Video: See what they found under the stately floorboards at Nunnington Hall

National Trust archaeologist Mark Newman and the property team at Nunnington Hall uncovered the treasures when excavating under five rooms at the 17th century mansion, near Helmsley.

Ranging from crab-claws and hazelnuts – the remains of human meals dragged under the floorboards by mice – to fragments of silk, jewellery and coins, the objects paint a rich picture of Nunnington’s life over the last 400 years. The finds also include rare 17th century embossed leather wall cladding and secretly hidden papers.

Mr Newman said: “It’s been really amazing how many objects have found their way under the floorboards and how complex the stories that they can tell are once they’ve been fully studied.

“In January this year we found almost 500 objects from just 2½ sq ft of the oak bedroom floor.

“The wax seals, torn fragments of fine silk dresses, pen nibs and jewellery fragments seemed to be revealing a scene straight from Mills and Boon.”

Visitors have been able to view the objects at a new event called Dusting off the Treasures, as part of the national Festival of British Archaeology and the National Trust’s conservation in action programme.

The event, which ends today, boorught the back-room archaeological laboratory work into the limelight.