Brian Hope-Taylor
Brian Hope-Taylor, author of the seminal "Yeavering" report, worked at Bamburgh during the 1960's and 70's. He excavated a small part of the West Ward and around the area which is now the entrance to the car park.
The West Ward proved particularly fruitful, with deposits reaching 3m (ten feet) deep. These deposits covered periods from the post medieval, as far back as the prehistoric, with a wealth of Anglian activity making up the bulk of the excavated area.
It is from this area that the gold plaque, known as the Bamburgh Beast came. But as well as this, there were 70 Anglian coins and an Anglian sword.
The photograph below shows the faunal assemblage (bones) recovered from Brian Hope-Taylor's 1974 excavation. These important artefacts had lain hidden for a quarter of a century, until they were rediscovered by the Bamburgh Research Project, in 2001. They had sat in this vaulted late medieval chamber, tantalisingly close to the modern excavation, until the search for a further tool room, led us to open this sealed doorway.
Brian Hope-Taylor was one of the most brilliant and inspiring archaeologists of the 20th century. His creativity and raw, natural talent allowed him to redefine archaeological thinking and his Yeavering report set a benchmark by which archaeological reports are still measured, even today.
Sadly, Brian Hope-Taylor died in the spring of 2001. But his legacy continues at Bamburgh with the search for continually improving techniques and accessible archaeology.