Le Clocher de la Duchesse is a small-group venue in Bonnelles, in the Yvelines, less than 50 km from Paris. It takes residential seminars for 15 to 20 participants, private receptions of up to 40 seated guests and small weddings of up to 40 people, with lodgings on site. The house dates from about 1850 and occupies the former stables of the Château de Bonnelles.
Seminars and company events
Seminars here are designed for small teams. The venue states 15 to 20 participants depending on the layout, for meetings, workshops, study days or residential seminars. The work takes place in a dedicated space, and the orangerie is used for meetings. Informal areas and outdoor spaces, such as the cobbled courtyard, allow breaks away from the meeting table, and the spaces can be reorganized to suit the format.
A typical day starts with a coffee welcome and a morning session. Lunch is served on site, the group resumes in the afternoon, and a shared moment at the end of the day leads to dinner and a night at the property. Breakfast the next morning lets the discussion continue in a more relaxed setting. The venue is offered for private hire, depending on the format chosen.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are limited to small parties. The venue states up to 40 guests for a seated meal and about 50 for a cocktail. Evening receptions run until midnight, depending on the configuration. The same terms apply to birthdays, christenings and family meals.
A typical wedding day follows this order: guests are welcomed outdoors, a cocktail or aperitif follows, dinner is served in the grand salon, and the evening goes on in a relaxed mood. Part of the guests stay overnight on site, and a brunch the next day extends the celebration.
Rooms and capacities
The grand salon is used for seated meals. The orangerie is a modular space for cocktails, entertainment and informal moments, and it also serves as the meeting room for seminars. The garden and outdoor areas suit a cocktail or a ceremony. The cobbled courtyard is used to welcome guests and for photographs. An outdoor lounge with a brazier lets the evening continue in a quieter setting. The venue does not publish a capacity for each space, only the totals above.
Accommodation
Ten lodgings are listed on the booking form: a loft in the bell tower facing the château, a duplex studio with spa and private courtyard, a studio in the château stables, a two-room unit in the stables, four rooms named after the Admiral, the Architect, the Engineer and the Aviator, a studio with spa and balneotherapy, and the bell tower suite. For seminars, groups can be placed in single or shared rooms, each with private washing facilities.
Catering
The cooking is done on site. Seminar days use simple formats: a coffee welcome, lunch, and dinner for residential groups. For receptions, the kitchen prepares a cocktail dinner, a seated dinner or a more informal meal, and a brunch can close the weekend.
History and setting
The house dates from about 1850 and was recently renovated, according to the owners, with respect for the building methods of the Belle Époque. It stands in Bonnelles, in the area of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse regional natural park, close to the royal hunting forest of Rambouillet, old villages, châteaux and abbeys.
