MY VILLAGE LA CROPTE
The dream of an apartment in Paris turned into a château in the Loire, and Australian Suzie Jackson couldn’t be more pleased, she tells Sylvia Edwards Davis
How did you find your village?
My then husband and I (we’ve since divorced) were going to buy an apartment in Paris and couldn’t decide which arrondissement. I’ve always loved cooking and was in hospitality many years ago. I literally had that middle-of-thenight flash: what if we bought a château outside of Paris and I could do something around food? I’m Australian, so, it was quite a big task from the other side of the world. Also, that was nearly 10 years ago, when there wasn’t the amount of property online that there is now. It was a very different environment.
We wanted to be close to Paris because it’s a 30-hour flight just to get here so we didn’t want to add a massive drive. We dreamed of that quintessential fairytale château and wanted somewhere that felt French, rather than mostly English-speaking. The Loire ticked the boxes but neither of us had ever been to the Pays de la Loire, let alone Mayenne. We viewed 16 châteaux – a big range in a big area. It was a steep learning curve about listed monuments, undocumented farmer arrangements, septic tanks and all those sorts of things, plus we have numerous stories of how long the process can be and the sales that fell through.
By day three we didn’t think we would find anything on that visit, that it would take multiple trips. The very next day we stopped at the top of a very long driveway and could glimpse the top of a château. It was summer and as we emerged from the trees there was suddenly this shadow in front of us. It was quite imposing, with a beautiful energy. It is just 1hr15 from Paris by train, easy for guests, with the right amount of land, and it had been owned by an Australian. We looked at the other properties because we didn’t want to upset the estate agent, but we knew Château de la Carrière was the one.
What do you enjoy about your village?
La Cropte is about 500m as the crow flies, so we are almost in the village. Originally we thought we should be in the tourist area closer to the vineyards but in hindsight, the quiet here is fabulous.
It’s a gorgeous little village of around 200 people, around 60 of whom are on the fête committee. Therefore, we always have events, such as the ‘best garden’, followed by dinner and bingo last Saturday. We left after midnight, but the party went on until four in the morning! All there is in the village beside the homes are the mairie, church, and one little restaurant that opens just for lunch. It’s all about the people. They do a huge roasted pig on a spit once a year, a cycling event, a big brocante; it’s surprising how ac
