Villages by the Sea (2019)

Episode Overview

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits Parkgate, located on the River Dee estuary in Cheshire. Although the village is now landlocked due to the accumulation of silt, 250 years ago it thrived as a busy harbor. Ben learns from Dr. Gillian O’Brian that Parkgate served as a significant entry point for thousands of Irish immigrants starting in the 1620s. Local historian Anthony Annakin-Smith shares insights on how the shifting silt of the estuary transformed Parkgate into a vital trading port in the 18th century, as the Port of Chester began to decline due to its own silting issues.