How to Visit Château de la Motte-Husson & Make Your Own ‘Escape to the Chateau’
Dec. 12 2020, Published 12:10 p.m. ET
If you’ve gotten serious FOMO watching Angel and Dick Strawbridge spruce up Château de la Motte-Husson on the Channel 4 program Escape to the Chateau, we’ve got good news: Château de la Motte-Husson is open to the public for weddings, overnight stays, and occasional events.
Since 2016, viewers have followed along as Angel and Dick purchased, restored, and redecorated the 19th-century château in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France. And now you can see the fruits of their labor — or even labor over fruits on the property!
The château is available for weddings.
The château — with its 12 acres of parkland, its Art Deco orangery, and the 45-room house itself — is a venue fit for a fairytale-style wedding. “Whether it’s a small intimate family gathering or an extravagant soirée, we guarantee that your journey will be effortless and your celebration wondrous,” Angel and Dick say on the chateau’s website.
Plus, brides and grooms who tie the knot at the château can rely on Angel and Dick’s years of experience. “Many years ago I founded The Vintage Pâtisserie, and have over twenty years’ hospitality experience under my belt. I'm known for my attention to detail and quirky twist on events, but my passion and expertise is turning dreams and visions into reality,” Angel writes on the site.
“My husband, television presenter and Celebrity Masterchef finalist Dick Strawbridge, also knows a thing or two about hosting. With Dick’s incredible culinary knowledge, you can rest assured that you’ll be in the best of hands.”
Visitors can also “glamp” on the premises.
Not walking down the aisle any time soon? You can still visit the château by “glamping” — as in, camping glamorously — in a geodesic dome on site. “Elegant camping just got interesting here at The Château with our brand new geodesic domes,” the château website raves. “Watch the stars twinkle in total luxury.”
There are two domes available — a floating dome, described as “rather romantic,” and a “land dome,” located next to the moat. The floating dome has a double bed and fits two adults, and the land dome has a double bed and two single beds and fits two adults and two children. Both domes are outfitted with a wood-burning stove, and the bathroom and kitchen — including a fully stocked bar “including wine, port, bubbles, and beer" — are nearby.
Each dome goes for £350 a night — about $463 — or you can rent both for £600 a night — about $794. Plus, all bookings include a French breakfast delivered to your kitchen, a welcome basket with local delicacies, access to fishing equipment and bicycles, and access to the château’s game room.
The downsides? You can roam the grounds but you can’t go inside the château itself, and you may have to contend with filming, although the site says the production “will obviously respect your privacy.”
Angel and Dick host periodic events at the château, too.
The couple occasionally open the château to the public for special events, like a recent “Fun & Festivities” day in which guests could get a guided tour of the house and the grounds, as well as lunch in the orangery.
Angel and Dick also hosted a recent “Working Garden Day,” in which guests could pony up £75 to do tend to the flowers and vegetables in the garden. “Yes, to be frankly honest, we are charging you to come and work!” the couple quipped on the website. (Hey, château life doesn’t come cheap!)
