Tales from the Riverbank - Season 1

Clare Balding's river adventure begins on the longest river in the country – the magnificent Severn, which flows from a brook in the Welsh Cambrian mountains, along a course of 220 miles, all the way to Bristol and the shores of the Severn Estuary. Along the way, Clare experiences the joys of life at the helm of a narrowboat, samples local delicacies on the riverbank and discovers the mysterious ghost ships of the Severn.

Clare heads to the heart of beautiful Shropshire, in its historic county town of Shrewsbury. The Severn loops almost in a complete circle around the historic town, and Clare heads out onto the water to enjoy some distinctive riverside landmarks.

She then visits the birthplace of Charles Darwin on the banks of the Severn and learns how the riverside area where he grew up inspired him and his pioneering work, The Origin of the Species. From here, she heads towards one of the wonders of the Severn - the famous town of Ironbridge. The cradle of the Industrial Revolution, its spectacular cast iron bridge was the first in the world. Nearby Blists Hill Victorian Town provides visitors with a wonderful insight into life by the River Severn in Victorian times. Clare gets into the spirit of things in a 1900s costume and enjoys some classic Victorian sweets.

Clare hitches a lift on a narrowboat and hears about the wonders of life on the river as she heads towards the city of Worcester. Further south, where the river has turned tidal, at the Severn Wye Smokery, Clare learns about a Severn Native: the eel, before trying the delicacy in a risotto.

The Severn Estuary provides bountiful birdwatching, before Clare discovers something more chilling: the ghost ships of Purton, the largest ships graveyard in the country. Clare's adventure concludes in sight of the two iconic river crossings across the Severn, an epic journey that has surprised and enthralled her.

Exploring this river from sea to source, Clare Balding takes on the wonderfully dynamic River Dart. Stretching for nearly fifty miles from the south coast of Devon to the untouched craggy Dartmoor, Clare will explore the Dart in all its glory on a journey of royal romance, picture postcard villages, and prehistoric landscapes.

In this episode, Clare visits Agatha Christie's beloved holiday home, a charming Estate that inspired its very own murder mystery. She jumps aboard a heritage steam train for a spot of cream tea with a riverside view, and then moves on to Dartmoor; one of the wildest places in Britain.

Immediately taking to the water, Clare joins seafood restaurateur, Mitch Tonks, for a tour of the Dart estuary by boat. Together they take in the unique properties, history, and wildlife along the river before sampling a Dartmouth institution - a crab sandwich. Heading upstream, Clare passes the grand Britannia Royal Naval College, where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip first fell in love over a game of croquet.

Clare's next stop is the quintessentially Devon village, Dittisham, where she tries her hand at crabbing before ringing the bell to summon the ferryman to take her across to the jewel of the Dart, Greenway Estate.

Greenway was Agatha Christie's idyllic getaway, a place where she would relax and enjoy views of the river below. Clare is joined by Agatha Christie expert, Laura Thompson, who discusses how important the Dart was to the Queen of Crime as they wander through the gardens, impressive Georgian house, and boathouse at Greenway. Despite its tranquillity, the boathouse was in fact the inspiration for the scene of the crime in Christie's novel, Dead Man's Folly!

Like all great vineyard regions around the world, Sandridge Barton - the home of Sharpham Wines, is situated on a river. Meeting head winemaker, Duncan Schwab, Clare learns how the River Dart is vital to the production of their award-winning wines, which Clare gets to taste along with some locally made cheese and a riverside view.

Journeying past the tidal Dart, Clare blows off some steam while enjoying a cream tea the Devonshire way as she travels along South Devon Railway's riverside rail route. Then, swapping out clotted cream for cute critters, Clare makes her way to the local otter sanctuary for feeding time.

At the gateway of Dartmoor lies Buckfast Abbey, where the monks there have been custodians of the land and river for centuries, and a newly installed state-of-the-art fish pass will hopefully boost the Dart's salmon numbers.

Clare's dynamic Dart adventure draws to an end with a wildlife walk near the river's source, surrounded by Britain's most ancient and magical woodland.
 

Clare Balding heads to the waterways of the River Thames, which stretch over 200 miles from Gloucestershire to Essex, exploring the freshwater Thames, from its humble beginning and on as it meanders through beautiful countryside teeming with wildlife, grand estates and inspiring landscapes. On her trip, she views the 'dreaming spires' of Oxford, the landscapes that inspired Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, and the regal splendour of both Cliveden estate and Windsor Castle.

Clare Balding heads to one of her favourite stretches of water, the River Wharfe, which runs through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Her journey takes her past chocolate box villages, through the magical Bolton Abbey estate - home to one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the country - and to spectacular Harewood House, before ending on the banks of the river in Wetherby, where Clare is serenaded by a Yorkshire brass band.