Brad Pitt jets off to France to renovate the £35m French château he and Angelina Jolie plan to call home

He's been by his wife's side as she promoted her film The Tourist for the past few months.

But now Brad Pitt will leave Angelina Jolie in Los Angeles as he jets to France to work on the couple's £35m château.

The Hollywood star and architectural enthusiast plans to oversee major renovations that are taking place at the sprawling property he and Angelina own in Provence.

The couple obtained a building permit in 2009 to renovate the estate and now it looks like their plans are coming to fruition.

The property, named Château Miraval, is situated in Provence and classified as a Historic Monument.

It is located in a tiny village called Brignoles, not far from the city of Aix-en-Provence.

It was back in 2009 that plans for work on the château were revealed when it was said that the couple wanted to add to the estate to give it a more 'contemporary feel'.

Their wish-list includes hot tubs, steam rooms and a spa, as well as a new gym and a larger wine cellar.

Brad - who is also a motorcycle enthusiast - is even said to to want to build a motorbike track.

Security is also high on the list of improvements. The couple want to install a surveillance centre, spy cameras, alarms, and infra-red sensors.

And while the property already has a helicopter landing - the two keen pilots also want to improve those facilities.

At least Brad and Angelina didn't need to worry about getting their plans approved by the local council.

The mayor of the nearby town of Correns, promptly sided with the pair when it came to the grand plans.

At the time he said: 'The application has been received for widespread work on their new house, and we are delighted that they will be here more permanently. They are a wonderful couple with beautiful children and we will hold a civic reception to honour them.'

he 35-bedroom residence comes complete with it's private vineyard, moat, lake and forest.

There is also a lake, swimming pool, fountains and fields surrounded by a huge forest to give the couple and their children Maddox, nine, Pax, seven, Zahara, six and Shiloh, four, and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne privacy.

The estate is surrounded by water with twenty fountains, aqua-ducts and a stream that runs through hidden tunnels and into the moat, which fills the lake.

Situated at an altitude of 1150 ft, and spanning 1000 acres, 75 acres are devoted to vines, which provide wine for a successful vineyard.

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