0:00:11 > 0:00:13This is Coast.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Our stunning sea cliffs.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51An imperious borderline, stitched with a rainbow tapestry of stone.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00Deceptive and dramatic, yielding and treacherous.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05Over millennia, we've learnt to negotiate this tricky terrain...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11..and carve surprising uses from its rocky skeleton.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16My quest has brought me to the Isle of Wight.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23I'm on a mission to delve into the hidden world of our sea cliffs,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and I'm going to start with this key.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30MUSIC: Mission Impossible Theme
0:01:35 > 0:01:40Over a century ago, the locals unlocked a secret.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44This solid sea cliff had a helpfully soft core.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Behind this grill is a disused lift shaft -
0:01:52 > 0:01:55a man-made hole bored straight into the cliff.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07I'm going to extreme lengths, investigating mysteries
0:02:07 > 0:02:09at the heart of our sea cliffs.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11And I'm not alone.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Tessa is on the south coast,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17discovering a cliff that went to war.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20These cliffs were the perfect testing ground for the tactics
0:02:20 > 0:02:23that would be used for the D-Day landings.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32While Andy joins the military on a modern day mission.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37This cliff is a challenge you've got to conquer if you want to be a Royal Marine.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And new experts Cassie Newland and Sarah Beynon
0:02:44 > 0:02:48share insider knowledge of unexpected treasures.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52These guys can shift serious amounts of poo.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57We've got all this amazingly interesting stuff that's just falling out of the cliff.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02And I'll be exploring the surprising shores of Yorkshire,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06where cliffs are towers of strength, and soft as butter.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Road to nowhere.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Our island's edge, as you've never seen it before.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This is The Secret Life of Sea Cliffs.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28My journey will take me on a 70-mile adventure
0:03:28 > 0:03:32across the vast and varied cliffs of Yorkshire.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37But first, I need to free myself from the depths of the Isle of Wight.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Here, the sea has bitten chunks out of the headland.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52If nature could carve through the chalk, why not man?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I've walked across cliffs, I've climbed up cliffs,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03but I've never abseiled through a cliff,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and it's completely other-worldly.
0:04:09 > 0:04:15In the late 19th century, the Government had the cliff's centre scooped out.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Part of a secret defence plan.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22This looks like a spur tunnel, this.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24It's got a very high roof and it's full of debris.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26This one looks like the main one.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32These tunnels have lain untouched for decades,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35but clues to their use still remain.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Old electrical cables carried in this rusty steel pipe.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47There's a gigantic rusting engine.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50This must have been used to power the lift.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56A window ahead sheds some light.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Look at this! Unbelievable!
0:05:07 > 0:05:12What could be more secure than a fortress built into a cliff face?
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Beginning in 1860, the military chiselled out the chalk
0:05:21 > 0:05:24to create a rock-solid defence.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27A fort dug into the cliff top.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32And near sea level, camouflaged gun positions,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36ideal for troops facing hostile warships in the Channel.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45They had worked a way to make the most of their cliff edge.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49And this rocky border can lead me to further surprises.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Imagine following this seam of chalk back inland.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It would be an underground journey
0:05:57 > 0:06:00through the soft underbelly of England,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03emerging on the east coast in God's own country.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07The chalk rears its head again here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10These are the White Cliffs of Yorkshire.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24This is the ideal location to celebrate our sea cliffs
0:06:24 > 0:06:28at their most splendid, and their most scary.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35While I explore the Yorkshire shore,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38the team will discover their own highlights.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Every cliff has its own secret and surprising story to tell.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54During the Second World War, our chalky southern shore
0:06:54 > 0:06:56was immortalised in song.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58A reminder of peace.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03# There'll be blue birds over
0:07:03 > 0:07:09# The White Cliffs of Dover
0:07:09 > 0:07:12# Tomorrow
0:07:12 > 0:07:17# Just you wait and see. #
0:07:17 > 0:07:23But this coastline wasn't remote from the war. It helped to win it.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Courageous exploits are remembered in Burton Bradstock.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39For centuries, this rocky precipice protected the tiny village,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42but when the Second World War came knocking,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45a door opened to an extraordinary invasion.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Tessa's discovering a cliff that went to war.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58In 1944 the tide was about to turn in Europe,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and Britain's un-breached borders
0:08:00 > 0:08:04were braced for a new chapter in their long history.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09This line of defence was about to play a crucial role
0:08:09 > 0:08:11in an attack on the enemy.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16In early 1944, a line of assault craft
0:08:16 > 0:08:18was advancing on our south coast.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The sleepy village of Burton Bradstock
0:08:21 > 0:08:23was about to be exposed to war.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Janet Guppy was 13 at the time.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31The cliffs brought danger to her doorstep.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We weren't allowed to use the cliff at all.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37It was just barbed wire all the way along here,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39right the way along the coast.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43And one morning, Janet, you saw something untoward, didn't you?
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Yes, I noticed something on the cliff top.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Looking through the wire I could see this dark shape.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- There were several of them there. - Did you go and investigate?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55No, we couldn't get there because of all this barbed wire.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I had to go off because I had to go to school.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Grappling hooks were hurled on to the cliff top.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Unique film shows the cliff face under siege.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09But the threat wasn't what the villagers feared.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Look closely and you can see the American uniforms.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16This wasn't an enemy invasion. The Yanks were coming.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Burton Bradstock had become a training ground
0:09:22 > 0:09:25for America's elite cliff assault team.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The leading men race to the top.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Two men can climb each ladder at the same time.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The US Rangers were preparing for a daring mission
0:09:40 > 0:09:42to decide the fate of Europe.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45These cliffs were the perfect testing ground
0:09:45 > 0:09:48for the tactics used during the D-Day landings.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55120 miles away over the Channel lay the Normandy coast.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00The cliffs there are a mirror image of those at Burton Bradstock.
0:10:00 > 0:10:0530 metres high, the same stone, they loomed over the beach.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08High ground the Americans had to take.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13The cliffs at Burton Bradstock
0:10:13 > 0:10:17were chosen to test the troops' equipment for real.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22If they could successfully scale these cliffs in England,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26then they had a chance of overcoming the German fortifications
0:10:26 > 0:10:28on the cliffs of occupied France.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35Waiting for D-Day, a group of GIs were stationed nearby.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Locals weren't usually allowed to access their camp,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41but there's evidence of one exception to the rule.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47A little girl posing for a publicity shot with the GIs all those years ago.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49And here she is now.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- Hi, Liz.- Hi, Tess.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Liz Mackay was six years old when she was picked to meet the troops.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Photos of her visits were published stateside,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04part of a propaganda campaign to reassure American families
0:11:04 > 0:11:08that the Brits were giving their boys a warm welcome.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- I have here some copies of those original photographs.- Oh, gosh!
0:11:12 > 0:11:14So here you are with your pigtails.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Yes!
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Oh, yes!
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- And this is my favourite. Isn't that special?- Yes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25You were as cute as a button.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I bet they really indulged you, didn't they?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Oh, absolutely indulged.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We came out with armfuls of goodies, you know.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Chocolate and candies and hair ribbons.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Had you ever even met an American before?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42No. No, I'd only seen them on film.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48They were all like movie stars and I think we felt part of a big movie.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Were you aware of why they were stationed here?
0:11:51 > 0:11:57Not really, no. I was a little too young to fully comprehend
0:11:57 > 0:11:59the seriousness of what was going on.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05For the Americans, their peaceful stay had an abrupt end.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Janet caught a remarkable glimpse of their top-secret departure.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- We were haymaking and... - There you are.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17There was a hayrick there and my uncle was at the top and he shouted to me and he said,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20"Come up on to the top of the hayrick.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23"There's a sight that I hope you'll never see in the rest of your life."
0:12:23 > 0:12:28And when we looked out across here, it was black, the sea.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31You couldn't see the sea. It was just boats.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The water was thick with soldiers.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41On the 6th June 1944, the Allied forces launched
0:12:41 > 0:12:44their crucial landings on the Normandy coast.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49The next few hours have been immortalised in drama.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The Americans stormed the beach and attacked higher ground
0:12:54 > 0:12:57where German fire threatened GIs exposed on the sand below.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03At the cliffs, the Rangers' training kicked in.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Thanks to practice in England, the first men were up in minutes
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and heroically stood fast.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26More than 100 US Rangers, over half the cliff assault force,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29were killed or injured during the D-Day operation.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31The survivors were eventually relieved,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34having held on to their lethal position.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Overcoming the cliffs of France,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42the Allies secured the beaches and advanced.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Within a year, the war in Europe was won.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Back in Burton Bradstock, two women come again to the cliffs
0:13:52 > 0:13:54to remember desperate days.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57What about for both of you,
0:13:57 > 0:14:02being so connected to such a significant moment?
0:14:02 > 0:14:08It honed your sights in on what could go on on the cliffs.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- We were part of that.- It's history.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12And I feel quite proud of that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Even though it's a tiny, tiny speck, it's good.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20You were the poster girl for the GIs!
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Don't tell everyone!
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Our coastline can feel like a full stop.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33But here, when destiny came knocking,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37these cliffs opened us up to events beyond our imagining.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12We're exploring the secret life of sea cliffs,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15a journey that's brought me to Yorkshire.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25The cliffs here at Flamborough Head are 100 million years old.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30It's easy to believe they're set in stone, but not so.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40This rocky skeleton creaks at the joints.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Lifeless rock is stealthily on the move,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49creating cathedrals hewn from stone.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57These arches are the magnificent leftovers of cliff formations.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Extraordinary examples of coastal architecture.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14The tide washes in and out of small holes in headlands like this one
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and it creates a small arch.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20That arch gets worn bigger and bigger, higher and higher,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23until finally, the top of the arch collapses
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and you get a free-standing pillar.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And here is a perfect example.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Nature is perpetually busy, remodelling our coast.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Grand pillars.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Majestic archways.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Vast halls.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Wild splendour that's home to our wildlife.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Where we keep clear, others congregate.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29And there's no better residence than Ramsey Island.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Here on the knife edge of West Wales the rock face is daunting,
0:17:40 > 0:17:46but look closely and you'll discover a secret community of cliff dwellers.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Insect expert Sarah Beynon is onboard to bring us a bug's-eye view.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Ramsey Island is about a mile from where I grew up.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05I've been out here countless times but I never tire of the sea cliffs.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14At 120 metres tall, they're not very people-friendly.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19There are only two permanent residents, but a wealth of wildlife.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And a few surprise day-trippers.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Normally, it's the sea birds that entertain the tourists.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Ramsey Island is a bird watcher's paradise.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But I know a secret.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Some species only thrive thanks to remarkable insects
0:18:42 > 0:18:44that stalk these cliffs.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51The dung beetles.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I've studied these fascinating insects for years.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Fortunately, they're not hard to find.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01There's always an 'X' to mark the spot.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Unfortunately, that 'X' is a cowpat.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Let's see what we find. It's a bit squishy.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Ah! Here we go.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14So here is a dung beetle.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Now, this is one of the dung beetles that Ramsey Island is renowned for.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22This one is called Anoplotrupes Stercorosus.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Not an easy name to remember.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26This is a flightless dung beetle
0:19:26 > 0:19:29that will potter along from dung pat to dung pat.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It will just hide itself underneath the dung
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and then bury the dung in a tunnel it digs under the pat.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Observe them closely, and you'll discover these humble creatures
0:19:43 > 0:19:47play an illustrious role in Ramsey's rich ecosystem.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51They are the biggest draw for the island's more famous feathered residents.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Dung beetles attract other cliff dwellers
0:19:57 > 0:20:00that bird watchers flock here to spot - the chough.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08On the cliff tops, these rare red-billed birds have a field day.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12They feast on the plentiful, protein-rich dung beetles.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18RSPB warden Greg Morgan keeps a close eye on the precious chough.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23They're a special breed on Ramsey for the fact that
0:20:23 > 0:20:27they are scarce nationally and this is one of the strongholds for them.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29They're very charismatic birds.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31When you watch them as long as I do,
0:20:31 > 0:20:32you start noticing all these nuances.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They nest in sea caves, and it doesn't matter what the weather
0:20:35 > 0:20:37throws at them, they'll put up with that.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39You just start to love these birds.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Where we're standing now, it's absolutely rife with insect life,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45so is this the kind of place the chough would be feeding?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Absolutely. This is ideal for them.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50This is what they need. They need the grass to be short.
0:20:50 > 0:20:57If it gets too long they can't forage properly and as a result of livestock out on the island,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00that helps to provide that environment and provide dung.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04So the dung beetles, their only predator is really the chough
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and other birds that are foraging in dung.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Exactly. It all starts at the bottom.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12You get your insects right and then you get your birds right.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It's heartening to see Ramsey's cliff top food chain flourish.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Birds eat beetles.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Beetles eat dung.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Dung that comes from cattle and sheep, that feed on the flora
0:21:35 > 0:21:40that thrives in the soil tilled and nourished by burrowing dung beetles.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51To ensure this food cycle remains unbroken,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I monitor the beetle population.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57A harmless trap, baited with a cowpat, lures them in.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59So here's one of the dung pats we laid a few days ago,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and hopefully, there'll be something inside.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Oh, look at this! What have we got?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16This one here is called Trypocopris Vernalis.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21You can see its front legs that he's waving around here have got lots and lots of spines on them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23They're so strong, these legs.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25They use them for digging and pulling the dung down
0:22:25 > 0:22:27into the burrows.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29They can push the equivalent to me pushing
0:22:29 > 0:22:31three and a half double-decker buses!
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Ramsey's miniature world is going from strength to strength,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40thanks to the giant sea cliffs.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44For us, this margin is inhospitable,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48but where we fear to tread, nature can roam free.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56The ribbon of sea cliffs around Ramsey is a precious place.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I wish we could manage more of our land like this,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03so the beetles are left alone to do their bit for the environment.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36We've learnt to keep a safe distance from our cliff edge,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40but what happens when cliffs edge closer to us?
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Our shore shrinks by the day here in Yorkshire.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Rising some 200 metres,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59these white precipices are among the loftiest in England.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02But they have a secret.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06They stretch much further than it seems on the surface.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11In many places, the white cliffs are actually brown.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13The gleaming face of the chalk
0:24:13 > 0:24:16is covered in a thick layer of sand and clay.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21This false facade extends for miles.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The clay of an ancient seabed
0:24:23 > 0:24:27that was smeared up over the chalk during the ice age.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Now, the sea's reclaiming her lost property.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Seen from a distance, this cliff might look fairly solid,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38but up close it reveals its alarming secret.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44This stuff is so soft, it falls apart in your hand.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48As sea levels rise,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52this boulder clay along our east coast is crumbling.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06This massive structure from the Second World War
0:25:06 > 0:25:10is just lying on its back on the beach.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14It's made of brick, concrete, steel.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Once upon a time, it stood up there on top of a cliff,
0:25:18 > 0:25:24and it was constructed to defend Britain from enemy forces.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27But it's been brought to its knees not by war,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30but by the attacking sea.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36In 2006, our cameras captured the same tower
0:25:36 > 0:25:39sitting a few metres from the cliff edge.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Just three years later, the ground disappeared beneath it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Here's the present cliff.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50It's been receding over the last century and a half
0:25:50 > 0:25:55at an astonishing average of 1.27 metres for every year,
0:25:55 > 0:26:00which means that since 1941 when that military emplacement was built,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05this cliff has receded about 76 metres.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So I'm going to take a walk back through time,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11one pace for every year.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14One, two, three, four...
0:26:18 > 0:26:2230 paces in, I'm back in the 1980s.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Ten paces more, I hit the glam rock days of the 1970s.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31# Ch-Ch-Changes... #
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Through to the swinging '60s.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35# Talking about my generation
0:26:35 > 0:26:37# I'm not trying to cause... #
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And after 72 paces...
0:26:40 > 0:26:44# As time goes by... #
0:26:44 > 0:26:45This...
0:26:45 > 0:26:51was the line of the cliff in the 1940s. Look at it now!
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Extraordinary.
0:26:53 > 0:27:01# As time goes by. #
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Knowing how quickly this cliff is eroding
0:27:07 > 0:27:10makes you feel uneasy standing on the edge.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12So imagine living here!
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Since Roman times, over 30 villages on the east Yorkshire coast
0:27:20 > 0:27:22have been lost to erosion.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Now the community of Aldbrough is under threat.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30While I'm at the seaside end of the village, it all looks pretty normal.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Pretty little houses, village pub.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37What's not normal...
0:27:40 > 0:27:42..is this!
0:27:43 > 0:27:44A road to nowhere.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Our edge is a precarious place to be.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54But some refuse to see this as the end of the line.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57I'm meeting Nigel Fairclough.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Less than 20 years ago, he bought a seafront house here.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05But as the cliff started to nibble at his garden,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07it was condemned as unsafe.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Now only a ghost house remains.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14We'd be walking up the front footpath here to the house?
0:28:14 > 0:28:15That's correct, yeah.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17So if we go in here and we turn left...
0:28:17 > 0:28:20You're in the living room.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Lovely and cosy when the storms were from the sea.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26You walk straight through the living room.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30We had like a galley kitchen running along the back of the bungalow.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So this is where we'd be standing here to make a pot of tea.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Yeah, and you could stand here and look out.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Beautiful view. You can see Bridlington.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Could you hear the sea at night?
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Yeah. Odd stormy nights, the house would shake.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Literally, we had a lot of ornaments up
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and when the sea were banging in on the cliff, the whole house shook.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53- You're kidding?- No, no.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- The ornaments would tremble? - Yeah, yeah.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58We've had to move them back, if they were on a shelf,
0:28:58 > 0:28:59sometimes we had to push them back
0:28:59 > 0:29:01because they were working their way forward.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Didn't that tell you that you were living somewhere quite precarious?
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Yeah, but...
0:29:06 > 0:29:09comparing where you live,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11living in a town to living somewhere like this,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13it were well worth putting up with it.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Do you remember the day your house was knocked down?
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Yeah. We had to watch while they came in with their digger
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and virtually crushed it, turned it into matchwood
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and loaded it in a skip and took it away.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Today, the street is slowly being bulldozed house by house
0:29:34 > 0:29:37as the cliff edge inches closer.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It just seemed so solid.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44And you never expected this to happen to it.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48But Nigel is undeterred.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52He's just bought a new house 100 metres down the road.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01They reckon that's got 50 years, so it won't worry me one little bit.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04That one is going to be to see me out now, you know.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It's a lovely area, it is great.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09It's just sad it's going.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20All our cliffs are shifting structures
0:30:20 > 0:30:23slowly being reclaimed by the sea,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25as they know in Scarborough.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34In 1993, the Holbeck Hall Hotel was demolished
0:30:34 > 0:30:37after its east wing was lost to coastal erosion.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46When cracks started to show in Cornwall,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49a local geologist was lucky enough
0:30:49 > 0:30:52to capture a Rocky Horror Show on his phone.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54SHRIEKING
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Stretches of our coast do tumble into the sea -
0:31:07 > 0:31:10a story they recognise at Lyme Regis.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19These gentle slopes are evidence of the cliff's downfall,
0:31:19 > 0:31:24and as the land slips, it spills the beans on its past life.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Cassie Newland is an archaeologist with a difference.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35She's raking up history the town thought it had buried long ago.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Some archaeologists love Roman villas or Saxon hoards.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43I like more unusual things,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45and today I'm trawling for trash.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53The 1950s is the birth of our modern throwaway society.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55But what we chuck away as rubbish,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58we're not expecting to get confronted by again.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Here at Lyme Regis, we can do just that,
0:32:00 > 0:32:02and get into all the details
0:32:02 > 0:32:04of people's everyday lives in the past,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06when the sea cliffs give up their secrets.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20Remarkably, these cliffs were once used as a rubbish dump.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Right on the edge of town, the locals can re-live past lives,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29revealed from the old dump.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37As the cliff crumbles, its curious contents litter the beach below.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40We've got an actual kitchen sink!
0:32:43 > 0:32:46And it's enamel. How '50s is that?
0:32:47 > 0:32:50It's fascinating to think that these domestic relics
0:32:50 > 0:32:53have lain hidden in the cliffs for decades.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56I'm meeting local geologists Paddy and Chris
0:32:56 > 0:32:57to make sense of the jumble.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00They've sifted out some prize pieces.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- Chris, Paddy.- Hi.- Hello.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06This looks interesting. Is there anything you know dates of?
0:33:06 > 0:33:10That's 1937, that's a beer bottle top from Bridport.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- Fantastic.- So that's got a date.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Oh, I like that.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16That was actually found the day before yesterday...
0:33:16 > 0:33:17So that's George V.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19..by my youngest son, Leon.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23These ones you see give you a bit of a telltale.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25They're...they're machine-made.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28You can see that because they've got a seam going all the way down.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31And the reason you can tell is it also goes all the way over the top,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33so we know that these have to be after 1909,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35when the machine that did that was invented.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39We've got all of this interesting stuff
0:33:39 > 0:33:41that's just falling out of the cliff. Is that normal?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44When it gets wet, particularly in the winter,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47the rocks over on that side, they fail and they slide down.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50And it so happens the rubbish dump was up at the top of the cliff
0:33:50 > 0:33:51and all of that came with it.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53And all of this material fell down in May 2008
0:33:53 > 0:33:55when there was a very big fall,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- about three quarters of a million tonnes.- Gosh!
0:33:58 > 0:34:01So we've got archaeology and geology.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Archaeology and geology literally all muddled up and all mixed up.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Out of sight and out of mind.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11No-one gave a thought to the cliff top dump.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14But oddly, the bin men who collected
0:34:14 > 0:34:16the town's trash became local treasures.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19No-one knew them better than Ken Gollop.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23So, Ken, your dad was a dustman?
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Yes. My old man was a dustman.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27# He wears a dustman's hat
0:34:27 > 0:34:29# He wears cor blimey trousers
0:34:29 > 0:34:31# And he lives in a council flat. #
0:34:31 > 0:34:35- Which one's your dad? - There you are. The big one.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- Actually, it does look like you. - The big one.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38- They're amazing!- Yeah.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42They were on their rounds one day and a gentleman was moving house.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45And he had loads of bowler hats, top hats,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47dress coats, morning coats and things.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49He said to the dustmen,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52"Look, I got all these, do what you like with them."
0:34:52 > 0:34:55So, of course, Father being Father,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57he put a set straight on
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and they went around the town emptying dustcarts in top hats.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04- Fantastic! - They were so popular and that,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06that people used to stop and take photographs of them.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13The sartorial binmen were tourist favourites,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16but Lyme Regis was no holiday for them.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18So, this is very steep, isn't it?
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- This is a dustman's nightmare. - It is, isn't it?
0:35:22 > 0:35:26The cliff edge is a top spot to share some lost treasure.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Hidden in the BBC archives,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31I've dug up a recording Ken's never heard.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36Now, Ken, tell me if you recognise this at all.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41"You sound as though you enjoy your job. You're very happy."
0:35:41 > 0:35:44"Oh, we four are the happiest men in Lyme.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- "Yes, happiest men in Lyme, sir." - That's my father.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51"Oh, yes! We've had so many as 20 or 30 around us taking our photos.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54"We've had our photos took over 1,000 times this summer."
0:35:54 > 0:35:56"You're very interested in hats."
0:35:56 > 0:36:00"Hats? Yes, sir. I expect I've got more hats than anybody in the land."
0:36:00 > 0:36:03He was taking the mickey out of the interviewer, wasn't he?
0:36:03 > 0:36:07He was, he was just...he was a clown all the time.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10And he made the best of everything.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13He really enjoyed his life,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15and he made a lot of people happy,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18and I think he realised he did that.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22- I loved that!- Oh, that was really wonderful, that was.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The top-hatted dustmen of Lyme Regis are now long gone,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33but this cliff top time capsule continues to reveal its secrets.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Oh, my goodness!
0:36:35 > 0:36:38These are Crittall windows, these metal-framed windows.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40If these were still in your house,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42you wouldn't be allowed to take them out.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48These may not be the jewels and relics some archaeologists crave,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51but to me, they are priceless.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53They tell the story of everyday people.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55It's the archaeology of us.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11We're scratching at the surface of our sea cliffs
0:37:11 > 0:37:13to expose their secrets.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18I've made my way to north Yorkshire,
0:37:18 > 0:37:22but my precise location must remain under wraps.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Here on the Yorkshire coast, there's a small group of locals
0:37:27 > 0:37:31who keep their cliff top activities rather secret.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38This precipitous spot is famous for its cliff top walks.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43The steep slopes keep many from the beach below, but not everyone.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Nothing comes between a Yorkshireman and his fish.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56Only a select few know how to reach the real fishing hot spots.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01At the bottom of these cliffs lies the area's best fishing ground,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03and with some resourceful DIY,
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Glen and Mike have constructed an interesting route
0:38:07 > 0:38:09to the pleasure pools below.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12So, how long have you been coming down here?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15I would think I've been coming roughly 20 years now,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17so we know it really well.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21So is that white thing what you slide down on? What's that made of?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23This is a fireman's hose.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25NICK LAUGHS
0:38:35 > 0:38:38This is unbelievable.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40It's an incredibly long way down.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I had no idea fishermen did this kind of thing.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49It's quite scary the first few times.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51You do seem to get used to it the more you come.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09At the bottom, you find the perfect boys' getaway.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14But this beach doesn't give up its fishing secrets easily.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Hidden from view under the sea,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21a deep channel lies unseen below these waves.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26A gully carved into the seabed which funnels fish right up to the shore.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31What you've got here is a lot deeper water in here.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34And the fish, like, roam up and down looking for food.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38So really this is about gully fishing, rather than open sea?
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Gullies are the natural place for bait to rest, come to rest.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42And the fish know that, you see.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46But why is this fish-friendly gully
0:39:46 > 0:39:49under these cliffs in the first place?
0:39:51 > 0:39:54I think one of the main reasons why the gully fishes so well
0:39:54 > 0:39:58is the fact that it was actually deepened by man through industry.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- You see the tunnels here? - Oh, right, yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Workers tunnelling into the cliffs
0:40:04 > 0:40:09also carved the underwater channel where the fish gather.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11In the 18th century,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14they quarried valuable minerals from the cliff edge.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16But without a natural harbour,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20they needed to gouge deep clefts into the seafloor
0:40:20 > 0:40:22to berth their trading boats.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26The boats may be gone,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30but their berths are a happy fishing ground for those in the know,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33and local industry brings other benefits.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39We've sort of had a helping hand with the...another mining industry,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42they're actually underneath us now mining away for potash.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46And they have an outlet pipe which is about a mile out to sea.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49And all the slurry and stuff that comes out of there
0:40:49 > 0:40:51is mixed in with the water and it colours the water,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53which is really good for fishing.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Why do the fish like cloudy water?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58I think they've got more confidence to come inshore
0:40:58 > 0:41:01looking for bait, especially during the daylight.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04So without the hand of man, there wouldn't be good fishing here.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- It's a combination... - There'll always be fish there,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10but it's been a lot better since that happened, without a doubt.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18And how long might you just stand here like this,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20waiting for something to happen?
0:41:20 > 0:41:23If there's fish in the gully, they're at it straight away.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Oh, really?- Yeah, yeah.- Fast.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Oh, he's got a fish. He's got a fish, yeah.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Pouting.- Pouting. I haven't seen a pouting before.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Our sea cliffs are the setting for daring pursuits -
0:41:47 > 0:41:53a grown-up's adventure playground, where danger brings delight.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58It's a far cry from those dark days of the Second World War
0:41:58 > 0:42:01when cliffs became a front line.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08But sea cliffs still present an obstacle for our military.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12A challenge looms at Whitsand Bay.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26This tranquil shoreline is where families play by day.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30By night, it hosts more dangerous manoeuvres.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Ex-soldier Andy Torbet is heading into battle,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37where cliffs test the mettle of our armed forces.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43When I was in the military,
0:42:43 > 0:42:48part of my training was to scale sheer cliffs like these ones.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52And once you've done it, it's an experience you'll never forget.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57It takes strength, skill and sheer will to succeed.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00This cliff is a challenge you've got to conquer
0:43:00 > 0:43:02if you want to be a Royal Marine.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03But if that's not tough enough,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06these would-be Marines have to do it all at night.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10And when they reach the top, they'll be facing enemy fire.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16The Royal Marines specialise in amphibious assault.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25For decades, climbing sea cliffs has been part of the job
0:43:25 > 0:43:28and a critical challenge in their training.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33Today, this cliff is what stands between a new generation of recruits
0:43:33 > 0:43:35and their coveted green beret.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Replicating a real war situation,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44an advance party is already setting ropes on the beach.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Sergeant Chris Lewis is about to fire the first shot.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Can you run me through what you're about to do?
0:43:50 > 0:43:53We're going to fire this grapple launcher from the bottom
0:43:53 > 0:43:56up to the top there to establish the cliff head.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59- Well, I'll get out of your way and let you crack on.- Thanks a lot.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Cliff-assault training,
0:44:12 > 0:44:14how important is that to training Royal Marines?
0:44:14 > 0:44:18In my view, it's extremely important we set the standards.
0:44:18 > 0:44:19It's what we train to do, it's a key skill
0:44:19 > 0:44:22and it's something we can't really let go.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27At the Plymouth HQ, the Commando recruits
0:44:27 > 0:44:29make ready for tonight's mission.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33This is rehearsal for a real war,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35and it carries real risk.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39I've got painful memories of just how dangerous exercises can be.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45During training, I suffered a serious spinal injury,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48which, at the time, the doctors thought was unfixable.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50But with a bit of hard work and effort,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I managed to get myself back to the front line.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55It's going to come full circle. 15 years later,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57I'm back on a Royal Marines recruit exercise again.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01I'll have to wait and see if the old body is up to the challenge.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06Because on tonight's raid, I'm not just observing, I'm taking part.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09I'm going to be embedded with the Royal Marines as a reporter,
0:45:09 > 0:45:14which means I've got to climb up there, too, and record the action.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19In an attack, the next man can't follow until you reach the top.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22You've got to be fit and fast.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27What you're looking for is to find the least-steep part of the cliff,
0:45:27 > 0:45:28and once you start climbing,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32use as much of the weight as you can on your legs and off your hands,
0:45:32 > 0:45:35and keep your grip nice and loose and then just power up.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40And tonight, the Marines will be carrying
0:45:40 > 0:45:43all the kit they need to do the attack.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52The mission is to reach and destroy this communications tower,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55and tonight, that tower will be guarded
0:45:55 > 0:45:58by over a dozen serving Marines.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04Over at Plymouth HQ, the recruits are embarking.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08Soon, we'll rendezvous under war conditions
0:46:08 > 0:46:11as night falls and they hit the beach.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20The troops are out there somewhere and the cliff is waiting for them.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21And now darkness has fallen,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24you can really appreciate just how hard a test this will be.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Out of the gloom, shadowy figures emerge.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Night vision reveals what the darkness conceals.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Silence is key for this next phase.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Any noise will alert the enemy to the lads' positions.
0:46:45 > 0:46:46It's time to go.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02In stealth, they regroup on the cliff top.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05- WHISPERING:- So the troops split into three sections.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08It's the third section I'm going to be attached with.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It's them that's will take that communication tower.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15As the last men assemble, attack hour looms.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18It's one minute to H hour, that's when the attack starts.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20That's when it moves from a stealth operation
0:47:20 > 0:47:23into something entirely more noisy.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Cover's broken. The cliff top is now a battlefield.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Guys, move on me!
0:47:43 > 0:47:45INDISTINCT SHOUTING
0:47:48 > 0:47:50The objective is over-run.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54The comms tower is secured. Mission accomplished.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01INDISTINCT SHOUTING
0:48:03 > 0:48:04One Section's ready to move!
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- What's the plan?- We'll be straight out of this position ASAP
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and back down to the LCU on the beach. Abseil down.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Job done, they dissolve into the darkness.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20It harkens back to the days of my youth, but it was, er...
0:48:20 > 0:48:22..it was nice just to be able to keep up.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27This cliff has had a taste of war
0:48:27 > 0:48:29and put us all through our paces.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31WAVES CRASH
0:48:34 > 0:48:36JAUNTY MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:41 > 0:48:47Scaling our coastal cliffs can test brains, as well as brawn.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49There's more than one way to rise to the top.
0:49:00 > 0:49:05One final, uplifting experience awaits me back in Yorkshire,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07here at Saltburn-by-the-Sea.
0:49:12 > 0:49:19This Victorian seaside resort is sitting pretty on the cliff edge,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and it's the spectacular cliff lift
0:49:22 > 0:49:26that's the secret of the town's success.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31This glorious invention allows holiday-makers to reach the beach.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38The two carriages might look independent,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41but they're ingeniously linked on a pulley system.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45As one falls, its twin rises.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51I'm meeting Paul Wakeford to get the full low-down.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- Hello, there.- Hello! - Mind if I have a snoop?
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- What an incredible engine room. - It is.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58How does it work?
0:49:58 > 0:50:02Well, these trams weigh the same as each other.
0:50:02 > 0:50:03I've just filled one with water
0:50:03 > 0:50:06and it gets heavy and down it goes, pulls the other one up.
0:50:06 > 0:50:07Close the doors...
0:50:09 > 0:50:11..turn the tap on, start filling it.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15How do you know when it's heavy enough?
0:50:15 > 0:50:18There you go. It's now heavy enough with water.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20- It goes off on its own.- Yes.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Down she goes. The sheer weight of it.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Gravity is making it work.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30It can be people. If you had 12 people going down, no-one coming up,
0:50:30 > 0:50:31you wouldn't need water.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39The tram, when it gets to the bottom,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42will empty all of the water out automatically.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45- The water's down the bottom?- Yes.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47It collects in a tank at the bottom.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50And then we set the pump going, that's the only power needed
0:50:50 > 0:50:53is to pump the water from the bottom tank back up to our top tank.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56What do you call it? They're not carriages, are they?
0:50:56 > 0:50:58It's a funicular tramway.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02And it's funicular, not "funny colour", funicular!
0:51:04 > 0:51:06There you go. Thank you very much.
0:51:06 > 0:51:11It was in 1870 that the first cliff lift opened the beach to tourism,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13but it took a few goes to get it right.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20Originally, it did have a vertical drop of 120 feet,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23but the walk out to the gantry to get it down,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25you would have had to be brave.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The gantry out to the lift dissuaded Victorians
0:51:29 > 0:51:33from braving a visit to the newly-built pier below.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40But the lone hotel in this photo is now one of many.
0:51:41 > 0:51:47Tourism took off, thanks to the funicular railway,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50and on rainy days when holiday business is slow,
0:51:50 > 0:51:54Paul finds a way to raise spirits, if not passengers.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59# Until a certain little lady comes by
0:51:59 > 0:52:03# Oh, me, oh, my
0:52:03 > 0:52:05# She's absolutely wonderful
0:52:05 > 0:52:07# Marvellous and beautiful
0:52:07 > 0:52:10# And everyone will understand why
0:52:10 > 0:52:13# I'm leaning on the lamppost at the corner of the street
0:52:13 > 0:52:17# Until a certain little lady comes by. #
0:52:19 > 0:52:24Originally, the Victorians would career down the cliff in 33 seconds.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26A white-knuckle ride.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Today, for health and safety reasons,
0:52:28 > 0:52:32it's a much more leisurely 55-second journey.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34While the lift did the hard work,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37the visitors could relax and take in the view
0:52:37 > 0:52:40until they were deposited safely beside the seaside.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- Hello, there!- Thank you.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56As I reach the end of my journey
0:52:56 > 0:53:01perhaps I've arrived at the best secret of all -
0:53:01 > 0:53:04how we've managed to surmount the challenges
0:53:04 > 0:53:06presented by our sea cliffs.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10Coming up with solutions to coastal conundrums
0:53:10 > 0:53:14has created some of our most exciting environments.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Cliffs might look like dead-ends,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19but they're where we think outside the box.
0:53:19 > 0:53:24Where the edge of land is steepest, we're really tested.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28On our sea cliffs, a secret and surprising world awaits.