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: Laxey

Series 3: Laxey

Situated on the eastern coast of the Isle of Man, the village of Laxey is known today as a tourist destination, but as archaeologist Ben Robinson finds out, it wasn’t the ...

06-06-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Holy Island

Holy Island

Archaeologist Ben Robinson discovers the story of the monks and villagers of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, off the Northumberland coast.\n\nOur coastal villages are often seen ...

24-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 4: 3. Cushendall

Series 4: 3. Cushendall

Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall, one of the finest planned Georgian villages in Northern Ireland. It was owned and shaped by a series of owners but most notably its 19th-cent ...

26-09-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 4: 5. Solva

Series 4: 5. Solva

Ben Robinson discovers the impressive lime kilns in Solva, Wales. This picturesque 19th-century port is famous for producing quicklime, a vital ingredient in both agriculture an ...

10-10-2025

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 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: 6. St Bees

Series 5: 6. St Bees

In Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District, Ben Robinson finds evidence of early pilgrimage at a remarkable Norman priory. In a 500-year-old house in the village, the archaeol ...

17-06-2025

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

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 3: Botallack

Series 3: Botallack

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 o ...

27-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

© 2026 - Catchupplayer.co.uk