Building Castles The Old Way

It's the dream of many to own a castle if were they to become rich, but most who do simply buy one. Michel Guyot though is seeing a Guedelon castle built from scratch, and with attempts to make the construction programme as historically accurate as possible in the process.

Designed by Jacques Moulin, the chief architect Monuments Historiques, the design has been based on stereotypical French castles such as Dourdan castle that were built in the 13th century to the basis rules laid down by King Philip II Augustus who standardised castle building in France.

The idea was to have a formula for constructing a fortified residence that could be the home of the local lord, and defensible, but without the crippling budgets seen in more extravagant castles. In having homogeneous design principles, the basic standards were laid down for minor nobles who would be able to erect a castle without facing financial ruin and with the approval of the French throne.

At the heart of the castle is the Great Hall which was to be the actual home of the lord in question surrounded by a stone curtain and a moat beyond it. Corner towers provide double aspect protection from all approaches, whilst a gatehouse, or logis-porche, with a further two towers provides protection to the main entrance. As is typical of this era in France, Guedelon will have turreted towers giving it a fairytale look.

Construction began on the site in 1997 and was opened to the public in 1998 but has seen the castle move slowly out of the ground. The Great Hall is now half complete as it the main tower although three of the walls are barely 50 centimetres above ground level.

At the current rate of work it will only be finished in 2022, a much longer period than it took to build the original castles, however sadly war with France is off the menu these days so with the threat of marauding English raiders having long passed, they are in no rush.