Heidi and Anthony Muir were fed up with the relentless traffic jams clogging the streets by their residence every weekend. Thus, about three years ago, they decided to part ways with their £600,000 four-bedroom semi in Allington, near Maidstone, opting instead for a majestic French château, complete with its own land, at nearly half the cost.

The sprawling nine-bedroom property in the heart of France, which once served as a hub for the French Resistance during World War Two, has been showcased on Channel 4's Grand Designs not once but thrice. At 57, Heidi, together with her husband Anthony, aged 55, embraced the challenge of managing the bed and breakfast nestled within the historic walls of the late 19th-century Chez Jallot.

Despite occasionally longing for the ease of a less secluded lifestyle, the couple, parents to three adult children, express 'no regrets' about their bold relocation and would even recommend others to take the plunge. Now, as they approach the three-year mark of their French escapade, Mrs Muir confesses she still needs to pinch herself sometimes to affirm the reality of her long-held aspiration to live in France.

"It has gone really, really well," she enthused. "We're getting over 300 guests a year. Last year we had 359 guests from all over the world and we have 172 guests booked in already this year. "We're pretty much fully booked for August and July. It has taken us by surprise how well everything has gone. It was always a bit of a hopeful wish to live in France, and never in a million years did we think we would actually end up living here.

"We've been here three years in June and we still pinch ourselves... We never would have dreamed we would be in this position. We have had so many guests and they have all been lovely. We don't have any regrets whatsoever. We absolutely love living here." The Muirs decided to relocate to France in 2022, having become frustrated with the constant traffic congestion in Kent and the continuous construction of new houses around them.

"We had always lived in Kent," Mrs Muir elaborated. "Anthony hails from Walderslade and I'm originally from Stockbury. We'd resided in our Allington home for nearly 30 years. It was actually my grandmother's from the late 1930s, so the house has always been in our family, but we chose to make the move to France. We were initially searching for a holiday home, but then decided to expand our search and started looking at potential forever homes.

"We recalled watching Chez Jallot on Grand Designs back in 2004 and greatly admired the former owners Doug and Deni Ibbs. We adore Maidstone, we loved our house, we really appreciated the area and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their school life. But what tipped the scales was the developments that were commencing around the Allington area – the roads simply couldn't handle it."

Heidi pointed out that 'thousands' of new homes were being constructed in the vicinity, which only worsened the issue of local road traffic. She expressed her frustration with traffic, stating: "The main London Road going into Maidstone was gridlocked most weekends, so this was one of the main factors of why we just wanted to change our lifestyle a little bit."

Highlighting the overdevelopment in her previous location, she continued, "There are thousands of new houses being built in the area - not hundreds but thousands. Roads are already congested and, in the coming years, they will only get worse." Mrs Muir predicted.

Embracing the tight-knit nature of rural living, Mrs Muir reflected that residing at Chez Jallot revealed the value of a connected community in contrast to their former home in Maidstone. Talking about the tranquillity of their new setting, she said, "This is one of the least populated areas of France." Describing the serene environment further, she mentioned, "It's really beautiful and quiet. It's a lot more relaxed and very peaceful."

Addressing the slower pace of life, she observed, "Things do take much longer to do - food shopping and stuff. You have to be more organised." Regarding accessibility, she explained, "We are 30km from the nearest big towns. Recalling the contrast when visiting bustling cities, she stated, "When you go back to London you realise everything is just a finger click away."

Commenting on the adjustment to their new life, she noted, "That convenience is not here, but you get used to it. Underscoring the importance of community involvement, she advised, "It's important to get involved with the village and the locals: talk to neighbours and help them out."

Reveling in the communal spirit, she claimed, "There's a real neighbourhood community here where everybody helps each other." Reflecting on what was missing back in the UK, she said, "In England, for us, that's what was missing." Criticising the overwhelming urbanisation of her old town, she added, "Our town was getting bigger and bigger and houses were being built everywhere; you live in your own little bubbles."

Finally, she concluded with the positive changes in social interactions, "Here, you talk to your neighbours more." The Muirs make it a point to return to the UK at least biannually, confessing they still yearn for cheddar cheese and London's extensive restaurant selection. Their children - Bronwyn, 28, Ewan, 25, and Toby, 24 - frequently travel from London, where they currently reside, to visit their parents in central France, with Limoges Airport just a 90-minute drive away.

The couple also receives assistance in managing the chateau from their Shitzus, Poppy and Coco. In 2022, the Muirs traded their four-bedroom, two-bathroom semi-detached Allington home, which sold for £600,000, for a grander château and B&B enterprise in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France, purchased for £370,000. The quintessentially French manor features five bedrooms, each with its own en suite, and two adjoining gites, each housing two additional bedrooms, a living area, and a kitchen.

The two pet-friendly, self-catering gites can accommodate up to four guests each at a rate of €120 (£88) per night, while suites in the chateau range from €95 (£83) to €160 (£132) per person.

The château has thrice been showcased on Channel 4's home-improvement programme Grand Designs. It was originally built around 1870, following Monsieur Jallot's return from Paris, where he had participated in the capital's reconstruction under President Napoleon III.

During World War II, when France was divided into the occupied north and the free south under Nazi rule, Chez Jallot was strategically situated near the border separating the two territories. The château played a pivotal role as a base for the French Resistance, where volunteers were trained, and parachutists, aircrew, and escapees were given refuge. At one point, up to 70 individuals were residing on the property.

However, in July 1944, the property was raided by Nazi troops and set on fire. The main building remained abandoned for over 70 years until it was purchased by an English couple, Doug and Deni Ibbs, in 2004. They painstakingly restored the property from the remaining shell.

Mrs Muir noted: "It was just four walls because the house was burnt down in the war by the Nazis. When the Ibbs bought the house as a complete derelict shell they did it up. So we've been very lucky that we've not had to do all that hard work that was already done all for us."

After being made redundant from her management position in 2021, Mrs Muir, along with her husband, an avid cyclist who left his job at Cyclopark in Gravesend, Kent, now jointly manage their B&B venture. Their business has been deemed so successful that they've been informed they won't need to renew their visas until 2028.

Mrs Muir attributed the success to the Grand Designs episodes, which drew in guests from around the globe who had seen the château on television and were inspired to embark on their own French adventure. "The lifestyle over here in France is very different to the UK," she confessed.

"The French have a lunch break from midday to two pm every single day; so that's difficult to get used to. And despite the impressive selection of cheese in France, we do often miss a chunk of cheddar. Also everything's closed on a Sunday so it's like going back to those old-fashioned times. But once we stepped foot in this house, we instantly knew it was the house that we wanted. It's just so peaceful and quiet out here. It's very well known for walking holidays. It was a life-changing move that we do not regret.

"However, I would say to anyone thinking of doing what we did to definitely do your homework. Make sure you visit lots and lots of houses because there are a lot of hidden things you don't think about. If you want a different lifestyle then I would encourage anybody to make the leap."

For those intrigued by Chez Jallot, further details can be found at: chezjallot.