Nick Hanks MA CAIfA currently lives in Cornwall, but spent most of his life in Bristol, England. During office hours he is an archaeologist who works for Historic England as a digital mapping specialist. At other times he partners with Dawn McHale leading guided walks and storytelling events as ‘Time and Tide Taletellers’. He also delivers tour guide training across the country.
Nick’s research interests are in ritual space and landscape archaeology. He has been published on 10 occasions by others, including Berg (UK), 1,000 Volt Press (Canada) and the National Trust (UK) but is now moving into self publishing.
Nick has been a part-time lecturer at the University of Winchester (UK), a recognised teacher at the University of Bristol (UK) and has given lectures at other universities. He has been a member of; CPASE (Contemporary Paganism and Alternative Spiritualities in Europe) academic research group, BASR (British Association for the Study of Religions), LRG (Landscape Research Group) and BAAS (Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society). He is an associate member of the CIfA (Chartered Institute for Archaeologists). He studied drama at the University of Warwick (UK) and archaeology at the University of Bristol (UK).
Nick’s archaeological research is largely based on his more than 30 years of historical and archaeological work at a variety of The National Trust properties in England including; Tyntesfield, Hardy’s Cottage, and Dunster Castle. He has also written guidebooks for the National Trust on sites including; Sutton Hoo and Cheddar Gorge. Studying ritual archaeological sites such as Stanton Drew Stone Circles combine his two main areas of research.
Nick’s ritual space research draws on his ritual experience as a former Gardnerian Wicca High Priest, a lapsed member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids), an occasional attendee at a Unitarian meeting, and a member of the occasionally performing Ragged Heroes Mummers. He also draws on performance theory and practice from his time at the University of Warwick.
Currently he adopts no label, nor title, nor does he identify with any group or tradition. His ritual practice now consists merely of mindfulness meditation. He takes inspiration from science, nature and the Tao Teh Ching (as translated by Herrymon Maurer).
Nick is probably the only archaeologist to have both run an excavation on a site associated with King Arthur (Slaughterbridge, Cornwall) and to have appeared in a movie about King Arthur (Arthur and Merlin: Knights of Camelot, 2020). The excavations at Slaughterbridge have been on going since 2003, with assistance from the University of Winchester. The site contains a lost 18th century garden, a ruined medieval village and ‘The Arthur Stone’ (6th century).
He has provided (uncredited) historical research for Production Designer Simon Bowles for several feature films including Talos the Mummy, Wing Commander and The Lighthouse.
He also worked as a music promoter with his brother Simon Hanks at the Fleece and Firkin in Bristol (now known as The Fleece) in the late 1980s featuring artists such as Bad Manners, Claire Grogan, Carter, Flash Harry, K-Passa, Kingmaker, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Labi Siffre, Red Jasper, Pressgang, The Morrigan, Rita Lynch, Rog Patterson, Frank Sidebottom and Huw Lloyd-Langton. They also published a music magazine called Red Guitar. It was here he met Cliff Eastabrook a bass player and storyteller The Travelling Talesmen. Together they started doing storytelling guided tours as Longshanks & Talesman. They recorded a radio series together.
Nick enjoys walking, is fascinated by landscape and watches the wonder of the ever-changing sky. He also messes about on the bowed psaltery and hammered dulcimer. He sings in a choir and provides percussion for Boscastle Border Morris.
Nick has also been, at various times, a magazine editor, a graphic designer, a project management trainer, a theatre lighting technician, a warehouse order picker, a cleaner, a postman, a wedding celebrant, and the rear half of a pantomime horse.
He has dyslexia and is probably autistic.
