My favourite thing about this project is that you can really see how towns and economies would spring up around castles as they were under construction. These guys are all here for the building the castle, so you’d immediately have the smith, the wheelwright, the mason, the quarry, the carpenters, potters, coopers, ropemakers, since you’ve got carthorses you’d have stables, you’d get eating and drinking establishments for all the workers so taverns would pop up, farmers would move to the area to start supplying the whole thing, suddenly cattle and sheep will start appearing, markets for everyone not directly involved with the castle construction, until the day the castles done and it’s got a fully functioning village support system around it
Taverns didn't really just pop up in some village, even if there was a castle next to it. Taverns were more places in cities to sell wine and also where travelers would receive lodging. They were not really like the taverns in DnD.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei oh you’re absolutely right, and I don’t have the expertise in history to know what form they’d take but I do know this, if enough people hang around one spot for long enough eventually someone comes to sell them alcohol
And then William the Conqueror or somebody like that arrives from the land across the river or the ocean and burns it all down and absconds with all their millstones and chisels, and they have to start all over.
@@dougerrohmer Nah, he's the reason why England even has those castles. His pacification plan for the country was to build itty bitty castles on hills that the Anglo-Saxons were absolutely amazed by because they never thought of doing it themselves.
I wouldn't describe this as "friends building a castle". XD Guédelon Castle is the result of a serious experimental archeology project, probably the biggest scientific experiment of that kind in the world. But yeah, the people working on it probably forged some strong friendships over the years. It takes some genuine passion to work on something like this, and that connects people.
it's also a way of life. I'd totally go there and do stuff to get away from working on a desk and just spend a summer baking bread or making cart wheels. I can't think of anything more therapeutic.
As a builder, I find this absolutely fascinating....and a stark reminder of the artisan skills we have lost...many thanks for posting this video....much appreciated....
I also work in construction. It is mindblowing that they were able to build things on this scale without the technology we rely on today but equally we are able to build things today they would have refused to believe was real.
People very often mix up technology with intelligence as well as convenience. People weren't dumb and stupid back in the day, they just didn't have the technology and luxury we have today. They just took maybe a little longer, and it was more physical work. Which isn't bad maybe, since you already had your daily dose of exercise.
The skills are dying because unlike back in the day, you cant just have people learn artisanal skills that require a lifetime of toil and work and then proceed to basically pay them subsistence pay. Leaves me conflicted about this kind of stuff because on the one hand, the skills are dying, but on the other hand I think the environs that enabled the skills to be proliferated so much were not neccesarily something to yearn for.
@@dulljumbo4321 I can't disagree, commercial time frames, poor training and substandard composite materials all lead to a degredation of standards...there are, thankfully artisans still out there, however they do it for love, not for the money. I appreciate your comments.
What people may not realize is that this is a huge commercial success. Guedelon generates an order of magnitude more money from visitors than a comparable "real" castle in a remote place in the French countryside. Just because you can see it being built. It makes good economic sense. And it's a warning to Barcelona to never finish the Sagrada Familia.
Here is something funny to think about, there are thousands of unfinished buildings that investors spend hundreads of millions on, then they go bankrupt and you got a 200 mil building unfinished and unusable just sitting there. Im sure similar happend back then. Family died of or left...
Well, if it's such a success, then when it's finished, they can always start building another castle. Now, that they have experience, they can make some things better or just differently. Or simply recreate a castle of another age or another country
@@mishatsaritsyn4843 problem with that is that it's no longer the FIRST medieval castle being built in modern times. Only the first of something this unique usually gets the fame, unfortunately
I am not sure that the comparison with the Sagrada Familia is legitimate. It is built with modern means and methods, on a completely different scale. And I don't know if it's still the case, but the times I visited it you couldn't see what the workers were doing, there were only cranes and scaffolding, all out of reach and visibility. At Guedelon, you can see the craftsmen at work, from the extraction of resources to the final installation.
@@mishatsaritsyn4843 There are rumours that they were planning to build the village after the castle, but nothing is certain, the castle still needs about ten years.
I was born pretty much same time as the castle and still live near it. I just go every 2 or 3 years since i was born and see it grow as the same time as me, great memories :)
It’s awesome. If I won the power ball here in America, I would buy out a French chateau or do my absolute best to buy and renovate a castle somewhere in Europe. If not I’d build a modern castle. Something so satisfying knowing you’re the lord of that castle lol.
theres a big park in the Netherlands where they've got areas in theme for pretty much every major period in history which is pretty cool, buildings in that style, activities matching it (for example they got a half circle theatre for roman times, you can do archery and sword lessons for medieval times etc)
My first thought as well! I built a sizable stone circle in the mountains. The man who helped laughed and said what will they think in a thousand years.
I recommend that they put a rubber duck in a display case in the basement or paint some big ducks on the walls so people 12000 years from now thinks they build those buildings to protect themselves from giant yellow ducks roaming around.
I would argue that it is good that it takes such a long time to build this castle. Mainly because I think most tourists who comes there, comes to see not only the castle but the processes behind it. When the castle is finished, there will only be another castle there, but right now it's a medieval construction site which is far more interesting if you think about it!
@@KraziEyevin Can you imagine the research into historical warfare! Siege engines, cannons, ladders, fortifications, defending breaches, improvisational weaponry...
They're planning on building a Medieval village next to it once it's done. I'd like to imagine that their ambition will never run out, and they'll eventually expand into a whole walled Medieval city with a full scale cathedral on the side, just to keep the project going forever.
That's cool to hear that the team restoring Notre Dame learned their skills from the people building Guedelon. Also, cool to know that we have possibly ten more years left to get over there and build a small part of this wonder!
There’s nothing like handwork and craftsmanship to fulfil us. We make efforts of the body and mind, and see the physical incarnation of our work and sweat. Instant dopamine shot.
Always great to see an update on Guédelon, despite the pandemic they made quite a bit of progress in the last two years. You even showed two of the stones i made, when i was working there for a bit in 2012 :)
@@damionkeeling3103 I helped to put them in the place they are in and remember the spot, also due to the varying iron content the color is always slightly diffrent from the next stone.
It's awesome to see the French are so proud of their heritage and history! It's a beautiful building and a testament to all those involved in the project. Looking forward to visiting one day soon!
Beyond the awesome scope of the project, I must say, there's something about this video that gives me such a warm and fuzzy summer feeling. maybe it's the audio design, it's just brilliant.
Lololol that castle looks like sh!tCompared to those of old. N most that r of discussion from our NonZombieCommunity are star forts of complex geometric design spanning miles out in all directions. The mantles above the windows aren’t even anything like the old no acoustic repelling attribution. And most didn’t even use mortar. Castle is light n powered w/ electricity n doesn’t have any connection to the known aether of that time. Be careful for the things u present echo in eternity so this is essentially BLASPHEMY. This looks like a child’s sandbox compared to a TRUE STAR FORT
It’s not exactly an act of pride. This is a scientific experiment with a budget. It’s experimental archaeology. Pride would simply hinder the objective observations they could take away from this.
@@Vox_Popul1 That was exactly that indeed, archeological/historical science. I visited few years after they started and it was very interesting to watch the village, workers, life growing. Most of the workers are actually professionals at their task, stones, wood, iron. Many of them are "Compagnons du Tour de France" or "Best France worker" in their specialty. This project has also been used to train younger students, so it was a school as well. And people did not realized, but it is pretty much a lifetime project.
@@SternLX Maybe not as high as we imagine: skilled workers were very hard to find back then so I guess it was in the interest of everyone to keep them safe. Productivity was certainly not as much as central as it has become since Industrial Revolution, and quality of work was more important than speed of achievement. Since, in my experience, shorter and shorter deadlines are the key to get spectacular errors and accidents, maybe a less time pressured environment was quite safe after all. We must also keep in mind that these people were free workers, not 'slaves', so they would have probably a high interest, and a say, in their own safety...
This castle, even if it is still not done, is worthy of being a historical learning material and tourist spot. I mean, you can literally learn and integrate into the world of medieval period just by watching the workshops do their work. I would love to visit this place, both when they're still building the castle, and when it is finished
Even when the castle will be finished, plans are already being drawn to establish and build a hamlet, providing what a local medieval baron would need in terms of food and workshops. Guedelon is here to stay and evolve, for decades to come ♥
It has been both from the start. The core purpose of Guédelon is experimental archeology and castle study, and it was open for tourism essentially from the start in order to help fund the project.
I remember first seeing this in a documentary about 15 years ago and been asking myself since then how the project is doing. Nice to see a lot of progress, only thing left to do is visiting at some point.
@@daniilivanov9601 or you maybe mentioned it once, it's kinda scary how much your phone listens. Had a conversation about water quality, the same day some articles got recommend to me even though I haven't searched for this topic ever before. Coincidence, I don't think so.
I love how a medieval castle has more aesthetics to it in terms of design and shape than many modern skyscrapers and city buildings. We may have moved to a more advanced era, but we've lost our artistic taste which made many of those old buildings breathtaking even centuries later.
It is mainly caused by the fact that every building then needed craftsmen, not just construction workers, and it was every craftsman's pride to make something pretty. There were also craft guilds and they required skilled workers and there was competition within those guilds to be the best. Not to mention that if something takes you so long time to create, you obviously want it to be outstanding.
It's not that they're more aesthetically pleasing. They're just different. If you took some of the decent to nice to beautiful skyscrapers and only had a few of those in the world but then created thousands and thousands of castles everyone would go on about how beautiful skyscrapers are and castles are not. Rarity does not equate beauty. (My point here is both are beautiful and things to marvel over)
@@johnw6060 Really? Nothing 'modern' is aesthetically pleasing, at all. It's concrete, glass and rebar. As for 'modern' houses they all look like a german bunker from WWII, meets doll house with glass and wooden trim. It's all soulless and hideous and a _direct_ reflection of how spiritually dead people have become. We build beautiful and breathtaking buildings all the way up to the outbreak of WWII, after the war it went downhill and very fast.
you can't really compare a medieval castle to a modern skyscraper though. You could compare it to 1920's skyscrapers and you'd probably come to the same conclusion.
Just the fact that artisans working on Notre Dame were able to go to a site right in France to pick up information that was gleaned from the work being done there is immeasurably invaluable.
Puy de Fou is a famous French theme park you might enjoy. I love the authenticity and attitude that has gone into the building of this castle. It's important these skills aren't lost.
@@banzy3 It's not a 100% accurate obviously because it would be boring for a theme park but it's still very good. Some historians love to shit on the park but they don't understand what's its real purpose.
From 13:00 to 15:30 is absolutely the very BEST explanation of stone masonry I've found anywhere on the net thus far. I've seen in person and via the net many demonstrations on how to cut stone and achieve a very rough (usually cubic) shape. No amount of searching, however, has shown me which tools are used and for which reasons to achieve the final shape and surface texture until now. Thank you SO much for these amazing details.
Agreed, and to think the ancients figured this out thousands of years ago is amazing. Looking at a wonder such as the pyramids you truly get to appreciate how much effort and ingenuity goes into their creation.
Masonry is one of those professions where it seems like magic when you don't know how it's done, but when you see the techniques, it's usually very simple (just painstakingly time consuming). The ingenuity of human craftsmen and builders never ceases to amaze me.
Damn, this video has so interesting background noises. I can't get enough of hearing the stones being cut in the distance, that metal clank is very satisfying. Medieval Castle Construction ASMR when?
BothBeckman: That is a crucial point of the game. The other being to keep the craftsmanship and know how alive. Paris cathédrale repair is also a great learning workplace for les compagnons du Devoir and many others.
I went there when I was a kid, and two other times since, what's amazing to me is how the older parts have aged to look so similar to some "real" castles we have in France (and how quick the new parts just look ancient). It means, not only their work is really acurate, but also how durable this type of castles are !
I think it also looks old to us mostly due to the sense of style. We just associate castles with the times they were built. It's the same phenomena as seeing a person dressed in period accurate attire.
@@WaffleCake Yeah but people dresses in period accurate attire still look modern to me, like they've used modern fabrics or something. Whereas this looks like a real castle from medieval times
I'm totally amazed, with the progress on the rebuild of Notre Dame and the use of modern technology. This is a game changer. Didn't know this was monument was being constructed, but humbled by the attention and detail. French people must be proud of this achievement and as for the cost, tourism will take care of it for years to come. There's only one thing missing.....Its me, wish I was participating!
I can't even begin to describe how fantastic this is! The best thing about it is the fact that you probably won't ever get a better idea of what it really was like back then. Even in movies you will always have a set with lots of fake stuff that _"has to look good"_ but here it's actual people doing the actual real work, so there's nothing fake about it. I'm totally obsessed with this!
The best on this construction site is... the silence! There are lots of very busy people, you hear the hammering on the stones or the blacksmith's working, but all in all is a peaceful quietness about the whole place! Even if there are hundreds of visitors. No noisy machinery, no engins to transport the stones, but the slow path of horses who transports all they need around. That's what impressed me the most every time I was there.
@@vcie515 Yea, I'm not a very auditory person, I'm more visual, and I don't really pay attention to sounds (or lack of them) until someone points them out. But yes, now that you mention it, it's fantastic to just hear the little hammers tapping away, and the birds chirping in the background. It certainly beats hearing jackhammers, drills, and generators constantly going, and trucks beeping as they're backing up..
This is fantastic! For anyone interested in seeing more about this place I think there was a five part BBC series several years ago about Guedelon (filmed when much less had been built), called "Secrets of the Castle". It's fun to see the castle come so far since that series was made. Also the show was made by some of the same people who did the very enjoyable "Victorian Farm" and "Edwardian Farm" etc. series.
@@jasonseekoei5392 Yes! I know, it would be great if they made a new one. For a longtime I didn't know about the steam train one (still with Peter, Ruth, and Alex), but as far as I know that was the last thing they all made together. Those programs have surprisingly stuck with me as one of my favorite TV/movie discoveries from the past couple years.
I remember watching that series in the castle, and I have to echo your sentiments towards the Farm Series. I’ve watched them multiple times and still enjoy them.
Amazing. I'm building my own. Had plans for 20 years and i bought the property 3 years ago. It's gonna take me my entire life to hopefully finish. Especially doing it single handedly
Being a cabinetmaker/carpenter it's wonderful to see the origins of my craft being relived and rediscovered. Of all the "mega projects" in the world this is the only one I care for. The level of detail they've gone to is extraordinary.
The long-term planning required for this massive undertaking in itself is astonishing (we do not see that in national or corporate planning anywhere!)... Simply amazing to bypass the available technology to make it by human labor and care. Beautiful!!
Amazing project. It’s one thing seeing historical buildings after centuries of use and modernity now surrounding them, but to see something like this being built in a forest with nothing but period-accurate building techniques all around it really transports you right back to the 13th century and what their world would have looked like.
why is it taking them so long to build? 20 years using "period-accurate" techniques and yes without the actual need for a castle, i would think if it were real medieval times they would have been killed off before the castle was finished... history is bullshit.
Wonderful to watch. Especially the Stone cutting. My GG Grandfather was a Stone Mason from Paddock Church inYorkshire, Englad. He was actually recruited to help build St Petersburg. We have his Passport from England to Germany and then into Russia.
prior to communisim there was english scottish and irish populations in russia .. osme of the iron working cities in the 17th and 18th century were built by english. there is russians still with scottish and english names , McMillan, Clarence, mores, Robertson. Jones, Pierce, Ruddock.. ect are some i have seen on russians documents.. its not super common but you see such names about. .. moscow in the 1500s had an area the english traders would stay even. you can tell its a european foreign name because its got no russian ending on it like sky or vich or such.. and it just immediately looks nonrussian .. .
This is such a great project. I was obsessed with castles as a kid and always loved to draw them and I can count the amount of hours put into stronghold or Conan exiles building. You guys are amazing and the fact you’re not using modern technology is great. Sending love from New Zealand
I visited Guédelon and I worked on Campus Galli (same thing in Germany, but a 9th century, not 14th and building a cloister) It’s super relaxing… It’s like stepping into a bubble where time just stops cause everything is going just the speed it needs to. Nothing is hurried, no one keeps asking you when you’ll be done
I am certain that humanity will return to this natural rhythm in the coming decades. For me it is even vital... We will always have computers, medicines, a few machines... but if we want to survive we will have to find again this way of apprehending time
@@nabucho7006 natural rythm... Which nature ? Guédelon is the example of a human made landscape. Or impact of humans.on their ecosystem. Going tonthe water mill of Guédelon, there is a path that they have put crushed stone. Each year there are beatles that cross the path and each year the tourists walk on the bugs at that period mass kill them simply because they are tourists came for a castle and not for beatles. This is so human🤦🙈
As said below, the BBC featured this construction project on the show Secrets of the Castle, with domestic historian Ruth Goodman & archaeologists Peter Gint & Tom Pinfold. The whole project, in its efforts to re-create the old techniques, has been an amazing experience for craftsmen, historians, & archaeologists alike. Experimental archaeology and historical re-creationism has given us a chance to relearn the tricks of the trades of our ancestors and marvel at what they could build. And it all started with picking the *right* site, a vital step in the construction process--this project would not have been nearly as successful without that step!
This has been on my bucket list to volunteer since it started...This place is a blessing for capturing and passing on traditional skills to the next generation...Thanks so much for sharing this update to the project...
@@SimonLausch Dear Ano, I was raised in and around traditional people so this is both a passion and a lifestyle choice. I travel to projects that have a need within my skill sets and I teach, design, and build infrastructure according to those needs..."Money"...has never been my focal point as I have worked for nonprofits most of my life so only look to have expenses covered if the project is not "profit-based"... I'm in Iowa now on a timber frame project, but planning for and helping design a project in Northern Spain I hope to start construction on within the next 18 months..."Life" and living it well, has been a lifelong passion...with the traditional arts and crafts a cornerstone...
@@SimonLausch Sorry Ano...sounds like you are stuck in the "modern consumer culture" and the many physical, mental and social illnesses it brings with it. Our worlds are so different, that it would be hard to relate our perspectives to one another it would seem? I experience questions like yours often from many clients that find themselves "stuck" within modernity and its insidious destructive mindsets...rather than the natural and traditional ones our species evolved within... As for "disable"...I'm not sure what you mean...???...I have friends and many acquaintances that have all manner of challenges (i.e "alternately abled") such as blindness, deafness, or even in wheelchairs. That has never stopped them from living natural and holistic lives...Age has absolutely nothing to do with it at all...I'm well over 60 years old...my teachers I learned from as a younger man were all born in the mid to late 1800s...with some over 100 years and still working till the day they passed on..." Age" is a modern excuse too often used by "first world" cultures not to continue enjoying life...living it fully and with appreciation... Since money has never been a focal point or motivation..." retirement funds"...has never been something I really concern myself with...If I "need money" it's not hard to find if you have developed any reasonable skill sets and things people want...and since I don't make it a focal point...it comes as I need it...For my entire life, anything I would want typically was something I could make with my own two hands...and for those things I could not make myself, acquiring them (or access to them) was never difficult...So, as I stated above, I doubt that much of my world is even relatable to yours...from the food I eat, where I sleep, the clothes I wear, to the way I exist daily...
@@JayCWhiteCloud I would love to do something like this in life but alas, I do not have the skills needed to be useful to others. Where should I go to become competent? Most people don't want to hire me either.
Man as a journeyman carpenter these things amaze me. I learned from old timers but they where industrial age. I think we NEED projects like this to keep these skills alove. If technology fails us we will need them again
I once worked on the Castle of the Ozarks that they started as a sister project. Absolutely kills me that they abandoned that one, but I'm happy to see Guédelon is going strong.
The last bit, with the guy talking about how a little piece of the castle belongs to each person who built it, it's a bit of connection to their past, their heritage, and something to connect them to the future as well, because if the castle still stands, their great-great-great grandchildren will be able to visit there and say "my ancestor laid these foundations, laid these beams, placed these stones." It's a unique and abstract sort of insight into the importance of such things, the connections to one's common history, and why people were and are willing to fight and die for them.
I love how this started as a neat experiment and evolved into something absolutely integral in the restoration of one of the most historical and important medieval structures ever made. I don't think ANYONE could have predicted that sometime 25 years down the road modern woodworkers would have to come to Guédelon Castle to learn how to square off wood by hand because Notre Dame burned down. That alone makes the whole thing worth it. I also love that it's taken a lot longer than predicted because ultimately a castle is a castle but a constantly active medieval construction site where visitors can actually talk to the artisans is way cooler than just reading some placard explaining how something was built.
This project is two years older than me, it's kind of startling to fully realize that the construction of a castle could take as long as the raising of an entire human being - and the castle is still not done! I have only the most bare-bones knowledge of medieval ways and don't know but a lick of French, but my heart yearns to parttake in something like this. I find immense satisfaction and purpose in physical labour, the rhythm of repetitive tasks is soothing for the soul. The hoisting mechanism is a beautiful contraption - I can't believe I never considered the skill of medieval architects to create something so intricate to ease the lifting of building materials. Just beautiful.
Well they are using mostly medieval tools, they have to be taught those medieval skills and they spend time explaining to others what they are doing. All the while, they still work in any weather. That takes a lot of their time, hence is taking 35 yrs to finish the project.
Usually it would take less than a decade in medieval times. But they worked longer, didn't talk to visitors and generally there were a few more of them.
Check out Conwy Castle in Wales which is many times larger than this castle. King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George built both the castle and town walls in a barely believable four years between 1283 and 1287. They had more men and those men were already skilled in their trades since childhood. This is an absolutely wonderful project but it is a small number of people and is a living history project and so it isn't the same as a King or wealthy Baron wanting a new castle.
Guedelon! This is the most amazing place to visit it is so incredibly beautiful to witness the revival of almost forgotten crafts. Sending all the love!
I love this! Been following the progress for over 10 years and it's so fascinating! I've always loved castles and been in awe at how they managed to build them. This is the closest thing to having a time machine! So much respect (and a hint of jealousy) for everyone who has contributed to the project.
I remember going on a school trip to visit this castle when I was a kid (I live in the same region), it was all muddy but seeing all those people work like at the medieval times was really something.
Wow - that entire video was fascinating, amazing! It's hard to get my mind around all of the specialized work that has gone into the structure of the castle so far, in 25 years - and that it still has years to go to completion. What a complex undertaking, with so many centuries-old skill sets, and so much hard work involved. It was interesting to learn about using better body mechanics with the tools, too. Also interesting that there were some craftsmen from the Notre Dame restoration who learned skills there to help with the proper restoration. Kirsten and Nicolas, it is so wonderful that your children get to see and learn SO much by getting to accompany you in the making of your videos. This is definitely one of my favorite videos of yours!
Notre Dame was burnt by a criminal fire yet the government don't want to investigate on the most emblematic Cathedral of France because they don't want to put an end to immigration as it's an idea of the far right.
I remember seeing this on TV many years ago. I specifically remember when they put the capstone in on of those vaulted rooms. Every now and then I thought about this castle's progress. So I'm thankful that you've covered this project.
I've known about this castle for almost as long as they've been building it. I was living in Scotland when I found out about it (about 20 years ago) and thought it would be fun to pack up and go become a worker there. I still get that urge even now. I was actually a little sad seeing this video, to realize how far they've come, and that it will be finished (relatively) soon. One thing I would love to learn more about, but have never heard about, is how they got started, and how they got set up, both with tools and skilled craftsmen. To think, before they started on the castle, they would first need to make the tools, and to make the tools, they would first need to build a smith's shop, basket weaving shop, lime kiln etc.
There is a pretty thorough documentary made by ARTE channel (made or bought to an independant producer, but who cares…), it is available in French or German.
i wish you could visit this castle , it was amazing when i do it . The worker here are very friendly , even if they are working hard ,they took time to answer questions they probably have answer thousand time. I probably return here when this will be finished , to see the ending result .
The first tool like hamer or axes were bought ones like they would have done in the middleage.This bootstraped the wood and iron work and the quary and keln... See th ARTE doc for more...
From what I've heard on site, the castle could be only the beginning, and they are planning on pursuing the project even further by building extra buildings -- similarly to the medieval watermill that they have built next to the castle a few years ago.
Kirsten and co, you've really outdone yourself with this one. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for always sharing with us such new (or old, in this case) and interesting projects.
Every time I watch one of your videos I can't help thinking about all the great experiences your children get to enjoy and how fortunate they are to do so.
This is so awesome. Europeans and European descended people need to re-find an appreciate and enjoyment of old European architecture/culture and start producing more beautiful buildings such as this instead of the constant soulless glass skyscrapers that dominate cities now
I saw some of the building of this castle on another older video where the construction had not proceeded as far as in this video. Both videos were fascinating. These people really knew what they were doing given the technology that was available. The people who are currently working on the castle have great skills as well.The lady who narrated this video was extremely knowledgeable and eloquent. Thank you for making and showing this excellent and interesting video.
Around 5 years ago, i watched every episode of a series about this place. I could only understand a limited amount of French(no subtitles) so im pleased to get the full story from you. I really enjoy all of your episodes! Thankyou & Cheers!
Been watching this, literally, for years. It is so fascinating. What people don't realize, however, is that hundreds of people, maybe thousands, were working on these castles when they were originally built. Not just a few dedicated people. Amazing work.
what I love is they chose the area carefully so as to have not just enough stone but also wood, water, lime and iron ore as well . all the materials for this project needed to come from the land surrounding the construction sight the same as in the 13's century . when you think how much stone was needed it's amazing enough but then you need to think off all the wood for the project not just for construction but tools, doors and support frames . then there's the black smith forging all the tools and maintaining all the wedges for the quarry as well as forging every other tool on sight then there's the plaster and mortar for the walls all of it has to be made on sight a process that can take month's and most be done ahead of time the plaster needed to be burned from lime into quicklime then stored tell it was needed and kept bone dry . the shear number of processes and the quantity's of materials is mind boggling .
I'm so glad this project is still on going and it's cool that people here talk about working smart to not over work the body. As well as knowing when it's okay to use modern health and safety tools. Imagining 25 years makes me think someone could have been born during the early years of the construction and watched it go up as they grew up their self. Question, Does this village have any exports or other ways it makes money? or is it the tours that give them income?
The work on the castle is funded by the visits. There is no village there, the building site is in a forest, the builders don't live on site. There has been however talk about building one once the castle is complete.
@@kairon156 If they build a village nearby the castle, it will be of the 13th/14th century. Same epoch than the castle. 17th and 18th would not be harmonious. But for now they just focus on finishing the castle. It's still a lot to do! :-)
there was a sneaky mention of one way they make money in the video. they sell baskets. remember, the only ones used on sight are the round ones with the handles.
This is SO fascinating! You see these big castles and wonder how anyone in the medieval was able to build such a thing and then you watch these guys simply showing you how in every detail. It's beyond amazing how smart the solutions for so many things were and really makes you wonder about the technology of former civilizations when you consider that the medieval is known as a "dark time of stagnation"!
So fantastic to see & hear the sounds of work being done. AND no annoying radio on the worksite listening to crap day in day out, day in day out, day in...
Fantastic they are keeping the old crafts alive and letting the public witness it. That alone is invaluable especially for young children who can carry those skills into the future.
This would be a dream job for me! Working on such a project without the pressure of today's madness and haste. A job that requires patience and time. ❤️ A hit with this episode! Kirsten 🙏
Looking at an ancient castle or cathedral all we can do is marvel in wonder at how they were able to create such magnificence… and here with this effort we can actually see and understand the reality of that effort. Absolutely priceless endeavor here! Marvelous!
No, a picture and description is enough no need to go on these ridiculous reenactments, just a waste of time. Also kids would rather get to know modern materials which they would actually use themselves.
To be involved in something like that, that lasts for decades must be incredible, & obviously provides work & tourism opportunities that would make it a unique area to visit. To visit ancient castles is always fascinating for me, but to see one under construction using tools & methods from a specific year is just beyond words. I don't think I would ever want to leave, I have worked on many modern building sites & the constant noise is very invasive, this looks like pure serenity with a healthy lifestyle, well done to all those amazing people & the ones yet to come, well done.
What an absolutely fantastic project. Obviously, back in the day, more workers would have been available to finish this project quicker. My hat is off to every soul who has, and are currently, working on this project. My mind is blown, kaboom 💥
How fascinating! The castle is a stunning work of art that I would LOVE to visit. The blacksmith, " It's just like the Middle Ages and until just before World War II. In the countryside they made tools like this.", and other comments were eye-openers to how much knowledge has been lost due to industrialization. Sad and scary to lose so much that quickly! Wonderful video - didn't know this existed - THX!
My Father used a Saying: "Son, I've forgotten more than you know!" And, if you think about it, even though I grew up on a Farm, I now live in a City, and can't even Plant (North Facing Apartment), so, such "Experience Losses" are understandable, in short order!
The stone-cutter guy is so young yet so wise: "If you use only muscle, you are going to break your tools and break your back. It's better to use brain." 👏🏻 I wish that young me would've known that, especially when chopping wood. 😅
Kirsten, Thank you for doing this video on this project. I watched a series on it done by the BBC and haven't come across and update on it since. I always wondered how it was coming along or if it lost funding and no longer was progressing. So glad to see it is still going. I think it is an invaluable project overflowing with historical information.
They're actually tremendously behind compared to what actually would require but as they mention in the video, they have to switch between actual work and tourism and they don't have the same manpower they had back in the days.
Lovely video. We spent the day at Guédelon Castle in October 2019. I still have not edited my footage of that visit. Your video is very well done. Thanks for sharing it with the world.
This project I've been following for about 7 or 8 years now. And it's truly amazing. I love it. I love that this project is teaching so many people so many things about castle construction and the ancient skills involved. It's helping to keep history alive and vibrant and interesting and motivating people to keep learning from it.
This is argueably one of the most incredible and beautiful projects I have had the priviledge to witness. Just awesome to see so many trades on site using local on site raw materials to create such a majestic structure. Such rhymic cohesion . How each smith or wrigjt is necessary to the other. Great work
wow, i am really interested in "how things used to be done" and didnt know this existed. i am welsh (so always was fascinated by castles and how they were built) but retired to crete greece. a big part of my thought process in chosing crete was how old world it still is (in parts). i will be visiting this place as soon as possible.... thank you for this video
I love your films, Kirsten! This is wonderful. I've visited castle ruins in the UK and Germany; fascinating to see this monument to living history and the dedication of so many people to recreating that world. Such a special place. We must put it on our list to visit in future.
Ehemm... about those ruins... Quite a few of those "castles" in the UK, Germany and elsewhere actually aren't real. There was a fad in the 18th and 19th century that prompted many of the "nouveau riche" to construct fake castles and in some cases, even fake ruins (also known as "follies"). The mose famous of those is probably Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.
@@BrokenCurtain I'm aware of that, but I've visited Clifford's Tower, Warwick Castle, and Heidelberg Castle in Germany, all of which have a documented history of having been used as fortified structures dating back to at least the 1500s. I was referring to my personal experience; I do love me a good folly, though.
Simply magnificent! It makes me so happy just to know that this is happening, that people are getting to experience this, and that these techniques aren't being lost.
What I noticed when walking around the castle is something it doesn't have. No building from the middle ages was left untouched in the centuries after it was built. So there are always additions and changes made which often lead to weird situations like a doorway in an odd place, stairs going to nowhere and things like that. Guedelon castle is a new build so it lacks the result of centuries of ownership by different people.
I've been aware of this project for decades, but I haven't seen its progress in a while. Really cool, and it's nearly almost there. Maybe film productions can use it one day.
We saw Guedelon last September. It's amazing! My husband studies military history and was scandalized that they would build this beautiful castle in a completely indefensible location when normally they would have chosen a high spot with difficult access. He's picky 😆. Thinking about that, you realize just how difficult a real castle would have been to build, maybe much further from a quarry or stream or forest and up on a height.
Haha! Yes, the priority was not defensive value but availability of ressources. Having to carry all that stuff up a steep hill is something you really don't want to do!
You should take him to see Ewloe Castle near Chester, (it's inside a forest, so you have to get there on foot). I was sim confused as to why it was not built on a hill, but it seems to mainly be to mark the Welsh - English border. The English ignored it as useless once they took control, so it fell into ruins.
@@steemlenn8797 If the location of the castle would have been importent in a strategic point of view, yes, they would have (in the middle age) brought all the necessary materials up on a hill!
@@vcie515 Yes, and that explains why it could take more than a century to build one. But still if in any way possible they used local materials and not somethign you ahve to transport over a long distance. So a castle might end up on a less defensible position than wished for because of material. It is always a calculstion of cost and result. Have a castle in a bad position or no castle in a good one because it costs 4 times the money?
It should however be noted that although the defensibility of the location is to be considered, that's not the only factor. Economics played a considerable part, so the local availability of resources, coupled with local politics, could easily override military considerations. Most castles throughout the medieval era weren't meant to be impregnable fortresses, but first and foremost were the home of a local lord. They were meant to display wealth, power, and protect the lord and his family from local threats, which high walls surrounded by a ditch would do just fine.
My favourite thing about this project is that you can really see how towns and economies would spring up around castles as they were under construction. These guys are all here for the building the castle, so you’d immediately have the smith, the wheelwright, the mason, the quarry, the carpenters, potters, coopers, ropemakers, since you’ve got carthorses you’d have stables, you’d get eating and drinking establishments for all the workers so taverns would pop up, farmers would move to the area to start supplying the whole thing, suddenly cattle and sheep will start appearing, markets for everyone not directly involved with the castle construction, until the day the castles done and it’s got a fully functioning village support system around it
The castles needed those villages because that's where the tax money to support the castles came from.
Taverns didn't really just pop up in some village, even if there was a castle next to it. Taverns were more places in cities to sell wine and also where travelers would receive lodging. They were not really like the taverns in DnD.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei oh you’re absolutely right, and I don’t have the expertise in history to know what form they’d take but I do know this, if enough people hang around one spot for long enough eventually someone comes to sell them alcohol
And then William the Conqueror or somebody like that arrives from the land across the river or the ocean and burns it all down and absconds with all their millstones and chisels, and they have to start all over.
@@dougerrohmer Nah, he's the reason why England even has those castles. His pacification plan for the country was to build itty bitty castles on hills that the Anglo-Saxons were absolutely amazed by because they never thought of doing it themselves.
I wouldn't describe this as "friends building a castle". XD
Guédelon Castle is the result of a serious experimental archeology project, probably the biggest scientific experiment of that kind in the world.
But yeah, the people working on it probably forged some strong friendships over the years. It takes some genuine passion to work on something like this, and that connects people.
it's also a way of life. I'd totally go there and do stuff to get away from working on a desk and just spend a summer baking bread or making cart wheels. I can't think of anything more therapeutic.
@@unlink1649 Imagine being one of the workers who finished Notre Dame
the title of this video made me go: "I wish I had friends like that"
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What's the experiment here? Just seeing if they can do it?
As a builder, I find this absolutely fascinating....and a stark reminder of the artisan skills we have lost...many thanks for posting this video....much appreciated....
I also work in construction. It is mindblowing that they were able to build things on this scale without the technology we rely on today but equally we are able to build things today they would have refused to believe was real.
@@thomasedwards205 indeed....you make a relevant point... thanks for the comment
People very often mix up technology with intelligence as well as convenience.
People weren't dumb and stupid back in the day, they just didn't have the technology and luxury we have today.
They just took maybe a little longer, and it was more physical work.
Which isn't bad maybe, since you already had your daily dose of exercise.
The skills are dying because unlike back in the day, you cant just have people learn artisanal skills that require a lifetime of toil and work and then proceed to basically pay them subsistence pay. Leaves me conflicted about this kind of stuff because on the one hand, the skills are dying, but on the other hand I think the environs that enabled the skills to be proliferated so much were not neccesarily something to yearn for.
@@dulljumbo4321 I can't disagree, commercial time frames, poor training and substandard composite materials all lead to a degredation of standards...there are, thankfully artisans still out there, however they do it for love, not for the money. I appreciate your comments.
What people may not realize is that this is a huge commercial success. Guedelon generates an order of magnitude more money from visitors than a comparable "real" castle in a remote place in the French countryside. Just because you can see it being built. It makes good economic sense. And it's a warning to Barcelona to never finish the Sagrada Familia.
Here is something funny to think about, there are thousands of unfinished buildings that investors spend hundreads of millions on, then they go bankrupt and you got a 200 mil building unfinished and unusable just sitting there. Im sure similar happend back then. Family died of or left...
Well, if it's such a success, then when it's finished, they can always start building another castle. Now, that they have experience, they can make some things better or just differently. Or simply recreate a castle of another age or another country
@@mishatsaritsyn4843 problem with that is that it's no longer the FIRST medieval castle being built in modern times. Only the first of something this unique usually gets the fame, unfortunately
I am not sure that the comparison with the Sagrada Familia is legitimate. It is built with modern means and methods, on a completely different scale. And I don't know if it's still the case, but the times I visited it you couldn't see what the workers were doing, there were only cranes and scaffolding, all out of reach and visibility.
At Guedelon, you can see the craftsmen at work, from the extraction of resources to the final installation.
@@mishatsaritsyn4843 There are rumours that they were planning to build the village after the castle, but nothing is certain, the castle still needs about ten years.
I was born pretty much same time as the castle and still live near it. I just go every 2 or 3 years since i was born and see it grow as the same time as me, great memories :)
Nice, i bet you're ad awesome as the castle
@@Levaaant thanks !
have you considered helping, to speed up the process?
@@nathanielpillar8012 i've been considering it recently yes :)
@@Ethanooooool on the day it's finished, you will die ;-)
Never knew there was a community that brings back the medieval time. It seems very interesting than most modern stuff
It’s awesome. If I won the power ball here in America, I would buy out a French chateau or do my absolute best to buy and renovate a castle somewhere in Europe. If not I’d build a modern castle. Something so satisfying knowing you’re the lord of that castle lol.
@Haz wizZRblx yeah
theres a big park in the Netherlands where they've got areas in theme for pretty much every major period in history which is pretty cool, buildings in that style, activities matching it (for example they got a half circle theatre for roman times, you can do archery and sword lessons for medieval times etc)
There’s plenty of people that do that
@@harroldthered7050 I would build a "replica" of the castle from the 1971 Macbeth movie.
This castle is going to confuse archeologists a thousand years from now.
My first thought as well! I built a sizable stone circle in the mountains. The man who helped laughed and said what will they think in a thousand years.
I recommend that they put a rubber duck in a display case in the basement or paint some big ducks on the walls so people 12000 years from now thinks they build those buildings to protect themselves from giant yellow ducks roaming around.
Nah, they’ll pretend like they know it all - like they do now
😆 you said that on the Peter and Ruth one too
@@yeboscrebo4451 this is an amusement park in Europe, don't make fun of them, they don't know what fun *is*
I would argue that it is good that it takes such a long time to build this castle. Mainly because I think most tourists who comes there, comes to see not only the castle but the processes behind it. When the castle is finished, there will only be another castle there, but right now it's a medieval construction site which is far more interesting if you think about it!
When they finish it they'll have to put it under siege so they can rebuild parts of it again lol
@@KraziEyevin Can you imagine the research into historical warfare! Siege engines, cannons, ladders, fortifications, defending breaches, improvisational weaponry...
They're planning on building a Medieval village next to it once it's done. I'd like to imagine that their ambition will never run out, and they'll eventually expand into a whole walled Medieval city with a full scale cathedral on the side, just to keep the project going forever.
@@Lightice1 That would've been so cool! We can always dream! :D
In an interview one of the project managers said that once they were finished they can probably build a Renaissance chateau from the medieval castle.
That's cool to hear that the team restoring Notre Dame learned their skills from the people building Guedelon. Also, cool to know that we have possibly ten more years left to get over there and build a small part of this wonder!
Apparently they're giving it a modern look thats so cancer
@@thatundeadlegacy2985is this news recent, and if it is is there proof?
@@thatundeadlegacy2985 According to the latest news reports, the Notre Dame is being restored exactly to its previous form.
This feels like actual fulfilling work.
exactly what I thought. I wouldnt mind working there
Beating the English? Of course it's a full feeling job!
@@messire9837 man my people are busy beating the Scottish
There’s nothing like handwork and craftsmanship to fulfil us. We make efforts of the body and mind, and see the physical incarnation of our work and sweat. Instant dopamine shot.
@@jeffington1224 Y'all are lucky to not be fighting the Mongols.
Always great to see an update on Guédelon, despite the pandemic they made quite a bit of progress in the last two years.
You even showed two of the stones i made, when i was working there for a bit in 2012 :)
How can you recognise them?
@@damionkeeling3103 they are purple.
That is so cool! How did you manage get a job there? It sounds amazingly interesting! I'd love to learn one of the many skills those people have
@@damionkeeling3103 I helped to put them in the place they are in and remember the spot, also due to the varying iron content the color is always slightly diffrent from the next stone.
@@FruitingPlanet Thanks, must be fun helping to make something that will last for centuries.
One of the coolest projects of the past century
something you can walk up to and NOT ...ASK WHY
It's awesome to see the French are so proud of their heritage and history! It's a beautiful building and a testament to all those involved in the project. Looking forward to visiting one day soon!
Beyond the awesome scope of the project, I must say, there's something about this video that gives me such a warm and fuzzy summer feeling. maybe it's the audio design, it's just brilliant.
Lololol that castle looks like sh!tCompared to those of old. N most that r of discussion from our NonZombieCommunity are star forts of complex geometric design spanning miles out in all directions. The mantles above the windows aren’t even anything like the old no acoustic repelling attribution. And most didn’t even use mortar. Castle is light n powered w/ electricity n doesn’t have any connection to the known aether of that time. Be careful for the things u present echo in eternity so this is essentially BLASPHEMY. This looks like a child’s sandbox compared to a TRUE STAR FORT
It’s not exactly an act of pride. This is a scientific experiment with a budget. It’s experimental archaeology. Pride would simply hinder the objective observations they could take away from this.
Tu as tout faux beaucoup de français s'en moquent quelques-uns en sont fières et passent une vie de peine à leur rappeler ce que ce peuple fut
@@Vox_Popul1 That was exactly that indeed, archeological/historical science. I visited few years after they started and it was very interesting to watch the village, workers, life growing. Most of the workers are actually professionals at their task, stones, wood, iron. Many of them are "Compagnons du Tour de France" or "Best France worker" in their specialty. This project has also been used to train younger students, so it was a school as well. And people did not realized, but it is pretty much a lifetime project.
24:43 "we are not here to collect data on the accident rate of a 13th century construction site" 😂
REAL Freemasons not the technocrat Freemason on their Land Rover with Freemason stickers. 😂
Looks like a death trap
@@freedomfreedom6544 What looks like a death trap ?
I could imagine the Accident Rate on those 13th century sites would have been high.
@@SternLX Maybe not as high as we imagine: skilled workers were very hard to find back then so I guess it was in the interest of everyone to keep them safe. Productivity was certainly not as much as central as it has become since Industrial Revolution, and quality of work was more important than speed of achievement. Since, in my experience, shorter and shorter deadlines are the key to get spectacular errors and accidents, maybe a less time pressured environment was quite safe after all.
We must also keep in mind that these people were free workers, not 'slaves', so they would have probably a high interest, and a say, in their own safety...
This castle, even if it is still not done, is worthy of being a historical learning material and tourist spot. I mean, you can literally learn and integrate into the world of medieval period just by watching the workshops do their work. I would love to visit this place, both when they're still building the castle, and when it is finished
It is already a touristic location 😃
Been there at the end of the year with my ex gf ahah
Even when the castle will be finished, plans are already being drawn to establish and build a hamlet, providing what a local medieval baron would need in terms of food and workshops.
Guedelon is here to stay and evolve, for decades to come ♥
They can also rent it out to movie or TV productions in need of a Castle like landscape.
It has been both from the start. The core purpose of Guédelon is experimental archeology and castle study, and it was open for tourism essentially from the start in order to help fund the project.
I remember first seeing this in a documentary about 15 years ago and been asking myself since then how the project is doing.
Nice to see a lot of progress, only thing left to do is visiting at some point.
Somehow I too have seen that video in that past. The other night I thought about that video.. then TH-cam read my brain and brought me here >.>
@@daniilivanov9601 or you maybe mentioned it once, it's kinda scary how much your phone listens. Had a conversation about water quality, the same day some articles got recommend to me even though I haven't searched for this topic ever before. Coincidence, I don't think so.
Right, everyone gets that all the time, but, this time around they read my mind
I remember that as well 😁 glad it's doing well!
I wish they'd do an update on it.
I love how a medieval castle has more aesthetics to it in terms of design and shape than many modern skyscrapers and city buildings.
We may have moved to a more advanced era, but we've lost our artistic taste which made many of those old buildings breathtaking even centuries later.
It is mainly caused by the fact that every building then needed craftsmen, not just construction workers, and it was every craftsman's pride to make something pretty. There were also craft guilds and they required skilled workers and there was competition within those guilds to be the best. Not to mention that if something takes you so long time to create, you obviously want it to be outstanding.
It's not that they're more aesthetically pleasing. They're just different. If you took some of the decent to nice to beautiful skyscrapers and only had a few of those in the world but then created thousands and thousands of castles everyone would go on about how beautiful skyscrapers are and castles are not. Rarity does not equate beauty. (My point here is both are beautiful and things to marvel over)
@@johnw6060 Really? Nothing 'modern' is aesthetically pleasing, at all. It's concrete, glass and rebar. As for 'modern' houses they all look like a german bunker from WWII, meets doll house with glass and wooden trim. It's all soulless and hideous and a _direct_ reflection of how spiritually dead people have become. We build beautiful and breathtaking buildings all the way up to the outbreak of WWII, after the war it went downhill and very fast.
you can't really compare a medieval castle to a modern skyscraper though. You could compare it to 1920's skyscrapers and you'd probably come to the same conclusion.
they took the detail away so its easier to buid! the rulers need to house the people
Just the fact that artisans working on Notre Dame were able to go to a site right in France to pick up information that was gleaned from the work being done there is immeasurably invaluable.
This is like a theme park, but the role-playing actually produces a castle 🤩
This is way better than a theme park, because it's all real instead of plastic.
it's a living museum, not a theme park, lol, Williamsburg Virginia has a living museum, not on this scale not in the slightest, but similar idea
Puy de Fou is a famous French theme park you might enjoy.
I love the authenticity and attitude that has gone into the building of this castle. It's important these skills aren't lost.
minus the groomers and pedos like disneyworld
@@banzy3 It's not a 100% accurate obviously because it would be boring for a theme park but it's still very good. Some historians love to shit on the park but they don't understand what's its real purpose.
From 13:00 to 15:30 is absolutely the very BEST explanation of stone masonry I've found anywhere on the net thus far. I've seen in person and via the net many demonstrations on how to cut stone and achieve a very rough (usually cubic) shape. No amount of searching, however, has shown me which tools are used and for which reasons to achieve the final shape and surface texture until now. Thank you SO much for these amazing details.
Agreed, and to think the ancients figured this out thousands of years ago is amazing. Looking at a wonder such as the pyramids you truly get to appreciate how much effort and ingenuity goes into their creation.
hes explaining it with a nice german accent aswell haha
Masonry is one of those professions where it seems like magic when you don't know how it's done, but when you see the techniques, it's usually very simple (just painstakingly time consuming). The ingenuity of human craftsmen and builders never ceases to amaze me.
@@ariochiv Correct! From a stonemason.
Damn, this video has so interesting background noises. I can't get enough of hearing the stones being cut in the distance, that metal clank is very satisfying. Medieval Castle Construction ASMR when?
This is an awesome experimental archeological effort. So much you can learn from doing that a book or lecture will never tell you.
BothBeckman: That is a crucial point of the game. The other being to keep the craftsmanship and know how alive.
Paris cathédrale repair is also a great learning workplace for les compagnons du Devoir and many others.
Doesn't seem too experimental after 20 years.
I went there when I was a kid, and two other times since, what's amazing to me is how the older parts have aged to look so similar to some "real" castles we have in France (and how quick the new parts just look ancient). It means, not only their work is really acurate, but also how durable this type of castles are !
Or it's all fake
@@ponchopower what
And this is how you make a good forgery, to weather it naturally
I think it also looks old to us mostly due to the sense of style. We just associate castles with the times they were built. It's the same phenomena as seeing a person dressed in period accurate attire.
@@WaffleCake Yeah but people dresses in period accurate attire still look modern to me, like they've used modern fabrics or something. Whereas this looks like a real castle from medieval times
I'm totally amazed, with the progress on the rebuild of Notre Dame and the use of modern technology. This is a game changer. Didn't know this was monument was being constructed, but humbled by the attention and detail. French people must be proud of this achievement and as for the cost, tourism will take care of it for years to come. There's only one thing missing.....Its me, wish I was participating!
I can't even begin to describe how fantastic this is!
The best thing about it is the fact that you probably won't ever get a better idea of what it really was like back then. Even in movies you will always have a set with lots of fake stuff that _"has to look good"_ but here it's actual people doing the actual real work, so there's nothing fake about it.
I'm totally obsessed with this!
The best on this construction site is... the silence!
There are lots of very busy people, you hear the hammering on the stones or the blacksmith's working, but all in all is a peaceful quietness about the whole place! Even if there are hundreds of visitors. No noisy machinery, no engins to transport the stones, but the slow path of horses who transports all they need around.
That's what impressed me the most every time I was there.
@@vcie515 Yea, I'm not a very auditory person, I'm more visual, and I don't really pay attention to sounds (or lack of them) until someone points them out. But yes, now that you mention it, it's fantastic to just hear the little hammers tapping away, and the birds chirping in the background.
It certainly beats hearing jackhammers, drills, and generators constantly going, and trucks beeping as they're backing up..
@@vcie515 and no damned boomboxes blasting "music" that easily can be confused for pneumatic hammers.
This is fantastic! For anyone interested in seeing more about this place I think there was a five part BBC series several years ago about Guedelon (filmed when much less had been built), called "Secrets of the Castle". It's fun to see the castle come so far since that series was made. Also the show was made by some of the same people who did the very enjoyable "Victorian Farm" and "Edwardian Farm" etc. series.
I miss these shows, watched all of them on absolute history TH-cam channel , it's a pity they don't do more of those kinds of shows
I would have missed that, I haven't had a tv licence for about 7 years
Yes, they were wondderful programs!
@@jasonseekoei5392 Yes! I know, it would be great if they made a new one. For a longtime I didn't know about the steam train one (still with Peter, Ruth, and Alex), but as far as I know that was the last thing they all made together. Those programs have surprisingly stuck with me as one of my favorite TV/movie discoveries from the past couple years.
I remember watching that series in the castle, and I have to echo your sentiments towards the Farm Series. I’ve watched them multiple times and still enjoy them.
Amazing.
I'm building my own. Had plans for 20 years and i bought the property 3 years ago. It's gonna take me my entire life to hopefully finish. Especially doing it single handedly
Being a cabinetmaker/carpenter it's wonderful to see the origins of my craft being relived and rediscovered. Of all the "mega projects" in the world this is the only one I care for. The level of detail they've gone to is extraordinary.
The long-term planning required for this massive undertaking in itself is astonishing (we do not see that in national or corporate planning anywhere!)... Simply amazing to bypass the available technology to make it by human labor and care. Beautiful!!
The Chinese plan that far in advance.
Amazing project. It’s one thing seeing historical buildings after centuries of use and modernity now surrounding them, but to see something like this being built in a forest with nothing but period-accurate building techniques all around it really transports you right back to the 13th century and what their world would have looked like.
why is it taking them so long to build? 20 years using "period-accurate" techniques and yes without the actual need for a castle, i would think if it were real medieval times they would have been killed off before the castle was finished... history is bullshit.
Wonderful to watch. Especially the Stone cutting. My GG Grandfather was a Stone Mason from Paddock Church inYorkshire, Englad. He was actually recruited to help build St Petersburg. We have his Passport from England to Germany and then into Russia.
Props to your great great gramps!
prior to communisim there was english scottish and irish populations in russia .. osme of the iron working cities in the 17th and 18th century were built by english. there is russians still with scottish and english names , McMillan, Clarence, mores, Robertson. Jones, Pierce, Ruddock.. ect are some i have seen on russians documents.. its not super common but you see such names about. .. moscow in the 1500s had an area the english traders would stay even. you can tell its a european foreign name because its got no russian ending on it like sky or vich or such.. and it just immediately looks nonrussian .. .
You sir have an AWESOME SAUCE kind of ancestor. I tip my hat off to the gentleman.
This is such a great project. I was obsessed with castles as a kid and always loved to draw them and I can count the amount of hours put into stronghold or Conan exiles building. You guys are amazing and the fact you’re not using modern technology is great. Sending love from New Zealand
I admire people, didn't abandon the project all that years
I visited Guédelon and I worked on Campus Galli (same thing in Germany, but a 9th century, not 14th and building a cloister)
It’s super relaxing…
It’s like stepping into a bubble where time just stops cause everything is going just the speed it needs to. Nothing is hurried, no one keeps asking you when you’ll be done
The ARTE doc features a cross over with campus galli for the windows if my memory is right ...
@@testman9541 yes
I was actually there when they made that….
I am certain that humanity will return to this natural rhythm in the coming decades. For me it is even vital... We will always have computers, medicines, a few machines... but if we want to survive we will have to find again this way of apprehending time
@@nabucho7006 natural rythm... Which nature ? Guédelon is the example of a human made landscape. Or impact of humans.on their ecosystem. Going tonthe water mill of Guédelon, there is a path that they have put crushed stone. Each year there are beatles that cross the path and each year the tourists walk on the bugs at that period mass kill them simply because they are tourists came for a castle and not for beatles. This is so human🤦🙈
My family went there about 5 years ago. If your traveling in France, You should see this place. What a joy it was to see.
Hooray to French people and the many others caring for their culture and history. This is truly beautiful.
As said below, the BBC featured this construction project on the show Secrets of the Castle, with domestic historian Ruth Goodman & archaeologists Peter Gint & Tom Pinfold. The whole project, in its efforts to re-create the old techniques, has been an amazing experience for craftsmen, historians, & archaeologists alike. Experimental archaeology and historical re-creationism has given us a chance to relearn the tricks of the trades of our ancestors and marvel at what they could build. And it all started with picking the *right* site, a vital step in the construction process--this project would not have been nearly as successful without that step!
just mentioned that I'm a comment
This has been on my bucket list to volunteer since it started...This place is a blessing for capturing and passing on traditional skills to the next generation...Thanks so much for sharing this update to the project...
You wrote "volunteer" so do you actually get money for doing it or is this a pure passion project?
@@SimonLausch Dear Ano, I was raised in and around traditional people so this is both a passion and a lifestyle choice. I travel to projects that have a need within my skill sets and I teach, design, and build infrastructure according to those needs..."Money"...has never been my focal point as I have worked for nonprofits most of my life so only look to have expenses covered if the project is not "profit-based"... I'm in Iowa now on a timber frame project, but planning for and helping design a project in Northern Spain I hope to start construction on within the next 18 months..."Life" and living it well, has been a lifelong passion...with the traditional arts and crafts a cornerstone...
@@JayCWhiteCloud While that sounds like an ideal life what if you get disabled or grow too old to work? How do you get retirement funds?
@@SimonLausch Sorry Ano...sounds like you are stuck in the "modern consumer culture" and the many physical, mental and social illnesses it brings with it. Our worlds are so different, that it would be hard to relate our perspectives to one another it would seem? I experience questions like yours often from many clients that find themselves "stuck" within modernity and its insidious destructive mindsets...rather than the natural and traditional ones our species evolved within...
As for "disable"...I'm not sure what you mean...???...I have friends and many acquaintances that have all manner of challenges (i.e "alternately abled") such as blindness, deafness, or even in wheelchairs. That has never stopped them from living natural and holistic lives...Age has absolutely nothing to do with it at all...I'm well over 60 years old...my teachers I learned from as a younger man were all born in the mid to late 1800s...with some over 100 years and still working till the day they passed on..." Age" is a modern excuse too often used by "first world" cultures not to continue enjoying life...living it fully and with appreciation...
Since money has never been a focal point or motivation..." retirement funds"...has never been something I really concern myself with...If I "need money" it's not hard to find if you have developed any reasonable skill sets and things people want...and since I don't make it a focal point...it comes as I need it...For my entire life, anything I would want typically was something I could make with my own two hands...and for those things I could not make myself, acquiring them (or access to them) was never difficult...So, as I stated above, I doubt that much of my world is even relatable to yours...from the food I eat, where I sleep, the clothes I wear, to the way I exist daily...
@@JayCWhiteCloud I would love to do something like this in life but alas, I do not have the skills needed to be useful to others. Where should I go to become competent? Most people don't want to hire me either.
Man as a journeyman carpenter these things amaze me. I learned from old timers but they where industrial age. I think we NEED projects like this to keep these skills alove. If technology fails us we will need them again
I once worked on the Castle of the Ozarks that they started as a sister project. Absolutely kills me that they abandoned that one, but I'm happy to see Guédelon is going strong.
The last bit, with the guy talking about how a little piece of the castle belongs to each person who built it, it's a bit of connection to their past, their heritage, and something to connect them to the future as well, because if the castle still stands, their great-great-great grandchildren will be able to visit there and say "my ancestor laid these foundations, laid these beams, placed these stones." It's a unique and abstract sort of insight into the importance of such things, the connections to one's common history, and why people were and are willing to fight and die for them.
I love how this started as a neat experiment and evolved into something absolutely integral in the restoration of one of the most historical and important medieval structures ever made. I don't think ANYONE could have predicted that sometime 25 years down the road modern woodworkers would have to come to Guédelon Castle to learn how to square off wood by hand because Notre Dame burned down. That alone makes the whole thing worth it. I also love that it's taken a lot longer than predicted because ultimately a castle is a castle but a constantly active medieval construction site where visitors can actually talk to the artisans is way cooler than just reading some placard explaining how something was built.
This project is two years older than me, it's kind of startling to fully realize that the construction of a castle could take as long as the raising of an entire human being - and the castle is still not done! I have only the most bare-bones knowledge of medieval ways and don't know but a lick of French, but my heart yearns to parttake in something like this. I find immense satisfaction and purpose in physical labour, the rhythm of repetitive tasks is soothing for the soul. The hoisting mechanism is a beautiful contraption - I can't believe I never considered the skill of medieval architects to create something so intricate to ease the lifting of building materials. Just beautiful.
Well they are using mostly medieval tools, they have to be taught those medieval skills and they spend time explaining to others what they are doing. All the while, they still work in any weather. That takes a lot of their time, hence is taking 35 yrs to finish the project.
Usually it would take less than a decade in medieval times. But they worked longer, didn't talk to visitors and generally there were a few more of them.
Check out Conwy Castle in Wales which is many times larger than this castle. King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George built both the castle and town walls in a barely believable four years between 1283 and 1287.
They had more men and those men were already skilled in their trades since childhood.
This is an absolutely wonderful project but it is a small number of people and is a living history project and so it isn't the same as a King or wealthy Baron wanting a new castle.
Guedelon! This is the most amazing place to visit it is so incredibly beautiful to witness the revival of almost forgotten crafts. Sending all the love!
This castle would make a great backdrop for a modern Renaissance Festival. Jousting, Games, Plays and Actors in Period Clothing. So wonderful.
This is amazing... if I didn't know I would swear this was a 900 year old castle being rebuilt from it ruins. Damn that's impressive!
I love this! Been following the progress for over 10 years and it's so fascinating! I've always loved castles and been in awe at how they managed to build them. This is the closest thing to having a time machine! So much respect (and a hint of jealousy) for everyone who has contributed to the project.
@Mr n Mrs Squidd yeah it's really interesting
I remember going on a school trip to visit this castle when I was a kid (I live in the same region), it was all muddy but seeing all those people work like at the medieval times was really something.
as a french I'm proud of what they've done. They made something unique
Not a Frenchman, but I'm still proud of their work. The value of the historical knowledge alone being preserved and revived is incredible.
Wow - that entire video was fascinating, amazing! It's hard to get my mind around all of the specialized work that has gone into the structure of the castle so far, in 25 years - and that it still has years to go to completion. What a complex undertaking, with so many centuries-old skill sets, and so much hard work involved. It was interesting to learn about using better body mechanics with the tools, too. Also interesting that there were some craftsmen from the Notre Dame restoration who learned skills there to help with the proper restoration. Kirsten and Nicolas, it is so wonderful that your children get to see and learn SO much by getting to accompany you in the making of your videos. This is definitely one of my favorite videos of yours!
If we simply assume that people 800 years ago were just as smart and creative as us that live today, a lot of things become easier to understand.
Notre Dame was burnt by a criminal fire yet the government don't want to investigate on the most emblematic Cathedral of France because they don't want to put an end to immigration as it's an idea of the far right.
I remember seeing this on TV many years ago. I specifically remember when they put the capstone in on of those vaulted rooms. Every now and then I thought about this castle's progress. So I'm thankful that you've covered this project.
I've known about this castle for almost as long as they've been building it. I was living in Scotland when I found out about it (about 20 years ago) and thought it would be fun to pack up and go become a worker there. I still get that urge even now. I was actually a little sad seeing this video, to realize how far they've come, and that it will be finished (relatively) soon.
One thing I would love to learn more about, but have never heard about, is how they got started, and how they got set up, both with tools and skilled craftsmen. To think, before they started on the castle, they would first need to make the tools, and to make the tools, they would first need to build a smith's shop, basket weaving shop, lime kiln etc.
There is a pretty thorough documentary made by ARTE channel (made or bought to an independant producer, but who cares…), it is available in French or German.
i wish you could visit this castle , it was amazing when i do it . The worker here are very friendly , even if they are working hard ,they took time to answer questions they probably have answer thousand time.
I probably return here when this will be finished , to see the ending result .
There is still plenty of time for you to travel there and help out !
The first tool like hamer or axes were bought ones like they would have done in the middleage.This bootstraped the wood and iron work and the quary and keln... See th ARTE doc for more...
From what I've heard on site, the castle could be only the beginning, and they are planning on pursuing the project even further by building extra buildings -- similarly to the medieval watermill that they have built next to the castle a few years ago.
Kirsten and co, you've really outdone yourself with this one. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for always sharing with us such new (or old, in this case) and interesting projects.
That´s an Old Military March Song
th-cam.com/video/DJVkN77hjzs/w-d-xo.html
Don´t click the link if you don´t like this kind of stuff.
Beautiful and heart-warming. The world seems a tad better because of this unique practical art. Big thanks.
Every time I watch one of your videos I can't help thinking about all the great experiences your children get to enjoy and how fortunate they are to do so.
This is so awesome. Europeans and European descended people need to re-find an appreciate and enjoyment of old European architecture/culture and start producing more beautiful buildings such as this instead of the constant soulless glass skyscrapers that dominate cities now
@SlackTheTruth Then get suitable clothing or have your house isolated...
@SlackTheTruth Silly comment. You can still copy lost architectural styles while modernizing the innards of the structure
@SlackTheTruth What about classical exterior with modern interiors? Would you go for that?
@SlackTheTruth I bet you’re a “new German”
@SlackTheTruth Im also german. Pretty sure he means like second or third generation immigrant.
I saw some of the building of this castle on another older video where the construction had not proceeded as far as in this video. Both videos were fascinating. These people really knew what they were doing given the technology that was available. The people who are currently working on the castle have great skills as well.The lady who narrated this video was extremely knowledgeable and eloquent. Thank you for making and showing this excellent and interesting video.
Around 5 years ago, i watched every episode of a series about this place. I could only understand a limited amount of French(no subtitles) so im pleased to get the full story from you. I really enjoy all of your episodes!
Thankyou & Cheers!
hello, it just so happens that the castle's TH-cam channel has created a series of videos entirely subtitled in English. (I use google translation)
There was a bbc program a while ago about 3 english historians who worked on the project for a year. This was in english. Maybe worth looking out for.
Look for 'secrets of the castle' on youtube. This returns the bbc programs in the list. Well worth watching as are all the programs in the series.
@@gregutdmglaucos3757 thankyou for sharing this information
@@kwkw5711 thankyou! I will look for it,much appreciated!
Wow... It's like a living museum. Reminds me of those reenactment camps where you gets to experience how it feels like to live back in medieval times.
Been watching this, literally, for years. It is so fascinating. What people don't realize, however, is that hundreds of people, maybe thousands, were working on these castles when they were originally built. Not just a few dedicated people. Amazing work.
what I love is they chose the area carefully so as to have not just enough stone but also wood, water, lime and iron ore as well . all the materials for this project needed to come from the land surrounding the construction sight the same as in the 13's century . when you think how much stone was needed it's amazing enough but then you need to think off all the wood for the project not just for construction but tools, doors and support frames . then there's the black smith forging all the tools and maintaining all the wedges for the quarry as well as forging every other tool on sight then there's the plaster and mortar for the walls all of it has to be made on sight a process that can take month's and most be done ahead of time the plaster needed to be burned from lime into quicklime then stored tell it was needed and kept bone dry . the shear number of processes and the quantity's of materials is mind boggling .
there was no lime at the castle did you watch the video
I'm so glad this project is still on going and it's cool that people here talk about working smart to not over work the body. As well as knowing when it's okay to use modern health and safety tools.
Imagining 25 years makes me think someone could have been born during the early years of the construction and watched it go up as they grew up their self.
Question, Does this village have any exports or other ways it makes money? or is it the tours that give them income?
The work on the castle is funded by the visits. There is no village there, the building site is in a forest, the builders don't live on site. There has been however talk about building one once the castle is complete.
@@NouriaDiallo Good to know.
It'll be interesting if they built a 17th or 18th century village next to the castle.
@@kairon156 If they build a village nearby the castle, it will be of the 13th/14th century. Same epoch than the castle. 17th and 18th would not be harmonious.
But for now they just focus on finishing the castle. It's still a lot to do! :-)
@@vcie515 That's a good point. keeping within the theme of the era is important.
there was a sneaky mention of one way they make money in the video. they sell baskets. remember, the only ones used on sight are the round ones with the handles.
This is SO fascinating! You see these big castles and wonder how anyone in the medieval was able to build such a thing and then you watch these guys simply showing you how in every detail. It's beyond amazing how smart the solutions for so many things were and really makes you wonder about the technology of former civilizations when you consider that the medieval is known as a "dark time of stagnation"!
There's another youtube channel that did a documentary series on this place years back.
Loved it.
Nice to see this update. :D
Yes, things appear to be coming along nicely.
How To Build A 13th Century Castle | Secrets Of The Castle | Absolute History
It's like watching a movie set in the past, but 100% authentic.
So fantastic to see & hear the sounds of work being done. AND no annoying radio on the worksite listening to crap day in day out, day in day out, day in...
The fact that they make their own tools, harvest their own resources, and do it all within that area makes this all the more bedazzling to the mind!
Minecraft irl lol
Fantastic they are keeping the old crafts alive and letting the public witness it. That alone is invaluable especially for young children who can carry those skills into the future.
This type of work, real work, is so much better than sitting behind a desk all day isn't it ?
Wow ! That’s hard labour by smart people ! Really makes me appreciate my power tools and air nailers so much more. Great show as usual !
This would be a dream job for me! Working on such a project without the pressure of today's madness and haste. A job that requires patience and time. ❤️ A hit with this episode! Kirsten 🙏
Looking at an ancient castle or cathedral all we can do is marvel in wonder at how they were able to create such magnificence… and here with this effort we can actually see and understand the reality of that effort. Absolutely priceless endeavor here! Marvelous!
I always get excited when I get a notice you have a new video out. Love your work !
Thanks!
Much better than the documentations on this i've seen on major TV programs.
This is what real historical reenactment and practical archeology is about. None of that larp bs, just hardcore. It's beautiful!
No, a picture and description is enough no need to go on these ridiculous reenactments, just a waste of time. Also kids would rather get to know modern materials which they would actually use themselves.
@@Cortesevasive I think you don't understand the meaning of "experimental archeology"
@@Cortesevasivegrow up dude.
@@Cortesevasive shut up
Maybe you could leave larpers alone. They aren't hurting anybody
To be involved in something like that, that lasts for decades must be incredible, & obviously provides work & tourism opportunities that would make it a unique area to visit. To visit ancient castles is always fascinating for me, but to see one under construction using tools & methods from a specific year is just beyond words. I don't think I would ever want to leave, I have worked on many modern building sites & the constant noise is very invasive, this looks like pure serenity with a healthy lifestyle, well done to all those amazing people & the ones yet to come, well done.
What an absolutely fantastic project. Obviously, back in the day, more workers would have been available to finish this project quicker. My hat is off to every soul who has, and are currently, working on this project. My mind is blown, kaboom 💥
Wow, here I can see people very proud of their history, their heritage and their crafts. Well done guys
absolutely incredible 🤯
Thanks Carl! Nice of you to take the time to comment, we love your work.
@@nicolasboullosa I've spent dayss watching yours! 😀
Moi aussi j'aime ton travail et tes vidéos Carl.
How fascinating! The castle is a stunning work of art that I would LOVE to visit. The blacksmith, " It's just like the Middle Ages and until just before World War II. In the countryside they made tools like this.", and other comments were eye-openers to how much knowledge has been lost due to industrialization. Sad and scary to lose so much that quickly! Wonderful video - didn't know this existed - THX!
My Father used a Saying: "Son, I've forgotten more than you know!" And, if you think about it, even though I grew up on a Farm, I now live in a City, and can't even Plant (North Facing Apartment), so, such "Experience Losses" are understandable, in short order!
Without students and volunteers this would never be finished. Great and hard work.
The stone-cutter guy is so young yet so wise: "If you use only muscle, you are going to break your tools and break your back. It's better to use brain." 👏🏻
I wish that young me would've known that, especially when chopping wood. 😅
Kirsten, Thank you for doing this video on this project. I watched a series on it done by the BBC and haven't come across and update on it since. I always wondered how it was coming along or if it lost funding and no longer was progressing. So glad to see it is still going. I think it is an invaluable project overflowing with historical information.
One of my french friend started working for that project as a stone carver back in the 90's ... Great to see how much progress has been made since..
They're actually tremendously behind compared to what actually would require but as they mention in the video, they have to switch between actual work and tourism and they don't have the same manpower they had back in the days.
I also think it’s cool how everyone in the castle are friends and hang out together and sleep together
Lovely video. We spent the day at Guédelon Castle in October 2019. I still have not edited my footage of that visit. Your video is very well done. Thanks for sharing it with the world.
This project I've been following for about 7 or 8 years now. And it's truly amazing. I love it. I love that this project is teaching so many people so many things about castle construction and the ancient skills involved. It's helping to keep history alive and vibrant and interesting and motivating people to keep learning from it.
This is argueably one of the most incredible and beautiful projects I have had the priviledge to witness. Just awesome to see so many trades on site using local on site raw materials to create such a majestic structure. Such rhymic cohesion . How each smith or wrigjt is necessary to the other.
Great work
this french project is just amazing !...well done! what an experience !
What an amazing project! More of these should be built all over the European world.
wow, i am really interested in "how things used to be done" and didnt know this existed. i am welsh (so always was fascinated by castles and how they were built) but retired to crete greece. a big part of my thought process in chosing crete was how old world it still is (in parts). i will be visiting this place as soon as possible.... thank you for this video
I love your films, Kirsten! This is wonderful. I've visited castle ruins in the UK and Germany; fascinating to see this monument to living history and the dedication of so many people to recreating that world. Such a special place. We must put it on our list to visit in future.
Ehemm... about those ruins...
Quite a few of those "castles" in the UK, Germany and elsewhere actually aren't real. There was a fad in the 18th and 19th century that prompted many of the "nouveau riche" to construct fake castles and in some cases, even fake ruins (also known as "follies"). The mose famous of those is probably Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.
@@BrokenCurtain I'm aware of that, but I've visited Clifford's Tower, Warwick Castle, and Heidelberg Castle in Germany, all of which have a documented history of having been used as fortified structures dating back to at least the 1500s. I was referring to my personal experience; I do love me a good folly, though.
Remarkable project, and what an insight into the olden days. All those skills I thought was lost, alive and in action.
So much dedication from these people! This castle is a treasure. Keep up the good work!
Simply magnificent! It makes me so happy just to know that this is happening, that people are getting to experience this, and that these techniques aren't being lost.
Its a lot easier now to understand why some marvelous cathedrals and castles took decades to create!
What I noticed when walking around the castle is something it doesn't have. No building from the middle ages was left untouched in the centuries after it was built. So there are always additions and changes made which often lead to weird situations like a doorway in an odd place, stairs going to nowhere and things like that.
Guedelon castle is a new build so it lacks the result of centuries of ownership by different people.
it would be amazing if they planned to build a village around the castle or something like that. i would happily move there and live there.
I've been aware of this project for decades, but I haven't seen its progress in a while. Really cool, and it's nearly almost there. Maybe film productions can use it one day.
We saw Guedelon last September. It's amazing! My husband studies military history and was scandalized that they would build this beautiful castle in a completely indefensible location when normally they would have chosen a high spot with difficult access. He's picky 😆. Thinking about that, you realize just how difficult a real castle would have been to build, maybe much further from a quarry or stream or forest and up on a height.
Haha!
Yes, the priority was not defensive value but availability of ressources.
Having to carry all that stuff up a steep hill is something you really don't want to do!
You should take him to see Ewloe Castle near Chester, (it's inside a forest, so you have to get there on foot). I was sim confused as to why it was not built on a hill, but it seems to mainly be to mark the Welsh - English border. The English ignored it as useless once they took control, so it fell into ruins.
@@steemlenn8797 If the location of the castle would have been importent in a strategic point of view, yes, they would have (in the middle age) brought all the necessary materials up on a hill!
@@vcie515 Yes, and that explains why it could take more than a century to build one. But still if in any way possible they used local materials and not somethign you ahve to transport over a long distance. So a castle might end up on a less defensible position than wished for because of material. It is always a calculstion of cost and result.
Have a castle in a bad position or no castle in a good one because it costs 4 times the money?
It should however be noted that although the defensibility of the location is to be considered, that's not the only factor. Economics played a considerable part, so the local availability of resources, coupled with local politics, could easily override military considerations. Most castles throughout the medieval era weren't meant to be impregnable fortresses, but first and foremost were the home of a local lord. They were meant to display wealth, power, and protect the lord and his family from local threats, which high walls surrounded by a ditch would do just fine.