Wondering with Curiosity

As we celebrate getting Out and About with Archaeology, Neil Redfern, Executive Director for the CBA, explores how archaeology is super powered curiosity.

Find out what the CBA is doing to help people explore the places in which they live, work, and play, and why getting lost is often the best way to discover, learn, and reflect.

Neil has mastered the art of getting lost in his attempts to find random bricks, drains, bathtubs, and concrete, and his talk will explore why ephemeral stuff abandoned in the past can unlock stories with deep meaning and resonance.

Neil Redfern biography

Neil joined the CBA in 2020 after a distinguished career in heritage, most recently as Development Advice Team Leader and Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Historic England. 

During his time at Historic England Neil led teams delivering award-winning development advice in Yorkshire, developed their response to major environmental threats as part of the National Heritage Protection Plan and initiated a major project on the Yorkshire Wolds to address monuments at risk from cultivation, amongst other achievements. 

Prior to this, Neil spent ten years with English Heritage as North Yorkshire Team Leader, Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Field Monument Warden. 

Between 1997 and 2000 he worked with the CBA as a Project Officer on its Defence of Britain project. 

This talk was recorded on 18 May 2026 as part of the CBA's annual Out and About Archaeology event.