We’ve had Lanobre and Chateau de Val on our ‘to visit’ list for some time. Em’s grandfather was friends with the chateau owners son, he sadly died in the war, but we have letters to Em’s Grandfather from his friend with the chateau address and family coat of arms on. Luckily being a French Chateau we were able to overnight in the car park. It’s situated on an EDF lake now, but would have just been on a hill overlooking the valley. After a couple of false starts (chateau wasn’t open for 2 days when it said it was) it was open and we went in. What a place, it’s not overly grand, it was a chateau for ‘living in’. They have photos throughout the rooms of the chateau as it was when the last family lived there. You get to explore the towers, seeing giant oak beams holding the roofs up and walk the narrow ramparts.