Episode 2
Neil Oliver uncovers Britain's ancient landscape of belief and ritual, searching for Bronze and Iron Age sites that were sacred to ancient Britons.
Neil is in search of Bronze and Iron Age sites that were sacred to ancient Britons, with water seen not just as a source of life, but also of reverence.
At Flag Fen near Peterborough he discovers a vast ancient causeway built across the fens, with sacred objects placed among its timbers. At Maiden Castle's hill fort in Dorset he unearths evidence of macabre human sacrifices to ward off evil spirits.
Neil travels to Anglesey, where swords, precious artefacts and even a slave chain were ritually deposited. It was home of the druids. Neil learns about their bizarre rituals and dark reputation and how the Romans viewed them as dangerous religious extremists.
Moving on to Bath and its sacred spring, Neil discovers an early version of the habit of throwing coins into water. Once here the Romans recognised the old gods but also brought their own too, making Bath one of the most sacred sites in Roman Britain.
Finally Neil goes to Lullingstone's Roman villa in Kent. Deep in the cellar he finds wall paintings of pagan water deities, while upstairs there are covert messages hidden in the mosaic floor, finally leading to the arrival of Christianity that swept away the old religions, changing Britain forever.
Last on
Clip
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Sacred Wonders of Britain, Episode 2
Duration: 01:17
Music Played
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Jon Hawk
Damage Control
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Neil Oliver |
Director | Jonathan Barker |
Producer | Jonathan Barker |
Executive Producer | Mike Smith |
Broadcasts
- Mon 6 Jan 2014 20:30
- Fri 17 Jan 2014 09:00
- Sat 3 Jan 2015 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Northern Ireland & Wales
- Sat 10 Jan 2015 18:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Northern Ireland
- Tue 26 Jul 2016 20:00
- Wed 27 Jul 2016 00:00
- Wed 22 Aug 2018 20:00
- Thu 23 Aug 2018 02:00
- Tue 12 Mar 2019 13:45
- Tue 12 Mar 2019 14:35Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Wales & Wales HD only
- Wed 27 Nov 2019 20:00
- Fri 5 Jun 2020 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
- Tue 8 Mar 2022 16:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland & Wales
- Tue 8 Mar 2022 16:25Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Wales & Wales HD only
Neil Oliver's blog post: 'I have to concede that Orkney knocks me off my feet.'
Neil writes for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Love TV Blog on his encounters with sacred sites.