Time Team Specials

Time Team trace evidence of the palaces given to, or constructed by, Henry VIII. These include Hampton Court, and the now non-extant Beaulieu, Calais, Whitehall, and Nonsuch. The team start by digging in the grounds of New Hall School in search of Beaulieu's gatehouse, then move on to uncover evidence of its apartments and bay windows, and finally a chapel.

In the 18th century the Royal Navy desperately needed better ways of looking after its sick and wounded, so in 1746 it decided to build the best hospital the country had ever seen. Costing £100,000, it was the biggest construction project in the country, and for over 250 years the Royal Hospital Haslar treated wounded sailors from The Battle of Trafalgar to the Gulf War.

Tony Robinson and the team are given access to Westminster Abbey as the Cosmati pavement is revealed for the first time in 100 years. The search takes them under the floors to look for lost tombs and graves, as well as the 1,000-year-old faked documents that gave the Abbey the right to host the Coronation.

The Vikings are notoriously known as fearsome, axe-wielding warriors who relished their reputation as bloodthirsty invaders, but Robinson and the team paint a new, and much more complex, picture of these skillful and enterprising people.

Doubt is cast on the location of one of the most pivotal battles in English history, the battle of Bosworth Field. Tony follows researchers as they conduct a series of tests recreating cannon fire from the time to try and confirm their suspicion.

Boudica is revered as one of the greatest female warriors in history. Robinson traces her story and follows a major excavation in Norfolk that may hold the key to uncovering what happened to Boudica's tribe after they were defeated by the Roman army.

The discovery of the Staffordshire hoard in July 2009 was one of the most exciting archaeological finds of the last decade. In this Time Team special, Tony Robinson guides us through what has been found out so far, and it seems there are still many questions left to be answered.