21
OPPOSITE
The château as it
is now and as it
was before renovations began.
ABOVE
Large living spaces with mediaeval
features
and
a staircase in one
of the towers.
LEGGETT MAGAZINE RESTORATION
15th century - the capital Valletta being named for
him.
Moving on 500 years, New
Zealander Ruvé Duncan and
her English husband Michael
Bucknell were lunching in nearby
Najac after another fruitless
house-hunting expedition
in the region. "After lunch we
looked in an estate agent's window
and spotted a photo of an
unrestored château - we fell in
love with the artist's impression
of what it could look like once
restored - by the next day we'd
bought it!"
What followed is a story of
research, study, care and determination.
Their first step was to
move from Geneva to Parisot to
live in the cottage next to the
château where rose petals were
once distilled into precious essential oil. Ruvé
had managed
renovations before but nothing,
she says, as old or big as the
château. "We both took early
retirement in 2000 to manage
the restoration. We studied
many French books about renovation, and I started by
writing
an 18-page specification for
the French artisans. We didn't
employ an architect or project
manager, which worked well for
us as we were able to discuss
details with the artisans and, in
return, got great advice!"
Renovations continued, and
after two years they were able
to move in to some rooms. Ruvé
says their temporary kitchen is
now her dressing room! By November
2005 it was complete.
Their attention to detail is
more than impressive. "One
challenge had been to restore
the circular towers which were
'decapitated' during the French
revolution," Michael says. "Our
master stonemason helped us
source the rounded Quercy
stones we needed from a local
farmer's ancient pigeonnier - it
was the perfect match!"
Today the château, spread
over six floors, retains many
mediaeval features, including
a stone circular staircase in the
west tower, two miniature towers,
large stone fireplaces and
arrow slits, as well as the ancient latrine
now converted into
a marvellous 'throne' discreetly
covering a modern toilet.
And their impeccable renovation
has ensured maintenance
is minimal, from the new
roof with handmade tiles, to
the insulation, double glazing,
central heating and utilities required
to meet the demands of
the 21st century.
The Château de l'Astorguié
is enchanting, totally private
but adjacent to all the facilities
of Parisot. The ornate stone entrance
leads directly to the spiral
staircase in the west tower.
On this level there is the sitting
room with original fireplace
LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST