DISGUSTED viewers were left feeling queasy - with some even "throwing up" - at the blood, guts and gore featured on BBC1 drama Gunpowder this weekend.

The series - which stars Kit Harington as the mastermind of the plot to blow up the House Of Lords in 1605 - featured scenes including a priest being hung, drawn and quartered alive before his hands and feet were chopped off.

7 Kit Harington stars as Robert Catesby in the BBC drama Gunpowder Credit: BBC

Another revolting scene featured a man dropped from the gallows and sliced open before his insides were ripped out while one naked woman was crushed to death by a stone slab.

Some viewers were even forced to reach for the remote control and switch the show off.

One tweeted: "Watching last night #gunpowder on BBCOne. Feeling quite sick - didn’t realise it’d be so gruesome."

Another added: "Another potentially good historical drama ruined by unnecessary gruesome scenes."

7 The grisly execution scenes in Gunpowder turned some viewers' stomachs

7 A woman was crushed to death by a stone slab in Gunpowder

7 The BBC defended the scenes as 'historically accurate'

A third chipped in: "Woah #Gunpowder is brutal! Spent the first half hiding behind a cushion and trying not to throw up."

A fourth fan claimed the violence made them sick, tweeting: "The execution scenes in Gunpowder made me vomit so graphic my God."

The drama explores the famous gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament and kill reigning British monarch King James I.

The three-part drama illustrates just why and how the plot was formed - and in particular, the motivation of Catholic ringleader Robert Catesby (Kit Harington), who had just lost his wife and father and felt like society was punishing him.

Surprisingly, Guy Fawkes(Tom Collun) only has a small part to play in proceedings.

7 Viewers were divided between being grossed out by the scenes and believing they were necessary for historical accuracy

Robert Catesby played by Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington in trouble in trailer for BBC drama Gunpowder

the execution scenes in #Gunpowder nearly made me vomit so graphic my god — 𝔱𝔞𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔱𝔞 𝔭𝔲𝔫𝔨🧚‍♀️ ACAB (@SoloShawnee) October 22, 2017

I for one am shocked, SHOCKED! that Hanging drawing and quartering is gruesome! #Gunpowder — Gregg (@GreggSmith1) October 22, 2017

Watching last nights #Gunpowder on @BBCOne.. feeling quite sick 🤢 didn’t realise it’d be so gruesome 😩 — Hannah Roberts (@hannahrebecca92) October 22, 2017

@BBCOne #gunpowder another potentially good historical drama ruined by unnecessary gruesome scenes. #wolfhall still the best — Will (@WillFennellIP12) October 22, 2017

Woah #Gunpowder is brutal! Spent the first half hiding behind a cushion and trying not to throw up! 😩 — Julia Sumner (McWatt) (@juliasumner86) October 21, 2017

7 Robert Catesby (Harington) Thomas Wintour (Edward Holcroft), Guy Faulkes (Tom Cullen) Credit: Handout

The drama aired at 9.30pm on Saturday night - which some believed was still too early to air scenes depicting torture.

But others disagreed - believing the scenes were necessary for historical accuracy.

One wrote: "I hate gore on TV. But the execution scene in its entirety was absolutely necessary on Gunpowder. Violent times. Let's not sugar coat it."

Another fan described it as "brilliant, gruesome, moving, tragic, with enough historical accuracy to satisfy the history buffs".

Fantastic historical drama #Gunpowder. Life was violent, and we tortured many innocent people. This was how people were entertained. Fact — Christina Kirby (@Kriskirb) October 23, 2017

< If you want sanitised history, stick to a kids' channel. Don't watch a historical drama preceded with a violence warning #Gunpowder — Serena Jones (@Serena1642) October 23, 2017

I hate gore on TV, BUT the execution scene in it's entirety was absolutely necessary on #Gunpowder . Violent times, let's not sugar coat it! — Sarah Robinson (@SassySassy58) October 22, 2017

@BBCOne #Gunpowder people Moaning about the execution scene this was portraying actual historical events really great scrip and acting — fairy kate (@larkingaround) October 22, 2017

A BBC spokeswoman said: “The scenes aired after 9.30pm with a clear warning given to viewers before the episode started.

"The methods depicted are grounded in historical fact and reflect what took place during the time of the gunpowder plot.”

7 The three-part drama follows the famous 1605 plot