Château de Jaques is an impressive 17th-century Monument Historique set in ten hectares of gardens and wooded grounds with an ancient pigeonnier, gatehouse and an 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. Home-cooking can be organised and for weddings and special events, quality catering by French ‘top chefs de cuisine’ can be arranged, depending on your style, taste and budget. 

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.

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. From July to late August there’s a waterside ‘plage’ with sunbeds laid out over the lawns, a large sandpit, loads of games plus canoes or pedalos around the canal. Golf lovers in the meantime will appreciate Golf de La Grande Romanie (27km) 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 (146km) 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 (82km) 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.

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