Comedian Hugh Dennis to reveal Studley Roger’s secrets on TV this week

Comedian and presenter Hugh Dennis will be on TV revealing the archaeological secrets of a lost mansion at Studley Royal on Thursday (June 22). 

The Great British Dig episode, which was filmed over five days last September in the deer park next to Fountains Abbey, follows the show’s resident experts as they learn more about a mansion that stood there until 1946, when it burned down.  

The gutted house was demolished, and it was only years later, during Storm Arwen in 2021, that a tree on the site of the former mansion was blown down and its roots exposed some interesting masonry. 

The episode Studley Royal – the Missing Georgian Mansion will be aired for the first time on Thursday, June 22 at 9pm on More 4. 

Mark Newman, National Trust archaeologist, said: 

“There has been National Trust archaeological research at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for 37 years, but no matter how much we discover there always seems to be more to find. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to have a programme like The Great British Dig getting involved with our archaeological research. Understanding the detailed history of our properties, and the archaeological riches they conceal, is undoubtedly a ‘long game’. 

“The discoveries we made were extremely exciting and moved on our understanding of a number of Studley Royal’s mysteries considerably. We really look forward to them being revealed on air on 22 June, and to further explorations that will no doubt tell us even more.” 

The Studley Royal episode is followed on Thursday, June 29 at 9pm by The Great British Dig at National Trust Cherryburn in Northumberland, The Birthplace of a Celebrity Illustrator. 

The Great British Dig presenter Hugh Dennis, whose father John was Bishop of Knaresborough from 1979 to 1986, said: 

“It was a genuine treat to be able to dig at not just one, but two National Trust properties at Studley Royal and Cherryburn. We unearthed some amazing finds, met some great volunteer staff who were more than happy to get their hands dirty, and ate our fair share of scones too.” 

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Celebrity guest for village yoga session near Ripon

A surprise guest with a film crew brought a bit of fun to a village yoga class near Ripon last week.

Hugh Dennis, best known as a comedic actor including in sitcom Outnumbered, was in Studley Roger filming for archaeology show The Great British Dig.

The TV crew asked if they could join Kirsten Agar Ward’s Iyengar yoga session at Studley Roger Village Hall, so they could invite participants to help with the dig.

While there, Hugh and co-presenter Natasha Billson joined in the class, which was all filmed by the production company. Kirsten told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve been filmed quite a bit before, not for TV but I’m fairly used to it, up to a point. I was a little bit nervous, I have to admit, but once I’d started I just got into what I was doing.

“It was a very unusual situation. It was fast-paced and fun, and they said they’d enjoyed it and seemed quite relaxed at the end.”

The session proved fruitful for the visitors, who recruited a number of locals for their dig, which will be shown as part of a new series of the programme next year.

Filming yoga with Hugh Dennis in Studley Roger Village Hall

Kirsten hopes some of their yoga session will be included in the final edit, not only to raise the profile of her classes but also to spread the word about Iyengar yoga.

She trained extensively in India and is a senior level three teacher, travelling around the world to deliver classes as well as setting up the Bath Iyengar Yoga Centre in 2000.

Now based back in Yorkshire, she leads sessions in Ripon and Harrogate too, along with online classes which attract international participants from Tasmania, Costa Rica and elsewhere.

She said:

“I’m very committed to teaching this method. it’s very structured and progressive and safe. The teachers are rigorously trained.

“It’s very good for meeting people’s needs, because you aren’t just doing one thing, you can adapt and grade it according to people who are coming, whether they are old, young, bendy, stiff, have health problems or whatever.

“I’m very pleased they came to film the class. Part of the Great British Dig is they’re trying to build community and that’s what I’m trying to do too, so it was a good mix.”

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Masham’s hidden treasures uncovered in new channel 4 show

The Great British Dig, Channel 4’s new archeology documentary, has unearthed Masham’s hidden past.

The show includes four episodes running through February and March and Masham is the focus of episode two. The show works with local people to dig up their back gardens in search of hidden parts of history.

The show is hosted by actor and comedian Hugh Dennis who is working with a team of archeologists.

The production company behind the show, Strawberry Blond, had to work around lockdowns to film. Executive Producer, Steve Wynne, said the people of Masham were eager to get involved.

The researchers knocked on numerous doors in Masham in hope everyone would say yes to archaeologists digging up their gardens.

The production team knew of a lost cemetery in Masham and wanted to see what could be unearthed around the rest of the town. They used the Town Hall and the square as their base and began their dig.

Hugh Dennis at Masham

Hugh Dennis stood in front of Masham’s blue plaque for the lost cemetery. Photograph: Strawberry Blond TV

The show promises to reveal “incredible discoveries” including a number of skeletons. Some were used to show how people lived 1000 years ago.

Steve Wynne said:

“I cannot tell you how incredibly warm and welcoming the people of Masham were.  From the amazing bacon sandwiches from Lucy at Bordar House Teas, to Colin at Johnny Baghdad’s on the Square.

“The residents were only too happy for us to turf up their gardens (and beer garden at The Bruce Arms).  The team at the Town Hall gave us the run of the place for our unit base, and the local vicar was a fountain of knowledge about the history of the town.”

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The episode featuring Masham will air on More 4 on February 24.

The series also features digs in South Shields, Nottingham and Newcastle.

Hugh Dennis visits Masham for Channel 4 programme

The comedian Hugh Dennis is filming in Masham this week for a Channel 4 programme that aims to uncover more about the town’s ‘lost cemetery’.

Mr Dennis is expected to be in the North Yorkshire town for another couple of days filming for The Great British Dig: History in Your Back Garden.

It follows numerous discoveries of Anglo-Scandinavian skeletons dating back to between 679 and 1011 AD around the centre of the market town.

Building works in 1988 and 1999 uncovered the remains of 58 skeletons.

Many locals believe there is much more to discover.

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Neil McIntosh, who works in tourist information for Visit Masham, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is fertile ground for excavations. So far we have only found just over 50 skeletons but if the cemetery was in use for more than 300 years there will be plenty more to find.”

Mr McIntosh says the crew for the programme is digging up the garden of a former butcher.

He added that the show could find some animal bones as well as human remains from hundreds of years ago.