1
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:10,680
In 1840, one man
transformed travel in Britain.

2
00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:17,320
His name was George Bradshaw
and his railway guides inspired the
Victorians to take to the tracks.

3
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:24,440
Stop by stop,
he told them where to travel,
what to see, and where to stay.

4
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:29,480
Now, 170 years later, I'm
making a series of journeys

5
00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:35,440
across the length and breadth of
the country to see what of
Bradshaw's Britain remains.

6
00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,360
I'm now well into my railway journey
from the heart of rural England

7
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,040
to Anglesey, using George
Bradshaw's 19th-century guide book.

8
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:13,800
Today's route will enable me to look
at some British history from well
before his time and to recall that

9
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,400
British inventiveness can be used to
wage war as well as build bridges.

10
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,960
I'm well used to using
Bradshaw as my travel guide.

11
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:28,320
But more than that, it's a Victorian
encyclopaedia in my pocket.

12
00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:31,200
Every day, it provides me with
fresh insights into how

13
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:36,360
the people and places of Britain
were shaped in history.

14
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:42,600
On this stretch of the journey,
I'll be exploring one of the
country's oldest streets...

15
00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,240
Oh, this is stunning, Paul.

16
00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,480
Basically what we've got here is a
mediaeval shopping mall.

17
00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:53,000
..uncovering a hidden
chemical weapons factory...

18
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,680
We are probably looking at
the Second World War's
most secret building in Britain.

19
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,840
Would that be right?
In 1942-43, there was nowhere more
secret in the world than this.

20
00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,640
Out it goes.

21
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,720
..and raking for mussels,
Victorian-style.

22
00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,880
I think I've got nothing at all,
absolute empty set.

23
00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,320
So far, I've already covered 118
miles through the Welsh Marches.

24
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:31,760
Now I'm chugging north before
following the coast of Wales towards
the National Park of Snowdonia.

25
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:37,480
Then, I'll cross to Anglesey,
aiming for the port of Holyhead.

26
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:44,120
Today, I'll be calling at Chester
and Flint before travelling
on to Llandudno and Conwy.

27
00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:59,040
Shortly, I'll be arriving at
Chester, the last English city that
I'll visit before going into Wales.

28
00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:04,080
And the railway line from Chester
to Holyhead was built in order
to speed up communications.

29
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,680
And as Bradshaw says,
"The line is a very important one,
in shortening the distance between

30
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,520
"the chief city in the British Isles
and the important capital of
Ireland,

31
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:18,480
"and adds another noble power to
government in the facilities
of communication."

32
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,600
Now Ireland was a troublesome place
for the English in the 19th century.

33
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,320
In fact, when the line was opened
in 1848, that was the year of the
famine in Ireland,

34
00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,920
and being a Catholic country,
the English were nervous
about revolution.

35
00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:35,560
So anything that strengthened
communication,

36
00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:40,360
strengthened the power of
the government in London,
was important politically.

37
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,040
And even Bradshaw noted that.

38
00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:51,600
England was officially united with
Ireland in 1801 in an attempt to
keep the Irish under English rule.

39
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,680
Once they shared the same
parliament, a fast route for

40
00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,920
documents and mail between
London and Dublin was key.

41
00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,720
The journey took
about 33 hours by road.

42
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,840
When the new railway opened
in 1848, it was reduced to just 12,

43
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,640
via Chester, which became a
strategically important city.

44
00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:19,680
As I arrive just now into Chester,
they're announcing connections to
London and Manchester and Liverpool,

45
00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,280
and it's a reminder
that Chester is a hub.

46
00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:27,160
George Bradshaw was very
impressed by this because several of
the different railway companies

47
00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,640
had their own terminus here
at Chester.

48
00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,840
And he claimed that it had
the longest platform in England,

49
00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:37,320
so I'm looking forward to exploring
Chester station.

50
00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:45,840
Bradshaw was right
that the station was busy and he
also comments on the architecture.

51
00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:49,520
"That very noble pile of buildings,
in the Italian style,

52
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,160
"the Chester station, is the longest
of all the railway termini in
England."

53
00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:02,560
Magnificent though the station is,
Bradshaw writes about his
chief reason for visiting.

54
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:10,400
"Chester is a genuine Roman city,
built four square, within walls
which remain to this day."

55
00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,480
The walls are now a
scheduled ancient monument.

56
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:23,160
They've been repaired and
restored over the years but still
follow the original Roman layout.

57
00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,840
Using my guide, I'm going to explore
this 2,000-year-old settlement.

58
00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,200
Do you know much about the history
of Chester?

59
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,600
Only the Romans, that's all, but I
don't know a lot about it. What did
the Romans ever do for Chester?

60
00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,840
Oh, don't ask me.

61
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,680
Chester, you're proud of your city?
Very much so. Tell me a bit
about the Roman history.

62
00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,520
Tell me about what one should
think about the Roman history.

63
00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,160
There's the old
port over by the racecourse.

64
00:05:53,160 --> 00:06:01,800
And every time anybody excavates for
a building, there's another piece of
Roman history comes to light.

65
00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,040
So, it's just down there.

66
00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:09,560
Chester was once the site of the
biggest Roman fort in Britain.

67
00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:16,240
Tour guide Paul Hyde has asked me
to meet him at the city's famous
racecourse to discover more.

68
00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,880
Paul. Michael. Good morning,
Michael, welcome to Chester.

69
00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,200
Lovely to see you.
What a fantastic vista.

70
00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,040
Obviously over the race course.

71
00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:25,440
It's fantastic, isn't it?

72
00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,480
The race course was
where the Roman port was.

73
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,880
Of course, Chester
really began as a Roman fortress.

74
00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:39,200
It was one of the three legionary
fortresses in Britain, but also
it was larger than the other two.

75
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:45,480
There is thought that one of the
reasons for that is it may have
been seen as potential base

76
00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,280
for the invasion of Ireland, what is
now Ireland, but that never happened.

77
00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,320
Like the Romans, the Victorians
recognised Chester

78
00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,920
as the gateway to Ireland
and the west.

79
00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,160
By the 1850s, four railway companies
ran lines through Chester,

80
00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,880
and the city was transformed.

81
00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:12,440
Reading Bradshaw, you get the
impression that Chester becomes
a really important railway hub.

82
00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:17,240
I suppose the railways must have
contributed to a substantial
revival in Chester's fortunes.

83
00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:21,240
Certainly in the mid-19th
century, the railways helped

84
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,080
make Chester fairly prosperous,
and also in 1861,

85
00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,560
the Great Western and the London
and North Western railway

86
00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:34,960
were the two biggest employers
in the city, so the railway did make
Chester quite an important place.

87
00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,280
Chester became a major
shopping destination,

88
00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,200
attracting visitors with
its historic architecture.

89
00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,040
Bradshaw writes,
"On both sides are lines of shops

90
00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:52,360
"and covered ways called the Rows,
to which you ascend by a few steps."

91
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:58,000
By the 1860s,
American tourists were already
arriving by boat into Liverpool.

92
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,440
They boarded the train
to visit Chester's quaint Rows,

93
00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,440
constructed along the
original Roman street plan.

94
00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,960
Oh, this is stunning, Paul.

95
00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,160
We've come off what
is the Roman Street, yes?

96
00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,480
Yes, Watergate Street,
Via Principalis in Roman times,

97
00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,720
following the line of the Roman
street, but we're now on the Rows,

98
00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,120
Chester's famous Rows, which have
been here since the 13th century.

99
00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:29,080
Basically what we've got here is a
mediaeval shopping mall,
which is unique to Chester.

100
00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,120
So you would not be in the rain
if you were doing your shopping,

101
00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,400
and of course away from the
filth of the street as well.

102
00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:41,280
Greatly changed over the ages, this
is actually a 13th-century stone
arch,

103
00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:46,360
but the outer building here,
Booth Mansion, is actually 1700s.

104
00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:51,600
So actually, the street as we see
it now is a remarkable collection
of different architectural styles.

105
00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,640
Certainly. It's very cosy, isn't it?

106
00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,600
Out of the mud, out of the rain.

107
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,320
Chester must have been an early
shopping destination. Absolutely.

108
00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:07,400
As Victorian Chester's reputation
grew, the town centre was
given an extensive makeover.

109
00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,240
Shops were rebuilt in the
black and white Tudor style,

110
00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,160
adding to the picturesque appeal
of the town to tourists.

111
00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:29,640
It's time for me to bid farewell
to historic Chester and continue
on the next leg of my journey.

112
00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:35,360
I'm now leaving England,
bound 12 miles across the
Welsh border to Flint.

113
00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,000
My Bradshaw's Guide tells me
to keep my eyes open along the way.

114
00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,000
I'm just coming up to the
Dee Bridge.

115
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,920
Bradshaw says, "We cross the river
Dee on the largest cast-iron girder
bridge in the kingdom,"

116
00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:53,960
which is slightly puzzling, because
the bridge was built in cast iron by
Robert Stephenson,

117
00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,200
but it collapsed in 1847.

118
00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,960
The accident on the
Dee was the first railway
bridge disaster in Britain.

119
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:08,800
A cast-iron girder cracked,
plunging a train into the river and
killing five people.

120
00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,600
Afterwards, bridge builders
abandoned brittle cast iron

121
00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:16,120
in favour of more flexible
wrought iron.

122
00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:24,440
In Bradshaw's day, the Dee estuary
was an area of heavy industry.

123
00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,480
My guide says, "There are
extensive collieries,

124
00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:32,760
"the coals from which are shipped to
Liverpool, Ireland and various
parts of Wales."

125
00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:41,080
Today, the collieries are gone
but another landmark mentioned
by Bradshaw remains.

126
00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:49,720
My guide describes the haunting
Flint Castle, saying, "At no very
great distance from the railway,

127
00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:55,440
"the castle is but a mere shell,
there being left only the
grey ruined walls."

128
00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:00,400
It's another of those fortresses
built to subdue the Welsh.

129
00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,040
RAILWAY ANNOUNCER:
We are now at Flint.

130
00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:10,120
I'm heading just outside Flint
to Rhydymwyn to meet local
historian Colin Barber.

131
00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,600
In the 1940s, the railway tracks
that once served the coal industry

132
00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,680
were put to work in a
very different cause.

133
00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:21,920
Hi, Colin. This place we're
standing now. What was it?

134
00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:27,320
This was a chemical weapons factory,
a war-time chemical weapons factory,
and this was goods in.

135
00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:33,320
So these were the tracks coming in
and what, the ingredients for
chemical weapons arrived here?

136
00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,320
Yes, all of the components for them.

137
00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,200
What were they making here?

138
00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:41,040
They were making mustard gas and
smoke grenades.

139
00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:48,760
This branch line ran to a
secret chemical weapons factory
making mustard gas shells.

140
00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,720
That gas was first used
by Germany in World War I.

141
00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:57,680
The effects were so horrific that
its use was banned after the war's
end by the Geneva Convention,

142
00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:02,960
so it's strange to find that it
was being manufactured here in 1942.

143
00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:04,560
This is a bit shocking really.

144
00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:11,320
What were we doing making chemical
weapons? Everybody made them in case
the other side used them first.

145
00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,560
But we intended to use
them in Great Britain if the
Germans invaded our beaches.

146
00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:23,520
In 1939, the Government asked ICI
to set up this factory at Rhydymwyn

147
00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:29,920
because it was remote, but close
enough to the ICI chemical works
at Runcorn.

148
00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,920
It also had good rail links
to transport the shells
and mustard gas.

149
00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:41,720
The first use of the gas in war was
illegal, but manufacturing it
as a precaution was not.

150
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:48,600
These are the tunnels where the
chemical weapons and the bulk of
mustard gas were stored,

151
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,200
roughly 3,000 tonnes of it.

152
00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:59,600
Good Lord. Colin, I can't see any
great distance because of the dark,

153
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,840
but it appears to be
an enormous tunnel,

154
00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,520
burrowed into the hillside, is it?

155
00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:09,880
It's about 860-odd feet long,
about 300 metres.

156
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:17,720
Once the shells were filled,
they were stored for 24 hours
to make sure they didn't leak.

157
00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,360
One drop of gas could cause severe
burns and blistering.

158
00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,960
Then they were sent by rail
to depots around the country,

159
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,760
accompanied by special staff trained
to deal with any contamination.

160
00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,360
And the people doing the work, men?
Women?

161
00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,760
Mostly men to start with, but from
'42 onwards, mostly ladies.

162
00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,800
The most hazardous part of the job

163
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,480
was adding the explosives and
detonators to the
shells holding the mustard gas.

164
00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:57,120
It was done in the
so-called Danger Area.

165
00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:01,520
This building was the first place
where the workers came into contact

166
00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:06,480
with the charged shells
and the explosives.

167
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:10,920
They got the shells and they strapped
them to the bench with a strap

168
00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,400
like the one you put on the back of a
golf buggy to hold the bag on there.

169
00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,640
And they would have a doughnut-shaped
charge of explosives.

170
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,360
Into the middle of
that, you put the fuse.

171
00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:29,080
When it actually fired, the fuse
would hit, the explosives would
go off and it would blow the tail

172
00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,480
of the shell off, and it
would disperse the mustard gas.

173
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,720
So that's where they put
it all together here.

174
00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,920
And to make sure they got the
mixtures correct and so on,

175
00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:43,040
they weighed them here,
and occasionally as all sorts
of different shells

176
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:47,320
were coming through here, they did
all of the calculations on the wall.

177
00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,560
This is calculating to make sure
they got the right amount of gas
inside the shell, is it? Yes.

178
00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,440
Wow.

179
00:14:54,440 --> 00:15:01,560
Towards the end of the war,
workers at Rhydymwyn began research
that was even more hush-hush.

180
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:06,880
We're probably looking at the Second
World War's most secret building in
Britain. Would that be right?

181
00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,920
In 1942-43, there was nowhere more
secret in the world than this.

182
00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:16,120
Here scientists worked on
extracting uranium-235,

183
00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,800
a key stage in the
development of the atomic bomb.

184
00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,840
The research was to be completed in
the United States

185
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:27,320
but the foundations of nuclear
weaponry were laid here.

186
00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,640
Every time I come into this
building, it does have a presence.

187
00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:32,560
It is eerie and sombre.

188
00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:37,480
Yeah. And it not only echoes,
but it has an ambience.

189
00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,520
Because the world's most gruesome
weapons were developed here.

190
00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:58,160
For the next leg of my journey,
I'm leaving Flint to follow my
Bradshaw's Guide to Llandudno.

191
00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:05,880
This line hugs the coast and you get
memorable views across the water.

192
00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,800
This train was jolly busy when I
got on. Is it always like that?

193
00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,240
This is from Manchester,
it's a commuter train.

194
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,760
And the summer season's
starting up now, so there's a
lot of visitors coming down.

195
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,960
What are the most
popular destinations?

196
00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,960
Llandudno. A lot of people
taking their holidays there? Yes.

197
00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,480
Why do you think they go there?

198
00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,280
It's the Queen of the Welsh resorts.
Is it? It is indeed.

199
00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,960
Since the railways came to this part
of Wales in the mid-19th century,

200
00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,920
this stretch of coast has been
a popular tourist destination.

201
00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:56,040
Bradshaw writes, "This delightful
place has become one of great import
as a summer resort.

202
00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,720
"The air is peculiarly salubrious."

203
00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,360
RAILWAY ANNOUNCER: We are now at
Llandudno, our final station.

204
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,640
I've arrived at the seaside.

205
00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,000
Those lovely stations that
are like a full stop,

206
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:19,840
you've come to the end of the line,
beyond only beaches, sand and surf.

207
00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,880
And of course, Bradshaw is
absolutely right,

208
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,600
the air is peculiarly salubrious.

209
00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:34,480
As it's late, I'm heading straight
to my hotel which is perched on

210
00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:39,000
the edge of Llandudno's most
famous landmark, the Great Orme,

211
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,560
a promontory which
looms above the town.

212
00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:48,120
In Bradshaw's day, Victorian
visitors took bracing walks
on this stunning rock

213
00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:52,720
to catch the fine views,
a custom continued to this day.

214
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:55,840
Now this is where I'm staying,

215
00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,400
and I was told I was coming
to a lighthouse,

216
00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,200
but actually it looks
more like a castle.

217
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,520
Anyway, fantastic spot.

218
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,800
It will have a pretty good view.

219
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,000
This lighthouse was built
400ft up on the promontory

220
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,680
and so didn't require a tower
to be clearly visible to shipping.

221
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,400
Hello, are you Fiona? Yes, I am.

222
00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,120
Oh, what a fantastic place! I know.
Nice to meet you.

223
00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:33,720
Gosh, isn't that beautiful!

224
00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,600
Not at all what I expected.

225
00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:43,680
Fiona Kilpatrick owns this
19th-century curiosity which
is now a B&B.

226
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:48,760
Oh! There can't be any other
room like this in the world

227
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,120
We're absolutely hung out
over the sea, aren't we?

228
00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:58,520
It's certainly one of the most
remarkable vistas that I've enjoyed
on my travels.

229
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:08,600
I've slept like a log.

230
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:13,000
The weather is different today,
maybe I should have done
more sightseeing yesterday.

231
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:19,920
But I don't know - this
billowing wildness today helps me to
appreciate this wild landscape.

232
00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,680
And Bradshaw was certainly
right about the views.

233
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,000
As I look down on Llandudno,
laid out like a map,

234
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,600
it makes me anxious to learn more
about this fascinating place.

235
00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,920
As with all British journeys,

236
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,160
you have to be prepared for
whatever the weather throws at you.

237
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:49,680
I'm going to go down to Llandudno
now on the Great Orme tramway,

238
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,960
which looks a wonderful piece of
historic railway architecture.

239
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:03,240
Opened in 1902, this tramway has
been delighting tourists ever since.

240
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:08,400
It's the only one of its kind still
running on a British public road.

241
00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:18,520
You've got a job that many
people would envy. Yes, yes.

242
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,200
What system are you running on here?

243
00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,440
I see there's a cable.
Are we gripping that cable?

244
00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,120
It's fixed on to the tram underneath.

245
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:27,280
So we're permanently
fixed to this cable.

246
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,600
We're permanently fixed.
And as we're going down,
is the other one coming up?

247
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,040
Yes. So we're kind of
balanced in some way, are we?

248
00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:38,800
This one helps that other one coming
up, but we're synchronised so that

249
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,080
when we get to this loop here now
we'll pass perfectly safely.

250
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:51,280
You get fantastic views,
particularly YOU do, don't you,
being out here at the front?

251
00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,120
It's the best view in town this, yes.

252
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,520
Thank you, I really enjoyed that.
You're welcome. Cheers. Great fun.
Thank you.

253
00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:14,160
You go to many British coastal
resorts and they are faded and the
paint is flaking, but not Llandudno.

254
00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:20,960
It's in perfect condition. Notice
the lovely pastel colours, notice
that everything is freshly painted.

255
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:26,240
There are no modern buildings,
there are no skyscrapers,
there are no horrible signs.

256
00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:31,960
And why would this be?
I think it's because one family has
controlled this place for 500 years.

257
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:39,240
Bradshaw refers to Sir Pyers Mostyn,
Baronet, but he was just one of the
generations of the Mostyn family

258
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:44,280
that have been associated with
Llandudno for half a millennium.

259
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,840
When the railways arrived in the
19th century, the Mostyns saw an
opportunity

260
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:56,400
to take advantage of the
new connection running
through their land.

261
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,560
They designed a purpose-built
Victorian seaside resort

262
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:03,600
laid out on a curving grid that
followed the sweep of the bay.

263
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,840
It's maintained its
distinction ever since.

264
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,280
Hello, are you from Llandudno? Yes,
that's right. Lovely to see you.

265
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:15,440
I see you're wearing a Llandudno
life boat... Oh, you're a crew
member? That's right.

266
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,680
What's it like to live in Llandudno?

267
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,960
It's a nice town. A lot of good
places to eat, drink, friendly
people.

268
00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,360
It's very well kept, isn't it?
Very well kept, yeah.

269
00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:27,000
Lovely front that you'll have seen
to the bay.

270
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,920
The local landowners ensure
it's kept in good condition.

271
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,680
The Mostyn family? That's right.

272
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,720
Strikingly, much of Llandudno is
still owned by the Mostyn estate,

273
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,880
which may be why it's
so finely preserved.

274
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:49,480
I'm now leaving Llandudno for the
last leg of my journey to Conwy
in search of my supper.

275
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:54,400
On this stretch of the line,
Bradshaw urges me to be alert
for an engineering marvel.

276
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,920
So in a few moments we are going to
pass through what Bradshaw described

277
00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:07,240
as that "wonder of modern,
engineering skill," referring to
Stephenson's tubular bridge.

278
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:12,320
Now, being a tube as you pass
through it, there is no daylight.

279
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,640
It's going to be dark, so we're
definitely not going to miss it.

280
00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,240
Stephenson's bridge
design was radical.

281
00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,920
A series of wrought-iron plates
was riveted together to make a tube.

282
00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:33,000
Prefabricated on the shore,
it was then lifted into place
in only nine days.

283
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:39,440
The tube's inherent strength
allowed Stephenson to create a 400-
feet bridge without supports.

284
00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:46,720
"After a few seconds of darkness
we emerge into daylight

285
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,040
"beneath the lofty shattered
walls of Conwy castle.

286
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,120
"Sweeping around the base
of the castle on a circle,

287
00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:57,520
"the railway glides on and
enters the town of Conwy

288
00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:03,040
"under a pointed arch constructed
in the old town walls."

289
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:09,520
Conwy, with its 13th-century
castle, was a distinctive place.

290
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:11,680
When the bridge was built in 1848,

291
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,960
it was the first time that an
engineer and an architect
worked together

292
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:20,120
to create a design that
respected the historic town.

293
00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:27,640
Stephenson and his architect
devised ramparts in mediaeval style
to book-end the modern structure.

294
00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,840
But I'm not just here
to see the bridge.

295
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:38,600
Do not adjust your set, this
change of colour into these
fetching oilskins

296
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,560
is because I'm going
to go raking mussels.

297
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,520
I'm here to meet Jamie Hughes.

298
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:51,000
His family has fished mussels
across ten generations.

299
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,760
Hello, Jamie. Hello.

300
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,480
When the railways arrived, Conwy's
famous mussel industry boomed.

301
00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,200
Jamie still sets his
watch by the trains.

302
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,560
I see the railway
runs very close by here.

303
00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,440
Presumably in the 19th century,
they used the railways

304
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,040
to transport the mussels around
the place? Yes, from Conwy,

305
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,240
from the sidings in Conwy
to the markets within a day.

306
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,160
And I actually use the train as a
guide for the times

307
00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,720
so I know what time the tide is
turning. You time yourself by the
trains?

308
00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,480
In the morning, I know it's 7.15
when the train goes past.

309
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,720
That's a very good advertisement
for the train service.

310
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:33,040
Are there many mussel rakers today?
Full time on the job
probably six, seven. Really?

311
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,400
Yeah, it's changed a
lot over the years.

312
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:42,240
In the 19th century, Conwy had
about 60 licensed mussel men.

313
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,440
Saltwater mussels were
raked from the bay for food

314
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,600
and put on the train to Manchester,
Birmingham and Sheffield.

315
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,600
Freshwater mussels were also
collected from the river for their
pearls.

316
00:25:54,480 --> 00:26:01,040
These days, there are about 12
musselmen left, catching only the
saltwater variety.

317
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,840
Tell me about this bit of
equipment then. It's pitch pine.

318
00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,160
Very heavy for a start, isn't it?
It's quite a vicious-looking thing.

319
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,600
And that's been used for
a long time? Hundreds of years.

320
00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,120
Really? Technique is just the same?
Just the same, exactly the same.

321
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:16,920
Raking doesn't produce a huge catch.

322
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:22,120
Jamie sells what he can locally, the
rest goes to markets across the UK.

323
00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,400
Tell me, why would enjoy a
Conwy mussel more than any other?

324
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:26,680
It's a better flavour.

325
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:30,040
It's a better taste.
I would say that but...

326
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,680
feeding from the fresh water
and the sea water.

327
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,600
I think it's time I had a go.

328
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:39,200
Out it goes. As you say, the
technique is not to let go.

329
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:40,880
And lose a bit of tide.

330
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,480
Not sure I'm feeling any mussels.

331
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,680
Not on the river bed anyway.

332
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,000
Oh, it's tough work, that. It is.

333
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,760
Let's have a look.

334
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,920
I think I've got nothing at all.

335
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,080
Absolute empty set.

336
00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:00,160
Elsewhere, mussel men have started
to use mechanical dredgers

337
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,600
but in Conwy, they still
do it the hard way.

338
00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:05,400
Put that on your shoulder.

339
00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,040
On my shoulder like this?

340
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,000
Wey!

341
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,240
Wow! What a sense of achievement.

342
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,680
I've actually got some
mussels on board. Look at that.

343
00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,640
Good ones, too.

344
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,240
Oh boy, that feels good.

345
00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:32,480
Travelling along the North Wales
coast, I am pleased that so much
still recalls the Victorian era.

346
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,760
Places like Chester, Llandudno
and Conwy would be recognisable

347
00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:41,160
to Bradshaw and they maintain
strong connections with the past.

348
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:49,160
Bradshaw describes the railway
as gliding past the
walls of Conwy Castle.

349
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:55,120
The Chester to Holyhead
line has transported me from
Roman times to World War II.

350
00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:58,840
It has enabled me to glide
through British history.

351
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:07,360
On my next journey, I'll be
discovering how trains helped
an early mail-order business...

352
00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:10,720
What is it that they contain? Iron.

353
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,720
And what does it give you? Energy?
Of course it does.

354
00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,960
..staying in Britain's
first artists' colony...

355
00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:22,040
One of the descriptions in the
1840s/1850s is that is looks like
the encampment of an invading army,

356
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:28,040
because there are easels and white
tents - every blooming rock has
got an artist sitting on it.

357
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,160
..and exploring the Victorian
slate capital of the world.

358
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,000
We've popped out into
a different universe.

359
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,400
Where are the trees now?
Where is the green?

360
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:42,640
Just piles and piles and
piles of grey slate.

361
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,120
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.

362
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:11,160
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk