Weapons of war.....

In summer at the castle at Les Baux, there are all sorts of 'animations' aimed at both adults and kids. This year I was lucky enough to catch the firing of the catapult and the trebuchet - all sounds a bit tame... butthe reality is a little different. These medieval weapons of war are pretty daunting in their scale and power, but it has to be said that it's not the fastest of processes.


The firing of the trebuchet took 10 men and a good half hour to launch a rock at the enemy - so you had to hope that your enemy had nothing faster - but then if you were lucky enough to be occupying the castle at Les Baux, which is perched on a rocky outcrop, you definitely had the advantage of height and gravity. A couple of before and after shots, taken by me...

The guys on the wheels are winding up the ropes to create tension while the 'animateur' loads the rocks.

Stand well back..all that swinging rope and wood is actually quite daunting when you are 20 metres away....