Archaeologists investigating the grounds of Temple Newsam have uncovered foundations of a mysterious building dating back more than 280 years, alongside finds spanning thousands of years.
Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence of a mysterious lost building in the grounds of Temple Newsam in Leeds.
Members of South Leeds Archaeology spent months investigating the site after a photograph taken during the hot summer of 1995 revealed unusual parch marks in the grass.
Excavations have now exposed foundations believed to belong to an outbuilding dating back more than 280 years.
Researchers discovered that what may have been the same building appeared in a painting from around 1750. It is similar to an existing stable block, although it had previously been thought that the structure shown in the painting was simply part of an artist's impression of proposed renovations.
The team has not yet been able to establish exactly what the building was used for or whether it was ever fully completed, and further excavations could take place in the future.
The dig also produced an extraordinary range of discoveries from different periods in Temple Newsam's history.
Among them was an arrowhead which could be up to 5,000 years old, remains of a 16th-century fruit bowl, 18th-century window glass, animal bones and oyster shells from the house's former kitchens.
Archaeologists also discovered evidence of a lost road or carriageway north of Temple Newsam House and even objects left behind from the V Festival concerts held on the estate in the 1990s.
South Leeds Archaeology chairman Mike Turpin said the group's original aim was to establish whether the marks seen in the 1995 photograph really represented the foundations of a missing building.
Fellow member Phil Jones said virtually everywhere the team had excavated had produced surprises, reflecting how extensively the grounds have been remodelled and landscaped throughout their history.
Temple Newsam House itself dates back more than five centuries and has been described as the “Hampton Court of the north”.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council's executive member for economy, said the discoveries were adding “new and exciting chapters” to the story of one of the city's most important historic sites.
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