The Nature of Britain

In the first episode of this landmark series on Britain’s wildlife, Alan Titchmarsh travels from the top of the British Isles to the bottom, to discover what makes our island home – and its wild creatures – so special. From boxing hares to blonde hedgehogs, swirling starlings to swooping seabirds, and fighting seals to leaping dolphins – Britain’s rich natural heritage is full of wonder, spectacle and surprise.

Farmland isn’t just part of Britain’s countryside; it is the countryside, covering nearly three quarters of the entire British Isles. Join Alan on a journey through Britain’s farmland, as he discovers how wild creatures can find a place to live in our fields, meadows and hedgerows. Discover how bumblebees are the key to producing the perfect tomato, why some Scottish sheep prefer seaweed, and meet the fastest creature on the planet – all living in our green and pleasant land.

Nine out of ten of us live in Britain’s towns and cities – but there’s still plenty of room for wildlife! Join Alan Titchmarsh as he hits the city streets, to find out just what makes these places so special. From Brighton’s badgers to Glasgow’s foxes, Dundee’s red squirrels to Bristol’s peregrines, and London’s parakeets to the otters of Tyneside – Britain’s cities are rapidly turning into the new countryside. So if you’re one of our 50 million city folk, Britain’s wildlife really is where you live!

Join Alan Titchmarsh as he travels from the river’s source to the sea, to reveal the beauty and spectacle of Freshwater Britain. Discover the real Loch Ness Monsters, the venomous mammal stalking the Hampshire countryside, and the unexpectedly romantic side of the predatory pike. Watch kingfishers diving, salmon leaping and a songbird that swims underwater. And find out why a drop of rain is the key to keeping all this wonder and beauty alive.

Britain’s coastline is defined by the forces of nature: the wind, rain, sun and tides, which influence the lives of every single living thing here. Alan braves the elements to find out why our coastline is such an extraordinary place for wildlife. From the giant minke whale to the tiny snail bee, the elegant Arctic tern to the plodding toad, and the fastest seabird in the west to one of the world’s greatest predators. Danger, spectacle and revelation – it’s all here in Coastal Britain.

Our ancient woodlands are packed with wildlife – but it’s not always easy to see. So join Alan Titchmarsh as he goes down to the woods to discover beautiful butterflies and sleepy dormice, a bird with a beak like a pair of pliers, and the mysterious creatures of the night. And discover the secrets of the central character in all this drama – the one on which all the creatures of the forest depend – the trees.

There might be 60 million people living in Britain, but one-third of our landscape can still be classed as ‘wilderness’, virtually empty of people. Our mountains and moorlands, lowland heath and the Scottish Flow Country are some of the toughest habitats of all; places where life really does live on the edge. Join Alan Titchmarsh as he explores Wilderness Britain, realm of the magnificent golden eagle, a plant that fools insects, and Britain’s toughest bird.

Throughout our history on these islands, we have created places for our own use, without giving a second thought for wildlife. But the wildlife has not only found a way to survive, but has thrived in these unexpected places. In the last of the series, join Alan Titchmarsh on a journey around Secret Britain, to find the birds that moved in when the Iron Age settlers moved out, the plant that hitched a ride on the railways, and the oldest and toughest organism of the lot – lichens. At a time when we are rediscovering our relationship with nature, these secret places show us just how tough and resilient the natural world can be.