Dave was born in the West Midlands where he spent his early career in electronics research before turning his hobby and passion for archaeology into his job in 1977, when he went to Bradford University to read archaeological sciences.

After graduation he was an excavator at 91 Coppergate (in York) and on the Somerset Levels during 1979 and 1980. He was then offered a job as a site supervisor at the Kirkstall Abbey Guesthouse excavations in Leeds, for the West Yorkshire Archaeological Unit.

In 1981 he moved into gas pipeline archaeology, supervising the construction of three pipelines in the south of England. In 1984 he was offered a job with the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit, managing a project to re-excavate the Roman fort of Castleshaw, high in the Yorkshire Pennines.

Dave moved to Lincolnshire in 1988 as Assistant Director of the new Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire, becoming Director in 1991.