More than 5,000 visitors flock to BBC Antiques Roadshow filming at Erddig – two programmes broadcast next year

More than one hundred volunteers helped make a difference at the BBC event at Erddig this week, working to ensure visitors enjoyed a day out to remember.

As the BBC publicist for the show, Pamela Parkes said: “It was a memorable day at Erddig. Thousands of people came along and brought some fantastic treasures and family memorabilia. We filmed enough to make two very special programmes from Erddig which should be broadcast at some point early next year.”

Forty five volunteers donned red sashes and straw boaters working in a variety of roles to support the production. A further twenty were out in the car park helping Erddig’s ranger team and the rest supported Erddig’s catering, garden, visitor welcome and fundraising efforts. Erddig’s bookshop volunteers had a busy day and Joan Capel, the National Trust’s oldest volunteer, enjoyed meeting Fiona Bruce on the day.

Jamie Watson, Erddig general manager, said: “It has been wonderful working with the BBC on one of the country’s best-loved TV programmes.

“It has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the property and I must say a huge thank you to our team of staff and over a hundred volunteers who’ve helped make the day a success.”

The day’s more unusual visitors included the mascot for the Royal Welch Fusiliers, a goat named Llywelyn and a bird of prey!

Llywelyn took centre stage to launch the event by leading the queue of waiting visitors to the main reception to the Roadshow as the show’s signature tune resounded around the garden walls.

One of the highlights of the day was when a daring Fiona Bruce decided to cycle, as the Yorkes once did, on a replica Penny Farthing along the top path in the garden. Simon Morris of Mr Phoebus Penny Farthing experience was on hand to set Fiona on her way, watched by hundreds of people in the crowd, luckily the ride went without a hitch!

The day saw some extraordinary things pulled out of bags/trolleys/bits of newspaper/suitcases/boats – and this year even a painting with a goat!

The show’s experts had the opportunity to see an exciting array of treasures, including a leather jacket worn by Daniel Craig during filming as James Bond and two sketches by Wales’ most famous artist Kyffin Williams. The day also saw a signed personalised letter from Elvis Presley and a Victorian rowing machine.

Soaring temperatures meant that the event organisers changed the queue route to run between the garden’s pleached limes, offering much-needed shade. The art of pleaching, or training trees to create a wall for shade, was popular in the 17th and 18th Century. The garden team set up free water points along the lime trees to keep visitors hydrated.

National Trust operational risk consultant, Nick Howells – who volunteered to help the Erddig team on the day said: “The garden team has been working around the clock to prevent the summer bedding scheme from wilting in the sunshine.

“For the Antiques Roadshow, we were all working to prevent visitors from wilting.

“I refilled the forty litre water carrier that I was using twenty five times, that’s one thousand litres of water!”

Visitor Welcome Assistant Sharon Laurence was busy on the day promoting Erddig’s apple harvest event by offering visitors apples for the journey home. She managed to have a chat to Fiona Bruce, who took an apple as she was leaving.

Sharon said: “It was a fantastic day and I was so proud to be part of it. I got to meet a goat, a solider and a celebrity!

“As Fiona was leaving and took an apple for her journey home, I asked her what she thought of Erddig.

“She said it was her second visit and that it was an absolutely beautiful place and all the staff were so happy, kind and helpful. I can’t argue with that.”