Bargain Hunt visits The Vyne National Trust property (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Bargain Hunt visits The Vyne National Trust property

1:00pm Wednesday 18th July 2012 in Local

AN UNDER-floor surprise was filmed by the BBC at The Vyne – the National Trust property near Basingstoke.

Tim Wonnacott, presenter for Bargain Hunt and an antiques expert, was filming at The Vyne, in Sherborne St John, for a forthcoming episode, when conservation staff discovered some ancient tiles below the black and white chequered 18th century Stone Gallery floor.

Mr Wonnacott was surprised at the discovery, and requested that the BBC film it.

Karen Webb, The Vyne’s Visitor Services Officer, said: “There were one or two areas of the floor that were cracked and needed repair, but when we lifted up a section of the Portland stone paving, we were amazed to glimpse at least five tiles underneath.”

The actual age of the tiles is unknown. However, slivers of the tiles were found and photographed by archaeologists, and these will be sent for review and further analysis. The Vyne hopes to display the results of further research on the tiles, photographs and tile fragments, later in the year.

Karen added: “Some of the tiles had a green and yellow speckled glaze, probably produced by iron and copper. I’ve seen similar tiles to these, known as ‘splashed ware’, dating from the late medieval period, circa 15th and 16th century. One of the other tiles is brown, and at least two of them are completely intact.”

The Vyne was once owned by Lord Sandys, Henry VIII’s Lord Chamberlain, and then was in the Chute family’s possession for more than 300 years.