Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Discover the secrets of Rycote Park's lost Tudor palace, once host to five monarchs, as Time Team races to uncover its hidden remains in just three days.
Join the Time Team as they delve into the fascinating history and archaeology of Rycote Park in Oxfordshire. Once a grand Tudor mansion welcoming the likes of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, Rycote mysteriously vanished after a devastating 18th-century fire. With only a few ruins, old engravings, and scattered masonry to guide them, the team faces the challenge of pinpointing the house’s true footprint, the location of its moat, and the fate of its opulent halls. Watch as experts compare historical prints, employ geophysics, and dig trenches to piece together the evolution of this royal residence, uncovering clues from Tudor brickwork to medieval walls buried beneath Capability Brown’s landscaped gardens.
Throughout the dig, you'll witness the discovery of the great hall’s dazzling floor tiles, fragments of stained glass, and evidence of lavish Tudor banquets, all while unraveling the truth behind the estate's fiery destruction and surprising post-fire rebuilding. The investigation reveals not just the palace's rise and fall, but also its earlier medieval roots and the ultimate asset-stripping that led to its disappearance. Perfect for history buffs, archaeology fans, and anyone curious about how England’s grandest homes could simply vanish.
#Archaeology #TimeTeam #TudorHistory #RycotePark #LostPalace #ElizabethanEngland #HistoricalMystery #BritishHistory
Discover the secrets of Rycote Park's lost Tudor palace, once host to five monarchs, as Time Team races to uncover its hidden remains in just three days.
Join the Time Team as they delve into the fascinating history and archaeology of Rycote Park in Oxfordshire. Once a grand Tudor mansion welcoming the likes of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, Rycote mysteriously vanished after a devastating 18th-century fire. With only a few ruins, old engravings, and scattered masonry to guide them, the team faces the challenge of pinpointing the house’s true footprint, the location of its moat, and the fate of its opulent halls. Watch as experts compare historical prints, employ geophysics, and dig trenches to piece together the evolution of this royal residence, uncovering clues from Tudor brickwork to medieval walls buried beneath Capability Brown’s landscaped gardens.
Throughout the dig, you'll witness the discovery of the great hall’s dazzling floor tiles, fragments of stained glass, and evidence of lavish Tudor banquets, all while unraveling the truth behind the estate's fiery destruction and surprising post-fire rebuilding. The investigation reveals not just the palace's rise and fall, but also its earlier medieval roots and the ultimate asset-stripping that led to its disappearance. Perfect for history buffs, archaeology fans, and anyone curious about how England’s grandest homes could simply vanish.
#Archaeology #TimeTeam #TudorHistory #RycotePark #LostPalace #ElizabethanEngland #HistoricalMystery #BritishHistory
