Set within the grounds of a former Cistercian abbey, the present château was built in the first half of the 19th century, when the surrounding landscape was also transformed into an informal park celebrating the spectacular surviving medieval ruins.

The historic landscape is remarkably restrained. A simple network of meandering paths guides visitors through a succession of carefully composed, predominantly oblique views of the ruins and château. Medieval watercourses were reshaped into serpentine forms, while specimen trees, many of North American origin and considered exotic at the time, were scattered across the parkland to create a subtle sense of continuity and structure.

These characteristics have strong affinities with the English Landscape Garden tradition. The estate belonged to one of France’s most prominent ducal families, with possible connections to the French court in exile in England following the Revolution. While any direct influence remains speculative, the landscape has an unusually authentic English character rather than that of a more typical continental interpretation of the style.

Despite the magical quality of this wider historic parkland, the immediate surroundings of the château had lost much of their character. A vast expanse of gravel left the almost cubic building disconnected from its landscape, with little planting to anchor it within its setting.

The new landscape sought to repair this relationship while remaining respectful of the listed parkland. Lost sections of the historic meandering path network were reinstated, while a series of more intimate garden rooms was created around the château itself. These bring planting, seasonal interest and a more human scale directly to the building, reconnecting the house with the wider park and allowing the landscape to reach right up to its doorstep.