Life at Château de la Coutère

Château de la Coutère is a hidden gem in the very south of France. When staying as a guest at the château, you will be treated like a friend from the moment you arrive, and we hope that you will feel extremely comfortable at our home from home petite château.

We are Leanne and Julian, and we live at the château with our three children, Holly, Lilly and Poppy, Shadow the dog, 30 chickens and Bob the cockerel.

Three years ago, we set out to build a new life in the sun, and gave up our comfortable lives in the UK, to pursue a dream of owning a small farm in France. Indeed, we were not even looking to buy a château – we wanted to down-size from our previous home in England. However, fate intervened, and we came to see the château by accident, after a chance meeting with the owner in a local café. On our first visit, the location and setting, in addition to realising the potential of being able to make our future dreams of becoming small farmers come true, all set our hearts and minds on fire.

After purchasing ‘La Coutère’, we embarked on the necessary renovation and restoration of the château, and it hasn’t been an easy task. In fact, you could say it’s been a real rollercoaster of ups and downs! We have even documented our adventures in renovation and family life, on our YouTube channel. The highs and lows have been accompanied by a growing group of supporters who have rooted for us every step of the way, and it is their support that has helped when the going got tough. The complete restoration, and indeed continued maintenance of this centuries-old building will be a continuous process over the years to come, to ensure she is preserved for future generations.