About us and Domaine de La Barde.
Get to know us and our home’s history.
Domaine de La Barde (Château de La Barde) was seen on “Château DIY” Channel 4 UK TV, also known as “Escape to the Château DIY”, with owners Tim, Krys and their son Owen.
The show is a successful British reality series that follows the stories of different British and English speaking families who renovate their own chateau in France, in order to live out their dreams in their very own French castle.
Domaine de La Barde is a private residence, loved by its owners who proudly call themselves the current custodians of this amazing property. It serves as a family home, and also welcomes guests to this beautiful part of France.
Discover our choice of accommodation : charming fully air-conditioned apartments, sweet forge cottage and chateau bed & breakfast suites.
The château of La Barde is the former property of the Veyrines, the Montlouis, the Montazels and the Vassals de La Barde.
The existence of the estate is attested as early as 1382 under the name of “Repayr de Barda”, a former castle-fort built on a motte and restored by the Vassal family from 1766 to 1791.
The Vassals were lords of domains in Quercy, Albigensian, Périgord and Guyenne.
The abbess of the Benedictine abbey of the nuns in the commune of Le Bugue, Louise de Vassal, came from this family of French nobility,.
The estate was redesigned over the centuries, the château has been transformed, damaged and enlarged.
The southern façade (reception, large and small salons) was redesigned in the 18th century.
The French revolution interrupted the work and led to the Vassal de la Barde family emigrating to England and the estate was sold as national property in 1989 to a rich local who completed the work as best as he could.
Its restoration required two years of studies and more than two years of work.
The old elements such as fireplaces, Louis XIV doors and cupboard doors were respected as much as possible, as were the methods of the past (lime mortar..etc).
Finally, the century-old trees in the park have been cared for and the classical French garden has been recreated in the spirit of the 18th century.
Source: https://www.chateau-fort-manoir-chateau.eu/