YOUNGSTERS are bringing their school’s history into life by digging deep into the past.

Pupils from Queen Mary’s School at Baldersby Park, near Thirsk, have begun a year-long project which will include archaeological excavations of the site.

They are researching the history of the building and the grounds, and the histories and memories of the people who once lived and worked there.

Baldersby Park, formerly Newby Park, has a recorded history spanning about 1,000 years and was once the home of the famed 19th-century “Railway King” George Hudson.

Teacher Lucy Nuttall, said: “It is very exciting and will be of great significance both to Queen Mary’s and to local community history.

“Our history department will play a key role in the research which will focus on the school building itself, which is Britain’s first Palladian villa, and the parkland around it. We also have digs planned for next summer. Talking to local people is going to be a key part of the work, as they will have memories we can draw upon, and we will be creating a digital archive of artefacts, photographs and documents.”