In early January, a geophysical survey of the northwestern part of the historic Beningbrough Hall, National Trust estate was conducted as part of an undergraduate student dissertation project. This research focused on an area surveyed by Armin Schmidt in 2006, where magnetometer results and satellite imagery hint at some intriguing features. Using the SENSYS MX V3 magnetometer and the Mala MIRA Compact 3D GPR, the survey aims to uncover new insights into the estate’s history.

The survey presented the expected challenges of a North Yorkshire winter, with frozen grounds and freezing conditions creating some truly unique experiences of surveying on ice! Despite the cold, the team successfully gathered high-resolution geophysical data, aiming to shed new light on features, including a structure that may have Roman origins…

Although the survey itself is complete, the hard work isn’t over. The collected data is now being processed, analysed, and written up into a dissertation. Excitingly, an abstract detailing the findings has already been submitted for the International Conference on Archaeological Prospection (ICAP) in Belgium this September, where the hope is to present the project as a poster. While acceptance is pending, this would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase our department’s student-led research on an international stage.

The survey was conducted by Michal Szedzielorz and Lucy Benoit, under the guidance of Dr Michal Pisz.

Stay tuned for more updates on this project as the results take shape and contribute to our understanding of Beningbrough Hall’s fascinating past!

For more about the National Trust estate at Beningborough – https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/beningbrough