Landmark project to dig into historic hall’s past

THE biggest archaeological survey ever to be undertaken across a Yorkshire stately home’s estate is being staged in the hope of unlocking the secrets of the past dating back to the prehistoric period.

Senior officials at Kiplin Hall in North Yorkshire have announced that the project is set to begin by the end of the year to unearth the history of the Jacobean property, as well as the surrounding landscapes which have been inhabited for more than 12,000 years.

The project has already attracted interest from archaeological experts as far afield as the United States, Serbia and Croatia, and scores of volunteers are being signed up for the year-long project.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kiplin Hall’s administrator, Marcia McLuckie, told the Yorkshire Post that the survey is thought to be the most comprehensive attempt ever conducted to gain an understanding of the local archaeology since the property, near Richmond, was built in 1620.

She said: “This is an extremely exciting project, and it is giving us an unprecedented opportunity to find out more about the hall and the surrounding estate.

“We know that the land has been used for so many centuries, and this is about gaining a greater understanding – there are so many unanswered questions, and hopefully this might just give us a few of the answers.”

Kiplin Hall sits within an area rich in prehistoric and Roman archaeological sites and it is hoped that the survey, which has received a £53,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will provide a fascinating insight into the stately home’s own past as well as the history that preceded its construction in the 17th century.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A three-dimensional laser scan of the hall will also be undertaken to show how the property has developed over the passing centuries, identifying new additions and pinpointing empty voids in the building. An exhibition to showcase the archaeological finds as well as charting the history of Kiplin Hall’s estate is due to be held in 2015.

The survey has been dubbed Charting Chipeling, The Archaeology of the Kiplin Estate, after taking the name which the parish of Kiplin was given during the 11th century. There was already a settlement at Kiplin by the time of the Norman Conquest, and the name of Chipeling was recorded in the Domesday Book.

The study will focus on the 150 acres surrounding Kiplin Hall, after the vast majority of the estate’s 5,000 acres were sold off in the early 20th century.

Until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the early 16th century, the grounds were part of a monastic grange or farm tied to the nearby Easby Abbey on the outskirts of Richmond.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There is a strong possibility that medieval or ecclesiastical remains survive in parts of the stately home’s grounds, and excavations are aiming to uncover a medieval mill worked by the abbey’s monks to the south of the hall.

A tantalising insight into the estate’s historic secrets has already been revealed through research into its archive, which is housed at the North Yorkshire County Record Office in Northallerton.

The research also highlighted the antiquarian pursuits of the Earl and Countess of Tyrconnel during their tenure of Kiplin Hall in the 19th century. Excavations undertaken at the time close to Catterick Village discovered a Romano-British brooch, pottery, bone combs and iron weaponry.

Kiplin Hall’s curator, Dawn Webster, confirmed that a recruitment campaign is underway and as many as 100 volunteers are expected to be signed up, including adults as well as pupils from nearby schools.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An advertisement which was published on Friday for a part-time archaeologist to oversee the project has already attracted inquiries from the US, as well as Croatia and Serbia.

The Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the region, Fiona Spiers, said: “The Kiplin estate has played a vital role in the history of North Yorkshire. This project will enable volunteers, local schools and the wider community to learn new skills to help them uncover the secrets of Kiplin Hall’s past, and how this has shaped the estate to date.”