Great British Ships

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.

Henry VIII's great warship went down nearly five centuries ago, killing more than 400 men. A host of theories have emerged to explain the disaster, including enemy fire, the ship's builders, an unruly crew, an inexperienced captain and even King Henry VIII himself.

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.

Rob Bell reveals the story of the SS Great Britain, designed by Victorian engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel. When constructed it became the longest passenger ship in the world. Its early years were beset with trouble, but it later found success carrying immigrants to Australia.

Rob Bell reveals the secrets of the historic ships that shaped our island nation. This extraordinary tea clipper endured drunken captains and murderous crews, inspired a whiskey, and survived the coming of the steam age, only to face her greatest ordeal - a devastating fire that ripped through her hull one night in 2007.

The flagship of England's most notorious pirate, Sir Francis Drake, was packed with adventure, from witchcraft and mutiny to becoming the first English ship to circumnavigate the globe - by accident.

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 oneáof the nation's most famous vessels. He examines the history of HMS Endeavour and looks at James Cook's 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.

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 gentleman's club", where royalty rubbed shoulders with movie stars.

Rob Bell boards the ship that kick started the age of polar exploration as he looks at the history of RRS Discovery, the world's 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.

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