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Ruth & co have run out of farms!

 
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NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4584
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 14 9:45 pm    Post subject: Ruth & co have run out of farms! Reply with quote
    

So they're building a castle instead!

Just found it on iplayer

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04snhsg/secrets-of-the-castle-with-ruth-peter-and-tom-episode-1

Quote:

Historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Peter Ginn and Tom Pinfold turn the clock back as they learn how to build a medieval castle using the same tools, techniques and materials available in the 13th century.
Although Britain has some of the finest remaining castles of the medieval period, many of their secrets have been lost in time.
Peter and Tom set to work straight away learning the skills of the medieval stonemasons to construct a beautiful spiral staircase. After digging stone out of the quarry they take it to the tracing floor, where every stone is marked out using the most closely guarded knowledge of the medieval castle builders: geometry. Then each step is hand carved, a three-day task, before being winched into place using the treadmill-powered crane.
Meanwhile Ruth sets about equipping the simple wattle and daub hovel that is to be their base. She experiments by laying a rush floor, and she commissions clay cooking pots and an oak grain arc to store their wheat and barley. Medieval saws were incredibly expensive, so the arc is carved with an axe and assembled without nails. It becomes clear that all the stone, wood, mortar, dyes, food and water required for the castle needed to be sourced from the surrounding landscape - transporting heavy goods in the 13th century was expensive. One of the most important resources on a medieval building site was water, so Peter visits a wood turner to make a pulley and Tom makes a rope to hoist the bucket from the well. As they enjoy a simple meal of barley and vegetable pottage, they reflect that there are no easy jobs in the medieval age!

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 14 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i saw that on telly .
the french castle building folk have been at it for ages and seem to be rather good at it .
the chap who made the grain arc from a length of tree was very practical about it and showed that old ways are often as good if not better than new ones .

i know one of the folk who do the stone on the minster and apart from using machines to saw and hoist and metal scaff they are mostly using the old methods

Nell Merionwen



Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 16300
Location: Beautiful Derbyshire
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 14 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It was noce to see Jim the pot on there. He's a national treasure and I have bought many of his pots in the past Ooh and a beautiful alembic.

Rob R



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 14 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

English Heritage have just, along with the land owner, cleared the castle mound in the village - it really has opened it up and it makes you wonder what it looked like...

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 14 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Rob R wrote:
English Heritage have just, along with the land owner, cleared the castle mound in the village - it really has opened it up and it makes you wonder what it looked like...


once the heads were on spikes a bit like the temple at the end of apocalypse now .

the motte and tower castles were vital forward bases for the genocide of 1067 /70

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 14 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

A programme I actually enjoyed. Good stuff.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 14 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes,a very interesting programme.

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 14 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brilliant, can't wait for tomorrow nights episode. I love Ruthy, but she sure don't improve for keeping. I take my hat off to her, but that's all.

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