Last July I had a long weekend in Le Grand-Pressigny with my friend Barbara. She was keen to have a look round the château and I realised that although it is literally on our doorstep we tend to take it for granted and this was only the second time I had stepped within its walls. Of course we usually do a circuit around the outside at least twice a day with Lulu.
We often lean over the drawbridge and see this view when walking with Lulu. You can just see the new part which has been built beyond the tower.
New and old blending together – the donjon standing next to the new museum. It’s nice to remember that it was a hot day in July when I took these photos, in fact I can almost feel the heat………..not long now !!
In the courtyard we spotted something that definitely was not open last time I visited the château myself– an entrance and some stairs descending below ground. It just had to be done !!
Once we got to the bottom of the steps we found ourselves inside the base of the round bit of the château wall on Rue des Ramparts. There were slits in the wall where we could peer out over the village. To think that I walked past these slits every day and it had never occurred to me there could be someone inside, looking out. !!
I wondered how different the view might have been when the slits were being used for their main purpose – presumably watching for unwelcome visitors – hundreds of years ago. Apart from the obvious, such as there being no washing lines or TV aerials.
It was certainly cool in there, a brief respite from the heat of the day.
Turning around, our way back up to the courtyard was through this entrance.
And then back up the steps to the outdoors. All very nicely restored.
This view is looking back towards the drawbridge at the other end of the château from the first picture.
When we were chez nous in January I noticed some work going on in the grounds around this part of the château. It will be interesting to see what has been done next time we visit.
