I enjoyed my PhD, though by the end of writing up I questioned whether I'd want to undertake such a large project again.

You say you enjoy writing. Me too (as possibly apparent given the length of this post). That helps a great deal. For me, writing up was the fun part; and I enjoyed editing and refining my thesis too. I know of others who found writing up a chore.

With regard to anti-intellectualism, the MD of the company I previously worked for openly stated that he'd "never promote anyone smarter than he was" (and he wasn't so smart). That doesn't mean I think PhDs are smarter than everyone else. I know too many smart people without advanced degrees to buy into any such notion. (In fact, given our current job opportunities those avaoiding higher education may be the smartest of all.)

At the same time, I've met a few people (though thankfully far from everyone) who have acted differently after I explained that I was studying for a PhD. It's as if I suddenly screamed "I think I'm smarter than you," when that's not what I think at all. Those people can take comfort in the knowledge that they'll probably get to retire, while I have serious doubts about my own prospects in this sense. I started my PhD soon after the recession hit; and at least I was guaranteed an income for three years.

I'm not sure you need to delete this qualification from your CV.

I think it's a question of framing and communicating, in as clear a way as possible, how the skills you've acquired relate to any job you apply for.

I struggle to think of single job that doesn't demand effective communication skills, and as humanities PhDs we're great communicators. Similarly, you can't finish a PhD without a great deal of tenacity and attention to detail.

Of course I may be naive. I'll certainly include my PhD on job applications, and I'll emphasise how the skills I've gained will benefit employers. I may be back here whining several months (or possibly years) later. I hope not.

Keep at it. In the end, that's all you can do...

Oh, and excuse the typos above. So much for attention to detail!