Pen Dinas will take centre stage on BBC Two tonight as Michael Portillo and his long-running series on Great British Railway Journeys visits Aberystwyth.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales worked alongside the production team on the story of the Pen Dinas hillfort excavations of the 1930s, and provided historic images from the National Monuments Record of Wales archive.

The pioneering 1930s excavations were the brainchild of a young professor from Aberystwyth University, Daryll Forde.

Forde was appointed Gregynog Professor of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Wales at Aberystwyth in 1930, aged only 28. He had already spent two years as a Commonwealth Fellow in Anthropology at Berkeley, California.

Forde commenced excavations to explore the pre-Roman origins of Pen Dinas hillfort in 1933 at the height of the Depression. Among the digging team, the young Prof Forde cut quite a dashing figure in his suit and fedora.

Between the years 1933 and 37 the summer digs on the top of this coastal hillfort attracted national press attention and crowds of interested visitors, all keen to see workmen unearth buried Iron Age walls and other treasures.

At the time this was one of the largest hillfort excavations running in Britain. Local workmen were particularly grateful for the seasonal paid work provided by the excavations.

Dr Toby Driver explained: "It was a pleasure filming with Michael Portillo and his team on Pen Dinas hillfort last September, with full Covid protocols in place.

"We explored the history and significance of the 1930s excavations and also looked at how new technology like drones is helping archaeologists survey the site today.

"Lots of new research about Forde’s dig has been done by Trysor Heritage Consultancy working with Penparcau Community Forum, and the Royal Commission is grateful to them both for sharing the results of this new work."

Prof Sarah Davies, head of the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth University, added: "Daryll Forde’s leadership of excavations at Pen Dinas demonstrated his commitment to developing a deeper understanding of the prehistory of the local area and represents an important legacy from his 15 years at the then University College Wales, Aberystwyth."

Exciting new excavations at the fort are now planned for this summer by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust with the Penparcau Community Forum.

Great British Railway Journeys will be broadcast on BBC Two at 6.30pm and be available on iPlayer afterwards.