Guédelon visitor guide: Secrets of the Castle Maryline is right about the isolation, though. To get to the château, you really need a car. It's tucked away down an unprepossessing road through Yonne, about two hours" drive from central Paris, and the final leg is perhaps best tackled with 21st-century GPS. Mobile signals tend to expire by the time you reach the compound. Well, it is meant to be AD 1245 here. Being off the beaten track is both one of Guédelon's charms, and the reason relatively few British tourists visit - although that may be set to change this month, because the site is about to star in one of BBC Two's most popular history strands. In Secrets of the Castle, the latest series in the Victorian Farm format, presenters will work alongside Guédelon staffers as they learn medieval life skills, from splitting sandstone to cooking pike. The great thing about the château is that you can relive a fair number of their experiences on a regular visit, because the whole place is interactive. An English guide, such as Sarah Preston, formerly from Bath and now the castle press officer, will explain the nitty-gritty of the build on an hour-long tour. Or you can wander at will and ask questions of the workers as you go. Having a little French undoubtedly helps (although there is a British presence on the artisanal staff - one of the wood turners is an Englishman named Gary). The real pioneers can even sign up for short master builder courses, costing €6 (£4.70) a day. The whole place is interactive (Photo: AP) Guédelon caters well for smaller medievalists, too. Around a third of the castle's annual visitors are school parties, and workers are often happy to co-opt youngsters into the craft-making. On my visit, the site was heaving with children scampering through the adjacent medieval village, tackling activity trails, helping the rope maker twist twine on a rack, or just ogling the pigs, chickens and goats that meander about, al fresco. At noon, they scampered off to the tavern to refuel on 13th-century snacks, such as pork shank, honey cake and (for the brave) scrambled egg with a garlic-giblet confit (prices range from €3/£2.30 to €12/£9 a dish). Around a third of the castle's annual visitors are school parties (Photo: AP) Behind all the activity, of course, there is also a subtle lesson about history. Most heritage sites trap the past in aspic. But Guédelon, by nature, is always changing. Roofs go on, towers rise, and each year the fictional date ticks forwards (they started out in the year 1228). You never quite know what you will find on a return visit. In fact, the build has always been projected to be completed after 25 years. Back at the café, I ask Maryline what will happen then. "Well, that was just the time we gave [originally]," she says breezily. I think we can keep this going for very much longer. Will we go on to furnish the castle, or to bring in other trades, for example? Whatever the answer, you won't find it in a history book. Secrets of the Castle starts on Tuesday at 9pm on BBC Two