Walking The Causeways

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Ben Cottam

20230224

Ben Cottam puts on full waterproofs to cross the causeway to Sunderland Point, in search of the grave of a black slave.

There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling paths. Across the series, five writers journey across a favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.

Wheels spin wildly and Ben peers anxiously through mud-sprayed windscreen as he tries to drive to Sunderland. There is no real boundary between land and sea, the coastline as fluid as the tide. The danger signs escalate and he remembers tales of insidious rising waters, drilled into him as a child by coastguards from Morecambe Bay.

He treks to what is uncomfortably called Sambo's grave, the resting place of young black slave. Abandoned there by a sea captain in the 18th century, Ben wonders how his own family might have treated him and is heartened to find fresh tributes marking a lost life.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

Five writers take us along the routes of tidal causeways. Today, Sunderland Point.

Claire Mcgowan

20230222

Claire McGowan enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island, connected at low tide to the mainland by a short sandy causeway.

There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling and perilous paths. Across the series, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.

Claire grew up with the mythology of the giant Finn McCool flinging rocks at a rival in Scotland and building the Giant's Causeway. Arriving at Burgh Island, she steps into tranquil 1920s glamour, to sip Agatha Christie inspired cocktails in the Art Deco hotel bar. In this time capsule, Claire explores our relationship with Golden Age Crime and her own past; as the tide retreats, past relationships disappear with the waves and time simultaneously changes and stays still.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

Five writers walk us along the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, Burgh Island.

Evie Wyld

20230221

There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths.

As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.

Today, Evie Wyld boards the ferry at Lymington pier and retraces a path well-travelled with her family during school holidays - across the Freshwater Causeway on the Isle of Wight. Her route takes her past ghost benches, a graveyard, World War Two pill boxes on a journey through grief, memory and what survives the tide.

Across the series:

Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar.

Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point.

WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne and reflects on the causeway leading to a meditational space.

And between kite surfers and dog walkers, Patrick Gale is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents to St Michael's Mount.

As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK.

Producer: Mohini Patel

Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, the Isle of Wight.

Patrick Gale

20230220

There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths.

As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.

Patrick Gale joins those seemingly walking on water as they cross to St Michael's Mount in this first episode. Between kite surfers and dog walkers, he is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents. He is joined by Lord St Leven who tells him about the near impossible task of maintaining the route to the Mount, his family's home since the 17th century. And from the tidal walk emerge the stories and myths that have built up around Karrek Loos yn Koos, first visited by Archangel Michael, and now by hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Across the series:

Evie Wyld retraces a childhood walk across the Freshwater Causeway on the Isle of Wight, finding graveyards and ghost benches.

Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar.

Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point.

And WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne.

As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The Essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK.

Producer: Sarah Bowen

Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, St Michael's Mount.

Wn Herbert

20230223

There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths.

As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.

Today, WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne and reflects on the causeway connecting to a meditational space and how we are all now connected by various versions of a tidal causeway, advancing and retreating through. social media.

Across the series:

Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar.

Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point.

And between kite surfers and dog walkers, Patrick Gale is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents to St Michael's Mount.

Evie Wyld boards the ferry at Lymington pier and retraces a path well-travelled in her childhood -the Western Yar on the Isle of Wight.

As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK.

Producer: Mohini Patel

Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, Lindisfarne.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Comments
Ben Cottam	20230224	Ben Cottam puts on full waterproofs to cross the causeway to Sunderland Point, in search of the grave of a black slave. There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling paths. Across the series, five writers journey across a favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Wheels spin wildly and Ben peers anxiously through mud-sprayed windscreen as he tries to drive to Sunderland. There is no real boundary between land and sea, the coastline as fluid as the tide. The danger signs escalate and he remembers tales of insidious rising waters, drilled into him as a child by coastguards from Morecambe Bay. He treks to what is uncomfortably called Sambo's grave, the resting place of young black slave. Abandoned there by a sea captain in the 18th century, Ben wonders how his own family might have treated him and is heartened to find fresh tributes marking a lost life. Producer: Sarah Bowen Five writers take us along the routes of tidal causeways. Today, Sunderland Point.
Claire Mcgowan	20230222	Claire McGowan enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island, connected at low tide to the mainland by a short sandy causeway. There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling and perilous paths. Across the series, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Claire grew up with the mythology of the giant Finn McCool flinging rocks at a rival in Scotland and building the Giant's Causeway. Arriving at Burgh Island, she steps into tranquil 1920s glamour, to sip Agatha Christie inspired cocktails in the Art Deco hotel bar. In this time capsule, Claire explores our relationship with Golden Age Crime and her own past; as the tide retreats, past relationships disappear with the waves and time simultaneously changes and stays still. Producer: Sarah Bowen Five writers walk us along the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, Burgh Island.
Evie Wyld	20230221	There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths. As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Today, Evie Wyld boards the ferry at Lymington pier and retraces a path well-travelled with her family during school holidays - across the Freshwater Causeway on the Isle of Wight. Her route takes her past ghost benches, a graveyard, World War Two pill boxes on a journey through grief, memory and what survives the tide. Across the series: Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar. Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point. WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne and reflects on the causeway leading to a meditational space. And between kite surfers and dog walkers, Patrick Gale is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents to St Michael's Mount. As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK. Producer: Mohini Patel Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, the Isle of Wight.
Patrick Gale	20230220	There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths. As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Patrick Gale joins those seemingly walking on water as they cross to St Michael's Mount in this first episode. Between kite surfers and dog walkers, he is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents. He is joined by Lord St Leven who tells him about the near impossible task of maintaining the route to the Mount, his family's home since the 17th century. And from the tidal walk emerge the stories and myths that have built up around Karrek Loos yn Koos, first visited by Archangel Michael, and now by hundreds of thousands of tourists. Across the series: Evie Wyld retraces a childhood walk across the Freshwater Causeway on the Isle of Wight, finding graveyards and ghost benches. Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar. Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point. And WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne. As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The Essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK. Producer: Sarah Bowen Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, St Michael's Mount.
Wn Herbert	20230223	There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day, along beguiling and perilous paths. As the tide retreats, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour. Today, WN Herbert follows in the footsteps of pilgrims to Lindisfarne and reflects on the causeway connecting to a meditational space and how we are all now connected by various versions of a tidal causeway, advancing and retreating through. social media. Across the series: Claire McGowan sees time change as she enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island and sips cocktails in the art deco hotel bar. Ben Cottam almost gets stuck in the mud as he searches for the grave of a black slave and questions his family's past at Sunderland Point. And between kite surfers and dog walkers, Patrick Gale is suspended between two worlds as he follows the S shaped causeway, shaped by relentless tides and currents to St Michael's Mount. Evie Wyld boards the ferry at Lymington pier and retraces a path well-travelled in her childhood -the Western Yar on the Isle of Wight. As sea levels rise and the sands shift, causeways are in flux. The essayists draw us down onto the sands, revealing what these liminal routes mean to both them and the cultural history of the UK. Producer: Mohini Patel Five writers walk the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, Lindisfarne.