Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sir Tony Robinson visits excavations of the workhouse that inspired Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'.
To find out more, do check out the websites of some of our expert contributors:
A big thanks to Iceni Projects
Here is a useful website with information about the whole project - middlesexannex.com
Peter Higginbotham's excellent workhouse website has a wealth of information - workhouses.org.uk
Emily Bell - ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/3258/dr-emily-bell
Emily also runs the Dickensian Journal
dickensfellowship.org/index.php/read/the-dickensian
You can find out more about Paul Carter's fascinating work into the archives left by workhouse inmates - blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/author/pcarter
Emma Griffin - emmagriffin.info/index.php
Special thanks The Dickens Museum & Staff, The National Archives, Kew & Rob Gorczynski
In the middle of the capital, archaeologists are digging deep to find out more about the lives and deaths of the poorest of the poor, the inmates of the workhouse. Behind the workhouse building lies a cemetery where they were buried - now it is being carefully excavated as the whole site is being redeveloped. It’s a rare opportunity to investigate the treatment of London’s destitute in the late 18th and 19th centuries - a story that was repeated in great cities across the world as people poured into them in search of work.
Tony has a special connection with this story - not only has been making archaeology films for decades, he also appeared as a child actor in the first stage production of the musical, “Oliver!”. He knows digging and he knows Dickens! He explores the finds from the excavations, from humble clay pipes to dissected skeletons revealing how dead inmates could be anatomised in the name of medical science.
This film combines unique archaeology, as well as social and literary history - the care of the poor, how their plight was brought to the attention of the public and the extreme challenges created by burgeoning cities. Dickens was writing about his times, but like all good history, the heart of it remains relevant today.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: bit.ly/45Y4Oyg
#historyhit #victorianhistory #victorianlondon
Sir Tony Robinson visits excavations of the workhouse that inspired Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'.
To find out more, do check out the websites of some of our expert contributors:
A big thanks to Iceni Projects
Here is a useful website with information about the whole project - middlesexannex.com
Peter Higginbotham's excellent workhouse website has a wealth of information - workhouses.org.uk
Emily Bell - ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/3258/dr-emily-bell
Emily also runs the Dickensian Journal
dickensfellowship.org/index.php/read/the-dickensian
You can find out more about Paul Carter's fascinating work into the archives left by workhouse inmates - blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/author/pcarter
Emma Griffin - emmagriffin.info/index.php
Special thanks The Dickens Museum & Staff, The National Archives, Kew & Rob Gorczynski
In the middle of the capital, archaeologists are digging deep to find out more about the lives and deaths of the poorest of the poor, the inmates of the workhouse. Behind the workhouse building lies a cemetery where they were buried - now it is being carefully excavated as the whole site is being redeveloped. It’s a rare opportunity to investigate the treatment of London’s destitute in the late 18th and 19th centuries - a story that was repeated in great cities across the world as people poured into them in search of work.
Tony has a special connection with this story - not only has been making archaeology films for decades, he also appeared as a child actor in the first stage production of the musical, “Oliver!”. He knows digging and he knows Dickens! He explores the finds from the excavations, from humble clay pipes to dissected skeletons revealing how dead inmates could be anatomised in the name of medical science.
This film combines unique archaeology, as well as social and literary history - the care of the poor, how their plight was brought to the attention of the public and the extreme challenges created by burgeoning cities. Dickens was writing about his times, but like all good history, the heart of it remains relevant today.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: bit.ly/45Y4Oyg
#historyhit #victorianhistory #victorianlondon
