17/04/2017 Look North (Yorkshire)

Good evening. stay with us on BBC One,

Wentworth Castle Gardens, near Barnsley, has closed

to the public today.

The Grade I listed stately home and gardens attracts

tens of thousands of people a year.

But the Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Heritage Trust -

which runs the site - says it can no longer

afford to keep it open.

Alasdair Gill reports.

CHEERING

The Easter holidays have always been a popular time

for a trip to Wentworth Castle Gardens.

A host of children's activities keeps visitors

rolling in year after year.

But today was the last.

Wentworth Castle Gardens is now closed.

The problem here is one of money.

Since this place opened ten years ago, some 500,000 people have

been through its gates.

But the trust that runs Wentworth Castle Gardens

says its income just isn't enough to cover the running costs.

Of course, without public support and public money,

much of Wentworth wouldn't look this good.

The Victorian conservatory was featured on BBC Two's Restoration

programme, and was resotred at a cost of ?4 million in 2013.

Lottery funding and other grants paid for it, along with donations

from members of the public, who will now lose access to it.

If it's out of money that was given, what a place to close down.

It's a shame, it's horrible.

In't it, Fred?

Some lovely grounds and everything, it just doesn't seem right.

It's a shame, in't it?

They just seemed to have got everything finished.

It should be in its heyday now, shouldn't it?

Not closing down.

They call Wentworth the lost garden of South Yorkshire.

Now, after ?20 million of restoration and ten years

of visitors, it's being lost to view once more.

Police are continuing their investigations into six deaths

in Yorkshire over the weekend thought to be linked to drugs.

In West Yorkshire, a 36-year-old man from Leeds and a 27-year-old man

from Normanton died on Saturday.

Four people are in custody.

In South Yorkshire, two people who were arrested after four

deaths have been released pending further enquiries.

The remains of a medieval priest who died 700 years ago

has been uncovered at the site of a 14th-century

monastery hospital in Linconshire.

Archaeologists from the University of Sheffield found the skeletal

remains at Thornton Abbey.

Shirley Henry reports.

Thornton Abbey, a 14th century monastery in rural Lincolnshire.

With hidden secrets.

For the last six years, archaeologists from the

University of Sheffield have been slowly unveiling its past.

Most recently, the remains of a medieval priest.

He died 700 years ago.

His name was Richard de Wispeton.

It was incredible to actually find a named person.

Because, as archaeologists, we find skeletal remains quite often.

But to actually find someone whose name you know and the date of when

they died and their position within society is very rare.

Richard would have been highly regarded in medieval society,

but his life was far from perfect.

A slight dent in his skull shows he suffered a violent truama.

And marks on his teeth reveal a period of stress or malnutrition.

It's thought he died during the great famine.

He was aged about 35.

It's important, because it gives us a little snapshot of the past

we wouldn't ordinarily have.

As archaeologists, the past is normally nameless and faceless.

Here, we have a named individual, we can find out about their lives,

it puts a bit of a human face on a century that's a long time ago.

This find is part of a bigger project.

Last year, 48 skeletons, many of them children,

were found at the same site.

When the research is complete, Richard's remains will be laid

to rest at a church in Barton-upon-Humber.

In football, there's one result from tonight.

It was a draw for Huddersfield away at Derby, both sides

scoring one goal each.

The football results from games played earlier in the day

are on the BBC Sport website, and for action from this weekend's

rugby league you can tune into the Superleague Show with Tanya

on BBC One at 11:50 tonight.

A look at Yorkshire's weather now with Jen Bartram.

Hello there, good evening.

Quite a chilly night to come tonight.

These showers will gradually sink southwards, leaving clear skies.

Under those skies, we expect a frost to develop.

These are the temperatures you can expect in towns and cities.

In rural spots, it could get down to -4 Celsius,

so gardeners take note.

A chilly start to Tuesday morning, but a dry and bright start.

Plenty sunshine first thing, but high cloud rolls

and from the West later on, turning that sunshine a little hazy.

Temperatures tomorrow feeling very much like today,

highs of 11 degrees, and a light, northeasterly breeze.

Through the rest of the week, plenty of cloud in the forecast,

turning a little milder by the time we get to Thursday.

That's all for now, we'll be back with your first Breakfast bulletin

tomorrow at just before 6:30am.

Have a very good evening.