Time Team

S17E05 The Massacre in the Cellar - Hopton Castle, Shropshire

Tony Robinson and his team explore the ruins of Hopton Castle in Shropshire. While the site is beautiful now, it was once the scene of brutal conflicts during the English Civil War, where a Royalist army besieged a small group of Parliamentarians inside the castle. Using both historical documents and their own excavation findings, the team strives to distinguish between truth and propaganda, reconstructing the harrowing events of 1644. Their dig quickly uncovers battle evidence, and over three days, the archaeology reveals a gripping narrative of how the defenders repelled two assaults, inflicting heavy losses on the Royalists before ultimately being overwhelmed.