Nottingham experts used 3D laser scanners to map a hidden room inside a mansion linked with the famous ‘gunpowder plot’ of 1605.
University of Nottingham archaeologists Dr Chris King and Dr Lukasz Bonenberg together with students from the University made the discovery after a building survey and scan of Coughton Court, Warkwickshire.
Dr King said: “At Coughton, the priest-hole is hidden away out of sight and the 3D model will really help visitors to understand where it fits inside the building.
“Many visitors can’t access the tower room where the secret space is located, so this digital model allows them to experience the building and its story in a whole new way.”
In 1605 the house was leased to Sir Everard Digby, who is known for being one of the leading conspirators of the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I.
“Sir Everard’s wife was waiting anxiously for news at Coughton alongside Father Henry Garnet, the head of the Jesuit mission in England, and Nicholas Owen, the celebrated priest-hole maker,” said Dr King.
“When news arrived that Guy Fawkes had been captured and the plot discovered, the conspirators fled in all directions, most coming to meet a bloody end.”
Researchers first visited Coughton Court to make a laser scan of the double-level priest hole, with the aim of digitally reproducing its location in a computer model.
The researchers then returned last year to complete a full scan of the entire mansion and its grounds.
When complete, they found the priest-hole had been hidden within the structure and the 3D model will allow visitors to explore the space even if they cannot physically get to it.
Dr Bonenberg said: “Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is an important new technology for recording ancient monuments as they capture a huge amount of data very quickly and this is the first time that TLS has been used for the purpose of visualising hidden spaces inside Tudor houses.
“Digital visualisations of historic buildings are vital tools for helping the public to picture the past.”
Rebecca Farr, conservation and engagement manager for Coughton Court, run by National Trust, said: “The full site scan will present a whole new way of sharing the mansion’s architecture with our visitors, allowing them to visualise inaccessible spaces, and highlight the changing use of the Throckmorton’s family home in line with the country’s shifting political and religious landscape.”
The researchers are now looking to secure new funding to support further research and hope the scanning process they are working on may help find undiscovered priest holes at other historic locations.
