Digging Up Britain's Past Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1

Viking Invasion

45 mins

Alex Langlands and Helen Skelton head to Lindisfarne where archaeologists are trying to find the site of an 8th century monastery and the Isle of Man to uncover the secrets of Viking burial grounds.

Episode 2

Henry VIII's Lost Palace

45 mins

Elsyng Palace was one of nearly 60 royal residences owned by Henry Vlll, but for centuries its exact location was unknown. Helen and Alex visit an archaeological dig which is unearthing more clues to Henry's life and times.

Episode 3

Stonehenge

Helen Skelton and Alex Langlands explore the history of Stonehenge, examining how its massive stones were transported 140 miles from their origins in the Preseli Hills in western Wales to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Helen visits the remains of a newly unearthed nearby village where builders were housed during the site's construction and discovers how they lived and what they ate.

Episode 4

The Real Robin Hood

45 mins

Although Robin Hood is probably a mythical character, there are strong reasons why King John would have stirred widespread resentment among ordinary people. A recent dig uncovered evidence of the King's lavish lifestyle.

Episode 5

Dead Peasants

Helen Skelton and Alex Langlands head to the village of Poulton in Cheshire to see a location where archaeologists have dug up nearly 1,000 human skeletons. The remains have revealed secrets about life during the Black Death, including signs of backbreaking agricultural work, poor nutrition and battles.

Episode 6

Witches

60 mins

Helen Skelton and Alex Langlands investigate the Pendle Witch trials of 1612. They visit Lancaster Castle where the suspects were held, and talk to archaeologists who claim to have found the site of the supposed coven's meeting place. They also discover the role a nine-year-old girl played in sealing the fates of the accused women and how the trials influenced British legal history.