Husband and wife, we moved over to France from Britain with our young family nearly 30 years ago. Since moving to Thumeries in the early Nineties, we have been very involved in the local community. Chris is a self-employed English teacher who also provides gardening and DIY services and sometimes speaks in local churches and Christian organisations. Norah has a passion for nature and the environment: she is a long-standing member of a local conservation association and provides nature-related activities in the local schools. She also sings in the local choir and does some private English tuition .
The town of Thumeries developed around the Béghin Say sugar factory and the various large buildings or ‘châteaux’ owned by the Béghin family. These have been gradually sold off in the last few decades and it was in late 2016 that we heard that one of them was on the market. Having had close links with the Château Blanc, another Béghin building, we were interested to visit . We ended up buying it and as we found out more about the history and position of the building, we learned that it was first known as the ‘Château du Paradis’, which we have re-established as its name.
Both the Coget brothers, who started the sugar factory and the Beghin family, into whose hands it then passed, were known to welcome the factory workers into the building and had a reputation for being very approachable. Our aim is to see the Château du Paradis once again used as a place of hospitality and welcome for the community. We therefore look forward to hosting events organised by local associations, as well as receiving guests in the ‘chambres d’hôtes’ on a bed and/or breakfast basis and in the self-catering ‘gîte’ located on the property.
About us
