Archaeologists uncover 'mystery of Stourton Castle' at Stourhead
Remains of a building have been found on the estate after 300 years
A long lost building has been discovered on the Stourhead Estate near Mere, 300 years after it was demolished.
Stourton Castle stood in the ground of the National Trust land - but was demolished between 1718 and 1721 by owner of the time, Henry Hoare.
Documents and archaeological surveys over many years have failed to locate the remains of it until now.
Once the home of the Stourton family, the estate was sold off and torn down to create the magnificent 18th-century landscape gardens and Palladian house we know today.
A single surviving drawing of 1694 shows that it had two courtyards and in its heyday it would have looked like another Wiltshire National Trust property, Lacock Abbey.
Excavations at Stourhead took place last month, as part of the Festival of British Archaeology.
That's uncovered the foundations of Stourton Castle, over a metre deep under clay and rubble.
Other finds have included, window glass, wine bottles, fragments of cooking pots and serving jugs and dishes as well as floor tiles and roof tiles decorated with green and yellow glazes.
In one trench was a fireplace still with ash from its last burning and a stone spiral stair tread.
Martin Papworth, National Trust Archaeologist said:
"The finding of Stourton Castle is very exciting for all who know and love the Stourhead Estate. Its location has long been a mystery waiting to be solved. Our recent dig has shown that the Castle lay deep under the soil, directly in front of Stourhead House.
"In fact, some of it still stands, the current Stable Yard, once the Castle’s outer courtyard, now proves to be a remnant of medieval home of the Stourton family."
The excavation trenches have now been backfilled to preserve the archaeology and for health and safety reasons.