The Great British Dig: History in Your Back Garden

Hugh Dennis joins a group of archaeologists who are digging up back gardens throughout Britain, documenting their findings. Their work in Falkirk in Scotland focuses on locating a Roman fort that would have been part of the Antonine Wall network.

A Roman Fort in Falkirk is a television programme presented as a single episode. It falls within the genre of factual archaeology, following a team as they investigate historic sites. The show is structured around on‑site investigations, with a focus on uncovering remnants of Roman Britain. The episode follows comedian Hugh Dennis alongside a group of archaeologists as they carry out digs in the back gardens of properties throughout the UK. Their work takes them to a range of locations, but the central focus is the excavation taking place in Falkirk, where they hope to reveal a Roman fort. In Falkirk, the team concentrates on uncovering the remains of a fort that is believed to have been part of the network associated with the Antonine Wall. The investigation involves careful removal of soil and analysis of any artefacts that surface, aiming to confirm the fort’s existence and its role in the Roman frontier system. The effort to link the Falkirk site with the Antonine Wall highlights the broader aim of the programme: to illustrate how modern archaeological methods can bring hidden aspects of Britain’s Roman past to light. By focusing on a specific, potentially overlooked location, the episode demonstrates the ongoing relevance of garden‑level digs in historical research.