An interview with… Hugh Dennis
Following a successful Series 1 of the Great British Dig, Magazine Editor and TV archaeologist Richard Taylor discusses archaeology with the show’s presenter, Hugh Dennis.
Q1. Having filmed series 1 of the Great British Dig, is the practice of archaeology what you expected or envisaged it to be?
Yes, I think it probably was, because we have all learned a fair amount about it from shows like Time Team. I have also been lucky enough to visit a fair number of Dig Sites.
When I was a kid, we used to drive past Grimes Graves regularly on the way to visit my Grandmother in Suffolk, and occasionally visited it, so I have always been aware of the painstaking nature of Archaeology, the immense care which is taken as you work down through the layers, and the fact that it is actually rather unusual to make “amazing” finds. So I went in to it with my eyes open. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a longboat under a garden in Newcastle, or the Arc Of the Covenant in a trench in Nottingham.
Q2. Did anything stand out to you about the various excavation processes?
I think what really stood out for me was how meticulous and patient all the archaeologists were, both in the digging and uncovering of the finds, but also in the logging of them. I also admired the fact that not finding anything was almost as important in gaining a picture of the underlying history as finding something – a lack of finds giving you as many clues to the extent of the structure, or the settlement as anything else. Not quite as exciting though.
What was also marked was the absolute commitment of everybody taking part. A cold, wet, windy autumn day spent uncovering a military site on a headland in Northumbria can’t be as pleasant as excavating an amphitheatre in spring in Umbria, but no one ever complained, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and loving their wet weather over-trousers.
Q3. Throughout the filming of Series 1, we worked at four very different locations; which of those did you find the most intriguing and why?
I enjoyed all of them, for different reasons, but my favourite was uncovering the Anglo-Scandinavian burial site in Masham, in North Yorkshire, which I found genuinely moving. My father had been a Bishop of the area in the early 1980’s so I knew it well, but it had
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Fig 1: Hugh Dennis, presenter of Great British Dig [courtesy of Strawberry Blond TV]
Q4. I’ve always considered archaeology to have enormous volunteer and community engagement potential; what did you think of the level of community engagement during filming?
I thought the community engagement was the highlight of the series. People were genuinely excited when we asked if we could dig in their gardens – at least as soon as they made sure that we would put it all back as it was, at the end. It seemed to unite the generations with children as excited as their parents to discover small pieces of pottery, and artefacts, and to begin to uncover the story of the places they lived in.
And it seemed to bring neighbours together. By the end of a week’s dig, families, who had never really talked to the people 3 or 4 doors down, were nipping in and out of each others gardens, sharing stories, and developing what seemed to be a form of Trench envy.
So yes, I was very impressed with the community engagement altogether.
Q5. Do you think the public view archaeology in a positive light?
Yes, I think so, and certainly the people we met, who came from all walks of life. I especially enjoyed the enthusiasm of a houseful of students in Nottingham, who seemed completely into it.
Q6. Have you started excavating your garden yet?
Not the garden, no, but metaphorically I have dug various holes over the years, some of which I have found it very difficult to get out of.
Q7. With hindsight, do you now regret studying Geography?
How dare you!
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Fig 2: Hugh and Richard sharing excavation duties in Masham Bottom
Fig 3: Filming in Nottingham