Escape to the Chateau (2016)
Dick Strawbridge and his partner (subsequently wife) Angel Adoree swap their two-bed flat in Essex for an abandoned French chateau. Can they bring its 45 rooms and acres of land back to life?
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Episode 1 - Gardening & the Coach House
Release Date: 2021-05-12Dick, Angel, Arthur and Dorothy share more enchanting tales from the Chateau, as they continue the renovation of their 19th-century fairytale home and grounds. With weddings and events on hold for the second year, Dick and Angel bite the bullet and make the big decision to tackle the exterior of the Chateau. The roof and outside walls are their biggest project to date and the Chateau quickly becomes a building site.
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Episode 2 - Chateau Roof & the Preserves Cupboard
Release Date: 2021-05-19Dick and Angel start work on the biggest, messiest and most expensive job they've ever done at the Chateau - repairing, re-tiling and re-insulating the whole of the original roof. They also transform the preserves cupboard and go hunting in the walled garden for ingredients to make home-grown mint tea and rainbow sweetcorn relish
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Episode 3 - Great British Garden Party
Release Date: 2021-05-26Dick and Angel throw a garden party for Arthur and Dorothy's friends, with traditional games including handmade giant dominoes and a treasure hunt around the Chateau grounds. Angel makes a layered jelly with ice cream and another of her specialities - rose petal and honey sandwiches. Meanwhile, the scaffolding arrives and work can start on re-slating the Chateau roof for the first time in 150 years
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Episode 4 - Storage & Memory Furnishings
Release Date: 2021-06-02Angel comes up with an ingenious plan for more storage space, and as the re-slating of the roof continues, Dick and Angel preserve some old wallpaper and create memory furnishings
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Episode 5 - Secret Space & a Celestial-Inspired Sky Bar
Release Date: 2021-06-09Angel discovers that the chateau has a vast attic space running the length of the building and rising to the ridge of the roof. While Dick is glad to have some more storage space, Angel has bigger plans - transforming it into a space-inspired bar complete with balconies from which they can watch the stars. The project will require skylights, a new staircase and unique use of insulation - but proves worth it when a cloudless night provides the perfect chance to look for shooting stars.
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Episode 6 - Colour Boards, Rendering & an Old Gadage
Release Date: 2021-06-16Angel sets about restoring the Chateau's walls to their original glory using computer mock-ups to try and match the existing colour. Part of a traditional device used for making cider is discovered while clearing out the piggery, so the hunt is soon on to locate the rest of it. Inspired by the ancient piece of machinery, the family collects apples to make their very own juice.
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Episode 7 - Mollusc Madness & Key Moulding
Release Date: 2021-12-12Work continues on the chateau's roof and exterior walls, but Dick and Angel uncover more issues... And can Papi Steve make a second front door key from the huge 150-year-old one?
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Episode 8 - Escape to the Château at Christmas
Release Date: 2021-12-19Dick, Angel, Arthur and Dorothy enjoy a magical festive adventure in this Christmas episode, with a family celebration inspired by a very special part of France - Colmar in the Alsace region, close to the German border. They discover an enchanting medieval town that makes Christmas feel more magical than ever. It's not long before they are taking part in a festive treasure hunt, sampling local baked delicacies, trying their hand at fondue, and discovering the ice and crémant wines that the region is synonymous with. Back at the chateau, the Strawbridge traditions are not forgotten. Angel, her mum Jenni and Dorothy head out into the chateau grounds to collect the fir and foliage to make the annual Christmas wreath.