Villages By The Sea
Villages By The Sea is a TV show on BBC2. Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the history and heritage of beautiful coastal villages from across the UK, showcasing their often unsung role in the nation's story. The program has been available since 2024. A total of 32 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in January 2025.
Last episode
Villages By The Sea
Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall in Northern Ireland to explore the Curfew Tower and schoolhouse, built by its forward-thinking 19th-century merchant landlord.
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30:00Ben Robinson visits the Norfolk village of Cley next the Sea and finds due to Dutch settlers in the Elizabethan era, it's not as 'next the sea' as it once was.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the Yorkshire coastal village of Flamborough and discovers its historic chalk buildings.
Series 4
Ben Robinson explores the remains of a lost harbour in Port Carlisle, a once-thriving port that hoped to rival Liverpool.
Series 3 30:00
30:00Ben Robinson discovers more about the quiet village of Ravenglass in the Lake District's National Park, which played a strategic role in the Roman empire.
30:00Ben Robinson visits Laxey on the Isle of Man to discover the unusual attraction that drew Victorians to the tourist destination - the biggest waterwheel in the world.
Series 5
In Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District, Ben Robinson finds signs of early Christian pilgrims, while a 500-year-old house turns out to be the birthplace of an Elizabethan VIP.
Series 4
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.
Series 3 30:00
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson unearths the Suffolk village of Orford's history of defending the British Isles.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson explores Parkgate on the estuary of the River Dee in Cheshire, landlocked due to the estuary's shifting silt.
Series 5
Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the tiny Hampshire village that had a huge role in building ships for Nelson's victorious fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Archaeologist Ben Robinson investigates how a Cornish gem of a village became a world-famous centre of tin mining where people made and lost huge fortunes.
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.
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.
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 discovers the surprising story of this former medieval port on the Suffolk coast.
Archaeologist Ben Robinson reveals the story of smuggling intrigue and bravery on the Yorkshire coast.
Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers the story of the monks and villagers of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, off the Northumberland coast.
Archaeologist Ben Robinson reveals the story of this Devon coastal gem’s transformation from fishing village to romantic Victorian seaside resort.
Series 2 30:00
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the picturesque Georgian village of Charlestown on the southwest coast of Cornwall and learns how it was shaped by the vision of one man.