Time
Team @ Hartlepool
The visit in 1999 by Channel 4's Time Team.
Behind the scenes of the programme.
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In June 1999 Tees Archaeology received
a telephone call from Channel 4's Time Team asking
for suggestions for an Anglo-Saxon site. We immediately
suggested
the Anglo-Saxon Monastery at Hartlepool.
There have been a number of excavations on the
site of the Anglo Saxon Monastery and these had
discovered buildings as well as a fine mould
and pin which can be seen elsewhere in the Museum.
This would be a great opportunity to find out
even more about St Hilda's Monastery.
The Anglo-Saxon Monastery of St Hilda flourished
from the 640's AD to the second half of the 8th
Century and was one of the earliest and most
important religious sites in the country. In
657 AD Hilda moved to Whitby and Hartlepool dropped
out of the limelight. We don't know how the monastery
ended, it probably just declined in the uncertain
times of the Viking raids.
From June to the beginning of August Time Team
were provided with as much information as possible
about the monastery and where we might site trenches.
A researcher visited the Headland and discussed
all aspects of the project and at the beginning
of August the decision was made to go ahead with
the project.
There followed two months of intense activity
as the Assistant Producer, Ella Galinski, Director
Amanda Fiddler and Production Manager all visited
the area, were briefed on the project and met
various people. Finally after a small hiccup
over dates we were all ready to go on Monday
21st September 1999.
Everybody assembled on the Sunday evening and
Tees Archaeology provided a briefing about the
site and what was expected.
It had also been decided that the 'cameo' for
this programme would be the creation of an Anglo-Saxon
Book which was to be decorated with a metal plaque
copied from one of the moulds found in previous
excavations.
While the location of the trenches is decided
by the archaeologists, the decision whether or
not to dig them and how many to dig is very clearly
made by the people making the television programme.
The key people being the Producer Tim Taylor
who runs the whole project and the Director (Amanda
Fiddler) and Second Unit Director (Laurence Vulliamy)
who are responsible for shooting the scenes.
Any major decisions have to be cleared with them
first. It always seems to be the case that the
people behind the cameras are the ones in charge,
not those in front.
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