Cornwall: A Year by the Sea

On the dramatic north coast, the sweeping sands of Watergate Bay are coming back to life. Here, teams race to rebuild storm defences, craft new seasonal menus, and ready the surf school for its busiest months. Far to the south, at the iconic Minack Theatre, perched high on the cliffs above the Atlantic, anticipation builds as the curtain rises on a new season of performance.

On the windswept hills above Port Quin Bay, the Williams family enter the most demanding and rewarding season of their year - lambing time - a round-the-clock labour of care, skill and instinct. On the southern shores of the Helford River, the reigning world champion gig rowing team are back on the water, training hard for the challenges ahead.

In the harbour town of Padstow, local fisherman Johnny Murt heads out to sea as dawn breaks, in search of the prized catch of lobster. Battling changing tides, unpredictable weather and rising pressures on the fishing industry, Johnny's livelihood depends on what he can haul from the sea each day. At the Camel Estuary in Rock, pressure mounts at the boatyard as Easter approaches as the team races against time to return more than 20 boats to their moorings. The historic estate of Trewithen prepares for the arrival of spring and summer guests. On the wild and windswept edge of Bodmin Moor, thousands of starlings gather overhead.

In the picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac, the volunteer crew of the RNLI lifeboat station head out on a demanding training exercise. Cameras also focus on the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, where the dedicated rescue team care for injured and abandoned seal pups rescued from beaches across the South West. And in the seaside town of Mawgan Porth, restaurateurs Jas and Callum race against time to launch their new venture, The Pickled Plate.

On St Michael's Mount, the countdown to holiday season is underway. Head guide Anna and her team are carrying out final preparations before visitors return. On the Lizard Peninsula, life begins before dawn at Treleague Dairy Farm, which is looking for new ways to secure its future. The family are now turning their own milk into artisan ice cream, which showcases the quality of Cornish dairy farming while opening up an additional source of income.