Miles Copeland's book, “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back My Life in the Music Business”, is published by Jawbone Press on 18th June (2021) in the UK and 13th July (2021) in the U.S. Songs were written there that were hits so I took comfort that its purpose was served to some degree hence annual losses were usually not too bad.Īside from the many famous musicians who have visited the castle under your ownership (guests include Celine Dion, Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Carole King, Cher, Belinda Carlisle, Jason Mraz, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding and Ted Nugent) do you know of any other well-known guests?Īpparently the Queen Mother once stayed there (that's why we call the main bedroom suite the 'Queen Mother Suite') as did Edward Heath when it was owned by Sir Maxwell Joseph. It has been a struggle for me to cover its costs and in reality it was not until 2020 that I finally got to the point of profits being possible but then COVID hit and that stopped that. I doubt if the castle generated profits from the person I bought it from. Is the castle a profitable business for you? Trying to buy today the same today, if one could find the items, would be way out of reach financially. We were lucky that at the time of the purchase many Victorian English churches with gothic design by people like Pugin were being renovated or pulled down so one could buy great gothic woodwork, stonework etc for very cheap. Otherwise it had to be decorated in keeping with its age and purpose. When the castle was purchased it came with one kitchen table and two chairs. Was the castle furnished when you bought it? Has it been difficult to source suitable furniture since? Fingers crossed it will get going again in 2022. In that regard I added book and script writing events together with photo and painting retreats to the annual songwriting events BUT since COVID that income has stopped. It is meant to earn enough from rentals and events held there to cover its cost and make a profit. In other words one must accept that employee comes first, owner second.ĭo you generate an income from the castle? Do you think you could ever sell?Īs the property was bought with a view to be both an investment AND a site for songwriter retreats there is no intention of selling it. The system seems to make sure the employee is covered and the owner pays for it all with little regard for the issues of the owner. I would say that employing anyone in France, a guardian for the property or whatever, brings with it all sorts of taxes and charges for things like health care. However, I had to increase my French language knowledge with specifics like words for nail, roof, cistern, bucket, screw driver, saw etc etc. The Dordogne region has (or had until Brexit) lots of Brits living there so English was spoken in many places. As the weather has become more extreme more repairs are needed, especially on the roofs.
What is not so great is the many French legal requirements, taxes etc that make owning property in France both confusing and difficult at times. What are the pros and cons of castle ownership in France?īeing in the countryside, in a castle, with land, and wonderful French food is obviously great.
So it worked personally and business wise. It was also a dream of my wife as a child. Of course owning a castle also appealed from my upbringing in the Middle East. I bought Chateau Marouatte with my UK company primarily to find a site to help me with an age old problem of anyone in the business side of the music business – getting a good selection of songs and possible hits every time an artist records an album. What inspired you to purchase a medieval castle in France?
We spoke to Miles about the practicalities of buying a medieval castle and his experiences of castle ownership in France. number 1s being written there.Īs the manager of The Police, Sting and a host of other household names in the music industry, Miles' extraordinary story will soon be available in his memoir “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back My Life in the Music Business” (more details below). A successful and well-known music executive, Miles purchased the castle in the mid 1990's as a song-writing retreat for artists, leading to four U.S. Miles Copeland III is the owner of Château de Marouatte, a medieval castle with battlements, moat, and guard towers set in unspoiled countryside near the town of Perigeux, France.
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