Secret tunnels & hidden water supplies! Building a sustainable future: Part 2

[@MsDalgonar]

Takes water-conscious Aussies to realise the value of water-collection off those vast roofs and huge cisterns for storing it. I watch other chateau renovators worrying about drought when planting new gardens, look at the huge roofs of their chateaus and wonder why they’re not looking for old cisterns underground or putting in new ones. We just had a new farm shed built on our property in rural Victoria and relished the opportunity to put in another 50,000 litre water tank to collect the water off its roof.

[@sues6384]

Are talking about clueless Chateau Diaries?

[@rowandowland1391]

Actually it took a couple of French guys way back in the late 18th Century just a few short years after Australia was discovered to realise the value of their water and to design and build the collection system. 🙂

[@MsDalgonar]

@@rowandowland1391 I understand that. It’s not just a couple of French guys though, as buildings all over the planet had systems for water-collection before the construction of reservoirs to service vast urban water systems. It’s just that people these days have become too reliant on those supplies, and then have to watch their gardens die when the reservoirs dry up and they’re put on severe water restrictions.

[@catherinekilgour2563]

Possibly just a simple case of not knowing what you don't know. I would imagine digging a big hole to put a new one in would not be easy (getting permission) or cheap.

[@rowandowland1391]

Yes I understand that but we're talking about Chateau Pernon in this case. Where I live we have Roman Aqueducts. I previously lived in Australia where you will appreciate there is evidence of first nations people managing water for thousands of years.@@MsDalgonar

[@michaelw.8614]

Purnon is so amazing and each episode feels like a National Geographic documentary. Great commentary and production. Simply the most interesting château channel on KZbin

Thank you so much for your kind message and support Michael. We are so grateful.

[@nataliekeane8944]

Aw go dad!! What an absolute gem...amazing that he can be over there helping out. Love that we are getting to see Aussies on KZbin...so relatable. ❤

So lucky to have our parents be able to travel to lend a helping hand!

[@nataliekeane8944]

@ 💯%

[@janeblandford852]

What a blessing it is to have your own water supply. Wonderful!! Your dad is awesome!

[@kimclarke5018]

Think this chateau is probably one of the finest on utube. Thanks again for sharing discoveries and renovation updates.

Thank you so much for your kind words and support

[@nativetexson]

Thanks for sharing the importance of the tunnels and cisterns. The sustainability aspect of the chateau shows great foresight of the 18th century architect and engineers.

Our pleasure - it's wonderful to be able to uncover the 18th century design features and use them again as they were designed to be used

[@suzannestubbins]

I wish there's a video once a week. I love this channel because of it's amazing history. 😊

we do an update daily on our Instagram stories and we also do a weekly video on Patreon. We would love to produce more videos but we have to balance our time so we creating them as frequently as we can x

[@goldenineke]

The very fact of our modernity, like town water supply, electricity grids etc, has reduced our reliance on a sustainable approach. The original builders at Purnon hundreds of years ago, were very innovative.

[@philomenahearn1717]

Im so glad you tested as I would be worried about the lead content of the old system due to water coming off the roof in to the lead-lined troughs before it entered the rest of the drainage/collection system. My friends dog drank water from a down pipe off their slate roof and over the years got lead poisoning from the lead flashing. But it might build up in the old pipes too….

Thanks for your message and concern. We are trying to proceed as safely as possible with our restoration. Inside the chateau we have been systematically decommissioning and removing the old lead piping also.

[@rosemariedeschenes7013]

What an incredible find regarding the water 💦 supply. Good luck with the heating system. Homemade honey 🍯 Yummy 😋

[@RickFlood]

I would suggest at the minimum a sediment filter for any water pumped anywhere, and if any is used for potable water, of course you need to filter so that it will be potable. The sediment filter for all water pumped out of a storage vessel is to maintain the integrity of the parts...hoses, connections, sprinklers, etc.

[@fduran6993]

Ultraviolet light might help.

[@rosemarielee7775]

You might have to consider replacing or lining all the lead pipework between the roof and cisterns.

[@kevinjewell233]

So much great news makes me happy tonight!!!

[@bernadettemclellan8400]

Hello from Australia! You're doing an amazing job, and today having you're own water source....priceless 😀

Thanks so much! 😊

[@lindadamon2453]

😂 amazing and so great! Well done with the progress.🎉

[@sallyflavell6221]

All that water will be such a wonderful resource for your future! Great work, so happy for you on your fantastic journey! Love your doggy❤

[@aimswanson1]

You have taken on an immense project. Preserving that beautiful gem of world history must be satisfying. Just know that a lot of us appreciate what you are doing even if we don't comment very often. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your lovely message. It's much appreciated!

[@sarahmiller5632]

Absolutely amazingly wonderful about the water! It must be such a relief.🤗🇨🇦

[@Sarah-fy3qf]

Glad everything is starting to work out

[@niser54]

I love your Chanel - you are doing amazing things 🤗💫

Thank you so much!

[@shirleygraham6229]

Wonderful that they planned for water storage and usage at that lovely huge chateau and surrounds. Great thinking and imperative now.

[@claudiamann7111]

The cisterns are incredible. What a great source of water for the garden. Thanks Dad!! Loved going through those tunnels. Just amazing what all they built so many years ago.

[@elisabetharzberger2456]

another adventure into the château's history ❣️

[@bobolpatrick3789]

c'est formidable toutes ces bonnes nouvelles

[@louiselewis5061]

Wonderful and interesting video. So many of us take our water supply for granted. Fascinating to learn how it was managed at Purnon. Have a great week.

[@bentekaizer1996]

This must be the water they used to fill the pond to wash the horses and hounds during the hunting season that you showed us in a previous episode. Love the history!

[@idontthinkso666]

Think, for a brief moment, what “the hunt” actually is. Super wealthy white males getting together. They have their servants/hunt masters/whatever take a captured fox out to the woods and release the terrified creature. They next release dozens of food-deprived dogs (usually hounds) to chase the fox. The super wealthy white males get their fat asses up on a horse (if they aren’t too drunk) to clumsily follow the dogs. By the time the super wealthy white males catch up to the hounds, the dogs had often caught the fox and had torn the fox apart, limb from limb. If, by some miracle, the poor terrified fox had managed to climb a tree and was still alive, the drunk super wealthy white males would take turns shooting at the fox. Eventually they’d hit the fox, and he would fall to the ground, only to be torn to shreds by the hounds. Occasionally other animals would be sacrificed in this torture ritual: deer, wild pigs, even other dogs. This was no “hunt” in any sense of the word. It was a barbaric ritual that allowed men to torture & kill. So every time someone speaks glowingly of traditions like “the hunt” be grateful that horrible shit like this is rare these days.

[@Randy8923]

Fascinating system. I enjoyed your video. Blessings.

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robbiemoriarty7499]

Stunning Chateau!

Many thanks!

[@peterwhite9261]

Wow, amazing progress being made for a sustainable chateau. ❤

[@kellydriver]

You’re doing great guys! The water system is fascinating! Kelly 🇦🇺

[@jipej9810]

Belle réalisation .....

[@clarefoskett9959]

I love watching the recordings. Thank you so much, such a stunning place: all that history....😊😊😊😊

Thank you so much!

[@mumstheword8]

Wow, look at the pool. Are there any videos on that?

[@fredleescott2874]

What all wonderful water will help you in your future! This has been amazing!

[@KMD2832]

Were the tunnels that you walked through where water was moved around the grounds or did they have some form of pipe work in those tunnels? As they would have contained huge amounts of water. Or, was my interpretation completely off? 😂 How long do you think it will likely be before the roof is watertight? I very much enjoy your updates, thank you.

Generally the stone pipes are under the tunnels so the water ran through the pipe network under the tunnels. The tunnels are not used for access for any other purpose at the time of construction but allowed access to the pipes. The eastern pavilion is now water tight and we hope the scaffolding will come down shortly! The central axis and western pavilion will take another 1-2 years.

[@gillianwills9618]

Wonderful discoveries. The cisterns are fantastic, are the more on the south and north sides? I wondered what your heating is going to be? Wood from your forests perhaps? I thoroughly enjoy your productions and eagerly look out for them.

[@bluemoon1033]

Thank you for another fabulous, interesting vlog. From Lyndall in Australia. ✨

Thank you!

[@jlebo001]

What wonderful expertise and care you bring to the Chateau. Marvellous!!!

Thank you!

[@AndersBu]

Great news🎉🎉🎉 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@johnnatopper6063]

What a blessing

[@Jared_Albert]

Thank you this is so fascinating

Thrilled you enjoyed this episode.

[@christinehodge3608]

Liked the Tunnels, and your own Water supply,

Exactly. With our enormous roofs it would be a shame not to harvest the water and put it to good use!

[@laurel7704]

In the eighteen century people drank small ale (low alcohol content) as their primary source of fluids because safe drinking water was scarce.

[@jeanhawken4482]

Great stuff.

We're thrilled you're exploring our video archive!

[@GloriaRidley]

Solar panels to heart and run electricity.

[@rowandowland1391]

What a great asset to have in the water. The walls of scaffolding on the chateau are impressive. Just to let you know the link on your KZbin page to the Patreon website is broken. Enjoy all that water this summer!

Hi thanks for that - we can't find the broken link would you mind letting me know where it is? In the meantime here is the link to Patreon: www.patreon.com/chateau_de_purnon

[@paulrosa6173]

It's amazing how the old chateau owners with knowledge and funds could anticipate, even invent, the 19th century. As elegant as the work is above ground at Versailles and other big houses and palaces, all the work below ground can be just as elegant and incredible. At Versailles there are water supplies from dozens of sources, as well as drainage from fountain to fountain to catchment basins, etc and a vast complex network of above and below ground reservoirs and underground tunnels and conduits. I'll guess that the owners spent far more on the development of the whole estate than they did on the house? Even if some may scoff at the very western attitude of bossing nature around and making it toe the line (it isn't just western) I can understand what the builders expected of a stable and sustainable way of life and income. And there is no other realistic way of going about living with nature no matter what the popular aesthetic philosophy of design with nature might be. Purnon is meant to cast almost a magic spell using planning and architecture devices most people are so used to now. We are so used to looking at life this way. Purnon illustrates a way of life rarer at the time and the clarity and regularity are actually part of it's other worldly feeling for the people of the time. All you have to do is recall Allan Watts observations about the impact of the "complete work of art" of an up and fully functioning gothic cathedral on the populations of the time to try to imagine how stunning these places were in their age. We'll never really be that innocent or stupid (I suppose?). All the fancy houses actually encourage some sensory overload. They all tend to make visitors very aware and even self-conscious. I think it's their program requirement. Mankind may not be able to abandon itself to nature and take to tribal exclusivity but it's exhausting to dominate it Louis like. I wonder how long it took the original builders to pay it all off? I think they were very fiscally conservative so liked to live in the black. The government just never could. BTW - What all all the big flio's about in the video site? Did they leave you any account books?

[@Cookontherun7391]

Really goes to show that “easy” doesn’t necessarily mean better. Incredibly interesting. Do the jut-outs in the tunnel act like a river like the natural in’s and outs of the shore line to aid the water into constantly moving?

Not really - you might be overestimating the volume of water that runs through the tunnels at any given time. They are buttresses that reinforce the strength of the walls of the tunnels. Thanks for your message - we're thrilled you're following our journey.

[@NoraToal]

Are you planning to use solar electricity? You are doing so well so far - well done.

When we arrived at the chateau, the heating system was an oil-based heating fuel. We've now converted it to a biomass system. But we're not planning to use solar for our electricity. Thanks for following our journey!

[@LynnHodgkinson]

I am in Canada and was wondering if I could purchase a set of roof tile drinks coasters

Yes, you can purchase them from our online boutique. Use this link here: chateaupurnon.com/product/slate-drink-coasters/. Please be aware there is a delay at the moment as we process a large number of recent orders. Thank you for your support of our project to save Chateau de Purnon.

[@CasperJ]

of what materials are these watertanks made, how do they contain the water without it leaking

[@janeharris6925]

Can you mount solar along your field walls to supply electricity to the chateau?

[@gingermonette7455]

When is the roof scheduled to be complete?

Most likely towards the end of 2024 but hopefully the first section of scaffolding on the east will come down in the coming weeks!

[@reneestesnetwork]

As a filmmaker, I’m curious about what equipment you are using and do you have film crews shooting parts of it or are you shooting all of the scenes?

We shoot it ourselves using iPhones. We have Rode mics on our lapels, we have a Skydio drone (which is absolutely incredible). We have a good quality tripod and gimbal.

[@reneestesnetwork]

Thank you

[@KirstyHarris-pu3cn]

Hi, I couldn't get your Patreon link to work

Hi Kirsty - please find the link here: www.patreon.com/chateau_de_purnon

[@davidhoover4063]

Thumbs up this comment if you want Purnon merchandise! It would be a great fundraiser!

Thank you! We actually have merchandise available on our website including drink coasters which are fabricated from the slate tiles reclaimed from the chateau roof. Here's a link to our on-line shop: chateaupurnon.com/shop-chateau/

[@lldragon]

👍

[@leamia5269]

Wohin ist das Wissen verschwunden, um so durchdacht zu bauen?🤔 Frage einen gewöhnlichen Architekten, wie man so etwas plant. Er wird dich mit großen Augen ansehen und mit den Schultern zucken. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@danjuliephillips]

💙🇦🇺

[@katehobbs2008]

I find it really frustrating that we are not told about the renovations. It is over 3 months since there was any view of works (there was a flashbacks of previous work). We saw a bit about bees and the tunnels are interesting, but there is presumably a massive million dollar reno going on. Just annoying 10-second ‘sneak peeks” of I presume patreon videos. I hate to sound negative, I really want this reclamation to work, and admire your commitment and efforts, but I just get annoyed when there no communication to subscribers. You presumably do need subscribers, including to reach more potential patreons. 🇦🇺

Hi Katie - Thanks so much for your interest in the restoration we are very grateful. I replied to your previous message about this earlier this week with some information for you on how to get regular updates: Daily update: Instagram Stories Weekly update: Patreon Monthly or bi-monthly: KZbin In addition we share a short from Patreon most weeks so you can get a taste of what we covered that week.

[@laurentdavid2147]

1) Marquis and Marquise de Purnon had 2 children, they owned a large agricultural estate with many farms which most probably constituted their main revenues. In those days, they were socially compelled to own a grand house at the center of this estate in order to welcome and entertain visiting aristocrats and government officials. This house needed something between 10 and 20 servants to operate, not counting gardeners and chateau's farm employees. I do believe that this family of 4 needed some privacy from the many servant that walked their chateau's corridors and staircases, and that corresponding features of their chateau's internal layout should not be considered as socially problematic. 2) Pigeons were a quick and discreet way of communication that was somewhat feared by central French government, so pigeon's ownership was strictly limited to nobility and government officials. As a clear consequence, this insured that most people that were allowed to own pigeons were in a way obligated to own them, just to show they were allowed to. I don't think this made a real problem for peasants. You must remind that pigeon ownership was limited to 2 birds per hectare of owner's estate, and that pigeons were locked inside their dovecotes during seeding period. 3) The causes of French revolution have been the object of many debates. As a Frenchman, I don't really believe that social relations between nobility and servants or peasant were much worse in France, than in the UK or Germany at that time. I do believe that the corruption of French magistrates and judiciary system, and that the suppression of Louis the XVth courageous judiciary reform ("Parlement Maupéou"...) by his grandson, Louis the XVIth, as well as Louis the XVIth mismanagement of other problems due to his gross political incompetence make a much more credible explanation of those events.

In terms of the family, the Marquis and Marquise Achard de la Haye, the first owners of Purnon, actually had three children. In addition to this there were rooms built in the chateau for the Marquise's mother and her brother so they were actually a family of 7 living here when the chateau was first constructed.

[@jorgipogi]

Unless you are the US government, run for the hill and save your money.

[@lutomson3496]

I always laugh at so called "drought" conditions, at least here in California Ag uses 70% of the water growing unsustainable crops that are water thirsty, like rice in a desert climate for example, while residents and business use 7%, its probably the same there with Agriculture growing crops that are sustainable long term..but its all about the money..not about sustainable living, when that place was built they grew sustainable crops, unlike now

[@mossmokwena5032]

Hi there love to watch the videos, but i feel like the videos takes a long time to come out. Even when they come out there is more focus on the history of the chateau ruther than , the restoration of the chateau which is the main purpose of the chanel " restoration" . Videos comes out and there is alot of talking than doing the work of restoration, please more restoration than talking too much about the history thanks 😊

The restoration of Purnon is a monumental project which takes time. Understanding the domain’s history is an incredibly important step in the restoration project. Why was it designed this way, what was the original purpose of each room, the original layout, the original decor, the original shape of the roof. Can we locate traces of of the original features that we can restore, preserve or guide us to recreating. The restoration of Purnon requires patience, knowledge and collaboration with some of the best patrimoine artisans in the country. As our architect once said to us: we are reawakening an old lady who’s been asleep for a long time … we must wake her slowly. Thanks for following and your feedback.

[@natanyawait6072]

love your production Techniques, agree with #michaelw.8614 - you guys can make documentaries on Château's all around the country just telling their histories, I would definitely watch that!