You’re Invited
June 21 - July 31 2025
Historic Garden Workshop I
Join us at Récollets Manoir for a once in a lifetime experience. Participate in the creation of an entry courtyard garden steeped in over 400 years of history.
Observe master craftspeople working in their trades or get your hands dirty and assist them in the construction such as: installing ancient stone cobble paving, creating a carved stone wall fountain, working with slate and zinc for the mansard roof repair, forging iron, casting iron, restoring the building facade, working with the draft horse or planting the garden.
Practice hand drafting, sketching and design and gain understanding of how these magnificent ancient buildings and gardens were conceived.
See this tiny masterpiece garden come to fruition from beginning to end before your eyes and know that your contribution will last for generations to come.
Weekly meals are included in the cost of the training and your room. Enjoy the camaraderie as we prepare the daily menu and “plat du jour” together in the magnificent kitchen.
Then, on the weekends, let loose! Explore and discover with us the richness, history, beauty, nature, sport, culture and legends of this unsung region.
“You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”
— Will Rogers
The Project
We are starting the renovations of the grounds at the northeast corner of the property. However insignificant in scale it looks on the concept masterplan, it might be one of the most powerful spaces on the grounds. This is the primary entrance dedicated to guests that arrive on foot, and this little garden space will be their first impression of Récollets Manoir.
These are our design goals:
1. To create a magnificent first impression, setting the mood for the incredible things the guests will discover inside.
2. To design using historically appropriate, authentic and long-lasting materials and methods.
3. To provide a well-lit, secure and safe entry.
4. To offer a good representation of trades for our workshop apprentices to experience.
5. To finish the project by our deadline of July 31, 2025.
The Plan
We are creating a miracle!
We are transforming this forgotten space into a sublime entry into the manoir that will delight passers-by and give a warm welcome to guests.
The entry courtyard garden will give the guests a first impression of grace, beauty, tranquility and well-being. The design and details will showcase timeless craftsmanship enlivening the senses with sound, movement, scent, texture and colour. The methods and materials employed will be appropriate to the age and history of the building with subtle design elements capturing its ecclesiastical soul.
The team
The masters of traditional trades and arts were the cornerstones of our world civilisations throughout history.
However, the art of today is technology. The exponential pace of progress and impatience for the immediate is making hand craftsmanship obsolete in favour of quick products made by machines and robots using imitation or virtual materials.
We appreciate and use technology in our daily lives yet we still cannot forget our heritage.
We believe that the two can co-exist and that it is up to us to keep the trades alive for future generations - before it is too late.
Seize this opportunity to meet these craftsmen, some of them the last of their kind. Apprentice under them as they impart their wisdom and mastery in their metier.
Where you will Stay
Take your pick between 5 newly restored rooms all with ensuite bathrooms. Enjoy the rustic elegance, the gorgeous headboards and cuddle up in the cozy beds in either queen, king and super king sizes.
Each room has been restored, designed and named after a real character who played a part in the history of the Récollets Manoir.
If you are coming with a large family or group, or have more of a pauper’s budget, come and claim a bed up in the enormous “grenier” (the attic), transformed into a dormitory for 12, fully equipped with bathrooms, kitchenette, small lounging room and a pingpong table.
Or, for the more adventurous types, glamp in the romantic Gypsy Caravan hidden away in our tiny forest.
The manoir
Recollets Manoir has been under monumental renovations since we purchased the property in 2010. Now, with the bulk of the interior work finished, we are thrilled to share with you what we have done and how beautiful it has become.
The grounds
The grounds of the Récollets Manoir is unmatched in richness from the imprints of centuries past. This is an incredibly rare opportunity to create magnificent gardens while incorporating such a deep historical base. We hope the beauty and its age inspires your soul like it has ours.
Prehistory: In the Bronze Age, as early as 1200 B.C., there is archaeological evidence of people living here. During the Iron Age around 750 B.C., the Celts built a settlement called an oppidum that traversed our land. You can still see the demarkation from their defense wall.
Roman Empire: 56 B.C. - 486 A.D., A military base, called a garrison was built here by the Gallo-Romans.
Medieval: In the 11th-century, a chateau fortress of the ancient province of Poitou was constructed here. Then in the 14th century, it was mostly destroyed during 100-year war,
1619: The Recollets monks built their convent between 1619-1623. Here, they lived peacefully, farming the land and helping the town of Le Blanc, until the French Revolution in 1789 forcibly removed them and destroyed much of the convent.
1792: The grounds and convent were taken from the monks and sold off to a private owner. Since then, it was in the hands of only a few families the last of which had it in their family for over 100 years.
2010: Patrice and Oléa purchased the old Récollets convent and grounds, spending 15 years in interior renovations.
2025: The start of renovations of the grounds.
Weekend excursions
After a busy week working on the garden project and gleaning knowledge from the masters, you deserve a break! Our region of France is rich with beauty, history, architecture, sports and culture. We will take you to visit some of the most famous chateaux and gardens of the Loire Valley and villages voted as some of the most beautiful in all of France.
Here In the French countryside we know how to celebrate summer! There are festivals almost every weekend, some of the best fireworks you would ever see on Bastille Day, the Tour de France, haggling over treasures at the brocantes (flea markets), canoeing in the river, hiking in the countryside, skydiving, or just having a picnic and taking a nap under a tree.