We wanted a stop for a night en route from the south to the north of France. Le Mans was the ideal spot on the map, so it was a question of finding a suitable hotel. I did not fancy the "out of a packet" hotels that seem to litter this area, presumably to cater for the transient guests like us.

Château d'Eporcé is at La Quinte about 8 miles NW of Le Mans. You can get there easily off the motorway by following their directions from their web site. We did not want to go into Le Mans, so this was a bonus. However it is in the middle of nowhere, so you would have to drive everywhere is you were based there for a time.

I gathered from the French owner,Remy de Scitivaux , who runs it with his wife, that the chateau has been in his family for hundreds of years. They are obviously very busy during the Le Mans 24 race, when a complete team takes over the chateau, but at other times you should be able to book easily.

Dinner starts with a drink and canapes... more