Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury embark on an epic adventure to unlock the astonishing beauty of Secret Britain. They start in the far South West of England, and the first leg of their journey takes them all the way to Dover across some of the most crowded parts of the UK. Yet even here there are hidden corners and forgotten stories. Matt explores Britain's only desert, while Julia goes off the beaten track to discover the shady green world of Dorset's holloways.
Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury explore the hidden heart of the UK on the second leg of their journey across Secret Britain. It is a journey of revelation, that takes them from the eerie flatlands of East Anglia to the staggering sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire. Matt searches for a mysterious island in the enigmatic waterworld of the Norfolk Broads, while Julia discovers a secret side to Swindon.
Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury are on the road north on the third leg of their epic adventure to unlock Secret Britain. Even here, in the best loved areas of the Peaks and Lakes, there are still hidden corners of the countryside just waiting to be discovered. Julia takes a trip into the stunning underground limestone world beneath Yorkshire, while Matt relives childhood memories as he explores a secret ancient woodland on the Durham coast.
On the final leg of their epic journey across Secret Britain, Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury head for the borderlands and beyond to discover that there is much more to this wild landscape than meets the eye. Intrepid Victorians, Roman Emperors and imaginative locals have all left their mark; their secret stories all hidden in this astonishing landscape. Matt takes the train to Britain's most remote railway station while Julia explores Glencoe in search of a hidden valley that lives up to its name.
In this new series, Ellie Harrison and Adam Henson explore hidden corners of the UK, hunting for secrets hidden in the landscape, inspired by suggestions from Countryfile viewers. Adam and Ellie meet people living in the countryside who have extraordinary stories and stunning sights to share, while the pair also reveal some secrets of their own. In this first episode, Ellie and Adam visit south Wales to explore the unseen water world at the heart of the Brecon Beacons. Adam discovers a completely hidden path, a magical walkway behind a glorious waterfall. Ellie confronts her own secret fear of tight spaces as she ventures into Britain's deepest cave, a terrifying labyrinth of passages carved through solid rock by an ancient underground river. Ellie is in search of extraordinary crystal formations that few have ever seen. Adam and Ellie also hunt for a forgotten 'witches' pool', a beautiful pond fed by a waterfall that conceals a terrible secret in the heart of its dark waters. Ellie shares her passion for wild swimming as she plunges into an enchanted fairy pool concealed high in the mountains of the Brecon Beacons. Along the way we meet a couple whose lives were transformed when they risked everything to buy a historic toll bridge over the river Wye. Can they make this 200-year-old crossing pay its way today? The journey reaches an awe-inspiring climax with an ascent by balloon at dawn. As the sun rises over the peaks and lakes of southern Wales, this landscape - steeped in legend and mythology - is brought magically to life by a latter-day poet, who takes Adam and Ellie on an exquisite aerial tour of the secret delights of the Brecon Beacons.
Ellie and Adam go on a journey around the mysterious moors of North Yorkshire. Adam meets the farmer whose dad discovered a secret Roman villa some 50 years ago while ploughing. Finds of Roman pottery inspire Adam to share his secret skill with the potter's wheel. Ellie tries to solve the puzzle behind Britain's highest pub - why was the Tan Hill Inn built atop the moor, miles from the nearest customers? The secret lies buried in centuries-old mine workings, if only Ellie can find them. Now the Tan Hill Inn has reinvented itself as a cool music venue, which leads Ellie to reveal her own secret past as a country singer. In the picturesque Rosedale Valley, Adam discovers the remains of a forgotten glass-making industry scattered in the bracken. Why were French immigrants making glass in secret on the Yorkshire moor some 400 years ago? A teenage boy whose ambition is to be become a gamekeeper shares his favourite secret places in the breathtaking Yorkshire countryside as he takes his pet ferret to work the land looking for rabbits. The best kept secret in Whitby is the unseen warren of back alleys and hidden gardens, known locally as the Whitby Yards. Ellie investigates how these former slums have now become highly sought after havens of peace. As she visits the remarkable ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, Ellie discovers, hidden from the public gaze, the long lost faces of the men who built it. Adam and Ellie's journey reaches a climax with the hunt for Yorkshire's finest view. The author of All Creatures Great and Small famously claimed that it's from Whitestone Cliff, next to the majestic Sutton Bank - but can Adam and Ellie find a view that's even better and, above all, secret?
The final episode of this series sees Ellie Harrison and Adam Henson explore the hidden highlands of Scotland. Inspired by suggestions from viewers of Countryfile, Adam and Ellie meet people living in Britain's countryside who have extraordinary stories and stunning sights to share. The pair also reveal some secrets of their own. Adam climbs the fearsome, secret side of Ben Nevis, the north face, a spectacular rock ascent onto which few tourists venture. Adam joins a mountain guide to tackle this hidden route to the summit, but the route is far from the only secret they find along the way. Adam also discovers the ruins of a remarkable abandoned weather station. Ellie probes a monster mystery at the heart of Britain's deepest water, Loch Morar, the secret sister of the world-famous Loch Ness. The stunningly beautiful Loch Morar is so deep that it could even hide the Eiffel Tower, but Ellie meets locals who believe the water actually conceals a monster, known as Morag. The most extraordinary map of Scotland is also revealed, overgrown and hidden in the landscape. In the heart of the Highlands, Adam is delighted to discover a cattle ranch that allows him to live out a boyhood dream; while on the Black Isle Ellie visits the mysterious and atmospheric Clootie Well. It's been a shrine to healing since Celtic times, but why are its ancient rituals still popular today? Together Ellie and Adam also go hunting for Bonnie Prince Charlie's secret hideaway, a tiny but timeless cave in the very same landscape where commando warfare was invented during the Second World War. And they conclude their journey of discovery with a magical ride on the real Hogwarts Express.
We live in a country with some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the world. It is easy to think of Britain as a crowded place, but with more than sixty million acres to explore there is still plenty of the UK for us to discover and enjoy. In this episode of the series that promises to reveal hidden stories and undiscovered parts of the country, Ellie Harrison, Chris Hollins and Denise Lewis explore the Lake District. Parachuting in - quite literally - Ellie Harrison gets a unique perspective on England's most popular national park, and she is also let in on the secret of an ancient and long-forgotten part of the Cumbrian landscape. Meanwhile, Denise Lewis gets to the bottom of the Lakes' dark and illicit past, and Chris Hollins is coaxed up a sheer cliff face by one of the world's best climbers - and rewarded with a spectacular view that only a handful of people ever get to see.
Ellie, Chris & Denise explore Kent, with local lad Chris abseiling off the White Cliffs of Dover to find a rare plant for which Kentish peasants risked their lives 500 years ago.
Ellie Harrison, Chris Hollins and Denise Lewis explore Devon. On a journey from an abandoned island on the south coast to the county's most hidden and remote surf spots in the north, Ellie Harrison follows in Drake's footsteps, seeking out Devon's best-kept secrets. Chris Hollins relives an ancient and long forgotten purification ritual on Dartmoor, and Denise Lewis uncovers the secret history of the county's most reluctant visitors.
Ellie Harrison, Chris Hollins and Denise Lewis explore Northern Ireland. As one of the least touristy places in the UK, the province is brimming with secrets. Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis is chastised for a lack of focus when she competes in an unusual and unique local competition. Chris Hollins goes in search of a witch's lair on the top of a mysterious mountain. And Ellie Harrison uncovers the secret history of an army training base that has been closed to the public for over a century.
