Château De Villiers Le Mahieu ★★★★ - Les Maisons de Campagne

Leaving Paris on that sunny afternoon felt a little like how I imagine a jail break would feel. After getting through the traffic of the city, we didn't have to drive for long – half an hour or so – to arrive at our destination. Big oak trees became our edifices to admire. Château de Villiers Le Mahieu is a château with a sense of significance. It's as though it saw real troubles, had real knights on horseback cantering around, and real women who looked like Maid Marian trailing long dresses through the courtyards. It must be something to do with its architecture. Surrounded by a moat, this 13th-century historic building is thus built in a square shape around a central courtyard, with turrets and towers and a bridge over the waters leading you to a wrought iron gate. Ancient statues of graceful women line the lower wall. Woodland surrounds the grounds. This is a place that feeds the imagination.

We treated our daughter to her own room, taking ours in one of the old towers. The room had a relatively modern feel to it, considering its ancient surroundings. The exposed wooden beam ceiling added a nice rustic touch. The walls were a primrose yellow with wooden wainscoting. There was a warm and cheerful feeling through the colour scheme of yellows and reds, with beautiful draping curtains and a canopy over the bed. Most of the furniture was modern. There were comfortable chairs around a coffee table next to the window, which looked out over the moat and woodland beyond. We made ourselves a cup of coffee and sat by the window, absorbing the tranquillity that was such a welcome contrast from the city. I freshened up in the spacious bathroom. We must have been on the same schedule as our daughter, for as soon as we had finished settling in we heard a little knock and she peered around the door with a big grin on her face. “Come and see my room,” she said, “then let's go and explore.”

We had a stroll through the beautiful woodland, and then took advantage of the clement weather and sat outside for an early dinner. I had a delicious casserole and we shared our cheesecakes and soufflés between us for dessert. The food was hearty and well-balanced and the service friendly and attentive. We sat outside until the wind picked up and then moved into the bar lounge to try another glass from the extensive wine list. The lounge was relaxing and laid-back, with a crackling open fire and colourful, modern décor.

We all slept so well, nestled in a castle in the countryside. Breakfast was a fresh array of pastries and organic jams, good coffee, fruit and juices. Over breakfast we chatted about whether to return to Paris or continue further into the French countryside … after the pleasure of staying in Château de Villiers Le Mahieu we chose to find more countryside châteaux in preference to the city!