In the late 1939 on the eve of World War 2, wealthy landowner Edith Pretty hires amateur archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the mounds on her property in England. He and his team discover a ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a burial ground. While the nation prepares for war, Mr Brown along with a team from the British Museum unearth treasurers which provide new revelations of the Anglo Saxon period. Relationships are formed and lost during the race to reveal the treasures before the outbreak of hostilities.