The first episode of the fourth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this first programme in a new series John travels across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to looks at the importance and flexibility of wood and timber both as a building material for houses and other structures as well a medium to produce decorative art. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing...

The first episode of the fourth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this first programme in a new series John travels across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to looks at the importance and flexibility of wood and timber both as a building material for houses and other structures as well a medium to produce decorative art. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing different buildings and architectural styles ending on presenter John Grundy holding the programmes title card. Title: Grundy’s Wonders In an ancient woodland presenter John Grundy sits on a fallen tree showing the viewer a series of photograph of trees which he likes taking pictures of. As he walks through the wood, he talks about some of the useful things that can be done with trees. In a field beside a family home a commercially built treehouse. As a young girl climbs its ladder to go inside John describes it as a two-storey mansionette in the sky. Standing nearby John tells a story about building a treehouse himself as a child before climbing the ladder to join the girl in the treehouse which is beautifully stable and finished and allows the tree to grow without destroying it. As John asks how to get down the girls rides down along a zipwire. Over views of an ancient oak tree in a field John talks about how wood was an important resource in the Middle Ages and how oak was used in building work as it was strong and durable. At a local sawmill as sections of wood are cut into timber John provides details on how every piece of the tree could be used in some way. Outside cut lumber and wooden strakes stand in piles ready for use. At Jarrow Hall Anglo-Saxon Farm pigs and goats in pens with ducks wondering around near a pond. As part of the estate a reproduction of an Anglo-Saxon building based on archaeological excavations. As John talks about this primitive structure and how it was built, inside wood if placed on an open fire with John complaining about the issues the structure would have had with damp. Walking through the village of Egton Bridge within the North York Moors National Park John arrives at Delves Cottage. Wondering around the exterior of this thatched cottage he points out some if its structural features before heading inside to point out others including its spice cupboard and witching post, one of only twenty in the world. As he continues to explore this sweet and unexpected property, he explains that it is in fact a timber or cruck house supported by cruck blades. At the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole a montage of both the exterior and interior of other cruck houses on display. Walking into Harome Hall, a 15th century manor house at the museum John points out that it is the biggest crucks in the North of England. Standing beside a model of a cruck frame John explains how it all works and fits together. A montage follows showing some of the frame inside the hall. Over a montage of timber framed buildings in the city of York John explains that the skills needed to build such houses came from Crusaders returning from the wars who had learned these advanced techniques from the Arabs. With a market taking place around it John stands outside Gert and Henry’s restaurant on Jubbergate admiring the simple but pretty building. Not far away the National Trust gift shop on Goodramgate which John uses a as an example to show the excellent carpentry skills from the Middle Ages as well as pointing out the differences from houses build by the Anglo-Saxons. Other timber framed buildings nearby also feature. Walking along The Shambles John explains that the buildings built along this street were made using a building technique known as jettying meaning an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. He gives two reasons why the builders did this, firstly to give the owners extra space upstairs and the second because it looks impressive. Coming along Goodramgate John stops outside number fifty-one and points out a large Medieval timber-framed house with its the hall in the middle, the services at one end and the private quarters with its parlour and chamber at the other. After pointing out that while the ends of the house are jetted, inside the hall, now a gift or jewellery shop, John admires the dramatic timber framing which is a precious survival. Over a montage of visitors wondering around York John asks how much wood would have been involved in making these timber houses. Sticking his head from behind a timber-framed house he explains ‘lots and lots’ before disappearing again. Over more views of an arcade of timber-framed buildings John explains that it required fantastic resources to make such buildings in the Middle Ages that needed also to be managed. Taking the programme into a commercial break John stands next to what he believes is the finest timber framed building of them all. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Standing beside the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in York John exclaims that the is the most magnificent timber-framed building in the Northeast, possibly the country. Over a montage of its fine timber exterior features, he provides some history of its construction before heading inside. Over views if its timbered framed undercroft John talks about how the Merchant Adventurers set themselves us a guild and how it is the greatest surviving guild houses in the country. Upstairs in the main hall John looks up at the vaulted timber-frame roof explaining he loves everything about the room. Looking over the pitch-pine floorboard he tells a funny story about his own floorboards and comments on how the ones in the hall are so beautiful. Again, he points out how the hall in made from local oak pointing out construction features such as the carpenter’s pre-fabrication marks before awards the hall this week’s ‘Grundy’s Wonder.’ An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Walking though the churchyard and into the parish church of St Edmund’s at Sedgefield in County Durham, John talks about the glory of wood is that it can be used for so many interesting ways including the most magnificently decorative. Inside the church a montage of its decorative oak woodwork done by a local man called Robert Barker. Walking along the aisle John talks about Bishop John Cosin who saved this and many other pieces of decorative church oak woodwork from Puritan fundamentalism in the early 16th century meaning County Durham churches have some of the finest caved woodwork in England. Wearing a hardhat John walks through a building site in the village of Hadston on the Northumberland coast. As he complains that wood these days has been abandoned as a building material he comes to stand beside a small stool on which sits a television set. Playing on the screen is a Tyne Tees Television regional news item on the Hadston Project, a new housing development that is using special timber and other recycled products. A montage inside one of these properties still under construction as well as other houses on the estate with John explaining why timber is a great material to work with and that the timber here comes from a sustainable forest. Sitting in a sofa inside one of the Hadston timber houses, John explains that because he likes wood so much, he won’t be crushing it under ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History.’ Instead, he explains, he will be awarding a second ‘Grundy’s Wonder’ to the building material of the future. An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Over a mug of tea John is joined on the sofa by the owner of the house who asks him what he thinks of her house. He ends the programme by stating it is ‘absolutely beautiful’. Over the closing credits a montage of some of the locations visited in the programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera and Location Director Simon Elphinstone Sound Paul Graham Lighting Gordon Porteous, John Mason Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Production Assistants Margaret McKie Title Music and Dubbing John Cook Editor Mike Pounder Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © Tyne Tees Television 2003 End title: A Tyne Tees Television production. Granada