Great British Ships

Engineer Rob Bell reveals the secrets behind some of the historic ships that shaped the history of our island nation.

2018 HD 45min United Kingdom English

Rob Bell Eric Grove Paul Pattison Joanna Thomas Simon Potter

Documentary History

S1E1 - HMS Victory: Nelson's Great Warship 2018-09-20

HMS Victory was already 40 years old before it secured its place in history at Trafalgar. Rob discovers the extraordinary feats of engineering behind its construction, and the celebrity of its famous captain, Nelson.

S1E2 - The Mary Rose: Secrets From the Deep 2018-09-27

Henry VIIIs great warship went down nearly 500 years ago.

S1E3 - HMS Belfast: WW2's Great Survivor 2018-12-05

Rob Bell delves into the fascinating history of HMS Belfast, the cruiser that played a critical role in some of the most dramatic battles of World War 2, and whose daring deeds helped defeat the Nazis.

S1E4 - Secrets of SS Great Britain 2018-12-12

In the final part of his documentary series, Rob Bell uncovers the extraordinary story behind what was once the longest passenger ship in the world. Designed by Victorian engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain rewrote the shipbuilding rulebook, pioneering innovations still found on almost all modern ships. Rob learns how the origins of the vast vessel lay in an off-the-cuff boast of Brunels. Though the ships early years were plagued by disaster, it finally met with success thanks to the Australian gold rush - and today 250,000 Australians can trace their direct ancestors to its passengers.

S1E5 - Cutty Sark: 150 Years of War \u0026 Speed 2019-01-05

Rob Bell explores the extraordinary tea clipper Cutty Sark, a ship that endured drunken captains and murderous crews, inspired a whiskey and survived the coming of the steam age. Rob clambers aboard to experience first-hand the beauty and superior design of the ship. He delves into her tragic past - the vagabond years of `tramping, mistreatment by her captains and desertion by her crews

S1E6 - Golden Hinde: Drake's Royal Voyager 2019-01-19

Rob Bell explores the extraordinary story of the Golden Hinde, the flagship of Elizabethan mariner, privateer and explorer Sir Francis Drake. Sent on a secret mission to plunder Spanish ships in the Pacific, the Golden Hindes voyage was packed with adventure, from witchcraft and attempted mutiny to the supreme triumph of her most famous achievement, becoming the first English ship to sail around the world.

S2E1 - The Endeavour 2019-10-19

Engineer Rob Bell returns with more investigations into British ships that changed the world, beginning with the tale of how a humble coal hauler became one of the nations most famous vessels. He examines the history of HMS Endeavour and looks at James Cooks two missions in charge of the Royal Navy research vessel, taking in the observation of the 1769 transit of Venus and his voyage to Australia the following year.

S2E2 - The Queen Mary: Britain's First Super Liner 2019-10-26

Rob Bell investigates the history of ocean liner the SS Queen Mary, finding out how the largest ship of its day could also become the fastest - achieving speeds that few large ships can match even 80 years later. On the passenger decks, he savours the art deco craftsmanship that made the vessel the much-loved `floating gentlemans club", where royalty rubbed shoulders with movie stars.

S2E3 - Scott & Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure: The Discovery 2019-11-02

Rob Bell boards the ship that kick started the age of polar exploration as he looks at the history of RRS Discovery, the worlds first purpose-built scientific vessel. Heading to the Victorian shipbuilding capital of Dundee, Rob finds out why this was the only place in Britain that could make a ship capable of taking on the formidable ice floes of Antarctica, and tells the story of how a chance meeting in London would define the course of polar exploration.

S2E4 - The Mayflower 2019-11-15

The Mayflower transported the first English Puritans from Plymouth to the New World in 1620. The Pilgrims and the ships crew crew overcame almost impossible odds to establish a colony, which ultimately gave birth to the United States of America. Taking to the waters off the New England coast, Rob Bell recounts the dramatic story of the Mayflowers 66-day crossing, as she endured high seas and monstrous storms. In Mystic,Connecticut, Rob explores a full-sized replica of the Mayflower and in Plymouth, Massachusetts, unfolds the story of the ships arrival in the New World.

S2E5 - Titanic 2019-12-10

Rob Bell reveals the secrets of ill-fated liner the Titanic, whose maiden voyage became the most famous maritime disaster in history. In the Belfast shipyard where the Titanic was built, Rob explores how the city took on the daunting challenge of creating such a gigantic ship, and as the tragic story unfolds, he demonstrates why its groundbreaking safety systems ultimately failed, costing the lives of more than 1,500 people.

S2E6 - HMS Ark Royal 2020-02-17

Rob Bell tells the dramatic story of the Second World War aircraft carrier, which hunted down some of Nazi Germanys most feared warships.

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