THE horror of life in the trenches has been recreated on a North Yorkshire farm for a series of television programmes about the First World War.

Richard Ellis allowed part of his pig and arable farm in Alne Road, Easingwold, to be transformed into an authentic-looking battlefield so that film crews could illustrate the horrific conditions that soldiers endured in the 1914 to 1918 conflict.

A 45-metre long trench was first dug at the end of last year, for the filming of a History Channel programme to be aired later this year.

This week BBC1's Blue Peter presenters, Simon Thomas and Matt Baker, took advantage of the trench to tell inspirational stories of life in the Great War.

The pair waded through thigh-high mud, endured high winds and slept in the freezing cold trench so they could experience, in some small way, what war-time life was like.

According to the director, Richard Marson, it was the worst thing the adventurous duo have ever been asked to do for the children's programme.

He said: "They lived for a couple of days in the trench. They were without rats, lice or waking fear, but they put up with the horrendous conditions of mud, rain and authentic food.

"It's something the pair of them will never forget - it was pretty grim."

Together with members of the Khaki Chums, a group of military historians which educates through living history, the Blue Peter crew filmed two features.

One is due to be screened in November, to mark Remembrance Sunday, and the other in December to highlight the Christmas Truce of 1914, where Allied and enemy troops played football together.

Taff Gillingham, from Khaki Chums, said experiencing the trenches first-hand was the best way to learn.

He said: "Instead of reading books and writing more books, the Chums' way of learning is living as soldiers.

"The chaps wear everything down to the authentic underwear, they shave with the proper shaving kits and eat authentic food."

The action was not reserved for the presenters and historians.

Mr Ellis donned a German uniform, sang Silent Night in German and took part in a re-creation of the Christmas Day football match for the History Channel programme.

He said: "It was really interesting, seeing how they lived and what they were eating.

"One night we stayed in the trench all night, cold and wet, we really got a feel for what it was like.

"My grandfather was in the First World War and came through it.

"I was too small to ask him about it, but this was a chance to see what he had to go through."

The field is now due to be ploughed over.

Updated: 10:30 Saturday, March 02, 2002