Field Notes · June 4, 2026
Scriber called "a legend" in Channel 5's Ben Fogle and the Buried City
Ben Fogle visited Montserrat in 2023 to film Ben Fogle and the Buried City, a 90-minute Channel 5 documentary in his acclaimed Lost Worlds series. The film, which premiered on May 23, 2023, follows him as he explores the only modern capital city in the world to have been lost to a volcano: Plymouth, our buried capital. At his side throughout was our very own James “Scriber” Daley, MBE.
Who is Ben Fogle?
For anyone reading from outside the UK, Ben Fogle is one of Britain’s most-beloved travel presenters and adventurers. He first rose to fame on the BBC’s Castaway 2000, has been a presenter on Animal Park for over two decades, and is known internationally for New Lives in the Wild, the series where he profiles people who have chosen to live in remote, extraordinary places. He has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, climbed Mount Everest, and trekked to the South Pole. When Ben Fogle says somewhere is worth visiting, his audience listens.
The documentary: Ben Fogle and the Buried City
Ben Fogle and the Buried City is one of the most significant pieces of international coverage Montserrat has had in years. Across 90 minutes, the film walks viewers through the story of the 1995 Soufrière Hills volcanic eruption, the evacuation of more than half the island, and the loss of Plymouth, our once-bustling capital city. The eruption created what is still the only natural-disaster exclusion zone in the world, and Plymouth has often been called the modern Pompeii, a city frozen in time under volcanic ash. Ben goes into the zone, walks past buried buildings, and speaks with Montserratians whose lives were shaped by what happened.
The Government of Montserrat marked the documentary’s premiere as a milestone moment for our island’s profile worldwide, with the Tourism Division announcing the broadcast officially.
Why Scriber?
When Ben Fogle came to Montserrat, the call for a guide could have gone to anyone. It went to Scriber. James “Scriber” Daley, MBE has spent more than 40 years walking these trails, first with the island’s Forestry Division and then as the founder of Scriber’s Adventures in 2010. In December 2024, he was awarded an MBE by His Majesty The King for services to the Natural World and to Tourism on Montserrat. He is, by any honest measure, the man you want at your side if you want to understand this island. Ben spent the day in his company.
“A legend”
After their day of filming, Ben picked up his phone for a moment that wasn’t for the cameras. He recorded a short selfie video for Scriber’s family, calling Scriber “a legend” and telling him he’d be letting Scriber’s kids know their dad is about to become famous. Few things land more warmly than him turning to a guide’s family and saying, in so many words, your dad is the real thing.
“A legend.” — Ben Fogle, on James “Scriber” Daley, MBE
Where to watch Ben Fogle and the Buried City
The documentary is available on Channel 5 in the UK (via My5) and on Apple TV in select regions. UK viewers can watch the Channel 5 trailer here. For more on the wider series, see Ben Fogle’s Lost Worlds on IMDb.
Walk where Ben walked
If watching the documentary leaves you wanting to see the buried city, the trails, and the green heart of Montserrat for yourself, Scriber can help.
The Plymouth Buried City Tour (Scenic View) takes you to the viewpoints overlooking Plymouth that Ben saw on film. The Bird Watching Tour introduces you to the rare Montserrat Oriole, the bird Scriber is known for calling in. And for those visiting by ship, the Cruise Passenger Tour gives the whole story in time to make it back to the pier before you sail.