Woodland Wonder: An Inspirational Two-Year Journey

Marketing caught up with our Select School Travel Chairman, Martyn Bowden to find out about our NEW fantastic Woodland Village in Normandy. After two years in the making, the latest edition to our Château Estate is ready for schools to visit and stay in! Find out more about the journey of the project from start to finish below….

Where did the idea to create the woodland village come from?

The idea of the Woodland Village came from wanting to connect with more children about World War II and thinking about what route we could take to amplify and build on our already established successes. I came to the conclusion that the tennis court area is not fully utilised, so I decided that we could build a Woodland Village and we could name each Pod after a soldier. Each child or children that stay in the Pods during the course of the season, would get to understand and learn more about the experiences of World War II.

Do you think the new Village offers something different to the Château?

Yes, it definitely offers something different! It’s a self-contained unit, it’s modern but it’s also immersed among the natural woodland environment, tucked away and private. The Château offers a historic and traditional experience in comparison – so both offering something different which is great! With the Pods, some of the benefits are, USB points for charging your phone, a reading light and a separate toilet from the shower.

How long did the building project take from start to finish?

I would say it’s probably been a two year project from start to finish – from starting the thought process with the architect. Working in France, there’s cultural differences that we needed to understand, in my head it seemed much more simple to implement than the reality. As the pods were manufactured in the UK and then they shipped over to France, building them was much more challenging than originally expected!

What would you say was the best part about the whole building project for you?

I think the best part for me was seeing the pride on the children’s faces when we did the soft launch day back in March. When were were all putting the finishing touches together and you’ve seen it in chaos and then it comes together and you see and it being used by children, it brings it to life. I would say that was probably my happiest moment. Designing the Village was certainly a highlight. In hindsight, I would have made other changes but with most things in life, you learn along the way.

My belief is when you pass away, the greatest testament to any person is that they remember your name, so within each part having someone’s name on each pod, children will learn about someone that they would never known and what sacrifices they gave. The importance of it for the next generation and when we open the Pods on Friday 6th June, that would be the crowning moment whereby you feel that you’ve done something that hopefully will have a legacy.

What has been the hardest part of the build?

If I could reflect back and still make changes, the fundamental and biggest challenge on the project was that the Pods needed to actually be raised off the floor so they’re all on ground screws and environmentally that’s quite an important factor because we all know the sea levels are rising and it’s located next to a stream, so for me the longevity of the project is probably being extended by 20 or 30 years because we’ve now raised them off the floor. Even though that was the worst part of the build, having to raise them up perhaps ended up becoming a blessing. Sometimes you have to realise with a project like this, things happen for a reason and if that hadn’t have happened I think we could have faced challenges long term.

One other factor to consider was the refuge and the sewage aspects. If you imagine having showers and toilets operating the same time stress testing that is quite an important factor actually that was probably the biggest worry for the whole project is managing the sewage aspect of all of the pods. If you can imagine 56 people showering in a very condensed period of time using the toilet in a condensed period of time that is where the infrastructure that was a big challenge!

How will the new Woodland Village benefit school groups?

I think it gives autonomy to groups that visit. You feel like you’re in a little nook, in your own private area, by a stream. We’ve also got table tennis tables and picnic benches so you can enjoy an evening together. We look forward to the warm Summer evenings when you’ve come back from your excursions and you can really make the most of the outdoor facilities!

One thing I love about Woodland Village, is the amount of birds you hear in the trees. We have recorded a huge variety of different birds in that area. One of the things I’m proud about is that I didn’t sacrifice nature to build the Pod village. We cleared a few bushes but kept all of the trees – some of which are hundreds and hundreds of years old so it was very important to me to keep them and build around them.

What are the key features of the individual pods?

Starting with the student pods, one of the key features is ventilation. It has been designed so you have the toilet and shower separate but they’ve got open windows and the door on the left and right so there’s an air flow but from the back to the front and when it gets warmer you certainly need that airflow. The Pods are highly insulated, they have radiators and heated towel rails for the cooler months.

Each person has got lighting points for reading, which I feel is a very important feature. You’ve got your own area for your clothes and bags which is a metal trolley function. We have charging points for mobile phone and Wi-Fi because it’s important people feel connected, whether it may be through social media or keeping in touch with parents.

I would arguably say this is premium accommodation and I think it’s a nice environment to be in, as much as a safe and secure position within the Château Estate.

The teacher pods they are slightly different in setup, there’s one single share bathroom, there is a sunlight as well that funnels through, so it gives lovely natural light. You’ve got twin beds and a minibar as well as tea and coffee making facilities. It’s a much more cosy environment but also it’s positioned strategically to manage and watch the children in the nook.

Finally, we also have a drivers pod with a separate entrance so they can be alongside you but not necessary in the midst of your private path. The setup is 57 in total (56 minus the driver) 48 children and 8 teachers.

It’s also important to mention, one of the pods that we’ve made accessible friendly for those who have mobility needs so there is a designated ramp with a wide door. There is an open shower/bathroom to support someone with needs on top of what we have in place on the Villa Matilde terrace with the three other rooms that are accessible for those who need this feature.

Having now stayed in a pod yourself, how would you describe it what it’s like to stay in a pod?

My experience was fantastic! It’s a very natural setting and it’s very different to the Château because you open your door and you’ve got greenery in front of you and on your doorstep. Hearing the sounds of nature, the steam, the trees and birds, I think that the quality of the offering is great. The beds were comfortable, the rooms are modern, clean, tidy and have a great feeling of space. A lot of the ceilings are vaulted so you’ve got the space but also the natural light with a glass front.

Are there any new activities available for groups?

We are excited to expand our evening ents offering on site. We have 3 new table tennis tables and we’ve extended the terrace in the Villa Mathilde in order to accommodates these. We’ve also removed the mini golf area to make it a clear green space and that will be for football or games that need a flat surface and you can also sign from yourself up from syphon yourself off from other groups if there are on site.

Would you say suitable for all groups and age ages?

I think that the Pods are probably better suited for secondary schools rather than primary schools due to the logistics.

It’s also important to note about the weather, which can sometimes be challenging! Depending on how big your group is, you’ve now got a choice of the main Château du Baffy, or the activity hall in the Villa Mathilde which also doubles up as a great evening entertainment space. With all three areas across the Château Estate, you can customise where you feel your group fits best. If you speak to our fantastic Sales Team about about finding what matches your criteria needs best.

Each individual Pod is named after someone – How did you decide to pick the names for these?

So the names of the Pods are based on research and also my experiences with veterans so they are very important to me. I’ve met personally two of these veterans who sadly have now both passed. One is Robert Hollinshead, I met him at the Château during the 75th anniversary. He is an amazing man who has been through a lot with regards to World War II.

The second one is Cecil Newton, who passed away recently. There is a school named after himself in Cruelly, which is about a couple of miles away from the Château. He used to cycle every year to pay respect to his comrades and he was fantastic with the school. It revitalised him being part of the school, bringing books for them to read talking about his experiences.

There’s also Glenn, the Para-dog who saved the lives of American soldiers. I thought it was important to have a female presence there, so I have chosen a lady called Eileen who was British born, who went to move to France prior to the war but she became part of the French resistance and supported the efforts of the campaign. She was captured and tortured and never revealed that she was part of the resistance. So there’s many many stories of heroism but I think it’s just a way to amplify an really get the message home to children. As most of the veterans have sadly gone, children can actually connect with what occurred during the war times and connecting with the veterans.

We are working hand in hand with the British Normandy memorial as they have an ability to connect research also they’re working on AI technology where you can speak with veterans from back in the day. Watch this space as that will be a really exciting project when its finished. I thinks it super important to find new and innovative ways of connecting with the next generation and helping to amplify children’s understanding of what it was really like to be around during World War II.

Each Pod will have a history fact sheet inside about who it has been named after to help them discover and learn about the individual.

Do you have a favorite Pod and why?

I would probably say my favorite Pod is the one named after my father not because it is my father, but I chose a name, his name, John Bowden. After researching this guy I’ve just came across him, he was abandoned at a very early age (about four or five) and went into foster care. He ended up being stationed in Portsmouth where he joined the Navy and his job was pre Second World War. He was out in a submarine with the Royal Navy and swam to shore in the darkness to illustrate where the positions were of the German forces and then swim back to the submarine in total darkness. As you can imagine, at that time how cold and scary that would have been for any person. So this is my way of fitting tribute but actually paying testament again to someone that that had amazing impact on the second World War.

What do you think you’ve learned from the project build?

I think it’s the energy and time it took. I was always committed to do it, I think once you’re in it, you’re committed. What always helped me is thinking when I hear the stories of the veterans, what they went through and I think sometimes when I was going through stress or challenges with the project, it didn’t even compared to what they went through! So I really quite headstrong to push on to deliver to the finish line and no one was going to stop me from achieving what I felt was the best thing for the project.

Can you sum the building project up in 3 words?

I would say legacy, pride and honour.

When will the Woodland Village officially be launching?

So far we have only done a soft launch because we’ve started operating with groups to take learnings before we do the official opening. The official opening is on D-Day on the 6th of June 2025.