The intrepid châtelaine

Most people move to France with the intention of integrating, but how easy is it to be accepted into the heart of the local community? Gillian Harvey talks to three couples who’ve done just that

The classic French formal garden is typified by features including geometric shapes and symmetrical patterns, like those you find at châteaux, but it’s a style that can be easily adapted to more modest properties, writes Richard Wiles

The garden at Caisson House, near Bath, Somerset The home of Amanda and Phil Honey

After 25 years of dreaming of finding a place in France, Christina and David Laycock finally found their ‘little corner of French paradise’ in the Dordogne

There’s a treat in store for lovers of history, design and fine food at Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire. The estate was redesigned in the 19th century by Sir John Soane, and today it integrates collections

In the six acres of grounds, Maud Peters has adopted a classical English gardening style with a dose of her own characteristic French flair