1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:10,280 In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain. 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,400 His name was George Bradshaw 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,920 and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,960 Stop by stop he told them where to travel, 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,040 what to see and where to stay. 6 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,200 Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys across the length 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:34,040 and breadth of the country to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains. 8 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:56,040 In the mid 19th Century, Britain was in the grip of a railway revolution. 9 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:01,480 George Bradshaw's timetables were an essential tool for the new wave of Victorian travellers. 10 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,640 His handbook gave them travel tips and tourist information, 11 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,400 and today I'm using it to plan my journeys around Britain. 12 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,280 The journey I'm starting now is along a line 13 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,000 that was built for speedy communication. 14 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,600 Ireland was part of the United Kingdom in George Bradshaw's day. 15 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,200 The railway was extended to Holyhead in 1848 16 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,280 to cut five hours off the journey time between Dublin and London, 17 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:32,960 for really important things, everything from urgent documents to members of parliament. 18 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,640 This historic railway was built to carry the Irish mail. 19 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,120 But it also brought changes to the crafts, 20 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,360 industries and places along the way. 21 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,880 Bradshaw wrote about many of them, and with his help I'll be finding 22 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,080 out how the railways transformed almost everything they touched. 23 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,520 On the first leg of my route I'll be sampling a classic Victorian drink... 24 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,800 How much cider or perry would they contain? 25 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,880 1,200 gallons in that one and there are about 40,000 in Pip and Squeak. 26 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,120 Pip and Squeak! 27 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,760 You'd get quite a hangover from one of those, wouldn't you? 28 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,800 'Meeting Britain's finest pedigree bulls...' 29 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,240 It's extraordinary that he's so docile. 30 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Just not the reputation bulls have at all. 31 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,320 '..and discovering an engineering first.' 32 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,200 This is the grandfather of the skyscraper. 33 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,760 Really? The skyscraper was born in Shropshire. 34 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:32,880 The skyscraper is born right here. 35 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,800 Following my Bradshaw's guide I'm journeying north, 36 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,840 through the Welsh borders towns 37 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,640 of Shrewsbury and Chirk towards Chester. 38 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:50,320 Then I'll follow the scenic coastal route to Llandudno 39 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,600 before travelling inland to explore Snowdonia 40 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,840 and crossing the Isle of Anglesey to Holyhead. 41 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,160 Starting in Ledbury, today I'll travel the first 65 miles 42 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,200 via Hereford to the pretty market town of Shrewsbury. 43 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:19,680 For city dwellers like me, Herefordshire seems impenetrably rural. 44 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,160 In the days of horse and cart, its towns and villages would 45 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,200 have been days away from the major English cities. 46 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,960 The railways brought rapid connections and the products 47 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,040 of the countryside found markets throughout the kingdom. 48 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,440 We've passed through the most spectacular green rolling fields, 49 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,240 and that's has brought us into my first stop - Ledbury. 50 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,760 Bradshaw's describes Ledbury as "A place remarkable for 51 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,400 "its manufacture of rope, twine and also cider and perry." 52 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:05,560 Perry has been made in this area for over 150 years, 53 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,760 but apparently few people know much about it today. 54 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,840 Do you know what perry is? Perry? It's a drink. 55 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,680 It is, yes. Does it mean anything to you? 56 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:19,400 No, it doesn't. 57 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,640 I'm following a 19th century guidebook, and it says that this 58 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,840 place is remarkable for cider and perry. Do you know what perry is 59 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:29,280 It's like a sparkling... 60 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:34,520 er...like a sparkling... I'm not quite sure! 61 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,200 What is it made from, do you know? No, I don't. 62 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,440 Can you tell me what perry is? 63 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:44,400 Perry is an alcoholic drink made from pears rather than apples, for cider. 64 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,360 So there are local perry producers in and around. Do you drink it yourself? 65 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,600 Yes, I do, chilled, very nice. 66 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,560 One of the oldest perry producers is just up the road. 67 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,960 I've walked up through a beautiful garden 68 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,760 up to this historic house, but it is surrounded by 69 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,960 an industrial complex, what looks like a brewery, 70 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,200 where they make the perry and cider. 71 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,440 Helen. Hello, I'm Michael. Hi, Michael. Lovely to see you. 72 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,280 And you. 73 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:26,360 Helen Thomas' family has been making perry for over 100 years, 74 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,560 since her great grandfather, Henry Weston, began farming here. 75 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,160 But it wasn't always a business. 76 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,160 When it was first made, what was it for? 77 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,720 Presumably for just people locally? 78 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,680 Mainly it was for home consumption, 79 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,800 and also it was part of the wages they used to pay their labourers with. 80 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,440 So they would have so much cider and so much pay at the same time. 81 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:55,200 The drink used to pay the workers was also known as Haymaker's Cider, 82 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,600 and had little alcoholic content. 83 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,080 To make extra cash it was sold to passing travellers 84 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:05,000 at the gate, who often added a little something of their own. 85 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,200 Bradshaw says the cider and perry are sometimes qualified with brandy. 86 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,480 What does that mean? I think they must have put a little extra 87 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,120 brandy with the perry and the cider just to make it a little stronger. 88 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,160 I haven't actually tried that. 89 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,920 That would make you pretty drunk. I'm sure it would. 90 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,720 So how did it go from being something just enjoyed by the 91 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,680 villagers and the farm workers to a commercial proposition? 92 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,760 Henry Weston, he made a particularly good cider and perry, 93 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,400 and he was encouraged to actually make more of it and start to sell it commercially. 94 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,720 Of course, he would have used the railway to get it further afield 95 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,320 so he would have used a horse and cart to actually take it to the railway station. 96 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,560 And then from there to the nation. That's right. 97 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,000 As the railway network expanded through Herefordshire, 98 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,120 Henry Weston's perry business began to grow. 99 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,120 Other farmers brought their perry pears here 100 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:02,240 to be processed and bottled before being sent all over Britain. 101 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,880 But Henry had his own orchards as well. 102 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,920 These are the cider apple trees, 103 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,800 and the taller trees you see in the front are perry pears. 104 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,840 This is a perry pear tree. You can see it's much larger 105 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,560 than the cider apple trees, which are behind you. 106 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:25,040 They take years and years and years to grow. They say you plant a perry pear tree for your heirs. 107 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:29,040 So George Bradshaw might have been drinking perry from trees like this. 108 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,560 I'm sure. But if I come back here in 20, 30 years, I'll still be able to 109 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,520 see some of these magnificent, old, tall trees, will I? 110 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,520 Absolutely. I mean, I want them here for another 100 years. 111 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,120 'The varieties of pears used for perry are native to Herefordshire 112 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,160 'and are still processed in traditional ways.' 113 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,000 This is a fantastic site. This is our vat house. 114 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,240 So all these immense casks, vats you call them? 115 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,320 Yes, and they've all got a particular name. 116 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:59,000 So when you refer to something you know exactly where it is and what they're talking about. 117 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,560 We have three that Henry Weston, the first vats that he bought, 118 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,200 and they're called Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford. 119 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:08,840 Is this a museum? 120 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,560 You don't still use these vats? No, all these vats are used. 121 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:16,160 We can't get these vats now so these are part of our heritage. 122 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,200 Very important to how we make our ciders. 123 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,640 So how much cider or perry would they contain? 124 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,440 There's 1,200 gallons in that one, and there's about 40,000 in Pip and Squeak. 125 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,920 Pip and Squeak! A bit of an understatement, isn't it? 126 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,200 You could get quite a hangover from one of those, couldn't you? 127 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,440 'There's one change to perry since Bradshaw's day. 128 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,040 'Victorian perry was still, but Helen also makes a sparkling 129 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,320 'variety which, these days, is sold as pear cider. 130 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,560 'I'm happy to try both.' 131 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:46,840 Any technique to this? I don't think so. 132 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,680 I think you drink it like a fine wine. 133 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:51,560 Slight smell of pear. 134 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Soft and mellow. Yes, soft, mellow. Completely flat, of course. 135 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,440 Yes, this is still. This is what Henry Weston would have made. 136 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,720 And this fellow, I can see, has bubbles. 137 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,320 Slightly sparkling. Yeah. 138 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,240 Stronger smell of pear, I'd say. 139 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,600 Much sweeter, more pear-like. 140 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,280 I like the bubbles on the tongue. 141 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,720 I remember perry being advertised when I was a child, 142 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,800 with a little bambi hopping around on the edge of a champagne glass. 143 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,640 So it's not for men, is that right? 144 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,520 It is today. It's served in pubs 145 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,040 and you buy it by the pint, by the half pint. 146 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,040 So you can go to a pub and say "I want some perry, please". 147 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:33,440 Yes, you can! 148 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,160 Well done. Cheers! 149 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,600 Happy days. 150 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:45,320 Before the perry goes to my head, I need to retrace my steps to Ledbury 151 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,360 and unearth more about its very unusual station. 152 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,160 Hello. Morning. Very beautiful ticket office. 153 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,480 We do our best to keep standards up here. 154 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,000 'Unlike at most stations, the ticket office is not run by a 155 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,640 'railway company but by a small scale entrepreneur, John Goldrick.' 156 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:10,080 I am paid on commission basis rather than sell it for the railways. 157 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,360 I want to see people travelling by train. 158 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,360 It's up to me to encourage people to use the railways here. 159 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,240 So have you got a lot of people using the line these days? 160 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:19,640 We're pretty much jammed. 161 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,320 We've gone from a forgotten country station to capacity, almost. 162 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,960 Let me boost your commission a tiny bit. 163 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,200 Can I have a single ticket, standard class, 164 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,200 to Hereford this afternoon, please. 165 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,880 OK, that will cost you five pounds. 166 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:39,760 Next stop, Hereford. 167 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,680 My Bradshaw's guide describes this next part of the line 168 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:47,480 as one of the most picturesque in the country. 169 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,360 This is the very essence of England, isn't it? 170 00:10:52,360 --> 00:11:00,080 Deep, beautiful, rich greens, rolling countryside. Fantastic. 171 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,520 Tickets, please. 172 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,040 Thank you very much. Cheers. 173 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,160 This is a very beautiful stretch of line. 174 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,600 We are seeing it at its best today, aren't we? 175 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,240 Very lovely. Nice day for it as well. 176 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,480 Thank you very much. Bye bye. 177 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,960 Next stop is Hereford, which I know a bit. 178 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,200 Beautiful cathedral city, 179 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,800 although there are things I haven't seen there. 180 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,280 But I'm going in particular because Bradshaw mentions the cattle. 181 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,840 He says "They're are splendid breed, 182 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,440 "white faced with soft, reddish brown coats". 183 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,880 I'm really looking forward to meeting my Herefords. 184 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,760 We'll shortly be arriving at Hereford 185 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,640 where this service will be terminating. All change, please. 186 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,520 In the 19th century, the Hereford was one of the country's top breeds, 187 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,840 and Hereford beef graced many Victorian dinner tables. 188 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,720 Astonishingly, there were three trains a day leaving Hereford 189 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:06,720 carrying cows acquired in the city's market down to London. 190 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,480 I'm interested to know what made this pedigree breed so successful, 191 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:19,760 so I'm heading to a farm whose speciality is grass fed, organic Hereford cattle. 192 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,800 It's been owned by the Watkins family for five generations 193 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,400 and once enjoyed its own railway link. 194 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,520 Hello. Michael. 195 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:30,040 Hello. David Watkins. 196 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,480 Nice to see you, David. George Watkins. Hello. 197 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,720 Welcome to Ballingham. This is an old railway bridge, is it? 198 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,480 This is in fact the old Ballingham Station. 199 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,240 Not much trace of the line now. 200 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:42,920 When did this close? Do you know? 201 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,320 64, I think, when the rest of the beeching closes. 202 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,080 So you would remember this, David? 203 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,520 Yes, I can remember the steam train coming through here, very, very young. 204 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,960 Were you using it as a passenger or were you bringing cattle here? 205 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,360 We used to bring cattle down, so my grandfather used to tell me, 206 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,800 to load them on the train to go to Hereford and Ross markets. 207 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:10,080 'In Victorian times the farm and the cattle began to thrive, thanks to the railway.' 208 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,080 It really is a very handsome animal. 209 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:13,920 It really is strikingly red. 210 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,600 What are its characteristics as an animal and as a meat? 211 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:22,680 I think the animal itself, why it was originally so popular was its hardiness. 212 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:27,600 They get fat off the land here, they don't need a lot of grass 213 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,080 to get them fat in comparison with a more modern breed. 214 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,840 This old Welsh breed was so resilient that in the 19th century 215 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:44,440 farmers around the world imported them to improve the quality of their cattle stock. 216 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:51,920 I think they first started going off in 1850s, firstly 217 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:57,640 to America, then Australia and then pretty much everywhere in between. 218 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,880 So that coincided with the railways, probably enabled them to take them to the ports in good times. 219 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:03,800 And then after, anywhere else, yeah. 220 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,120 And Herefords have become pretty much globalised, is that right? 221 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,360 Yeah, you'll see Herefords as far as the States, 222 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,920 Mongolia, Australia, Argentina. They're pretty much everywhere. 223 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:18,160 George Bradshaw describes the Herefords as having the red coat and the white face. 224 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,880 That's clearly exactly the same, but would he otherwise recognise these Herefords of today? 225 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,240 Have they changed at all? Oh, I think he'd recognise them. 226 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,920 Sometimes you see old photographs of Hereford cattle 227 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,440 that might be a bit more dumpy and short, whereas now 228 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,600 we try and get a longer animal with less wastage in the leg. 229 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,880 Herefords were known for their succulent meat marbled with fat. 230 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,600 But as tastes changed in the 20th century they fell out of fashion. 231 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,960 In England they were replaced by larger, leaner European cattle, 232 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,280 and today their meat is marketed as a niche product for discerning customers. 233 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,440 People are much more interested in where their food comes from. 234 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,440 Obviously, here we can oversee the whole thing from the moment 235 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:09,960 I pull the calf to the moment it ends up on the plate in Hereford. 236 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,640 So traceability is really important now. Mmm. 237 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:17,040 And why is it such a good breed to have? 238 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,800 I think it's because they're very relaxed a very docile sort of... 239 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,760 As you can see now, they're not bothered too much about us 240 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,640 and I think it comes through into the flavour of the meat. 241 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:33,640 We've got a bull just over there. We can go up and stroke him and he's pretty docile. You're not serious? 242 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,120 Yeah. As part of my Spanish heritage, 243 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,960 I'm not used to doing that. 244 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,800 I'm used to a rather more aggressive approach normally. 245 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,160 George, this is an immense animal. 246 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,160 It's extraordinary that he's so docile. 247 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,320 Just not the reputation bulls have at all! 248 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,240 What a friendly guy. 249 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,040 Well, I didn't think I would ever touch a bull. 250 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,280 George and David sell most of their meat locally 251 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:07,600 and some of it ends up on the plate at their hotel 252 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,880 in the centre of Hereford, where I'm going to spend the night. 253 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,720 Isn't this absolutely wonderful? 254 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,920 Quintessentially English. 255 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,680 The medieval cathedral rising above the river. 256 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:27,360 The bridge, 1490, damaged in the English civil war. 257 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,880 A perfect summer's evening, a superb view 258 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:36,560 and now, at last, I think, an excellent steak dinner. 259 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:43,560 Traditionally Hereford beef is hung for 25 days to enhance the taste. 260 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:48,520 I'm about to enjoy the result of all that patient effort. 261 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:50,200 Thank you very much indeed. 262 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,360 Mmm. Marvellous. 263 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,840 Tender, delicious... 264 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,440 full of flavour. Fantastic. 265 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,680 Morning in Hereford and I'm on my way to the cathedral, 266 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:20,160 which I've seen before, but there's something I haven't seen and I have long wanted to 267 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,160 and today, I will fulfil that ambition. 268 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,680 My Bradshaw's guide talks about "A curious Saxon map of the world," 269 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,720 kept in the cathedral's library. 270 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,280 I'm meeting the commercial director of the cathedral, 271 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,560 Dominic Harbour, to find out more. 272 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,440 Dominic. Hello, Michael. 273 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,880 You're admiring your beautiful cathedral. 274 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,720 The map is fragile and must be a kept in a darkened room. 275 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,840 It's the most extraordinary thing, Dominic. 276 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,520 So point out to me the great places. 277 00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:59,920 Where's Jerusalem? 278 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:04,840 Jerusalem is at the very centre of the map there, shown as a circle, 279 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,680 and really it's from there where the rest of the world, 280 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,880 the known habitable world, spreads out. 281 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:14,120 'This extremely rare manuscript is called the Mappa Mundi. 282 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:19,760 'It's a 13th century concept of the world drawn onto animal skin.' 283 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,680 In a way, this is what we would almost call 284 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,120 a virtual map, a conceptual map. 285 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,120 It's not geographically accurate. 286 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:30,800 Yes, absolutely. Geography isn't the greatest priority on this map. 287 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,840 You've got illustrations from the Bible. 288 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,920 You've got information about flora, fauna. 289 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,800 It's like cyber-space at the end of the 13th century. 290 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:45,040 'Originally the map would have been visited by religious pilgrims. 291 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,360 'But by the 19th century, Hereford Cathedral was increasingly 292 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:53,480 'attracting Victorians, who were simply curious about their history.' 293 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,400 George Bradshaw calls it "A curious Saxon map of the world." 294 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,000 Why was he rather dismissive of this thing? 295 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,280 Particularly to Bradshaw's time, this was something that illustrated 296 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:07,440 perhaps everything that was bad about what we think of medieval today. 297 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:12,040 It's chaotic, it's barbaric, it's dirty, it's complete chaos. 298 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,080 Is it unique to Hereford? 299 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,080 There would have been other Mappa Mundi that existed all across Europe. 300 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,000 In fact they were quite common at that time. 301 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,240 However, certainly by Bradshaw's time, 302 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,880 this was really a rare and exceptional survival. 303 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:27,640 And did you tell me it was on hide? 304 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,560 Yes, it's a single piece of calve skin. 305 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,560 It could be a Herefordshire, could it? Possibly. 306 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,720 Really remarkable visit. 307 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:38,680 Thank you so much. 308 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,800 I'm now leaving Hereford for the last leg of my journey. 309 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:47,480 Busy, busy. 310 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,800 50 miles along the track, towards Shrewsbury. 311 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:56,640 And there's one thing I'd like to straighten out before I arrive there. 312 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,360 Excuse me, 313 00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:01,000 do you know the line quite well? 314 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,560 Yes. It's such beautiful country. It's absolutely gorgeous. 315 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,400 I love the ride just going into Shrewsbury station 316 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,400 and the castle up above and the gorgeous station. 317 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,120 I notice you say "Shroos-bury", 318 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,680 should I say "Shroos-bury" or "Shrows-bury"? 319 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,960 You could ask people in Shroos-bury or Shrows-bury what they say. 320 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,160 I think that's a good idea. It's like "tom-ar-to" "tom-ay-to" isn't it? Yes, it is. 321 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:31,680 'This train is for Manchester Piccadilly. 322 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,400 'The next stop is Shrewsbury.' 323 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:39,760 The electronic voice thinks it's Shroos-bury. 324 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:43,040 I think I'll check with real human beings when I get there. 325 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,920 My Bradshaw's guide offers no advice on this thorny matter 326 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:51,680 but it does make me focus on the town's impressive station. 327 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,880 Bradshaw is really keen on it because it's built 328 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,800 in the Tudor style with these lovely tall chimneys. 329 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,000 He's kind of shocked at how much it cost. 330 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,640 £100,000, including acquiring the site. 331 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,480 But he really approves of it too, and it is beautiful. 332 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:13,520 But I suppose it's testimony that Shrewsbury was really keen on the railways and this palace 333 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:16,560 indicates Shrewsbury's enthusiasm for the new age. 334 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,560 Time now, though, to find out just how the good folk of Shrewsbury 335 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,000 pronounce their town's name. 336 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,440 Excuse me, am I in Shroos-bury or Shrows-bury? 337 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:32,440 Shroos-bury. 338 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:33,920 You're very clear about that. Why is that? 339 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:38,840 It's been known as that side of the bridge says Shrows-bury, that side says Shroos-bury. 340 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,280 And what's the difference between the two sides? 341 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,600 The private school tends to bring a lot of the Shrows-bury to it. 342 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,400 Private schools, Shrows-bury. 343 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:47,640 Yeah, I think so. 344 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,840 Shroos-bury or Shrows-bury - 345 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,960 in Bradshaw's day, this place was very different 346 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,600 from the rural market town we see today. 347 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,040 It was once at the centre of the industrial, revolution 348 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,320 surrounded by mills and foundries. 349 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:08,640 There's one mill in particular that I've been urged to see. 350 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:10,240 John. 351 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,480 Hello, Michael. Good to see you. Welcome to Ditherington Flax Mill. 352 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:18,800 'Showing me around the mill is John Yates, inspector of historic buildings for Shropshire.' 353 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:22,560 Forgive me, it doesn't look all that special. What is the point of it? 354 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,600 Well, it's special on the inside as you'll see in a minute. 355 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,480 But it's an actual first. The world's first iron-framed building. 356 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,360 This is absolutely at the cutting edge of technology. 357 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:35,160 The new technology of the time. 358 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,560 An iron building, an experimental building. 359 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,840 200 feet long, five storeys high, 40 feet wide. 360 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,720 An astonishing act of confidence and bravado, virtuosity and skill. 361 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,160 You've whetted my appetite. How do we get into it? 362 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:55,520 The owners of the site had just suffered a financial catastrophe. 363 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:02,200 They'd lost thousands of pounds when one of their timber-framed mill in Leeds had burned down. 364 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,600 Onwards and upwards. 365 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,040 'Desperate to avoid more losses, 366 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:12,160 'they hired engineer, Charles Bage, to design a new mill in Shrewsbury. 367 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:17,600 'Bage knew that cast iron was being used to make rails at nearby Coalbrookdale. 368 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,200 'And he decided to make use of it in a building.' 369 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:25,640 Aha! That's what it's all about. 370 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:27,760 Isn't it wonderful? 371 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,720 So these supports, they're made of iron, are they? 372 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,440 They are. They're made of cast iron, 373 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:38,560 iron poured molten into a bed of sand that's been shaped to go to this 374 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,720 lovely slender shape, just tapering out a little in the middle, 375 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,040 just like the columns on the Parthenon. 376 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:51,560 Significantly, Charles Bage's iron frame was fireproof. 377 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,200 When the railways arrived, it became easier to transport large 378 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,800 pieces of iron and then steel around the country 379 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:03,000 and many other new buildings adopted the technology. 380 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,400 These columns all support iron beams 381 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,680 that run right across the building from one side to another. 382 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:14,480 And then the beams themselves support shallow brick vaults, 383 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,600 just half a brick thick, that span from one beam to the other. 384 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,000 Then to stop the vaults simply collapsing 385 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,880 by pushing apart in the way that arches always do, 386 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,280 there are wrought iron, even stronger iron, 387 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,280 formed into bars, that run the whole length of the building, 388 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:32,960 all 200 foot of it. 389 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:39,080 So this three-way metal frame, up, across and along, 390 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,080 is the grandfather of the skyscraper. Really? 391 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,480 Yes. The skyscraper was born in Shropshire? 392 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,200 The skyscraper is born right here. 393 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,640 Shropshire may seem a sleepy place now, 394 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,920 but in 1800, this was Silicon Valley. 395 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:58,760 This was absolutely at the cutting edge of the technological and industrial revolution. 396 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:04,840 The use of a metal frame in place of wood enabled architects to design 397 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:10,800 taller buildings and eventually led to the steel-framed skyscrapers of the 20th century. 398 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,520 Before I leave Shrewsbury, there's an intriguing reference 399 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,280 in my guide book that I must investigate. 400 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,800 This high spire is the Church of St Mary's 401 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:31,280 and Bradshaw is clearly quite amused by an incident that occurred here. 402 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,120 He says, 403 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:36,560 "Many years ago, a hair-brained fellow 404 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,600 "undertook to slide down a rope, 405 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,240 "laid from the top of this spire to the other side of the river. 406 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,880 "But he was killed in the attempt". 407 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,520 That's rather sad. 408 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:53,200 I've come to find out more about the tragic events of 1739 409 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,520 from Robert Milton, who works at St Mary's Church. 410 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,760 Robert Cadman was a steeple jack by trade and he was asked by the 411 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,040 church council to come and repair the weather vane on top of the spire. 412 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,640 Having done so, he then requested permission to do his party trick, 413 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,280 which was to tie a rope to the bell frame, 414 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,400 bringing it through behind us, 415 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,520 it then extend it to the very, very far-side of the river, 416 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,000 to ground just short of the railway box. 417 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,520 About 500 yards. Good Lord. 418 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,520 He would then walk up the line, performing tricks and firing pistols. 419 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,360 And I suppose hundreds of people 420 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:31,520 would've turned out to watch this stuff? 421 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,240 It was a craze of its day. 422 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,920 And, of course, his wife would go around and collect 423 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,360 the pennies and whatever offerings were being offered at the time. 424 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:44,400 'His final trick was to slide all the way down the rope 425 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,840 'from the spire to the ground.' 426 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,800 That's where it went wrong unfortunately on this occasion. 427 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:54,520 Where the rope had come through the bell louvers, it parted and poor Robert plummeted to his death. 428 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,800 It snapped here? It snapped here where it came through the wooden frame. 429 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,080 So is Cadman regarded as the hero of Shrewsbury? 430 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,720 Do people celebrate his birthday? 431 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,840 No, I think, relatively speaking, he's quite unknown within the town. 432 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:12,440 Well, I hope George Bradshaw's done something to revive his memory. 433 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,680 I sincerely hope so. I think it's well deserved. 434 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,360 I am often surprised by details that Bradshaw thought to include in his guide book. 435 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:25,440 From hare-brained tightrope walkers to white-faced cows 436 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,520 and the origins of perry - the full breadth of life and death 437 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,120 is captured in its pages. 438 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:34,960 And all of it accessible because of the new railways. 439 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:40,080 In Herefordshire, farmers made use of the arrival of the railways 440 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:42,680 to find new markets for their products. 441 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:47,280 In Shropshire, inventors and entrepreneurs grasped the railways 442 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:51,440 enthusiastically to pursue their industrial revolution. 443 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,280 The railways transformed everywhere, 444 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,520 but the nature of the change depended upon the geography 445 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,440 and the character of the people in each county. 446 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,760 On my next journey, I'm following Bradshaw 447 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:12,760 to see the world's first iron bridge. 448 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,440 Where do I go to see it? Just down the bottom. It's amazing. You'll love it. 449 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:21,320 Visiting a place where the railways weren't initially welcome. 450 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,560 My ancestor at the time of the railway 451 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,400 was particularly disenchanted with the idea of a railway being 452 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:32,880 built across his land, so he tried very hard to disrupt the surveyors. 453 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,640 And discovering the secrets of good cheese. 454 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:41,960 It's just exactly as my great grandfather would recognise. 455 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,400 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 456 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:09,840 Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk