Win a luxury seven-night French château stay for ten guests worth £12,000
The property delivers views across 17 acres of parkland and vines that undulate to the river and there's space for up to 20 guests — seven bedrooms are found in the main house, and there's an additional trio of rooms in a separate cottage. Days here can be spent basking poolside, getting competitive in the games room or tending the vines (before pootling to the in-house cellar). There's also a grand kitchen that inspires trips to the local market and will have you wondering why you didn't move here years ago. So what are you waiting for?
Oliver's Travels is providing this prize, offering the winner exclusive use of the property for seven nights on a self-catering basis, plus daily housekeeping service. The fridge and pantry will be fully stocked with up to €200 worth of products. The prize also includes two LeShuttle car passes that will cover ten people. As the château's capacity is 20, you're able to invite an additional ten guests at your own expense. You'll need to book your stay at least six weeks in advance, and travel between October 1, 2025 and October 1, 2026. Blackout dates are July, August, Christmas and Easter.
For more information, click here.
For your chance to win, simply vote in each category in this year's Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards. There are 17 categories in total.
Click here to vote.
For the full list of prizes, see here.Promotion closes at 23.59pm on August 31, 2025. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Subject to availability, Prize must be redeemed within one year and booked at least six weeks in advance of departure date. Prize must be taken between October 1, 2025 and October 1, 2026, subject to availability and blackout dates apply including Christmas, New Year, Easter, and July 1, 2026 to August 31, 2026. All parts of Prize must be used in conjunction with same booking. Winner and his/her guest(s) are solely responsible for ensuring they are available to travel and have valid travel documentation (including passport/visa/visa waiver as may be required), obtaining adequate travel insurance and appropriate vaccinations/inoculations for foreign travel at their own expense. Winner can invite additional guests, up to a total of twenty (20), at their own expense. Travel insurance, food and drink (outside what is previously declared in the board basis), spending money and all incidental expenses are the responsibility of the prize-winner. Prize is subject to Oliver's Travels terms and conditions. Stay must adhere to the terms listed here: https://www.oliverstravels.com/france/loire-valley/chateau-les-bains/. Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at newsprivacy.co.uk and those of the partners. Promoter is Times Media Ltd. Full T&Cs apply — see thetimes.com/traveltermsandconditions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
The best UK vineyards to visit this summer – and what to drink at them
English wine is flourishing: a combination of a warming climate and favourable tax breaks for investors is leading to a boom in vineyards. It's winning awards and attracting wine producers from the US and France who are buying up land, while English supermarket bubbly is becoming more affordable. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. There's a range of English and Welsh wine out there, from brioche-scented bubbly to zesty whites and even juicy, berry-fuelled reds. It's also becoming more widely available, and most of us will have no problem picking up a bottle from the supermarket, a local indie wine merchant or online. An even more enjoyable way to fill your glass is to visit a vineyard. The UK is home to more than 1,000 (with over 200 wineries making the wines), so you can have a lovely day out, buying your favourite tipple while visiting the site where it was made. Many also offer accommodation, from shepherds' huts to stately homes. I've been writing about wine for several years and have visited vineyards all over the world. There is something particularly exciting, though, about living in an emerging wine region and watching the industry develop – plus it feels good to support local enterprises. So, whether you're after a night away with a wine tasting, or just want a nice bottle of wine for a picnic or dinner party, read on for my top picks. Oxney, in the untamed beauty of the High Weald in Rye, is England's largest single-estate producer of organic wine. It makes a range of traditional-method sparkling wines (meaning made in the same way as champagne), plus a still chardonnay, and a rose and a red made from pinot noir. You can stay in vineyard-side shepherds' huts (which include a bottle of Oxney in the price), the Vineyard House (a chocolate-box-like cottage next to the vineyard) or the Oxney Barns, three converted barns that are a short drive away in Stone-cum-Ebony. You can book a stay from £350 a night (including a tour and tasting) – the perfect opportunity to enjoy wines in the surroundings in which they were made. Fancy a day trip? Check out upcoming tours and tastings at Oxney Estate Or stay nearby in Rye One look at its wine labels will tell you Tillingham is one of the cool kids on the block. It makes natural and biodynamic wines – ones made without adding chemicals, both in the vineyard and the cellar. It takes a progressive attitude to winemaking, blending science, technology and ancient practices. That approach extends across the estate, which – as well as vineyards – is home to a mixed farm (fruit trees, ancient woodland and livestock), a Michelin Green Star restaurant, a Dutch barn serving wood-fired pizza, and a former hop barn with 11 double rooms you can stay in from £215 a night B&B. There are even two bell tents in the grounds, which come with private terraces and fire pits. Fancy a day trip? Check out how to visit Tillingham Winery Or stay nearby in Rye Ashling Park is known for its traditional-method sparkling wines, but it also makes a range of still wines, including an award-winning pinot noir. It's a modern vineyard retreat that oozes style and glamour, where you can also make gin, attend a cocktail masterclass, and dine above the vines on the restaurant's balcony. Enjoy a bottle in one of its lodges, which were built by architectural designer Will Hardie, and feature a cast-iron roll-top bathtub, log burner and private terrace, where you can pour a glass and watch the sunset over your own little slice of vineyard, from £250 a night with breakfast included. Fancy a day trip? Check out tours and tastings at Ashling Park Estate Or stay nearby in Chichester Tinwood is a family-run vineyard that grows the traditional champagne grapes chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Its crisp and lively brut showcases this signature blend, without being too rich and toasty. The Tukker family used to farm iceberg lettuce at Tinwood before they transformed the land into the wine estate it is today. There are eight luxury lodges, each with a two-person whirlpool bath, a king-size bed and access to a barrel sauna. Prices start at £235 a night, which includes a continental breakfast hamper. The lodges welcome dogs, too, so you can sit with your furry friend and enjoy the beautiful Sussex countryside. Fancy a day trip? Plan a vineyard tour at Tinwood Estate Or stay nearby in Chichester Oastbrook produces award-winning sparkling and still wines, made from the main champagne grape varieties, chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, as well as some lesser-known varieties such as pinot gris and pinot blanc. Stay in the award-winning Vineyard Hollow, a hillside dwelling that wouldn't be out of place in the Shire, with prices from £250 a night (with a minimum two-night stay) and additional £120 cleaning fee. The circular doors and windows open on to a landscaped garden with its own hot tub and views of the vineyard. You also have the option to stay at the new Scandi-inspired Avalon Waterside Lodge, with stays from £145 a night with a minimum two-night stay and £120 additional cleaning fee, or in the glamping field. If you feel like exploring the area, the estate is a 10-minute drive from another architectural masterpiece, Bodiam Castle. Fancy a day trip? Plan your visit to Oastbrook Or stay nearby in Hawkhurst Rathfinny is the proud producer of Sussex sparkling – low-intervention, traditional-method vintage wines, such as its blanc de blancs 2019, which is bright, lemony and elegant, and its rich, apple-and-berry-laden classic cuvee 2019. If you're coming for dinner in the estate's remote restaurant, you really ought to order another bottle and stay over (from £120 a night B&B): the Flint Barns is a self-styled 'restaurant with rooms', offering 10 doubles within the stylishly restored historic structure. For an even more homely feel, there's the cosy, country-chic Rathfinny Cottage, where four of you can sleep, full and satisfied, after a short post-dinner amble from the restaurant. The views of the Cradle valley from the estate out to sea are really something. Fancy a day trip? Plan your visit to Rathfinny Estate Or stay nearby in Alfriston This artisanal, family-run wine estate is pretty new to the British wine scene, with vines first planted in 2020, but it's becoming well-known for its fun and juicy natural wines. Five wines are produced: the zingy, tropical Solay; Little Reds, which tastes of juicy cherries, blackberries and plums; the fruity and hoppy Hop Fusion; Pinky Pinots, a dry, still rose; and the chardonnay, a green-apple-and-pear-flavoured delight – all presented with colourful arty labels. If you want to stay over in one of its four glamping pods, you'll wake to a vineyard view while still wrapped in your duvet – prices start at £125 a night (accommodation only). Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tours and tastings at Wolds Wine Estate Or stay nearby in Tollerton Black Chalk makes small batch, traditional-method sparkling wines in a crisp, pure-fruited style. The producer might be known for a down-to-earth approach to winemaking, but if you're planning to stay there via its partner Wild Escapes, get ready for an above-the-earth experience (six metres, to be exact) in one of four treehouses that overlook the vineyard. These come with king-size beds, kitchens and balconies, with stays from £272.50 a night. If you really like the idea of being at one with nature, sink into one of the open-air bathtubs. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tours and tasting at Black Chalk Or stay nearby in Stockbridge Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Denbies is one of England's largest vineyards, with a huge selection of wines from sparkling to still, dry to sweet, as well as some more unusual wines, such as the Orange Solaris – a white wine made like a red, with the grape skins left in the fermentation. The Surrey Hills Greenway Trail winds through the vineyard: within 107 hectares (265 acres) of vines, you can access seven miles of public footpath. There are 17 rooms at the Farmhouse, and more at the Brokes (dog-friendly rooms on the ground floor). Room rates start from £165 a night; both properties are in the middle of the estate. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tasting and tours at Denbies Wine Estate Or stay nearby in Dorking The land at Tuffon Hall has been worked by the same family for more than 100 years. In 2011, they planted vines and are now making award-winning wines, including one made from England's flagship grape, bacchus, and a traditional-method sparkling white wine. Now a venue for weddings, supper clubs and jazz festivals, Tuffon also has a range of accommodation (from £150 a night), including a six-bedroom farmhouse, a poacher's hut, a bothy and, most adventurously, a converted grain silo – most of which come with wood-fired hot tubs for stargazing dips. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tours and tastings at Tuffon Hall Or stay nearby in Toppesfield As well as a classic sparkling brut and a bacchus white wine, Toppesfield produces a Provencal-style rose. The accommodation is luxurious: a Scandi-style eco villa (from £240 a night with a two-night minimum stay) with a tennis court, hot tub, pizza oven and nickel bar, all three metres from the vines. The village of Toppesfield is a half-hour walk, or it's a 10-minute drive to pretty Finchingfield – among the most photographed villages in Essex. But with an honesty box wine bar stocked full of award-winning tipples from the vineyard, you probably won't want to go anywhere else. Or stay nearby in Halstead From the east bank of the River Dart in south Devon, the Sandridge Barton Estate may have the best vineyard view in England. Patchwork hills, a glimpse of the river beyond and, of course, rows of impeccably neat vines covering 182 hectares (450 acres). A range of grape varieties, including sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and pinot noir, are grown here, producing a hefty selection of wines, from still whites and reds to traditional-method sparkling wines, as well as more adventurous natural-style wines. Guests can stay at one of the estate's three properties: Sandridge Barton House, which sleeps up to 12, the 1850s Boathouse (sleeps four) and the newly renovated Lower Well Farmhouse for up to eight. Stays start from £1,000 for three nights at the Boathouse. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tastings and tours at Sandridge Barton Or stay nearby in Torquay Once a dilapidated mansion, Lympstone Manor is now a Michelin-star hotel-restaurant and wine estate owned by the acclaimed chef Michael Caines. The vineyard is planted with pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, which produce bottle-fermented sparkling wines and, when the weather is right, small quantities of white, rose, and red wines, too. All classically dry in style, the wines are designed to pair well with food, with structure and complexity coming from careful oak-ageing. A total of 17,500 vines sweep down towards the Exe estuary, overlooked by the white manor house. Inside are 21 rooms and suites, and outside are six luxury woodland shepherd's huts, priced from £450 a night B&B. With its glittering (heated) swimming pool, sun loungers, pool house and tennis court, you could be in California. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tours at Lympstone Manor Estate Or stay nearby in Exmouth Wraxall leads its small-but-perfectly-formed range of wines with a sparkling rose, made from pinot noir grapes in the traditional method, but its still wines are delightfully quaffable, including the pale-hued, mouthwateringly fresh early pinot noir rose. It's all too easy to embrace the laid-back Somerset charm here, especially when guests who are staying are greeted with a welcome hamper that includes freshly made sourdough, local milk and butter, Somerset cheddar and, of course, a bottle of wine. Its three cottages (from £100 a night for a minimum of two nights) sleep two, four or eight people and all have views of the vines that can be enjoyed from your terrace, sundowner in hand. Fancy a day trip? Check out vineyard tours and tastings at Wraxall Vineyard Or stay nearby in Shepton Mallet Engin and Liz Mumcuoglu's vision was to make high-quality sparkling and still wine on their working arable farm in the north Cornish countryside (think swathes of wildflowers, fruit trees and perhaps a tractor trundling by). They have brought to life an impressive range: from the traditional, such as its Black Ewe white sparkling, to the wild … its electric-pink Pét-Nat sparkling wine, which tastes of sour cherries and vanilla. The vineyard has two one-bedroom lodges (one of which is dog-friendly) with wrap-around terraces, starting from £150 a night for a minimum of five nights in the summer and three nights in the winter season. If you fancy a break from the seclusion for an hour or two, you're only a short walk away from the winery bar and Barnaby's restaurant. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tours and tastings with Trevibban Mill Or stay nearby in Padstow Three Choirs makes a tasty traditional-method sparkling (a very affordable one, too, at £20) from seyval blanc, phoenix and pinot noir grapes, but its bestseller is a still white blend called Coleridge Hill, which has notes of green apple, elderflower and freshly-cut grass. The vineyard has eight Vineyard View rooms next door to its brasserie, so you can handily roll into one after dinner. Or you can stay in one of the Vineyard Lodges, which are tucked into the valley, in the middle of the vines, with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides for full immersion – prices start from £149 (room-only). Fancy a day trip? Check out Three Choirs Vineyard's wine tasting packages Or stay nearby in Newent Jabajak makes a still white, a still red, a sparkling blush and a sparkling brut from the cool climate grape varieties seyval blanc and rondo. On the edge of the bluestone mountain range in west Wales, this family-run vineyard offers tours and tastings, where you can sample its naturally made wines. Dinner in the restaurant, the Smithy, is served Tuesday to Saturday from a locally sourced seasonal menu. With prices starting at £120 a night (with breakfast included), there are five bedrooms, which are ideal for an overnighter, but for something more spacious, the suites are beautifully decorated with a homely feel. Slipper baths and fluffy robes add a touch of class. Fancy a day trip? Check out wine tasting dates at Jabajak Or stay nearby in St Clears Sophia Longhi is an award-winning wine writer and international wine judge. She is of a good vintage and is now ageing in Brighton. Follow her on Instagram at @skinandpulp
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
France wildfire destroys area 1.5 times bigger than Paris
Firefighters in southern France are battling the country's largest wildfire in nearly eight decades, which has consumed over 16,000 hectares – an area one-and-a-half times the size of Paris. The blaze, located in the Aude region near the Spanish border, has resulted in one fatality, three people missing, and two critically injured, including a firefighter. Dozens of homes have been destroyed, with entire villages like Jonquières evacuated and described as a 'lunar landscape' due to the extensive damage. Although the fire is advancing more slowly, officials say it is not yet under control, and an investigation is underway to determine its cause. The region's economy, heavily reliant on wine production and tourism, has been significantly impacted.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Lost library book was found in Paris and returned to Reading
A book which was borrowed from a library in the UK was found abandoned on the Paris Metro before being diligently returned by a travel guide, "Top 10 Paris," was borrowed from Battle Library on Oxford Road in Reading earlier in the eagle-eyed Parisienne found it on Metro Line 1 in the French capital a few weeks later and messaged the library to find out how to send it staff have now contacted the original borrower to reassure them the book has been returned. Reading Borough Council's lead councillor for leisure and culture, Adele Barnett-Ward, said: "It's wonderful to see how far our library books can travel, although we do prefer they come back home eventually." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
