ARCHAEOLOGISTS have exposed the scale of an 18th century olive oil merchant family's drive to introduce a range of culinary tastes to Britain.

A 17-day excavation in the grounds of 390-year-old Kiplin Hall, between Northallerton and Richmond, revealed previously unknown layers of history, including how the road running by the 4,500-acre estate to the towns was changed twice to develop a pioneering horticultural enterprise.

Archaeologist Jim Brightman said the contents of trenches at five places across the estate illustrated how generations of the non-aristocratic Crowe family, which bought the property in 1722, had displayed nouveau riche tendencies as they worked to establish their country gentry credentials.

Initially, the excavations had focused on examining a post-medieval road, but a team of volunteers had found a 1740s road beneath one built in the early 1800s, to divert traffic further away to aid the development of a significant fruit and vegetable garden.

Visiting University of Maryland architects found the hall's gallery had been altered in 1793 to overlook the gardens, which previously unearthed documents show had been stocked with plants such as purple broccoli, sweet marjoram, nonpareil peas, and long and short prickly cucumbers decades earlier.

The lottery-funded excavations also revealed post-medieval structures indicating the presence of a smithy on the estate in the early 1700s and a gothic garden feature made from burnt, twisted bricks, above an early 1800s mosaic-floored summerhouse.

Unfired musket shots, possibly dating to the 1640s, were found on the western boundary near ammunition casings from when the estate was requisitioned during the Second World War, which showed the area had been used as a shooting range for up to 300 years.

Mr Brightman, who hopes to resume excavations at the estate next year, said a huge amount of pottery was found at all the excavated levels, which was being examined by experts to give exact dates for estate developments.

He said: "We enjoyed the detective work and have brought a new understanding to the estate's development in the 18th Century, showing the constant change by this vibrant and innovative family.

"Ahead of the excavations, there was the tantalising prospect that the roman road from Northallerton to Catterick may have passed through the estate, but it didn't appear to be the right width or form and I am happy that this is not the case."

Mr Brightman will detail his discoveries on tours of the estate on Sunday, October 12.

For details, visit 01748-818178, email info@kiplinhall.co.uk or visit kiplinhall.co.uk