Time Team

S06E06 Tudor Dockyard - Smallhythe, Kent

The team is on a quest to uncover a 15th-century dock in Small Hythe, once located alongside the expansive River Rother, now just a wild field ten miles from the coast. Initial digs yield only remnants of a prehistoric forest. Ian Friel, a medieval ship specialist, shares insights about the dock's historical importance and its connections to Henry V. Woodworker Damian Goodburn demonstrates traditional techniques by crafting a clinker hull. Meanwhile, Victor sketches the largest vessel ever constructed here, known as the Jesus. With the help of geophysics, John Gater and Sue Ovenden trace the ancient river's path, and soon, significant discoveries begin to emerge, highlighting the area’s bustling maritime past.