THE spotlight is about to fall on buried treasure - found inside the home.
Under-floor excavations have taken place at Nunnington Hall, the National Trust property near Helmsley, over recent years.
And archaeologist Mark Newman and the Hall’s property team have recovered more than 4,000 objects from under the floorboards in just five rooms of the 17th-century mansion.
Ranging from the remains of human meals dragged away by mice to fragments of silk, jewellery and coins, the small treasures combine to paint a rich picture of Nunnington’s life, humdrum and dramatic, over the last 400 years.
The finds even include rare 17tth--entury embossed leather wall cladding and secretly hidden papers and particularly touching are the small toys and playing cards obviously "posted" through gaps in the floorboards on rainy afternoons.
As part of the National Festival of British Archaeology and the National Trust’s Conservation in Action programme, there will be a chance to see the finds and discover more about their stories at Nunnington Hall from 11am – 5pm on July 28 and 29.
“It’s been really amazing how many objects have found their way under the floorboards, and how complex they stories that they can tell are, once they’ve been fully studied,“ said Mr Newman.
“In January this year, we found almost 500 objects from just two and a half square feet of the Oak Bedroom floor. The wax seals, torn fragments of fine silk dresses, pen nibs, a jewellery fragments seemed to be revealing a scene straight from Mills and Boon.”
Normal admission prices apply.
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