Sweet Valley highs
barbecue, play games then sit and watch the sunset behind the trees before heading inside our cosy tent.
Popping out to use the bathroom before bed, we’d gaze up at the bounty of stars and listen to the owls hooting in the branches high above us. The tents are vented with mosquito nets so it was comfortable to sleep with a gentle breeze coming in from outside.
And, in the morning, we’d wake to the sound of birds chirping.
WHERE TO EAT
AT the heart of the site is a cobbled courtyard, which has a series of fountains. From here you can access the reception, gites, café, play barn and a restaurant called The Stables, which used to be the old stable block.
Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings, there’s a set menu featuring dishes such as Spanish pork with couscous, Mexican chicken burger and chickpea curry, with desserts including home-made meringue nests and chocolate torte.
Main meals cost around £6 to £7 and there’s a children’s menu too.
BEST PLACE TO BUY BREAD
THE old pigsty has been converted into a Milk Bar and Shop, where you can sit and drink coffee and pick up supplies brought in daily from the local boulangeries, charcuteries and epiceries.
This is key to the campsite’s success, the fact that the locals have been supportive of the project from the very beginning.
Everything on the site has been restored carefully to ensure it is in keeping with the area. The planting is beautiful too, with large lavender bushes and apple trees.
Fresh bread and croissants can be ordered every afternoon for delivery the next morning.
THINGS TO DO
THE site is in Villedomer, a pretty little town near Tours.
There are some lovely cycle trails you can do directly from L’orangerie de Beauregard, which saves having to load the bikes onto the car.
We cycled into neighbouring towns, stopping to take photographs of the colourful sunflower fields and rows of vineyards.
This is, after all, an area best known for its wine, chateaux and sunflowers. There are lots of wonderful castles and museums to visit, from nearby Ambroise and Chambord (the largest and closest) to D’usse, which is said to have inspired the Sleeping Beauty story.
Our favourite was Chenonceau, a stunning chateau built across the River Cher. It boasts manicured gardens, a maze, a donkey park, a 16th century farm and Medieval castle keep.
Once inside, you can take an audio tour to learn about the history of the place, which involves wives and mistresses, King Louis XIV – known as the Sun King – and the woman who saved the chateau during the French Revolution.
During the war, the Great Hall which stretches across the river was used as a hospital with beds lined up to treat wounded soldiers, some of whom were said to have fished from the windows!
The kitchens below were used to feed up to 200 people a day, with