The first episode of the third series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this first episode of a new series John explore underground spaces visiting locations across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to see how people have made use of them over the centuries as well as how they are being used today. Title: Grundy’s Wonders The peaceful River Coquet in Northumberland featuring Swans and...

The first episode of the third series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this first episode of a new series John explore underground spaces visiting locations across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to see how people have made use of them over the centuries as well as how they are being used today. Title: Grundy’s Wonders The peaceful River Coquet in Northumberland featuring Swans and a Grey heron change to presenter John Grundy walking along a riverside path pretending to be Quasimodo explaining that he is on his way to his cave. As he continues to walk along the path he talks about where he is going, the Warkworth Hermitage just outside he village of Warkworth. Being rowed across to the north bank of the Coquet to the hermitage John provides details on what a hermit was, someone who lived a solitary and religious life. He also explains that the hermit who lived at Warkworth was a caveman. Using his walking stick John climbs the cut-stone steps into what he believes is the best preserved and elaborate hermit cave in the country. Inside John points out some of it sophisticated features changing to views of the remains of a house built outside the cave for later generation of hermits. Sitting inside the cave he explains the job of the hermit as to pray for the souls of the Earls of Northumberland at nearby Warkworth Castle. At the Undercroft Restaurant inside Durham Cathedral John sits at a table enjoying a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. He looks around the room at its beautiful, vaulted ceiling that when built in the 13th century would have been a storage area. Explaining that if a monk were caught in here or they did something really bad they would have been put into a deeper vault. Heading outside he picks up a hardhat and heads down a spiral staircase into a darkened room under both the cathedral stables and toilet. As John wonders around the damp and dark room with a torch John explains that depending on their crime a monk could be left down here for up to a year. On the River Nidd in the North Yorkshire town of Knaresborough rowers in boats on the water while standing atop the Knaresborough Viaduct John who talks about the people in the town who have decided to live inside caves. Walking into Mother Shipton’s Cave he talks about its origins and some of the prophecies of Old Mother Shipton that meant to have come true. Nearby a tourist attraction since 1558 the Dropping Well where items are hung out and become calcified from the dropping water. Standing beside Low Bridge John talks about Thomas Hill who in 1770 decided to build himself a home in the cliffs. Following the path up the hillside John passes the Chapel of Our Lady on the Crag built in the late 14th or early 15th centuries and featuring a ferocious looking St Lawrence standing guard outside. Over views of The House in the Rock John talks about its construction and about the seven generation of the Hill family who called it home. In her living room sitting beside a fire with her cats is the last member of the family Nancy Buckle who moved out in 1996. Sitting on a bench with the house in the background John explains that if used well underground spaces can be a very comfortable place. Standing beside a pedestrian underpass with a homeless man sitting inside, John tells a story which helps explain why he hates them. Over a montage of various underpasses, some covered in graffiti John gives this weeks ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’. An animation of a great boot coming down in another pedestrian underpass. A montage of the Ouseburn area of Newcastle including the Lime Street Chimney, a location described by John as an area of old industry that is on its way back up again with some brilliant re-uses of old buildings. Wearing a hardhat and carrying a torch John makes his way to an underground invisible monument to Tyneside’s industrial past the Victorian Tunnel. Heading inside and walking along its wagonway John provides a history of the line which was built in 1839 to move coal from Leazes Main Colliery at Spital Tongue to the Ouseburn and nearby riverside staithes on the River Tyne. As he states that the wagonway closed 1860 it wasn’t under 1939 and the outbreak of World War Two that the tunnels got a second life becoming air-raid shelters. Walking along the tunnel John looks for a light switch with him appearing in another tunnel and turning the lights on. After providing some basic information about these tunnels he asks the view who built it and why? A view of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland reveals John to be in the underground quarters for those who served and worked at the castle. Views of these now abandoned tunnels that feature stalactites. As John walks along the corridor that leads from the underground kitchens to the grand dining room the lights go out and the sound of John falling over in the dark. As John drives along a country road, he explains that while the builds he has featured so far have been curiosities or oddities they have had little practical value. Pulling into the driveway of a property he is faced with three large doors. Standing beside one of the doors he asks the viewer what there is inside? Opening it reveals a modern home with swimming pool. Following a montage of the house John sits in a chair beside the pool and explains that it is an earth-sheltered house with a Berm or earth embankment that creates cosiness that cuts down on heat loss. Outside views of the garden with John explains how the property fits quietly into landscape. He also states that while underground houses are becoming popular in America they rare in Britain due in part to difficult planning laws. However, he explains, it is really good to be reminded that not every house has to end up looking like a child’s drawing. Standing beside a road sign for the village Lastingham in North Yorkshire John explains that it is here that he will be awarding this weeks ‘Grundy’s Wonder’. Over views of the churchyard of the Church of St Mary John gives a history of the village which was founded by the Anglo-Saxon saint St Cedd and the parish church which is a fragment of what was a monastery built on the site of 400 years after the saint’s death. Heading into the church John steps down into what he describes as the most unique church crypt in England. Looking around he talks about why he likes it especially the quality of its early Norman architecture. An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Over the closing credits a John walking along one of the darkened tunnels featured in the programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera and Location Direction Simon Elphinstone, Mike Parker Additional Camera Dave Dixon Sound Paul Graham Lighting John Mason, Lew Hedley, Gordon Porteous Production Assistants Margaret McKie Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music and Dubbing John Cook Editor Mike Pounder Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins End title: A Tyne Tees Television production. Granada. © Tyne Tees Television MMII