Comedian and presenter Hugh Dennis will be on TV revealing the archaeological secrets of a lost mansion at Studley Royal on Thursday (June 22).
The Great British Dig episode, which was filmed over five days last September in the deer park next to Fountains Abbey, follows the show’s resident experts as they learn more about a mansion that stood there until 1946, when it burned down.
The gutted house was demolished, and it was only years later, during Storm Arwen in 2021, that a tree on the site of the former mansion was blown down and its roots exposed some interesting masonry.
The episode Studley Royal – the Missing Georgian Mansion will be aired for the first time on Thursday, June 22 at 9pm on More 4.
Mark Newman, National Trust archaeologist, said:
“There has been National Trust archaeological research at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for 37 years, but no matter how much we discover there always seems to be more to find. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to have a programme like The Great British Dig getting involved with our archaeological research. Understanding the detailed history of our properties, and the archaeological riches they conceal, is undoubtedly a ‘long game’.
“The discoveries we made were extremely exciting and moved on our understanding of a number of Studley Royal’s mysteries considerably. We really look forward to them being revealed on air on 22 June, and to further explorations that will no doubt tell us even more.”
The Studley Royal episode is followed on Thursday, June 29 at 9pm by The Great British Dig at National Trust Cherryburn in Northumberland, The Birthplace of a Celebrity Illustrator.
The Great British Dig presenter Hugh Dennis, whose father John was Bishop of Knaresborough from 1979 to 1986, said:
“It was a genuine treat to be able to dig at not just one, but two National Trust properties at Studley Royal and Cherryburn. We unearthed some amazing finds, met some great volunteer staff who were more than happy to get their hands dirty, and ate our fair share of scones too.”
Read more:
- Repairs planned for listed weir at risk of collapse at Studley Royal
- National Trust plans major £3.6m building project at Fountains Abbey
- Studley Royal’s slavery links revealed in report
Witness appeal after collision near Ripon leaves driver with serious injuries
A woman has been left with serious injuries after a collision between two vehicles in Studley Roger near Ripon.
A white Citroen car and a white Volkswagen Crafter van were travelling in opposite directions on Limekiln Bank when they collided at around 2.05pm on Monday.
The driver of the Citroen suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the collision itself, or either vehicle immediately prior to them colliding, along with any dashcam footage.”
Anyone with information should contact PC Michael Spittlehouse by emailing Michael.spittlehouse@northyorkshire.police.uk or calling 101 and asking for him, using incident number 12230092030.
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Celebrity guest for village yoga session near Ripon
A surprise guest with a film crew brought a bit of fun to a village yoga class near Ripon last week.
Hugh Dennis, best known as a comedic actor including in sitcom Outnumbered, was in Studley Roger filming for archaeology show The Great British Dig.
The TV crew asked if they could join Kirsten Agar Ward’s Iyengar yoga session at Studley Roger Village Hall, so they could invite participants to help with the dig.
While there, Hugh and co-presenter Natasha Billson joined in the class, which was all filmed by the production company. Kirsten told the Stray Ferret:
“I’ve been filmed quite a bit before, not for TV but I’m fairly used to it, up to a point. I was a little bit nervous, I have to admit, but once I’d started I just got into what I was doing.
“It was a very unusual situation. It was fast-paced and fun, and they said they’d enjoyed it and seemed quite relaxed at the end.”
The session proved fruitful for the visitors, who recruited a number of locals for their dig, which will be shown as part of a new series of the programme next year.
Kirsten hopes some of their yoga session will be included in the final edit, not only to raise the profile of her classes but also to spread the word about Iyengar yoga.
She trained extensively in India and is a senior level three teacher, travelling around the world to deliver classes as well as setting up the Bath Iyengar Yoga Centre in 2000.
Now based back in Yorkshire, she leads sessions in Ripon and Harrogate too, along with online classes which attract international participants from Tasmania, Costa Rica and elsewhere.
She said:
“I’m very committed to teaching this method. it’s very structured and progressive and safe. The teachers are rigorously trained.
“It’s very good for meeting people’s needs, because you aren’t just doing one thing, you can adapt and grade it according to people who are coming, whether they are old, young, bendy, stiff, have health problems or whatever.
“I’m very pleased they came to film the class. Part of the Great British Dig is they’re trying to build community and that’s what I’m trying to do too, so it was a good mix.”
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