Medieval Castle Construction (part II)

After learning about the process of building a castle in my previous post, you have the chance to witness it! An amazing project is underway in the heart of America, where they are currently constructing a real medieval castle.

It all started in 2008, when a French couple, Jean-Marc and Solange Mirat, who had retired in Arkansas were visiting France and learned of Guédelon Castle, a project began in 1997 which involves building  a 13th century castle using only medieval methods and materials - a 25-year endeavor. The Mirats were enchanted by the idea and wanted to bring it to the United States, so they contacted the founder of the project, Michel Guyot, about the idea of building a similar castle in northern Arkansas. They sold a portion of their land in Lead Hill, Arkansas, for the project. Site preparation and construction on the Ozark Medieval Fortress began in 2009  and it opened to the public in May, 2010. The construction of this castle is slated to take 20 years, reaching completion in 2030 with a full-sized, historically-accurate 13th century French-style castle.

I had the privilege to visit the castle with my family in July, 2010, and greatly enjoyed the whole experience. We took the guided tour (well worth the extra $2) and our tour guide, James, made the day delightful with his stories and enlightening explanations of various aspects of the castle building process. We began with a walk through the woods above the castle and ended up at the quarry at the base of the site. There, a quarryman explained the process of quarrying and demonstrated how they split the stones to have a nice, flat "face" so they could form the outside of the castle walls. From the quarry, we proceeded to the open area where the castle was beginning to take shape. The castle sits on a slope and surrounds a small spring, as follows the 13th century French tradition. It will have 5-foot thick walls, a drawbridge and moat, and the tallest tower will reach over 60 feet in height!

the "squirrel cage" (man-powered) crane

Once we finished gawking at the enormity of the castle, though its walls barely stood above our heads at that time, we were free to wander about and speak with the various artisans, laborers, and craftspeople as they worked in and around the castle. There was a basket maker, rope maker, masons, carpenters, blacksmith, illuminator, and potter. Also near the castle was a small farm with sheep and a garden, tended by the "good wife." It was such an enthralling experience to talk with these people and watch them work! They also use authentic medieval tools and machines such as wooden scaffolding and the "squirrel cage" crane.

Because of my deep interest in the Middle Ages, I was entertaining the idea of applying for an internship at the Ozark Medieval Fortress some time in the near future. After actually visiting the castle and being so transported back to Medieval France, I am certain that I want to take part in this project. I hope to work there over a summer, maybe even as soon as 2012, but we shall see what God has in mind...

Meanwhile, you can learn more details about the construction and its many intricate aspects at the tour guide, Medieval James's blog. Also be sure to check out the Ozark Medieval Fortress website for operating hours, ticket rates, and directions. It is only half-an-hour south of Branson, MO, so there is no legitimate reason not to go!

UPDATE: (6/19/2012) When I first visited the Ozark Medieval Fortress, in July, 2010, the tourguide, James, told me that the project did not expect to start breaking even on their investment and actually make a profit for at least four years. As the economy is generally still not doing so great, I wasn't too surprised to see the announcement on the project's website that their opening for the 2012 season was delayed for financial reasons and that they are looking for American financial partners. It really is a shame that they have not posted any more updates, so I assume they are still struggling. I would truly hate to see this project be forgotten! 
So, if you happen to have a lot of money and love the Middle Ages, traditional construction techniques, a great learning place, or castles in general, you might consider having a chat with the folks over at the Ozark Medieval Fortress. :)

UPDATE: (10/28/2013) The really sad part is that the website for the Ozark Medieval Fortress has now disappeared completely. If you go to it, you'll be redirected to a French marketing firm's website. I'm deeply saddened to see that apparently the project lost even the funds or volunteers or something to run a website to at least alert people to its presence. According to an Arkansas Business article, the site was briefly listed for sale earlier this year and the owner's business practices have been called "at best unsound and at worst dishonest." I still think it's possible, if not for this particular project, than for something similar to succeed in the US. It just needs the right help...

UPDATE: (4/15/2014) I've written a blog post, "6 Lessons We Can Learn from the Ozark Medieval Fortress" or "How NOT to Build a Medieval Castle in 21st Century America," in which I discuss the 6 main problems that I see with how the OMF was run, and what mistakes anyone who seeks to either revive this project or start a new one aught to avoid. I would love to see a true medieval castle built in America, it just needs to be done properly next time.

Medieval Castle Construction (part I)

Today castles mostly stand in ruin: roof, floor, furniture, and any sign of life are centuries gone. Yet these structures still somehow capture our attention as we can't help but wonder what amazing stories their stone walls might tell, what great historic events transpired in their shadows? How did people manage to construct such massive structures without modern tools and machinery?

Medieval castles certainly hold some marvelous secrets and seem to occupy an almost mystic role in many people's minds. They are mentioned in nearly any book related to the Middle Ages or knights, yet the number of books that consider the process of building such an imposing structure is very small in comparison. The fact that so many castles still stand, centuries after their construction, is a resounding testimony to the great skill and craftsmanship that went in to the complicated task of raising a castle.

Early versions of what we now call castles began to appear in northwest Europe  in the ninth century. This also happens to be the time when the Vikings and Saracens were actively raiding across northwest Europe.  In 863, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, ordered that castles be built to defend against these invaders. Because of the decentralized nature of the Carolingian state, these castles were largely inhabited and controlled by the nobles who built them, rather than a garrison of soldiers, like earlier fortresses.

This castle-building trend barely touched England until the year 1066, when the Normans conquered England and brought a flood of castle-building in their wake. Don't think that the Anglo-Saxons did not build castles, though. It is estimated that there were roughly a half-dozen fortresses formidable enough to be considered castles at the time of the Norman invasion. This early type of castle was called a Motte-and-Bailey castle, which consisted of a steeply-sloped mound (the motte) - up to 100 feet high - with a small fortified house or tower (the keep) atop it and connected to an adjacent outer court (the bailey), or walled area, containing the soldier's quarters, stables, etc. all of which was surrounded by a ditch. The buildings were almost always constructed of timber, unless stone was readily available. These were mostly built more for the protection and benefit of the populace, such as a nearby village, rather than a noble, as per later castles.

When William the Conqueror wrestled rule of England from the Anglo-Saxons in the years following 1066, his nobles needed strong centers from which to govern their new territories and castles fit the bill, so a flurry of castle-building ensued (over five hundred wooden castles by the turn of the twelfth century). A revolution in construction engineering (coupled with wealth accrued from taxes, tolls, markets, rents, and licenses) soon allowed for most of these castles to be rebuilt in stone and the castle designs grew more and more complex. For instance, builders found that corners were weak and susceptible to undermining and collapse, so they began building circular towers instead of square.

Bodaim Castle, built in the 14th century

Castle construction continually evolved throughout the Middle Ages, adapting to new technologies in both the building and demolishing (sieging) processes. By about the fifteen hundreds and the advent of cannons, castles became less and less defensive fortresses and more and more luxury palaces - arrow slits were replaced with large glass windows and moats with gardens. But in the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 AD) when the castles were the center of medieval Europe.

The building of a medieval castle, just like any modern construction site, employed countless workers of various skills. A whole village was needed to facilitate the construction of a castle, especially as it often took decades to complete and the laborers and craftsmen often brought their families with them. If there was not already a town or village near the castle construction site, one would likely spring up. Such was the case with Newcastle-on-Tyne, which grew from the building of Newcastle in 1080 AD.

Here are some examples of the types of workers needed for castle construction:

• Quarrymen: split the stones from a quarry and cut them roughly to shape before transporting them to the site of the construction.
• Masons: cut and shaped the stones to fit their specific place in the castle walls and then laid them. (The Master Mason was highest in command in the castle construction.)
• Carpenters: crafted and repaired tools and tool handles, scaffolding, furniture, floors, ceilings, doors, shutters, etc. (The Master Carpenter was second in command to the Master Mason.)
• Blacksmiths: made tools, door hinges, nails, horseshoes, etc.
• Potters: (when the roof was to be tile) made the thousands of roofing tiles, plus drinking jugs and such for the workers.
• Rope makers: made the rope for machinery, as well as everyday uses like bucket handles, animal leads, and belts.
• Basket weavers: wove the baskets that carried stones, food, etc. around the site.
• Plasterers and Painters: decorated the insides of finished castles to be bright and cheery.

A cast of animals were imperative to the castle-building plight, too. Donkeys and horses were needed to pull carts and haul logs and stones. Sheep's wool was used in clothing for the workers and goats provided milk for cheese. The construction process also required many ingenious machines such as the "squirrel cage" treadwheel crane. It was powered by one or two men who walked inside it and could lift a stone weighing a few tons! They also used wooden scaffolding and stone-splitting tools such as the chase-masse, (read more about the chase-masse here).

The Master Mason was in charge of hundreds or thousands of workers and held the daunting task of coordinating the whole process of raising a castle. As the thousands of magnificent castles still standing across Europe testify, whether fully in tact or crumbling back into the landscape, to the immensity of his job. These castles also testify to the vast importance of a chaotic, yet glorious, part of the history of the Western world. They may stand in ruin, but they still stand.

(See the continuation of this post here.)