20:59or a nightmare.
21:01Or not.
21:01Any treasure?
21:16No, sorry.
21:18It's a shame.
21:19I can see layers upon layers
21:21of other people's decorations.
21:24There's a plain blue paper.
21:26Underneath that,
21:27there's a striped paper.
21:28That's just four layers.
21:29Look at that.
21:30There's that layer there.
21:32Underneath that
21:33is another layer.
21:38Just imagine going back in time
21:41and a chatelaine
21:43being able to choose
21:44her bit of wallpaper
21:46and then someone comes along
21:4950 or 60 years later
21:50and thinks,
21:51oh, it's terribly old-fashioned.
21:53Thank you, darling.
21:53Look at that.
22:00Feels like a marble effect,
22:01isn't it?
22:02But we'll keep fragments of this
22:04and I'll sort of put it
22:05into some sort of scrapbook
22:06so I've got as much as possible
22:09a record of some of the wallpapers
22:11that we find here.
22:12With the last of the doors removed,
22:22Philip spots a problem.
22:25There's a timber frame
22:26with plaster in between
22:28so there's nothing.
22:29I'm going to have to smash it down, really.
22:31The cupboards can't be saved
22:33but there is a silver lining.
22:37This is Philip's favourite bit
22:39where he can get a big hammer
22:40and bash at it.
22:48This is going to be
22:49a lot more mess getting it down.
22:50That's...
23:00That's the chimney.
23:01That's the old chimney, yeah.
23:02Yeah, yeah.
23:04Unfortunately,
23:05it seems Philip has damaged
23:07a chimney
23:08that serves a fireplace
23:09on the ground floor.
23:11But he needs to keep going.
23:13Ooh!
23:14This whole thing
23:18is a lot more solid
23:19than we anticipated.
23:26Still,
23:27in little over an hour,
23:30today's demolition
23:31is done.
23:33We made more mess.
23:40It's a happy mess.
23:43Until...
23:43Until someone has to clean up.
23:44Yeah, exactly.
23:48But with a new chimney to build
23:50and the whole salon to decorate,
23:53tidying up
23:54isn't the biggest
23:56of Janet and Philip's challenges.
23:58Coming up...
24:06Oh, it's a disaster.
24:09It's chaos for Chris and Julian.
24:11Julian's numbered all of these
24:12very cleverly.
24:14But the number's written
24:15on the back of the board.
24:16Yes!
24:18And Philip's
24:19battling for a breakthrough.
24:22The walls of the Chateau
24:23are about three feet thick.
24:28Up in Normandy
24:35at Chateau Droix Cloche...
24:38Ooh, it's looking great.
24:40Oh, I really like it.
24:42Chris and Julian's
24:44dining room
24:44is taking shape.
24:47You missed a bit.
24:48I missed a little bit.
24:52The wooden doors
24:53have now been stained
24:54and Chris is making headway
24:56with the wall colour.
24:58How long do you reckon
24:59you're going to be
25:00doing the thing that you do?
25:02Jimmy and my masterful woodworking.
25:03Yeah.
25:05I think we're good to go.
25:08But today,
25:09it's over to Julian
25:10as he wants to put up
25:13his wall panelling.
25:14Right.
25:15I'll mark that up.
25:17So this is the moment of truth.
25:18Very excited to see
25:19all of your hard work go up.
25:21Yeah, let's hope it...
25:22Let's hope it works.
25:25Is that enough?
25:26It's taken two days
25:28to build,
25:29so he's just hoping
25:30he's got the right measurements.
25:33Is it right up against the thing?
25:35Yeah.
25:37What I said,
25:38the ball's actually
25:39straight in front.
25:40I didn't change.
25:45Soon, however,
25:47Julian notices an issue.
25:49I was doing DIY
25:50with a few glasses of wine
25:52and somehow I managed
25:54to make this cut
25:54a little bit short.
25:55A bit of filler
25:56is our friend
25:57and we won't notice it
25:58once we've painted
25:59over the top of it.
26:01Have you found
26:01which ones go where?
26:03Yeah.
26:03Each of the mouldings
26:05has been numbered.
26:07I don't think
26:08you've got the right ones.
26:10None of them
26:11had gaps like that.
26:12Unfortunately,
26:14the careful planning
26:15is not paying off.
26:17The Julian's numbered
26:18all of these
26:18very cleverly,
26:20but the number's written
26:21on the back of the board.
26:23So it's not so helpful.
26:27The only option now
26:29is to try them
26:30all out
26:31for size.
26:33Oh, it's a disaster.
26:34It can't be five there,
26:39so it'll be five here.
26:42How much wine
26:42did you have?
26:45Four, three, two, one.
26:50That's perfect, actually.
26:56Five.
26:59That works well there.
27:02Perfect.
27:04Yeah, nearly there now.
27:07With a crisis averted,
27:09it's just a matter
27:12of adding
27:12the final decorative features.
27:17There we go.
27:19That's not going anywhere.
27:22That looks really good.
27:24Yeah.
27:25That just makes
27:25that whole wall
27:26nicer and more
27:27in keeping.
27:29Oh, yeah.
27:30Yeah.
27:30Can't wait to get
27:31the paint on
27:31and you can see
27:32it all blend in.
27:33It's going to look good.
27:34It's going to look
27:34very proud.
27:35Yeah, it's going to look
27:36really good.
27:37But with their
27:38maritime-inspired
27:39dining room
27:40not even half finished
27:41and a spectacular
27:43ceiling mural
27:44still to install,
27:46they've got a long
27:47way to go
27:48before it's all
27:49ship-shape
27:50and Bristol fashion.
27:51over in the south
27:58actually it's cleaning up
28:00really well.
28:03Janet, along with dog
28:04Bobby, is prepping
28:06the salon balcony
28:07for painting.
28:09It's very, very
28:11satisfying
28:12breathing life back
28:14into this old
28:15princess.
28:16Meanwhile
28:20inside the tower
28:21work in the salon
28:23is also
28:24progressing.
28:25It actually
28:26goes together
28:27quite easily
28:27which is
28:28fabulous.
28:30Philip has
28:31almost finished
28:32creating a
28:32makeshift chimney
28:33to replace the
28:34one he damaged
28:35in demolition.
28:38Look at that.
28:39It's perfect.
28:42Wow, Phil.
28:43Hasn't taken
28:45long, has it?
28:47I can't wait
28:48to see if this
28:49actually works
28:49as a chimney.
28:52But testing out
28:53the chimney
28:53is being put
28:54on hold
28:55for now.
28:56As today,
28:58Janet wants
28:58to tackle
28:59a more complex
29:00task,
29:01creating
29:01a petite
29:02bathroom.
29:04This is just
29:04a small
29:05shower room
29:05toilet
29:06to service
29:07the little
29:08tower bedroom
29:09through there.
29:10We don't want
29:11to impinge
29:12on too much
29:12space
29:13for this
29:14sitting room.
29:15So that's
29:16360 wide.
29:20The loo
29:20is definitely
29:21one of those
29:22places you want
29:22to be able
29:22to sit
29:23comfortably.
29:24Give me one
29:25of those things
29:25we'll put it
29:26up for the
29:26wall.
29:29Alright.
29:34Okay,
29:34have a sit
29:34in the loo
29:35and tell me
29:37do you have
29:37enough room?
29:38What'd be
29:38lady like?
29:39What if I
29:42fall through,
29:43Phil?
29:43And do you
29:44have room
29:44beside you
29:45on your
29:45left-hand
29:46side?
29:48Yeah,
29:48it's okay.
29:49It's better
29:50than I thought.
29:51It does
29:52seem
29:52extraordinary
29:53that in
29:54this huge
29:55chateau
29:55with all
29:56our
29:56enormous
29:57rooms,
29:58here we
29:59are,
30:00worried about
30:00getting a
30:01one-metre
30:02little shower
30:03room in.
30:05I think
30:05in endeavouring
30:05to make
30:07sure every
30:08room has
30:08their own
30:09toilet and
30:10shower,
30:11there is
30:11compromise
30:11sometimes.
30:13Satisfied
30:14they have
30:14enough space?
30:16I'm going
30:16to jackhammer
30:17there next
30:17yet.
30:17I can't
30:18help do
30:18that.
30:19Nope.
30:19Philip
30:20wants to
30:20carry on
30:21creating a
30:22hole for
30:22the waste
30:23pipe.
30:25It's been
30:25a hell of
30:26a task.
30:27The walls
30:27of the
30:28chateau
30:28are about
30:29three feet
30:29thick.
30:31I have
30:31spent two
30:32days on
30:33the jackhammer
30:33knocking
30:35that hole
30:35and I'm
30:36hoping
30:36to get
30:36all the
30:37way
30:37through.
30:50Meanwhile,
30:52Janet returns
30:53to her
30:53balcony
30:54renovation.
30:56I'm going
30:56to do
30:57a first
30:58coat and
30:58then just
30:59see.
31:01The
31:01balcony
31:02has been
31:02like a
31:03hidden gem.
31:04I'm
31:04really
31:05hoping
31:05now
31:05with a
31:06fresh
31:06coat
31:06of
31:06paint
31:07it's
31:07going
31:08to
31:08shine
31:08like
31:08a
31:09jewel.
31:10But
31:11there's
31:11a long
31:11way to
31:12go if
31:12this
31:12whole
31:13suite
31:13is to
31:14be
31:14the
31:14jewel
31:15in
31:16the
31:16chateau's
31:16crown.
31:24200 miles
31:25away in
31:26southwest
31:27france.
31:27Tim and
31:30friend
31:31steve
31:31have been
31:32busy in
31:33the
31:33chateau's
31:34new
31:34alfresco
31:35dining
31:35area.
31:37With the
31:37barbecue
31:37almost
31:38complete,
31:39chef Tim
31:40has been
31:41inspired.
31:41decided to
31:43fabricate this
31:44herb box
31:45next to the
31:46barbecue.
31:47Guests can
31:47come and
31:48help themselves
31:48to herbs
31:50while they're
31:50cooking or
31:51it'll attract
31:53the insects
31:53and bees
31:54will buzz.
31:55It's just a
31:56nice little
31:57added extra,
31:58nice little cottage
31:59garden in the
32:01barbecue area.
32:02They're
32:03constructing it
32:04using offcuts
32:05of sandstone
32:06from the
32:07barbecue.
32:08Rather than
32:09put it all
32:09into landfill
32:09or chuck it
32:10out,
32:11the more
32:12places we
32:12can use it
32:13the better
32:13because it
32:14all helps
32:14the budget
32:14and also
32:15it's a
32:16really nice
32:16material,
32:18you know,
32:18it's lovely
32:18stuff so the
32:19more we can
32:19use the
32:20better.
32:26Whilst
32:26Tim works,
32:28Chris is on
32:29childcare duty
32:30and loving
32:31every minute.
32:32It's beautiful
32:35that they're
32:35growing up
32:36in this kind
32:36of environment.
32:37I spend
32:38most of my
32:38life in the
32:39city and
32:40to have
32:41this luxury
32:42of, you
32:43know,
32:43bringing my
32:44kids up
32:45in this kind
32:45of environment.
32:47It's total
32:48luxury, you
32:49know,
32:49I've never
32:49really thought
32:52that this
32:52is going
32:52to be my
32:53life and
32:54I'm just
32:54so happy
32:55that, you
32:55know,
32:56the kids
32:56are experiencing
32:57this.
33:02The following
33:03day, Tim
33:04is all set
33:05for planting.
33:07I want it to
33:08look like a
33:08kind of market
33:09stall, just
33:10overflowing,
33:11overflowing,
33:12overflowing with
33:12produce.
33:13To keep the
33:14maintenance to a
33:15minimum, he's
33:16opted for woody
33:17herbs, including
33:19sage, rosemary
33:20and thyme,
33:21perfect for
33:22barbecuing
33:23with.
33:24They're all
33:24oily herbs,
33:25you know, so
33:26they'll release
33:26their aroma
33:27really easily.
33:29Tease those
33:29roots out,
33:31encourage some
33:31sidewards growth.
33:34Unfortunately,
33:35the rest of the
33:36dining area
33:37isn't quite as
33:38finished.
33:39At the moment,
33:40this is still
33:41just a big
33:41quagmire, so
33:42until the
33:45quarry have
33:45got enough
33:45gravel, they
33:46can deliver it
33:46to me.
33:47I can't gravel
33:47all this and
33:48have lovely,
33:49crisp paths
33:50to walk on.
33:52Likewise, we
33:53need a bit of
33:53warm weather for
33:54the grass to
33:55germinate, and
33:56it will come.
33:56You just have to
33:57have a little
33:57patience.
34:01Wow.
34:02Hey, hey.
34:03Look what is
34:04done here.
34:05This is all
34:05ready for the
34:06summer, Tim.
34:07All planted,
34:08all ready to go,
34:08all edible.
34:09I hope it all
34:10just sort of
34:10fills, fills,
34:12spills out,
34:12spills out,
34:13spills out,
34:14and you can sit
34:15in amongst the
34:15herbs every time
34:16you brush it.
34:17Ah.
34:18I love it.
34:19This is a
34:20brilliant idea.
34:21Yeah, I like it,
34:21because you can be
34:22over here working,
34:23and, oh, I know,
34:25a bit of that,
34:26and you can come
34:26over and pick
34:27some of that.
34:28All fresh herbs
34:29as well.
34:30Oh, God.
34:32Oh, perfect.
34:37All right, are you
34:37ready to go, Owen?
34:39Let's go.
34:42Tim is all fired up
34:43about his perfect foodie
34:45haven, but there's
34:47still a lot of
34:48landscaping to do.
34:57Still to come.
34:59Three, three, one,
34:59five.
35:00Three, three, one,
35:01five.
35:02Janet and Philip
35:03fall short.
35:04Clearly, one of us here
35:07didn't either read it
35:08right or didn't say it
35:10right.
35:11And sparks fly
35:13as Tim tries to
35:14complete his dream
35:16barbecue.
35:25Over in the south
35:27of France.
35:29OK, that's it, I think.
35:31I think we're done.
35:32Phillips finally
35:35managed to fit the
35:36waste pipe in the
35:37tower suite.
35:39I wouldn't suggest
35:40anybody take up a
35:41career as a jackhammer
35:43operator.
35:45Kneeling down's not
35:46good on the old
35:46knees, that's for
35:47sure.
35:49Outside on the
35:50balcony, Janet is
35:52also making strides
35:54as the painting is
35:55now complete.
35:57I think when the
35:58first guest steps
36:00out onto that
36:00Juliet balcony,
36:01they're going to
36:02feel like a
36:03princess.
36:09On the bottom
36:09of that chimney
36:10you see there.
36:11Today, Philip's
36:13eager to finish
36:14off building a
36:15stud wall frame
36:16for the bathroom.
36:18Three, three, one,
36:18five.
36:19Three, three, one,
36:20five.
36:20Yep.
36:21So I think we've
36:22broken the back
36:22of this wall.
36:23Now what we have
36:24left is the
36:25so-called easier
36:26part of the work.
36:28But we'll soon
36:28find out.
36:29You often say
36:30that, Phil.
36:31and it always
36:32worries me.
36:34Three, three, one,
36:35five.
36:35Is that right?
36:36That is right.
36:38The couple's
36:39measurements need
36:41to be spot on
36:42for each piece of
36:44wood to fit
36:45seamlessly.
36:45Clearly, one of us
36:52here didn't either
36:54read it right or
36:55didn't say it
36:56right.
36:57So I've measured
36:58it wrong.
37:00Ah, see, yes.
37:01I went to three.
37:02Instead of three,
37:03three, I went to
37:04three.
37:05What's the story?
37:06Measure twice, cut
37:07once.
37:09So I was
37:10300 millimetres
37:11short.
37:15I'm delighted not
37:16to get to blame
37:16this time.
37:17Yeah, just right.
37:18They just need
37:19to hope it's
37:20second time
37:21lucky.
37:22You know,
37:23you just hold
37:23there.
37:24Well, I think
37:25that is spot on.
37:27Just as well,
37:28that is spot on.
37:32No, that's
37:33perfect.
37:34It is.
37:34We like
37:35perfection.
37:37Problem solved.
37:39Philip is in
37:40the groove.
37:48And manages to
37:50make light work
37:51of the rest of
37:51it.
37:54Finally, last
37:56one.
37:57OK, well,
37:57that's that square
37:58now.
37:58Yeah, that
37:59looks good.
38:04Yeah, I'm
38:04pleased with
38:05that.
38:05Now I can
38:06visualise more
38:07what it's going
38:08to be like
38:08with that
38:08wall.
38:09The bathroom
38:10is taking
38:11shape.
38:12And with
38:12Philip on a
38:13roll, he
38:14wants to test
38:15out the
38:15improvised
38:16chimney he's
38:16made after
38:17damaging the
38:18original.
38:22So they
38:22light up the
38:23fireplace on
38:24the ground
38:25floor.
38:28Quick, come
38:28on, Bob.
38:29Let's see.
38:29Let's go
38:29and see.
38:30Quick.
38:30We've got
38:34smoke.
38:36I think
38:37it's a job
38:38well done.
38:40Well, I think
38:41today's been a
38:41pretty successful
38:42day.
38:43Definitely.
38:43We've got the
38:44rest of this
38:44wall up.
38:45So now we're
38:46ready to move
38:46forward with
38:47that.
38:48We're done
38:48well.
38:49But there's a
38:50mountain to
38:50climb yet.
38:51Janet and
38:52Philip's huge
38:53project is
38:54slowly beginning
38:55to make
38:56progress.
38:57But with
38:57the salon to
38:58finish, a
38:59kitchen
38:59diner to
39:00build and
39:02a second
39:02bedroom to
39:03design, the
39:04hard work to
39:05create their
39:06grand tower
39:07suite is only
39:08just beginning.
39:18In
39:19southwest
39:20France, the
39:21gravel has been
39:22delivered and
39:24Tim's alfresco
39:25dining area is
39:26beginning to
39:27take shape.
39:28We have
39:29pretty much
39:29finished the
39:29barbecues.
39:30The area is
39:31ready.
39:31It's looking
39:32good.
39:32The grass is
39:33coming through.
39:34However, the
39:34last job we've
39:35got to do so
39:35that they're
39:36usable is build
39:37some kind of
39:38plate to sit
39:40in that will
39:40then hold the
39:41charcoal.
39:42I've managed to
39:43get some sheet
39:44metal off a
39:45friend that was
39:46removing the
39:46balcony.
39:47So that's kept
39:48the cost down
39:48nicely.
39:49I'm hoping that
39:51this is
39:52effortless and we
39:53just make it
39:54look easy.
39:57To make each
39:58charcoal tray,
40:00five separate
40:01pieces of
40:01metal need to
40:03be cut and
40:04welded.
40:11Certainly not the
40:12prettiest welding
40:13anyone's ever seen,
40:13but it will do.
40:16It's really, really
40:16thick, solid stuff,
40:17just what I was
40:18looking for.
40:18Really expensive
40:19stuff as well, so
40:21this is great to
40:22be able to
40:22repurpose something
40:24that's a gift.
40:27It doesn't take
40:28long for Tim and
40:29Steve to turn
40:31one old balcony
40:32into four new
40:33trays.
40:35Over to the
40:36welding station.
40:40Back when this
40:41was a working
40:41estate, this was
40:42the blacksmith's
40:43forge.
40:43It feels very
40:44apt that we're
40:45out here now
40:46welding and not
40:48quite forging,
40:49but we're
40:49nearly there.
40:52Just using the
40:53magnets to hold
40:53the metal in
40:54position, and
40:55then we can
40:56weld it in
40:57place.
40:58It'll all look
40:58brilliant.
41:08Each tray is
41:10then tidied up
41:11with a fresh
41:11coat of heat
41:12resistant paint
41:13to protect the
41:14welds.
41:16It'll do the
41:17job, and it's
41:17this good
41:19refurbishing of
41:20old junk that
41:22nobody wanted,
41:23so it's been
41:26look good.
41:29I spent my
41:30whole life as a
41:31kid on French
41:31campsites and
41:33communal barbecues
41:34down in the south
41:35of France in the
41:36sunshine, and just
41:37cooking up stuff
41:38surrounded by
41:38people.
41:39It's all part of
41:40the experience, and
41:42it was great.
41:43Absolutely loved it.
41:44The charcoal trays
41:48aren't the only
41:49upcycled elements.
41:51Very nice.
41:53As Tim's also
41:55making use of
41:56some old fridge
41:57shelving.
41:58I'm really happy
41:59with that.
42:00If you were to
42:01try and buy this
42:02barbecue, I don't
42:04think any amount
42:04of money could get
42:05this, priceless,
42:07absolutely priceless.
42:11This once-neglected
42:14muddy corner
42:15has been transformed
42:20into an idyllic,
42:22tranquil dining area
42:24with a stunning
42:27four-grill sandstone
42:28barbecue,
42:30cleverly-utilized
42:32upcycled metalwork,
42:35an aromatic herb
42:37garden constructed
42:38from leftover
42:39materials, all
42:43beautifully framed
42:44by a new gravel
42:46garden, with tables
42:48and parasols
42:49offering the perfect
42:50place for guests to
42:52enjoy all their
42:53gastronomic creations.
42:56It's all gone really
42:57well.
42:57It's all looking great.
42:58We've got the planting
42:58in, the terrace is made.
43:00It's all looking like
43:01a very nice, usable,
43:03tranquil little
43:04Mediterranean courtyard,
43:06which is what I kind
43:07of hoped it would
43:08feel like.
43:16I've already lit the
43:17barbecue.
43:18It's lovely and hot.
43:20After weeks of work,
43:22it's time to test
43:24drive the new space.
43:25And Tim's dream
43:33of having fresh herbs
43:35within reach
43:36to add to the
43:36barbecued meats
43:37is blossoming.
43:39Very good,
43:40very good.
43:41It's been on holiday,
43:42isn't it?
43:44Oh!
43:48You're nearly there.
43:49Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:50Yes!
43:51Yes!
43:52Yes!
43:52Yes!
43:52Yes!
43:52Yes!
43:55It's a celebratory
43:59drink.
44:01Cheers!
44:03Mmm!
44:03Mmm!
44:04Cheers!
44:07Yay!
44:09Mmm!
44:10That's pretty good.
44:12For Tim and Chris,
44:13it's an evening
44:14to savour,
44:15as it's going
44:16to be one
44:17of the last
44:17times they
44:18can relax
44:18before this
44:20season's
44:20first guests
44:21arrive.
44:22next time.
44:30One chateau pair
44:32take on a
44:33huge renovation
44:34project.
44:35That's the size
44:35of my brush.
44:37It's going to
44:37take me a long
44:38time.
44:39This couple
44:40struggle with
44:41a heavy load.
44:43Give it slack.
44:44Take the slack.
44:45Give me some slack.
44:47And Chris and
44:48Jolyon
44:49hit new heights.
44:52I think we're
44:53going to need
44:53to repaste.
44:54Yeah.
44:55How are we going
44:55to do that then?
44:56one chateau pair.
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