A Tyne Tees Television documentary in which cameras follow the efforts of financial consultant Nick Straker, the co-owner of Broomlee Lough in Northumberland, to discover if a local legend of hidden treasure in the lake is true. Over an aerial of the remote Broomlee Lough in Northumberland, narrator Andy Kluz explains how it like many other remote lakes in the region were formed 14,000 years ago as the ice aged retreated. Over the opening title ripples on the water. Title: Legend of the...

A Tyne Tees Television documentary in which cameras follow the efforts of financial consultant Nick Straker, the co-owner of Broomlee Lough in Northumberland, to discover if a local legend of hidden treasure in the lake is true. Over an aerial of the remote Broomlee Lough in Northumberland, narrator Andy Kluz explains how it like many other remote lakes in the region were formed 14,000 years ago as the ice aged retreated. Over the opening title ripples on the water. Title: Legend of the Ice Lake As a group of men dressed as 16th century Border reivers races through a wood carrying large swords, Andy explains that during this time violence often ruled the border between England and Scotland and that as well as no one being safe, neither were their possessions. A recreation follows of an attack by the reivers on a farm which is witnesses by a local prince or landlord who races home collects up his wealth in coin, places it into a chest and throws said chest into Broomlee Lough for safe keeping. Standing in the boat the man places a curse on the treasure and that it can only be recovered if an exact set of conditions are met. As a diver appears from the lake Nick Straker standing on the shoreline explaining that he and his brother Matt bought the lake eight-years previous and subsequently learning about the legend of hidden treasure in it. As he provides details on how he came to hear of the treasure, the man who told him Jim Longton divining the loch using a single divining rod. Sitting at a table Jim Longton uses a Crucifix and ruler to map dowse a Broomlee Lough attempting to pinpoint the location of the treasure. When a spot on the lake is identified he marks it using the ruler. Returning to the lough, as he uses his dousing rod to locate the spot on the water, he talks in voiceover about inviting three other dousers to help him. Looking over a different plan of the lough Nick Straker explains how all four dowsers identified roughly the same spot on the lake. As Nick talks about wanting to back up Jim’s work with hard scientific evidence, Dr Mark Knowle from GeoQuest Associates along with his assistant pushes a small boat out into the lough. As they work to prepare the boat he talks in voiceover about how he is going to be using ground penatraing radar to survey the 100-metre square spot identified by Jim Longton and the other dousers. Rowing out into the water they make their way to a buoy which has been placed at one corner of the area that is to be surveyed. From the boat he provides details on the equipment being used and how it works. As the survey gets underway a bulge is identified at the bottom of the lake with a signal been shown clearly on a small screen for it. As Dr Knowle’s places a marker on the spot he explains that it will help the divers when they come to hopefully find out what the anomaly is. Title: Legend of the Ice Lake. End of Part One Part Two Nick rows across the lake with his son and shakes hands with three members of the British Sub-Aqua Club and two archaeological divers who have been invited to dive the site of the geophys anomaly. In their wetsuits three of the divers head out towards the buoy left by Dr Knowle’s and after checking everything is in order two begin the dive watched by Nick through binoculars from the shoreline. After a short while one of the divers re-appears at the survey holding a piece of wood which they found in the area they are looking at. The group are disappointed by this discovery, but the dive continues. Another diver takes an underwater camera into the lake, but because of the silt nothing but murk can be seen. An air pump is then used to lift some of the silt from the lakebed to be checked for possible treasure. While all this is going on Steve, one of the archaeologist, stands on a nearby headland checking the position of the dive with a compass and map. Speaking with John, the lead diver via walkie-talkie he explains that he believes they are diving in the wrong spot and suggests a position sixty metres away. Following a break for tea a second dive team head out onto the lake as the weather closes in on them. However, they return to the shore where Nick and his family are waiting to tell them there was nothing at the anomaly site other than more pieces of wood. Archaeologist Steve admits they were unable to local the anomaly itself as be believes if there is something there then it is much deeper in the mud. John speaks with Nick about something surprising that he saw while diving the lake, a figure he believed he could see reflected in his mask that appeared to be a shape of a man with something under his arm, possibly a box of treasure? John draws the figure or guardian and shows it to Nick. Three weeks later John returns to the lough with a different dive team and 12ft rods which will be used to probe the lakebed more thoroughly. As the team sets up John shakes hands with Nick who is setting up a sailing boat nearby. They chat about the ‘unfortunate’ last effort and look out at the coloured buoy over the spot which John is going to look at again today. With John now in the water probing the mud on the lakebed with the rods Nick sails over to the dive team boat along with his son and brother Matt. Unfortunately, John believes he has identified the anomaly picked up by the geophys as impacted mud and provides details on what that means. Back on shore Nick and John talk about this discovery which because of its size is too large for it to be an object. They both laugh when John suggests the next step being to drain the lake. Back on the water John speaks with one of the other divers in his team who believes, like him, he could see a figure in his facemask during his dive. In a local pub over a few beers the men talk about what they believe they have seen. Bringing the programme to an end a shortened version of the reivers raid seen at the start and the local prince of landlord throwing a chest into Broomlee Lough. Over the closing credits an aerial of the lough and the surrounding landscape. Credit: Narrator Andy Kluz Actor Vin Welch Historical Re-enactments S.C. Associates (Entertainments) Historical Location Beamish Museum Geophysical Survey GeoQuest Associates Divers British Sub-Aqua Club (South Tyneside Branch) Archaeological Divers Steve Webster, Helen Cox Online Editor Peter Telford Graphics Jon King Dubbing Mixer George Joisce Trainee Clare Jeffery Props Andy Cavanagh Aerial Photography Janusz Ostrowski Location Sound Paul Graham Research Liz Sobell Avid Editor Bernard Helm Assistant Producer Liz Treadway Director / Camera Dave Dixon Executive Producer Peter Mitchell Producer Jane Bolesworth End title: © MCMXCVII. A Tyne Tees Television Production for Channel 3 North East