Time Team - Season 15

In Derbyshire the Team investigate the medieval castle of Codnor, and find something very special. They are joined by Sarah Speight (castle specialist), Brian Kerr from English Heritage, and historian Richard K. Morriss. The Time team try and piece together the history of the castle that is nearly a 1000 years old. Among a series of wonderful discoveries they find something in the moat that takes everyone's breath away.

Time Team come to Binchester with a particular interest in uncovering a vicus, a civilian settlement supporting the Roman fort of Vinovia. Though part of the plot is a restricted scheduled monument, the vicus should be large enough for some of it to lie outside the scheduled area. John's spectacular geophysics indicates not only a possible Roman temple or mausoleum, but also a second, earlier fort. Together with cremation burials, it all forces the team to rethink their priorities.

In 2005, a major storm eroded a dune next to the beach at Allasdale, Barra, exposing cists and human remains. The Team goes on a rescue-dig, before the site is lost to erosion forever. The team are joined by archaeologists Mike Parker Pearson and Keith Branigan, and animal bones specialist Jackie Mulville. Jackie McKinley investigates some well-preserved human remains, and potter Ursina Hack-Maclellan throws some pots using an experimental prehistoric style clamp-kiln.

When a family buried Paintpot, the family cat, in their garden, they uncovered a massive stone wall. Time Team is called in to investigate. Sources suggest a 12th-century Cistercian nunnery once stood in the vicinity. They are joined by Glyn Coppack (monastic specialist), Iain Sowden (medieval specialist)

Hundreds of Roman coins and bits of masonry have been found on a field near Coberly, but it's the discovery of a piece of Roman mosaic floor that has really got the archaeologists excited. They are joined by mosaics expert Anthony Beeson.

The team delve into the recent past to uncover the hidden archaeology behind the biggest battle that never was, the planned defence of Britain against a Nazi invasion in 1940.  Eaglesfield Park was a site for tethering barrage balloons during WW2. There were also stop line defenses to explain. The team dig 'modern' remains and try to understand there findings. They also meet local home guard veterans.

The team descend on a field just outside Bath to investigate the remains of what could have been one of the country's grandest Georgian houses, built by Sir Francis Popham. They are joined by historians Elaine Chalus and Jonathan Foyle, and local archaeologist Marek Lewcun.
Francis Popham started building a grand mansion in Georgian times. Only the lodge remains. Finding buried walls shows the outline of the now demolished building. Parts were reused in 1830s at Prior Park in Bath.

The Team goes in search of a possible Anglo-Saxon settlement at Knave Hill in Leicestershire. Only eight such sites have been fully excavated in the whole of Britain. Can Time Team claim to have found the ninth? Tony is skeptical, but almost immediately Phil uncovers some exciting evidence. They are joined by medievalist Helena Hamerow and geneticist Bryan Sykes. Stewart investigates the surrounding locality with Anglo-Saxon historian Sam Newton. Phil's DNA is tested to find his ancestry.

The team visit Northern Ireland to locate one of the most important sites in Anglo-Irish history - a hilltop castle above the city of Dungannon, home of the powerful O'Neill dynasty, whose story culminates in the hugely significant flight of the Earls. The team are joined by Colm Donnelly, Hiram Morgan, Paul Logue and Jim O'Neill.  A former military compound is between reverting back to a council open space. From illustrations there was a castle here. But where? The adjacent communication mast does not help geophys, nor does military grade concrete covering.

One summer during the 1980s, strange crop marks appeared in two fields on the north Cornish coast near Lellizzick. Locals have picked up a wealth of 1,500-year-old pottery and metalwork from as far away as North Africa and Turkey. Combined with some spectacular geophysics, it all suggested that this was once a busy international trading site. In Mick's opinion copper and tin would have been exchanged for foreign luxury goods. But Time Team are having trouble dating the site. They are joined by Steve Hartgroves from Cornwall County Council, Finds specialist Carl Thorpe, and Byzantine expert Anthea Harris.
 

The rocky, tree covered area is called 'The Castles' but what was it built for?  The Time Team travel to County Durham to investigate the origins of a mysterious large stone structure which has had locals baffled for centuries.

Hundreds of Roman artifacts are found all over the site. What were the Romans doing here?  Over the years a metal detectorist has found more than 300 metal artefacts from the Roman, Iron-Age and Anglo-Saxon periods on a site that covers several fields between two villages. The Team tries to find out what the site was used for.

Harold's Field has long been rumoured as a site where Harold Godwinson, later to become King Harold, built a hunting lodge in 1065 after defeating the Welsh. The site is a scheduled monument, protected from excavation; but a local petition has succeeded in persuading Cadw to allow digging. So Time Team have been invited in to do their stuff. While Stewart believes there are signs of medieval occupation, any finds from an earlier, Saxon period would be a first for this area of Wales. The team are joined by historians Sam Newton and Jeremy Knight, local pottery expert Steve Clarke, and maritime archaeologist Nigel Nayling.