MOTTISFONT’S past holds the key to shaping the village’s future as a growing tourist attraction.

That’s the view of the National Trust bosses who are preparing a conservation blueprint for Mottisfont Abbey and most of the surrounding village, which the charity owns.

Currently, the abbey and its world-famous rose gardens pulls in around 135,000 visitors annually, but trust bosses say the most is not being made of Mottisfont and it’s now investigating how this can be rectified.

However, before the plans can be finalised, the National Trust has commissioned Bristol-based Atkins Heritage to carry out the most detailed ever study of the 1,650-acre estate.

The nine-month project involves delving back in time to 1201, when the abbey, built by William Brewere, was a priory. This weekend, archaeologists from Worcester-based Stratascan will being using specialist equipment to try to detect the remains of the medieval monastery, which lies buried beneath the south front lawn.

No digging is involved, but visitors to the abbey will be able to see the archaeologists in action with their computerised magnetometer and scanners, as they try to locate any remains of masonry, stonework, or ditches below ground.

Rob Woodside, from Atkins Heritage, said: “We will be scanning almost the whole length of the south lawn and it’s going to take a couple of days to do it.

“Once all the data has been downloaded, all the images will be laid out and compared with historical maps. It could be quite interesting.”

The National Trust says the survey will include every aspect of life at the abbey and its environs down the centuries and it will help the charity to draw up a conservation master plan for the whole Mottisfont Estate.

Mottisfont property manager, Alison Evans, said: “The aim of the project is to provide the National Trust with enough detailed information in order to produce a conservation plan.

“We will then use this complex and detailed plan to guide the way that Mottisfont is conserved for the future and the way that visitors enjoy and experience the place.

“We would like to involve visitors and the local community in this journey of discovery, so we will be sharing our findings as we go along and asking for input in the fascinating dilemmas that are likely to arise.”

Ms Evans said surveys of Mottisfont’s ancient woodlands, animals, birds, insects and rivers were included in the project.

“We think Mottisfont is one of England’s hidden treasures,” she said.

“Visitor numbers have been going up year on year and despite the current economic climate, Mottisfont is still holding its own.

“It is not just the rose gardens in June. We have something to offer visitors all year round and we want to tell people about them and all our hidden treasures. We also want to show people how a 21st century country estate works and the relationship between people and the land.”

Ms Evans said plans also included a new visitor centre. And to show the National Trust was dedicated to “green power”, she said the charity was looking into the possibility of harnessing water from a nearby river to run a planned new heating system at the abbey. * The abbey grounds and restaurant are open to the public at weekends from 11am until 4pm until the end of November.