Brian Hope-Taylor is best known for his excavations in the 1950s of the 6th<\/sup> or 7th<\/sup> century site at Yeavering, Known as Ad Gefrin (See his book \u2018YEAVERING\u2019<\/em> HMSO 1977). The site is celebrated in the Museum and Visitor Centre at the Ad Gefrin Distillery, Wooler, Northumberland.<\/p>\n During WWII Hope-Taylor was based at Medmenham, Bucks, the RAF centre for aerial photographic interpretation, assessing targets and bomb damage. One of the lessons learned from these experiences was that other things could also be spotted in aerial photographs, including markings in fields that looked like possible archaeological remains. At Medmenham he established productive working relationships with the future distinguished archaeologists Dorothy Garrod and Glyn Daniel, as well as the actor Dirk Bogarde. Incidentally, he also realised that mine detectors could be used to find ancient\u00a0 metal artefacts, thereby pre-figuring the modern archaeological \u2018detectorists\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst working on various excavations after the war Hope-Taylor gradually formed the view that markings in fields near Wooler evident in aerial photographs might be the site beside the River Glen where, according to Bede, Paulinus had baptised the subjects of King Edwin, who ruled Northumbria from 616 to 637 AD (BEDE Ecclesiastical History<\/em> Book II.14; Penguin 1968). After much lobbying and persuading of the academic and governmental authorities about funding, and some delicate discussions with the landowner, a local farmer, about access, Hope-Taylor\u2019s excavations ran from 1953 to 1962. Most of his report was written up at the time but it was not published till 1977. It is now recognised as the pre-eminent work of post-war British archaeology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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