0:00:07 > 0:00:08- ALL:- Heave!
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Two, six.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Heave!
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We're back at the very edge of our isles.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18But now we're on a whole new kind of adventure.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22A unique Great Guide to our coast.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27But this is a guide beyond anything
0:00:27 > 0:00:31you'll find in your average tourist brochure.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34A guide crammed with local knowledge,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36amazing discoveries
0:00:36 > 0:00:38and stunning secret spots.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Coast and her expert crew have spent over ten years
0:00:43 > 0:00:47navigating this ever-changing natural wonder.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54And now we're bringing it all together, and more,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58to give you the ultimate guide to our coast.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We've selected eight stretches of British coast.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08North, south, east, west
0:01:08 > 0:01:10and some of the best bits in between.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Each week, we'll be taking to the sea
0:01:16 > 0:01:19in a remarkable array of boats and ships.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23We'll have a completely fresh perspective on the coast.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We'll seek out charismatic characters...
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Andy, fancy seeing you here!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..momentous events...
0:01:30 > 0:01:33This is Britain's most deadly shoreline.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35..secret spots...
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and surprising stories.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40There's no denying that there's a charge to be had
0:01:40 > 0:01:42from holding something like this.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46A brand-new view of our coast,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50with all the inside info you need to enjoy these shorelines like a local.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53Haul away, Seamus, haul away!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This time, I'm heading for the south coast.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This is Coast.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The Great Guide.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Welcome to a very select Great Guide.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Shores awash with eye-wateringly expensive real estate.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Vessels that redefine luxury.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09A coast showcasing 200 million years of the Earth's history...
0:03:10 > 0:03:12..where dinosaurs roamed
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and now yachts fly.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Here, cutting-edge engineering rubs chic shoulders with vintage craft.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24It's our glamour coast.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26The sunshine coast.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30I'm at the heart of Britain's south coast.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Our experts have sought out the sights and stories
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that make these shores so special.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Spectacular rocks...
0:03:39 > 0:03:43It's fragile, it's unpredictable and every time you pull on a hold,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45your heart's in your mouth.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49..some of the world's most challenging waters...
0:03:49 > 0:03:51We've lost rudder! Clear off!
0:03:51 > 0:03:54..and simply stunning sea life.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56It looks sort of alien.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Really, really unusual shape, with those big eyes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03To get the inside scoop on these shores,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I'll be hopping on and off a variety of boats...
0:04:09 > 0:04:12..as I voyage along this spectacular coast.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18The weather might be a bit gloomy today, I'll grant you that,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22but on a vessel like this, a beautiful, vintage craft,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24how can you have anything but fun?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I'll embark from the maritime heart of Portsmouth,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32I'll take in a cruise around the Solent
0:04:32 > 0:04:34before powering to Poole.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37On my voyage, I'll compile our Great Guide
0:04:37 > 0:04:39from a wider canvass of stories,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42along a stretch bookended by two pebble beaches.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Brighton in the east, and Chesil in the west.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Portsmouth, where my journey begins, is an obvious choice for our guide.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58A city with a thousand years of proud seafaring tradition.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Historic home of the Royal Navy,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and some of the world's finest ships.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12I would say, as a maritime nation founded on naval supremacy,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16if there's an image, an icon of Britishness, it's not a cathedral,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19it's not the Palace of Westminster or London Bridge,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21it's HMS Victory.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Nelson's flagship led Britain to triumph at the Battle of Trafalgar.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Launched in 1765, she's the oldest vessel in commission in the world.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37She sits here in prestigious company.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Inside this futuristic building, sits Mary Rose,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45pride of Henry VIII's fleet.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49And alongside, an iron trailblazer.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53This is HMS Warrior,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55the first iron-hulled, ironclad battleship.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00But she's still got the elegant lines of the wooden ships
0:06:00 > 0:06:02that went before her,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and I think there is something about vessels like this,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08built with the hands of men,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12that means you can see and feel a personality about them
0:06:12 > 0:06:17that the modern 21st-century battleships just don't have.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Ships that built Britain...
0:06:21 > 0:06:24pioneered and now preserved here.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26What made Portsmouth a naval hub?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Ten years ago,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Mark Horton found out.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35My guide, Roy Rolf,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38started off by explaining how the geography here
0:06:38 > 0:06:40works to make this place an ideal port.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Right in the entrance now, you can see it's very narrow.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Presumably defensible, because it's so narrow?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49That's right, yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52We're now actually out into
0:06:52 > 0:06:54the entrance channel to Portsmouth Harbour,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and at the shore of the Isle of Wight.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58The Isle of Wight's one of the main reasons
0:06:58 > 0:07:00why this is such a good harbour.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So it acts as a sort of protection against...
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Despite the fact we can see the wind coming in, it's quite sheltered.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And it also means that the harbour is always usable.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13You don't get the sort of weather that you get at Dover sometimes,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16by the breakwater, where it's something of a lottery
0:07:16 > 0:07:19to get in and out in really bad weather.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Looking at the steel warships sitting here today,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27you could be forgiven for thinking the golden age of sail is over.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30But...
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Look closely, and you'll see that the days of rope and canvas
0:07:33 > 0:07:35have never left Portsmouth.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41It's just, today, they've been completely reinvented,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44in a whole new battle for supremacy at sea.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Going into our guide is the newest addition
0:07:47 > 0:07:51to Portsmouth's portfolio of vessels,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and we've got exclusive access to this cutting-edge prototype...
0:07:56 > 0:07:58..designed for four-time Olympic champion,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02and our most successful competitive sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09His latest challenge?
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Create a craft and a team to win the 2017 America's Cup.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17This, the AC45,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19has already put them in pole position
0:08:19 > 0:08:22in a series of pre-cup regattas this summer.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24This boat is fast.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Very fast.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I'm now on one of the chase boats,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31and we're trying our best to keep up with the AC45,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34which is one of the test vessels that the crew use
0:08:34 > 0:08:37to go through their paces, so that they'll know what it's like
0:08:37 > 0:08:39aboard the kind of vessel that they'll use to compete
0:08:39 > 0:08:41in the America's Cup next year.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But the really striking thing at the moment is,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46we're using big outboard engines to try to keep up with this thing,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and it's just employing wind power.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Sitting up there, it's like a cross between top-end design
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and some kind of water beetle!
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It almost looks alive over there.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Ben's flying yachtsmen have one goal,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05to win the oldest trophy in international sport.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08The first America's Cup race
0:09:08 > 0:09:12actually took place around the Isle of Wight in 1851.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18A New York schooner called America triumphed, giving the race its name.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22But it's a cup Britain has never won.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28At Portsmouth, this top team of engineers, designers and sailors
0:09:28 > 0:09:30are determined to break that duck.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36To my untrained eye, it's as though the science of sailing
0:09:36 > 0:09:39is about to leave the water behind altogether.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42This looks more like a cross between surfing and flying.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The secret to this boat's speed is hydrofoil technology.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54The foils beneath the boat are shaped to deflect water,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57pushing her above the waves,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00minimising drag and maximising speed.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I've no chance of catching up with Ben on water,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10so we're heading back to HQ -
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Portsmouth Harbour, still ruling the waves when it comes to sailing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- Sir Ben Ainslie.- Hi, how are you?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- I'm well.- Thanks for coming down.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Picked a good day for it.- Yeah.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30What's it like, flying one of them?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34We've had up to about 39 knots, or close to 50mph,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36similar to the eventual race boat.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But the race boat will be much bigger and a lot faster.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So, for a sailing boat, that's just incredible.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And the exhilaration when you lift up out of the water and you start
0:10:45 > 0:10:48foiling, or flying, feeling the wind rushing by...
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It must be a thrill for you,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52rather than just doing something that's tried and tested,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and the work of long experience, to be on the edge of something new?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58You know, the America's Cup is a design race
0:10:58 > 0:11:01as much as it is a sailing race. So we have, you know,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05a group of 30 or 40 designers here in the base working away incredibly
0:11:05 > 0:11:07hard to try and get a jump on the competition.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And then we have, you know, a great history in sailing,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13in Olympic sailing most recently, so if we can harness those together,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I think we have a really good shot at winning this.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We're under no illusions of the challenge we're up against,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20but at the same time, we're setting our stall out to win.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22If we don't win this time,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25we're going to keep going until we get the job done.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Portsmouth is where they build world-beating boats.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32But ten miles over the water,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Cowes makes our Great Guide as THE place to race them.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Home of international yacht racing, and the world's oldest regatta...
0:11:44 > 0:11:48..it also comes with the royal seal of approval.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Holidays here gave Prince Edward a taste for competitive sailing.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55As King Edward VII,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59he became Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03the ancient Cowes Club that hosted the first America's Cup race.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07150 years on,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11the club still hosts an annual round-island race
0:12:11 > 0:12:14that pits amateurs against professionals...
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and Mother Nature.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22For our guide, Nick Crane joined a crew
0:12:22 > 0:12:25to find out what makes this race
0:12:25 > 0:12:28one of the yachting world's biggest challenges.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- That's the start.- We're off!
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Really good blow, helicopter hovering overhead...
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Unbelievable. Unbelievable.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The start is chaos,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45every yacht competing for water, wind and tide.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's a case of getting out quick and avoiding collisions.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57That was my first hands-on proper tack, and I didn't muck it up!
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Breaking free of the pack, we've stolen a march on our rivals.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04Yes!
0:13:06 > 0:13:08We're doing well.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09But obstacles await.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Wave!
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Just a drag race, who can sail the fastest, win the cleanest air
0:13:20 > 0:13:24to get to the forks, and then it becomes a fight up to the finish.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29We aren't just battling other boats.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34We're also fighting the full force of wind and tide,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38straining hard on the rudder to steer true.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41We've lost rudder!
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The rudder linkage has snapped.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The sails take over steering.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55We're not just helpless, we're dangerous.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57We've lost rudder! Clear off!
0:13:57 > 0:14:00A missile, guided by the wind.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03We need to get that under control.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Can we get the main in, please? If you've got any control,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14if you just steer us out of this line of boats.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19All our efforts
0:14:19 > 0:14:22blown out of the water by a single mechanical failure,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24our race is run.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34You can take your pick of boats to explore this coast in style,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37from the high-tech to the vintage.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This is Hazel Christie, my 1960s water taxi.
0:14:43 > 0:14:49This is our Great Guide to the heart of Britain's south coast.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I'm leaving historic Portsmouth
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and heading along the Solent for Langstone Harbour,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59but the next story in our guide is 45 miles further east.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Brighton is a seaside resort by royal appointment.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07More than 11 million punters pour in each year
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to visit the exotic pavilion...
0:15:11 > 0:15:12..the Palace Pier
0:15:12 > 0:15:18and, this year, the world's first vertical 360-degree cable car.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24But none of these attractions earn the city a place in our guide.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Brighton's in our Great Guide as a hotbed of early movie-making.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's where they invented this...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34the close-up.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Over 100 years ago, Brighton was Britain's answer to Hollywood.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Film companies sprang up,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47building studios on the beach to shoot ambitious adaptations.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50It was Brighton showman George Albert Smith
0:15:50 > 0:15:55who came up with an innovation which changed movie-making for ever.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Eight years ago, I explored what he did.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07The very first films were pretty static by modern standards.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11These early films were known as animated photographs.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15They captured events as they unfolded
0:16:15 > 0:16:17in one continuous, unedited shot.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23What Smith did was begin to imagine you could build a film sequence.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Instead of conceiving of a single shot, like the frame,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29you could move from that and you could look at
0:16:29 > 0:16:31what I'm seeing now of you,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33how you're looking at me,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and also to the sense in which the sea, the sky,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40the shingle and then the wider space in which we're in.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Just as we move our camera to get different shots,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Smith did the same thing,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49except he was the first to think of it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Strange to think this is where
0:16:53 > 0:16:56the modern movie was created, around 1900.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Our Great Guide is exploring the heart of Britain's south coast.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14On the Jurassic Coast, we'll search for secrets in the rock...
0:17:16 > 0:17:19..tell you all you need to know about the Isle of Wight,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23and at Southampton, sail into a world of utter luxury.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29The next stop on my journey is just outside Portsmouth,
0:17:29 > 0:17:30Langstone Harbour.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Here, on this poshest of coasts,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43what was once a poor man's food is making a comeback.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Ostrea edulis -
0:17:45 > 0:17:48to you and me, the oyster.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Oysters are a must-eat in our Great Guide to these shores.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59I'm here to find out how this native mollusc has fared in recent years.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It might not look like it, but this was once
0:18:04 > 0:18:08the biggest native oyster fishery in the whole of Europe.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15People have farmed oysters here since Roman times.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16In the late '70s,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21450 boats were making a living from catching oysters in the Solent.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Today, there are none.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- Hi, Jo.- Hi, Neil, good to meet you.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Do I look the part?- Absolutely. - Good.- Come on board.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Dr Joanne Preston, from the University of Portsmouth,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38is spearheading a project to revive a devastated industry
0:18:38 > 0:18:42that once sold oysters to Rome and was worth millions.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47In the good old days, when the beds were healthy,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49how many oysters would have been here?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52In a season, they're landing around 200 tonnes a year.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And that dropped, in a relatively short time, to around 20 tonnes,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58and down to almost nothing.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Joanne is taking me to see the heart of the operation,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06moored in waters where oysters once flourished.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's not the most glamorous raft you've got, is it?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Certainly not, no.- But it does the job?- It's a good workhorse.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Can we go aboard?- Yeah, please do.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The rusty raft is used to suspend cages of young native oysters
0:19:23 > 0:19:26at varying depths in the tidal currents.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30This is the protected brood stock.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32The idea is that these can't be fished,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34they're less susceptible to disease
0:19:34 > 0:19:36and these will grow and spawn
0:19:36 > 0:19:38and then repopulate the seabed population.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41So this is a trial that we hope to upscale.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45What exactly happened to the oysters here?
0:19:45 > 0:19:49We can't pinpoint one main factor, but certainly,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50overfishing is part of it.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52But there's also a lot of other things.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54There's several diseases.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56The other thing is that, as the population declines,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59there's an invasive species called American slipper limpet,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02also known as Crepidula fornicata.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05And that actually came over from North America
0:20:05 > 0:20:09into Essex, with oysters, at the turn of the 18th and 19th century,
0:20:09 > 0:20:14and this has become almost the dominant species
0:20:14 > 0:20:15on the bottom of the Solent now.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17So if you were on the seabed now,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- it's those American limpets that you would see?- Yeah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22They spread quite quickly...
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- Hence "fornicata", I'm guessing? - Yes, hence fornicata!
0:20:25 > 0:20:28They grow in stacks and change sex.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Yeah, so they are competing for space, for nutrients, for food,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35so it's a bit of a triple whammy in terms of their impact.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37What will you do with them now? What's the drill here?
0:20:37 > 0:20:41The first thing is, do they survive? So we're counting mortality
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and we're also seeing if they grow, and by how much.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45We take the maximal length,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47maximal width,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and then we take the depth.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51And then we weigh them.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54And the most important thing is, are they spawning?
0:20:54 > 0:20:55So, are they reproducing?
0:20:55 > 0:20:57How can you tell that?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00We put settlement plates just outside the cages,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and so, hopefully, any spawn can settle on those.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06We're also monitoring the oyster larvae in the water.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Why such an effort to bring them back?
0:21:08 > 0:21:11What do the oysters do for an environment?
0:21:11 > 0:21:12They're filter feeders.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- And they filter up to five gallons of water an hour.- Each?
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Each. One oyster.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20And so, if you've got them naturally occurring in oyster reefs,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23then they do an amazing job of cleaning the water.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26But they also increase the amount of vertebrates associated with them,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29which means it's beneficial for other organisms.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31And, actually, it's been known that, if you restore oyster beds,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34then fishing production increases as well.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38When it comes to them as a food source, do you like oysters?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I had my first oyster two weeks ago.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- Oh, really?- Yes. - Your first oyster?- Yeah!- Wow.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46It was quite early in the morning,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and it was the first thing I'd eaten that day
0:21:48 > 0:21:49and it wasn't seasoned,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- so I'm reserving judgment at the moment.- Right.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54So would we, in theory, be able to eat one of these?
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I wouldn't recommend eating these at the moment,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59just because the water quality isn't good enough.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01So these oysters are very much a work in progress?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04They are a work in progress, yes.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09There's another fishy reason why this part of the coast
0:22:09 > 0:22:11earns its place in the Great Guide.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15A natural wonder that washes in at spring.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Cuttlefish.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22It's one of the only places in Britain to spot these rarities.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Miranda Krestovnikoff joined them underwater.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31They're such exotic-looking creatures,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34you'd never imagined you'd find something like this
0:22:34 > 0:22:37right here in British waters.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's very big.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41A couple of feet long.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43They look sort of alien.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Really, really unusual shape,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48with those big eyes and this floating skirt.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Really odd-looking creatures.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Cuttlefish are in the same family as squid and octopus.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Sometimes known as the chameleon of the sea,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06they can change their body colour and patterning
0:23:06 > 0:23:08to mesmerise their prey.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17And off it goes... Oh!
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Oh, gosh, what's he got? Oh, my goodness me!
0:23:20 > 0:23:22He's just grabbed a crab!
0:23:24 > 0:23:26That's amazing.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I've never seen that before.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Cuttlefish have a sharp, parrot-like beak and a venomous bite,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39which will make short work of this crab.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43As the sea warms in spring,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47cuttlefish invade these shallow waters to mate and lay their eggs.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Male cuttlefish dazzle the smaller females
0:23:52 > 0:23:55with their striped patterns and flowing tentacles.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02They mate head to head, with tentacles entwined.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07After mating, the mail cuttlefish guards his female
0:24:07 > 0:24:12as she deposits her eggs, dyed black with ink to deter predators.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17This cuttlefish invasion lasts all summer,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21but as the water cools, and with their life-cycle complete,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23both males and females die,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26leaving their bones to be washed up on the beach.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34A decade later, cuttlefish are still congregating on this coast,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37although their life expectancy is shrinking.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Scientists are continuing to study these strange critters
0:24:41 > 0:24:42to find out why.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51This is our Great Guide to the heart of Britain's south coast.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01For ten years, our experts have explored every inch of these shores.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07But if you were on a whistle-stop tour,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11what are the unmissable sights to say you've seen this coast?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15This is our flying visit.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19From Brighton to Chesil,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22130 miles of stunning sights.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26You could start your journey at Rottingdean,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30a tiny town with a big secret in the surf -
0:25:30 > 0:25:35the remains of an eccentric Victorian railway.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It was absolutely enormous, it stood on legs 24 feet high,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41the deck was 50 feet long.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45On the top, there was a cabin that could carry 30 passengers in comfort
0:25:45 > 0:25:47with stained-glass windows, chandeliers...
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Travel on for more underwater surprises.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58At Selsey Bill, dive deep for a graveyard of World War II shells
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and the tanks than never fired them.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13If you prefer to be on top of the water, head for Hayling Island,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16one of Britain's best windsurfing spots.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Portsmouth is the military heart of this coast,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and just offshore rests a powerful relic of war.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Nick Hewitt explored Nab Tower,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34built in 1918 as a German U-boat defence.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Up close, the Nab Tower is enormous.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39This is just amazing.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I've looked at this for years and years from shore side,
0:26:42 > 0:26:43but I've never been this close.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Look at the rust on that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Further down the Solent, Southampton,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Britain's oldest continually active port.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00A proud island surveys the shores here -
0:27:00 > 0:27:02the Isle of Wight...
0:27:03 > 0:27:08..with its famous lighthouse and an exceptionally clean lens.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- How often does the lens get cleaned, then?- Just once a year.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It's going to take about that long!
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I'd hate to be responsible for a smear.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Past Bournemouth's boltholes and beaches,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24to reach Studland.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28You don't have to take your clothes off, but if you want to,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30you've got plenty of room.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I come across here to Studland,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35because it's such a fabulous place to be,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39very relaxing and the views and the scenery here are unbelievable.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Enjoying naturism on a beach,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I don't think I could think of anything more special than that.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Today, the naturist beach has been extended by 50 metres
0:27:50 > 0:27:53to meet growing demand.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Old Harry Rocks mark the end of this bay,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and the start of a stretch with out-of-this-world geology.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Kimmeridge.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Lulworth Cove.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Durdle Door.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Beyond that are waters
0:28:11 > 0:28:14that present a navigational nightmare for sailors.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18At Portland Bill is a treacherous tidal surge,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21known as the Portland Race.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24The Cresta Run of the English Channel.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Alan's in the wheelhouse. He's about to cut the engine
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and we're going to get sucked into the Portland Race.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35I've got my heart in my mouth, I don't mind admitting it.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Boat's going all over the place, like a cork.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44It's exhilarating, but it's also a bit frightening.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51These tidal forces created the 18-mile strip of shingle
0:28:51 > 0:28:55that marks the end of our flying visit -
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Chesil Beach.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00But why settle for a whistle-stop tour
0:29:00 > 0:29:02when there's so much more to discover?
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Follow us for the bigger picture.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I'm on the Solent,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18a stunning strait over 20 miles that snakes between Portsmouth,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25My next destination is Portsmouth's Trafalgar Wharf.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32But the next story for our guide is on a stretch 60 miles further west,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36known as the Jurassic Coast, a geologist's dream.
0:29:36 > 0:29:42Across 95 miles, it spans three geological periods,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45that's 200 million years of Earth's history.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51This shoreline is a World Heritage Site,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54up there with the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It contains three types of rock,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05starting in the east with Cretaceous rocks
0:30:05 > 0:30:09from the time dinosaurs roamed the planet.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12IT ROARS
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Further along, and older, fossil-rich Jurassic rocks.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Then, at the western end, the oldest.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Triassic red rocks, 250 million years old.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32But it's the Jurassic rocks at Kimmeridge
0:30:32 > 0:30:34that go into our Great Guide.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39These orange stripes are bands of Kimmeridge shale.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Alice Roberts joined a geochemical experiment
0:30:45 > 0:30:48to reveal a secret hidden inside.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Let's break a bit off.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56There we go.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59- Is that a big enough piece? - Yeah, that should be fine.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01I don't believe it's going to set on fire.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- It's a piece of rock. - I think you'll find it will.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- It's just beginning to catch there. - Yeah.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09You can see there's lots of smoke comes off him.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Oh, it's definitely on fire!
0:31:11 > 0:31:15- And it stinks!- It stinks. It really is bad, yeah, that's right.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19You can see the oil coming off it on the surface of the Kimmeridge shale.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21That's oil, as we understand oil to be.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Yeah, absolutely, the Kimmeridge shale has actually been
0:31:24 > 0:31:26the source rock of the majority of the oil in the North Sea.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27When you say the source rock,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29it's actually the same layer as we've got here?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31It is, absolutely, yeah.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34That's the real magic of Kimmeridge oil shale.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37This rock is the reason we have North Sea oil.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42The same strata that are visible on the south coast
0:31:42 > 0:31:46are buried 3.5km deep, under the oil wells off the northeast of Scotland.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49Over millions of years,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53at the high temperatures and pressures deep under the seabed,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55the oil shale produces oil.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59In place of 10 million years at 100 degrees centigrade,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02we can do 30 seconds at 500 degrees centigrade
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and drive some oil off in the test tube.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Then, if you want to hold that in the tongs...
0:32:09 > 0:32:11So you can see, it's not actually burning,
0:32:11 > 0:32:12it's just driving the oil off,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15so there you can see all that brown... It looks like smoke,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18it's actually just oil being distilled off the rock.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20And you can see droplets of oil around here on the side.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- The brown stuff?- Yeah.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- So that's actually oil that's being driven off.- Wow.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Above the beach at Kimmeridge
0:32:29 > 0:32:33is a commercial operation producing 80 barrels of oil a day.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Prospectors continue to scour this coastline
0:32:39 > 0:32:41for the next big fossil-fuel find.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46As for me, I'm searching out
0:32:46 > 0:32:50the next big thing in the world of boats for our guide.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55I'm speeding towards a dockyard in Portsmouth,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58where some of the world's most expensive
0:32:58 > 0:33:02super, mega and giga yachts are designed and built.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Trafalgar Wharf might seem a rather drab affair,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08but don't be fooled by appearances.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13That might look like a common or garden industrial estate,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16but in there are companies involved with the construction
0:33:16 > 0:33:19of some of the finest super-yachts on the globe.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Apparently, Sir Alan Sugar's yacht is in there being refitted,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24but I can't tell you where.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Inside another hangar,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28there's something called a glider yacht.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30it's as fast as a speedboat, without the bumps.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33It'll get you from St Tropez to Monaco in an hour,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35but without messing your hair.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Elsewhere, there's a company building
0:33:37 > 0:33:40some of the tallest freestanding structures in the world.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41They're masts for yachts.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44But I can't tell you the name of the yacht,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47I can't tell you the name of who the yacht is owned by.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Over there is a company that puts the hush in hush-hush.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55They're the brains behind these enormous masts,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59a company applying the sort of technology you'd normally find
0:33:59 > 0:34:03in Formula 1 and aerospace engineering to the super-yacht.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- Clive.- Pleased to meet you. - I've been looking forward to this.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08I'm meeting CEO Clive Johnson
0:34:08 > 0:34:13to find out how and why they make the masts so big.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Now I'm going to see what it's all about.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Oh, my.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Gosh, that's the most outlandish object.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- You know, the scale of it... - Yeah, it's pretty big.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30This is actually one of three masts for a super-yacht.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32It doesn't look like any mast I've ever seen.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35If you walked me in here and said, "Guess what this is?"
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Yacht mast is very far down the list.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I can't imagine how anything this size could possibly
0:34:41 > 0:34:43have anything to do with it.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46There are these billionaires out there that want the luxury toy,
0:34:46 > 0:34:48to be the first, to be the best, to be the biggest.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51And in this case, it happens to be a super-yacht
0:34:51 > 0:34:53with a radical rig design.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Is it the biggest you've made?
0:34:55 > 0:34:56It's not.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59We produced a mast last year that was 110 metres,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02which is the largest mast in the world.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04And what exactly is it made of?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07This is a composite material, carbon.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Why? When I think of a ship's mast, obviously,
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I think of the tallest tree in the forest.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Traditionally, that's right. It was wooden masts,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15and then we moved onto steel and aluminium.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Once you get to the scale of this kind of mast,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21it's actually very difficult to use those kind of materials.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23They're very heavy, and they have problems
0:35:23 > 0:35:26when you've got loads in different directions
0:35:26 > 0:35:29so one of the beautiful things about carbon is that you can lay the fibre
0:35:29 > 0:35:30in the direction of the forces,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32and that gives you the ability to keep it light.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35How do you use a thing like this?
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I don't suppose people are going up and down it on ropes,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40doing anything in the traditional way. How does it work?
0:35:40 > 0:35:41Three people can sail this boat.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43You push buttons and the sails come out of the slots
0:35:43 > 0:35:45in five different sets. So if the wind gets up,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49you can de-canvas very quickly and take the top sets of sails down.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52What are the limits? What, potentially, could you make
0:35:52 > 0:35:55if there was a billionaire rich enough and ambitious enough?
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Well, I'm sure that somebody will want to beat the 110-metre mast,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and there are discussions of 125-metre masts.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03The technology is certainly there.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Gosh, 110, 120...
0:36:05 > 0:36:06How tall is that?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08If it could sail down the Thames with its masts up,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- what would it be taller than? - That's taller than Big Ben.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19From the days of wooden warships,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21to the cutting-edge technology of today,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Portsmouth's reputation as a global maritime trailblazer continues.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35Commissioning your own super-yacht is the preserve of the super-rich
0:36:35 > 0:36:39and this coast has more than its fair share of millionaires.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45You need to have some serious money to live the high life on this coast.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50My next port of call is Southampton,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52for a temporary taste of that high life.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But the next story in our guide is further west,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00on our most exclusive peninsula.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Sandbanks is Britain's answer to Palm Beach,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07with the fourth-most expensive land on the planet.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13A wee while ago, I couldn't resist a snoop around
0:37:13 > 0:37:15one of its priciest properties.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20In my wildest dreams, I couldn't afford a house like this.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22But for an afternoon,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26I can pretend I've got a few million pounds burning a hole in my pocket.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Right, Neil, this is it.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Right!
0:37:32 > 0:37:36So this is what a £10 million house looks like in Sandbanks.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37Yes.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Nearly every room in this house has a view of the sea.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Even the bathroom.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50- You have your own jetty. - You've got two jetties.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- Two jetties?- Yeah. - Well, of course, you'd need two.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57What with this house be worth if it wasn't on Sandbanks?
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- Half the price.- Right.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00And with probably more land.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05But who'd want more land,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08when you can wake up to 10,000 acres of stunning harbour
0:38:08 > 0:38:10at the bottom of your garden?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14This is what a house like this is really all about, isn't it?
0:38:14 > 0:38:16It's access to all of...
0:38:16 > 0:38:17that.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21It's a different kind of life, isn't it? It's a different world.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24It is a beautiful place, and there are people out there
0:38:24 > 0:38:28prepared to pay the money for this location.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- Do you want it?- Do- I- want it?
0:38:33 > 0:38:34Nah.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Today, Sandbanks is worth a whopping £933 million,
0:38:43 > 0:38:49with house prices reaching £1,300 a square foot -
0:38:49 > 0:38:52a 100% increase in just eight years.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57My new journey into some of the south coast's
0:38:57 > 0:39:00most exclusive enclaves has brought me
0:39:00 > 0:39:03to Southampton's Ocean Village Marina,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06home to some seriously high-end ships,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10tailor-made for maritime millionaires.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And finally, I'm going aboard the sort of vessel
0:39:15 > 0:39:18where I've always felt I belong!
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- David.- Neil, very good to meet you. - You too. This is stunning.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Welcome aboard.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27And a first for me - yachtsman David Tydeman is trusting me
0:39:27 > 0:39:31at the helm of this £5.5 million beauty,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33super-yacht Reina.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36You can go just to the left of the buoy.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38That's great.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44A 25-metre bespoke craft, she comes with cutting-edge mod cons,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47sleek lines and a professional crew.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50But Reina still offers millionaires with wanderlust
0:39:50 > 0:39:53a hands-on sailing experience.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57There's a different philosophy about a vessel like this, isn't there,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59and, say, the kind of super-yacht
0:39:59 > 0:40:01that most people think of when they hear the term.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04The big motor cruisers. The Abramovich-style vessel.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08Yes, that sort of super-yacht is, in some ways, a floating hotel.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11This is a hands-on sailing boat
0:40:11 > 0:40:14for an owner who knows what he's doing and wants to enjoy sailing.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17How much of a product of 21st-century design
0:40:17 > 0:40:19and understanding is this vessel,
0:40:19 > 0:40:23compared to the traditions of the old wooden-hulled boats?
0:40:25 > 0:40:28The basic philosophy of hull shape - a keel, a mast -
0:40:28 > 0:40:30those are traditions that haven't changed.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32It's still a sailing yacht,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35you sail this in the same way that you would a dinghy.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39We've just refined it, we've used modern design, modern materials.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It makes the boat easier to sail
0:40:41 > 0:40:44and therefore the whole experience becomes more luxurious.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46And so it imposes no limits on a person's ambitions
0:40:46 > 0:40:48when it comes to the voyage itself?
0:40:48 > 0:40:50No, this boat could go anywhere.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52You could sail this to the Falklands,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54you could sail it to Alaska.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57It would be equally home turning up in Monte Carlo.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Our destination is not quite Monte Carlo.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05To allow me to have a little taste of luxury life at sea, though,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08we're taking Reina around the Isle of Wight.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13There's no question that Reina sails magnificently,
0:41:13 > 0:41:18but it's below deck that really puts the super in super-yacht.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Goodness, it's like a beautifully appointed home on land.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Well, it's a home from home, that's what we like to build.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31My eyes have just caught all the perfect attention to detail.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Can I see where my cabin would be?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Yes, let me show you. - If I was the master of the ship.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Let me show you the master cabin.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Nothing feels cramped either. There's all this headroom.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- Two guest cabins.- Look at that!
0:41:44 > 0:41:46And then forward into the master cabin.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48It's so big.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51Oh, for goodness' sake!
0:41:51 > 0:41:53HE LAUGHS
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Look at that. Look at the en suite as well.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00I seldom see the inside of a hotel this nice.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02You can imagine doing
0:42:02 > 0:42:04two weeks across the Atlantic in here, can you?
0:42:04 > 0:42:06You know, I've done a bit of sailing,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09but the idea of being in this kind of palatial comfort at the same time
0:42:09 > 0:42:11just messes with my head.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15How many vessels like this are there on the planet?
0:42:15 > 0:42:18There's about 700 sailing yachts been built ever.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20So these are rare birds.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Yes, there are 20 boats of this size built per year, only, worldwide.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Uh-huh.- And we build five of them in England.- Gosh.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32- So you join an elite club when you take ownership of one of these.- Yes.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47A yacht like this is designed and equipped
0:42:47 > 0:42:51to go anywhere on the globe, but I have to say, on a day like today,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55it feels perfectly at home right here on the Solent.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00We are heading towards England's largest island,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02the Isle of Wight,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04a must-see on these shores.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Enmeshed in the rocks that make this place so distinctive
0:43:09 > 0:43:12are epic stories.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15The Coast experts have explored the secrets
0:43:15 > 0:43:18of the Isle of Wight's geology from every conceivable angle.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22From the very birth of this island...
0:43:23 > 0:43:26..its role in the space race,
0:43:26 > 0:43:30to the mystery of what makes up its magnificent Needles.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Our Isle of Wight story started with Nick,
0:43:34 > 0:43:38going back thousands of years to a time when the island
0:43:38 > 0:43:40wasn't actually an island.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Can you describe exactly what we'd have seen 10,000 years ago
0:43:44 > 0:43:48if we'd looked from here towards what is now Dorset?
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Well, we'd have seen a line of white-chalk cliffs and, behind that,
0:43:51 > 0:43:53you'd have had clifftops covered in primitive grasses.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57And as you walked back away from that, that coastal environment,
0:43:57 > 0:43:59you'd have walked into ancient woodlands
0:43:59 > 0:44:02and then slowly down onto the shores of the estuary of the River Solent.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04- Sounds like a paradise.- Indeed.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10So, how did that woodland paradise become an island?
0:44:11 > 0:44:1320,000 years ago,
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Northern Europe, and most of Britain,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18was covered with a layer of glacial ice
0:44:18 > 0:44:20over a mile thick.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25It started to warm up, the ice melted and water levels rose.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28But that wasn't the only thing that helped create the Isle of Wight.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33The other process is best illustrated
0:44:33 > 0:44:36by two men with an inflatable bed.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38OK, this is the primitive United Kingdom,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40we're going to have Scotland at one end,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43- the Isle of Wight on the other end. - So, this is the north.- It is.
0:44:43 > 0:44:44It's very malleable, as you can see.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46You're saying the surface of the planet
0:44:46 > 0:44:49- really is this bendy in places? - Yes, geologically speaking.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51Now, 20,000 years ago,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Scotland was covered with 2km-thick of ice,
0:44:53 > 0:44:55enormous amount of weight,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57and I want you to be that weight, so on you go.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59I'm Scotland. Covered in ice.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03If I bring in the Isle of Wight, put that in place.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Then we wind the clock forward to about 12,000 years ago,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09the glaciers are melting away off Scotland really rapidly.
0:45:09 > 0:45:10So, off you get.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- It's dropped.- It sinks down a bit.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15That is called isostatic rebound.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18But what's happened to the Isle of Wight is,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20not only have we got sea levels attacking it,
0:45:20 > 0:45:23sea level rise from all the glacial water going into the sea,
0:45:23 > 0:45:25but you've got the isostatic rebound happening.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28So the sea is now going to come churning round this particular
0:45:28 > 0:45:32lump of rock and turn it into the Isle of Wight that we see today.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37It took a few thousand years before the Isle of Wight
0:45:37 > 0:45:40was totally cut off, as we see it today.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45And this restless traveller is still moving, still evolving.
0:45:52 > 0:45:5465 million years ago,
0:45:54 > 0:45:58tectonic plates on the surface of the planet collided.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03This crash created a geological legacy,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06a chalk ridge that runs the length of the Isle of Wight.
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Millions of years later,
0:46:09 > 0:46:13this curved coastline would become a frontier of scientific discovery...
0:46:15 > 0:46:18..the setting for Britain's space programme.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Cut into the chalk was a space base called High Down,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25where men tested top-secret space rockets.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28For our guide, Alice Roberts met some
0:46:28 > 0:46:31of the Isle of Wight's original spacemen.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- So, we're on our way up to High Down?- Yes, indeed.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37There were never this many people around when we worked here.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Very restricted, who could come up here at that time.
0:46:40 > 0:46:46Why did they particularly choose this site for the rocket testing?
0:46:46 > 0:46:48Well, it has a natural bowl
0:46:48 > 0:46:51and we wanted the noise and the exhaust steam
0:46:51 > 0:46:53to go out into the bay,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57so that it didn't go back towards the populated areas of the island.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00There was already three gun emplacements here,
0:47:00 > 0:47:03with magazine stores underneath,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06which only needed a very small amount of modification
0:47:06 > 0:47:08to make this into a working rocket site.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11Were the rockets actually built on the site here?
0:47:11 > 0:47:14No, the actual rocket was put together at East Cowes
0:47:14 > 0:47:15and came out here for testing.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18And then we would bring it down to one of these gantries
0:47:18 > 0:47:21and we would go all through the procedure necessary
0:47:21 > 0:47:23to actually launch the rocket,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25including lighting the engines,
0:47:25 > 0:47:30and you would see the motors with their shock diamonds coming out.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32So you'd be watching this rocket there,
0:47:32 > 0:47:34and you'd be seeing the flames coming out of the bottom of it?
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Yes, and big steam out there. And quite a roar.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40The only thing we didn't do was let it go.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42There was a small ball in the bottom of the rocket
0:47:42 > 0:47:45and there a claw which grabs hold of it.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49And when we wanted it to go, the claw was open and away it goes.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51But we didn't do that here.
0:47:53 > 0:47:5722 rockets developed and tested here on the Isle of Wight
0:47:57 > 0:47:59were eventually launched into space.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05The scientists left the site in the 1970s, but...
0:48:06 > 0:48:10The geology of the Isle of Wight is a magnet.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12In recent years, the chalk has pulled in
0:48:12 > 0:48:16a different type of scientist, on a mission to solve a mystery.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Why have the famous Needles resisted the sea
0:48:21 > 0:48:23when the surrounding rock crumbled away long ago?
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Answering that question for our guide
0:48:28 > 0:48:30required a head for heights
0:48:30 > 0:48:31and nerves of steel.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33Just the job for Andy Torbet.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39We need a pure sample of chalk from the summit
0:48:39 > 0:48:42to work out why this pinnacle has defied the sea for so long.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49That was my next handhold.
0:48:49 > 0:48:50Below!
0:48:51 > 0:48:54It's fragile, it's crumbly, it's unpredictable.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56And every time you pull on a hold or step up,
0:48:56 > 0:48:58your heart's in your mouth.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08The geologists tell me that from the sealine to the top,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11this rock face represents about a million years,
0:49:11 > 0:49:15so for every metre I go up, that's about 30,000 years.
0:49:25 > 0:49:26That's a bit easier.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Done it. Champion. Still in one piece.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37We'll get the rock samples the guys need, get ourselves down,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39and that'll be mission accomplished.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49Sample in hand, hopefully we can clear up one mystery right now.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Why have the Needles lasted so long?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Is the chalk harder than the surrounding coast?
0:49:55 > 0:49:58We've got a way to find out.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01This device will give a number to the hardness of our sample.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03There's the vein.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Here we have a reading.
0:50:05 > 0:50:06This one's 22.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09That's quite hard for chalk.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Yeah, I think we have a flat surface....
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Now we need to compare it with the chalk the geologists
0:50:14 > 0:50:16have brought along from the mainland.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20It's barely reading 10 on here,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23which is significantly lower than the one from the Needle.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26This is much, much harder.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30So why is the Needles chalk much harder than normal chalk?
0:50:30 > 0:50:34This chalk was moved by Earth forces
0:50:34 > 0:50:37and it was bent over until it was nearly vertical.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42And the compression on that chalk made it significantly harder
0:50:42 > 0:50:46than other samples of chalk that we see around the south of England.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50The Isle of Wight, a time capsule
0:50:50 > 0:50:53comprising millions of years of history.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57No wonder this geological marvel
0:50:57 > 0:51:00pulls in over two million tourists each year.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05The Isle of Wight isn't the only holiday heavyweight
0:51:05 > 0:51:08in our Great Guide to Britain's south coast.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Refined resorts dot these shores.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15But 50 miles from the Isle of Wight
0:51:15 > 0:51:19is a resort that once offered tourists a spectacle like no other.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23It wasn't out there,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25it was up there.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Going into our guide is Worthing.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Above the beach in the 1950s,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35the race to set a world airspeed record played out.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39In the summer of 1953,
0:51:39 > 0:51:4322-year-old pilot Neville Duke triumphed for Britain.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Brendan Walker followed in his slipstream
0:51:48 > 0:51:50in one of those early jets,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52an authentic Hawker Hunter.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01Even 60 years on, this is a truly impressive piece of engineering.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10The speed we're picking up, it's just incredible!
0:52:10 > 0:52:13I wish the camera could see just how much I was smiling right now.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15THEY LAUGH
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Away we go.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Ah, this is fantastic!
0:52:25 > 0:52:30Oh, immediately can feel the G-force just pushing me into the chair.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33And we're so close to the ground!
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Pilots like Duke coped with immense pressures,
0:52:38 > 0:52:42making split-second decisions that not only set records,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45but could cost them their lives.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Picking up some speed now, putting full power on.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51- You can hear that, it's fantastic! - Yep.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Ah!
0:52:53 > 0:52:55That's four G now.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57I can't put my hand up now!
0:52:58 > 0:53:02At four G, I'm losing my ability to react.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04And we're way off the pace of Neville Duke.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13There are no crowds on the coast today for us,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16but when Duke set out on that last record-breaking run,
0:53:16 > 0:53:18holiday-makers lined the route.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24So, what did Duke feel, flying above those holiday crowds?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Yes!
0:53:27 > 0:53:29HE LAUGHS
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Sheer pleasure.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Back on board my vintage ride,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42I'm exploring all these shores have to offer for the Great Guide.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49It's clear that many here still feel the need for speed.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54It was on this coast that Britain pioneered powerboat racing.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58I'm on my way to Poole Harbour,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01the second-largest natural harbour in the world.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05It's in our Great Guide as THE place to powerboat.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09- Hello, Ian. How are you doing? - Hi, Neil.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12It's where I'm meeting Ian Toll.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- I'm impressed already.- You're very kind, thank you very much.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19He's taking me for a spin in his 1971 Magnum.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- Can we make some noise for you? - Please do.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24I'm not sure what to expect.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26ENGINE FIRES
0:54:26 > 0:54:27Oh, yeah!
0:54:27 > 0:54:28I think it's on(!)
0:54:31 > 0:54:34I'm already terrified, based purely on the noise it's making!
0:54:34 > 0:54:37So things can only get worse.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Ian's a veteran of what is now the longest-running
0:54:42 > 0:54:45offshore powerboat race in the world.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Launched in 1961,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53the Cowes-Torquay race was the first of its kind in Britain.
0:54:56 > 0:55:02155 miles of pure speed, drawing spectators in their thousands.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09Back on board Magnum, Ian doesn't need any excuse to go full throttle.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12ENGINE ROARS
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Ian's passion for powerboat racing has become a family affair.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48His son Christian has the speed bug too.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52I've never been in anything like that.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- I think we are doing about 60-something miles...- 60 to 70.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57And, obviously, I've travelled at that speed in a car on innumerable
0:55:57 > 0:56:00occasions, but on the water it felt like 260mph.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03- Absolutely. - It's the rain in your face.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- Absolutely. - It's like being tattooed by God.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Tell me how you got involved with the sport.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12It's my father's fault, you see.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15He started all of the madness in 1968
0:56:15 > 0:56:18and bought a very famous powerboat
0:56:18 > 0:56:20that sank in a very famous powerboat race.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23So tell me about that. What's the story there?
0:56:23 > 0:56:25It was a world champion powerboat
0:56:25 > 0:56:27that came over for the 1968 Cowes-Torquay.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29And it had the best of everything.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Unfortunately, it sank and went down in 160 feet of water.
0:56:33 > 0:56:34And I bought it on the bottom.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- And that was the start. - You can do that?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Oh yes. I bought the wreck.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41That boat was a Magnum Tornado,
0:56:41 > 0:56:44at the time, the most famous powerboat in the world.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Salvaged from the seabed,
0:56:47 > 0:56:51Ian rebuilt and completely restored it -
0:56:51 > 0:56:54eventually selling it to buy a house.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Since then, father and son have been obsessively restoring and racing
0:56:59 > 0:57:01vintage powerboats on this coast.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Shall we say we have an addiction with these boats?
0:57:05 > 0:57:09What is this one, and why is it so conspicuously long?
0:57:09 > 0:57:12OK, so as the evolution of offshore powerboats came along,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14they got longer and longer,
0:57:14 > 0:57:19and the idea of having a longer boat is the bow really protects you,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22it absorbs the energy of the wave, and you can drive it in harder seas.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25So you can put more horsepower in a longer boat.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27This boat has about 1,400 horsepower.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30It's another animal again.
0:57:30 > 0:57:31- "Animal" is the word.- Yeah.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33And it really is exhilarating.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Get it trimmed right, and the boat's flying.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37It's just second to none, it really is.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51At the heart of England's south coast
0:57:51 > 0:57:54is a shoreline awash with your pick of pleasures.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01Around every twist and turn,
0:58:01 > 0:58:04ancient history rubs shoulders with the cutting edge.
0:58:04 > 0:58:10Coastal competitors spur each other on to bigger, better, faster.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Touring with our Great Guide,
0:58:18 > 0:58:20at Portsmouth we saw the future of yachting.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26We scaled the famous Needles on the Isle of Wight.
0:58:28 > 0:58:32On the Jurassic Coast, we saw secrets hidden in the rock.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38And we sailed in style on Solent.
0:58:40 > 0:58:42This is our Great Guide.
0:58:42 > 0:58:45Come and see it for yourself.
0:58:45 > 0:58:46Let's go!