BBC’s Digging for Britain to showcase Leicester Cathedral discoveries

A University of Leicester-led archaeological dig at Leicester Cathedral, made possible thanks to a £6.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is to be featured on BBC Two’s Digging for Britain. The dig excited worldwide media interest earlier this year with the discovery of a potential Roman shrine.

The new series of the primetime TV series presented by Professor Alice Roberts will delve deeper into the finds of an extraordinary dig, revealing even more about the discoveries that the archaeologists made there and the history of Leicester going back as far as 15,000 years.

It features in the second episode of the new series, airing on BBC Two on Wednesday 3rd January at 8pm.

Over the past three years, archaeologists from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) have been working with Leicester Cathedral to reveal the story of the 1000-year-old church and the Roman city buried beneath it.

The excavations, carried out before construction of a new Heritage Learning Centre in the Cathedral Gardens, have resulted in a remarkable archaeological archive of regional and national significance. Discoveries include a highly unusual, continuous 850-year sequence of burial activity, as well as Anglo-Saxon, Roman and prehistoric activity dating back over 15,000 years.

The results have the potential to tell powerful and engaging stories about Leicester’s past that will capture the imagination. Media across the world were captivated earlier this year by the discovery of a Roman cellar, probably a shrine – a private, pagan place of worship – preceding the Cathedral, and the first Roman altar stone ever found in Leicester. The discovery of the cellar and the altar stone were captured on film by the dig team, and by the film crew from Digging for Britain who visited the site with Alice Roberts.

These discoveries have raised intriguing questions about continuity and change in the city, as Christianity replaced older beliefs in the late Roman period.

John Thomas is Deputy Director of ULAS and managed the Leicester Cathedral dig. He said: “ULAS has built a good relationship with Digging for Britain over the years, and through the programme we’ve been able to share amazing stories that have resulted from several of our major projects.  It is fantastic that we are now able to include this wonderful story from our Leicester Cathedral excavation in the new series, which sheds important new light on some of the formative changes that took place in the journey towards the city we know today.”

The Leicester Cathedral Revealed project, has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players. The revitalised Cathedral includes a fully accessible and environmentally friendly heated limestone floor, and a stunning redecoration which enhances the natural beauty of the building’s interior. The final phase of the project will see the opening of a Heritage and Learning Centre joined to the Cathedral in late Summer 2024.  This will enable better visitor flow and improve the individual experience of being within the Cathedral. The historic setting of the Cathedral will be protected, enabling a full and more dynamic interpretation of its heritage, and freeing up the physical spaces so that it can function as a cultural venue without compromising the sacred spaces.

Simon Bentley is Project Director for Leicester Cathedral’s Leicester Cathedral Revealed project. He said: “The archaeological dig at Leicester Cathedral has uncovered two thousand years of history and we are excited to work with ULAS to explore the significance of what the discoveries might mean for the story of the Cathedral and for the story of Leicester. We are grateful to ULAS for their expertise and professionalism in carrying out the works and to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for making the project possible."

• All episodes of the latest series of Digging for Britain will be available on BBC iPlayer
• More information about the University’s excavations at Leicester Cathedral
• More information about the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project