The Great British Dig: History in Your Back Garden

Hugh Dennis joins a team of archaeologists in South Shields. Together they investigate the clifftops, searching for proof of a hidden military installation. The investigation focuses on the cliff‑top area of the town, where rumours suggest a covert defence site may have existed.

The broadcast titled is a single‑episode programme that follows a small investigative team as they venture to the north‑east coast of England. It is presented as a stand‑alone episode, rather than a series, and its focus is on a particular field mission rather than a broader narrative arc. The format is straightforward, with the presenters moving between on‑location footage and discussion. In this installment, comedian Hugh Dennis joins a group of archaeologists on a quest to find proof of a hidden military installation perched on the clifftops above South Shields. The team’s objective is to locate any physical traces or artefacts that could confirm the existence of a secret base, and they spend the episode surveying the rugged shoreline, examining the terrain and analysing any finds that might point to a concealed defence site. The episode keeps the tone conversational, with Dennis offering a light‑hearted counterpoint to the specialists’ technical commentary. Their combined efforts highlight the contrast between everyday life in the town and the mysterious, potentially covert history that may lie beneath the cliffs. Viewers are taken through the investigative process step by step, seeing how the archaeologists interpret the landscape and what clues they consider most significant. Overall, provides a concise look at a focused archaeological inquiry, centred on the possibility of a concealed military presence on the coastal heights, and it does so through the eyes of a well‑known presenter working alongside professional researchers.