Kent Riviera

Charlotte Smith, Matt Baker and Adam Henson are in Kent to explore the influence of France on the 'Garden of England'. From strikingly similar geology to centuries of agricultural tradition, to a mutual love of cheese and wine, the connections run deep. It’s a bond that could be about to grow even stronger as the Kent Downs National Landscape nature reserve is on the verge of making history as part of what could become the world’s first Unesco Cross-Channel Geopark, a unique project that would celebrate the geological and cultural links between Kent and northern France.

The Gallic connections are also in evidence at a Kentish vineyard visited by Matt in the middle of a vintage harvest and under Charlotte’s boots at a wildlife reserve that has been created using the spoil from the Channel Tunnel excavation. Nearby, Adam meets a farmer who has chosen French Charolais as his cattle of choice.