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 41 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in March 2025.
Last episode
Villages By The Sea
Ben Robinson unearths the past of Greyabbey, a village on Northern Ireland’s beautiful Strangford Lough, and discovers the history of its moneymaking kelp industry.
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Ben Robinson unearths the past of Porthgain, Pembrokeshire, built for its industry exporting slate, then brickwork, then finally stone used for the nation’s roads.
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.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers how traditional boat building shaped the beautifully preserved village of Arnside on the banks of the River Kent in Cumbria.
Series 4
Ben Robinson travels to Seaton Sluice, home to the notorious Delaval family and the site of a past bottle works that shaped the village.
Series 2 30:00
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the village of Staithes in North Yorkshire and unearths its role in kickstarting the chemical industry in the northeast of England.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Alnmouth on England's northeast coast and discovers the village's historical role in feeding the nation.
Series 4
Ben Robinson heads to Beer, Devon, home to beer stone, which has been quarried since Roman times and used in many of England's cathedrals and iconic buildings.
Series 2 30:00
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of the Edwardian settlement of Thorpeness in Suffolk, which was the first purpose-built seaside village in the UK.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers how the health and fortune of the village of Bamburgh was shaped by those in charge of its famous castle.
Series 4
Ben Robinson discovers some of the impressive and well-preserved lime kilns in Solva, Wales, and learns how this industry helped feed a growing nation.
Series 3 30:00
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson explores Parkgate on the estuary of the River Dee in Cheshire, landlocked due to the estuary's shifting silt.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson unearths the Suffolk village of Orford's history of defending the British Isles.
Series 4
Ben Robinson makes an amazing discovery at Norfolk’s Holkham estate – its lost medieval village, seen for the first time since its disappearance 200 years ago.
Series 3 30:00
30:00Ben Robinson visits Northumberland's Craster to find out how a family who shares the name have had their lives and fortunes intertwined with the village for more than 800 years.
30:00Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of Cornwall's Tintagel, famed as the legendary birthplace of King Arthur.
Series 4
Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall in Northern Ireland to explore the Curfew Tower and schoolhouse, built by its forward-thinking 19th-century merchant landlord.
Series 3 30:00
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.