This autumn, the noble and fascinating legend of the Mediaeval castle of Guédelon will reach a new audience through the balladeers and troubadours of the 21st century – TV documentary-makers. The award-winning British team who made Victorian Farm completes filming next week on a five-part documentary on Guédelon. The series will air on BBC2 in November.
Over 300,000 visitors each year in the 17 years since its construction began have marvelled at the precision and authentic nature of the process which aims to produce a complete castle by 2023, built using wood, stone, earth, lime mortar, sand and clay and watched by thousands of visitors, all the trades associated with castle-building - quarrymen, stonemasons, woodcutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, tile makers, basket makers, rope makers, carters and their horses - are all working together to complete the castle, all wearing Mediaeval clothing to complete the authenticity.
But the Château de Guédelon is no Mediaeval theme-park. It is an exercise in experimental archeology, or archaeology in reverse: discovery by building up, rather than digging down.
If you would like to visit Château de Guédelon you can tour yourself and enjoy the sights and sounds of the site at your own pace. The site workers will be happy to answer your questions. A free guidebook is offered to adults accompanying groups of children.
Or you can spend an hour and a quarter in the company of a guide, discovering Guédelon medieval building site and the main trades associated with the construction. Your guide will explain the role of a castle and its inner workings; reveal the secrets of medieval builders and bring to life an attack on, and the defense of, a castle like Guédelon.
See their website at http://www.guedelon.fr/en/
