Dick and Angel Strawbridge's family home Château de la Motte-Husson has long been considered breathtakingly beautiful, attracting tourists from around the world and couples who want to host their wedding.
The Escape to the Chateau stars' latest Instagram photo, however, proves that the Strawbridge home belongs in a Disney movie. Capturing the still lilly pond in front of the white facade and gleaming spires against the backdrop of a blue sky, they shared their excitement about a series of "firsts" at the historic property.
"It’s a week of Chateau ‘Firsts!’" they captioned the photo. "First water lily of 2025. First events of 2025. First shipment en route for our new Australian hub! Exciting times."
Fans quickly branded the chateau "stunning" and "absolutely beautiful", while others reminisced about how far Dick and Angel's home renovations have come since they purchased the property for £280k in 2015.
© Instagram"No more pollarding, the trees look great," joked one, while a second added: "The trees look lovely. Have they been pollarded?" referring to past gardening works.
Home renovations
© Channel 4The couple spent years painstakingly renovating the property, which had previously stood empty for 40 years with no electricity, heating or running water.
Now, the chateau, which sits on 12 acres of stunning grounds, boasts a stunning library, a grand salon and an orangery.
Despite the spacious interiors, Dick and Angel admitted that their children Dororthy and Arthur share a bedroom in a 2024 episode of Dick & Angel's Chat...Eau podcast.
© InstagramWhen one listener asked if the brother and sister would stop sharing a room soon, Angel remarked: "I don't think it's this year, I think we've got one more year. It's interesting because we thought that this year would be the year where they wanted their own bedrooms.
"We talked about it at the end of 2023 and there was this moment where they both loved the idea of having their own bedrooms, and then when I started to show them what the options could be, they were both like, 'No, we're fine for another year.'"
Aesthetic issues
While fans love seeing updates on the property, one of the latest photos could spell disaster for the Strawbridges in the future.
Their beloved orangery was covered in picture-perfect wisteria, which can come with hidden problems. The home insurance experts at Norton Insurance Brokers have identified wisteria are among the popular plants linked to costly structural issues.
Plus, the experts warn that "most standard insurance policies will not cover claims related to overgrown climbing plants".
© Instagram"Wisteria poses some hidden risks that many homeowners don't realise until it's too late," they warn. "In fact, concern is clearly growing, with searches for whether wisteria damages walls increasing by 57 per cent since this time last year, as more homeowners begin to question the hidden risks of this popular climber."
How does it cause an issue? "It grows quickly and develops thick, woody stems that twist around anything in their path. As these stems mature, they exert pressure on walls, gutters, and rooflines, gradually widening gaps and creating potential entry points for water and frost damage.
"When allowed to spread unchecked, wisteria can even dislodge roof tiles or gutters. And if planted too close to a property, its root system may also begin to interfere with underground drainage or shallow foundations."
