Villages by the Sea

Ben Robinson reveals the story of the village of Sunderland Point on the north west coast of England. Our coastal villages are often seen as remote places for retreat and relaxation. However, they have often been on the front line of history - from the arrival of Christianity to battles with neighbours and nature; from slave trading to the birth of modern tourism.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers the surprising story of this former medieval port on the Suffolk coast. Today Walberswick is a favourite coastal retreat for writers, artists and day trippers. But for centuries the village lurched from prosperity to poverty. In medieval times it fought a bitter battle for supremacy against the neighbouring port of Dunwich and finally fell victim to politics, fire and the might of the sea.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson reveals the story of smuggling intrigue and bravery on the Yorkshire coast.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers how the health and fortune of the village was shaped by those in charge of Bamburgh’s famous castle.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of the Edwardian village of Thorpeness in Suffolk, the first purpose-built seaside village in the UK.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Alnmouth on England’s north east coast and discovers the village’s historical role in feeding the nation.

The small hamlet of Botallack was once at the centre of the Cornish tin and copper mining industry as archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers. By 1861, Botallack’s mine was one of the biggest in the whole of Cornwall. Ben explores the village’s mining past with archaeologist Adam Sharpe.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson takes us to the quiet village of Ravenglass, tucked away on the edge of the Lake District’s National Park, where he finds out about its strategic importance to the Roman empire. Ben explores the village and its surrounding area to uncover the remarkable evidence of its Roman past: unearthing Roman pottery, locating the earthworks of its fort and marvelling at one the best surviving examples of a Roman military bathhouse anywhere in Britain.

Sitting on the east coast of Jersey, and about 14 miles from the coast of Normandy, the small village of Gorey was, for hundreds of years the frontline of defence between the British Isles and its enemy, the French. Archaeologist Ben Robinson follows the story of this small village’s history as an important military location, from the castle built in the 1200s to the experiences of the village in the second world war when occupied by Hitler’s army.

Ben Robinson visits Culross, a stunning 17th-century village that was a major centre for Scottish coal mining and the first underwater sea coal shaft in the world.

Ben Robinson explores the remains of a lost harbour in Port Carlisle, a once-thriving port that hoped to rival Liverpool.

Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall in Northern Ireland to explore the Curfew Tower and schoolhouse, built by its forward-thinking 19th-century merchant landlord.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson is in North Yorkshire, exploring how idyllic Runswick Bay was once a place of great danger, despite attracting tourists and inspiring artists.

Archaeologist Ben Robinson casts his eye over the village of Seahouses in Northumberland, where he discovers how the lethal rocks offshore have been both a blessing and a curse.

On a visit to the white cliffs of the Kent coast, Ben Robinson learns how an exclusive retreat for the rich and famous suddenly became 'Hellfire Corner' during World War II.