Sarah explains that the team at Guédelon created a fictional lord for the castle, Seigneur Guilbert, a low-ranking nobleman, of modest social and economic status. “We have had to learn the importance of matching the quality of finish on dressed stones to the social status of our fictional patron. Guédelon is not a royal castle and the lord would not have been able to afford to use ashlar blocks.
"At the beginning of the project, we were giving the stones too good a finish; we had to study local castles and understand the need to adapt our working practices”.
Around the castle itself a little “village” has naturally grown. There are the woodcutters; the tilers and their tile kiln; the dyers’ hut; the workshop where pigments are made for painting the walls of the castle; a forge, a rope-maker, a wood carver, a mason’s yard and a weaver.
It is an astonishing, astounding achievement and it is solving many questions and puzzles about the buildings of the past.
The Château de Guédelon is open to the public and after its TV appearance it’s going to get ever more popular.
Want to get involved with building this castle? Check the website for details of how to apply for the limited spaces. Applications may be made from January. onwards.