A chance to become a part-owner of a castle in the Dordogne for £46
This crumbling ruin was in fine fettle until it was destroyed during the Second World War - but now a campaign is taking shape to get it restored. And you can help.

The castle was originally built in the 15th century, and remained in good condition until the war. Now, however, it's a crumbling ruin – but a crowdfunding campaign might change all that.
The Chateau was (accoring to a French report) burnt to the ground by the SS 2nd panzer division – the infamous 'Das Reich' – who were retreating in 1944 following the D-Day landings.
For many years it lay in ruins, owned by a French doctor named Jean Lassner who was a pioneer of anaesthesia. It's history through those years is spotty: it was featured in a French film of 1968 called Le Tatoué, and the body of a drug dealer from Bordeaux was apparently discovered at the bottom of one of the castle's wells in 1980.
Following Dr Lassner's death in 2007 it was sold on again – but with the present owners seemingly short of funds to repair it, and the authorities beginning to make threatening noises, a crowdfunding campaign has been set up.
The aim is to raise €500,000 to save La Paluel, half of which will go to buying the castle, the other half of which will pay for repairs.
And if you'd like to get involved, pledges of €50 (that's about £46) are being solicited in return for part ownership – one 10,000th – of the castle, on the understanding that you will not pay a single cent unless the funding target is reached. At the time of writing the organisers are about a third of the way to their target, with a few weeks left to go.
As romantic as the idea sounds, however, we'd urge caution. Frankly, looking at the state of the place, that €250,000 repair budget could be swallowed up on scaffolding alone.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Still, we suppose you'd probably have the right to camp in the ruins or its grounds, and that would be fun anyway (so long as the other 9,999 stakeholders didn't all turn up on the same weekend). If you want to find more, then the 'Adopte un chateau' page (in French) with all the details is here. Bonne chance!
Top 10 places to buy property in France
Variety is the spice of life in France, with its cornucopia of landscapes and lifestyles open to property buyers.
Château de Lassay: The castle of Bluebeard’s widow
This magnificent French castle has a remarkably colourful history, as Desmond Seward explains.
Credit: Picture: Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac
Armagnac: The beautiful, high-class brandy steeped in history and tradition
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
Six beautiful homes around the world, from Portofino to Provence to Palm Beach
An exquisite villa tucked into a hillside? A A breathtaking apartment created to make you feel like you're flying through the endless blue skies?
By Toby Keel Published
-
The 'greatest battle for 300 years': England's great estates face up to a green future
The climate crisis will affect us all. All over Britain, major landowners are stepping up to tackle a warming world and biodiversity loss.
By Jane Wheatley Published
-
Six beautiful homes around the world, from Portofino to Provence to Palm Beach
An exquisite villa tucked into a hillside? A A breathtaking apartment created to make you feel like you're flying through the endless blue skies?
By Toby Keel Published
-
An idyllic home where the forest meets the sea, for sale for the first time in over half a century
Little Aston is a graceful, charming home with superb gardens and its own orchard, as well as some of the south coast's most beautiful areas right on its doorstep. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
'Just look at those stairs. Just as an art form, they are bewitching, like the shell of a nautilus': The lure of buying a stairway to heaven
It seems like madness to buy a house purely because you fall in love with the staircase — but sometimes, they are simply so beautiful that it's impossible to resist. Toby Keel takes a look at some glorious examples of staircases we've seen in Country Life in the last couple of years.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A one-of-a-kind waterfront estate with two private beaches is for sale on the same storied American island that Jackie Kennedy, the Obamas and Princess Diana have all visited
Beach Farm on Martha’s Vineyard — a favourite summertime holiday destination with prominent American families — is a perfect melding of New England and Scandinavian design styles.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
The architect who created the MI6 building only designed a tiny handful of houses — and one of them is now up for sale in one of London's most bucolic spots
Sir Terry Farrell designed the beautiful, light-filled, T-shaped Drum House in Petersham, with gardens laid out by John Sallis Chandler, who has won multiple RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals.
By Toby Keel Last updated
-
'True waterfront homes are finite... miss one and it could be years before you see another like it again': Why the best waterfront property always hits the spot
There’s no denying the appeal of waterfront property, which now sells for some 51% more than its inland equivalent, finds Knight Frank. Annabel Dixon explores the shore.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
19 charming homes for sale, from picture-perfect cottages to beachside retreats, as seen in Country Life
This week's selection of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Tim Burton is selling the house he shared with Helena Bonham-Carter, a sublime home on the Thames that comes with three private islands
Mill House in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, might just be the perfect English country home.
By Rosie Paterson Last updated