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The small Château de Sardy was renovated and its gardens created in
the 1950s by its Anglo-French owners. A lovely garden was built on the
crags and in the south-facing bowl of land below the Château overlooking
the Valley of the Dordogne, and is still under
development. The present owner, a member of the same family, continues to
employ excellent local landscape designers. |
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The central feature is the water garden, created from what was
originally the family's swimming pool (they have an indoor pool now, in
the former orangery). It
is formal and stocked with exotic aquatic plants. The lotuses produce
exquisite flowers and seed heads. |
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Sardy is easy to find just outside the village of Vélines, which is
near St Emilion. The guide who takes the entrance fee, sells teas and
plants, and answers all your questions, will speak English (and is often
not French). You may well meet the owner, and he also speaks excellent
English. The gardeners are extremely helpful too, but you need to
understand plant names in French. |
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In addition to the formal water garden, there is a shady woodland
area with small statues, an open area of flowering and scented trees, an
informal garden of lawns, rocks, and small pools, and a formal vineyard.
The garden is blessed by natural springs, which are engineered to cascade
through the small pools. |
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Les Jardins de Sardy is a lovely peaceful spot, well worth an hour
or two of anyone's time. The gardens are not too large to be appreciated
without too much exertion, and there is always a cup of coffee or tea available on
the terrace overlooking the whole estate when you have finished strolling
around. We are lucky to have such a pleasant spot only five miles or so
from La Citadelle
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