Gillian Hovell

Gillian Hovell is a historian and archaeologist whose work is driven by a simple idea: the past is not distant — it is all around us, if we know how to see it.

With a background in Latin and Ancient History, and early experience in BBC television, she brings together scholarship, media, and fieldwork to explore how ancient worlds continue to shape the present. Her work spans writing, teaching, broadcasting, and guiding, always with a focus on making history vivid, accessible, and alive.

Gillian is the author of award-winning books and a widely respected public speaker, having worked with institutions including the British Museum, the National Trust, and universities across the UK. Whether lecturing, leading tours, or contributing to media, she is known for her ability to combine depth with clarity — and seriousness with a genuine sense of curiosity and enjoyment.

Her approach is rooted in experience: walking landscapes, reading traces, and asking how people once lived, believed, and understood their world. From community archaeology projects to major international sites, she engages directly with the material past — often quite literally, in the soil.

As a guide, she brings energy, insight, and a sense of discovery to every journey. She invites travelers not only to learn about the ancient world, but to recognize it — in language, in culture, and in the details of everyday life.

With Gillian, history is not something to observe from a distance. It is something to encounter, question, and enjoy.