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Coast ventures out to the man-made shoreline of the Netherlands. Nick Crane explores how Dutch engineers created coastal defences after the North Sea flood in 1953.

Coast ventures out to new territory, the astonishing man-made shoreline of the Netherlands. Nick Crane explores how ingenious Dutch engineers created massive coastal defences following the great North Sea flood in 1953, which killed thousands of people in the Netherlands and Britain.

Nick also discovers how, during the Second World War, traitors from the British Indian Army took part in the Nazi occupation of the tiny isle of Texel. This remarkable remote outpost in the far north of the Netherlands was later the unlikely site for the last battle in Europe of the Second World War. Nick investigates how the island fortress of Texel was torn apart by a murderous fight to the death between Soviet and Nazi soldiers in April 1945.

Mark Horton reveals the age-old skills that have made the Dutch the grand masters at creating new living space from the sea. Mark explores the greatest land grab scheme of all, an audacious 40-year plan to wall off the sea and drain away the water from an area bigger than Greater London.

And Miranda Krestovnikoff experiences how the Dutch delight in devouring raw herring as a seaside snack.

37 minutes

Last on

Tue 5 Oct 2021 17:20
BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:19

    Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

    Sing, Sing, SIng

  • 00:21

    Noah and the Whale

    2 Atoms in a Molecule

  • 00:25

    Freddie Phillips

    Trumpton

Credits

Presenter Nicholas Crane
Presenter Mark Horton
Presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff
Series Editor Steve Evanson
Executive Producer William Lyons

Broadcasts

  • Thu 9 May 2013 07:10
    BBC Two
  • Sat 15 Nov 2014 11:20
    BBC Two except Wales
  • Mon 20 Jun 2016 14:35
    BBC Two
  • Fri 1 Dec 2017 16:35
    BBC Two
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 00:45
    BBC Two Wales
  • Tue 8 May 2018 17:20
    BBC Two Wales
  • Tue 5 Jun 2018 16:35
    BBC Two Wales
  • Wed 31 Oct 2018 16:05
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Fri 15 Feb 2019 00:05
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Thu 21 Mar 2019 23:35
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Wed 18 Sep 2019 23:25
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Tue 22 Oct 2019 14:35
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Wed 22 Jul 2020 14:15
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Sat 20 Feb 2021 00:10
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Tue 5 Oct 2021 17:20
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only

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