1 00:00:12,407 --> 00:00:15,285 This is Coast. 2 00:00:44,287 --> 00:00:47,085 Our stunning sea cliffs. 3 00:00:47,127 --> 00:00:49,516 An imperious borderline, 4 00:00:49,567 --> 00:00:52,718 stitched with a rainbow tapestry of stone. 5 00:00:55,767 --> 00:00:58,725 Deceptive and dramatic, 6 00:00:58,767 --> 00:01:01,679 yielding and treacherous. 7 00:01:01,727 --> 00:01:06,881 Over millennia, we've learnt to negotiate this tricky terrain... 8 00:01:08,847 --> 00:01:13,398 ..and carve surprising uses from its rocky skeleton. 9 00:01:15,047 --> 00:01:18,437 My quest has bought me to the lsle of Wight. 10 00:01:19,847 --> 00:01:24,796 l'm on a mission to delve into the hidden world of our sea cliffs, 11 00:01:24,847 --> 00:01:27,566 and l'm going to start with this key. 12 00:01:36,607 --> 00:01:41,283 Over a century ago the locals unlocked a secret. 13 00:01:41,327 --> 00:01:46,196 This solid sea cliff had a helpfully soft core. 14 00:01:50,727 --> 00:01:53,719 Behind this grill is a disused lift shaft, 15 00:01:53,767 --> 00:01:57,077 a man-made hole bored straight into the cliff. 16 00:02:04,847 --> 00:02:07,236 l'm going to extreme lengths, 17 00:02:07,287 --> 00:02:11,360 investigating mysteries at the heart of our sea cliffs, 18 00:02:11,407 --> 00:02:12,556 and l'm not alone. 19 00:02:13,487 --> 00:02:15,876 Tessa is on the south coast, 20 00:02:15,927 --> 00:02:18,395 discovering a cliff that went to war. 21 00:02:18,447 --> 00:02:21,086 These cliffs were the perfect testing ground 22 00:02:21,127 --> 00:02:24,437 for the tactics that would be used in the D-day landings. 23 00:02:29,887 --> 00:02:33,197 While Andy joins the military on a modern-day mission. 24 00:02:34,607 --> 00:02:37,201 This cliff is a challenge you've got to conquer 25 00:02:37,247 --> 00:02:38,805 if you wanna be a Royal Marine. 26 00:02:42,607 --> 00:02:46,520 And new experts Cassie Newland and Sarah Beynon 27 00:02:46,567 --> 00:02:50,606 share insider knowledge of unexpected treasures. 28 00:02:50,647 --> 00:02:54,162 These guys can shift serious amounts of poo. 29 00:02:54,207 --> 00:02:56,721 We've got all this amazingly interesting stuff 30 00:02:56,767 --> 00:02:58,485 that's just falling out of the cliff. 31 00:02:58,527 --> 00:03:03,362 And l'll be exploring the surprising shores of Yorkshire 32 00:03:03,407 --> 00:03:07,400 where cliffs are towers of strength and soft as butter. 33 00:03:07,447 --> 00:03:09,802 Road to nowhere. 34 00:03:10,687 --> 00:03:14,202 Our island's edge as you've never seen it before. 35 00:03:14,967 --> 00:03:18,164 This is the Secret Life of Sea Cliffs. 36 00:03:26,047 --> 00:03:29,596 My journey will take me on a 70-mile adventure 37 00:03:29,647 --> 00:03:33,606 across the vast and varied cliffs of Yorkshire. 38 00:03:33,647 --> 00:03:38,482 But first l need to free myself from the depths of the lsle of Wight. 39 00:03:42,127 --> 00:03:45,437 Here the sea has bitten chunks out of the headland. 40 00:03:49,527 --> 00:03:53,600 lf nature could carve through the chalk, why not man? 41 00:03:59,567 --> 00:04:02,286 l've walked across cliffs, l've climbed up cliffs, 42 00:04:02,327 --> 00:04:05,683 but l've never abseiled through a cliff. 43 00:04:05,727 --> 00:04:07,763 lt's completely other-worldly. 44 00:04:11,127 --> 00:04:13,322 ln the late 1 9th century, 45 00:04:13,367 --> 00:04:16,916 the government had the cliff's centre scooped out, 46 00:04:16,967 --> 00:04:19,242 part of a secret defence plan. 47 00:04:20,167 --> 00:04:23,603 This looks like a spur tunnel, this. 48 00:04:23,647 --> 00:04:26,002 lt's got a very high roof and it's full of debris. 49 00:04:26,047 --> 00:04:28,038 This one looks like the main one. 50 00:04:30,367 --> 00:04:34,076 These tunnels have lain untouched for decades, 51 00:04:34,127 --> 00:04:37,517 but clues to their use still remain. 52 00:04:38,927 --> 00:04:42,886 Old electrical cables carried in this rusting steel pipe. 53 00:04:46,287 --> 00:04:48,926 There's a gigantic rusting engine. 54 00:04:48,967 --> 00:04:52,004 This must have been used to power the lift. 55 00:04:55,687 --> 00:04:58,121 A window ahead sheds some light. 56 00:05:01,567 --> 00:05:03,523 (Laughs) 57 00:05:03,567 --> 00:05:07,003 Look at this! Unbelievable! 58 00:05:09,047 --> 00:05:14,167 What could be more secure than a fortress built into a cliff face? 59 00:05:18,287 --> 00:05:22,360 Beginning in 1 860, the military chiselled out the chalk 60 00:05:22,407 --> 00:05:25,797 to create a rock-solid defence. 61 00:05:25,847 --> 00:05:30,875 A fort dug into the cliff top and near sea level 62 00:05:30,927 --> 00:05:33,361 camouflaged gun positions, 63 00:05:33,407 --> 00:05:37,446 ideal for troops facing hostile warships in the Channel. 64 00:05:42,487 --> 00:05:46,082 They'd worked a way to make the most of their cliff edge, 65 00:05:46,127 --> 00:05:50,325 and this rocky border can lead me to further surprises. 66 00:05:51,847 --> 00:05:56,796 lmagine following this seam of chalk back inland. 67 00:05:56,847 --> 00:06:01,762 lt would be an underground journey through the soft underbelly of England, 68 00:06:01,807 --> 00:06:05,925 emerging on the east coast in God's own country. 69 00:06:05,967 --> 00:06:08,879 The chalk rears its head again here. 70 00:06:08,927 --> 00:06:12,636 These are the white cliffs of Yorkshire. 71 00:06:20,487 --> 00:06:27,165 This is the ideal location to celebrate our sea cliffs at their most splendid 72 00:06:27,207 --> 00:06:29,641 and their most scary. 73 00:06:33,967 --> 00:06:36,401 While l explore the Yorkshire shore, 74 00:06:36,447 --> 00:06:39,723 the team will discover their own highlights. 75 00:06:39,767 --> 00:06:43,885 Every cliff has its own secret and surprising story to tell. 76 00:06:47,447 --> 00:06:51,804 With thousands of miles of cliffs circling the UK, 77 00:06:51,847 --> 00:06:54,839 there's an adventure waiting around every corner. 78 00:06:58,007 --> 00:07:03,365 But it's impossible to see the whole extraordinary mosaic at once. 79 00:07:03,407 --> 00:07:05,159 Or is it? 80 00:07:06,487 --> 00:07:09,718 l've brought together rocks from around our coast 81 00:07:09,767 --> 00:07:12,759 to create a unique map of the UK. 82 00:07:14,207 --> 00:07:18,485 These pieces of a puzzle build up a picture of the birth of our isles. 83 00:07:19,647 --> 00:07:22,445 An epic saga l want to unpick. 84 00:07:24,967 --> 00:07:27,435 Under my feet are the white cliffs of Yorkshire, 85 00:07:27,487 --> 00:07:29,478 made up of chalk, 86 00:07:29,527 --> 00:07:34,806 the remains of microscopic plants about 1 00 million years old. 87 00:07:35,567 --> 00:07:38,127 l'm building an empire 88 00:07:38,167 --> 00:07:41,762 Started from scratch lt began with stones... 89 00:07:43,327 --> 00:07:48,560 Now layers of long-gone sea life provide a perch for bird life. 90 00:07:48,607 --> 00:07:51,997 l'm building an empire 91 00:07:52,047 --> 00:07:54,720 So little time and so much to do... 92 00:07:54,767 --> 00:08:00,797 And where there's chalk, you find an even softer, scarier specimen. 93 00:08:00,847 --> 00:08:05,716 ln East Yorkshire, the cliffs are smothered in boulder clay. 94 00:08:05,767 --> 00:08:07,598 lt's all very soft material, this. 95 00:08:07,647 --> 00:08:11,117 This is a coast that's being eaten away at a ferocious rate. 96 00:08:13,967 --> 00:08:16,162 Empire... 97 00:08:19,207 --> 00:08:23,917 Travel to Cornwall and the granite rock is much harder. 98 00:08:23,967 --> 00:08:28,518 But locals make the most of chinks in their rugged border. 99 00:08:35,287 --> 00:08:38,802 ln Wales some cliffs are chewed away, 100 00:08:38,847 --> 00:08:43,637 evidence of a slate industry which quarried cash from the cliff face. 101 00:08:49,687 --> 00:08:54,397 The oldest rocks on our coast can be found here, in the Outer Hebrides. 102 00:08:54,447 --> 00:08:57,757 This is the great, great, great, great-grandfather 103 00:08:57,807 --> 00:08:59,843 of our coastal geology. 104 00:08:59,887 --> 00:09:04,915 Nice, this beautiful stripy rock is three billion years old. 105 00:09:04,967 --> 00:09:08,403 That's more than half the age of planet Earth. 106 00:09:11,487 --> 00:09:13,682 Mother Nature carved these rocks, 107 00:09:13,727 --> 00:09:16,719 making a maze out of the lsle of Mingulay. 108 00:09:19,927 --> 00:09:23,363 ln Orkney, people sculpted the softer sandstone 109 00:09:23,407 --> 00:09:27,036 to build our oldest village, Skara Brae. 110 00:09:29,687 --> 00:09:33,965 Cliffs tell us where our isles were once a desert landscape, 111 00:09:34,007 --> 00:09:39,923 that dinosaurs roamed here and volcano bubbled lava. 112 00:09:42,527 --> 00:09:46,122 Those stories make sea cliffs so exciting, 113 00:09:46,167 --> 00:09:49,523 in all over 1 00 rock types. 114 00:09:52,927 --> 00:09:57,762 There you go, the bare bones that make up the skeleton of our islands. 115 00:10:06,407 --> 00:10:10,480 Our white cliffs are the famous face of the British lsles. 116 00:10:21,447 --> 00:10:23,278 During the Second World War, 117 00:10:23,327 --> 00:10:27,479 our chalky southern shore was immortalised in song, 118 00:10:27,527 --> 00:10:29,438 a reminder of peace. 119 00:10:29,487 --> 00:10:34,880 There'll be blue birds over 120 00:10:35,847 --> 00:10:40,079 The white cliffs of Dover 121 00:10:40,127 --> 00:10:43,358 Tomorrow 122 00:10:43,407 --> 00:10:47,719 Just you wait and see 123 00:10:48,487 --> 00:10:54,244 But this coastline wasn't remote from the war. lt helped to win it. 124 00:10:54,287 --> 00:10:58,678 Courageous exploits are remembered in Burton Bradstock. 125 00:11:05,447 --> 00:11:10,475 For centuries, this rocky precipice protected the tiny village, 126 00:11:10,527 --> 00:11:13,041 but when the Second World War came knocking, 127 00:11:13,087 --> 00:11:16,238 a door opened to an extraordinary invasion. 128 00:11:16,967 --> 00:11:20,562 Tessa's discovering a cliff that went to war. 129 00:11:23,687 --> 00:11:27,999 TESSA: ln 1 944, the tide was about to turn in Europe. 130 00:11:29,087 --> 00:11:31,999 And Britain's unbreached borders were braced 131 00:11:32,047 --> 00:11:35,437 for a new chapter in their long history. 132 00:11:37,087 --> 00:11:42,286 This line of defence was about to play a crucial role in an attack on the enemy. 133 00:11:43,687 --> 00:11:49,956 ln early 1 944, a line of assault craft was advancing on our south coast. 134 00:11:50,007 --> 00:11:54,922 The sleepy village of Burton Bradstock was about to be exposed to war. 135 00:11:56,447 --> 00:11:59,120 Janet Guppy was 1 3 at the time. 136 00:11:59,167 --> 00:12:02,364 The cliffs brought danger to her doorstep. 137 00:12:04,567 --> 00:12:06,478 We weren't allowed to use the cliff at all. 138 00:12:06,527 --> 00:12:08,563 lt was just barbed wire all the way along here, 139 00:12:08,607 --> 00:12:10,438 right the way along the coast. 140 00:12:10,487 --> 00:12:14,036 TESSA: And one morning, Janet, you saw something untoward, didn't you? 141 00:12:14,087 --> 00:12:18,160 Yes, l noticed something on the cliff top. 142 00:12:18,207 --> 00:12:21,085 Looking through the wire, l could see this dark shape. 143 00:12:21,127 --> 00:12:24,005 - There were several of them there. - Did you go and investigate? 144 00:12:24,047 --> 00:12:26,720 No, we couldn't get there because of all this barbed wire. 145 00:12:26,767 --> 00:12:29,839 l had to go off because l had to go to school. 146 00:12:29,887 --> 00:12:33,323 TESSA: Grappling hooks were hurled onto the cliff top. 147 00:12:33,367 --> 00:12:36,564 Unique film shows the cliff face under siege. 148 00:12:36,607 --> 00:12:40,043 But the threat wasn't what the villagers feared. 149 00:12:41,407 --> 00:12:45,195 Look closely and you can see the American uniforms. 150 00:12:45,247 --> 00:12:48,842 This wasn't an enemy invasion. The Yanks were coming. 151 00:12:50,727 --> 00:12:53,958 Burton Bradstock had become a training ground 152 00:12:54,007 --> 00:12:56,601 for America's elite cliff assault team. 153 00:12:59,887 --> 00:13:02,765 MAN: The leading men raced to the top. 154 00:13:02,807 --> 00:13:06,482 Two men can climb each ladder at the same time. 155 00:13:07,967 --> 00:13:11,516 TESSA: The US rangers were preparing for a daring mission 156 00:13:11,567 --> 00:13:14,127 to decide the fate of Europe. 157 00:13:14,167 --> 00:13:17,079 These cliffs were the perfect testing ground 158 00:13:17,127 --> 00:13:20,085 for the tactics used during the D-day landings. 159 00:13:21,647 --> 00:13:26,960 1 20 miles away over the Channel lay the Normandy coast. 160 00:13:27,007 --> 00:13:31,046 The cliffs there are a mirror image of those at Burton Bradstock. 161 00:13:31,087 --> 00:13:36,241 30 metres high, the same stone, they loomed over the beach, 162 00:13:36,287 --> 00:13:39,723 high ground the Americans had to take. 163 00:13:43,167 --> 00:13:45,681 The cliffs at Burton Bradstock were chosen 164 00:13:45,727 --> 00:13:48,321 to test the troop's equipment for real. 165 00:13:50,687 --> 00:13:53,724 lf they could successfully scale these cliffs in England, 166 00:13:53,767 --> 00:13:56,759 then they had a chance of overcoming the German fortifications 167 00:13:56,807 --> 00:13:59,196 on the cliffs of occupied France. 168 00:14:01,167 --> 00:14:05,957 Waiting for D-day, a group of Gls were stationed nearby. 169 00:14:06,007 --> 00:14:09,317 Locals weren't usually allowed to access their camp, 170 00:14:09,367 --> 00:14:12,279 but there's evidence of one exception to the rule. 171 00:14:13,527 --> 00:14:19,045 A little girl posing for a publicity shot with the Gls all those years ago, 172 00:14:19,087 --> 00:14:21,317 and here she is now. 173 00:14:21,367 --> 00:14:24,404 - Hi, Liz. - Hi, Tess. 174 00:14:24,447 --> 00:14:28,486 TESSA: Liz Mackay was six years old when she was picked to meet the troops. 175 00:14:28,527 --> 00:14:31,519 Photos of her visits were published stateside, 176 00:14:31,567 --> 00:14:35,242 part of a propaganda campaign to reassure American families 177 00:14:35,287 --> 00:14:39,644 that the Brits were giving their boys a warm welcome. 178 00:14:39,687 --> 00:14:42,645 l have here some copies of those original photographs. 179 00:14:42,687 --> 00:14:44,405 Oh, gosh. 180 00:14:44,447 --> 00:14:46,881 - So here you are with your pigtails. - Yes! 181 00:14:46,927 --> 00:14:48,360 - Yes. - Let's have a look. 182 00:14:48,407 --> 00:14:52,923 - Oh, yes. - And this is my favourite. 183 00:14:52,967 --> 00:14:55,959 - lsn't that special? - Yes. 184 00:14:56,007 --> 00:14:59,079 Cute as a button. l bet they really indulged you, didn't they? 185 00:14:59,127 --> 00:15:04,406 Oh, absolutely indulged. We came out with armfuls of...of goodies, you know. 186 00:15:04,447 --> 00:15:07,837 Chocolate and candies and hair ribbons. 187 00:15:07,887 --> 00:15:10,799 Had you ever even met an American before? 188 00:15:10,847 --> 00:15:14,044 No, no. l'd only seen them in...on film. 189 00:15:14,087 --> 00:15:19,639 They were all like movie stars, and l think we felt part of a big movie. 190 00:15:19,687 --> 00:15:22,599 Were you aware of why they were stationed here? 191 00:15:22,647 --> 00:15:24,558 Not really, no. 192 00:15:24,607 --> 00:15:27,963 l was a little too young to fully comprehend 193 00:15:28,007 --> 00:15:30,999 the seriousness of what was going on. 194 00:15:32,207 --> 00:15:36,758 TESSA: For the Americans, their peaceful stay had an abrupt end. 195 00:15:36,807 --> 00:15:40,766 Janet caught a remarkable glimpse of their top-secret departure. 196 00:15:41,567 --> 00:15:44,877 - We were haymaking and... - There you are, stooking the... 197 00:15:44,927 --> 00:15:48,044 There was a hayrick there and my uncle was up the top, 198 00:15:48,087 --> 00:15:51,397 and he shouted to me and he said, ''Come up on the top of the hayrick.'' 199 00:15:51,447 --> 00:15:53,802 He said, ''There's a sight that l hope you'll never see 200 00:15:53,847 --> 00:15:55,360 in the rest of your life.'' 201 00:15:55,407 --> 00:15:59,525 And when we looked out across here, it was black, the sea. 202 00:15:59,567 --> 00:16:02,479 You couldn't see the sea. lt was just boats. 203 00:16:04,887 --> 00:16:07,799 TESSA: The water was thick with soldiers. 204 00:16:07,847 --> 00:16:11,362 On 6th June, 1 944, 205 00:16:11,407 --> 00:16:15,605 the Allied forces launched the crucial landings on the Normandy coast. 206 00:16:16,367 --> 00:16:20,565 The next few hours have been immortalised in drama. 207 00:16:21,367 --> 00:16:25,042 The Americans stormed the beach and attacked higher ground 208 00:16:25,087 --> 00:16:29,365 where German fire threatened Gls exposed on the sand below. 209 00:16:31,127 --> 00:16:34,802 At the cliffs, the rangers'training kicked in. 210 00:16:34,847 --> 00:16:36,724 Thanks to practice in England. 211 00:16:36,767 --> 00:16:41,318 the first men were up in minutes and heroically stood fast. 212 00:16:52,767 --> 00:16:57,397 More than 1 00 US rangers, over half the cliff assault force, 213 00:16:57,447 --> 00:17:00,883 were killed or injured during the D-day operation. 214 00:17:00,927 --> 00:17:05,682 The survivors were eventually relieved, having held onto their lethal position. 215 00:17:07,807 --> 00:17:09,923 Overcoming the cliffs of France, 216 00:17:09,967 --> 00:17:13,323 the Allies secured the beaches and advanced. 217 00:17:13,367 --> 00:17:16,404 Within a year the war in Europe was won. 218 00:17:19,207 --> 00:17:21,084 Back in Burton Bradstock, 219 00:17:21,127 --> 00:17:25,518 two women come again to the cliffs to remember desperate days. 220 00:17:26,727 --> 00:17:29,002 What about for both of you, 221 00:17:29,047 --> 00:17:34,121 being so connected to such a significant moment? 222 00:17:34,167 --> 00:17:39,844 lt honed your sights in on what could go on on the cliffs. 223 00:17:39,887 --> 00:17:42,162 LlZ: We were part of that. JANET: lt's history. 224 00:17:42,207 --> 00:17:43,560 And l feel quite proud of that, 225 00:17:43,607 --> 00:17:48,476 that even though it's a tiny, tiny speck, it's good. 226 00:17:48,527 --> 00:17:51,280 You were the poster girl for the Gls. 227 00:17:52,367 --> 00:17:54,358 Don't tell everyone. 228 00:17:58,207 --> 00:18:01,358 TESSA: Our coastline can feel like a full stop. 229 00:18:01,407 --> 00:18:04,365 But here, when destiny came knocking, 230 00:18:04,407 --> 00:18:08,719 these cliffs opened us up to events beyond our imagining. 231 00:18:40,447 --> 00:18:44,076 NlCK: We're exploring the secret life of sea cliffs, 232 00:18:44,127 --> 00:18:47,164 a journey that's brought me to Yorkshire. 233 00:18:51,727 --> 00:18:56,403 The cliffs here at Flamborough Head are 1 00 million years old. 234 00:18:57,607 --> 00:19:00,679 lt's easy to believe they're set in stone. 235 00:19:00,727 --> 00:19:02,718 But not so. 236 00:19:08,047 --> 00:19:11,881 This rocky skeleton creaks at the joints. 237 00:19:13,567 --> 00:19:17,321 Lifeless rock is stealthily on the move, 238 00:19:17,367 --> 00:19:20,962 creating cathedrals hewn from stone. 239 00:19:23,847 --> 00:19:28,967 These arches are the magnificent leftovers of cliff formations, 240 00:19:29,007 --> 00:19:32,317 extraordinary examples of coastal architecture. 241 00:19:39,887 --> 00:19:45,644 The tide washes in and out of small holes in headlands like this one 242 00:19:45,687 --> 00:19:48,281 and it creates a small arch. 243 00:19:48,327 --> 00:19:51,956 That arch gets worn bigger and bigger, higher and higher, 244 00:19:52,007 --> 00:19:54,919 until finally the top of the arch collapses 245 00:19:54,967 --> 00:19:57,117 and you get a free-standing pillar. 246 00:20:01,167 --> 00:20:04,716 And here is a perfect example. 247 00:20:11,567 --> 00:20:16,038 Nature is perpetually busy remodelling our coast. 248 00:20:18,047 --> 00:20:20,038 Grand pillars. 249 00:20:21,807 --> 00:20:24,037 Majestic archways. 250 00:20:25,687 --> 00:20:27,678 Vast halls. 251 00:20:37,807 --> 00:20:42,164 Wild splendour that's home to our wildlife. 252 00:20:47,007 --> 00:20:50,556 Where we keep clear, others congregate. 253 00:20:56,327 --> 00:21:00,320 And there's no better residence than Ramsey lsland. 254 00:21:06,567 --> 00:21:12,324 Here on the knife edge of West Wales, the rock face is daunting. 255 00:21:12,367 --> 00:21:16,883 But look closely and you'll discover a secret community of cliff dwellers. 256 00:21:19,287 --> 00:21:24,236 lnsect expert Sarah Beynon is onboard to bring us a bug's-eye view. 257 00:21:27,247 --> 00:21:31,365 Ramsey lsland is about a mile from where l grew up. 258 00:21:31,407 --> 00:21:33,921 l've been out here countless times, 259 00:21:33,967 --> 00:21:36,925 but l never tire of the sea cliffs. 260 00:21:41,207 --> 00:21:43,960 At 1 20 metres tall, 261 00:21:44,007 --> 00:21:46,202 they're not very people-friendly. 262 00:21:46,247 --> 00:21:50,763 There are only two permanent residents but a wealth of wildlife, 263 00:21:50,807 --> 00:21:53,560 and a few surprise day-trippers. 264 00:22:00,927 --> 00:22:03,999 Normally it's the sea birds that entertain the tourists. 265 00:22:04,047 --> 00:22:06,766 Ramsey lsland is a bird watcher's paradise. 266 00:22:07,727 --> 00:22:09,763 But l know a secret. 267 00:22:09,807 --> 00:22:12,082 Some species only thrive 268 00:22:12,127 --> 00:22:15,915 thanks to remarkable insects that stalk these cliffs. 269 00:22:20,527 --> 00:22:22,518 The dung beetles. 270 00:22:23,967 --> 00:22:27,926 l've studied these fascinating insects for years. 271 00:22:27,967 --> 00:22:29,923 Fortunately they're not hard to find. 272 00:22:29,967 --> 00:22:32,959 There's always an X to mark the spot. 273 00:22:33,007 --> 00:22:36,238 Unfortunately that X is a cowpat. 274 00:22:36,287 --> 00:22:38,278 Let's see what we find. 275 00:22:38,327 --> 00:22:39,885 lt's a bit squishy. 276 00:22:39,927 --> 00:22:41,918 Ah, here we go. 277 00:22:42,567 --> 00:22:46,321 So, here is a dung beetle. 278 00:22:46,367 --> 00:22:50,246 Now, this is one of the dung beetles that Ramsey lsland is renowned for. 279 00:22:50,287 --> 00:22:53,677 This one is called Anoplotrupes stercorosus. 280 00:22:53,727 --> 00:22:55,558 Not an easy name to remember. 281 00:22:55,607 --> 00:22:57,757 This is a flightless dung beetle 282 00:22:57,807 --> 00:23:01,004 that will potter along from dung pat to dung pat. 283 00:23:01,047 --> 00:23:04,084 lt will just hide itself underneath the dung 284 00:23:04,127 --> 00:23:07,915 and then bury the dung in a tunnel that it digs under the pat. 285 00:23:11,087 --> 00:23:14,523 Observe them closely and you'll discover these humble creatures 286 00:23:14,567 --> 00:23:18,879 play an illustrious role in Ramsey's rich ecosystem. 287 00:23:18,927 --> 00:23:20,201 They are the biggest draw 288 00:23:20,247 --> 00:23:23,159 for the island's more famous feathered residents. 289 00:23:25,967 --> 00:23:28,356 Dung beetles attract other cliff dwellers 290 00:23:28,407 --> 00:23:32,195 that bird watchers flock here to spot, the chough. 291 00:23:35,327 --> 00:23:40,196 On the cliff tops these rare red-billed birds have a field day. 292 00:23:40,247 --> 00:23:43,842 They feast on the plentiful, protein-rich dung beetles. 293 00:23:46,047 --> 00:23:50,165 RSPB warden Greg Morgan keeps a close eye on the precious chough. 294 00:23:51,567 --> 00:23:56,402 They're a special breed on Ramsey for the fact they are scarce nationally 295 00:23:56,447 --> 00:23:59,166 and this is one of the strongholds for them. 296 00:23:59,207 --> 00:24:00,640 They're very charismatic birds. 297 00:24:00,687 --> 00:24:04,077 When you watch them as long as l do, you start to see all these little nuisances. 298 00:24:04,127 --> 00:24:07,483 They nest in sea caves and it doesn't matter what the weather throws at them, 299 00:24:07,527 --> 00:24:10,724 they'll put up with that, and you just start to love these birds. 300 00:24:10,767 --> 00:24:14,760 Where we're standing now, it's absolutely rife with insect life. 301 00:24:14,807 --> 00:24:17,321 So is this the kind of place the chough would be feeding? 302 00:24:17,367 --> 00:24:20,279 Absolutely, this is ideal for them, and this what they need. 303 00:24:20,327 --> 00:24:21,965 They need the grass to be short. 304 00:24:22,007 --> 00:24:24,282 lf it gets too long, they can't forage properly. 305 00:24:24,327 --> 00:24:27,956 And as a result of livestock out on the island, 306 00:24:28,007 --> 00:24:31,920 that helps to provide that environment and provide dung. 307 00:24:31,967 --> 00:24:35,562 So the dung beetles, their only predator is really the chough 308 00:24:35,607 --> 00:24:37,563 and other birds that are foraging in dung. 309 00:24:37,607 --> 00:24:39,279 Exactly. lt all starts at the bottom. 310 00:24:39,327 --> 00:24:42,444 You get your insects right and then you get your birds right. 311 00:24:52,607 --> 00:24:56,839 SARAH: lt's heartening to see Ramsey's cliff top food chain flourish. 312 00:24:56,887 --> 00:24:59,082 Birds eat beetles, 313 00:24:59,127 --> 00:25:01,516 beetles eat dung, 314 00:25:01,567 --> 00:25:04,445 dung that comes from cattle and sheep 315 00:25:04,487 --> 00:25:08,685 that feed on the flora that thrives in the soil 316 00:25:08,727 --> 00:25:12,037 tilled and nourished by burrowing dung beetles. 317 00:25:19,087 --> 00:25:22,238 To ensure this food cycle remains unbroken, 318 00:25:22,287 --> 00:25:24,562 l monitor the beetle population. 319 00:25:24,607 --> 00:25:28,600 A harmless trap baited with a cow pat lures them in. 320 00:25:28,647 --> 00:25:31,559 So here's one of the dung pats we laid a few days ago, 321 00:25:31,607 --> 00:25:34,565 and hopefully there'll be something inside. 322 00:25:39,967 --> 00:25:42,720 Ah, look at this. What have we got? 323 00:25:44,087 --> 00:25:46,806 This one here is called Trypocopris vernalis. 324 00:25:46,847 --> 00:25:50,317 You can see its front legs that he's waving around here 325 00:25:50,367 --> 00:25:52,164 have got lots and lots of spines on them. 326 00:25:52,207 --> 00:25:54,323 They're so strong, these legs. 327 00:25:54,367 --> 00:25:58,201 They use them for digging and for pulling the dung down into the burrows. 328 00:25:58,247 --> 00:26:00,044 They can push the equivalent 329 00:26:00,087 --> 00:26:03,397 to me pushing three and a half double-decker buses. 330 00:26:05,207 --> 00:26:09,166 Ramsey's miniature world is going from strength to strength 331 00:26:09,207 --> 00:26:11,163 thanks to the giant sea cliffs. 332 00:26:12,487 --> 00:26:15,763 For us this margin is inhospitable, 333 00:26:15,807 --> 00:26:20,244 but where we fear to tread nature can roam free. 334 00:26:23,687 --> 00:26:27,566 The ribbon of sea cliffs around Ramsey is a precious place. 335 00:26:27,607 --> 00:26:30,360 l wish we could manage more of our land like this, 336 00:26:30,407 --> 00:26:34,525 so the beetles are left alone to do their bit for the environment. 337 00:27:03,287 --> 00:27:07,565 NlCK: We've learnt to keep a safe distance from our cliff edge. 338 00:27:07,607 --> 00:27:10,917 But what happens when cliffs edge closer to us? 339 00:27:13,447 --> 00:27:16,723 Our shore shrinks by the day here in Yorkshire. 340 00:27:23,487 --> 00:27:26,206 Rising some 200 metres, 341 00:27:26,247 --> 00:27:30,399 these white precipices are among the loftiest in England. 342 00:27:31,487 --> 00:27:34,047 But they have a secret. 343 00:27:34,087 --> 00:27:37,841 They stretch much further than it seems on the surface. 344 00:27:38,647 --> 00:27:42,526 ln many places the white cliffs are actually brown. 345 00:27:42,567 --> 00:27:44,444 The gleaming face of the chalk 346 00:27:44,487 --> 00:27:49,117 is covered in a thick layer of sand and clay. 347 00:27:49,167 --> 00:27:52,682 This false facade extends for miles, 348 00:27:52,727 --> 00:27:55,400 the clay of an ancient seabed 349 00:27:55,447 --> 00:27:58,678 that was smeared up over the chalk during the ice age. 350 00:27:58,727 --> 00:28:01,878 Now the sea's reclaiming her lost property. 351 00:28:02,807 --> 00:28:06,322 Seen from a distance, this cliff might look fairly solid, 352 00:28:06,367 --> 00:28:10,406 but up close it reveals its alarming secret. 353 00:28:11,447 --> 00:28:16,157 This stuff is so soft, it falls apart in your hand. 354 00:28:18,047 --> 00:28:23,519 As sea levels rise, this boulder clay along our east coast is crumbling. 355 00:28:32,727 --> 00:28:38,199 This massive structure from the Second World War 356 00:28:38,247 --> 00:28:41,523 is just lying on its back on the beach. 357 00:28:41,567 --> 00:28:46,846 lt's made of brick, concrete, steel. 358 00:28:46,887 --> 00:28:49,879 Once upon a time it stood up there on top of a cliff, 359 00:28:49,927 --> 00:28:55,843 and it was constructed to defend Britain from enemy forces. 360 00:28:55,887 --> 00:29:01,883 But it's been brought to its knees not by war but by the attacking sea. 361 00:29:03,807 --> 00:29:07,561 ln 2006, our cameras captured the same tower 362 00:29:07,607 --> 00:29:10,917 sitting a few metres from the cliff edge. 363 00:29:10,967 --> 00:29:14,880 Just three years later, the ground disappeared beneath it. 364 00:29:16,127 --> 00:29:18,800 Here's the present cliff. 365 00:29:18,847 --> 00:29:22,396 lt's been receding over the last century and a half 366 00:29:22,447 --> 00:29:27,237 at an astonishing average of 1 .27 metres for every year, 367 00:29:27,287 --> 00:29:32,759 which means that since 1 941 , when that military emplacement was built, 368 00:29:32,807 --> 00:29:37,562 this cliff has receded about 76 metres. 369 00:29:37,607 --> 00:29:43,204 So l'm going to take a walk back through time, one pace for every year. 370 00:29:43,247 --> 00:29:45,681 One, two, three, four... 371 00:29:49,767 --> 00:29:53,840 30 paces in, l'm back in the 1 980s. 372 00:29:53,887 --> 00:29:55,240 Madonna: Holiday 373 00:29:55,287 --> 00:30:00,122 1 0 paces more, l hit the glam rock days of the 1 970s. 374 00:30:00,167 --> 00:30:03,000 David Bowie: Changes 375 00:30:03,047 --> 00:30:05,356 Through to the swinging '60s. 376 00:30:05,407 --> 00:30:07,398 The Who: My Generation 377 00:30:08,607 --> 00:30:11,599 And after 72 paces... 378 00:30:11,647 --> 00:30:15,037 As Time Goes By 379 00:30:15,087 --> 00:30:21,196 This was the line of the cliff in the 1 940s. 380 00:30:21,247 --> 00:30:22,396 Look at it now. 381 00:30:23,287 --> 00:30:24,959 Extraordinary. 382 00:30:25,807 --> 00:30:33,236 As time goes by 383 00:30:35,527 --> 00:30:38,564 Knowing how quickly this cliff is eroding 384 00:30:38,607 --> 00:30:41,804 makes you feel uneasy standing on the edge, 385 00:30:41,847 --> 00:30:44,361 so imagine living here. 386 00:30:47,367 --> 00:30:48,595 Since Roman times, 387 00:30:48,647 --> 00:30:54,165 over 30 villages on the East Yorkshire coast have been lost to erosion. 388 00:30:54,207 --> 00:30:57,005 Now the community of Aldbrough is under threat. 389 00:30:57,967 --> 00:31:01,926 While l'm at the seaside end of the village, it all looks pretty normal. 390 00:31:01,967 --> 00:31:04,606 Pretty little houses, village pub. 391 00:31:06,527 --> 00:31:08,518 What's not normal... 392 00:31:11,967 --> 00:31:14,356 ..is this. 393 00:31:14,407 --> 00:31:15,999 A road to nowhere. 394 00:31:17,807 --> 00:31:21,516 Our edge is a precarious place to be, 395 00:31:21,567 --> 00:31:25,958 but some refuse to see this as the end of the line. 396 00:31:26,007 --> 00:31:28,157 l'm meeting Nigel Fairclough. 397 00:31:28,207 --> 00:31:33,122 Less than 20 years ago he bought a seafront house here. 398 00:31:33,167 --> 00:31:37,922 But as the cliff started to nibble at his garden, it was condemned as unsafe. 399 00:31:38,927 --> 00:31:42,442 Now only a ghost house remains. 400 00:31:42,487 --> 00:31:45,126 We'd be walking up the front footpath here to the house? 401 00:31:45,167 --> 00:31:48,762 NlGEL: That's correct, yeah. - So we go in here and we turn left. 402 00:31:48,807 --> 00:31:51,162 NlGEL: And you're in the living room, lovely and cosy 403 00:31:51,207 --> 00:31:55,041 when the storms were from the sea. 404 00:31:55,087 --> 00:31:57,760 And you walk straight through the living room. 405 00:31:57,807 --> 00:32:01,880 And we had like a galley kitchen running right along the back of the bungalow. 406 00:32:01,927 --> 00:32:04,282 So this is where we'd be standing to make a pot of tea. 407 00:32:04,327 --> 00:32:07,876 Yeah, and you could stand here and look out, beautiful view. 408 00:32:07,927 --> 00:32:11,124 - You can see Bridlington. - Could you hear the sea at night? 409 00:32:11,167 --> 00:32:15,683 Yeah. Odd stormy nights the house would shake. 410 00:32:15,727 --> 00:32:18,958 Literally we had a lot of ornaments up, 411 00:32:19,007 --> 00:32:21,282 and when the sea were banging in on the cliff, 412 00:32:21,327 --> 00:32:22,965 the whole house shook. 413 00:32:23,007 --> 00:32:24,520 - You're kidding? - No, no. 414 00:32:24,567 --> 00:32:27,604 - The ornaments would tremble? - Yeah. We'd have to move 'em back. 415 00:32:27,647 --> 00:32:30,525 lf they were on a shelf, sometimes we had to push them back 416 00:32:30,567 --> 00:32:32,603 because they were working their way forward. 417 00:32:32,647 --> 00:32:36,435 NlCK: Didn't that tell you that you were living somewhere quite precarious? 418 00:32:36,487 --> 00:32:40,958 Yeah, but comparing where you live, living in a town, 419 00:32:41,007 --> 00:32:44,317 to living somewhere like this, it were well worth putting up with it. 420 00:32:44,367 --> 00:32:49,236 NlCK: Do you remember the day your house was knocked down? 421 00:32:49,287 --> 00:32:53,075 Yeah, we had to watch while they come in with their digger 422 00:32:53,127 --> 00:32:56,085 and virtually crushed it, turned it into matchwood, 423 00:32:56,127 --> 00:32:58,516 and loaded it in t' skip and take it away. 424 00:33:01,367 --> 00:33:06,157 NlCK: Today the street is slowly being bulldozed house by house 425 00:33:06,207 --> 00:33:08,801 as the cliff edge inches closer. 426 00:33:08,847 --> 00:33:11,361 NlGEL: lt just seemed so solid... 427 00:33:12,407 --> 00:33:15,046 ..and you never expected this to happen to it. 428 00:33:17,247 --> 00:33:19,477 NlCK: But Nigel is undeterred. 429 00:33:19,527 --> 00:33:23,440 He'sjust bought a new house 1 00 metres down the road. 430 00:33:27,487 --> 00:33:32,561 They reckon that's got 50 years, so it won't worry me one little bit. 431 00:33:32,607 --> 00:33:35,804 That one's gonna be to see me out now, you know. 432 00:33:35,847 --> 00:33:38,042 lt's a lovely area. lt is great. 433 00:33:39,207 --> 00:33:41,084 lt's just sad it's going. 434 00:33:47,727 --> 00:33:51,402 NlCK: All our cliffs are shifting structures, 435 00:33:51,447 --> 00:33:54,644 slowly being reclaimed by the sea, 436 00:33:54,687 --> 00:33:56,996 as they know in Scarborough. 437 00:34:00,527 --> 00:34:05,521 ln 1 993, the Holbeck Hall Hotel was demolished 438 00:34:05,567 --> 00:34:09,037 after its east wing was lost to coastal erosion. 439 00:34:15,087 --> 00:34:18,079 When cracks started to show in Cornwall, 440 00:34:18,127 --> 00:34:20,163 a local geologist was lucky enough 441 00:34:20,207 --> 00:34:23,438 to capture a rocky horror show on his phone. 442 00:34:34,247 --> 00:34:37,956 Stretches of our coast do tumble into the sea, 443 00:34:38,007 --> 00:34:41,238 a story they recognise at Lyme Regis. 444 00:34:46,047 --> 00:34:51,041 These gentle slopes are evidence of the cliff's downfall, 445 00:34:51,087 --> 00:34:55,558 and as the land slips, it spills the beans on its past life. 446 00:34:57,847 --> 00:35:02,204 Cassie Newland is an archaeologist with a difference. 447 00:35:02,247 --> 00:35:07,275 She's raking up history the town thought it had buried long ago. 448 00:35:07,327 --> 00:35:12,355 Some archaeologists love Roman villas or Saxon hoards. 449 00:35:12,407 --> 00:35:16,923 l like more unusual things. And today l'm trawling for trash. 450 00:35:20,327 --> 00:35:24,115 The 1 950s is the birth of our modern throw-away society, 451 00:35:24,167 --> 00:35:25,998 but what we chuck away as rubbish 452 00:35:26,047 --> 00:35:29,562 we're not expecting to get confronted by again. 453 00:35:29,607 --> 00:35:31,962 Here at Lyme Regis we can do just that 454 00:35:32,007 --> 00:35:35,556 and get into all the details of people's everyday lives in the past, 455 00:35:35,607 --> 00:35:38,644 when the sea cliffs give up their secrets. 456 00:35:46,807 --> 00:35:51,278 Remarkably, these cliffs were once used as a rubbish dump. 457 00:35:54,167 --> 00:35:55,680 Right on the edge of town, 458 00:35:55,727 --> 00:36:00,084 the locals can relive past lives revealed from the old dump. 459 00:36:04,127 --> 00:36:09,520 As the cliff crumbles, its curious contents litter the beach below. 460 00:36:09,567 --> 00:36:11,205 We've got an actual kitchen sink. 461 00:36:13,287 --> 00:36:17,565 Oh, and it's enamelled. How '50s is that! 462 00:36:18,407 --> 00:36:21,763 lt's fascinating to think that these domestic relics 463 00:36:21,807 --> 00:36:24,799 have lain hidden in the cliffs for decades. 464 00:36:24,847 --> 00:36:28,840 l'm meeting local geologists Paddy and Chris to make sense of the jumble. 465 00:36:28,887 --> 00:36:31,685 They've sifted out some prize pieces. 466 00:36:31,727 --> 00:36:33,718 - Chris, Paddy. - Hello. 467 00:36:33,767 --> 00:36:37,237 This looks interesting. ls there anything you know dates of? 468 00:36:37,287 --> 00:36:41,200 That's 1 937. That's a beer bottle top from Bridport. 469 00:36:41,247 --> 00:36:43,238 - Fantastic. PADD Y: So that's got a date. 470 00:36:43,287 --> 00:36:44,959 CASSlE: l like that. 471 00:36:45,007 --> 00:36:47,567 CHRlS: That was actually found the day before yesterday. 472 00:36:47,607 --> 00:36:50,804 CASSlE: So that's George V. CHRlS: By my youngest son Leon. 473 00:36:53,047 --> 00:36:55,277 These ones, you see, give you a bit of a tell-tale. 474 00:36:55,327 --> 00:36:57,238 They're machine-made and you can see that 475 00:36:57,287 --> 00:36:59,562 cos they've got a seam that goes all the way down. 476 00:36:59,607 --> 00:37:04,317 lt also goes all the way over the top, so we know these have to be after 1 909 477 00:37:04,367 --> 00:37:06,801 when the machine that did that was invented. 478 00:37:07,967 --> 00:37:11,642 We've got all of this interesting stuff that's just falling out of the cliff. 479 00:37:11,687 --> 00:37:12,676 ls that normal? 480 00:37:12,727 --> 00:37:16,515 When it gets wet, particularly in the winter, the rocks over on that side, 481 00:37:16,567 --> 00:37:18,319 they fail and they slide down, 482 00:37:18,367 --> 00:37:21,165 and it so happens the rubbish dump was up at the top of the cliff 483 00:37:21,207 --> 00:37:22,845 and all of that came with it. 484 00:37:22,887 --> 00:37:25,447 And all of this material fell down in May 2008 485 00:37:25,487 --> 00:37:29,719 when there was a very big fall, about three quarters of a million tonnes. 486 00:37:29,767 --> 00:37:31,917 CASSlE: So we've got archaeology and geology. 487 00:37:31,967 --> 00:37:35,880 CHRlS: Archaeology and geology literally all muddled up and all mixed up. 488 00:37:37,447 --> 00:37:39,324 CASSlE: Out of sight and out of mind. 489 00:37:39,367 --> 00:37:42,279 No one gave a thought to the cliff top dump. 490 00:37:42,327 --> 00:37:48,323 But oddly the binmen who collected the town's trash became local treasures. 491 00:37:48,367 --> 00:37:50,835 No one knew them better than Ken Gollop. 492 00:37:52,807 --> 00:37:55,116 So, Ken, your dad was a dustman? 493 00:37:55,167 --> 00:37:56,919 Yes, my old man was a dustman. 494 00:37:56,967 --> 00:37:58,719 He wears a dustman's hat 495 00:37:58,767 --> 00:38:03,079 He wears gorblimey trousers And he lives in a council flat 496 00:38:03,127 --> 00:38:05,163 - Which one's your dad? - There you are. 497 00:38:05,207 --> 00:38:07,801 - The big one. - Actually, yeah, it does look like you. 498 00:38:07,847 --> 00:38:09,200 They're amazing. 499 00:38:09,247 --> 00:38:11,681 What happened was they were on their rounds one day 500 00:38:11,727 --> 00:38:15,606 and a gentleman was moving house, and he had loads of bowler hats 501 00:38:15,647 --> 00:38:18,844 and top hats, dress coats, morning coats and things. 502 00:38:18,887 --> 00:38:23,324 He said to the dustmen, ''Look, l've got all these. Do what you like with them.'' 503 00:38:23,367 --> 00:38:28,202 So, of course, Father being Father, he put a set straight on 504 00:38:28,247 --> 00:38:32,445 and they went around the town emptying dustcarts in top hats. 505 00:38:32,487 --> 00:38:34,045 CASSlE: Fantastic. 506 00:38:34,087 --> 00:38:37,921 They were so popular that people used to stop and take photographs of them. 507 00:38:41,247 --> 00:38:44,319 CASSlE: The sartorial binmen were tourist favourites, 508 00:38:44,367 --> 00:38:47,518 but Lyme Regis was no holiday for them. 509 00:38:47,567 --> 00:38:51,037 - So this is very steep, isn't it? - This is a dustman's nightmare. 510 00:38:51,087 --> 00:38:53,203 CASSlE: lt is, isn't it? 511 00:38:53,247 --> 00:38:57,479 CASSlE: The cliff edge is a top spot to share some lost treasure. 512 00:38:57,527 --> 00:39:02,726 Hidden in the BBC archives, l've dug up a recording Ken's never heard. 513 00:39:02,767 --> 00:39:07,397 Now, Ken, tell me if you recognise this at all. 514 00:39:09,447 --> 00:39:12,519 REPORTER: You sound as though you enjoy yourjob. You're very happy. 515 00:39:12,567 --> 00:39:15,240 MAN: Oh, we four are the happiest men in Lyme. 516 00:39:15,287 --> 00:39:18,359 - That's my father. - Happiest men in Lyme, sir. Oh, yes. 517 00:39:18,407 --> 00:39:21,797 We've had so many as 20 or 30 around us taking our photos. 518 00:39:21,847 --> 00:39:25,317 We've had our photos took over a thousand times this summer. 519 00:39:25,367 --> 00:39:27,278 REPORTER: You're very interested in hats. 520 00:39:27,327 --> 00:39:30,080 FATHER: Hats? Yes, sir, yes. l expect l've got more hats... 521 00:39:30,127 --> 00:39:34,962 KEN: He was taking the mickey out of the interviewer, wasn't he? 522 00:39:35,007 --> 00:39:38,363 He was just... He was a clown all the time. 523 00:39:38,407 --> 00:39:41,638 And he made the best of everything. 524 00:39:41,687 --> 00:39:46,681 He really enjoyed his life and he made a lot of people happy 525 00:39:46,727 --> 00:39:49,560 and l think he realised he did that. 526 00:39:49,607 --> 00:39:53,043 - l love that. - That was really wonderful, that was. 527 00:39:56,047 --> 00:40:00,404 CASSlE: The top-hatted dustmen of Lyme Regis are now long gone, 528 00:40:00,447 --> 00:40:04,520 but this cliff top time capsule continues to reveal its secrets. 529 00:40:04,567 --> 00:40:09,516 Oh, my goodness. These are Crittall windows, these metal-framed windows. 530 00:40:09,567 --> 00:40:12,923 lf these were still in your house, you wouldn't be allowed to take them out. 531 00:40:15,527 --> 00:40:19,600 These may not be the jewels and relics some archaeologists crave, 532 00:40:19,647 --> 00:40:22,241 but to me they are priceless. 533 00:40:22,287 --> 00:40:26,838 They tell the story of everyday people. lt's the archaeology of us. 534 00:40:39,447 --> 00:40:44,840 NlCK: We're scratching at the surface of our sea cliffs to expose their secrets. 535 00:40:47,047 --> 00:40:49,402 l've made my way to North Yorkshire, 536 00:40:49,447 --> 00:40:54,077 but my precise location must remain under wraps. 537 00:40:55,847 --> 00:40:58,964 Here on the Yorkshire coast there's a small group of locals 538 00:40:59,007 --> 00:41:02,682 who keep their cliff top activities rather secret. 539 00:41:04,167 --> 00:41:09,161 This precipitous spot is famous for its cliff top walks. 540 00:41:09,207 --> 00:41:14,235 The steep slopes keep many from the beach below, but not everyone. 541 00:41:15,487 --> 00:41:18,638 Nothing comes between a Yorkshireman and his fish. 542 00:41:21,447 --> 00:41:26,475 Only a select few know how to reach the real fishing hotspots. 543 00:41:27,487 --> 00:41:32,436 At the bottom of these cliffs lies the area's best fishing ground, 544 00:41:32,487 --> 00:41:35,240 and with some resourceful DlY, 545 00:41:35,287 --> 00:41:38,438 Glenn and Mike have constructed an interesting route 546 00:41:38,487 --> 00:41:40,603 to the pleasure pools below. 547 00:41:41,607 --> 00:41:43,962 So how long have you been coming down here? 548 00:41:44,007 --> 00:41:46,805 l would think l've been coming roughly 20 years now, 549 00:41:46,847 --> 00:41:48,803 so we know it really well. 550 00:41:48,847 --> 00:41:52,078 NlCK: So that white thing you slide down on, what's that made of? 551 00:41:52,127 --> 00:41:53,924 This is a fireman's hose. 552 00:41:53,967 --> 00:41:55,958 (Laughs) 553 00:42:07,007 --> 00:42:11,922 This is unbelievable. lt's an incredibly long way down. 554 00:42:11,967 --> 00:42:15,084 l had no idea fishermen did this kind of thing. 555 00:42:18,687 --> 00:42:20,439 lt's quite scary the first few times. 556 00:42:20,487 --> 00:42:23,365 You do seem to get used to it the more you come. 557 00:42:36,167 --> 00:42:40,877 At the bottom you find the perfect boys'getaway. 558 00:42:40,927 --> 00:42:45,762 But this beach doesn't give up its fishing secrets easily. 559 00:42:45,807 --> 00:42:48,241 Hidden from view under the sea 560 00:42:48,287 --> 00:42:51,996 a deep channel lies unseen below these waves, 561 00:42:52,047 --> 00:42:57,679 a gully carved into the seabed which funnels fish right up to the shore. 562 00:43:00,087 --> 00:43:02,681 GLENN: What you've got here is a lot deeper water in here 563 00:43:02,727 --> 00:43:05,639 and the fish like roam up and down looking for food. 564 00:43:05,687 --> 00:43:09,123 NlCK: So really this is about gully fishing rather than open sea. 565 00:43:09,167 --> 00:43:12,159 Gullies are the natural place for bait to rest, come to rest, 566 00:43:12,207 --> 00:43:14,084 and the fish know that, you see. 567 00:43:15,287 --> 00:43:18,006 NlCK: But why is this fish-friendly gully 568 00:43:18,047 --> 00:43:20,641 under these cliffs in the first place? 569 00:43:22,647 --> 00:43:25,241 l think one of the main reasons why the gully fishes so well 570 00:43:25,287 --> 00:43:29,838 is the fact that it was actually deepened by man through industry. 571 00:43:29,887 --> 00:43:32,321 - You see the tunnels here? - Oh, right, yeah. 572 00:43:33,607 --> 00:43:35,563 NlCK: Workers tunnelling into the cliffs 573 00:43:35,607 --> 00:43:40,078 also carved the underwater channel where the fish gather. 574 00:43:41,127 --> 00:43:45,882 ln the 1 8th century they quarried valuable minerals from the cliff edge, 575 00:43:45,927 --> 00:43:47,679 but without a natural harbour, 576 00:43:47,727 --> 00:43:51,197 they needed to gouge deep clefts into the sea floor 577 00:43:51,247 --> 00:43:53,238 to berth their trading boats. 578 00:43:55,247 --> 00:43:57,203 The boats may be gone, 579 00:43:57,247 --> 00:44:01,286 but their berths are a happy fishing ground for those in the know. 580 00:44:01,327 --> 00:44:03,966 And local industry brings other benefits. 581 00:44:06,967 --> 00:44:10,562 We've sort of had a helping hand with another mining industry. 582 00:44:10,607 --> 00:44:13,565 They're actually underneath us now mining away for potash. 583 00:44:13,607 --> 00:44:17,520 And they have an outlet pipe which is about a mile out to sea 584 00:44:17,567 --> 00:44:20,035 and all the slurry and stuff that comes out of there 585 00:44:20,087 --> 00:44:22,601 is mixed in with the water and it colours the water, 586 00:44:22,647 --> 00:44:24,524 which is really good for fishing. 587 00:44:24,567 --> 00:44:27,684 Why do the fish like cloudy water? 588 00:44:27,727 --> 00:44:30,878 l think they've got more confidence to come inshore looking for bait, 589 00:44:30,927 --> 00:44:32,440 especially during the daylight. 590 00:44:32,487 --> 00:44:36,321 Without the hand of man, there wouldn't be good fishing. lt's a combination. 591 00:44:36,367 --> 00:44:39,837 There'd always be fish there, but it's been a lot better since that happened, 592 00:44:39,887 --> 00:44:41,206 yeah, without a doubt. 593 00:44:47,367 --> 00:44:51,360 How long might you just stand here like this waiting for something to happen? 594 00:44:51,407 --> 00:44:54,797 MlKE: lf there's fish in the gully, they're at it straight away. 595 00:44:54,847 --> 00:44:56,439 NlCK: Oh, really? Fast. 596 00:44:56,487 --> 00:44:59,206 Oh, he's got a fish, yeah. He's got a fish, yeah. 597 00:44:59,247 --> 00:45:01,966 - Pouting. - l haven't seen a pouting before. 598 00:45:17,007 --> 00:45:20,522 NlCK: Scaling the sea cliffs is all part of the sport. 599 00:45:20,567 --> 00:45:24,446 Now l want to meet the man behind the madness. 600 00:45:24,487 --> 00:45:27,206 A man known as Big Cliff 601 00:45:27,247 --> 00:45:30,523 pioneered the route down to this secret world. 602 00:45:30,567 --> 00:45:35,038 He's a local legend and he's agreed to meet me just up here. 603 00:45:35,087 --> 00:45:39,319 Now nearly 70, Big Cliff cannily conserves his climbing energy. 604 00:45:39,367 --> 00:45:40,846 Hi. Good to meet you. 605 00:45:42,767 --> 00:45:48,364 So, is it true you put the fire hose there? 606 00:45:48,407 --> 00:45:53,037 What l did, l got a couple of anchorages and a 1 4lb hammer and buried them in, 607 00:45:53,087 --> 00:45:55,237 and this lad from Scarborough, who was a fireman, 608 00:45:55,287 --> 00:45:57,357 he put the hosepipe on the anchorages. 609 00:45:57,407 --> 00:45:59,477 People have added to the thing over the years, 610 00:45:59,527 --> 00:46:01,677 and we've got what we've got today you know. 611 00:46:01,727 --> 00:46:04,161 ls your name really Big Cliff? 612 00:46:04,207 --> 00:46:06,675 Oh, no. l like me cliff fishing, though. 613 00:46:06,727 --> 00:46:09,036 Used to end up on a big cliff fishing off the top. 614 00:46:09,087 --> 00:46:11,123 So when l thought of like a name for myself, 615 00:46:11,167 --> 00:46:13,840 l thought Big Cliff, you know, so... 616 00:46:13,887 --> 00:46:15,878 But me real name's Alan, but, you know... 617 00:46:15,927 --> 00:46:18,395 Why do you find this coast so special? 618 00:46:18,447 --> 00:46:21,120 Well, l think you're so like off the beaten track. 619 00:46:21,167 --> 00:46:24,364 You've got to put yourself out a little bit to be able to come here. 620 00:46:24,407 --> 00:46:27,763 lt's the sort of place that an awful lot of people never ever see. 621 00:46:27,807 --> 00:46:32,927 They're all zooming past in the car on their way to different places. 622 00:46:32,967 --> 00:46:35,003 Do you find it harder to come down here now? 623 00:46:35,047 --> 00:46:37,720 lt's not the getting down, Nick, it's the getting back up. 624 00:46:50,647 --> 00:46:54,435 Our sea cliffs are the setting for daring pursuits, 625 00:46:54,487 --> 00:46:59,925 a grownup's adventure playground where danger brings delight. 626 00:47:00,967 --> 00:47:05,757 lt's a far cry from those dark days of the Second World War, 627 00:47:05,807 --> 00:47:08,480 when cliffs became a frontline. 628 00:47:11,567 --> 00:47:15,355 But sea cliffs still present an obstacle for our military. 629 00:47:16,527 --> 00:47:19,678 A challenge looms at Whitsand Bay. 630 00:47:28,207 --> 00:47:32,485 This tranquil shoreline is where families play by day. 631 00:47:33,487 --> 00:47:36,763 By night it hosts more dangerous manoeuvres. 632 00:47:37,767 --> 00:47:41,646 Ex-soldier Andy Torbet is heading into battle, 633 00:47:41,687 --> 00:47:44,565 where cliffs test the mettle of our armed forces. 634 00:47:48,847 --> 00:47:50,485 When l was in the military, 635 00:47:50,527 --> 00:47:54,839 part of my training was to scale sheer cliffs like these ones, 636 00:47:54,887 --> 00:47:59,324 and once you've done it, it's an experience you'll never forget. 637 00:48:00,087 --> 00:48:04,365 AND Y: lt takes strength, skill and sheer will to succeed. 638 00:48:04,407 --> 00:48:07,001 This cliff is a challenge you've got to conquer 639 00:48:07,047 --> 00:48:08,924 if you want to be a Royal Marine. 640 00:48:08,967 --> 00:48:10,366 But if that's not tough enough, 641 00:48:10,407 --> 00:48:13,444 these would-be marines have to do it all at night. 642 00:48:13,487 --> 00:48:16,718 And when they reach the top, they'll be facing enemy fire. 643 00:48:20,807 --> 00:48:24,083 The Royal Marines specialise in amphibious assault. 644 00:48:27,567 --> 00:48:31,799 For decades climbing sea cliffs has been part of the job 645 00:48:31,847 --> 00:48:35,237 and a critical challenge in their training. 646 00:48:35,287 --> 00:48:40,600 Today this cliff is what stands between a new generation of recruits 647 00:48:40,647 --> 00:48:42,399 and their coveted green beret. 648 00:48:44,927 --> 00:48:47,487 Replicating a real war situation, 649 00:48:47,527 --> 00:48:51,884 an advance party is already setting ropes on the beach. 650 00:48:51,927 --> 00:48:55,522 Sergeant Chris Lewis is about to fire the first shot. 651 00:48:55,567 --> 00:48:57,603 Can you run me through what you're about to do? 652 00:48:57,647 --> 00:49:00,002 We're gonna fire this grapple launcher from the bottom 653 00:49:00,047 --> 00:49:03,084 up to the top there to establish the cliff head. 654 00:49:03,127 --> 00:49:05,038 l'll get out of your way and let you crack on. 655 00:49:05,087 --> 00:49:07,078 Thanks a lot. 656 00:49:17,287 --> 00:49:20,916 Cliff assault training, how important is that to the training of Royal Marines? 657 00:49:20,967 --> 00:49:24,004 ln my view, it's extremely important we set the standards. 658 00:49:24,047 --> 00:49:26,686 lt's what we train to do, it's a key skill 659 00:49:26,727 --> 00:49:29,525 and it's something we can't really let go. 660 00:49:30,887 --> 00:49:32,605 AND Y: At the Plymouth HQ 661 00:49:32,647 --> 00:49:35,878 the commando recruits make ready for tonight's mission. 662 00:49:35,927 --> 00:49:42,162 This is rehearsal for real war and it carries real risk. 663 00:49:42,207 --> 00:49:46,962 l've got painful memories ofjust how dangerous exercises can be. 664 00:49:48,607 --> 00:49:52,156 During training l suffered a serious spinal injury 665 00:49:52,207 --> 00:49:54,596 which at the time the doctors thought was unfixable. 666 00:49:54,647 --> 00:49:56,717 But with a bit of hard work and effort, 667 00:49:56,767 --> 00:49:59,281 l managed to get myself back to the front line. 668 00:49:59,327 --> 00:50:00,601 lt's gonna come full circle. 669 00:50:00,647 --> 00:50:04,276 1 5 years later l'm back on a Royal Marines recruit exercise again. 670 00:50:04,327 --> 00:50:07,603 So we'll have to wait and see if the old body is still up to the challenge. 671 00:50:08,367 --> 00:50:13,487 Because on tonight's raid, l'm not just observing, l'm taking part. 672 00:50:13,527 --> 00:50:16,246 l'm gonna be embedded with the Royal Marines as a reporter, 673 00:50:16,287 --> 00:50:19,438 which means l've gotta climb up there too and record the action. 674 00:50:20,887 --> 00:50:26,405 ln an attack, the next man can't follow until you reach the top. 675 00:50:26,447 --> 00:50:28,563 You've got to be fit and fast. 676 00:50:30,527 --> 00:50:34,122 What you're looking for is to find the least steep part of the cliff, 677 00:50:34,167 --> 00:50:37,000 and once you start climbing, get as much of the weight as you can 678 00:50:37,047 --> 00:50:39,197 on your legs and off your hands, 679 00:50:39,247 --> 00:50:42,603 and keep your grip nice and loose and then just power up. 680 00:50:44,647 --> 00:50:49,960 And tonight the marines will be carrying all the kit they need to do the attack. 681 00:50:54,527 --> 00:50:58,361 The mission is to reach and destroy this communications tower. 682 00:50:59,287 --> 00:51:05,078 And tonight that tower will be guarded by over a dozen serving marines. 683 00:51:06,567 --> 00:51:10,719 Over at Plymouth HQ the recruits are embarking. 684 00:51:10,767 --> 00:51:14,965 Soon we'll rendezvous under war conditions 685 00:51:15,007 --> 00:51:17,919 as night falls and they hit the beach. 686 00:51:23,127 --> 00:51:26,836 The troops are out there somewhere and the cliff is waiting for them. 687 00:51:26,887 --> 00:51:29,959 And now darkness has fallen, you can really appreciate 688 00:51:30,007 --> 00:51:32,077 just how hard a test this will be. 689 00:51:33,647 --> 00:51:36,525 Out of the gloom, shadowy figures emerge. 690 00:51:37,847 --> 00:51:41,601 Night vision reveals what the darkness conceals. 691 00:51:46,287 --> 00:51:48,243 Silence is key for this next phase. 692 00:51:48,287 --> 00:51:51,597 Any noise will alert the enemy to the lads' positions. 693 00:51:51,647 --> 00:51:53,365 lt's time to go. 694 00:52:05,927 --> 00:52:08,964 ln stealth, they regroup on the cliff top. 695 00:52:09,847 --> 00:52:12,281 (Whispers) So the troop's split into three sections. 696 00:52:12,327 --> 00:52:14,682 lt's the third section l'm going to be attached with. 697 00:52:14,727 --> 00:52:17,446 lt's them that are gonna be taking that communication tower. 698 00:52:18,567 --> 00:52:21,684 As the last men assemble, attack hour looms. 699 00:52:21,727 --> 00:52:25,083 lt's one minute to H hour. That's when the attack starts. 700 00:52:25,127 --> 00:52:27,402 That's when it moves from a stealth operation 701 00:52:27,447 --> 00:52:29,915 into something entirely more noisy. 702 00:52:34,127 --> 00:52:38,245 Cover's broken. The cliff top is now a battlefield. 703 00:52:42,687 --> 00:52:43,836 MARlNE: Guys, move on me. 704 00:52:50,167 --> 00:52:51,725 MARlNE: Sit! 705 00:52:55,687 --> 00:52:59,600 The objective is overrun. The comms tower is secured. 706 00:52:59,647 --> 00:53:02,320 Mission accomplished. 707 00:53:06,647 --> 00:53:09,366 (Shouting) 708 00:53:09,407 --> 00:53:12,046 - One section's ready to move. - What's the plan from here? 709 00:53:12,087 --> 00:53:15,762 We'll be straight out of this position ASAP and back down to the beach. 710 00:53:15,807 --> 00:53:18,367 Abseil down. 711 00:53:18,407 --> 00:53:22,480 AND Y: Job done. They dissolve into the darkness. 712 00:53:24,127 --> 00:53:26,925 lt harkens back to the days of my youth, 713 00:53:26,967 --> 00:53:29,162 but it was nice just to be able to keep up. 714 00:53:30,887 --> 00:53:36,723 This cliff has had a taste of war and put us all through our paces. 715 00:53:48,287 --> 00:53:53,566 NlCK: Scaling our coastal cliffs can test brains as well as brawn. 716 00:53:53,607 --> 00:53:56,121 There's more than one way to rise to the top. 717 00:54:06,967 --> 00:54:11,882 One final uplifting experience awaits me back in Yorkshire, 718 00:54:11,927 --> 00:54:14,395 here at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. 719 00:54:19,727 --> 00:54:24,517 This Victorian seaside resort is sitting pretty on the cliff edge. 720 00:54:26,567 --> 00:54:32,722 And it's the spectacular cliff lift that's the secret of the town's success. 721 00:54:32,767 --> 00:54:38,285 This glorious invention allows holidaymakers to reach the beach. 722 00:54:41,727 --> 00:54:44,844 The two carriages might look independent, 723 00:54:44,887 --> 00:54:49,119 but they're ingeniously linked on a pulley system. 724 00:54:49,167 --> 00:54:52,000 As one falls, its twin rises. 725 00:54:53,927 --> 00:54:58,000 l'm meeting Paul Wakeford to get the full lowdown. 726 00:54:58,047 --> 00:54:59,878 - Hello there. - Hello. 727 00:54:59,927 --> 00:55:02,964 Mind if l have a snoop? What an incredible engine room. 728 00:55:03,007 --> 00:55:05,475 - lt is. - How does it work? 729 00:55:05,527 --> 00:55:08,803 Well, these trams weigh the same as each other. 730 00:55:08,847 --> 00:55:11,725 l've just filled one with water and it gets heavy and down it goes, 731 00:55:11,767 --> 00:55:13,086 pulls the other one up. 732 00:55:13,127 --> 00:55:15,118 Close the doors... 733 00:55:16,207 --> 00:55:18,277 ..turn the tap on, start filling it. 734 00:55:20,887 --> 00:55:22,559 How do you know when it's heavy enough? 735 00:55:22,607 --> 00:55:25,075 There you go. lt's now heavy enough with water. 736 00:55:25,127 --> 00:55:26,606 - lt goes off on its own. - Yes. 737 00:55:28,287 --> 00:55:33,281 Down she goes. The sheer weight of it, gravity, is making it work. 738 00:55:33,327 --> 00:55:34,680 lt can be people. 739 00:55:34,727 --> 00:55:37,195 lf you had 1 2 people going down and no one coming up, 740 00:55:37,247 --> 00:55:39,238 you wouldn't need water. 741 00:55:44,007 --> 00:55:46,077 The tram, when it gets to the bottom, 742 00:55:46,127 --> 00:55:48,880 will empty all the water out automatically. 743 00:55:48,927 --> 00:55:50,838 But now all the water's down the bottom. 744 00:55:50,887 --> 00:55:55,403 Yes, it collects in a tank at the bottom and then we set the pump going. 745 00:55:55,447 --> 00:55:57,597 That's the only power needed is to pump the water 746 00:55:57,647 --> 00:56:00,286 from the bottom tank back up to our top tank. 747 00:56:01,447 --> 00:56:03,563 NlCK: What do you call it? Not carriages... 748 00:56:03,607 --> 00:56:05,120 PAUL: lt's a funicular tramway. 749 00:56:05,167 --> 00:56:08,716 And it's funicular, not ''funny colour''. Funicular. 750 00:56:11,007 --> 00:56:12,884 There you go. Thank you very much. 751 00:56:12,927 --> 00:56:18,718 NlCK: lt was in 1 870 that the first cliff lift opened the beach to tourism. 752 00:56:18,767 --> 00:56:21,406 But it took a few goes to get it right. 753 00:56:22,527 --> 00:56:27,760 PAUL: Originally it did have a vertical drop of 1 20 feet, 754 00:56:27,807 --> 00:56:30,162 but the walk out to the gantry to get it down, 755 00:56:30,207 --> 00:56:32,198 you would have to be brave. 756 00:56:33,647 --> 00:56:36,605 NlCK: The gantry out to the lift dissuaded Victorians 757 00:56:36,647 --> 00:56:40,606 from braving a visit to the newly built pier below. 758 00:56:43,247 --> 00:56:47,445 But the lone hotel in this photo is now one of many. 759 00:56:48,967 --> 00:56:52,516 Tourism took off thanks to the funicular railway. 760 00:56:54,007 --> 00:56:57,477 And on rainy days, when holiday business is slow, 761 00:56:57,527 --> 00:57:01,520 Paul finds a way to raise spirits if not passengers. 762 00:57:03,167 --> 00:57:06,239 Till a certain little lady comes by 763 00:57:06,287 --> 00:57:09,802 Oh, me Oh, my 764 00:57:09,847 --> 00:57:13,726 She's absolutely wonderful Marvellous and beautiful 765 00:57:13,767 --> 00:57:17,203 And everyone will understand why 766 00:57:17,247 --> 00:57:20,080 l'm leaning on the lamppost at the corner of the street 767 00:57:20,127 --> 00:57:23,836 Till a certain little lady comes by 768 00:57:26,567 --> 00:57:31,243 Originally the Victorians would career down the cliff in 33 seconds, 769 00:57:31,287 --> 00:57:32,561 a white-knuckle ride. 770 00:57:32,607 --> 00:57:35,246 Today, for health and safety reasons, 771 00:57:35,287 --> 00:57:39,485 it's a much more leisurely 55-second journey. 772 00:57:39,527 --> 00:57:41,961 While the lift did the hard work, 773 00:57:42,007 --> 00:57:44,601 the visitors could relax and take in the view 774 00:57:44,647 --> 00:57:48,356 until they were deposited safely beside the seaside. 775 00:57:48,407 --> 00:57:50,637 - Hello there. - Hello, gents. Thank you. 776 00:58:01,247 --> 00:58:03,556 NlCK: As l reach the end of my journey, 777 00:58:03,607 --> 00:58:07,759 perhaps l've arrived at the best secret of all. 778 00:58:07,807 --> 00:58:13,040 How we've managed to surmount the challenges presented by our sea cliffs. 779 00:58:14,047 --> 00:58:16,880 Coming up with solutions to coastal conundrums 780 00:58:16,927 --> 00:58:20,840 has created some of our most exciting environments. 781 00:58:20,887 --> 00:58:23,845 Cliffs might look like dead ends, 782 00:58:23,887 --> 00:58:26,685 but they're where we think outside the box. 783 00:58:26,727 --> 00:58:30,800 Where the edge of land is steepest, we're really tested. 784 00:58:30,847 --> 00:58:35,557 On our sea cliffs, a secret and surprising world awaits.