Programme 1. Dover to Isle of Wight
We discover the incredible history of the Victorian Channel Tunnel, how it was started over 120 years ago, and why it was never finished. Marvel at a miracle of modern engineering from the 1930’s as Sidney Little tried to turn Hastings into the sunbathing capital of the south coast.

Alice Roberts uncovers Britain’s secret rocket testing programme on the Isle of Wight that put our first satellite into space; is it still up there, and still working, 35 years later?

Programme 2. Holyhead to Liverpool
Over 150 years ago, long before the telephone, or the electric telegraph, a message was reputedly sent a hundred miles from Holyhead to Liverpool in just 27 seconds! Neil Oliver discovers the remarkable story of the ‘Optical Telegraph’. He also explores an extraordinary cave, almost impossible to reach, yet it is inlaid with beautiful stonework - who was the mystery builder?

Nick Crane discovers that every pebble tells a story as he shows us how to read the history of your local beach. Alice Roberts traces the story of a young foreign boy washed up on the Welsh shore and reveals how he changed the course of medical history.

Programme 3. Arran to Gretna
Alfred Nobel, founder of the famous prizes, made a fortune on this coast. Why did he pick the South West of Scotland as the ideal site for the world’s biggest explosives factory?

The melancholy sound of the Foghorn has all but disappeared from the British coast. We discover how the haunting tone of the Foghorn was invented and why each one was unique.

On an expedition to the spectacular island of Ailsa Craig, a plug of rock born inside a volcano, Nick Crane discovers the remarkable use for its beautiful granite.

Programme 4. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Cornwall is England’s most coastal county. The river Tamar almost cuts it off entirely from the mainland. Only four miles of land stop Cornwall from being an island. But this dramatic coast is amazingly connected to the rest of the world. Neil Oliver discovers the network of cables under a Porthcurno beach which wrap around the world. It’s a dramatic tale of invention, espionage and surprise.

Mark Horton visits the majestic Isles of Scilly where the landscape is littered with the tombs of the ancient dead, and we meet the two football teams that battle it out in Britain’s smallest football league.

Alice Roberts explores why St Ives is an artist's dream location as she paints up a storm on the Cornish coast.

Programme 5. Dublin to Derry
We explore the mighty Dublin Bay to reveal why the capital of Eire is one of the world’s great coastal cities. Horse races on the beach, and millionaires' row, are just some of the delights of the Dublin coast.

Mark Horton goes in search of the wreck of the SS Great Britain, and we visit the smallest primary school in Britain with just four pupils.

Under the Irish Sea Alice Roberts explores the vast underground mines that produce the salt for Britain’s winter roads,and we discover a remarkable house designed to see the sea from every room.

Programme 6. Newcastle to Hull
The concrete and steel of the North East coast conceal a remarkable history of religious passion that transformed Britain and touched every corner of the world. Neil Oliver explores the ancient coastal landscape of the Venerable Bede, the genius monk who was born near Newcastle 1300 years ago.

Mark Horton investigates erosion and comes across a new science that is helping to plot even the most unstable landscape, while Alice Roberts is in Whitby to discover how jet is made. We also reveal why Hull can claim a starring role in the abolition of the slave trade and the team also look into the 200 year struggle to design an unsinkable lifeboat.

From the Tyne, to the Tees, to the Humber we celebrate some of the world’s greatest bridges that span the North East coast. The team also investigate the 200 year struggle to design an unsinkable lifeboat.

Programme 7. The Outer Hebrides
At the outermost edge of the British Isles, we discover the struggle to survive in this harsh but stunningly beautiful myriad of islands big and small. Crystal clear water and powder white beaches conceal a history of human tragedy and joy.

From hauntingly beautiful abandoned islands like St Kilda, to the truth behind the classic Ealing Comedy Whisky Galore!, the team discover remarkable and surprising human stories. A newly unearthed historic golf course, and the world’s largest onshore wind farm offer hope of new wealth, and a forgotten chemical works reveals an ingenious past.

Programme 8. Felixstowe to Margate
Felixstowe is Britain’s biggest container port - we peek inside the extraordinary trade that feeds and clothes us all. Alice Roberts savours the sea salt at Maldon, and Miranda Krestovnikoff goes trawling on the Thames.

We discover how the houses of Parliament can claim to be on the coast, and dig into the seafaring history of London. Neil Oliver explores the story of the munitions ship Montgomery,sunk in the shallow waters of the estuary, that could still explode with a terrifying force that would devastate the coast.

We discover the invention of the diving helmet, and end with a remarkable cricket match miles out to sea on the eerie tidal landscape at Goodwin Sands.