ABOUT 100 people are to turn amateur detective to unravel some of the mysteries of the past in County Durham.

The 21st Century Time Detectives will give up part of their summer school holidays to take an archaeological look at a manor house with its roots in Medieval times.

Organisers say the teenagers, aged between 12 and 16, will get a real blast from the past when they delve into the history of Coxhoe Hall, in Coxhoe.

The young sleuths will spend three weeks in August poring over archives held in Durham County Record Office, at County Hall, Durham.

The hall was built in the 18th Century on the site of a medieval manor house and was the birthplace of celebrated 19th Century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

It was finally demolished by the National Coal Board in 1956.

The search will be held between August 6 and 24, under the watchful eye of professional archaeologists, by teams of around 30 each spending a week at the site.

Progress made by the teams will be recorded on a website, which will be updated daily, and there will be guided tours for the public.

The Time Detectives project is organised by Durham County Council's archaeology service and the County Record Office, and is part of the education department's Schools Out Summer Projects 2001 funded by the New Opportunities Fund.

Time Detectives is one of 16 projects which is being held around the county, with the general theme of the arts and fun sports.