Digging for Britain
Title card
GenreDocumentary
Presented byAlice Roberts
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series11
No. of episodes51 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time59 minutes
Production companiesRare TV (formerly known as 360 Production (series 1-7)[1]) for BBC
(in association with Northern Ireland Screen)
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release19 August 2010 (2010-08-19) 
present

Digging For Britain is a British television series focused on last and current year archaeology. The series is made by 360 Production (now Rare TV) for the BBC and is presented by Alice Roberts.[2][3] It was first aired in August 2010.

The series focuses on archaeological excavations and research in the United Kingdom, both at new sites and those already well known to science. Filming has taken place in many parts of the country.

Its 11th series will broadcast in January 2024[4] and it will consist of 6 episodes.

Production

The first series consisted of four episodes, initially broadcast on BBC Two in August and September 2010. A second series of four episodes was broadcast in September 2011. Each episodes of first two series had covered archaeology of specific period. The programme returned as a series of three episodes on BBC Four in February 2015, covering the previous summer's investigations in specific geographical region of the United Kingdom in each episode. Each episode of this series was hosted in a regional museum. The same format as in series 3 was adopted for series 4 and 5, which first aired in March and December 2016, respectively. There was also a programme Digging for Ireland linked to the series[5] which had the same format and presenters as series 5; it was broadcast in February 2015. A sixth series of the programme began airing in November 2017, returning to the four-episode format (covering three geographical regions plus one special theme). This structure was retained for series 7 and 8, which aired in November 2018 and 2019 respectively. Four episodes titled The Greatest Discoveries aired in 2020. It returned for its 9th series in January 2022.[6]

Since series 3, with exception of series 5, the programme was co-presented in various forms. Some presenters are former members of the Time Team crew (as is Roberts). The series 3 and 4 by archaeologist Matt Williams (who also presented some Time Team episodes). (Roberts and Williams also presented Digging for Ireland.) Raksha Dave (archaeologist in Time Team) series 7.[7] The archaeologist and academic Naoíse Mac Sweeney was a presenter in series 8.[8] Series 9 features historian Onyeka Nubia and archaeologists Cat Jarman and Stuart Prior in some episodes as presenters.[9]

The song Coins for the Eyes was written for series 9 by Johnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane.[10]

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedUK viewers
(millions)
First airedLast aired
1419 August 2010 (2010-08-19)10 September 2010 (2010-09-10)2.51
249 September 2011 (2011-09-09)30 September 2011 (2011-09-30)
34[lower-alpha 1]3 February 2015 (2015-02-03)23 February 2015 (2015-02-23)
4310 March 2016 (2016-03-10)24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
536 December 2016 (2016-12-06)20 December 2016 (2016-12-20)
6422 November 2017 (2017-11-22)13 November 2017 (2017-11-13)
7428 November 2018 (2018-11-28)19 December 2018 (2018-12-19)
8420 November 2019 (2019-11-20)11 December 2019 (2019-12-11)
Special417 March 2020 (2020-03-17)7 April 2020 (2020-04-07)
964 January 2022 (2022-01-04)13 January 2022 (2022-01-13)
1061 January 2023 (2023-01-01)12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)
1162 January 2024 (2024-01-02)11 January 2024 (2024-01-11)

Episodes

Series 1 (2010)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"The Romans"John Hayes-FisherJohn Hayes-FisherNot listed19 August 2010 (2010-08-19)2.75

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"Prehistory"Serena DaviesSerena DaviesNot listed26 August 2010 (2010-08-26)2.34

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"Anglo-Saxons"Sarah JoblingSarah JoblingNot listed2 September 2010 (2010-09-02)2.45

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"The Tudors"James GrayJames GrayNot listed10 September 2010 (2010-09-10)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 2 (2011)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Britannia"Tim RobinsonTim RobinsonNot listed9 September 2011 (2011-09-09)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"Invaders"Sarah JoblingSarah JoblingNot listed16 September 2011 (2011-09-16)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"Age of Bronze and Iron"Emma ParkinsEmma ParkinsNot listed23 September 2011 (2011-09-23)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"Ice and Stone"James GrayJames GrayNot listed30 September 2011 (2011-09-30)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 3 (2015)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"East"Edward Hart[lower-alpha 2]Alex RowsonCatherine Ross, Sarah Jobling3 February 2015 (2015-02-03)N/A

Hosted at Norwich Castle Museum

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"West"Edward Hart[lower-alpha 2]Bernadette RossCatherine Ross, Sarah Jobling10 February 2015 (2015-02-10)N/A

Hosted at Dorset County Museum

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"North"Edward Hart[lower-alpha 2]Denis Minihan, Chris NikkelCatherine Ross17 February 2015 (2015-02-17)N/A

Hosted at National Museum of Scotland

Sites and archeology featured:

1[lower-alpha 3]"Digging For Ireland"Edward Hart[lower-alpha 2]Chris NikkelCatherine Ross23 February 2015 (2015-02-23)N/A

Hosted at Ulster Museum

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 4 (2016)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"West"Edward HartGemma Hagen, Alex RowsonEdward Hart10 March 2016 (2016-03-10)N/A

Throughout episode finds from The Salisbury Museum are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"East"Edward HartGemma Hagen, Alex RowsonEdward Hart17 March 2016 (2016-03-17)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Museum of London are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"North"Edward HartGemma Hagen, Alex RowsonEdward Hart24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Yorkshire Museum are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 5 (2016)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"West"Graham CooperGemma Hagen, Alex RowsonGraham Cooper [lower-alpha 4]6 December 2016 (2016-12-06)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Bristol Museum are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"North"Gemma HagenGemma HagenGraham Cooper13 December 2016 (2016-12-13)N/A

Throughout episode finds from National Museum of Scotland are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"East"Alex RowsonAlex RowsonGraham Cooper20 December 2016 (2016-12-20)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Canterbury Museums are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 6 (2017)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"West"Nick Gillam-SmithNot listedNick Gillam-Smith [lower-alpha 4]22 November 2017 (2017-11-22)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Museum of Somerset are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"East"Alex RowsonAlex RowsonNick Gillam-Smith29 November 2017 (2017-11-29)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Colchester Castle Museum are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"North"Fiona CushleyFiona CushleyNick Gillam-Smith6 December 2017 (2017-12-06)N/A

Throughout episode finds from National Museum of Scotland are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"The Horsemen of Hadrian's Wall"James GrayJames GrayNick Gillam-Smith13 December 2017 (2017-12-13)N/A

Roman cavalry special

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 7 (2018)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"North"Karen KirkKaren KirkNick Gillam-Smith28 November 2018 (2018-11-28)N/A

Throughout episode finds from National Museum of Scotland are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Black Loch of Myrton settlement Iron Age village
  • Spitfire AA810 in Trondheim
  • Vindolanda shoes
  • Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Scremby
  • Neolithic tomb, Iron Age roundhouse, Pictish blacksmith smithy at Knowe of Swandro on the Island of Rousay
  • Westness brooch-pin
  • Salford New Bailey Prison
2"West"Not listed [lower-alpha 5]Not listedNick Gillam-Smith5 December 2018 (2018-12-05)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Museum of Somerset are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"East"Louise OrdLouise OrdNick Gillam-Smith12 December 2018 (2018-12-12)N/A

Throughout episode finds from Norwich Castle Museum are shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"Iron Age Revealed"Tom RansonTom RansonNick Gillam-Smith19 December 2018 (2018-12-19)N/A

Iron Age special

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 8 (2019)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"West"Sophie SmithSophie SmithPaul Olding20 November 2019 (2019-11-20)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"North"Gareth SacalaGareth SacalaPaul Olding27 November 2019 (2019-11-27)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Bradgate House of Bradgate Park
  • Downpatrick's Victorian work house cemetery
  • Village that stood from medieval time to 19th century near Creswell Crags
  • Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Scremby
  • Viking hall at Skaill Farmstead, Rousay, Orkney
  • Celtic roundhouse with Roman influence Swaledale
  • Excavation of Abbey of Poulton cemetery
3"South"Sophie Smith, Gareth SacalaSophie Smith, Gareth SacalaPaul Olding4 December 2019 (2019-12-04)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"WWII Special"Sophie Smith, Gareth SacalaSophie Smith, Gareth SacalaPaul Olding11 December 2019 (2019-12-11)N/A

World War II special Throughout episode Imperial War Museum Duxford is shown

Sites and archaeology featured:

Special (2020)

[lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 7]

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"The Greatest Discoveries: The Early Settlers"Not listedDenis MinihanNot listed17 March 2020 (2020-03-17)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"The Greatest Discoveries: A Land of Tribes"Not listedDenis MinihanNot listed24 March 2020 (2020-03-24)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"The Greatest Discoveries: Roman Conquest"Not listedDenis MinihanNot listed31 March 2020 (2020-03-31)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"The Greatest Discoveries: Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms"Not listedDenis MinihanNot listed7 April 2020 (2020-04-07)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

Series 9 (2022)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"East"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams4 January 2022 (2022-01-04)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"South"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams5 January 2022 (2022-01-05)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"North"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams6 January 2022 (2022-01-06)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

4"Midlands"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams11 January 2022 (2022-01-11)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Suspected Knights Hospitaller Manor farm in Castle Hill Country Park near Leicester
  • UK's largest Ichthyosaur discovered in Rutland Water
  • 70 burials of Anglo-Saxons in Croft Gardens, Cambridge
  • Analysis of Croft Gardens finds
  • Roman period findings from 2017 excavation in Leicester
  • Iron Age and Roman period settlements in Blackgrounds
5"West"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams12 January 2022 (2022-01-12)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

6"North"Not listedEdward Hart[lower-alpha 8], Rory Wheeler[lower-alpha 8]Theo Williams13 January 2022 (2022-01-13)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Settlement outside of Birdoswald Roman Fort near Gilsland
  • Roman Wooden figure from excavation along HS2 route in Buckinghamshire
  • Pictish settlement near Burghead
  • Finds from the time of Industrial Revolution under the car park Packer Street, Rochdale
  • Famine road near Enniskillen
  • History of Parliament response to the Irish Potato Famine
  • Bronze Age log coffin from Tetney Golf Club near Grimsby
  • Medieval burial ground under planned tram line in Leith

Series 10 (2023)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Roman Towns and Tudor Shipwrecks"Not listedDenis MinihanTheo Williams1 January 2023 (2023-01-01)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

2"Arthur's Stone and a Georgian Mine"Not listedDenis MinihanTheo Williams8 January 2023 (2023-01-08)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

3"Headless Romans and Anglo Saxon Gold"Not listedDenis MinihanTheo Williams22 January 2023 (2023-01-22)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • HS2 excavation of gatehouse remains on the site of Elizabethan Coleshill Manor, Warwickshire
  • Harpole Treasure
  • Iron Age Enderby Bark Shield found at Everards Meadows
  • Bark shield construction techniques
  • Deviant burials near St Neots
  • Moat of Sheffield Castle
  • Bronze Age mound in Oxford
4"Mystery Shipwreck and a Roman Army Camp"Not listedDenis MinihanTheo Williams29 January 2023 (2023-01-29)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

5"Roman Mosaics and Ancient Weapons"Not listedNot listedNot listed5 February 2023 (2023-02-05)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

6"Ice Age Camp and a Saint with Syphilis"Not listedDenis MinihanTheo Williams12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)N/A

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Mesolithic flint finds on Islay
  • Remains of Isabel German from All Saints Fishergate in York
  • Neolithic saltern near Street House Farm, Loftus
  • Excavation of Piermaster's Green Liverpool
  • Medieval palace complex of Auckland Castle
  • Iron Age hillforts in Holyrood Park

Series 11 (2024)

No. in
season
TitleDirected byProducer(s)Series ProducerOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"The Roman Emperor’s Bathhouse"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne2 January 2024 (2024-01-02)TBD

Northern Britain

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Roman emperor’s lost bathhouse
  • Sunken treasures of medieval pilgrims
  • Formidable fortress on top of a Scottish mountain
2"Anglo-Saxon Gold and Rebellious Nuns"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne3 January 2024 (2024-01-03)TBD

Central England

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • RAF airbase with a Roman past
  • Forgotten medieval nunnery
  • Gold pendant from a 7th-century grave
  • Pub with a long history of hospitality
3"A Norman Panic Room and a Mesolithic Fish Trap"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne4 January 2024 (2024-01-04)TBD

Western Britain

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Rare medieval cemetery
  • Disappearing Mesolithic landscape
  • Mysterious Iron Age burial
  • Ruins of a Gothic masterpiece
4"A Roman Mystery and Waterloo’s Disappearing Dead"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne9 January 2024 (2024-01-09)TBD

Eastern England

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Roman dodecahedron
  • Secrets of Boudicca’s hill fort
  • Waterloo’s disappearing dead
5"3000-Year-Old Shoes and Giant Axeheads"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne10 January 2024 (2024-01-10)TBD

Southern England

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Britain’s oldest shoe
  • Lost shipyard of one of England’s greatest warrior kings
  • Britain’s top-secret WWII defences
6"Forgotten Fortresses and Lost Villages"Not listedTBADominic Ozanne11 January 2024 (2024-01-11)TBD

Western Britain

Sites and archaeology featured:

  • Forgotten fortress teetering on the edge of a cliff
  • Evidence of the oldest house in Cardiff
  • Discovery at a Roman mosaic that shocks the experts

Archaeologists

Notes

  1. Includes one special episode.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Credited as Studio Director.
  3. Special Episode.
  4. 1 2 Listed in end credits as Series Producer/Director.
  5. Judging from the place in the credits might be Nick Gillam-Smith for this episode, mistitled as Series Producer only.
  6. Each episode is about 30 minutes in length.[11]
  7. Each episode is a compilation of material from previous series.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Credited as Executive Producer.

References

  1. "360 Production, Screencut join and rebrand as Rare TV - Televisual". 25 January 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  2. "Digging For Britain". BBC press office. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  3. "Digging for Britain". BBC Programmes. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  4. "Digging for Britain". BBC Programmes. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  5. "Digging for Ireland". BBC Programmes. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  6. Digging for Britain (Documentary), 360 Production, Northern Ireland Screen, Rare-TV, 19 August 2010, retrieved 12 January 2022
  7. 1 2 "Raksha Dave". Pitt Rivers Museum. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Digging for Britain, Series 8, WWII Special". BBC Two. BBC. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "BBC Two - Digging for Britain". BBC. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  10. Flynn, Johnny [@JohnnyFlynnHQ] (4 January 2022). "Hello all and Happy New Year. The song @RobGMacfarlane and I have written for @theAliceRoberts's fantastic new series of Digging For Britain is released in two versions today, to celebrate the first episode on @BBCTwo - listen to Coins for the Eyes here: https://t.co/dHBYmRTsZW" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022 via Twitter.
  11. "BBC Two - Digging for Britain, the Greatest Discoveries, Episode 1".
  12. "Matt Williams". Our People. bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  13. "Digging for Britain". Bradshaw Foundation. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  14. "Matt Williams Interview". The Post Hole. Department of Archaeology, University of York. February 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. "Digging for Britain, Series 4". BBC Two. BBC. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  16. "the Trust and the 'Fenwick treasure' on TV: "Digging for Britain"". The Colchester Archaeologist. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  17. "New Time Team crew members hail from Bournemouth University". Bournemouth University. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  18. Norton, Andrew (31 May 2016). "Our New Man in Wales". Wessex Archaeology. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  19. O'Connor, Rachael. "Extremely rare 'ancient Celtic ornament' discovered in Norway believed to have been stolen by Vikings". The Irish Post. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  20. Jarman, Cat (1 February 2022). River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-64313-870-1. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  21. "Cat Jarman". Peters Fraser and Dunlop, Literary Agents. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  22. "Cat Jarman". Jaipur Literature Festival London at the British Library. 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  23. "CAT JARMAN - Encouraging potential archaeology students". Current Archaeology. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  24. Jarman, Cat. "What archaeology tells us about human migration". TEDxBath. YouTube. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  25. "Dr Catrine Jarman". Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, School of Arts. University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  26. "2010: Gravedigger to archaeologist". News and features. University of Bristol. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  27. "Stuart Prior". Our People. bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  28. Ravilious, Kate (January 2014). "The Scientist's Garden". Archaeology Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  29. "Stuart J Prior". University of Bristol. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  30. "Stuart Prior". Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, School of Arts. University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  31. Perfect Weapon (TV series)
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