Catch up TV

This episode is currently not available.

Clovelly



Archaeologist Ben Robinson reveals the story of this Devon coastal gem’s transformation from fishing village to romantic Victorian seaside resort.\n\nOur 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.\n\nThanks to a powerful and pioneering woman, Clovelly found itself at the forefront of the Victorian seaside holiday revolution. Even today cars are banned and the village is privately owned, helping to preserve it as a reminder of a bygone age.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Villages by the Sea

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 1. Alnmouth

Series 2: 1. Alnmouth

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

19-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 2. Arnside

Series 2: 2. Arnside

Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers how traditional boat building shaped the beautifully preserved village of Arnside on the banks of the River Kent in Cumbria.

18-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 4. Charlestown

Series 2: 4. Charlestown

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the picturesque Georgian village of Charlestown on the south west coast of Cornwall and learns how it was\nshaped by the vision of one man.

17-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 3. Thorpeness

Series 2: 3. Thorpeness

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

12-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 2. Staithes

Series 2: 2. Staithes

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the village of Staithes in North Yorkshire and unearths its role in kickstarting the chemical industry in the north east of England.

11-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 3. Bamburgh

Series 2: 3. Bamburgh

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

10-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Tintagel

Series 3: Tintagel

Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of Cornwall’s Tintagel, famed as the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. Ben discovers Tintagel was potentially more impor ...

06-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Cley Next The Sea

Series 3: Cley Next The Sea

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the Norfolk village of Cley next the Sea and discovers that due to Dutch settlers in the Elizabethan era, it's not as ‘next the sea&rsquo ...

05-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Flamborough

Series 3: Flamborough

Archaeologist, Ben Robinson visits the east coast village of Flamborough which sits on a rugged headland sticking out into the North Sea. A largely unassuming village today, it ...

04-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Gorey

Series 3: Gorey

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\nfrontline of defence between the B ...

03-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Most popular episodes of Villages by the Sea

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Ravenglass

Series 3: Ravenglass

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 strategi ...

02-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Clovelly

Clovelly

Archaeologist Ben Robinson reveals the story of this Devon coastal gem’s transformation from fishing village to romantic Victorian seaside resort.\n\nOur coastal villages ...

23-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 4. Charlestown

Series 2: 4. Charlestown

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the picturesque Georgian village of Charlestown on the south west coast of Cornwall and learns how it was\nshaped by the vision of one man.

17-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Flamborough

Series 3: Flamborough

Archaeologist, Ben Robinson visits the east coast village of Flamborough which sits on a rugged headland sticking out into the North Sea. A largely unassuming village today, it ...

04-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 3. Bamburgh

Series 2: 3. Bamburgh

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

10-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 4: 4. Holkham

Series 4: 4. Holkham

Ben Robinson makes an amazing discovery at Norfolk’s impressive Holkham estate - its lost medieval village, seen for the first time since its disappearance some 200 years ...

03-10-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 5. Bucklers Hard

Series 5: 5. Bucklers Hard

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.\n\nBen learns th ...

10-06-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Craster

Series 3: Craster

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits a small village in Northumberland to find out how the family and village who both share the name Craster have had their lives and fortunes inte ...

03-06-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Orford

Series 3: Orford

Lying off the North Sea is the unassuming Suffolk village of Orford. It’s behind a large shingle spit called Orford Ness. But as archaeologist Ben Robinson unearths, it&rs ...

04-06-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 2: 3. Thorpeness

Series 2: 3. Thorpeness

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

12-03-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

© 2026 - Catchupplayer.co.uk