The Lost Medieval City of Roxburgh - Scotland's Forgotten Capital Unearthed

Step into the lost world of Roxburgh - once a thriving medieval city, now just a quiet field. What happened to Scotland’s vanished metropolis, and can archaeology uncover its secrets?

Join Time Team as they launch a thrilling three-day excavation at Roxburgh, one of medieval Scotland’s four great cities. Using cutting-edge geophysics, aerial photography, and limited but strategic digging, the team searches for clues beneath a seemingly empty pasture near Kelso. Discover how Roxburgh, founded by King David I, became a wealthy trading hub, rivaling Edinburgh through its wool and cattle trade, only to disappear without a trace. Watch as the team uncovers defensive ramparts, ancient roads like Market Street and King Street, grand stone houses, and the elusive St James’s Church, piecing together a city lost to history and time.

This episode brings to life the drama of medieval Scottish politics, economics, and warfare. Learn how Roxburgh’s strategic location on the Scottish-English border made it both a prize and a target, leading to its decline after Berwick fell to the English. Through rare archaeological access and a race against the clock, the Time Team reveals not just ruins, but the stories of the people who once walked these streets - merchants, bakers, and lords. Experience the excitement of discovery, the challenges of limited digging, and the unique thrill of solving a centuries-old mystery, as the bones of a forgotten city finally emerge from the ground.