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Series 4: 9. Greyabbey
Ben Robinson unearths the ancient past of Greyabbey, a small village on Northern Ireland’s beautiful Strangford Lough. The village name comes from Grey Abbey, its Cistercian abbey-monastery. This is a story of life from the sea – of the moneymaking kelp industry and ingenious methods of catching fish.\n\nThe village has some of the most impressive archaeological remains in Northern Ireland, including a Neolithic boat that predates the Pyramids and stone fish traps that are almost 1,000 years old.
Source: BBC 2
Most recent episodes of Villages by the Sea
Villages By The Sea
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
Villages By The Sea
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.
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Series 2: 4. Charlestown
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BBC 2
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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.
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BBC 2
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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.
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BBC 2
Villages By The Sea
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
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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
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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
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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 ...
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BBC 2
Villages By The Sea
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 ...
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BBC 2
Most popular episodes of Villages by the Sea
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Series 3: Ravenglass
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BBC 2
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BBC 2
Villages By The Sea
Series 4: 1. Culross
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BBC 2
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BBC 2
Villages By The Sea
Series 5: 6. St Bees
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17-06-2025
BBC 2
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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 ...
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BBC 2
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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 ...
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BBC 2