Château DIY (formerly known as Escape to the Château DIY until 2020) is a Channel 4 formatted documentary television series which follows the stories of various families who are renovating châteaux in France, or looking at ones to purchase. The original series Escape to the Château DIY was narrated by Dick Strawbridge who, along with his wife Angel Adoree, provided help and advice to some of these owners until 2020. The programme was spawned from the associated series Escape to the Chateau.
In 2021, the programme was rebranded as Château DIY with new narrator Adjoa Andoh. Chateau DIY has run for 5 series, with further series planned. The brand has been extended with Christmas specials that aired starting in 2021. A spin-off series titled Chateau DIY: Living the Dream, focusing on one chateau per episode, was commissioned in 2023 for More4. Another spin-off series, Chateau DIY: Win The Dream, featuring competing contestant aiming to run their own chateau, started airing on Channel 4 in January 2026.
Escape to the Château DIY Series 1 +Episode list - Series 1NumberDescriptionInitial air date1Dick and Angel provide advice to Johnny on buying a château without it becoming a financial liability.9 April 20182Jonathan and Michael start their business by booking a wedding for an American couple. Dick and Angel give assistance to Jonnie and Ashley in their continued search for a château.10 April 20183Philip and Angelina are visited by Dick, along with his engineering skills, who assists them with building a new bridge for the château. At the same time, Jonnie and Ashley continue their hunt for a dream château.11 April 20184Jonathan and Michael look for a treasure in the caves of their château, in the form of wine that may have been stashed in World War II. Fiona begins renovations of her dining room.12 April 20185Jonathan and Michael get help from their investors to keep their château renovation afloat, however the investor meeting about their goats does not go well. Philip and Angelina work to repair the toilet during their anniversary party.13 Apr 20186Mandy and Steve decide to construct a swimming pool for their château in the Dordogne. Michael asks for Angel's help to do an afternoon tea for local residents.16 April 20187Jonathan and Michael's first château booking for a wedding nears. The wedding preparation brings several problems; an issue with the sewer threatens all of the first floor. Steve and Mandy have problems with their new pool.17 April 20188The wedding guests for the series' first wedding arrive. Angel, Michael and Jonathan discuss tips on keeping wedding costs down, without sacrificing quality. The pool at Mandy and Steve's château continues to present problems.18 April 20189A new couple, Tim and Kys in the Dordogne, join the series. Colette and Paul design and introduce a new menu. Donna thinks that a cache of ancient armour has been hidden in the lake of her château.19 April 201810Dick and Donna continue to search for the armour hidden in the château lake. Tim and Krys work at getting their attic renovations done in time.20 April 201811Dick constructs a composting toilet to use at outdoor weddings. Billy and Gwendoline decide to rent their château out for weddings, while Tanith and Clive try to curry favour with the locals.23 April 201812Billy needs to repoint the chimney, however, the task is a lot more difficult than it sounds due to the fact that he is afraid of heights. Meanwhile, time is running out for Marian and Tanya, plus Clive and Tanith get stuck into some hard labour.24 April 201813Billy, Gwendoline and Michael want to finally move into their château, however, the kitchen is still not finished. Paul and Karen from Château La Perriere devise a plan to get more bookings. Clive and Tanith try to bring a couple together.25 April 201814Billy and Gwendoline have a boar that is making a mess of the property, which needs hunting. Clive and Tanith utilise their garden by making a dish out of its contents. Paul from Château La Perriere attempt to convert their water tower, to use it as an office.26 April 201815Billy and his dad do some DIY with levelling the patio. Paul and Karen from Château La Perriere finish their office conversion. Meanwhile, Clive inspects a strange nest in his orangery.27 April 201816Tim and Margreeth cook up a plan to offer 'gîte timeshares', which is a form of holiday renting to increase income and returning customers. Nicole and Stephan choose to build a tearoom in their hall. Alison and Paul are adding to the château features by creating a 'wedding terrace'.30 April 201817Nicole asks Angel for some styling advice about wallpaper. Easter is coming and Tim and Margreeth are getting prepared. Meanwhile, Paul and Alison show off their new wedding terrace with a party.1 May 201818Tim and Margreeth's concentration is on refurbishing a caravan in their park. Paul and Alison have not given up on the possibilities that secret tunnels exist on the property.2 May 201819Dick and Angel give some advice and plans for Tim and Margreeth's business in hospitality. Stephanie gets ready for her singles weekend event. Sophie and James search for needed funds to keep their château afloat.3 May 201820Tim and Margreeth get started on their new business venture with research. Stephanie's singles weekend event is here. Sophie and James hold a walking event near their château.4 May 2018
Series 2 +Episode list - Series 2NumberDescriptionInitial air date1Dick helps Elaine and David in their search for the ideal château. Tim and Krys prepare to re-launch their business.18 February 20192Tim and Krys work quickly to prepare their château for guests; Elaine and David make a visit to a former 17th-century priory in Normandy; and Steve and Angela work to improve a master bedroom.19 February 20193Belinda visits Dick and Angel's château where they learn about decoupage, and potential château owners Elaine and David make a visit a 19th-century château that has 18 rooms along with two gîtes.20 February 20194Dick gives Tim a lesson on how to stage a gourmet weekend; Angel and Krys discuss their château lives. Belinda and Lee welcome their first guests.21 February 20195Tim and Krys' first gastronomic weekend arrives; Belinda and Lee play host to their largest event so far, including dancing and a serious meal; Dick visits Angela and Steve to give them a hand.22 February 20196Tim and Rebecca get help from Dick with their dilapidated château with no plumbing. Edward and Anna plan for the 185 guests who will arrive at their fairy-tale château, but the outcome does not match the plan.25 February 20197Tim and Rebecca get their friends to help them with renovation work. Dick and Angel are hosts to a special wedding for their close friends. Motorcycle-obsessed couple Martin and Kim look for their perfect château.26 February 20198Tim and Rebecca fight to get their château in tip-top shape for a visiting tour operator. Martin and Kim continue to search for their château, while Karen and Paul from Château La Perriere return with their children.27 February 20199Tim and Rebecca get a booking and then prepare for their first revenue guests. Martin and Kim intensify their château search. Paul and Karen from Château La Perriere build a movie screening room.28 February 201910Anna and Edward put on another big wedding, but Edward's is of action. Dick visits Tim and Rebecca when the couple run into problems. Karen and Paul from Château La Perriere tries to do all they can to get their first wedding.1 March 201911Ongoing château work includes maintaining an elevated pool and a maze, and the preparations required for the fast-approaching season of weddings.4 March 201912Dick and Paul cut Vitrolite vintage tiles to be used in an art deco bathroom, while Abbie paints bedroom furniture. Julia visit more châteaux with her sisters.5 March 201913Mariam and Johnno move into their new château, along with their teenage son Monty, but discover there is no running water. The builders are at work in every room.6 March 201914Emma and Paul are desperate to fill the lake, to make it ready for the upcoming artists' retreat. Angel helps Abbie and Karen with money-saving tips for their new wedding business.7 March 201915Emma and Paul invite the mayor and local residents to see the work they have been doing on the face of their château. Paul designs, builds and fits two heavy balconies.8 March 201916Dick helps Erin and JB, new château owners. Tim and Margreeth begin another venture to make money.11 March 201917Dick works on his temperamental van. Erin and JB begin work on the honeymoon suite and the solarium/sun room at their château. Alison and Paul make a discovery.12 March 201918Erin and JB are hosts to a 90th birthday party. May, along with her family, work to turn a dilapidated outbuilding into a new yoga retreat. Tim and Margreeth welcome their wedding party.13 March 201919Dick helps Erin and JB to repair their rusted hinges. Wedding season ends at Tim and Margreeth's château. May and her son Jack prepare the new yoga room.14 March 201920Erin and JB launch their new château business by hosting a tea party. Charles, owner of Château Saint Loup, who was the inspiration for Puss in Boots, is introduced.15 March 201921The British artist Johnny, with his girlfriend Ashley, stage a plan to have artist workshops. Ben and Billie, both musicians, decide to put on foodie events. Nicole and Stefan are back with a new business idea.18 March 201922Nicole and Stefan start working on the old gatehouse. Billie makes a visit to Angel to gather ideas for natural designs. Johnny and Ashley speak with Dick about the best plan for working on their library.19 March 201923Dick helps restore Ben's traditional wine press. Johnny and Ashley finish the library ceiling with a nude painting of Ashley. Stefan has a last-minute dash to finish an apartment.20 March 201924It is National Monuments Day at Nicole and Stefan's château and the gatehouse refurbishment is put on hold. Wendy and Marcus launch their wedding business with a raucous hen party.21 March 201925Nicole and Stefan continue their renovation of their historic château in Lucheux. Ben and Billie host their foodie evening with a pop-up restaurant in their orangery.22 March 201926Stephanie builds her mother an apartment in her 16th-century château. Jayne and Steve prepare four themed bedrooms as part of their new business.25 March 201927Dick makes a visit to Stephanie to help her to get the bread oven working. Annabelle and Justin come back from their holiday only to find that the château has been infested by bees. Jayne and Steve finish work on the nature room.26 March 201928Angel helps Stephanie to add frames to her father's artwork. Justin and Annabelle mount their shutters. Jayne and Steve finish the small French room.27 March 201929Dick makes a visit to Stephanie's château to see the new boiler that will be used in her mother's apartment, but the news is not good and mum Isobel is displeased. Jayne and Steve fight with a huge four-poster bed.28 March 201930Stephanie finishes her mother's apartment. Jayne and Steve complete the Oriental Room, making them ready for paying guests. Tim, Sasha and Lily operate a wedding business in their château.29 March 2019
Series 3