0:00:10 > 0:00:13This is Muddiford Banks, in Dorset.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16In 2004, hut number 5, back there,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19sold for a staggering £140,000.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23But it's a great location. The sea right on your doorstep.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Maybe it's a price worth paying.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This journey takes us from Bournemouth along
0:00:54 > 0:00:58the dramatic Jurassic coast of Dorset and Devon to Plymouth.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Bournemouth's roots as a holiday destination stretch back to the early 19th century,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10when the enchanting aroma of its pine trees and unspoilt sea air
0:01:10 > 0:01:14attracted wealthy city folk to spend their summers here.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20By the 1880s, Bournemouth had become a property hot-spot,
0:01:20 > 0:01:26with the population increasing four-fold in just 20 years.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But its reputation for high-living
0:01:28 > 0:01:31was soon to be dwarfed by one of its neighbours.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37I'm on my way to visit one of the most expensive places to live in the whole world.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45The peninsula of Sandbanks forms one side of the entrance to Poole Harbour.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50100 years ago, this stretch of coastline was little more than a shanty-town.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53But there's not a tin shack in sight today.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59In 2002, Sandbanks, or Moneybanks, as some of the locals have started to call it,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01was declared the fourth most expensive place to live
0:02:01 > 0:02:06on the planet after London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10From up here, you can catch glimpses of some of the incredible mansions
0:02:10 > 0:02:13that have sprung up all over Sandbanks, and every one of them
0:02:13 > 0:02:15costs a small fortune.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32People living along this shore have the second largest natural harbour in the world as their playground.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But they haven't got it all to themselves. Sharing it
0:02:36 > 0:02:39are the thrill-seekers,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41the ferries and cargo ships,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46and those who just want to have fun on the water.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51The mammoth task of coordinating so much traffic
0:02:51 > 0:02:54falls to Poole Harbour Commissioner, Peter Burt.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59To be right at the centre of such a property phenomenon,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's a remarkably peaceful, quiet place.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05That's really the secret of the harbour.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09What you've seen in the property world there behind us
0:03:09 > 0:03:13is a very, very small part of what really goes on.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14What we have here
0:03:14 > 0:03:21is the start of the 100 miles of coastline inside the entrance.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- 100 miles?- 100 miles.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27It appears to be deep, and there are indeed deep channels,
0:03:27 > 0:03:32but we only have a roughly two metre rise and fall in the tide,
0:03:32 > 0:03:38- and the water is just circulating without moving very far.- OK.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42And because of all this huge basin, it adsorbs the water in
0:03:42 > 0:03:46through all the deep water channels and fills some of the shallows.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- How shallow is it?- A good idea would be for you to find out directly.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56This doesn't seem right, this is in the middle of a harbour, and I can see ferries.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59That's a ferry going up there.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04That's not right, surely!
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- This is a harbour!- Probably three-quarters of a mile from land,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and you're able to walk about.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12It's a strange harbour you've got here, Peter.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16It is a curious harbour, and it's all part of the fascination.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19It's not Poole harbour, it's Poole puddle!
0:04:21 > 0:04:28Poole's shallow harbour means the huge ferries have to negotiate specially dredged channels.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33But the sheer scale of the harbour leaves plenty of room for everybody.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Poole might be one of the finest harbours in Britain,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45but why pay £10 million for a house on Sandbanks, when a £4.50 bus ticket
0:04:45 > 0:04:50lets you take in the delights of Studland beach over there?
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Much of the sand that makes up the three mile stretch of Studland beach
0:05:02 > 0:05:07was washed down the coast from Sandbanks, and Bournemouth.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13Suddenly, the beach runs out and the cliffs take over. And WHAT cliffs!
0:05:15 > 0:05:21Old Harry Rocks marks the start of the Jurassic Coast, a magnet for sightseers and ramblers.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39The awe-inspiring Jurassic Coast is one of the best places in the world
0:05:39 > 0:05:44to see 250 million years of the Earth's geological history laid bare.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51And nowhere is this more apparent than at the perfectly formed
0:05:51 > 0:05:54shell-shaped inlet of Lulworth cove.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06And just when you think nothing can match its beauty,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09take a short walk around the corner and you're face to face
0:06:09 > 0:06:12with another of nature's wonders, Durdle Door.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's no surprise these areas of natural beauty are protected from development.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Lyme Regis marks the end of our journey along the Dorset coastline, as the white Jurassic rocks
0:06:54 > 0:07:00give way to the distinctive red Triassic cliffs of Devon.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05The quaint, unspoilt town of Sidmouth has retained its old-world charm
0:07:05 > 0:07:11by carefully regulating property development on its seafront.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Many of the Regency houses are home to growing numbers of people retiring in the town.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19More than half the population are over retirement age.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24But for some of Sidmouth's older residents, it's not just a question of retiring to the coast.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27They've spent their whole lives working on it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Tucked behind the town, but still within sight of the sea,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36is the largest donkey sanctuary in the world.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Donkeys from all over Britain come to spend
0:07:40 > 0:07:43their twilight years being pampered.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Their welfare's in the capable hands of Annie Hamer.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54- Where do donkeys originally come from?- Originally, Asia and Africa.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And they came over into Europe
0:07:56 > 0:07:58on the Silk Route, transporting goods
0:07:58 > 0:08:00so they were the pack-animals.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03How many donkeys have you got in this farm?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05On this farm, nearly 400.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09It's quite surreal, I've never seen so many donkeys in one place.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's nice they can still see the sea.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- Yes.- A lot of these are retired beach donkeys?
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Yes. We've got 100 donkeys have retired from beaches
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and come in to the donkey sanctuary. At the moment, there's nearly
0:08:21 > 0:08:24900 donkeys working on beaches in Britain.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Are you happy with the idea of donkey rides,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- or do you think it's cruel? - Some of the healthiest donkeys
0:08:30 > 0:08:34are the ones that are working on the beach, cos the sand
0:08:34 > 0:08:37is good for their feet, that's equivalent to the
0:08:37 > 0:08:42natural environment where they originated from in the desert.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The sand works like a natural emery board and helps to keep their feet
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- in a nice shape. - When a donkey comes here,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- does it stay here for the rest of its natural life?- Yes.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54We never turn a donkey away.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00Usually they come to us in their late twenties or early thirties,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and then some of the donkeys we've got are in their early 50s.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- So they can live another 20 years after that.- Gosh!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- It's a little donkey paradise. - Definitely!
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Around six million of the UK population
0:09:21 > 0:09:23live within one kilometre of the coast.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27But not every coastal property is made of bricks and mortar.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32Just as popular are homes of a more mobile nature.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Some of the best views of this coastline are found
0:09:36 > 0:09:40on this magnificent stretch of the great Western Railway.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Many of the towns along this coast might never have developed
0:09:52 > 0:09:55into the flourishing seaside resorts they are today
0:09:55 > 0:09:56without Brunel's railway.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03One of it's biggest beneficiaries was the town which calls itself
0:10:03 > 0:10:05the English Riviera, Torquay.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Most of the beautiful white villas and terraces
0:10:08 > 0:10:12overlooking Torbay date back to Victorian times when the gentry
0:10:12 > 0:10:16flocked to Torquay to enjoy its remarkably mild climate.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Devon's most southerly town is the holiday resort of Salcombe.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39The town's wealth was originally founded on ship-building, but now it's a haven for second homes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Half of Salcombe's properties are owned by people who don't live here full-time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50An even more exclusive location lies
0:10:50 > 0:10:56just around in the coast - the 26 rocky acres of Burgh Island.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04At times, calling this an island can be misleading.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But for six hours each day the holiday makers on the neighbouring
0:11:08 > 0:11:11beach are rudely interrupted as the tide returns
0:11:11 > 0:11:13to restore Burgh Island's independence.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17This is just one of the charms that's attracted distinguished
0:11:17 > 0:11:22guests to the curious hotel on the island for decades.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28This bizarre, and incredibly noisy, contraption is a sea-tractor and it's reputed to be the only one
0:11:28 > 0:11:34of its kind in the whole world. It takes guests over to Burgh Island at high tide.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38BBC budgets being what they are I don't think I'll be staying the night
0:11:38 > 0:11:41but I should be OK for a good nosey around.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The hotel dates back to 1929,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49when the flamboyant industrialist Archie Nettlefold
0:11:49 > 0:11:53built a sumptuous retreat to entertain his friends.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Approaching the Art Deco entrance,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I feel a bit like Hercule Poirot, on the trail of a murder mystery.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07While Monsieur Poirot was fictitious,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10his creator Agatha Christie was a frequent visitor here,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13along with other celebrities of the '30s,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16such as Edward and Mrs Simpson, Noel Coward,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and Amy Johnson, who would all come here to escape the public gaze,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and enjoy complete privacy.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Burgh Island soon became a haven for the rich,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32the famous, and the slightly disreputable.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Hidden away from the prying paparazzi of the day,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41here they could be as decadent as they wished.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It's said that Noel Coward wrote some of his most lovely songs here,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54over cocktails, and winks at the waiters.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Whatever went on, Burgh Island's seclusion
0:12:59 > 0:13:02meant that the outside world seemed a million miles away.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Constructing a property on an island
0:13:07 > 0:13:10with only limited access to the mainland
0:13:10 > 0:13:13would present builders with a few headaches, even today.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21But imagine trying to build a house 14 miles out at sea, 300 years ago.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25A house that would be responsible for saving thousands of lives.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I love lighthouses.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30In fact, I'm an honorary member
0:13:30 > 0:13:33of the Association Of Lighthouse Keepers.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36And, get this - I'm now on my way to visit the location
0:13:36 > 0:13:39of the world's first offshore lighthouse.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42And we've only got a very short weather window.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44It's going to be pretty tricky to get out there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49That is fantastic!
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Right on the horizon there, there's the faintest grey line.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Just sticking up a few millimetres, as it were.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56That is the Eddystone lighthouse.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It's all very well from our 21st-century perspective -
0:14:00 > 0:14:02we know you can build lighthouses on rocks.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05But put yourself in the shoes of people 300 years ago,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09when that idea was as outlandish as building a tower on the moon.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21When this lighthouse was opened in 1882,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24it was hailed as a miracle of engineering.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25And so it was.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29But, believe it or not, it's not THAT lighthouse I've come to see.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It's the ones that were here before it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39For centuries, these rocks have sunk countless ships bound for Plymouth.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43With the great increase in maritime trade in the late 17th century,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47a way had to be found to protect ships from these foreboding rocks.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Today the strong south-easterly winds
0:14:56 > 0:15:00are making the approach to the lighthouse a wee bit tricky.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05But imagine having the nerve to build a lighthouse out here 300 years ago
0:15:05 > 0:15:09with only flimsy wooden rowing boats to transport tonnes of material
0:15:09 > 0:15:10and teams of builders.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The man who DID have the nerve to try this
0:15:15 > 0:15:17was one Henry Winstanley.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19He started building in 1696,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and by 1699, he had completed his masterpiece.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It had a stone foundation
0:15:25 > 0:15:29but it was mostly a wooden structure. Imagine a wooden tower out here,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31in the face of these gales!
0:15:31 > 0:15:35After three years of struggle and one failure,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40in 1699 Winstanley was finally happy with his design.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42It was an amazing spectacle.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The 120-foot structure was finished with ornate engravings,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and extravagant wrought iron details.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Many people questioned the lighthouse's sturdiness -
0:15:57 > 0:16:00would it be able to stand up to
0:16:00 > 0:16:03the unrelenting gales and ferocious seas?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Winstanley's confidence in his tower was unshakeable.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11He boasted, "I only wish that I may be in the lighthouse
0:16:11 > 0:16:15"in circumstances that'll test its strength to the utmost."
0:16:16 > 0:16:19On 26th November 1703,
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Winstanley's wish came true.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25That night, the biggest recorded storm to hit Britain
0:16:25 > 0:16:29devastated the entire country, claiming at least 8,000 lives.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34When people came out to this rock to see how he had fared,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37there was not a trace - not of Winstanley,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40not of the lighthouse crew, and not of the lighthouse.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43All they found was some twisted metal.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44Winstanley was gone.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49His light had kept sailors safe for over four years.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51But just two days after the lighthouse collapsed,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55a ship struck the rock and sank with the loss of all hands.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Another lighthouse was built, but it burnt down,
0:16:59 > 0:17:04so the maritime authorities commissioned Yorkshireman John Smeaton
0:17:04 > 0:17:07to build a structure that would stand the test of time,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and its stump still remains here.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Now, this was a huge step forward in lighthouse design.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16These blocks of granite are dove-tailed together,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18they're like three-dimensional jigsaw pieces
0:17:18 > 0:17:20that all lock together.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Smeaton had used the shape of an English oak tree
0:17:25 > 0:17:27as inspiration for his lighthouse.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29He wanted it to be sturdy,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33but also flexible enough to sway slightly in the wind.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It entered service in October 1759.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42So effective was Smeaton's innovative design,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45that it became the standard for lighthouses worldwide,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and is still a template for today's lighthouse builders.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Smeaton's lighthouse stood for 120 years, before cracks appeared.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Not in the tower, but on the rock below it.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02The lighthouse had proved to be tougher than the very rock it stood on.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23That is the best day at work I've ever had!
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Diving into the sea off lighthouses. It doesn't get any better.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Fantastic.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Such was the significance of Smeaton's lighthouse,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38that the people of Plymouth paid for it to be taken down block by block,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe as a memorial to its designer.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47It stands there today, as Plymouth's most famous landmark.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50A testament not only to Smeaton,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52but to all of the pioneering lighthouse builders
0:18:52 > 0:18:55who gave their lives to save the lives of others.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd