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In 1840, one man transformed
travel in Britain.

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His name was George Bradshaw
and his railway guides inspired the
Victorians to take to the tracks.

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Stop by stop, he told them
where to travel,
what to see and where to stay.

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Now, 170 years later, I'm making
four long journeys across the length

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and breadth of the country to see
what remains of Bradshaw's Britain.

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I'm now completing my rail journey
from Swindon to Penzance.

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My Bradshaw's Guide has given me

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a valuable Victorian perspective
on Britain.

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Today I want to look deep
into Cornwall's past, delving

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not only into its history but also
into treasures buried in the earth.

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Today I'll be making a
pilgrimage to Perran Sands.

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I'm looking for the lost
church of St Piran but it
seems to have got lost again.

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It is, but it is here,
right under this granite rock.

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I'll be exploring the last
working tin mine in Cornwall.

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You can see the advantages of
being a small Cornish miner.

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The thing was put in before
rock drills, actually.

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This had to be hand drilled
and then blasted.

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And I'll be harvesting
oysters on the Helford river.

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That really is exciting.
What an amazing sight!

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That is a cage absolutely
full of bags of or oysters.

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That's right.

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All this week
my journey takes me west.

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And since catching the train
at Swindon, I've already travelled

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over 250 miles,
passing through Somerset and Devon.

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The final stretch will take me
about as far south as you can go,

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to the rugged coastline
around Penzance.

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Today I'm leaving St Austell,
and heading through Truro

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to Redruth and St Ives.

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I'm then crossing over to Helston,

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before reaching my
final destination.

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My first stop is Truro.

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It's the nearest railway station
to a very wild piece of Cornish
countryside called Perran Sands.

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This amazing landscape has some of
the largest sand dunes in Britain.

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I'm here because in 1835
the sand parted to reveal

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an ancient church
and Bradshaw was mesmerised.

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He writes,
"We come to Perran Sands...

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"where may be seen an amphitheatre
and the remains of an old church
of St Piran,

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"an ancient British edifice
which had been covered by the
shifting sands for centuries."

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It turned out not only to be
the oldest church in Cornwall

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but one of the earliest Christian
sites in Britain.

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Before long, the railways
were transporting pilgrims

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and sightseers to witness
the wonder of St Piran's.

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But evidently
it's disappeared again...

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I'm hoping local resident Angela
Penrose can help me to find it.

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Angela, hello. Hello. Michael.

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What a lovely, tranquil spot.
It's beautiful, isn't it?

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I'm looking for the lost church
of St Piran.

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Believe it or not, it's here,
right under this granite rock.

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It has covered naturally
by the sands.

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This whole area of dunes shifts
and in the 6th century,
St Piran came from Ireland.

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He arrived here on the shores
of Perranporth.
He built his little oratory

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and for almost 1,000 years,
it was a centre
of activity and pilgrimages.

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In 1835, did they dig it out or
did the sand shift back again?

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It was revealed, we think,
by shifting sands.

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Then William Mitchell excavated it.
There was great excitement

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because it was, it is, one of the
oldest Christian four-walled edifices
in the mainland of Britain.

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But by the 1970s, sand was
overwhelming the church once more.

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The locals were advised that
the most cost effective way to
preserve it was to bury it again.

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How important is what's underneath?

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It has great significance for
the Cornish because St Piran,

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he was the patron saint of tin miners
and it connects to all this
industrial and economic history

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and the diaspera, the Cornish miners,
who in the 19th century

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had to go off to Mexico,
the States, Chile, South Africa.

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It really has a significance.

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It's part of the Cornish identity.

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The Cornish took St Piran to their
hearts and I'm now heading to Truro,

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the city most closely
associated with him.

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In Bradshaw's day,
it was the centre for the tin trade.

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Truro flourished
with the emergence of the railways.

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Many new tracks were laid
to serve the tin mines.

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The metals could be carried quickly
around the county,
helping the industry to grow.

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Bradshaws guide says of Truro,
"It's the mining capital of Cornwall

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"covered by foundries, blast houses,
pottery and tin works...

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"The metal is stamped,
previous to being exported.

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"Bar tin is sent to the
Mediterranean and
ingots to the East Indies."

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When the price of tin went
up in the 19th century,
Truro became increasingly wealthy.

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It attracted merchants and bankers
who built grand houses, transforming
it into a fashionable place to live.

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But today, even though Truro
remains grand,
I've nowhere seen a hint of tin.

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Hello, are you from Truro?
I most definitely am.
Is Truro still associated with tin?

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Not so much now. Of course, the money
in Cornwall came from the tin mines.

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Huge amounts of money...
in the 17th century.

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Unfortunately, now, no.

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So, what's Truro's economy
based on now? Tourism.

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Officer, you work in Truro?

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Indeed, yes, yeah.
What do you think of the city?
I love Truro. It's great.

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No more tin? I don't think
there's an awful lot more tin around.

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They are trying to open South Crofty
but otherwise, no.

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Ever since I arrived in Cornwall the
word tin has been on people's lips.

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But having found no trace of it
in Truro, I'm moving further afield

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and find what remains of what was
once a vital industry for Cornwall.

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I'm hoping I'll have more luck
at my next stop.

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How long's the journey
to Redruth? Do you know?

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Ten minutes. Ten minutes, OK.
Thank you.

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I've heard there's an old tin mine
at Redruth called South Crofty
that's on the brink of re-opening.

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In the 19th century, there
were over 300 mines around Redruth

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mining tin and copper
to be exported around the world.

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Bradshaw writes, "This town derives
nearly all of its importance from
its central situation with respect

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"to the neighbouring mines,
the workings of which

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"has increased the population to
treble its original number."

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Today, no tin mine survives
except one.

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South Crofty was worked for over 400
years and in its heyday was one
of Cornwall's most productive mines.

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It is John, isn't it?
Hello, Michael.

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It's great to be at South Crofty,
I've heard a lot about the mine.

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But by 1998, the value of tin had
fallen so low, that South Crofty,

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by then the last Cornish tin mine,
had to shut.

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Today, the demand for tin is
increasing and there's a chance that
the mine could be profitable again.

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Operations officer, John Webster
believes it's only a matter of time
before mining recommences.

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It is all quite narrow
down here, isn't it?

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You can see the advantages of being
a small Cornish miner.

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This thing was put in before the days
of rock drills, this had to be
hand drilled and blasted.

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Imagine working underground here.

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No fans, no ventilation.

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Throughout most of the 19th and 20th
century, miners worked in very tough
conditions to create a rabbit warren

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of tiny tunnels crisscrossing
under the Cornish countryside.

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About the time this was being mined,
this area must have been a cauldron
of creativity, actually.

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The amount of inventions that
were made down here is incredible.

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John, it's a great relief to be
able to stand up straight at last.

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The invention of steam powered
pumps in the 18th century

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created the enormously
successful Cornish mining industry.

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Miners were able to dig deeper
and faster, to boost
the production of ore.

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This same technology
produced the steam locomtive which

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made a success of the railways,
which in turn transported the metal
ore around the country.

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Why eventually did the mining
come to an end here?

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They were reliant on the price
of tin and there were a number
of tin crashes.

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Unfortunately, they never had
anything else to generate
income and the mine collapsed.

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With the price of tin now
rising, it makes sense to
try and re-open the mine.

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What's more, surveys have revealed
South Crofty's richness
in other metals too.

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This contains copper, zinc and tin.

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This is very high grade.
This is about 14% copper,

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about 1% tin and about 200 parts
per million silver.

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So this is well worth bringing
the mine back into operation.
Absolutely, yeah.

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What would you do with these
metals? For example, nowadays,
what is tin used for?

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Tin cans and for solder. We're quite
excited about the future market

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for tin because there's a regulatory
change in the use of solder.

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Solder at the moment is about
60% lead and about 40% tin.

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That ratio will change
to about 98% tin and 1% silver.

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There should be a huge increase of
consumption in the next few years.

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And just as the harnessing steam
power drove the industry forward

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in the past, new technology
is changing it again today.

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How do you analyse what's in here?
We have justice and play acquired a
hand-held analyzer which will give

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us a lot of flexibility on analysing
content of rock throughout the mine.

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If we are actually down here at
the moment and analysing the
latest drilling core that's

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come out of the drill. This device
actually uses an X-ray source,
elements within the rock actually

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fluoresce and the device reads the
fluorescence and we can analyse up
to 60 different minerals in one go.

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It's a powerful tool.

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That will allow us to analyse both
the core that we are generating
at the moment but also of the

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underground workings and we have
hundreds of kilometres
of underground workings here.

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What production can we expect
in Cornwall, in the near future?

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Within five years, 750,000 tonnes of
ore per year and if exploration goes

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well then we could probably double
that within the next five years.

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Up to 1.5 million tonnes of ore.
Yeah.

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That's big production.

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I hope this does mark a
renaissance in Cornish mining.

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When the industry peaked
in Bradshaw's day, annual
production was 10,000 tonnes.

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It could massively exceed
that figure in the future.

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Hello. Do you know where I change
for St Ives, please? At St Erth's.

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Right, a lot of saints down here,
aren't there? Yes, there are.
Thank you.

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Are you going all the way
to Penzance? No.
I'm getting off at St Erth. So am I.

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Are you headed for St Ives?
Yes, I am.

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Are you from St Ives? Yes. What
shall I look out for in St Ives?

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You need to go to the Tate. Yes.

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It is quite an artist's
colony altogether, isn't it?

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It is very arty, very arty indeed.

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Why do artists like it so much?
It's the light. Is it? I think so.

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Are you aware of that yourself,
of the light?
Yes. Yes, it's fantastic.

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I'm really looking forward
to St Ives.

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This lovely landscape
and the coastal vistas have been
admired by artists for centuries.

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So I know that I'm in
for a visual treat.

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When the Great Western Railway was
completed in 1877, St Ives suddenly
became much more accessible.

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The numbers of artists began to grow

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and by the 20th century,
the town had its own
fully fledged artists' community.

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That was one of the most stunning
train rides all around the bay

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and now, here at St Ives,
these glorious beaches

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and even on a cloudy day,
the colours are magnificent.

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You can see why this place
would have been the inspiration
for artists.

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One of the most painted scenes
of St Ives is the harbour, which
in Bradshaw's time was thriving.

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My guidebook tells me the pier and
harbour were built by the famous

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18th century engineer John Smeaton
to serve the port's hundreds
of fishing boats.

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St Ives is a very different
place today.

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It's still flourishing, but is now
dominated by another industry that
grew as a result of the railways.

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Each summer the narrow streets are
crowded with tourists admiring the
sandy beaches and turquoise seas.

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Bradshaw doesn't have much more
to say about St Ives but he does

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mention Treganna Castle, then
home of the the Stephens family.

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These days, it's a luxury hotel.

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I chose this hotel, Tregenna
Castle, because it's in Bradshaw's.

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He says it "occupies a lofty
situation outside the town and
commands an extensive prospect".

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Which indeed it does.

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But I've found there's a better
view on the roof. This way.

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The Stephen's family
clearly picked the best spot

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in St Ives for their home,
to overlook the glorious
Cornish coastline.

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A breathtaking view.

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So good in fact that the Great
Western Railway bought the hotel,

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even though it is a long way from
the railway station, to promote
tourism and travel by train.

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Another day and my next stop
will be the Helford River.

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In Bradshaw's day I could have
taken the railway from St Ives all
the way to the top of the estuary.

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The line was closed in 1964
as part of the Beeching cuts.

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But you can still enjoy it on foot.

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This is the Helford river.

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My Bradshaw guide says, "Days can be
spent in exploring the creeks

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"and rounding the headlands
in this beautiful neighbourhood".

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But not having that long, let's see
what I can do in half a day.

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When my guide book was written,
the estuary teemed with oyster beds.

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But what has become of
that centuries-old industry?

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Hello there, I'm Michael.

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Michael, nice to meet you.

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Lovely to see you.
Welcome to the Helford River.
I have to tell you, I love oysters.

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That is a good start.
Ben Wright has been harvesting

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the river's oyster beds
for the last four years.

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What would the trade have
been like in Victorian times?

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Well, the Victorians
were voracious oyster eaters.

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00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,800
The big market was really in London
and that was the time of Dickens and

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oyster sellers
on every street corner.

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00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:25,520
I think what really helped
the Helford fishery particularly...

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take part in that was the train.

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00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:33,400
When the train started up,
that was a big opening, commercially,
for the oysters here

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00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,480
that were sent up on the train,
particularly to
the big markets in London.

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00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,120
That really is exciting -
what an amazing sight.

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00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:48,720
That is a cage absolutely full
of bags of oysters.

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00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:54,600
That's right.
There's a couple of reasons
we lift the cages, Michael, really.

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One is quite simply just to have
a look at the stock,

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make sure it is growing OK,
make sure there are no problems.

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As oysters grow, they can grow
together, they can get stuck.

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They can get stuck in the meshes
of the bags. It is really important
that we come here,

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00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:17,360
once a month to have a look
at them and make sure they are
all healthy and growing well.

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The other reason is,
we take all the bags out
and we give them a good shake.

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It tends to wake the oysters up
a little bit, separate them out,
we don't want them getting lazy.

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00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:31,440
It is important that they grow well.

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00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,320
We literally just take the bag out,

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give it a good shake...

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..and because this is our first bag,
let's have a little look.

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See what we've got.

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00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:50,840
The baby oysters are nurtured
in cages to protect them
from predators in the river.

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00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,080
Lovely wee fellows. How long
have these been in here then?

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00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,800
These would have been in there four
months. They are quite young.

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00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:02,040
Already here, you can see we have got
quite a difference of growth rate.

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00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,320
We have got some that
are a little bit slow.

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Some average ones, and then a couple
here that have done really well.

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You can see by these long
growth lines in the shell
how quickly they have grown.

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00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,680
Then, what we'll do at some point
is bring all of these cages in,

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00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:20,240
grade them all out so that

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00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,200
they are all growing
in the same sizes together.

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00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,520
So how long before
these appear on my plate?

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00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,560
You are going to have to wait
a little bit, Michael, I'm afraid.

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00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,080
Probably 12 months or so.

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00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:40,560
In Bradshaw's time, oysters were
a staple food of the poor
and they were eaten in their dozens.

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00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:46,760
By the mid 20th century, oyster
harvests had begun to decline,
driving up the prices.

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00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,440
These days,
they're considered a luxury.

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00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:57,880
The industry had some problems,
didn't it? There was a parasite
attack or something years ago.

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Has it recovered from that?

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00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,120
Not really, to be honest.

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00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:07,080
In the early '80s,
all the Native Oyster Fisheries
were decimated, really.

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00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:11,800
That was the start of the demise
of the Helford oyster range as well.

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00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,760
Some fisheries recovered better
than others.

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00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,920
It wasn't until four or five
years ago here on the Helford

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00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,680
that we really started our work
to regenerate the river.

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00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:32,000
The Helford oyster beds were
almost lost for all time, but now
Ben is gradually building them back.

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00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:38,960
And it's only a short trip up
the river to where the
older oysters are fattening up.

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00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,680
Here we are at Frenchman's Creek.
I think that the British are

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00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:46,240
rather pathetic oyster eaters
compared with the French.

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00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,080
Certainly,
we eat a lot less than the French.

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00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,800
It is coming back, definitely.
More people in Britain
are eating oysters.

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00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,160
People are a bit
more open-minded about food.
They're a bit more inquisitive.

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00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,920
Ultimately, it is such
a natural food, they grow wild,

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00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,720
there is no additives,
it is a completely organic process.

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00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:06,920
The actually relatively inexpensive.

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00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:11,960
The Champagne Charlie expensive image
is a thing of the past as well.

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00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,040
They're perfectly good to wash down
with a pint of of beer.

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00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:18,840
Nature's fast food. It is a pity
that none of these are ready to eat.

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00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,160
Well, these are ready to eat.

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00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,240
These are ready to eat? Yes.

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00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,920
And I am ready. Are you ready?
I'm ready, too.

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00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,120
What is your advice
on eating oysters?

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00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:36,880
There is a lot of old wives tales.
There is a lot of myth and what you
should do and what you shouldn't do.

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00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:42,880
To be honest, I think people should
stop worrying quite so much
and eat them however they want.

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00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,400
However, don't just swallow the
oyster, I don't where that came from.

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00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,880
You are going to miss out
on the texture and the flavour.

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00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:56,320
I think you have got to give it
a good chew to appreciate
all the complexity of the oyster.

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00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,560
Release that wonderful taste
of the sea.

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00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,600
Do you like to have them with a
little Tabasco or a little vinegar?

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00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,120
Personally, I prefer them on their
own with a little bit of lemon.

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00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:08,840
Only a little bit of lemon.

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00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:15,840
There's a lot of delicate flavours
in there and I think sometimes things
like Tabasco can be a bit strong.

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00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,600
But then again, it is all
a matter of taste.

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00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,240
There you go.
Thank you very much indeed.

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00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:25,280
Cheers, enjoy. Cheers.

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00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:37,880
Great textures, not at all rubbery.

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00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,760
Just sort of dissolving.

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00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,560
Mmmm!

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00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:50,360
I could have another of those.
The Helford oysters are delicious

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00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:56,040
and in Ben's capable hands,
I'm sure the oyster beds
will be productive once more.

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00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:03,120
Having journeyed almost
the whole length
of Brunel's Great Western Railway,

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00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:07,720
I can't stop before reaching
the end of the line at Penzance.

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00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:23,040
I'm now travelling as far as it's
possible to go by train in England

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00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:28,040
to the country's westerly
and southerly extremity.

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00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:35,120
I'm keen to see how even
the smallest towns in
the furthest corners of the country

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00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:38,320
were transformed by
the power of the railways.

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00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,160
It would have taken days to get from
London to Penzance by stagecoach.

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00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:53,160
In Bradshaw's day, the capital and
England's western point were brought
within a comfortable day's journey.

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00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,200
What was once a remote village
on a rugged headland

300
00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,320
became a popular resort
at the end of the Holiday line.

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00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,800
The railways soon brought
holidaymakers in their droves,

302
00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,920
and some things don't change.

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00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,520
How are you?
Are you going to the Tip of England?

304
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,480
Tip of England, yes. And beyond.

305
00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,160
Oh, you're going to the Scillies?

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00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:18,720
Yes. Yes.
Are you holidaymakers? BOTH: Yes.

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00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,680
Look at the sun shining
on your faces.

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00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,160
And the water. Isn't it gorgeous?
And the sun glinting on the water.

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00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,880
It's all set fair, isn't it? Is it?

310
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,840
Don't you think? For how long?

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00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,160
I don't know. Have a lovely holiday.

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00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,360
We will. We intend to do that.
We usually do, don't we?

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00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:39,040
Yes. All over the world,
and now we're doing this.

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00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,520
Just before I reach Penzance,
St Michael's Mount comes into view.

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00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:57,080
This ancient island settlement was
once owned by its French counterpart
in Normandy, Mont Saint Michel.

316
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,320
Bradshaw writes,
"It is a majestic island.

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00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:06,480
"At the top are the remains of a
priory founded before the Conquest,

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00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,480
"and for ages resorted
to by pilgrims."

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00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:20,480
Penzance itself, he says,
is more famous for potatoes.

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00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,240
They're tricky, these ones.

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00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,400
They get stuck halfway.

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00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:29,640
There we go! When the railways
connected Penzance to London,

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00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,920
early crops of new potatoes,
broccoli and other vegetables

324
00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,840
were shipped up
to the markets by train.

325
00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:42,480
But like so much of Cornwall,
many of those traditional industries
have gone into decline.

326
00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:50,200
Today, the balance has shifted and
now it's the five million tourists

327
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:55,520
spending around £1.5 billion
a year that keep Cornwall going.

328
00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,240
When I began my rail journey
west from Swindon, I was following

329
00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:07,840
the Holiday line because the
railways made mass tourism possible.

330
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,200
But even the most beautiful places
in Britain

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00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,280
can't survive from leisure alone
and Bradshaw's guided me

332
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,000
to the most ancient industries,

333
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:23,840
those that extract minerals from
the earth and food from the waters.

334
00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:29,440
And now it's brought me to
the end of the line, the buffers.

335
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,960
Beyond, only the Atlantic.

336
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:46,040
On my journey next week,
I'll be travelling from Buxton
all the way south to London.

337
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:50,320
Along the route,
I'll be visiting the
oldest working factory in the world.

338
00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,840
Made in England. Made in England.
Does it make you proud? Oh, yes!

339
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,840
That's what we like to see.

340
00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:00,920
I'll be discovering why Burton's
beer is said to be best.

341
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,680
Two weeks' conditioning in the cask,
a week in the pub...

342
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:10,040
And ten minutes to drink.
You're a slow drinker!
BELLS RING

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00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:15,400
And I'll be finding out how
the capital has rung in
the changes since Bradshaw's day.

344
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,440
BELL TOLLS

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Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:32,080
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk