Escape to the Chateau

Dick, 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.

Work 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?

Angel 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.

Angel 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.

In this festive special, the Strawbridges take inspiration from Christmases past in a 19th-century ledger they find in the attic, and create a winter wonderland complete with an ice rink.

The whole family help to build an open kitchen and create a pop-up restaurant in the orangery to celebrate Dick and Angel's fifth wedding anniversary. Plus: a special fairy-tale carriage delivery.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge attempt to renovate the orangery with the help of a roofing expert and some pre-loved slate, all the way from Wales, They also discover some unexpected history beneath their feet, and Angel finds two old daybeds in need of upcycling.

“Wash House, Trench & Vintage Bike” Dick and Angel start work on turning the old wash house into a bathroom for their boat on the moat. Angel’s imagination runs wild when they discover a huge trench. And a vintage bike gets a refurb.

After another busy year, Dick and Angel prepare for Christmas with an exquisite festive menu; some beautiful Christmas crafts; friends, family, and some special guests.

As autumn arrives at the chateau, Dick and Angel start a new project, turning a 35-foot eight-tonne riverboat into luxury guest accommodation, with bespoke fabrics and decking.

As the beginning of autumn arrives, Dick Strawbridge passes on his conker skills to the family, before the serious business resumes and the next phase of the renovation begins. Dick and his wife Angel Adoree get to work converting the old tack room into a grand entrance way. Angel knocks down walls and upcycles an old glass door, while Dick lays a new concrete floor.

There never seems to be much down-time at that sumptuous French château for owners Dick and Angel Strawbridge. Even as the summer ends after their busiest ever season and the last wedding of the year is nearly over, there’s still a lot to do. While most people would put up their feet and have a Pernod, Dick and Angel welcome an armada of vintage Citroëns that call in at the castle for a rest and breakfast during a fund-raising charity tour of France. And the family, including youngsters Arthur and Dorothy, work on their latest project, doing up a 1980s Asquith bus.

Dick and Angel throw a Christmas party for everyone who has helped them in restoring the chateau, complete with food from the walled garden and homemade wine.

Dick and Angel harvest their pumpkins in the Autumn. But there's still time for family wheelbarrow races, to give the basement a swish makeover, and to convert the old piggery into a chicken coop.

Before winter sets in, Dick ploughs up the wild flower meadow - a change that Angel doesn't entirely agree with. He then joins with Angel in bringing the dilapidated coach house back to life, in a bid to create 'Cafe Grandma'.

It's the height of summer and the heat is on for Dick and Angel, with the peak of the events season, wedding cakes melting, school holidays, a boating lake, and a leaky boat.

Dick gets to work on the chateau's crumbling stucco while Angel puts the finishing touches to the floating geodesic dome in the moat, ready for the ultimate family sleepover under the stars.

It's harvest time and Dick wants to make jam and turn pears into booze. Angel has ambitious plans for a floating geodesic dome over the moat. There is a special birthday treat for Dick.

Summer has arrived and Dick and Angel are busier than ever with 7 weddings and 14 food lovers' weekends to prepare for. If that wasn't enough they also must sort out the garden and stables.

As the wedding season comes to the chateau, Dick and Angel's lives are about to get a whole lot busier. Then there's the barn, the van and the lime trees, as tensions start to rise.

Dick buys a tractor, with plans to tame the walled garden. Angel designs a boudoir with black walls and mirrors. The couple explore truffle farming. And there's a wedding proposal in the dining room.

The couple get cracking on the 20 rooms that still need fixing. Angel buys a clapped-out van. And what have the tree surgeons done to the lime trees?

Dick and Angel help Linda and Andrew transform a patch of land in their back garden into an al fresco bath house using a 1960s pink bathroom suite bought for a quid, a hot water heater and ingenious use of the Japanese art of kintsugi. Dick also answers a request from chef Alisha to help transform her barren backyard into a productive veg patch by utilising clever tiered planters costing the price of a few nails, plus brilliant bag-grown potatoes. Meanwhile, Angel helps Kerry bring her granny's wartime haberdashery box back to life to create a stylish solution that she can fill with special memories of the past.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge help transform Wendy and Chloe's 57-foot narrowboat by solving an inside-outside dilemma, building a modular garden planter for the boat's curved roof and Swedish-inspired blinds for its windows - answering the pair's desire to create a beautiful boat bolthole. Angel also answers a request from Esther to help bring an old doll's house back to life so she can create an heirloom for her nieces and nephews. Meanwhile, Dick helps Abby and Ashley with their understairs cupboard, as they are keen to find a solution to streamline their storage.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge help Amy bring sunshine to her summer house by transforming if from a tired, dull space into a tropical room filled with a kaleidoscope of colour, complete with original artwork projected onto the walls and cactus-inspired cushions. Dick also responds to a request from Sophia and Jenny to help build a bird hide and periscopes, so the children at their forest school can go birdwatching. Back at the chateau, Angel creates a mermaid-inspired play shed for a youngster's birthday.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge help transform Lexie's dark, dingy cellar into a sumptuous 1920s-style speakeasy, complete with coal chute bar, banquette seating and art deco detailing - answering Lexie's desire to create an interior filled with the old Hollywood vibe. Angel also answers a request from Izzy to create an allergy-free bridal bouquet for her Great Gatsby-inspired wedding. Meanwhile, Dick helps Mandy and Paul in the Shetland Islands divide a room in their croft house to not only provide privacy for guests when they visit but become a useable storage space when they're not.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge help Natalie and Pete come up with some compact camping ideas, such as a portable solar shower that doubles up as a sink and tyre chairs with a rustic rope finish. Dick also helps a viewer transform her garden into a plot she can be proud of, and Angel offers upholstery advice to a woman whose favourite chair has been left in tatters by the family dog.

Dick and Angel Strawbridge help Xuxa and Simon, who are keen to transform the Second World War air raid shelter in their garden into a craft room - the only problem is, the space is tiny, so Angel thinks up some creative space-saving solutions. They also get requests to help Lyra and her dad James, who want to make a new chicken coop, and Helena, whose 1960s stereogram record player is no longer spinning.