In September of 2018 I was part of a crew re-building a timber bridge over a moat surrounding the 12th-century Chateau d’Harcourt in Normandy, France. The job was organized by Charpentiers Sans Frontieres (Carpenters Without Borders), a group of historic timber framing-enthusiasts and professionals who undertake ambitious carpentry projects around the work, using only hand tools and historic techniques.

Over the course of nine days, our crew of about 50 carpenters from eleven different countries hewed beams from oak logs, then laid out, fabricated and installed the 77-ft long bridge.