- 9 hours ago
Chateau DIY Season 11 Episode 36
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00:00Across France, there are thousands of incredible chateaux.
00:05Many now being given a new lease of life.
00:09I'm having a smashing time.
00:12By fearless owners.
00:15Wish me luck.
00:16But nothing's ever straightforward in the chateau.
00:19Who dare to DIY it.
00:23OK, something's not connected.
00:25As they transform them into spectacular homes.
00:31Wow.
00:31It is absolutely magical.
00:35And event venues.
00:37One has to remember to make each detail perfect.
00:42But with delight.
00:44Oh my gosh.
00:47Comes disaster.
00:49But we're a bit hampered by how far we can get it because of the house.
00:53And with great challenge.
00:54It's crazy.
00:55Comes huge reward.
00:58Ooh.
00:59Ah.
01:00It looks great.
01:00As they get to live the dream.
01:04Ooh.
01:05As custodians of their very own castle.
01:17Today, one Chatelaine descends beneath her centuries old estate.
01:23Honestly, I can't believe I'm doing this.
01:25And goes tunneling to solve a mystery.
01:28Yeah, I don't want to get wedged under here.
01:32In a desperate bid to save her medieval floor.
01:36You need to go down there a bit more.
01:38Another chateau owner takes matters into her own hands.
01:42Wow.
01:43It's come out in one piece.
01:46Sun's out.
01:47Gun's out.
01:48Let's go.
01:48The third swings into action on a chateau sized terrace.
02:01In the Vendée countryside of Western France is the magnificent 19th century Chateau de Borneau.
02:11Set in 40 acres, this stunning property comprises 50 sumptuous rooms and is surrounded by a spectacular moat.
02:25Since 2018, it's been owned by former anaesthetist Erin and her French-born engineer partner, JB, who bought it for
02:36£560,000.
02:40It really is a privilege to live in a historic house.
02:44We do realise and appreciate the fact that we are living in a spectacular environment.
02:50Whilst we do a lot of work, it is also extremely rewarding seeing this sleeping fairytale castle come back to
02:57life little by little.
03:03Located in the Pei de la Loire region, Erin and JB run the chateau as an events venue.
03:11Wow.
03:13That's what I want to hear.
03:15And when we last saw them, they brought their tired red salon to life with a sparkling chandelier, turning it
03:24into another opulent entertaining space.
03:27Santé. Santé. Santé. Santé. Santé.
03:34Today, they're hoping to cast even more light on the chateau, but to the driveway, by replacing the dated lights,
03:43which haven't worked since they moved in.
03:46We think it's extremely important that we bring lighting back, but in a more aesthetic manner that is more in
03:51keeping with the 19th century building.
03:53We need to find how they've been installed, how they've been plugged in.
03:57It's a massive challenge, as the driveway lights are separated from the chateau via the moat and huge courtyard.
04:06And, to top it all, they're not sure where the power source is.
04:12Ding.
04:15Can you hear it, JB?
04:18Yeah, got it. Thank you.
04:20This is where we think the lights to the drive are being connected.
04:26So, hopefully, that means the wire come from here directly to the lamps.
04:32All we need to do is to find this wire and follow it.
04:35And, voila, sounds very easy like this.
04:41They're hazarding a guess that the wire is lurking underneath the chateau floor.
04:47I'm not sure how I do the short straw to go tunneling.
04:52Uh, my size is not an advantage on this particular occasion.
04:57And the only way to get down there is through a small hatch door.
05:03Well, there are cables, so that is hopeful if we can identify the correct one.
05:08Okay.
05:11Honestly, I can't believe I'm doing this.
05:13It's great!
05:14Chateau Life, you're living the dream, remember.
05:16Okay, well, you can hear me scream.
05:19All right, wish me luck.
05:22Good luck.
05:25Oh, wow, okay.
05:28Look, look at all these arches.
05:30Wow, yeah, wow!
05:32Whoa!
05:33How cool.
05:34There's lots of wiring in here as well.
05:38Any bones?
05:39Any treasures?
05:41No human remains as of yet.
05:43All treasure.
05:44I'm going feet first.
05:47Okay, don't get wedged.
05:48Yeah, I don't want to get wedged under here.
05:50That would be extremely embarrassing.
05:52At points, the space is only 40 centimetres high.
05:58Do you have enough oxygen?
06:03All right, I'm through one arch.
06:06Oh, look, I can see the main cable.
06:09Can you see where it's going?
06:10Yeah, I mean, it looks like it's going towards the courtyard.
06:14Okay.
06:16Should I just keep going?
06:17Yeah, follow it.
06:18I'm crawling right to the extreme end of this.
06:23Oh, I can see daylight.
06:25She can see daylight, that's good news.
06:28You know what?
06:30Go on.
06:31It's definitely exiting the chateau.
06:33Right.
06:34And what's really great...
06:37I found the box.
06:39And it says, Lamp Extel, yeah.
06:41Is that right?
06:44That's it, well done.
06:46Yeah.
06:46Okay, that's good.
06:48It's a big breakthrough, having found the lamp cable,
06:53but needing to follow it across the courtyard
06:55means Erin and JB's underground adventure isn't over yet.
07:07In the idyllic Dardogne département of southwest France
07:11is the 18th century Domaine de la Barde.
07:15It comes with 30 well-proportioned rooms,
07:21manicured gardens, and a swimming pool.
07:25Since 2020, it's been the home of former chef Tim,
07:30his wife Chris, and their two sons Ollie and Owen.
07:37I do love the chateau, the look of it.
07:40It's beautiful, chunky stone.
07:42I love chunky stone.
07:43And it's symmetrical.
07:44You've got six big French doors
07:46and then six big windows upstairs.
07:49So we're very happy with it.
07:51The chateau is our whole life, really.
07:54You know, our kids live here, they grow up here.
07:56Our business runs out of here.
07:57Just everything channels through the chateau.
08:00So it's really important that we work together with the same dream
08:05and the same ambitions and the same goal.
08:11Located 25 miles from Bergerac,
08:15Tim and Chris now offer holiday accommodation
08:20as well as running food and wine workshops.
08:24And the recent addition of a restored wine cave
08:28should add to the culinary delights on offer.
08:33The last time we saw them,
08:36they'd turned an unused and neglected outhouse
08:40into a bright, smart and much needed laundry room.
08:51Off we go.
08:52Another day in paradise, isn't it?
08:55Today, in the somewhat soggy off-season,
08:59they're turning their attention to a spot
09:02normally kept well out of sight.
09:06One area that's been very neglected is round by the garage.
09:09It used to hold the oil tank.
09:12It's scruffy, it's rough.
09:14And I've always wanted to get that area cleared up.
09:18So my plan is to knock down the oil tank,
09:21create a new terrace
09:22and just give us another sort of entertainment area.
09:27Maybe!
09:28The now defunct oil tank
09:31used to be the main heat source for the chateau.
09:35So if I can get these six out,
09:37we can lift the first panel, maybe.
09:40We'll try and reuse this roof on the barbecue if we do it.
09:52Ah, there we go.
09:54Wonderful!
10:07So that's the roof off.
10:09What I'll do, I'll let Chris go in and get dry
10:11and I'll carry on, now it's stopped raining a bit,
10:15and I'll try and get the walls demolished as quick as I can.
10:37Inside, thick sand surrounds the old oil tank,
10:42but that's not what's concerning Tim.
10:45So I can see all the tops, because they're not retaining any of this weight,
10:49they're all going to come off quite easy.
10:51I don't know further down.
10:54It doesn't sound like it's got anything in it, so it all sounds hollow to me,
10:57but we'll find out.
11:02But sun's out, gun's out, let's go.
11:27Oh, what's that? Owen, Ollie! Oh, Daddy!
11:31Have you come to help? What are you doing? Oh, this looks fun.
11:35Oh, look, there's tons of that.
11:39Let's see if you chip it all off.
11:41Look, they pack all this sand around it so the tank can't move.
11:47Why?
11:48Because if it moves, then the pipes will snap.
11:58Today went really well, actually.
11:59You know, the first day of any job we do kind of is Discovery Day,
12:03you know, so you don't know quite how it's going to go,
12:06and it all went well, so good day.
12:08The ambitious Terrace Project is up and running,
12:13but Tim still has lots to chip away at.
12:22Coming up, Erin's underground mission grinds to a halt.
12:27It feels like there's a lot of soil or debris inside it.
12:33While Tim's facing pruning on a chateau scale.
12:38You wouldn't really know if you looked up, thought we'd touched it.
12:49Close to the river Lot in southwest France lies the majestic 15th century Chateau de Césirac.
13:00It stands in four acres of gardens,
13:03has a medieval tower and its own chapel,
13:08while inside it boasts ten characterful bedrooms.
13:15It was bought in 2022 by John and Carmen for £175,000,
13:23and they currently live in the chapel,
13:25while the massive restoration work continues.
13:30You couldn't do this unless you really had perseverance.
13:34You couldn't do this if you were just thinking you were going to play at it.
13:37That's it.
13:38I go to bed at night thinking about the chateau,
13:41and I wake up in the morning thinking about the chateau,
13:43and I work all day in the chateau,
13:45and do you know what?
13:46I love the chateau.
13:48Just over 100 miles from Bordeaux,
13:53John and Carmen have recently been getting ready
13:57for an extra special occasion, their own wedding.
14:01But I like it. Keeps me fit.
14:03And have created a romantic, lavender-lined pathway,
14:08leading to where they will take their vows.
14:12The last time we saw them,
14:14they turned a piece of scrubland
14:17into a vegetable garden or potager.
14:21And with all the fresh produce they're now growing,
14:25it's time to sort their kitchen.
14:29Today we're in our new kitchen, or potential new kitchen.
14:33There used to be a dining room,
14:35and the room is absolutely amazing.
14:37The architecture's fantastic.
14:38Yeah, I absolutely love this vaulted ceiling.
14:40It's just absolutely tremendous.
14:42I could just sit here and look at it.
14:45And then there's the floor.
14:46It's 500 years old, this floor.
14:49We have to keep it beautiful.
14:51Yeah, I mean, the problem with gold, of course,
14:53is it's a bit slopey and a bit wonky,
14:55and that's the challenge.
14:56But you're right, at this age and this heritage,
14:58it's staying.
14:59Absolutely.
15:01But before getting down to restoration work on the floor,
15:06they need to clear the way for their kitchen cabinets.
15:15Fireworks, John.
15:18There we go.
15:19Picture frame.
15:21Beautiful.
15:22Look at that.
15:23Carmen is eager for a first look at the bespoke cabinets
15:28they've had shipped over from the UK.
15:31Wow.
15:33That's a lot of kitchen.
15:35It is a lot of kitchen.
15:37With an uneven ancient floor and wonky walls to contend with,
15:44the next challenge will be making them lie flush in the room.
15:49So we'll just put it here for now.
15:51Maybe we may have to use that sink.
15:54The two of us love cooking, and we love cooking together,
15:56but it's impossible in that chapel
15:59because there is only room for one person.
16:02Can we put it down because my hand's slipping?
16:04Yeah, OK.
16:04It's really exciting that we've finally started this new kitchen,
16:09and it's going to be fabulous, and I can't wait.
16:11This one?
16:12This is light as no drawers in.
16:14Yeah.
16:15Oh, that's nice.
16:17Easy peasy.
16:19It's going to be our dream to be able to cook together.
16:24This is my first major kitchen fit.
16:27I've done bits and done small ones,
16:28but this one is next level
16:31because just the sheer nothing straightness of it all,
16:37wobbliness, as Carmen says, is the challenge.
16:41Their long-awaited bespoke cupboards
16:44have been shifted into the new kitchen,
16:48and not a moment too soon.
16:51At least they're inside and safe now, which is great news.
16:53It's the start of a huge project for John and Carmen,
16:57but with a floor to restore
17:00and cabinets to paint and fit to wonky walls,
17:04there's a way to go before they will be cooking in this kitchen.
17:13Over four hours north, at Chateau de Barnaud...
17:17Right, hang on.
17:18I'm just getting your signal back.
17:19OK.
17:20Yeah, I can see you.
17:21Erin and JB are still following the electricity wire,
17:26which they hope leads to the old driveway lights.
17:31What we need to try to do now is to make sure
17:33that we can run a cable through that pipe.
17:38It looks like there's space.
17:40They want to replace all the wiring,
17:42but they need to find a way to thread it through to the lights.
17:48So what we got here is a main cable feeding the chateau,
17:51and Raptoron is what we believe to be the cable for the lights.
17:56So we just need to make sure that the pipe is clear
17:58for us to run a new wire.
18:03So can we just start that now?
18:05Yeah, you can, yeah.
18:09So it's jamming.
18:11It feels like there's a lot of soil or debris
18:14or something like that inside it.
18:16Yeah, push.
18:18Oh, God, that's not the good news.
18:20Yeah, it's right here.
18:23I was assuming there was a tube, but clearly there is no tube.
18:26Do you think it's just the tube that starts here
18:28and then it just goes onto the soil?
18:30I think we need to find if there is a tube running all the way along.
18:36I can probably dig from the outside.
18:38Oh, well, one step forward.
18:41Everywhere, yeah.
18:42If there's no tube to put the new wire through,
18:45they might be forced to have a rethink.
18:49Maybe they'll just put stone on top of the cable just to protect it.
18:54I will try to lift it.
18:56Oh, you just sit and down.
18:59It's turning into archaeology more than electricity.
19:03How deep is this stone?
19:06Is it moving?
19:07Yes.
19:08Yeah, that's it.
19:14Well, that's underwhelming.
19:16It's nothing.
19:19Oh, hang on.
19:21Yeah, that's the one.
19:22Okay.
19:23Is it moving?
19:24Oh, no.
19:26They just buried it like this, haven't they?
19:29That's no good news.
19:31It's absolutely solid.
19:33JB's worst fears have been confirmed.
19:37I was hoping that it would go into a conduit, but it doesn't.
19:42So...
19:42That's fine.
19:43Yeah, it's a bit annoying, indeed.
19:46Maybe we can just reuse part of it, but I don't know.
19:49So far, we are stuck.
19:49Without a tube to feed the wiring through,
19:53it might mean digging a channel under the whole courtyard.
19:58It's a bit frustrating.
19:59I think there was this moment of, you know, elation
20:02coming across this beautifully labelled box saying exterior lighting.
20:07We're like, oh, well, here we go.
20:09And then, obviously, never that simple.
20:11With no way forward,
20:14Erin and JB's dream of new driveway lights
20:17is currently looking anything but bright.
20:29230 miles away in the Dordogne,
20:32Tim is planning a new terrace.
20:35Having removed the old oil tanks around,
20:38with help from friend Steve,
20:40he's now clearing up the space.
20:43We're just sort of rolling it up.
20:45The old oil tank is the first thing to go.
20:49What's good, Steve, is if you go downhill,
20:52when all the, er...
20:53anything left in it rolls that end,
20:55I get the light end.
20:57Are you even trying?
20:59I never try.
21:10Oh, I've got a heavy end again.
21:12I had to carry this downstairs on me own.
21:14I'm sure you did.
21:21An old cast-iron cocker...
21:24We're not going very far, are we?
21:26No.
21:27...presents more of a problem.
21:34Maybe here?
21:43With the area cleared,
21:45Tim needs to get stuck into some gardening
21:48on a chateau scale.
21:57Bamboo was introduced to France in the 19th century,
22:02amid a craze for all things exotic and oriental.
22:08Bamboo can reach heights of up to 45 metres.
22:21You can see how monstrous it is, though.
22:23Like, we've cleared a couple of metres in,
22:26probably not even that.
22:27We've got all this,
22:29and you wouldn't really know if you looked up
22:32that we'd touched it.
22:35It has opened his eyes, however,
22:37to other possibilities.
22:40Got an old log shed in here,
22:42which is absolutely knackered.
22:44Just seeing it again properly,
22:47it's, uh...
22:48just sets the old brain cells off, doesn't it?
22:50Start planning the next project.
22:51I kind of feel like that positions itself
22:55really nicely as barbecue,
22:56and I like the idea of over there,
22:58there being, like, an outdoor kitchen.
23:01Terrace here, kitchen there,
23:02right next to the river, hook out a trout,
23:05or throw it on...
23:06Oh, that's right.
23:07Yeah, a little bottle of white wine
23:10on a bit of string,
23:11just resting in the stream.
23:13Oh, that's...
23:13Oh, a little fishing rod, guys.
23:16Ah, yeah.
23:19Tim's vision of summertime on the terrace is clear,
23:23but for now, he will have to dream on.
23:30Coming up,
23:32John and Carmen are in pieces
23:34over their ancient kitchen floor.
23:37We haven't got actually one whole one out yet, have we?
23:40And will Tim's terrace walls come tumbling down?
23:45There's a big Irish ewe here.
23:47But I expect the routes move the wall.
23:58In the Vendée département of Western France,
24:02Erin and JB are digging deep
24:05to try and rewire their driveway lights.
24:09There's passage.
24:10Oh, OK.
24:11Keep feeling some more.
24:14The potentially good news is we found pipe.
24:16That seems to be running back to the chateau.
24:19I'm pushing right now some rods through it,
24:21and hopefully, they will reappear,
24:24and that would be the perfect solution.
24:28So stand over there.
24:29We're moving back and forth.
24:30You might hear it.
24:31OK.
24:33Ready?
24:34Yes.
24:39Yeah, yeah, I can hear it.
24:41I can hear it.
24:42Oh, yes, yes, yes.
24:43OK, it's coming to the other window.
24:46Woo-hoo!
24:47Good.
24:49We've got passage.
24:50It's not as simple as we assume it would be.
24:54But at least we have a solution connecting this port to this port.
24:58It's a start.
24:59But laying wiring to the driveway when your chateau has a moat
25:04was never going to be plain sailing.
25:07Who's going in the boat, then?
25:09Well, I think given that I did the potholing in the medieval chateau...
25:13I knew you were excellent at it.
25:14I liked your light.
25:15I think it's your turn.
25:19JB casts off on his voyage of discovery.
25:24Good exercise.
25:24Good cardio.
25:26Yeah.
25:29Hopefully, wiring across the bridge is going to be an easier part of the process.
25:34It's all very romantic.
25:36Venetian vibes.
25:39Duck!
25:44OK.
25:46So what can you see?
25:47Like a sea eclipse following along the bridge where they used to hang various wires.
25:53Yeah, makes sense.
25:54Keeping it at the back, maybe, to keep it, like, discreet.
25:58What's the plan, then?
25:59So should I pass the cable down to you, then?
26:01Yeah, I think if you drop it from here.
26:03OK.
26:03But it should be good.
26:06Yeah, it's fine.
26:06Got it?
26:07Hang on, hang on.
26:08Yeah, start moving along.
26:09Mm-hmm.
26:11The wind is not making it easier.
26:14Yeah, I can see you're struggling to keep the boat stable.
26:17I can definitely feel my abs, now.
26:19Ha-ha!
26:23Hang on.
26:26Past the midway point.
26:28Whoa.
26:29Good, though.
26:31Careful, don't want you falling in.
26:33OK.
26:35You all right there?
26:36Right, yeah.
26:40So are we nearly done, then?
26:42Yeah, almost.
26:43I think the rest can be finished from the ground.
26:46It's been far from easy, but their goal of reaching the driveway with the new wiring is getting ever closer.
26:55We've managed to now get the electricity off the chateau island for us without having to dig up the entire
27:04courtyard.
27:04Oh, that's the main thing.
27:06That's the main thing.
27:06What's left to be done is just to run the cable to the lamp once we receive them.
27:11So, yeah, that part should be easier.
27:15It's proving to be an epic job, but hopefully it won't be long before they see the light at the
27:22end of the driveway.
27:29Four hours south at John and Carmen's.
27:33Before fitting the bespoke kitchen units to their wonky walls, they want to try and save their 15th century floor,
27:42but it's hit a rocky patch.
27:45So this floor is a medieval floor.
27:47It's 500 years old, would you believe, and it's absolutely beautiful.
27:50And obviously we want to keep the, you know, the history of the building.
27:54We weren't expecting to have to remove the whole floor, and they are individual tiles.
27:59It's going to be a big job.
28:01Huge and very, very delicate, isn't it?
28:03Because, you know, they're crumbly, they're very old, and we've got to make sure they also go back down once
28:09we've levelled the floor.
28:17Right, the question is, will it come out now?
28:19Oh, yes.
28:20Look at that, that's come out really clean.
28:22Okay, now let's get the next one out in one piece.
28:28Okay, will that come out now?
28:30I don't think it will, but don't force it if it's not...
28:32Close gently.
28:34No, I think you should go around again.
28:41Can I take it out?
28:42You can take it out.
28:44It's not ready yet.
28:45It is.
28:45No, it's not.
28:46It is.
28:56Yes.
28:57Wow, it's come out in one piece.
28:59Oh, it's not.
29:00Oh.
29:02We haven't got actually one whole one out yet, have we?
29:05It's like a honeycomb, like a bee's nest.
29:08It is like a bee's nest.
29:14Oh, yes.
29:16Oh, yes.
29:16Wow, look at that.
29:17Wow.
29:18Looks like you got the hang of it, John.
29:19Oh, thanks.
29:20So, I'm going to leave you to it.
29:25While John chips away at the mammoth task,
29:29Carmen returns to the chapel to polish off another job for their new kitchen.
29:35I've been collecting copper for about six months.
29:38Quite typically in the French kitchen, you will find a nice big shelf with all the copper on,
29:41and this would look superb, the copper on a wooden shelf against the stone.
29:48I'm really excited about it, and I'm going to dress the kitchen with the copper.
29:54Having first cleaned with neat lemon juice to cut through the dirt, Carmen goes in with the copper polish.
30:03Stings.
30:04Wow.
30:04So, these chateau challenges, they're always huge, and I guess it can be stressful,
30:10but you just have to break it down into small chunks.
30:17Ah, broken.
30:19It's quite a challenge, keeping the heart of the chateau as it should be, yet trying to modernise things.
30:26When you've got, you know, 500 floors like this, they need preserving,
30:30and, yeah, we're going to have to put a new base down and put them on top of it,
30:34but we want this, you know, good for another 500 years.
30:37We both like a challenge, and we both like the reward at the end,
30:42so, yeah, he's a great partner to work with.
30:46I think it's Carmen that keeps me going with this stuff,
30:48because it's a soul-destroying job if you weren't keeping each other going,
30:51and it's mind-blowing the amount of work you actually have to do to a place like this,
30:56but you just have to do it one chunk at a time,
30:57and if you keep each other going, you know, and celebrate perhaps the end of the day
31:01with a little glass of wine, it makes it worthwhile.
31:04It's so good, you can see your face in it.
31:10It's been over two hours,
31:12and John is starting to make a dent in the kitchen floor.
31:17How are you getting on, John?
31:19Oh, my word!
31:21Success!
31:21Not too bad, not too bad.
31:23Two or three more days, I think, to get it up, dig it, a couple more days to get it
31:27down.
31:28Wow.
31:29Yeah, good week's work here.
31:30I'm really happy we can save this floor.
31:33It's going to be a mammoth challenge,
31:35but the long slog of saving their ancient floor tiles is well underway.
31:46Forty miles north at Domaine de la Barde,
31:50Tim is into his third week of building a 60-square-metre terrace
31:55and, today, needs to check the surrounding ancient wall for loose stones.
32:04These properties are beautiful, beautiful properties.
32:08We're not millionaires, but if we use our time wisely,
32:12we can add to it and we can improve it
32:14and we can make sure it stays a beautiful property.
32:18It's had a very rough ten years in its existence,
32:21and now here we are,
32:23just slowly, slowly, slowly bringing this sleeping beauty back to life.
32:36All this kind of loose stuff, I can take all this out
32:40and then when I'm pointing it, I can rebuild it
32:43and straighten it all up and make it safe.
32:47It all looks reasonably nice.
32:49There's two or three areas where I'm going to have to pull a few out
32:51and put them back in and rebuild a bit,
32:52but nothing disastrous.
32:58Two days of hard graft
33:00and Tim is well into the restoration work
33:04of this 20-metre-long wall.
33:06There's a big Irish ewe here.
33:09Beautiful, lovely.
33:11But I expect the roots,
33:13like everything, have sort of moved the wall just a little bit.
33:17And because it looks like it has been repaired before,
33:21because there is some very brittle cement in here,
33:24but it's obviously very old.
33:27That's OK.
33:29We can fix that.
33:32I'll keep all the stone
33:35and then just put it all back together again.
33:43That's all the risky stuff.
33:46And I'm back to a nice solid bit.
33:47The wall's quite straight.
33:49But, yeah, that's the worst of it.
33:55To cement the stones back into place,
33:59Tim uses traditional lime mortar.
34:04Yeah, it's essentially a big jigsaw bug puzzle.
34:11And once the hole's filled,
34:14Tim locks it into place.
34:16Yeah, it's all looking rather lovely.
34:31And it's another job completed.
34:35I'm happy with the wall.
34:36It's all looking really nice, nice and solid.
34:39Rebuilt some sections that were starting to fall down.
34:41So it's all coming together lovely.
34:42It's going to look great, but fit for purpose, which is more important.
34:47The garden wall is rock-solid again
34:50and paves the way for a spectacular new terrace.
35:00Still to come.
35:02This has got to be millimetre perfect.
35:04Will John and Carmen win their battle of the wonky walls?
35:09Too short now.
35:10It's not.
35:11And will Erin and JB ever see the light?
35:15Oh, wow.
35:16So that's going to be the jigsaw.
35:27Back in the heart of the Lot Valley,
35:31it's been more than two months,
35:33and John and Carmen have managed to save 80% of the original floor tiles
35:40after raising, restoring and replacing them
35:44around where their new kitchen island will go.
35:48It's been a long old job so far, the kitchen, hasn't it?
35:51Well, it's been a difficult journey
35:52because the floor's 500 years old
35:54and there's no other option
35:56but to have lifted up all the tomettes
35:59and cleaned them, leveled the floor
36:02and put them down again, which has been fun.
36:04It will end up beautiful.
36:06Hopefully.
36:07Give us a kiss.
36:08Shall we go?
36:10Having saved as many of their precious tomettes as they could...
36:15Looking good.
36:16Oh, yes.
36:18..the irregular walls mean that today's task
36:21is to build a wooden framework
36:23to fix the kitchen cabinets onto.
36:26Can I get my laser up?
36:27I will direct you.
36:29And that's going to involve a lot of measuring.
36:33It's a millimetre underneath.
36:36Try that.
36:37Yeah, perfect.
36:38Got to make the kitchen wall fit the kitchen unit.
36:41But if we don't get it right, the kitchen won't fit.
36:43It's really as simple as that.
36:54Measuring's the most important bit of all of this.
36:56Once you know exactly where it's going and it's right,
36:58it doesn't take that long to get a building
37:00this basic framework.
37:02It's just the boring bit, isn't it?
37:04Why is that below the line?
37:06And that's not on the line.
37:07What's going on here?
37:08No, I just need to redo that.
37:18Yeah, that's good.
37:19It's pretty good.
37:20And that's that top of that.
37:21I mean, the thing leans all over the place
37:22because it's following the wall contour.
37:24But fundamentally, it follows the laser, doesn't it?
37:25Yeah.
37:26That now gives us a basis to actually work out from.
37:32Can you make sure it's on that end?
37:35Two.
37:36That was close.
37:37One more.
37:45Voila.
37:45We now have a framework
37:47and that will sit hard against the wall.
37:49And how much height difference have we got here?
37:51About half a spoon.
37:52Might be a centimetre.
37:55This has got to be millimetre perfect.
38:00As you can see, I've literally cut a millimetre off it.
38:03But the millimetre is an important, important part of it.
38:07So, right, Carmen.
38:08It better fit this time.
38:12It's the right way round.
38:14It's too short now.
38:16It's not.
38:17I'm joking.
38:17It's perfect.
38:18It is perfect.
38:19It's perfect now.
38:20And that's that first bit of framework done.
38:22OK.
38:23But will John's precise measurements pay off
38:26and their bespoke units lie flush to the ancient wall?
38:31This is a nice little corner one here.
38:35Yeah, so this one sits here-ish.
38:41About here, I think.
38:42Nice.
38:44And look at that.
38:45Lovely doll.
38:46Nice, isn't it?
38:52Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you
38:53to put the stone sink on the top.
38:55No, I can't.
38:56I know how heavy it is.
38:57It's too heavy, but it gives you an idea...
38:58I don't think we can lift it, to be honest.
38:59What the sink unit is going to...
39:00No, you two of us won't lift it.
39:03So just put it down in front of it,
39:05and then we'll move it into place.
39:08There we are.
39:10And then, of course, it's all going to be painted nicely.
39:12Yes, sir.
39:12Gives you an idea, doesn't it, of what it's going to look like?
39:15I think so.
39:16I'm quite pleased.
39:18Their vision for a new chateau kitchen
39:22is finally coming to the boil.
39:26The 500-year-old floor,
39:29made of original tomettes,
39:32was painstakingly lifted up tile by tile
39:36and 80% restored and laid once more.
39:43And, with the start of framing work
39:46to form a flat surface,
39:48the bespoke cabinets are slotting into place.
39:52You can sort of picture it now, can't you?
39:53Yeah, yeah.
39:54It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?
39:55In the end, when it's all perfect,
39:57it's going to look absolutely spot on.
39:59We'll be cooking our own vegetables in our own kitchen
40:02that's millimetre perfect.
40:03On that beautiful floor.
40:06Every step of this project
40:08has been painfully slow so far,
40:11but for John and Carmen,
40:13their dream of a chateau kitchen
40:15is finally coming to life.
40:25Four hours away,
40:27in the Vendée département of Western France,
40:30it's a big day for Erin and JB
40:33as their new lights for the driveway
40:35have finally arrived.
40:40Ooh, okay.
40:41Lovely.
40:42It's taken a really long time
40:43to find exactly what we're looking for,
40:46and then we found this brand that's amazing,
40:47and so we're really excited
40:48to be putting back
40:50what the chateau should have had
40:51back in the 19th century.
40:54Oh, wow.
40:55So, that's going to be the jigsaw.
40:57Yes.
40:58Yeah, it's so great.
40:59They're really big.
41:01Ooh, is that the base?
41:03Yeah, but I don't know which one.
41:07Very nice.
41:09I think we're going to really
41:11create something special here.
41:12I just don't know in which order to do it.
41:15You know, I could find a picture
41:16on the website to know which order.
41:19Yeah.
41:19Unless, is this obviously
41:20where the lamp bit goes?
41:21That's going to be...
41:22Yeah, I think that's the bar,
41:23and then it's the lamp, right?
41:25Yeah, but what are these bits?
41:28Uh, yeah.
41:30Well, that's exciting.
41:31A bit of a puzzle.
41:33With no guidelines to go by,
41:36they're a bit in the dark.
41:40Maybe it's the top
41:41and that's the foot inside.
41:42Here, look.
41:44Let's say like this.
41:47That's...
41:47Oh, that's the top, maybe.
41:49That looks like it could be that.
41:51That could be that.
41:52OK, I think we're slowly
41:55working this out.
42:00Yeah, that makes sense.
42:02Yeah, OK.
42:04Good.
42:07So, we're going to spread this
42:09through the whole length?
42:10Yes.
42:12Having achieved the mammoth task
42:15of installing an electricity cable
42:17across a moat
42:19and under the Chateau Courtyard,
42:22they can only hope
42:24they can wire it up
42:26correctly.
42:28Can you pull the wire, please?
42:29Cable?
42:31It's sort of like
42:32little hints
42:33of how it's going to look already.
42:38You all right?
42:39Yeah.
42:44Nice.
42:45All done.
42:46Good.
42:47Yeah.
42:51Oh, wow.
42:52Something like that.
42:53Oh!
42:54That looks great.
42:55Oh, that looks really good.
42:56That's literally exactly
42:57what I've been looking for.
42:58It does look good.
42:59Nice.
43:00Yeah.
43:01Good.
43:01That's one done.
43:03I love the fact
43:04it's solid metal
43:05and it's got that
43:06traditional 19th century
43:08Chateau chic about it.
43:10It's been a huge job
43:12and as well as
43:13the new traditional
43:14street light
43:15they have two
43:16smaller lamps
43:18to add fairy tale
43:20sparkle
43:20either side
43:21of the bridge.
43:23Moment of truth.
43:24Should I press a button?
43:25Yeah.
43:25Go on.
43:29Oh, yes.
43:30Yes.
43:31They're working.
43:33Hurrah.
43:33Oh.
43:34I'm very relieved.
43:35They look great.
43:36Really, really great.
43:37So success.
43:38Honestly,
43:39so relieved
43:40to be honest
43:40because there was
43:41a lot of work
43:42that went into
43:43this set up.
43:44Arriving at the Chateau
43:45I think will add
43:46that feeling
43:47of kind of magic
43:48and ambiance
43:48that we like to create
43:49for our weddings.
43:51Well, cheers.
43:52Cheers.
43:53Santé.
43:54It's an epic job done
43:57and with plans
43:58to add further lamps
43:59to line the driveway
44:01Erin and JB's future
44:03is looking
44:05spectacularly bright.
44:09Next time.
44:12Bonjour.
44:13C'est bon?
44:13There are concrete concerns
44:16that we're a bit hampered
44:17by how far we can get it
44:18because of the house.
44:20Ruffled feathers
44:22How are you going
44:23to persuade
44:24or teach the chickens
44:25to operate this thing?
44:28And a wedding day deadline.
44:32We need to keep moving
44:33if we're going to get this done.
44:38The楽 stadion
44:38for a little constipation
44:39in which we can get your
44:39time on.
44:41We'll be doing
44:41too.
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