Villages by the Sea

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Runswick Bay on the North Yorkshire coast, where he discovers how this pretty village was once a place of danger. Ben explores the mythical ‘hob-holes' to uncover how they once helped supply a thriving jet industry and finds evidence of how, in the late 1800s, the village became the inspiration for a group of artists who became known as the British Impressionists.

Ben Robinson casts his eye over the industrious village of Seahouses in Northumberland. The archaeologist learns how the lethal shoreline shaped its transformation from a sleepy farming outpost to a thriving seaport with a bustling trade in eco-tourism and uncovers how a family of Scottish entrepreneurs supercharged the herring industry that helped shape the village.

On a visit to the Kent coast, Ben Robinson learns how an exclusive retreat for the rich and famous suddenly became 'Hellfire Corner' during World War II. Ben examines graffiti in an exclusive visit to a secret air raid shelter and tours the site of Britain's biggest guns. On the beach, the archaeologist runs his eye over the secret hideaway lived in by Noel Coward and his partner after the war.

Ben Robinson investigates how a Cornish gem became world-famous for tin. In the bay, the archaeologist unravels the epic story behind the hundreds of huge carved stones that lie scattered in the surf. There's a look at some medieval technology in action at one of the oldest tin refineries in Britain, and a local doctor consults his ancestor's 150-year-old medical diary for evidence of past ailments.

In Hampshire, archaeologist Ben Robinson investigates how a tiny village, originally meant to be a free port to process sugar, became a bustling naval shipyard. Ben learns that three ships built here would lead Nelson to victory at Trafalgar. Then, in an almost untouched 18th-century labourer's cottage, Ben gets a feel for just how basic life was for hardworking rural families 250 years ago.

In Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District, Ben Robinson finds evidence of early pilgrimage at a remarkable Norman priory. In a 500-year-old house in the village, the archaeologist examines a wall mural that proves it was the birthplace of an important Elizabethan archbishop. At St Bees School, while exploring a secret staircase, Ben uncovers layers of change and intrigue.