Chateau Poseidon
Tom and Damien left everything behind in Canada to re-settle in a French castle they're restoring.
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Tom Garneau and Damien Verhaegen, the owners of Chateau Poseidon
Tom and Damien are from Canada. They moved to France, bought a not-so-ruined chateau for the price of a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver, and set out to restore its former glory. They call their stronghold Chateau Poseidon, and it's close to a train station. A trip to the French capital takes 2.5 hours which is very convenient. The couple carefully selected the property, setting two key requirements: a) an ideal layout to avoid costly wall modifications and b) a well-preserved roof. How much did they pay for the chateau? What was its original name? Why did Tom and Damien name it after the ancient Greek god of the sea? And finally, take a guess: What's inside the four corner towers of the chateau?
BACK TO THE ROOTS
Castles and Palaces (CnP): Can you tell me why you moved from Canada to France? Do you have any ancestors here, or was it something like a 'calling of blood,' so to speak?
Tom: Damien was born in Paris, but his family moved to Canada when he was just five years old. Every summer, he returned to France to stay with his grandparents in the Loire Valley, where visits to nearby chateaux with his mother and grandparents sparked a lifelong fascination with French heritage. Exactly 30 years after his parents left France, Damien’s return marked a powerful full-circle moment—a chance to reconnect with his roots, reunite with extended family, and begin a new chapter with his partner—me!
Tom: Damien was born in Paris, but his family moved to Canada when he was just five years old. Every summer, he returned to France to stay with his grandparents in the Loire Valley, where visits to nearby chateaux with his mother and grandparents sparked a lifelong fascination with French heritage. Exactly 30 years after his parents left France, Damien’s return marked a powerful full-circle moment—a chance to reconnect with his roots, reunite with extended family, and begin a new chapter with his partner—me!
Damien: For Tom, this journey is about creating something meaningful and lasting—a life project he can be proud of. Restoring an abandoned chateau isn’t just about preserving architecture; it’s about honoring history and building a legacy that future generations can experience and appreciate.
CnP: Sounds like a well-thought through decision really! What do you do for a living?
Damien: Tom was an executive at an insurance company for over a decade and quit everything to restore the chateau and work on the Chateau Poseidon social media accounts (Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok). As for me, I'm still working remotely on my full-time job in the vintage luxury accessory industry. My job is necessary to put food on the table!
Damien: Tom was an executive at an insurance company for over a decade and quit everything to restore the chateau and work on the Chateau Poseidon social media accounts (Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok). As for me, I'm still working remotely on my full-time job in the vintage luxury accessory industry. My job is necessary to put food on the table!
CnP: Why did you want to buy this particular chateau?
Tom: We had a few criteria, we obviously had to make concessions with this one too but it fit the bill on many things:
Tom: We had a few criteria, we obviously had to make concessions with this one too but it fit the bill on many things:
- Symmetrical architecture
- Good amount of land (here we have 15 hectares)
- Roof in good condition
- Good layout so we don’t have to touch any walls since these kind of work is very expensive.
- Reception rooms on the ground floors of good sizes (we have 2 living rooms and a dining room all connected by two double doors which total around 125sqm, perfect for hosting events)
- Within our price point and leaving us some room in our budget to start the restoration.
Damien: A train station nearby with which you can get to Paris in under 3 hours. We have one 10 minutes away from the château that leads to Paris in 2.5 hours with a train change. This is very practical for visitors and friends who don’t necessarily have a car to travel.
CnP: And the price was? If it’s not a secret.
Damien: All in all we paid 500K euros with all the fees (or the price of a renovated 1 bedroom condo in Vancouver where we used to live!). But you cannot only count the purchase price as the renovation can cost a lot more than that. Every dollar we saved will be invested in the château's restoration and this will be the case for the decades to come.
Damien: All in all we paid 500K euros with all the fees (or the price of a renovated 1 bedroom condo in Vancouver where we used to live!). But you cannot only count the purchase price as the renovation can cost a lot more than that. Every dollar we saved will be invested in the château's restoration and this will be the case for the decades to come.
CnP: You call the property Chateau Poseidon, but its former name is Chateau de Bon Hotel.
Tom: This is actually incorrect! Someone tagged the wrong chateau as Château Poseidon on Pinterest and now its showing Chateau de Bon Hotel. I have been trying to get this changed but to no success so far. The name was Château de la Borde but we wanted to keep the name the urbex community gave to this chateau for different reasons. First of all, this name was given because there are references to the mythological sea creatures as well as Poseidon himself sculpted in the staircase of the château. Secondly, the château having been abandoned for 40 years, we wanted to make it clear to the Urbex community that this château was no longer an Urbex site as we don’t want to wake up one night with people trying to explore it while we are in our bedroom!
Tom: This is actually incorrect! Someone tagged the wrong chateau as Château Poseidon on Pinterest and now its showing Chateau de Bon Hotel. I have been trying to get this changed but to no success so far. The name was Château de la Borde but we wanted to keep the name the urbex community gave to this chateau for different reasons. First of all, this name was given because there are references to the mythological sea creatures as well as Poseidon himself sculpted in the staircase of the château. Secondly, the château having been abandoned for 40 years, we wanted to make it clear to the Urbex community that this château was no longer an Urbex site as we don’t want to wake up one night with people trying to explore it while we are in our bedroom!
Damien: When you google Chateau Poseidon now, you can see it has been saved and is now in the process of being restored. Another reason is that there are 10 Chateaux de la Borde in France, with 3-4 being in our region. This is very confusing when people are trying to locate us and for future events as there is a 5-star hotel with this exact name very close to ours. We wanted to stay unique and we just think Chateau Poseidon fits the bill perfectly!
CnP: Oh, shame on me! I should have dug deeper and thanks for this explanation! But how did you stumble on Chateau de la Borde?
Tom: On Pinterest while writing ‘’Abandoned chateau France’’. The chateau was not for sale, but we asked our real estate agent in France if she could find the owners. After 3 months and countless emails and phone calls to try and get a hold of the owners (who do not live in France and never did), we were successful and arranged a visit. After the visit we made an offer which took a long time to get accepted as we had a lot of back-and-forth negotiation. Overall, this whole process took 8 months, testing our patience to both of us!
Tom: On Pinterest while writing ‘’Abandoned chateau France’’. The chateau was not for sale, but we asked our real estate agent in France if she could find the owners. After 3 months and countless emails and phone calls to try and get a hold of the owners (who do not live in France and never did), we were successful and arranged a visit. After the visit we made an offer which took a long time to get accepted as we had a lot of back-and-forth negotiation. Overall, this whole process took 8 months, testing our patience to both of us!
FOUR BATHROOMS IN FOUR TOWERS
CnP: The moment has come, you are holding the keys and what did you feel?
Damien: It didn’t really feel real and still doesn’t today! When you drive down the alley and see the chateau getting bigger and bigger and bigger through the trees, it’s a surreal view and we feel very lucky to call his place our home now. We feel very fortunate to be its new custodians and oversee bringing this beauty of a building back to its glorious days with all our time, sweat and energy.
Damien: It didn’t really feel real and still doesn’t today! When you drive down the alley and see the chateau getting bigger and bigger and bigger through the trees, it’s a surreal view and we feel very lucky to call his place our home now. We feel very fortunate to be its new custodians and oversee bringing this beauty of a building back to its glorious days with all our time, sweat and energy.
CnP: Who was the previous owner?
Tom: In the late 1980’s, the chateau was bought by the people who we purchased it from. They wanted to do a luxury resort hotel and golf court, but the project never saw the light of day due to their financial partner closing his business in France. Since the owners never lived in France, the chateau has sat empty since the late 1980’s.
Tom: In the late 1980’s, the chateau was bought by the people who we purchased it from. They wanted to do a luxury resort hotel and golf court, but the project never saw the light of day due to their financial partner closing his business in France. Since the owners never lived in France, the chateau has sat empty since the late 1980’s.
Damien: The chateau was built by he Boullet family in 1860 and it has had many owners. Some are very interesting characters, like a rhum dealer who bought it from the Boullets in the 1900s. Two decades later it passed into the hands of an arms dealer who helped protect France and its army during WW2. A street bears his name in the village, Ellie Granat. Next came a cattle farm that raised bulls for breeding. But the most interesting person to own the chateau was a reiki master who lived here with his 4 wives (each had her own bathroom in one of the 4 towers of the chateau). The man owed 10 million francs to the government and vanished in the haze in the 1980s.
CnP: The chateau looks gorgeous from the outside—but what about the inside? How authentic are the interiors?
Damien: We unfortunately haven’t found a single picture of how the inside of the château looked like before unfortunately. We know that the 1st and 2nd floor have been very altered since their first iteration in the 19th century since we lost all wood paneling, moldings, etc. We believe most of these renovations would have occurred in the 1970’s -1980’s during the time of the last occupant of the chateau. He is the one who added 4 bathrooms, one in each tower connected to each bedroom, one for each of his wives.
Damien: We unfortunately haven’t found a single picture of how the inside of the château looked like before unfortunately. We know that the 1st and 2nd floor have been very altered since their first iteration in the 19th century since we lost all wood paneling, moldings, etc. We believe most of these renovations would have occurred in the 1970’s -1980’s during the time of the last occupant of the chateau. He is the one who added 4 bathrooms, one in each tower connected to each bedroom, one for each of his wives.
Tom: We will have to add back a lot of the original details to the chateau to give it back its splendor. On the ground floor, very little has changed since its construction (except for the kitchen that is only 4 blank walls with nothing in it). We can still see the beautiful stained glass windows on the front door and in the small chapel on the 1st floor.
Tom: The imposing neo-gothic wood carved staircase with sea creatures and Poseidon, as well as the impressive moldings on the ceilings in each main reception rooms. Many items have been stolen such as every single light fixtures in the chateau and all the marble fireplaces on the ground floor on top of most pipes and even the electrical box!
Chateau Mas de Pradie: Do as little as possible!
CnP: But some of the treasures are still there, aren't they?
Damien: We absolutely love the little tower in front of the château even if it doesn’t look at all like this anymore. We think it might have been a caretaker’s cottage but it’s hard to tell for sure as it is in bad shape now. We also love the beautiful stained-glass windows that make the château feel more whimsical and special. We found out that under the paint in the chapel there are original frescos from the 1860’s that are waiting for us to uncover and restore, it was a true ‘’Indiana Jones ‘’ moment!
Damien: We absolutely love the little tower in front of the château even if it doesn’t look at all like this anymore. We think it might have been a caretaker’s cottage but it’s hard to tell for sure as it is in bad shape now. We also love the beautiful stained-glass windows that make the château feel more whimsical and special. We found out that under the paint in the chapel there are original frescos from the 1860’s that are waiting for us to uncover and restore, it was a true ‘’Indiana Jones ‘’ moment!
Tom: We also found what looks like a bunker in our forest that is made entirely of concrete and is under a hill, it turns out it was a cold room that the previous owners used to store food. It is in good shape, and we will try to turn into a speakeasy bar once we are far enough in saving the chateau, so maybe in a decade! Oh and we also found a crumbling abandoned house in our forest with a collapsed room, house we didn’t know we had, maybe another guest house in a decade?
CnP: Judging by the pictures the chateau stands in the middle of a huge lawn–no trees, no park, no maze–nothing. Has it always been this way?
Tom: No it has not! There used to be a huge forest around the entire chateau but between the 1950’s and 1980’s when it became a cattle farm, they cut down all the trees to make room for fields to feed the cows. In the 1980’s they destroyed 1000sqm of stables to make room for the hotel and golf course that never came to be. So unfortunately, we lost so much nature that needs to be replanted , it’s a blank canvas for us to do what we want now.
Tom: No it has not! There used to be a huge forest around the entire chateau but between the 1950’s and 1980’s when it became a cattle farm, they cut down all the trees to make room for fields to feed the cows. In the 1980’s they destroyed 1000sqm of stables to make room for the hotel and golf course that never came to be. So unfortunately, we lost so much nature that needs to be replanted , it’s a blank canvas for us to do what we want now.
CnP: What’s your vision for the castle? A traditional combo of a hotel plus a fancy restaurant?
Damien: The chateau will first and foremost be our home, so we wouldn’t want to become a hotel and have a fancy restaurant. We want it to still feel like our home and a place we like to host friends and family and others who love the place. The business aspect will be important to keep restoring it ,so we will be hosting smaller size weddings and events of around 100 people and we will have around 5 bedrooms to rent out as a B&B between May to October when we are not hosting weddings.
Damien: The chateau will first and foremost be our home, so we wouldn’t want to become a hotel and have a fancy restaurant. We want it to still feel like our home and a place we like to host friends and family and others who love the place. The business aspect will be important to keep restoring it ,so we will be hosting smaller size weddings and events of around 100 people and we will have around 5 bedrooms to rent out as a B&B between May to October when we are not hosting weddings.
Damien: In France, if you rent more than 5 bedrooms, you are considered a hotel and rules change dramatically. We would also love to host different seminars once the place is restored, think yoga, painting, drawing, photography, and more for a week with small groups of 10 people or so. There are so many beautiful options with this property!
CnP: What's the condition of the chateau, and what repairs do you plan to make first?
Tom: The roof is in good shape and so is the structure of the building which is great. We wouldn’t have bought the place if these two things were not good as they are way too expensive to redo and we couldn’t have had the budget for that. We talked to many experts and there doesn’t seem to be any structural issue with the building which is great. First thing we need to do is add glass back to all the windows that are missing glass panes (that’s 85!), and eventually change all the windows when we have the means to do it for double pane windows, but with 100 windows to change, we can’t do everything at the same time so this will be done in many different phases.
Tom: The roof is in good shape and so is the structure of the building which is great. We wouldn’t have bought the place if these two things were not good as they are way too expensive to redo and we couldn’t have had the budget for that. We talked to many experts and there doesn’t seem to be any structural issue with the building which is great. First thing we need to do is add glass back to all the windows that are missing glass panes (that’s 85!), and eventually change all the windows when we have the means to do it for double pane windows, but with 100 windows to change, we can’t do everything at the same time so this will be done in many different phases.
CnP: Windows are important because they give a building this authentic look. What about the utility systems, like the sewage, electric, and water supply? Are they up and running?
Tom: We need to redo all of it. The electricity, the plumbing, the heating, the sewage system! We also need to figure out what our heating system will be as it is currently just a wood furnace in the basement heating the few radiators in the chateau. It is also apparently out of function so this will be a major cost of the renovation. Additionally we need to redo all the plumbing, its 8 full bathrooms and 4 powder rooms on top of the kitchen. This is another major headache that we will need to tackle and that is very important. Once all this is done, we can think of isolation of the roof and walls and then décor (Damien’s favorite part!).
Tom: We need to redo all of it. The electricity, the plumbing, the heating, the sewage system! We also need to figure out what our heating system will be as it is currently just a wood furnace in the basement heating the few radiators in the chateau. It is also apparently out of function so this will be a major cost of the renovation. Additionally we need to redo all the plumbing, its 8 full bathrooms and 4 powder rooms on top of the kitchen. This is another major headache that we will need to tackle and that is very important. Once all this is done, we can think of isolation of the roof and walls and then décor (Damien’s favorite part!).
CnP: Naturally, you will have to secure the area, built a fence to keep the construction site away from the prying eyes–how will you do this?
Damien: We have found a company who can remake us the gate that was there originally for a reasonable price. The original gate was 6.2m wide by 6.4m tall, this is what we are working to put back.
Damien: We have found a company who can remake us the gate that was there originally for a reasonable price. The original gate was 6.2m wide by 6.4m tall, this is what we are working to put back.
CnP: Some say your chateau built in the 1860s was inspired by the largest castles of the Loire: Chenonceau, Chambord, or Azay-le-Rideau. Is it just a legend or you can really see those chateaux in your Chateau Poseidon?
Damien: We believe it has a strong resemblance with Azay-le-Rideau especially from the North façade! You can see for yourself below. Azay-le-rideau was built during the renaissance and our chateau is a neo-renaissance building so even if it was built 300 years after the famous Azay-le-Rideau, it is very possible the inspiration comes from it.
Damien: We believe it has a strong resemblance with Azay-le-Rideau especially from the North façade! You can see for yourself below. Azay-le-rideau was built during the renaissance and our chateau is a neo-renaissance building so even if it was built 300 years after the famous Azay-le-Rideau, it is very possible the inspiration comes from it.
CnP: You've had time to explore all the hidden corners of the castle. What interesting things have you discovered?
Tom: We found a part of a circular staircase that goes from the ground floor to the basement which originally must have gone from the basement to the 1st floor but when the bathrooms were added in the towers in the 1st floor, the staircase from the ground floor to the 1st floor were destroyed to make rooms for the pipes. This created a little nook in the tower between the ground floor and the 1st floor with 2 windows and some beautiful cement tiles. It's probably only 2sqm but I think it would be super cute as a miniature office as the two windows look right into the forest.
Tom: We found a part of a circular staircase that goes from the ground floor to the basement which originally must have gone from the basement to the 1st floor but when the bathrooms were added in the towers in the 1st floor, the staircase from the ground floor to the 1st floor were destroyed to make rooms for the pipes. This created a little nook in the tower between the ground floor and the 1st floor with 2 windows and some beautiful cement tiles. It's probably only 2sqm but I think it would be super cute as a miniature office as the two windows look right into the forest.
CnP: What struck you most in particular?
Damien: The chapel is probably the most magical place just with all the beautiful colors that reflects on the floor and the walls. It’s a true beauty and still intact (though not in perfect condition!)
Damien: The chapel is probably the most magical place just with all the beautiful colors that reflects on the floor and the walls. It’s a true beauty and still intact (though not in perfect condition!)
CnP: What’s your favorite room now and why?
Tom: We would say the dining room due to its beautiful hunting scene plaster work all aroud the room. There are a lot of very nice details on the ceiling as well and once we have restored it, it will be a gorgeous dining room.
Tom: We would say the dining room due to its beautiful hunting scene plaster work all aroud the room. There are a lot of very nice details on the ceiling as well and once we have restored it, it will be a gorgeous dining room.
CnP: How much do you think the restoration will cost you and where will the money come from?
Damien: We would love for it to be the same amount as what we paid but it might cost us more than that on the course of 15-20 years. We will fund it through Damien’s job, Youtube, Patreon as well as weddings, events and B&B bookings.
Damien: We would love for it to be the same amount as what we paid but it might cost us more than that on the course of 15-20 years. We will fund it through Damien’s job, Youtube, Patreon as well as weddings, events and B&B bookings.
Tom: We have saved money since we are together both working corporate jobs and we also purchased and renovated 3 apartments in the past decade before selling them all to move to France. This helped fund our chateau project. With all the support we have from the community and the mayors around in the different towns that have messaged us, we are positive and we know we will succeed!
CnP: You've just taken the first step, and there's a lot more work to do. What are you most afraid of?
Damien: We can always be afraid that something will happen that will make us not succeed, but all our energy, time and love is into this project so we are hopeful we will be able to achieve something quite special and that people will like it too!
Damien: We can always be afraid that something will happen that will make us not succeed, but all our energy, time and love is into this project so we are hopeful we will be able to achieve something quite special and that people will like it too!
CnP: Your case is a good example for many people thinking about a big change in their life. Say something inspiring to them!
Tom: We have dreamt about this together for close to 10 years, with good financial planning and a dose of craziness, we said, if we don’t jump now, we never will. If you have clear goals, start saving today for them, get a timeline and try sticking to it. It will be hard, there will be lots of sacrifices, but you will be so proud of what you will have achieved! Days pass and you don’t want to wake up on your death bed saying ‘’If only I had done what I always wanted to”. The future is now, and we had to act on our dreams!
Damien: "You can't discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."— André Gide
Tom: We have dreamt about this together for close to 10 years, with good financial planning and a dose of craziness, we said, if we don’t jump now, we never will. If you have clear goals, start saving today for them, get a timeline and try sticking to it. It will be hard, there will be lots of sacrifices, but you will be so proud of what you will have achieved! Days pass and you don’t want to wake up on your death bed saying ‘’If only I had done what I always wanted to”. The future is now, and we had to act on our dreams!
Damien: "You can't discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."— André Gide
I hope that you liked the interview with Tom and Damien, who restore Chateau Poseidon in France. Don't forget to subscribe to the chateau's Youtube and Patreon to help keep Tom and Damien's restoration project going and follow the latest developments!
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You can always get in touch with us via castlesandfamilies@gmail.com
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You can always get in touch with us via castlesandfamilies@gmail.com