The first episode of the sixth 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 the final series John explores the history of the use of stone in the construction of buildings. Travelling across the Northeast and the East Riding of Yorkshire John examines the different types of stone that have been used to build some of the region’s most impressive buildings. Standing on...

The first episode of the sixth 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 the final series John explores the history of the use of stone in the construction of buildings. Travelling across the Northeast and the East Riding of Yorkshire John examines the different types of stone that have been used to build some of the region’s most impressive buildings. Standing on the battlements of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland presenter John Grundy licks a stick of seaside rock stating that this programme is all about rock. Not the kind that he is licking but pointing at it the stone that the battlements are made of, that kind of rock. 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 Views of Bamburgh Castle along the Northumberland coastline changes to John standing beneath the castle explaining that it is built on two different types of rock, pink sandstone and black dolerite. After explaining that the majority of Northumberland is mostly sandstone, he gives a brief geology lesson to explain how sandstone was made. Standing on a grass field overlooked by the castle he states that beneath his feet there are 3000 metres of sandstone. With the camera passing through an arched window the film changes to a montage of the village of Bamburgh and its many sandstone houses and structures including the village water fountain. John makes his way through the village into the churchyard of the parish church of St Aidan’s to show both the good and bad qualities of sandstone as a building material. Standing beside a weathered gravestone he explains how because it is so soft it erodes quickly creating some extraordinary effects giving a texture and a lived-in feel. As sandstone can’t lie about its age John walks around the church to show how different builders from different periods of time from the Norman’s in the 12th century to the Victorians of the 19th century have cut and used sandstone in the church. Coming back around to the front of the John explains how even with one type of stone there is a constant variation, but what if there are more than one type of stone being used? Standing back on the spot underneath Bamburgh Castle John returns to talk about dolerite which is known locally as whinstone. Again, he gives a geological lesson on how this igneous rock is forms to make the black cliffs that the castle sits upon. Sitting by a piece of it sticking out of the ground John explains that because it is a volcanic rock it is extremely hard and difficult to work with. John once again wonders through Bamburgh stating that sometimes the taste for something different overcame its difficulties. Standing outside Bamburgh House built in the Greek Doric style in the 1830s he talks about how the house incorporates both the soft sandstone as well as hard whinstone. Holding a piece of sandstone in his hand he exclaims that he made a silly statement earlier about sandstone being easier to shape, but how is this done? In a stonemason’s workshop behind Durham Cathedral a technician watches over a large power saw slicing a piece of sandstone into sections before moving the finished pieces by forklift. In another workshop a stonemason us a power tool to dress a stone while two others use the more traditional mallet and chisel to shape the stone they are working on creating astonish shapes. As John walks towards a section of Hadrian’s Wall at Steel Rigg in Northumberland, he talks about how it was the Romans who were the first to cut and use stone in construction. An aerial of the wall around Crag Lough including nearby Houseteads Roman Fort is followed by rock-climbers assenting a section of Steel Rigg’s dolerite rockface with John explaining why it is a poor building stone and was ignored by the Romans in favour of sandstone. In the distance a rocky outcrop of sandstone from which the Roman’s got their stone cutting it into bite-sized chunks that were later reused in thousands of buildings over the centuries and are instantly recognisable even today. Walking along a path beside the wall John takes the programme into a commercial break by asking what happened after the Romans left and who were the next users of stone? Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Following views of the Anglo-Saxon tower of St Peter’s Church at Monkwearmouth near Sunderland a clip from a previous edition of ‘Grundy’s Wonder’ in which John talks about the founder of this Benedictine order Benedict Biscop recorded in the grounds of his other church and monastery of St Paul’s at Jarrow in which John recognises his role in giving Jarrow the earliest surviving window glass in Europe. Now standing beside St Peter’s John explains that as well as window glass Biscop also re-introduced the art of building with stone with this church and the one at Jarrow being the very first stone buildings built by English people. At nearby Jarrow Hall a recreation of an Anglo-Saxon home built in wood with John explaining that stone was only used in the most important buildings such as churches. Standing in the cathedral precinct of The College John looks up at the towers of Durham Cathedral stating that it wasn’t until the Normans in the 12th century that building in stone took off in a big way. Feeling dumbstruck by it all he asks how was it done? Sitting in the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) World War Two Memorial Garden John flicks through a children’s book on cathedral construction pointing out image of the tools used and the wooden scaffolding. Inside Beverley Minister in the East Riding of Yorkshire a camera tripod is raised into the tower by its man-powered treadmill crane which has been in operation since the Medieval period. Standing beside its John admires this simple but effective piece of technology and feels really privileges to see in operation. Back down inside the cathedral itself John talks about the two different types of stone that was used in its construction that aren’t local. Magnesian Limestone from Tadcaster forty miles away and Purbeck Marble which comes from Dorset. Over a montage of its use inside the minster John explains that it was the contrasting light and dark colours that made it so popular during the Middle Ages. Describing the masons who built the minster in the 13th and 14th centuries as geniuses, John explains that there is one use they made from stone which he believes has never been improved on. Over a montage of some of the stone figures carved around the minster the sequence ends on John arriving at and looking over the 14th century Percy Tomb. Standing outside with Beverly Minister in the background John explains why he has chosen it to be this week’s ‘Grundy’s Wonder’. An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders For this weeks ‘Grundy Great Boot of History’ John points out three uses of stone that he doesn’t like. Over examples of each he explains why he hates Victorian rock-cut stone, sticky-stone and ‘pretendy-stone’ all of which gets crushed under the animation of a giant boot coming down on top of them. Over the closing credits a montage of some of the locations featured in this programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera Alistair McKenzie Sound Paul Graham, Gail Westwood Lighting Alan Ramsay, Ken Campbell Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music John Cook Sound Dubbing Andy Ludbrook Editor Mark Duncan Executive Producer Graeme Thompson Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © ITV 2005 End title: Working Wonders. ITV Tyne Tees. A Working Wonders TV production in Association with ITV