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BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

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Open Country

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of Britain

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles

BBC Radio 4 LW

Open Country: Exercise Shallow Grave

Exercise Shallow Grave

BBC Radio 4 - Open Country, Exercise Shallow Grave

Mary-Ann Ochota joins former members of the armed forces as they unearth Saxon artefacts.

Mary-Ann Ochota joins former members of the armed forces as they unearth breathtaking Saxon artefacts.

Mary-Ann Ochota joins Archaeologist of the Year,  Richard Osgood and his team of veterans and local archaeologists as they unearth Saxon artefacts and develop life changing skills. 

An idyllic site in Gloucestershire has yielded some important 6th Century artifacts and is vulnerable both to ploughing and ‘night hawking’. But what’s going on above ground is just as valuable as what lies beneath it. 

Lead by former Marine Dickie Bennet, ‘Breaking Ground Heritage (BGH)’ uses archaeology and heritage to develop projects that encourage physical and psychological well-being amongst former members of the armed forces.  Working alongside trained archaeologists, participants bring their skills of attention to detail and resilience whilst also building their own recovery pathways, empowering them to regain control of their lives.

Produced by Nicola Humphries
Presented by Mary-Ann Ochota
Photography by Harvey Mills

More information on Breaking Ground Heritage can be found at www.breakinggroundheritage.org.uk

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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