Original subtitles

(wind whooshing)

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Our journey starts over the Isles of Scilly,

at the very southwest tip of Britain.

The rugged coastline of Cornwall takes us

to the historic Falmouth Bay who's fortresses

have guarded the harbor entrance for centuries.

And nestled in an abandoned clay pit,

we find an extraordinary ecological experiment,

The Eden Project near St. Austell.

Passing Plymouth Harbor and the biggest

naval dock yard in Europe, we reach the Jurassic Coast,

one of the most important fossil sites on Earth.

And we end our journey over some of the finest

sailing waters in Europe at Weymouth Bay.

This lonely lighthouse stands on the furthest

west point of mainland Britain.

Beyond it is the vast Atlantic Ocean connecting Britain

with America, 3,500 kilometers away.

Up until 1992, this lighthouse was manned by a crew

who would spend weeks at a time marooned out here.

In earlier days, a small boat would have delivered the crew,

as well as provisions, often in heavy seas.

Today there's a helipad on top so that engineers

can get here quicker, and more safely

to carry out routine maintenance.

Although these rocks give a clue as to why a lighthouse

was necessary, it's presence has a particular significance.

Because it's the site of one of the worst disasters

in British Maritime history.

On the 22nd of October 1707, an entire naval fleet

ran off course in a ferocious storm,

resulting in the loss of over 2,000 lives.

As necessary as a lighthouse was,

building on Bishop Rock proved to be a tough challenge,

and it wasn't until 1858 that one was finally erected

using 2,500 tons of granite.

Today boat trips bring visitors

to see this impressive structure

that's the second tallest lighthouse in Britain,

and it's often referred to as the king of lighthouses.

Bishop Rock is one over 140 islands

that make up the Isles of Scilly,

around 45 kilometers from the English Mainland.

It is likely that the isles were once much larger,

with many of them joined.

Rising sea levels flooded the central plane

around the 5th century forming an archipelago.

Today St. Mary's is the largest of five inhabited islands,

who's chief income is from tourism.

Accessible by air and ferry, the Isles of Scilly

draw visitors keen to enjoy the sunny local climate,

blue seas, and golden beaches.

The most picturesque of the islands is Tresco.

Despite Britain's reputation of being cold, wet, and windy,

the island boasts a sub tropical garden

full of palm trees and a greater diversity of plants

than the southern Mediterranean.

This is the passenger service

that flies between the Isles of Scilly

and the British mainland.

Flying began in the 1960s

and is the longest running helicopter service in the world.

The journey lasts about 20 minutes

and it's a great way of looking out for dolphins.

The first sighting of England's coastline

is Lands End in the county of Cornwall.

This granite crag is the most extreme

westerly point of Mainland England,

and a very popular place to visit.

It's considered to be one of the most

spectacular coastal strips in Britain,

with dramatic rock formations such as the Armed Knight

and Enys Dodnan, the famous rock arch.

Just off shore is Longships Lighthouse

guarding these treacherous rocks

that have caused shipwrecks for centuries.

Stories of the 18th Century tell of local people

living off the plunder from the cargo's

that washed ashore from the wrecks.

They became known as Wreckers.

They were said to occasionally stand on cliffs,

or shore at night, and shine lanterns out to sea,

imitating lighthouse signals.

(dramatic music)

Unsuspecting ships were lured onto the rocks

where waiting teams of Wreckers would loot them.

The penalties if caught were severe.

Transportation for life, or death by hanging.

Today the cliffs are a wild and beautiful place to walk

and watch the enormous variety of sea birds.

Ahead is the fairytale castle St. Michael's Mount,

perched on its own island.

It was originally a 12th century monastery, then a fortress,

before finally being adapted

into a magnificent residence in the 1650s.

From the air it's a dramatic site.

However, for the unwary visitor, the incoming tide

cuts off the island and can cause

a few problems getting back to the mainland.

A little known fact about St. Michael's Mount

is that the tower on top was used as an early lighthouse

by using a fire lit in a brazier.

And in 1588, when an invading Spanish fleet was sighted,

the fire was lit in a chain of beacons

that warned not only the fleet stationed along the coast,

but also Queen Elizabeth I in London, 400 kilometers away.

And from one form of signaling to another

that launched mankind into the modern age

of telecommunications 300 years later.

This is Poldhu Point, where a simple stone monument

marks one of the greatest events in history.

It was here, on December the 12th, 1901 that the first ever

radio message crossed the Atlantic to Canada

and was picked up at Signal Hill, St. Johns, Newfoundland.

It was a simple three dots for the letter S in morse code.

The man who achieved this incredible breakthrough

was the brilliant Italian electrical engineer,

Guglielmo Marconi.

He housed his workforce in this large white building

overlooking the sea, which later became a hotel.

The transmitting station itself was dismantled in 1933,

and all that remains are these concrete foundations.

Today a small museum commemorates the event

and is run by the Poldhu Amateur Radio Society.

And only six kilometers away, a site was chosen

for another historic transmission

that Marconi could only have dreamt of.

In the early hours of Wednesday the 11th of July, 1962,

the first ever transatlantic signals were relayed

via satellite to a dish nicknamed Arthur.

From there the installation grew to become

one of the largest communication centers

in the world, with over 60 dishes.

The Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station.

Over the years, Goonhilly played a key role

in historic events such as the Muhammad Ali fights,

and the 1969 moon landing.

But sadly, the dishes we see today are relics of the past,

because in 2006, all satellite operations

were shut down in favor of a newer station.

It seemed like the end of an era for Goonhilly,

but in a surprising turn, it was announced

that the giant dishes will be refurbished to be used

as radio telescopes by astronomers,

and for communications with future space missions

to Mars and beyond.

Following the coast, we arrive at one of the deepest

natural harbors in the world, Falmouth.

With its sheltered waters, it's long been popular

with boaters, and it's famous for being used

as the start and finish line

for around the world sailing records.

Today the busy port is an important part

of the towns economy, just as it's been for centuries.

And guarding both sides of the mouth of the harbor

are reminders of less peaceful times

when naval attacks by the neighboring Spanish

and French were a continual threat.

These two splendidly preserve 16th century castles

where the work of the Tudor king, Henry VIII,

who's architects introduced

revolutionary new designs to military buildings.

Like Pendennis Castle on the west side.

It's circular wall enabled cannon positions

all the way around to protect the harbor entrance,

as well as fire on ships that slipped through.

Across the harbor to the east is St Mawes Castle,

built in the 1540s.

It's a typical example of a Tudor fort,

and still retains its original shape of a clover leaf.

Ironically, neither castle fired a shot against an invasion

from the sea, which they were designed for.

Instead, the were stormed and taken from a land attack

during the Civil War of the 17th century,

something that Tudor architects hadn't counted on.

Fishing was once a major industry in Cornwall,

dating back to medieval times, but it's heyday

was in the 19th century before gradually going into decline

from over fishing in the 20th century.

However, many villagers along this coast

continue the prior tradition,

like Mevagissey, nestled in a picturesque bay.

Though much of it's income is now from tourism,

over 60 registered fishing vessels

still work from this port.

Not far from the coast, these fertile farmlands

are interrupted by the extraordinary site of one industry

that's still going strong today.

The St Austell Clay Pits.

With the exception of China, Cornwall enjoys

almost a world monopoly for the highest quality

pure white clay that's vital

in the making of fine porcelain, as well as paper.

China clay, or kaolin, is only found

in a few places around the world.

And it was first discovered here in Cornwall

at the turn of the 19th century.

Since then, it's continual extraction

has left this enormous lunar style landscape.

High pressure water jets wash the kaolin deposits away

in this milky stream.

It's then separated, processed, and stored

before being exported around the world.

Over 200 years of quarrying in the area

has left giant land scars.

But one abandoned pit now contains exciting new life.

The Eden Project, one of the most

ambitious ecological experiments ever undertaken.

These greenhouses, or biomes as they are called,

are the largest in the world, containing between them

100,000 plants covering hundreds of species.

The biomes house two different climates.

One is humid and tropical, the other recreates

the warm temperate regions of the world.

These domes are not covered in glass,

but a special transparent foil

that's both stronger and lighter.

The material is also self cleaning,

using the force of natural rainfall.

The aim of the Eden Project is to promote understanding

of the relationship between plants and mankind.

With more than a million visitors each year,

it seems people are getting the message.

Back along the coast headed east

is one of the worlds largest

and most spectacular harbors, Plymouth.

This famous port is best known

for two great historic events.

It's said that in 1588, the great naval commander,

Sir Francis Drake, was playing a bowling game

on the very green where he was told

about an approaching Spanish fleet.

Legend has it that he insisted on finishing the game

before setting off to lead his ships to a decisive victory.

Also from the harbor in 1620 that the pilgrim father

set sail for the new world in the Mayflower.

The 102 men, women, and children on board

would've found the first European settlement in America,

a place they named Plymouth Colony.

This harbor has been serving the royal navy

for over 300 years, and today Plymouth is home

to one of the largest naval dock yards in Europe.

With over 5,000 shipping movements each year,

almost every type of naval vessel can be spotted here,

from submarines to minesweepers.

Along this great stretch of rocky coastline is a place

that has a special connection

with the best selling crime writer

of all time, Agatha Christie.

This is Burgh Island, home to a wonderful

Art Deco hotel from the 1930s.

It's where Agatha Christie set two of her detective novels,

"And Then There Were None,"

and the Hercule Poirot mystery, "Evil Under The Sun."

The island is cut off at high tide,

an especially built sea tractor is used

to get guests across the causeway.

During the first half of 1944,

much of this south coast of England was used

to launch the historic D-Day invasion of occupied France,

which eventually led to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

This is Slapton Sands in Devon,

a section of coast that's remembered

for a tragic event during this period.

It was along here that 749 U.S. Serviceman

lost their lives during a training exercise

for the D-Day landings.

Nine German fast patrol boats

broke the ally defensive barrier at night

and attacked the unarmed landing craft

carrying tanks and men.

It was one of the highest losses of life suffered

by the US Army and Navy in World War II at one time.

A Sherman tank, which was sunk in this action,

was recovered from the sea in 1984

and now stands close to the beach

as a memorial to those who perished.

Just beyond this picturesque headland

is the Porton resort town of Teignmouth.

It also boasts one of the most dramatic stretches

of railway line in England,

and is a tourist attraction in it's own right.

This high speed express is running along a section

of railway line originally built in the mid-19th century

by one of the worlds greatest engineers,

Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

He built this section by carving it

into the red sandstone of the Devon coast.

At hight tides, the train ride can be alarming,

as the sea often crashes against the sea wall

and sprays the carriages.

However, such a thrilling ride isn't without its hazard.

The railway company invests over $800,000 a year

to prevent land slips which have caused line closures

many times in the past.

In fact, this whole section of Dorset Coast

is well known for landslides.

One of the biggest took place in 1839,

when after a prolonged period of rain,

eight million tons of rocks,

supporting 2/3 of a square kilometer,

collapsed into the English Channel.

Between the chasm and the shore, an isolated area of land

was formed, which is now known as Goat Island.

Over time, trees and other plants have grown up

in the fall line, creating a dense self-sown forest

that thrives in the shelter of the higher cliff.

An extraordinary consequence of this crumbling coastline

is that the exposed rock give scientists

a unique glimpse into the planets past.

This 150 kilometer stretch known as the Jurassic Coast

is the only place where 185 million years

of the Earth's history are reveled in the cliff faces,

making it one of the most important

earth science sites in the world.

The Jurassic Coast was awarded world heritage status

in 2001, ranking it alongside other natural wonders,

such as the Great Barrier Reef, and the Grand Canyon.

Layers of rock that make up the cliffs

contained countless fossils belonging to long extinct

species of plants and animals from tropical sea creatures

such as ammonites to swap dwelling dinosaurs.

But the person who really put the Jurassic Coast

on the map was a girl named Mary Anning,

from what was then, the major port town, Lyme Regis.

In 1811 when she was only 12, Mary Anning

discovered the first complete skeleton

of an ichthyosaur in the nearby cliffs.

She went on to devote her life to the study of fossils,

and contributed to major advances

in the early science of Paleontology.

Today, just as in Mary Anning's time,

these crumbling cliffs continue to reveal treasures

for the thousands of fossil hunters

who come and dig each year.

Ahead is Golden Cap, the tallest cliff

on the south coast of England, and it's almost

200 meters high and gets its name

from the sandstone color of the rock.

From the top, walkers can enjoy spectacular views

of the Jurassic Coast,

including one of the great natural wonders

of England, Chesil Beach.

It's a 29 kilometer slim stretch of shingle,

formed by strong tides over thousands of years,

which has also created an inland sea lagoon.

For centuries locals have fished off the beach,

and it's said that at night they were able to tell

where they were by the size of pebbles,

which grew gradually larger

from one end of the beach to the other.

At the end of Chesil Beach is Portland Harbour,

one of the largest manmade harbors in the world,

and a haven for water sports.

The history of Portland Harbour goes back centuries,

and until recently, was a major naval base.

It took over 50 years to construct the break water

which was completed in 1905

using thousands of prison convicts

to carry out the grueling work.

One function of the break water was to defend

the ships of the worlds greatest navy,

and this could be seen with the defensive forts

at the entrances.

This imposing structure took 25 years to build

and is clad with iron half a meter thick.

And the millions of tons of stone that was used

to build the break water came from a quarry

that couldn't have been closer, Portland Bill.

Prized for its hardness and color,

the first ever recorded use of Portland stone

was over 1,000 years ago.

Since then it's been used extensively

by many illustrious architects for elegant

and prestigious buildings world wide.

The United Nations building in New York

was built using Portland stone,

as was Buckingham Palace in London.

At the farthest end of Portland Bill

are three lighthouses that have over a period

spanning 300 years, served to warn ships

of the dangerous waters around the headland.

As well as the undersea rocks,

this is where two powerful sea currents clash,

making this stretch a graveyard

for ships that fail to reach the harbor.

Only one of the lighthouses is now operational,

with the older two towers serving

as a bird observatory and a field center.

And finally, from some of the most feared waters,

to some of the most desired.

On the other side of the harbor is Weymouth Bay

that's renown for having the best

sailing waters in Northern Europe.

It's hosted some of the most prestigious sailing events

in the world, from world championships,

to the 2012 Olympics.

It attracts some of the finest vessels in the world,

like this elegant training ship.

It's a great sight, and a magnificent way

to end this journey.

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