Thomas fell in love with the trees of Lescure the moment he first set foot on the estate. The terrain boasts some lovely cedars – the trees of life – and he’s in awe of their age-old wisdom and beauty. He loves to stand underneath these sacred giants, wait for a breath of wind to start and listen to it travel across the treetops. An opening into knowledge too great for the mind of man according to the druid tradition. There used to be many more cedars, but in the sixties one of the previous owners bought the property for its trees only and chopped several down. Something Thomas could never bear to do. Still, the park and forest have been neglected for several years and require attention. It’s difficult to decide when to remove a tree, pros and cons need to be weighed. If there’s no danger of falling on people or the buildings we feel they should be allowed to die in place without human intervention. Old dead trees also serve as homes to insects, bird families and who knows how many other creatures.

Ever since he was a young boy, Thomas has loved making things and Lescure presents endless opportunities to apply his self-taught wood crafting skills. Just recently, he took great care in selecting a dead cedar to cut down. Celtic traditions advise people wanting to cut off branches, or chop down whole trees, to speak to them first. Certain species are even said to be particularly vindictive if they are cut without consent! As far as I know Thomas didn’t talk to the tree, but he will use its wood to repair the shutters of the château and make new ones where they’re missing on the windows. Felling a tree for the first time in his life was an extraordinary experience and it’s wonderful to know that this particular cedar will be celebrated every time our guests open and close the shutters to their room. This tree, more than 70 years old, its learning and deep knowledge will stay with us and Lescure.