The park
A green setting to protect !
With the development of the 6 hectares of the Château du Theil estate, it is a global project allowing the coexistence of visitors, hotel-restaurant customers and events that will see the light of day. Valuing the history of the place and highlighting the existing rural setting will be the axis of this transformation. This place, crossed by many sources of water will have multiple spaces with a recurring theme "water".
As soon as you arrive, you will see the north facade of the château and enter a very green car park surrounded by many shrubs. Once you have crossed this one and parked your car you'll be directed to the main alley leading to the castle. You will be invited to enjoy the first large terrace in the garden.
The second garden terrace will transport you to an enclosed and flowery space. A small garden which will evolve according to the seasons with a circular fountain in the center. A great place for a little photo shoot before heading to the third terrace.
The third area will be circular, the largest and very open. A relatively flat space, ideal for settling on the lawn and enjoying a reading break. You will also find small cocoons of greenery at the southern end. Small rooms surrounded by hedges to relax.
This space ,bordered by chestnut trees and embellished with the first fountain, will allow you to admire the most beautiful view of the castle and the imposing round tower whose foundations date back to the 12th century. This first terrace will also allow you to have a global overview of the park and enjoy the sun set, a small drink in hand on the terrace.
The rest of the park will have a central area with basins and a small pond. A more natural and less worked area. You will also find an amphitheater for events.
In the last zone of the park, to the north-west, there will be unusuals accommodations on the heights with a plant barrier favoring privacy. In the center of this area will also be a belvedere allowing you to admire the breathtaking view of the city center of Ussel.
THE FOUNTAINS
The fountains in the park are supplied with water from several sources. Groundwater that flows through the faults in the region's granite base. Once the only source of water in the neighborhood, neighbors and farmers came to get their supplies. With the arrival of new residents in the neighborhood and the modernization of the water network, this source has changed its usefulness. For several decades, it has been a simple source of irrigation water for the château's garden. And even if the neighbors passed by from time to time, the fountain deteriorated over the years but its water remained of quality and in sufficient quantity.
This first source is at the base of an old network of fountains in waterfalls which crosses all the park of the castle. One of the objectives of the park redevelopment project will be to rehabilitate this network and restore radiance to these fountains.
In the northwest part of the park is another source of water which today springs in 3 stone basins before crossing the park in all that length to reach the natural talweg. The landscaping in the central area of ​​the park will revolve around the renovation of these basins and the creation of a small pond. This resource will also be used to water the fruit orchard, the vegetable garden and to operate the aquaponics greenhouse below.
The park will also include many fruit trees as well as a small vegetable garden in addition to the production of vegetables by the aquaponics greenhouse, which may be necessary at the restaurant.
The entire park will represent a protected natural space in which bat houses will be installed. The bat has been nesting for several years under the roof of the castle. In order to encourage this little animal to stay in the park and to settle in a more sustainable way despite the works, a new nest box will be installed in the central area of ​​the park. The aim is at the same time to encourage them to eat mosquitoes and other insects that could develop in water ponds.
For the same purpose, fish will be installed in the ponds in order to create a small ecosystem and make the basins a little more alive.
The birds will also receive a number of small houses that will be installed in the trees in the central area of the park. All these developments will thus encourage local species to settle in the park despite the works.
Finally, the park development project will also include the installation of a few bees houses. The establishment of bees in this sector seems particularly well suited since there are no crops using pesticides nearby. Our friends the bees will be able to enjoy the flowers and vegetables of the park and produce a little beat of honey for the pleasure of visitors.
