Lost building rediscovered thanks to old photo

1 hour ago

Alex MossYorkshire

News image — Temple Newsam House was once home to aristocrats and their families, including Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary Queen of Scots

South Leeds Archaeology Five people kneeling down in a dug out trench next to a large stately home. The group has buckets and excavation equipment surrounding them. — Temple Newsam House was once home to aristocrats and their families, including Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary Queen of Scots

Evidence of a lost building in the grounds of a stately home has been found by archaeologists after the discovery of a decades-old photograph revealed clues to its location.

The image, taken during the hot summer of 1995, showed a series of parch marks in the grass at Temple Newsam in Leeds, revealing that something once stood there.

When members of the South Leeds Archaeology (SLA) team saw the photo, it led to months of digging and the discovery of the foundations of an outbuilding, along with an array of objects spanning thousands of years.

Phil Jones, who helped lead the dig, said everywhere the group had excavated at the Temple Newsam site had revealed "a few surprises".

The group's investigations began by comparing the photograph with historical records and paintings of the estate.

Leeds Museums Galleries/Temple Newsam An old painting of Temple Newsam. It shows the large stately home with a smaller building next to it. In the picture are people seemingly walking across the lawned grass. — This 1750 picture depicts the the outbuilding, pictured on the left, which the archaeologists are believed to have found

One painting, from 1750, appeared to show a building which had long been assumed to be an artist's impression of some planned renovations rather than a depiction of a real structure.

Intrigued, members of the group opened a series of trenches across the site where they went on to expose suspected foundations of the building next to the the 500-year-old stately home.

Alongside the structural remains, the team uncovered objects charting thousands of years of human activity.

South Leeds Archaeology A woman with short grey hair holding up a smaller arrow shaped object in her fingers. Behind her is a large building which is the stately home. — SLA member Carole Bloom shows off an arrowhead discovered at the site which is thought to be up to 5,000 years old

Finds ranged from an arrowhead thought to be up to 5,000 years old to fragments of 16th Century pottery, 18th Century window glass, animal bones and oyster shells from the estate's former kitchens.

More modern day finds included debris from the V Festival concerts which were held at the Temple Newsam site in the 1990s.

The group said although it had not been possible to determine the building's exact purpose or the extent to which it was completed, it was hoped further digs could take place in the future to discover more about the house's lost history.

South Leeds Archaeology A man holding out oyster shells in his hands. — Oyster shells were also among the various objects unearthed at Temple Newsam

Jones said: "Everywhere we've dug we've had a few surprises. The grounds of the house have been re-modelled and landscaped many times over history."

He said that in answer to common questions from passers-by during the dig, "no, we didn't find any dinosaur bones, Roman mosaics or walls, nor any gold or treasure".

However, he added: "We were happy with what we did find and it's hoped we can return next year to find even more."

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