Farnborough to Cannes

Aerial view of England, France and the English Channel.

The full width of the English Channel from the air - on a clear day it is easy to see from one side to the other.

The white cliffs of Saint Valery-en-Caux, in Normandy on the French side of the Channel.

The English Channel with patchy cloud cover, and a trail of sediment from the Thames Estuary is visible in the water.

Geologic map of England, the Channel and Pays-de-Calais: notice the similarities in rock type either side of the Channel.

A ferry leaves a busy port off the French coast, one of hundreds that run every week.

The sheer face of the White Cliffs of Dover - the iconic symbol of Britain and homecoming.

The cliffs of the Normandy coastline made up of towering white chalk - just like the cliffs of Dover and the South Coast of England, as they are part of the same rock formation.

The full width of the English Channel from the air - at the narrowest point it is only 34km across.

An aerial view of modern day Worthing - the long, low coastline with access via sand and shingle beaches made access by smugglers to ships and cargo much easier.

A 1795 political propaganda cartoon claims that the "real cause of the high price of provisions" is not only due to taxes but due to French smugglers.

Modern fishing boats ashore on Worthing beach still fish offshore as they have done for centuries, but now without the risk of danger from smugglers or gangs.

Timber from the wrecked MV Ice Prince washes ashore in Worthing in 2008 - wrecks are a modern occurance as well as that of centuries past.

An atmospheric view of Worthing Beach at sunset.

Smuggler's trails, such as this one, run along the length of the South Coast as a reminder of the once prolific smuggling activity here.

The Old Coastguard House, Marine Parade, Worthing was built in 1820 to help safeguard the coast from wrecks and allow deployment of formal coastal protection.

A Bonfire Night parade in Lewes, near Worthing, remembers the close historical association with smugglers of the area by dressing "in costume".

1800s - A revenue cutter, used the the Government to enforce customs and excise duty, chases a yacht along the South Coast thought to be trying to avoid paying import tax.

A replica of the goods ship VOC Amsterdam, wrecked off the coast of Hastings in 1749, which can still be seen when exposed at low tide.

An engraving from 1545 of the Battle of the Solent, which sank the Mary Rose and produced many wrecks along the South Coast.

The hull of the Mary Rose, a Tudor carrack sunk in 1545 off the South Coast has been recovered and is undergoing restoration in Portsmouth.

HMRC Vigilant, a modern day Customs and Excise cutter takes over the role of patroling the South Coast looking for modern smuggling: drugs, people and illegal goods.

A circular horse-drawn apple crusher (tou d'preinseu) is used to crush the apples, and the pulp is squeezed through a cider press to produce the apple juice required for cider.

A device used to bottle cider during the 1950s - in small family run businesses these traditional methods are often still used today.

A traditional camembert label for "Bluebird" cheese, maunfactured by the Safr dairy in Montrelet until the mid 1970s.

Soldiers during the Second World War enjoying a refreshing bottle of Normandy cider - during the First World War, calvados brandy was requisitioned to clean weapons due to its high alcohol content.

A Normandy factory producing Camembert and Livarot cheeses - this business has been passed between families for generations.

Children in traditional costume celebrate at a festival in the Norman town of Pont l'Évêque, famous for cheesemaking since the 12th century.

A 1919 holiday postcard from Normandy, showing apple pickers in traditional costumes, caption: "In Normandy, we have apples" - a reference to their nation-wide fame.

A satellite view of the Norman countryside reveals its rural nature - scattered fields of varying sizes and shapes make up a patchwork of agricultural living.

The Norman cow, with its distinctive white body and brown spots, has been part of the local scenery since Viking invasions.

A local shop selling cider, perry (pear cider) and calvados - all traditional products of the Normandy region.

The barrels and jars of a Norman cider manufacturer - traditional manufacturing methods are still used today.

Cider from Normandy - "brut" is a dry cider which is more alcoholic with more body than the sweeter "doux".

A 19th century illustration of the production of camembert using the traditional methods for maturing the rounds of cheese.