Catch up TV

This episode is currently not available.

Series 4: 10. Johnshaven



Ben Robinson travels to Johnshaven, a once-important Scottish fishing village. When its skilled sailors were press-ganged into the Royal Navy in the late 18th century, it had to diversify into the flax and jute trade - which fed into the jute capital, the nearby city of Dundee.\n\nBen discovers the ruins of an old cloth mill used to make cloth for sails and later coarse linen sacking, a product vital for transporting goods, and tries to solve the village mystery of what a circular building in a local’s garden could have been.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Villages by the Sea

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 3. St Margaret's

Series 5: 3. St Margaret's

On a visit to the Kent coast, Ben Robinson learns how an exclusive retreat for the rich and famous suddenly became 'Hellfire Corner' during World War II. Ben examines graffiti i ...

08-07-2026

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.

01-07-2026

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.

29-06-2026

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 ...

23-06-2026

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 ...

18-06-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 4. St Agnes

Series 5: 4. St Agnes

Ben Robinson investigates how a Cornish gem became world-famous for tin. In the bay, the archaeologist unravels the epic story behind the hundreds of huge carved stones that lie ...

16-06-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 2. Seahouses

Series 5: 2. Seahouses

Ben Robinson casts his eye over the industrious village of Seahouses in Northumberland. The archaeologist learns how the lethal shoreline shaped its transformation from a sleepy ...

11-06-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 1. Runswick Bay

Series 5: 1. Runswick Bay

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Runswick Bay on the North Yorkshire coast, where he discovers how this pretty village was once a place of danger. Ben explores the mythical &ls ...

10-06-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

BBC 2

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

Most popular episodes of Villages by the Sea

Villages By The Sea

Villages By The Sea - Series 5: 4. St Agnes

Series 5: 4. St Agnes

Ben Robinson investigates how a Cornish gem became world-famous for tin. In the bay, the archaeologist unravels the epic story behind the hundreds of huge carved stones that lie ...

16-06-2026

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 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 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 ...

18-06-2026

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 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 4: 8. Porthgain

Series 4: 8. Porthgain

Ben Robinson unearths the unique past of Porthgain, a small Pembrokeshire village built for its industry, first as a slate quarry, then exporting brickwork and finally producing ...

14-11-2025

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

© 2026 - Catchupplayer.co.uk