In a region steeped in battlefield history from times way back before the 11th century, Château de Lucy now sits in tranquillity in 9 acres of woodland on the banks of the river L'Oise in the hamlet of Lucy near Ribemont, an easy 2 hour drive from Calais. In more recent times, the Château was commandeered by Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Prussia (the eldest son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) during WWI and under the floorboards in one of the attics, we have found prayer books and a book of poems issued by the German army in 1916, (did these belong to the Crown Prince?) As a further reminder of the Château's turbulent past, we have a 'pill box' (machine gun fortification) about 20 yards from our kitchen door which was built on the riverbank to defend the Château when it was occupied by German officers in WWII. After WWII, up until the 1980s, weddings and Christenings were held at the Château, with the last wedding being held in 1982. Now, while we live in the newer part of the Château, the gite which makes up the majority of the old original Château, is an ideal place to come for to explore and sample a true taste of France. Comprising of a large entrance hall with oak staircase, large bathroom with roll top bath and hydrotherapy shower, a double bedroom, a single bedroom, a double bedroom in the tower and open plan kitchen/sittingroom, the gite has beautiful light rooms overlooking the Château grounds and river. A welcome pack including toiletries and all bedlinen, towels, a dishwasher, fridge, full size cooker with ceramic hob, cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery and dining table and chairs are included. For relaxing after a hard day's holidaying, a selection of board games, books, CDs and DVDs along with the CD, DVD player and Playstation 2 are included for your use. Wifi (wireless internet access) is provided, should you be unable to tear yourself away from your emails or want to check out local places to go. Gas central heating is installed and keeps the gite warm during the chill autumn and winter months. The gite has access to a private terrace of some sixty square metres (a veritable sun trap) for eating breakfast outside, sunbathing or for a barbecue and sitting out with a glass of wine in the evenings. Table and chairs, sun loungers and a gas barbecue are included for your use. Although the private terrace is exclusively for your use, you are very welcome to enjoy any part of the nine acres that Château de Lucy sits in.