The Hidden History of Harbours 1

At the Cornish fishing harbour of Newlyn, Nick Crane relives an astonishing, unsung feat of heroic British seamanship when, in 1854, a tiny fishing boat set sail from Newlyn to Melbourne. She was the smallest boat ever to attempt the journey, but the seven Cornishmen on board were prepared to risk their lives in the world's wildest seas to join the Australian Gold Rush. Nick Crane meets Cornish sailing legend Pete Goss aboard an exact replica of the boat that made such an incredible voyage.

Tessa Dunlop persuades veteran sailors to reveal their own secret designs when she visits the naval harbour at Portsmouth to discover the hidden history of the tattoo. How did the Royal Navy expeditions of Captain Cook tap into a South Seas fashion statement that would eventually persuade the future King Edward VII to get his own tattoo in 1862? And why did the royals and high society later turn their back on body art?

At Dunluce Castle, in Northern Ireland, Mark Horton joins an archaeological dig to unearth the remarkable remains of a town lost for over 150 years, but so well preserved it's been dubbed the 'Irish Pompeii'. How did the town come to die for the lack of a harbour? And why was it subsequently wiped from history?

There's also a celebration of a classic piece of British eccentricity at Peasholm Park, in Scarborough, where, in a tradition going back more than 80 years, staff from Scarborough council delight holidaymakers in a thrilling recreation of naval warfare, going above and beyond the call of duty by taking to the boating pond concealed inside man-sized model warships, and boldly facing the torpedoes, shellfire and dive bombers of a hostile fleet. Coast is home!