Digging for Britain

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Overview

Dr Alice Roberts follows a year of British archaeology, joining up the results of digs and investigations the length of the country.

Media

Digging For Britain - Trailer

Cast

Victoria Herridge

Fist Air Date:

2010-08-19

Episode Runtime:

60m

Production Companies:

360 Production, Rare TV

Genres:

Keywords:

archaeological dig archaeologist british history educational

More Show Details

Vote Average: 5.0/10

Vote Count: 3 Votes

Show Popularity: 1.9157

Show Status: Returning Series

Show Type: Documentary

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 1:51 pm

9 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY Dust off your trowels and grab your waterproofs—we’re going back into the trenches. *Digging for Britain* (2010–Present) is the gold standard of British archaeological television. Fronted by the irrepressibly enthusiastic Professor Alice Roberts, the series serves as an annual "round-up" of the most significant excavations across the UK. Using a mix of "tent talk," diary cameras from the field, and laboratory analysis, the show turns muddy holes into time machines. By April 23, 2026, the series has just wrapped its 13th season (which aired in early 2026), proving that after 16 years, Britain’s soil still has plenty of secrets left to spill. THE PROS Professor Alice Roberts is a total win; she has the rare ability to make a single pottery shard feel like the discovery of the century, and her genuine passion is the 900+ archive's best asset. The 2026 season was the business, featuring a mind-blowing segment on "Norman Warhorses" and a deep dive into Roman surgical tools found in the Walbrook River. The show’s biggest win is its "human-first" approach—it doesn't just talk about emperors and kings; it looks at the skeletons of medieval priory workers and the overlooked lives of 1904 Bradford exhibition workers. The addition of Dr. Tori Herridge to the expert team in 2026 has been a sincere masterstroke, adding even more scientific weight to the "Digging Tent" segments. THE CONS It is a 9/10 because it avoided the "10/10" mark only because it can occasionally feel like a Languid Burn if you aren’t already a history nerd. It misses the perfect score because the "regional" format (East, West, North, South) sometimes means your favorite part of the country only gets 15 minutes of fame per season. It is total garbage that we only get six episodes a year—by the time you’ve settled into the rhythm of Roman mosaics and Anglo-Saxon hoards, the season is over. For some, the heavy reliance on "reconstructions" can be a bit of a head-scratcher compared to the raw, visceral footage of the actual digs, but that’s a minor gripe for a show this sincere. THE VERDICT A 9/10. It is a genuine, intelligent, and deeply patriotic (in the "look at our shared history" way) piece of public service broadcasting. I was slightly gutted when the 2026 season ended in February, but the 13-season backlog makes it a vault essential for any rainy Sunday. It is total garbage if you want high-octane *Indiana Jones* action, but as a meticulous and moving record of who we were and how we got here, it’s the business. By April 23, 2026, it remains the show that has every amateur detectorist in the UK dreaming of finding a Roman sarcophagus in their back garden. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * The "Diary" Style: Much of the footage is shot by the archaeologists themselves on "diary cameras," a move that was originally born of budget necessity but became a sincere hallmark of the show’s authentic "in-the-mud" feel.* Professor Alice: Roberts isn't just a presenter; she’s a qualified doctor, anatomist, and anthropologist. Her "first love" was a pop-up book of the human body she got at age 10, which eventually led her to the 900+ archive’s most prestigious hosting gig.* Set Secret: The famous "Digging Tent" where the finds are analyzed isn't always in the middle of a field; it’s a carefully managed set designed to make the high-tech lab work feel like a rustic adventure.* 2026 Connection: This April, *Digging for Britain* has seen a 2026 "HS2 Surge" as the final archaeological reports from the high-speed rail project are being released, causing a massive wave of interest in the "HS2 Special" episodes from previous seasons. THE VIBE Like a thermos of hot tea on a windy hillside. It is earthy, educational, and deeply comforting. It makes you want to buy a high-vis vest, volunteer at a local site, and realize that history isn't just in books—it’s right under your feet, waiting for a rainy day and a very patient archaeologist.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2010-08-19

Dr Alice Roberts follows a year of British archaeology, joining up digs and investigations

TV Show Poster

Season 2

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2011-09-09

Dr Alice Roberts follows a year of British archaeology, joining up digs and investigations

TV Show Poster

Season 3

3 Episodes

Air Date: 2015-02-03

Dr Alice Roberts and Matt Williams highlight the best discoveries from around the country.

TV Show Poster

Season 4

3 Episodes

Air Date: 2016-03-10

Series highlighting the best archaeological discoveries from around the country.

TV Show Poster

Season 5

3 Episodes

Air Date: 2016-12-06

Highlighting the best archaeological discoveries from around the country.

TV Show Poster

Season 6

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2017-11-22

Professor Alice Roberts explores 2017's most exciting archaeological finds.

TV Show Poster

Season 7

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2018-11-28

Professor Alice Roberts explores 2018's most exciting archaeological finds.

TV Show Poster

Season 8

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2019-11-20

TV Show Poster

Season 9

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2022-01-04

TV Show Poster

Season 10

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2023-01-01

Season 11

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2024-01-02

Season 12

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2025-01-07

Season 13

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2026-01-07

Videos

Digging For Britain - Trailer

3 Hours Of Digging For Britain’s Greatest Ever Finds

Cast

Victoria Herridge

Related Shows To

Digging for Britain

Reviews for

Digging for Britain

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 2:51 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10
THE SUMMARY
Dust off your trowels and grab your waterproofs—we’re going back into the trenches. *Digging for Britain* (2010–Present) is the gold standard of British archaeological television. Fronted by the irrepressibly enthusiastic Professor Alice Roberts, the series serves as an annual “round-up” of the most significant excavations across the UK. Using a mix of “tent talk,” diary cameras from the field, and laboratory analysis, the show turns muddy holes into time machines. By April 23, 2026, the series has just wrapped its 13th season (which aired in early 2026), proving that after 16 years, Britain’s soil still has plenty of secrets left to spill.
THE PROS
Professor Alice Roberts is a total win; she has the rare ability to make a single pottery shard feel like the discovery of the century, and her genuine passion is the 900+ archive’s best asset. The 2026 season was the business, featuring a mind-blowing segment on “Norman Warhorses” and a deep dive into Roman surgical tools found in the Walbrook River. The show’s biggest win is its “human-first” approach—it doesn’t just talk about emperors and kings; it looks at the skeletons of medieval priory workers and the overlooked lives of 1904 Bradford exhibition workers. The addition of Dr. Tori Herridge to the expert team in 2026 has been a sincere masterstroke, adding even more scientific weight to the “Digging Tent” segments.
THE CONS
It is a 9/10 because it avoided the “10/10” mark only because it can occasionally feel like a Languid Burn if you aren’t already a history nerd. It misses the perfect score because the “regional” format (East, West, North, South) sometimes means your favorite part of the country only gets 15 minutes of fame per season. It is total garbage that we only get six episodes a year—by the time you’ve settled into the rhythm of Roman mosaics and Anglo-Saxon hoards, the season is over. For some, the heavy reliance on “reconstructions” can be a bit of a head-scratcher compared to the raw, visceral footage of the actual digs, but that’s a minor gripe for a show this sincere.
THE VERDICT
A 9/10. It is a genuine, intelligent, and deeply patriotic (in the “look at our shared history” way) piece of public service broadcasting. I was slightly gutted when the 2026 season ended in February, but the 13-season backlog makes it a vault essential for any rainy Sunday. It is total garbage if you want high-octane *Indiana Jones* action, but as a meticulous and moving record of who we were and how we got here, it’s the business. By April 23, 2026, it remains the show that has every amateur detectorist in the UK dreaming of finding a Roman sarcophagus in their back garden.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
* The “Diary” Style: Much of the footage is shot by the archaeologists themselves on “diary cameras,” a move that was originally born of budget necessity but became a sincere hallmark of the show’s authentic “in-the-mud” feel.
* Professor Alice: Roberts isn’t just a presenter; she’s a qualified doctor, anatomist, and anthropologist. Her “first love” was a pop-up book of the human body she got at age 10, which eventually led her to the 900+ archive’s most prestigious hosting gig.
* Set Secret: The famous “Digging Tent” where the finds are analyzed isn’t always in the middle of a field; it’s a carefully managed set designed to make the high-tech lab work feel like a rustic adventure.
* 2026 Connection: This April, *Digging for Britain* has seen a 2026 “HS2 Surge” as the final archaeological reports from the high-speed rail project are being released, causing a massive wave of interest in the “HS2 Special” episodes from previous seasons.
THE VIBE
Like a thermos of hot tea on a windy hillside. It is earthy, educational, and deeply comforting. It makes you want to buy a high-vis vest, volunteer at a local site, and realize that history isn’t just in books—it’s right under your feet, waiting for a rainy day and a very patient archaeologist.

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