Could We Build An Authentic Castle With Medieval Tools? | Secrets Of The Castle | Chronicle
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Using only traditional tools and 13th century techniques, join Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold as they learn how to build a medieval castle in France. This complete series follows the trio as they uncover fascinating 13th century practices and discover what life was like for people living and working in the Middle Ages.
Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we'll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
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I love when these 3 go out and live the Medieval life like this, with massive hours-long documentaries for us viewers to indulge in. Thank you, Ruth, Tom and Peter!!
They are a good team, but I adore Peter, Alex and Ruth.
Life in the Victorian farm got me addicted to them.
2:21:08 "There was some roadkill... so I shaved it" Geeze, you have to love Ruth in these programs! 😆
"There was some roadkill. So I shaved it." - Ruth Goodman, 2014
Hands down one of my favourite Ruth quotes ever. XD
i have watched this at least half a dozen times- i don't really know why. I love history and i watch all these videos but this one i keep coming back to- i think because it gives a really good glimpse on what it was like living during this time- a near time travel experience.
I love these 3 together! And love the idea of making a castle!
I had heard of Guedelon from a Medievalist friend and was thrilled to find it was a 40 minute drive from where we were staying in Haute Bourgogne last September. It was great fun to climb up and watch the masons at work. It's much more complete now. The village is just as fascinating. Highly recommend!
Insane to think those masons belong to the same guild that built Notre dame isn't it
@@joshschneider9766 😊😊😊😊❤😊❤😊 16:54 😊😊😊😊😊😊😅 t lllow😮th different😮m😮😊😊😊😊
It's good that historians are learning about ancient building and manufacturing techniques. It makes them more knowledgeable about the lives and abilities of ancient people's.
Love these Chronicle series about how things got done by ordinary people in the Medieval times. Enjoy the injection of humor that the actors and workers improvise. Everyone is so well-spoken.
Everything was so labor intensive! It’s amazing to watch.
A most intriguing documentary, imagine, this is a 25 year project. Thanks to all of skilled artisans.
Definitely one of the most exciting projects I've been hearing about these last years.
It has been a pretty long and enjoyable journey with Ruth and the boys and the entire team working at Guedelon. I've learnt so many things, shared so many pleasurable moments of the construction I almost feel privileged.
Un immense merci to the Chronicle's team.
Ruth's enthusiasm and energy is as infectious as the black plauge and COVID 19.
These 3 have the best job in the world!
At about 3:40:00, their bread is burnt, and I know why. They forgot to test their oven. When you take your coals out, you have to roll up your sleeves and stick your arm in the oven and count until you can't stand it anymore. An experienced baker knows how long to wait for the perfect temperature in their particular oven. When those coals come out, that space is hotter than a pizza oven.
I learned this through trial and error while working and learning at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster, PA.
Amish farm? Just guessing,based on area. I'm over in Ohio.
It took me 4 ever to find all episodes. Now I've got them saved to my watch list I find them all together in a 4 hur series
I think this series with the 3 people is excellent.
This is my third time watching this. As other have mentioned, I would loved to see a second part or a finished project.
Thanks to everyone involved in this project ... I absorbed it the same way as the Tudor farm series. I love everything of it!
This project is so amazing! How fun would this be to have this experience! I would legit pay to do this for a week and go stay there. I bet this was such a memorable time for them.
I bet you could,do it!!
Videos like these always remind me of documentaries I would see in school. Whereas most kids didn't care or weren't paying attention, I would furiously pick my nose and enjoy watching.
Here I am, 30 years later, still picking my nose and loving these videos. Thank you for the nostalgia
Nosetalgia...
Loads of lessons to learn here, besides history. I love it. ❤
People today are so lazy buying and buying, instead of creating something them selfs. I love their craftmenships.
This might be the single greatest youtube video i've ever watched, so absolutely fascinating! Thank you!
Peter slipped out of that chainmail like he'd been doing it his whole life! Nice job
I could watch castle videos all day long. Mesmerizing.
Would be cool if they did an update video of said castle build, this was from 2013 or so, last time I looked in on project, they were 90% done that was in 2021, they hope to be done in 2023 or 24, but an update video is important
Their are some more documentations from the castle , now nearly ready after 30 years , from french and german produtions. I never found the time to visit the site. For me just a weekend and a bit of driving.
@@Yulo2000Leyje do you have any links?
Exactly.
My biggest problem with shows like this is that they'll talk it up and start it, but never come back to it. I love this show, but I still hate that.
I thought this was a look at the castle building in 2018?
@@PoleTooke nope they filmed it in 2013
Knowing that the ochre line marker has been around for so long amazes me. I used a modern version when working with my dad as a kid. Even the square pencils have been used here. Construction basics havent really changer much, have they?
There is both sandstone and limestone quarried close to my home, and a sandstone outcrop behind my 1925 stone house. After watching this video I have a much better understanding of the labor it took to make my home and the stone walls around the garden. I got some ideas on how to repair a garden wall by watching the stonemasons of Guedelon. However, I also just learned that working sandstone is very dangerous because the dust is 90% free silica and will cause silicosis and lung cancer. I didn't see any of the stonemasons shown in the video using any safety gear (obviously not period but. . . .) and I hope that was just while filming. From my reading, carving sandstone is much more hazardous than carving limestone or marble, which contain a lot less silica. And soapstone is even worse, containing asbestos as well as silica! Guess I'm not going to try stonecarving as a hobby. Makes me wonder if "stonemason's lung" was recognized in medieval times, like in later centuries mercury poisoning caused the "mad" hatters and chimney sweeps were known to die from several cancers not seen in the rest of the population.
Well it's not like you'd have long to live or much to live for otherwise with a median medieval life expectancy barely into their 40s. Everything was dangerous, lol. At least the church would promise you an afterlife if you died killing heathens for them or building churches for them.
@@calciumchloride710 Just believing in God and Jesus is enough to go to heaven in the Christian religion
As a kid I used to love those books by dk publishing that had all the pictures and exploded views of castles and the such, and now here I am years and years later and still enjoying the show about making castles and I've never seen one in person ... maybe some day
I can’t wait for them to come back and live in it, like medieval castle dwellers, when it’s finished. Another fantastic insight into the past to look forward too. Thanks for these amazing reveals; the resilience, expertises, knowledge and skills, exhibited, seem boundless.
Guedelon has its own website Google it, you won't be disappointed.
I love Ruth Goodman and the guys. I think I watched every show, from this to Victorian Farm, to that Old Pharmacy show.
Same
I did too…so interesting, and so fun!
War Time Farm is my favorite
Coming outa that chain mail gave me a giggle for sure!! Thanks for posting this!! I love history & how things were made!!
Wow, look at all of these nerds. It's beautiful.
The mixture, a secret, now NIST has a standard for it. Used all over the world. Amazing how things change.
(Speaking of her yellow 13th century gown) "It's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn."
Agreed! And it is an æsthetically-pleasing look, despite or because of its simplicity.
Love this series can't wait to find more episodes
MORE MORE MORE give me more of this , i can`t had enough of it
Now I know why they say "strike while the metal is hot". Castles
Excellent video.
Awesome,always loved dark ages..really incredible work!
at 1:06:04 , any french speaker could recognise the name "couillard" named after its counterweigths shape reminding of couilles. they knew how to have fun.
nothing better than spending nearly 5 hours getting inmersed in history
Well done! Very informative, and interesting.
THAT WAS AWESOME... A SUPERB "DOC"...FANTASTIC.
THANKS FOR THIS.
Nice to see people doing anything that makes sense.
This is THE COOOLEST PROJECT EVER!!!!!!!
This entire series of period documentaries have been epic! Thanks for the vid
For anyone who didn't know, this is BBC Secrets of the Castle (2014) about the Guedelin Castle in France.
I checked online you can visit the castle at its entirety.
Rendering is one of the very seldom trades still done in a similar way to the historical norm. A hawk and trowel are still main tools used to render modern houses. The main difference is now a motorized mixer is used and synthetic mixes have been introduced to suit modern bricklaying styles. A laser level is also a useful tool but not overall needed in a modern setting unless its under a particular circumstance.
I want to be Ruth when I grow up.
Sameee
Really enjoyed this!❤
Fascinating , what a project !
Interesting the slight language barrier. Which probably happened then too , with a specialised workforce from all the corners of Europe.
Wonder how many workers died during the building of such castles.
I had never heard of the gudelon project. what an amazing undertaking. the use of authentic tools to my view is the crowning achievement. no hard hats onsite? I couldn't tell about steel-toed boots. Then, riding on the coattails of what must be at least $100 million in private funding (my intuition on what it costs to painstakingly build a medieval castle over 25 years is good but not great), emerges a meticulous and oustanding documentary. an American tv producer would have made a 55 minute hash out of this incredible material.
They do use Hardhats, and steeltoed boots. They even have Brakes on the lifts.
I did notice the use of modern clevises 1:13:43 1:52:19 , but all in all this is an excellent example of living history. Ruth, Peter, Tom, and Alex are teaching history far better than anyone could from a textbook. In my opinion, the best place to learn history is right where the events happened to take place using only what was available at that time. This production does a very good job at this. The only thing is, the pain that these people went through cannot be felt by the viewer. You can portray it but the viewer can't actually feel it.
Woah, why the mean little diss at Americans at the end of what was a nice paragraph? Seriously? There are American archaeologists and engineers working on the project as well, nice guy. As well as Americans watching, and guess what? This program is being brought to the masses by an AMERICAN platform…a platform YOU are using to bash Americans….which not only is not very nice, it’s also quite ironic .
@@mamavswild calm brother calm, he said American producers, I'm American btw
No. You have been watching too much History Channel
Archeologists in the future: Why the hell did they build a castle in the 21 century?
Conspiracy Theorists in the future: Aliens.
1:42:13
Despite the risk of injury, just one more poke. He started having a little too much fun. 😄
Is the narrator of this also the host of the podcast short history?
On the part where Ruth was sewing the gambesole (the leather/wool armor)...
Why did nobody ever think of taking 2 wide boards, (both having a thin slit cut in each one, going the full lengths of the boards in the middle) & making a wood vise type of clamp that would help aim the upwards sewing ?
The boards would be attached together by one common pin hinge, then You would clamp the layers down tightly together, then use the top & bottom slits to help you get the needle's positioning in the right spots ? You could do the sewing much faster, as the materials would stay alined & compressed ! You sew one whole line horizontally, then unclamp the vise, shift it over a couple of inches, re-clamp it and continue on the next seam.
From a quilting standpoint, having to move the tool that keeps your work taut constantly actually slows you down so much that sometimes its not worth the extra trouble!
Ruth Peter and this time Tom knock it out of the park with another wonderful Documentary! Thank you Ruth and The Boys! Thank you also the entire crew, with out them we wouldn't have videos to last life times! I finished Documentary! I'll have to plan a trip now! Have you thought of time about A.D. 86 or even B.C.?
Ruths energy is quite hysterical and exhausting compared to the professional reenactors
@@JohannesVanDerStuyvebode So true. I've watched the Documentaries a few time. She is an amazing professional. Would enjoy meeting them all.
Why isn't Dan Snow telling me that History Hit is like Netflix for history?
Good to know that they had intelligent Ladies to oversee their work 🤗
A most intriguing documentary
Could you imagine going around the English countryside then suddenly you see a woman dressed in full medieval dress shaving a dead badger
Great video! Such an awesome channel. So much interesting content, very professionally produced and long episodes without commercials! Very well done!
Everything about every aspect of life was back-breaking work. It's no wonder why life was short for so many people back then.
There was bubonic plague, remember.
@@Geoplanetjane yes, but the bubonic plague pandemic didn't occur until nearly a hundred years later than this
What I would give to be able to do this! What a cool experience.
this is the coolest thing I have ever seen. I wonder if they will let people live and work there when it's done?
Best line and explanation ever, "That's a Pot Hole!"
This team need to follow the progress of the cast! No updates in 9 months... Hope to see more! can`t find the them on your historyHit if I could I would subscribe! I hope to see something like this but from the Stave Church in Norway witch truly connects the ancient to modern world.
When is it scheduled to be finished? Also, I would love to know how this was funded and the workers were found.
A rich guy bought a chatrau and restored it. Wanting to build his own, he funded guedelon. Google its Wikipedia entry for details
4:07:35 I'm a huge Ruth Goodman fan. I've joked about how I'd want to get introduced to her daughter.
She actually has one apparently, two in fact according to the internet.
Eve! Let me give you my number! Your family seems like a good time!
As I sit here watching this documentary and trying to summon up the energy to go and heat up my ready made meal in the microwave I thank God I wasn't born in the Middle Ages. I would have starved to death for sure.
Nahhh, you would've made a friend who took you under their wing and showed you the ways of the middle age hooman
Lol, I lived off grid for 27 years, moved into town at age 70 now at 80 I'm attached to my bed and mobility aide. All the old injuries and hard work have brought me to a standstill.
Narrated by Paul McGann!! Sir, you will always be Leftenant Bush to me. I am delighted!
He was in Doctor Who too
Wow! Look at that door, 100 years or more that door will last! Nowadays, a kid can throw a hissy fit, slam the door and it shatters! They used to take such pride in their work, they signed their names to it!
Doors like it have survived six or seven centuries.
You got some strong kids
Does anyone know what Ruth's hat in 1:45:06 is called or made from? I'm so intrigued by it.
Those broad-brimmed hats were usually made of straw. No particular name. They were worn by lower class.
I believe it’s reed. I remember her making something similar in the monastery series.
Very interesting 👌
Everything about this is great. I did notice however that not quite everything is authentic period equipment and method, for instance, the hooks they're using for the crane or the strapping they have to hold the heavy stones as they're hoisted.
2:45:05 Tonight we have the stars. We have the moon. And we have the tile kiln. (And that set of spotlights behind the kiln)
A POT HOLE, it makes soooo much sense I never thought of it though lol
24:45 what a flawless medieval roast lol
Seeing a shaved badger dead on the side of the road is the most interesting thing that happened to many people that day, I promise you.
I thought I would hate this, because I have a phobia of people who won't break character, but it's pretty interesting, glad I gave it a second chance.
Phobia of people who wont break character🤨
I have a phobia of people who do break character!
Shaving roadkill...
That's commitment to the game.
My favorite part was the steel making
Am I gonna see an almost 5 hour documentary about how people used to build castles in the XIII century? *bringspopcorn
Its funny to see the city folk all excited about this ancient tech. But its still the same tech people on farms and such stull use today when they have no other options.
At 47 minutes an old trick by boat-builders to transfer lines from floor plan, you put flat head nails about 1 inch apart along the line then push the timber onto them gently ,transferring the nail heads to wood
Noticed that modern commercial straps were used to attach the material being loaded to the crane for lifting. Obviously used for safety. What would have been used in those days to pick up the material?
I remember this from 10 years ago? I wonder when it was actually filmed.
"Beautiful castle, great work, one small nitpick - i wanted it about one meter to the left. Can we just... Move it slightly?
I hear you, I used to be a piano technician’s sidekick.
I’m noticing that so many of the tools depend on the strength of the people using them to be effective.
They were doing this exact thing in Arkansas several years ago. Ran out of money but exactly the same. I was there about year two.
What was the name of the site?
@@s13rr4buf3 Just do a search for "arkansas castle". Don't remember there being a name.
Throw in several villagers doing daily chores in the background, and kiddos running around doing chores, getting dirty, doing kid stuff etc, then this would be the most real picture of life then.
10 minutes into it and I’ve seen so many things non factual. I was so excited to watch this. :(
You're not going to give us the list?
Original castles originate from ancient Africa, not France.
Is this a reupload?
Imagine waiting 25 years before your house is built......
But a house that can last hundreds of years.
yes...and because a life span was much shorter, those who built it may never have been the ones who lived in it
When you think that a few nails would make a club an effective weapon you can easily see why nails were expensive and reused never wasted.
Are all these commercials really necessary? Great content.
Buy a premium subscription. There are no commercials on a premium sibscription
@@Geoplanetjane I just dont care to buy that. But I did hear someone complain about ads with premium and I also noticed a anti ad app available
I pay like 10 bucks a month for UA-cam premium, and I don't see any commercials. It's totally worth it for me! I guess your time is worth a lot less?
Ah yes...the ancient saying of "that's not goin anywhere " has been used by workers for centuries if not millennia
If someone who knows more than me would help out, I got a question I really couldn't find an answer to and super curious about it. (looked around couldn't find it and I might have missed it in the video but I don't think so)
So from what I can tell funding was gathered in the late 90s, to the tune of something like 400k pounds.
And they give tours to the place now and it brings in something like 3 million a year from what I could see.
I understand that modern safety equipment like steel toe boots and hard hats have to be worn, And so I know that to some degree this is just a normal manual labor construction job.
My question is, who do they find for the workers here(aside from the main planners and master masons)?
Are they architects that do like a summer study and rotate off? And they do it to further the study in their field?
Or is this someone's 9-5 for the past 10 years, splitting stone by hand? If so, do they get paid more than normal construction workers? And what kind of prior experience would you need to have for something like this? If any at all, because nothing really is going to TRULY translate.
Is this kind of like a passion project that just gets worked on, and have volunteers that come on weekends with some compensation for an experience?
Like I'm so so curious how these people come around to just working here
I would imagine a lot of history students and maybe some engineering students volunteer. Maybe some retirees as well
@@chadpilled7913 that's my thoughts as well just from outside looking in.
I understand that all of them couldn't be volunteering, but I think there probably is a solid chunk of them that are
Will you show the medieval movie of Claire and James Frazer
The down side of stone ground flour and corn meal was tiny chips of stone would get into the flour or meal and people would bite into those chips and it ruined their teeth.