Jeremy Paxman is on the Severn, the longest river in Britain. He meets the last mud horse fisherman on the Severn Sea, investigates the country's largest ship graveyard, and stops off for a glass or two of organic Worcestershire wine.

Jeremy learns how the Mersey helped create modern industry and how it has recovered from pollution, scales its tallest bridge, goes trout fishing and tracks down the Mersey mermaids.

Jeremy meets the people who manage the Thames's floods, maintain its bridges, control its locks and deal with its sewage; odd stop along the way for entertainment.