The Nature of Britain

Britain's coastline is defined by the wind, rain, sun and tides, and these forces of nature influence the lives of every single living thing here. Alan Titchmarsh 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.

Alan Titchmarsh enters our ancient woodlands to discover beautiful butterflies, dormice and a bird with a beak like a pair of pliers. He reveals the secrets of the central character in all this drama, on whom 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.

Alan Titchmarsh goes on a journey around Britain to look at its most resilient wildlife, meeting creatures that have thrived in unexpected places, including the birds that moved in when Iron Age settlers movedout, the plant that hitched a ride on the railways, and the oldest and toughest organism of them all - lichen.