It’s the end of the Ancient World in London video series! We’ve travelled up and down the country getting the inside line on London’s impressive history, and we’ve seen no small number of ancient wonders along the way. So here’s a video of our best bits and what we thought of them – from the rebellion of Boudicca to the fearsome Maunsell Sea Forts.
The series has been much more than the videos, though: we’ve been running bloggers’ challenges, real-world and virtual events, a pub quiz and even a special concert. Of course you can still see Stonehenge, the Valley of the Kings and latest addition Amarna by visting our virtual experience, and you can read a round-up of the Ancient World in London’s many highlights right here.
During the video series we’ve been digging up London’s history, and found there’s an entire world beneath our feet (or above if you’re on the tube). Take our trip round Roman London with Ian Smith, for example, when we learnt how amazing ancient artefacts like the Battersea Shield are being found on the banks of the Thames all the time – or that there’s a layer of burnt earth up to a metre thick, left by Boudicca and her bloodthirsty hoards almost two thousand years ago.
But if some of our videos were eye-openers, others were truly spectacular – like our video from the Illuminations at Hadrian’s Wall, the frostbitten tip of the Roman Empire. The size and beauty of the wall gripped us more as each lamp sparked into life in the distance. Finally the chain was complete, and we got a breathtaking look at the wall, a floodlit harness around Roman Britain. See how Hadrian’s Wall and London Wall face up here.
Another fantastic adventure was our video from Stonehenge at this year’s Spring Equinox. Not only did we get to step inside the stone circle, one of only four times a year it’s possible, we got to meet Druids and pagans as they saw in the summer in style. Nicole even joined in!
Fast forward almost four thousand years and we were sent into the heart of the Second World War effort at some of London’s strangest landmarks: the Maunsell Sea Forts: six spidery towers sticking out of the Thames Estuary like rusty Triffids. The water may have been choppy but Jamie was in his element, and saw how the city has relied on the river since time began.
But while we’ve already given away tons of great prizes, our main prize is still to be won. For those of you who managed to reach the heady heights of 1066 points, visit this URLto find out if you’ve bagged an amazing seven-night holiday for two to the stunning shores of Dalaman, Turkey, where you’ll embark on a two-day tour of the region’s ancient Lycian sites.
HD Video: Episode 13 – Recap Vlog
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It may be the end of our video series, but don’t forget we’ve got a whole host of other videos, from King Tut’s treasures to the landscape of Stonehenge, on our dedicated video page. What did you think of the Ancient World in London? To let us know, and to have your say on the world’s hottest heritage topics, or email us direct. You can also follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and iTunes. Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.