Original subtitles

(uplifting orchestral music)

- Our journey begins at the Seven Sisters,

a vast set of spectacular chalk cliffs

on the south coast of England.

Heading east, we reach Battle,

the site of one of the most important events

in English history, the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Continuing to the north, we visit Bateman's,

home to one of England's greatest poets, Rudyard Kipling.

Before continuing to the east where we reach Romney Marsh,

an other worldly place,

sometimes called the Fifth Continent.

Our journey takes us onto Dover,

one of the world's busiest passenger ports,

and a vital link between Britain and mainland Europe.

We then follow the coast north, glimpsing Deal Castle,

a masterpiece of medieval military engineering.

Finally, we reach Canterbury and its magnificent cathedral.

On the south coast of England,

in the county of East Sussex, are the Seven Sisters.

These rolling white cliffs are part of the South Downs,

a chalk formation that stretches 110 kilometers

across the South of England.

These white cliffs are an iconic part of England,

a symbol of a nation known through history

as an island fortress.

(gentle music)

The chalk was deposited around 100 million years ago

when sea levels were higher and England was under the sea.

The rock was forced upwards and eroded

to form these dramatic cliffs.

The sea continues to wash away the Seven Sisters.

Each year they retreat by around 40 centimeters.

The Seven Sisters are designated as an area

of outstanding natural beauty,

and since 2011, part of England's newest national park,

the South Downs National Park.

Within the Seven Sisters is the pebble beach of Birling Gap.

The sheltered sides of this natural bay

make it the perfect place for landing small boats.

And, for centuries, smuggling.

The cottages above Birling Gap once housed the families

of the customs officials who kept watch over it.

Today, Birling Gap is popular with visitors,

day trippers, and in quieter parts of the beach, nudists.

At the end of the Seven Sisters is Beachy Head.

This steep cliff is sadly notorious for suicides,

claiming the lives of about 20 people a year.

In the sea below is Beachy Head Lighthouse.

It's said that a light has been kept burning here

since 1670, warning sailors of the rocky eastern end

of the South Downs.

Begun in 1900, this lighthouse took two years to build.

At 43 meters tall, its construction required a cable car

from the clifftop to bring down

over 3,000 tons of Cornish granite.

Once, the lighthouse was run by a keeper,

but in 1983, it was automated.

Today, it's monitored remotely

from a facility hundreds of miles away.

Close by to the east is the seaside town of Eastbourne,

with its famous pier.

Built in the 19th century, it is 300 meters long.

In 2014, the pier caught fire and was almost destroyed,

but thanks to a local entrepreneur,

it has been rescued and is currently being redeveloped.

We continue on our journey,

passing through the patchwork fields

of the East Sussex countryside, to reach Pevensey Castle.

These extraordinary ruined castle walls

were built by the Romans around 290 AD

to guard the British coast against Saxon pirates.

It's 290 meters long and 170 wide,

the largest surviving Roman fort,

from this period, in England.

In 1066, William the Conqueror used Pevensey

to rally his troops in his invasion of England.

Later, the Normans built this smaller castle

within the old Roman walls.

Nearby, surrounded by magnificent parkland

and formal gardens, is Herstmonceux Castle.

(gentle music)

The name comes from the marriage

of a lady called Idonea de Herst

to a Norman nobleman called Ingelram de Monceux.

The old manor began to be called the Herst of Monceux,

a name that eventually became Herstmonceux.

Built in the 15th century, this is one of the oldest

remaining brick buildings in England.

Brick was an unusual material for a castle,

and the builders perhaps concentrated more on grandeur

and comfort than on defense.

In the 1950s it was home to the Royal Greenwich Observatory,

but in 1990, with light pollution growing

from the nearby town of Eastbourne,

the observatory moved out.

It was feared that the castle would be redeveloped,

endangering this Elizabethan wall garden

and the vast castle moat.

But, today, on the top of the gatehouse,

alongside the British Union Jack, flies the Canadian flag.

In 1994 the developers were defeated

and the castle became home to a study center

for international law students

at the Queen's University of Canada.

The castle was a gift to the university

by the Canadian chemist, Alfred Bader.

Today, the Bader Center welcomes students

from around the world to study in this spectacular building

and its beautiful surroundings.

(gentle music)

Our journey continues, moving east along the coast

to reach the historic town of Hastings.

It was on this stretch of coast

that William, Duke of Normandy, landed his army

and began his conquest of England.

Before his arrival Hastings was an important fishing port,

and today it's still home to the largest fleet

of beach launched fishing boats in Europe.

Hastings' 280 meter long pier opened in 1872.

Over the years it has held a rifle range,

a bowling alley, and a 2,000 seater pavilion.

In the 1980s the pier fell into disuse,

and in 2008 it was closed.

But with the help of charitable donations and a public grant

the pier is being reconstructed.

And in 2016 it opens its doors once more to the public.

Perched atop a hill overlooking the town is Hastings Castle.

Built in 1070 AD this was one of the first permanent forts

constructed by the Normans in Britain.

Once, Hastings Castle had a large stone keep,

dungeons and a church,

but in 1287 violent storms undermined the cliffs

and caused parts of the building, including the castle keep,

to fall into the sea below.

Over the years that followed the castle was ruined,

until in the 1530s it was demolished by Henry VIII

who built new forts around the coast.

For centuries the land was used for farming

and the castle was forgotten,

until in 1824 the ruins were excavated

and opened to the public.

Today it's a favorite spot for tourists,

following in the footsteps of a much earlier visitor,

William the Conqueror.

He changed the course of English history here at Battle.

It's named after his great victory, the Battle of Hastings.

On the 14th of October, 1066, the English,

led by King Harold, faced William's army from the ridge

where the abbey now stands.

The battle was fierce, bloody and closely matched.

But the Norman archers had powerful crossbows.

One of their arrows reached King Harold,

striking him in the eye and killing him.

Leaderless, the English were soon defeated.

William took the throne and was crowned on Christmas Day.

He ruled until his death in 1087.

As penance for the blood shed here,

William was ordered by the pope to build Battle Abbey.

It was not completed until after his death.

Legend has it that the abbey altar is on the exact spot

that King Harold fell, it is marked with a plaque.

Over the years the abbey slowly fell into a ruinous state.

Some of the buildings still remain

and are used today by Battle Abbey School.

A few miles to the north is Bateman's house.

Built in the 17th century Jacobean period

from local sandstone,

it was originally for a wealthy iron maker.

The roof tiles and 12 chimneys were made

from local Weald Clay.

But this most English of houses went on to become home

to that most English of writers, Rudyard Kipling.

In 1902, Kipling saw the house

and immediately fell in love with it.

He wrote later, "Behold us lawful owners

"of a grey stone lichened house, AD 1634 over the door.

"All untouched and unfaked.

"It is a good and peaceable place.

"We have loved it ever since our first sight of it."

He lived there until his death in 1936.

In 1939 his wife gave Bateman's to The National Trust

to be opened to the public.

Today, the rooms are largely as Kipling left them.

His Rolls-Royce is still in the garage,

his Nobel Prize certificate hangs from the wall,

and in his book-lined study can be seen his desk,

writing tools, paperweight and pipe.

This is one of the most spectacular castles

in Britain; Bodiam.

It's been said that anyone who has ever built sandcastles

will feel an immediate affinity with Bodiam.

It looks like the work of a giant bucket and spade.

Built in the 14th century, the castle was the work

of a knight who had fought in France.

Bodiam was intended to defend against a revenge attack

from the coast.

The castle is notable for its symmetry.

It's an almost perfect square.

At each corner stands a four-story cylindrical tower,

with rectangular towers halfway along each wall.

The moat is an artificial lake,

created by diverting the nearby River Rother

into an area of marshy land.

Remarkably, the castle still has

its original wooden portcullis,

the gate that was raised to allow guests to enter,

and lowered to hold enemies at bay.

But during the English Civil War of the 17th century,

it was occupied and the interiors gutted.

It fell into disrepair before being given

to The National Trust.

Today, many thousands visit each year

to explore this picturesque knight's castle,

and to enjoy its magnificent views

across the East Sussex countryside.

This is Romney Marsh, a home to a variety

of wildlife and birds.

The poet, John Betjeman, wrote of it,

"Romney Marsh, where the roads wind

"like streams through the pasture

"and the sky is always three quarters of the landscape.

"The sea has given a colour to this district.

"It has spotted with the silver oak posts and rails.

"It gives the grass and the rushes a grey, salty look."

Close to the natural beauty of Romney Marsh

we find a more modern marvel, the Eurostar.

This is one of the 44 high-speed trains

that run on the line,

connecting Britain with Paris and Brussels.

The Eurostar carries more than 10 million passengers

each year, many arriving here at the Folkestone terminal.

The idea of tunneling under the Channel

was suggested as early as 1802,

but it wasn't for 200 years, in 1988,

that construction began.

The Eurotunnel opened in 1994.

The trains take not only passengers,

but on the Eurostar shuttle service,

cars, coaches and freight.

It's an important trade link

between Britain and the continent.

The tunnel itself is 50 kilometers long.

With 38 kilometers beneath the Channel,

it's the longest underwater tunnel in the world.

The trains can run at up to 300 kilometers an hour,

taking just over two hours to travel from London to Paris.

While the Eurostar symbolizes Britain's

closeness to the continent,

the White Cliffs of Dover symbolize her defense.

And since the 1990s, there's a new bit of land

beneath the Cliffs, the spoil from digging the tunnel.

The Port of Dover is the nearest English one to France,

just 34 kilometers away.

For centuries, this was the main route

into and out of England.

Since at least the Bronze Age,

this port has been used to trade goods across the Channel.

And today, it remains amongst the world's busiest

passenger ports with 16 million travelers,

two million lorries, and three million cars

passing through it each year.

The port is a stopping point for ferries

running to Calais and Dunkirk,

and cruise ships, which set out from Dover

to explore the world.

Overseeing this traffic is Dover Coastguard,

built on an artillery battery,

used in both the first and second World Wars.

The control room takes the place

of one of the old gun positions.

By volume, Britain an island nation,

transports about 95% of its trade by sea.

Almost all imported goods arrive by ship,

and much travels through the Channel,

making it one of the busiest seaways on Earth.

In 1972, after a number of serious collisions,

the world's first sea traffic separation scheme was set up.

Vessels traveling to the north must now

use the French side of the Channel,

while the English lane is taken to the south.

Larger ships register with an

automated identification system,

giving information to the Coastguard

on their course, destination and speed.

And criss-crossing this busy shipping lane

are all the ferries running 24 hours a day.

Every now and then, and with permission,

swimmers also try and cross the Channel.

This is an extraordinary feat of endurance.

Only 700 people have accomplished it.

The route takes swimmers from the White Cliffs of Dover

to Cap Gris Nez in France.

It can take anything from seven to 27 hours,

depending on the weather, currents, and shipping schedules.

Their journey, along with that of the thousands

of ships that pass through the Channel,

are watched over by the Dover Coastguard.

Above the port is the spectacular Dover Castle.

Known as the Key to England,

it has defended the realm for over nine centuries,

making it one of the oldest forts in Britain.

Close by the castle, next to the parish church,

is the Roman Lighthouse, or Pharos.

From the top of this building,

a fire beacon was once lit each night,

guiding Roman vessels sailing between Gaul

and Britannia into the harbor.

Despite having served the nation since the 12th century,

Dover Castle only recently ended its active service.

During the Napoleonic Wars in the 18th century,

tunnels were dug beneath the castle

to house men and supplies.

These were used in both World Wars as command centers.

It was from here in 1940 that the evacuation

of French and British soldiers from Dunkirk was directed.

Later, during the Cold War, they were planned

to be one of Britain's regional seats of government

in the event of nuclear war.

Overlooking the castle is another part

of Britain's coastal defenses,

Swingate transmitting station.

This was one of the five stations

that made up a system called Chain Home.

Completed in 1936, it was one of the world's first

practical radar systems.

Chain Home was a vital part of the British war effort

in the fight against Nazi Germany.

It detected German bombers approaching across the Channel,

giving early warning to the Royal Air Force,

and letting them use their fighters more effectively.

The three lattice towers have a height of around 111 meters.

Today, Swingate is used to transmit FM radio for the BBC.

A few miles up the coast is Walmer Castle.

Built by Henry VIII, it was part of a chain

of coastal artillery defenses.

It later became the home of the Duke of Wellington,

who was made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,

an honorary position going back to the 12th century.

Visitors can see the armchair in which he died in 1852,

as well as a true pair of Wellington boots.

Close by is another link in Henry VIII's

chain of coastal defenses, Deal Castle.

Built in 1539, it countered the threat

of invasion from Catholic Europe.

Deal Castle overlooks a sheltered area

of water know as the Downs,

an ideal rallying location for an invading fleet.

The fort is shaped like a Tudor rose,

Henry's family's symbol.

At the center of the fort is a circular keep,

80 meters in diameter.

This is surrounded by to rings of six bastions,

allowing defending troops to fire in all directions,

and to control access to the dry moat.

This was a new style of military castle

designed purely for defense and manned by soldiers.

Finally, our journey takes us to Canterbury

and its extraordinary cathedral.

Canterbury Cathedral dates from around 1070.

It was built by the Normans after William conquered England.

The cathedral is 160 meters long, it's tower 72 meters tall.

Canterbury is the seat of the senior bishop

and leader of the Church of England.

It was where an earlier archbishop, Thomas Becket,

was murdered in 1170 on the order of King Henry II.

And so this magnificent cathedral,

begun by the Romans, rebuilt by the Normans,

and added to over the following centuries,

is a symbol of both French conquest and English identity.

Since the Middle Ages, this has been the final destination

for pilgrims and visitors,

making it the perfect place to end this journey.

(uplifting orchestral music)