This is what a long-lost Tudor hall would have looked like in its prime

The 3D model of the hall with a still image of Judge William Paston enjoying his garden. Picture: supplied by Peter Stibbons (Image: Archant)

The long-lost grand hall in the village of Paston has been recreated to look as it would have done when the Norfolk family was in its prime.

The Paston Footprints project is also building in 3D the priory at Bromholm, the hall at Oxnead, and Gresham castle, which are all places that are part of the Paston story.

Peter Stibbons, who is overseeing the 3D aspects for the project, said: "We are probably all aware of the computer-generated graphics which are now on screens all around us. It is particularly exciting when we can use such methods to bring the past to life.

"For Norfolk, the Pastons rose from relative obscurity to great influence in the east of England, and through the letters we have a route into their times.

A frame grab from the Paston Hall recreation video, with the Tudor Hall in 21st century surroundings. Picture: supplied by Peter Stibbons (Image: Archant)

"Being able to model the buildings they would have been familiar with adds greatly to the story.

"I particularly love the wisps of chimney smoke that rise from the rebuilt Paston Hall, reminding us of the life that was once centred in the great building."

Putting the hall into today's landscape was carried out working with CHPV video, drone specialists, and Pixelmix 3D artist James Mindham.

In the case of Paston Hall, the work goes back over seven years to when Carenza Lewis and her team from the University of Cambridge undertook a series of test pits in the village, some in the grounds of the present Paston Hall.

Paston Hall and environs: The completed 3D model of Paston Hall ready to be overlaid into the drone video sequence. Picture: supplied by Peter Stibbons (Image: Archant)

Combined with other specialist techniques which looked beneath the ground, this enabled the foundations of the former hall to be identified, and rebuilding could begin.

As well as being one of the richest families in the area by 1600, the family are best known for the Paston Letters, the finest early collection of family correspondence in the English language. Many of the letters were written from Paston Hall.

Paston Footprints is a joint project between the Paston Heritage Society and the UEA and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Bromholm church: The modelling of Bromholm Priory is well under way: an image taken from the 3D of the church within the Priory. Picture: supplied by Peter Stibbons (Image: Archant)

Drone photography and the modelling of Bromholm Priory, Bacton. Picture: supplied by Peter Stibbons (Image: Archant)