City’s time team dig in to unearth mansion’s hidden history

After some diligent digging they not only uncovered the foundations of an outbuilding dating from more than 280 years ago, they also revealed a fascinating archive of objects telling thousands of years of the estate’s story from prehistory to pop concerts.

The community group, which meets every month in Rothwell, began their investigations after being shown a photo of Temple Newsam taken during the hot summer of 1995, which captured a series of curious parch marks on the grass.

Mike Turpin, chair of SLA, said: “They suggested there might have been the foundations of a missing building.  Our primary project objective from there was to confirm this and, if possible, understand more about the history of the building and how it might relate to the house and other buildings in the park.”

Further investigations revealed that what may have been the building, identical to an existing stable block, had been depicted in a painting in around 1750. It had been thought the painting was simply an artist’s impression of some planned renovations.

With their curiosity now piqued even further, SLA carried out painstaking fieldwork, led by members Jim Jackson and Phil Jones. Alongside their fellow enthusiasts, they excavated a series of trenches, exposing the suspected foundations of the mystery building.

Although it hasn’t been possible to determine the building’s exact purpose or the extent to which it was completed, it is hoped further digs can now take place in future to discover even more about the house’s lost history.

Further finds made during the course of the dig included a lost road or carriageway to the north of Temple Newsam House, an arrowhead which may be up to 5,000 years old, the remains of a 16^th century fruit bowl, window glass from the 1700s and animal bones and oyster shells from the house’s former kitchens as well as objects from the V Festival concert held on the estate in the 1990s.

Phil Jones said: “It's been a privilege for us to be invited to work on such a prestigious site as Temple Newsam. The council staff from the house and the estate have been really welcoming and supportive. It's also been fun engaging with many of the public visitors to the grounds, and we may have a few new members joining SLA as a result.

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

“But answering the most common questions from the public passers-by: no - we didn't find any dinosaur bones, Roman mosaics or walls, nor any gold or treasure. Though as we were mainly looking for evidence of lost structures, we were happy with what we did find and it's hoped we can return next year to find even more.”

Described as “the Hampton Court of the north”, Temple Newsam House was built more than five centuries ago and was once home to aristocrats and their families including Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary Queen of Scots.

Surrounded by one of the few landscapes of its kind in public ownership, the house’s estate also boasts beautiful formal gardens and the much-loved lakeside walk alongside Home Farm, one of the largest working rare breeds farms in Europe.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, said: “The story of Temple Newsam is one of the most fascinating aspects of our city’s heritage, spanning centuries of people and events which all played a part in shaping the city of Leeds.

“It’s wonderful that we’ve been able to work with a group of such dedicated local enthusiasts to add new and exciting chapters to that story which reveal even more about this remarkable place.”

For more information about Temple Newsam, please visit: Temple Newsam | Leeds Museums and Galleries | Days out and exhibitions

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