SPECIAL 'TIME TEAM' EXHIBITION AT SALISBURY CATHEDRAL FROM MAY - OCTOBER 2009

This bank holiday "Time Team" exhibition opens. A special exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral this summer digs deeper into the recent archaeological excavation at the Cathedral by Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’. Led by Tony Robinson and local Salisbury resident and archaeologist Phil Harding, the Time Team explored an area adjacent to the cathedral walls plus the site of its original bell tower. “To do a dig here was a once in a lifetime experience” said Phil. “What we found underlines what incredible engineers and geologists those original builders were.”

David Coulthard, Marketing Director for the Cathedral, said “It was wonderful for us to host the Time Team and a real bonus that we are able to continue to work with them, and with Wessex Archaeology who provide the behind-the-scenes archaeology team, to stage this exhibition. Time Team is a hugely popular programme with a great following and the dig really caused a stir with hundreds of people coming along to the cathedral as word got out that the ‘team’ were busy at work here. And when the programme was broadcast recently it showed how much they managed to uncover about a fascinating period of the Cathedral’s history.”

Michael Douglas, Time Team Series Editor, said “The team felt privileged to be digging at such a world famous site. The discoveries they made showed that archaeology can reveal new secrets about even the most well known monuments.”

The exhibition features artefacts, photographs, and audio visual material from the programme originally shown in February 2009, and is located in the Cathedral Cloisters. It revisits the story of the dig with the benefit of the full archaeological report, including some unbroadcast insights. A major focus is Bishop Beauchamp, one of Salisbury’s most colourful Bishops, but the exhibition also explores the social history of his time as well as the archaeological and architectural story of the bell tower dig.

There is also an ‘archaeology for beginners’ section giving an insight into the working methods and tools used by modern archaeologists. Some artefacts from the dig will be displayed alongside masonry from the long demolished Beauchamp Chapel, as well as parts of the broadcast seen on a continuous loop system.

The exhibition runs from 1.00pm on Friday 1 May to 31 October inclusive during normal opening hours. Admission free.