Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of Cornwall’s Tintagel, famed as the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. Ben discovers Tintagel was potentially more important than London a thousand years ago, based on recent evidence unearthed at an archaeological dig overseen by English Heritage. It was found that over 2,000 people were living here which, at the time, which would have made it the largest settlement anywhere of its kind in Britain.\n\nIn a 14th century house, Ben discovers the origins of a saying that’s still in use today with the help of Joanne McGillivray of the National Trust. Joanne explains unmarried woman would sleep on a platform accessed by a ladder, which would be drawn up at night to keep the woman away from men. But if they stayed up there and never married, they would be ‘left on the shelf’. \n\nNo visit to Tintagel would be complete without finding out more about the myth and legend of King Arthur. Insight into his presence in popular culture is provided by historian Dr Onyeka Nubia, who tells Ben how the story of King Arthur was championed by the Victorians as he was seen as the epitome of Victorian values and Britishness.
Source: BBC 2
Series 4: 10. Johnshaven
Ben Robinson travels to Johnshaven, a once-important Scottish fishing village. When its skilled sailors were press-ganged into the Royal Navy in the late 18th century, it had to ...
25-01-2024
BBC 2
Series 4: 9. Greyabbey
Ben Robinson unearths the ancient past of Greyabbey, a small village on Northern Ireland’s beautiful Strangford Lough. The village name comes from Grey Abbey, its Cisterci ...
17-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 3. Thorpeness
Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of the Edwardian village of Thorpeness in Suffolk, the first purpose-built seaside village in the UK.
15-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 8. Porthgain
Ben Robinson unearths the unique past of Porthgain, a small Pembrokeshire village built for its industry, first as a slate quarry, then exporting brickwork and finally producing ...
11-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 7. Seaton Sluice
Ben Robinson travels to Seaton Sluice in Northumberland, home to the notorious Delaval family. These wealthy bottle makers were some of the greatest players on the Georgian part ...
11-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 6. Beer
Ben Robinson heads to Beer, Devon, home to beer stone, which has been quarried since Roman times and used in many of the nation's cathedrals and landmark buildings, including We ...
08-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 5. Solva
Ben Robinson discovers the impressive lime kilns in Solva, Wales. This picturesque 19th-century port is famous for producing quicklime, a vital ingredient in both agriculture an ...
08-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 4. Holkham
Ben Robinson makes an amazing discovery at Norfolk’s impressive Holkham estate - its lost medieval village, seen for the first time since its disappearance some 200 years ...
01-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 3. Cushendall
Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall, one of the finest planned Georgian villages in Northern Ireland. It was owned and shaped by a series of owners but most notably its 19th-cent ...
01-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 2. Port Carlisle
Ben Robinson examines the remains of a lost harbour in Port Carlisle, Cumbria, a small village near Carlisle which grew as a consequence of the canal building surge that swept t ...
24-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 4. Charlestown
Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the picturesque Georgian village of Charlestown on the south west coast of Cornwall and learns how it was\nshaped by the vision of one man.
13-03-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 3. Thorpeness
Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of the Edwardian village of Thorpeness in Suffolk, the first purpose-built seaside village in the UK.
15-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Botallack
The small hamlet of Botallack was once at the centre of the Cornish tin and copper mining industry as archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers. By 1861, Botallack’s mine was o ...
19-05-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Flamborough
Archaeologist, Ben Robinson visits the east coast village of Flamborough which sits on a rugged headland sticking out into the North Sea. A largely unassuming village today, it ...
05-06-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Laxey
Situated on the eastern coast of the Isle of Man, the village of Laxey is known today as a tourist destination, but as archaeologist Ben Robinson finds out, it wasn’t the ...
21-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 1. Culross
Ben Robinson visits Culross, a stunning example of a 17th-century Scottish royal burgh village. Culross was a major centre for Scottish coal mining and boasts the very first pla ...
24-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Ravenglass
Archaeologist Ben Robinson takes us to the quiet village of Ravenglass, tucked away on the edge of the Lake District’s National Park, where he finds out about its strategi ...
26-05-2023
BBC 2
Walberswick
Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers the surprising story of this former medieval port on the Suffolk coast.\n\nCoastal villages are often seen as remote places for retreat and ...
31-03-2022
BBC 2
Series 4: 6. Beer
Ben Robinson heads to Beer, Devon, home to beer stone, which has been quarried since Roman times and used in many of the nation's cathedrals and landmark buildings, including We ...
08-12-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Craster
Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits a small village in Northumberland to find out how the family and village who both share the name Craster have had their lives and fortunes inte ...
14-06-2023
BBC 2