0
00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:10,430
In 1 840,
one man transformed travel In BrItaIn.

1
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,994
HIs name was George Bradshaw

2
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:17,511
and hIs raIlway guIdes InspIred
the VIctorIans to take to the tracks.

3
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:19,594
Stop by stop,

4
00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:21,551
he told them where to travel,

5
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,955
what to see and where to stay.

6
00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,749
Now, 1 70 years later,

7
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,668
I'm makIng a serIes ofjourneys across
the length and breadth of the country

8
00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,678
to see what of Bradshaw's BrItaIn
remaIns.

9
00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:58,432
Using my Bradshaw's GuIde,

10
00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,348
I get a good idea of how the raiIways
speeded up communication

11
00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,519
in a way that both excited
and beiIdered the Victorians.

12
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,996
We, who Iive in
an age of information technoIogy,

13
00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,839
can understand just what it was Iike.

14
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,994
I'm followIng
that VIctorIan superhIghway

15
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,749
through the south of England to dIscover
how the IndustrIal RevolutIon

16
00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,519
was carrIed deep Into the countrysIde.

17
00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,269
Today, I'll be tastIng
a VIctorIan superfood...

18
00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,678
You've got a basket of the stuff here.
That IoveIy tangy, mustardy taste.

19
00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,554
..dIscoverIng an IndustrIal process
unchanged sInce Bradshaw's day...

20
00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,515
So aII of that is happening by a process
that started ith the water wheeI?

21
00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:42,631
- (man) Yes.
- BriIIiant.

22
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,355
..and experIencIng lIfe
as a 19th-century traIn drIver.

23
00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,391
I Iove that rhythm of the steam engine.

24
00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,034
- The engine is taIking to you.
- AbsoIuteIy.

25
00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,597
So far, I've explored
the royal county of BerkshIre

26
00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,676
and now I'm headIng south

27
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,678
towards some of the VIctorIans'
favourIte holIday spots

28
00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,396
and my fInal destInatIon,
the JurassIc Isle of Portland.

29
00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,308
ThIs stretch starts In ReadIng
and takes me across the county border

30
00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,671
to explore the raIlway's Impact
on rural HampshIre,

31
00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,473
fInIshIng up In the market town
of Alresford.

32
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,593
To reach my fIrst stop, I'm travellIng
on the Great Western RaIlway,

33
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,315
famously buIlt by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

34
00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,357
As a frequent traveIIer from Paddington
to pIaces west,

35
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,836
I'm often frustrated that nearIy
every train stops at Reading.

36
00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,315
I ask myseIf, ''Why Reading?''

37
00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,715
WeII, today I have an opportunity
to find out

38
00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:42,831
I'm going to aIight at Reading.

39
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,634
The Great Western maIn lIne was the
fIrst raIlway to reach ReadIng In 1 840.

40
00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,274
It was quIckly joIned by other lInes

41
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,755
and by the tIme my guIdebook
was wrItten,

42
00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,749
ReadIng was well on the way to becomIng
the busy junctIon town that It Is today.

43
00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,308
MIllIons of people pass through
thIs statIon every year,

44
00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:11,195
but at one tIme, these raIls
were famous for a partIcular cargo.

45
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:14,753
So, Reading.

46
00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:19,795
My Bradshaw's GuIde says that
this is the home of the manufactory

47
00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:22,275
of HuntIey & PaImers biscuits.

48
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,550
I seem to remember those
from chiIdhood times.

49
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:25,874
Wasn't there a rhyme,

50
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,151
''HuntIey & PaImers make them
Iike biscuits used to be''?

51
00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,034
So now I'm off to see
what remains of that manufactory.

52
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,158
ReadIng StatIon today holds few clues
to the town's IndustrIal past.

53
00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:45,798
But for over a century, arrIvIng here,
you knew you'd come to the bIscuIt town.

54
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,037
Thanks to the raIlways,
ReadIng was home to the bIggest

55
00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,516
and best-known bIscuIt manufacturer
In the world.

56
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:53,834
In the town centre,

57
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,873
there are rows of red-brIck terraces
buIlt for the factory workers.

58
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,676
But are today's resIdents
In touch wIth theIr bIscuIt herItage?

59
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,519
(MIchael) Good morning.
How do you Iike Iiving here?

60
00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,313
I'd Iived her aII my Iife
and I Iove Reading.

61
00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,000
And did you have any connection
ith the biscuit worId?

62
00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,873
Yes, my husband used to work
for the associated deIiveries

63
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,514
but my father-in-Iaw worked for
HuntIey & PaImers.

64
00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,871
Did your famiIy teII you anything about
working at HuntIey & PaImers?

65
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,319
No, but when you Ieft schooI,

66
00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,556
girIs went to work at
HuntIey & PaImers.

67
00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,990
As a chiId, I went to HuntIey & PaImers
to see the conveyor beIts working

68
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:28,951
ith the schooI and everything.

69
00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:30,195
But it didn't faII to you

70
00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,470
- to work for the biscuit company?
- No, no.

71
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:33,874
Morning, sir.

72
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,558
(chuckles)

73
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,877
I wondered what you couId teII me about
the history of these houses.

74
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,551
(man) I think they were initiaIIy buiIt
for the workers in the biscuit factory.

75
00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,389
Reading is sometimes caIIed the biscuit
town, does it stiII keep that name?

76
00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,192
I don't think so.

77
00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,118
It's been such a Iong time
since the biscuit factory cIosed.

78
00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,596
The footbaII team used to be caIIed
''The Biscuit Men'' years ago

79
00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,757
but now they're caIIed ''The RoyaIs'',
RoyaI County of Berkshire.

80
00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,670
I don't think many peopIe
now regard it as a biscuit town.

81
00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,360
- The biscuit connection has gone soggy.
- It has.

82
00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,516
- Thank you again.
- OK, no probIem.

83
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,029
In Its heyday,

84
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,109
the bIscuIt factory covered an area of
30 acres In the heart of ReadIng.

85
00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:17,878
But extraordInarIly, today,

86
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,790
all that remaIns Is the old recreatIon
buIldIng now converted Into flats.

87
00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,152
I'm meetIng curator Brendan Carr
at the town museum

88
00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:31,831
to hear the story of
one of BrItaIn's fIrst global brands.

89
00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,112
Good to see you.
Is this either HuntIey or PaImer?

90
00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,993
This is George PaImer MP.

91
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,237
Yeah, a very important figure
in Reading's history.

92
00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,318
Biscuits are absoIuteIy fundamentaI
to Reading, aren't they?

93
00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,590
EssentiaI to
the town's deveIopment in fact.

94
00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:53,238
George PalmerjoIned forces
wIth Thomas Huntley In 1 841

95
00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,670
and set about transformIng
the famIly fIrm.

96
00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,109
He buIlt a state-of-the-art factory

97
00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,754
rIght alongsIde
the Great Western maIn lIne

98
00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,314
and quIckly realIsed that
the raIlway ItseIf

99
00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,069
could be a gold mIne
for the canny entrepreneur.

100
00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:12,716
In the very earIy days of the raiIways,
there wasn't any catering carriages

101
00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:16,549
and HuntIey & PaImers cottoned on
to that straightaway

102
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,071
and reaIised it was an opportunity to
market their biscuit factory in Reading

103
00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:26,672
by handing out sampIes of their biscuits
to the first-cIass passengers

104
00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,997
and saying, ''Have a Iook on
your Ieft-hand side as you go through,

105
00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,396
you'II see the big biscuit factory.''

106
00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,875
So they were pioneers
in aII sorts of ways.

107
00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,512
Before long, the factory was
runnIng Its own locomotIves

108
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,234
along prIvate raIlway sIdIngs
to the maIn lInes,

109
00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:47,069
exportIng mass-produced bIscuIts
across the country.

110
00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:48,997
To keep them fresh In transIt,

111
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,556
the fIrm had the braInwave of
usIng specIally desIgned tIns.

112
00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,672
The forerunners of
our modern bIscuIt tIns.

113
00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,712
This is the average tin you wouId find.

114
00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:01,354
You'd go into the grocer's shop
and this...

115
00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,756
- You can see through it.
- ExactIy. This contained digestives.

116
00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,518
Did these fit niceIy on the raiIway?

117
00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:07,914
WeII, in fact, they did.

118
00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,350
They were speciaIIy shaped
as sIightIy off-square

119
00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,790
so that they couId fit neatIy
into the carriages.

120
00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,480
- You're quite right.
- To use as much space as possibIe.

121
00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:18,715
Not quite square.

122
00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,390
ThIs clever packagIng
and the growIng raIlway network

123
00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,638
meant the bIscuIts could be exported
further and faster than ever before.

124
00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,638
And they soon became a symbol of empIre.

125
00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,911
(MIchael) So how far afieId did
HuntIey & PaImers' biscuits go?

126
00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:35,951
It's extraordinary.

127
00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,198
There's a story that when the first
Western traveIIers reached Tibet,

128
00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,039
they were greeted ith
HuntIey & PaImer biscuits.

129
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,674
- (laughs) What?
- (Brendan) It was extraordinary,

130
00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,475
but what we do know is they did reach
as far as the South PoIe.

131
00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:56,039
This is a Ietter from Captain Scott
to the HuntIey & PaImer biscuit factory

132
00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,994
acknoledging receipt of
the suppIy of biscuits,

133
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,112
bemoaning the fact that
some of the biscuits had broken.

134
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,677
''We find, on opening the tins of
Antarctic And Emergency Biscuits,

135
00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,588
that the biscuits are
considerabIy broken.''

136
00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:13,711
AbsoIuteIy amazing, isn't it?

137
00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:18,789
It's reaIIy quite moving
to have these artefacts here.

138
00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,352
At the start of the 20th century,

139
00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,756
the bIscuIt factory employed
5,000 people.

140
00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,158
But by the 1970s,

141
00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,750
the need to modernIse meant that
productIon was moved to LIverpool.

142
00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,318
The ReadIng factory produced
Its last bIscuIt In 1976.

143
00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,954
But Brendan's baked me
a VIctorIan recIpe

144
00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,390
to gIve me a taste of ReadIng's past.

145
00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,238
This is exactIy the sort of biscuit

146
00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,716
that George Bradshaw
wouId have known, I expect.

147
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,559
- Yes. Try one of those.
- Thank you very much.

148
00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:56,674
- So baked to an 1860s recipe.
- The Long Jamaican.

149
00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:58,028
The Long Jamaican.

150
00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,676
It's very pIain and Iacking in sugar
compared ith modern biscuits.

151
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,519
- That's right.
- It's very nice actuaIIy.

152
00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:07,595
I Iike that.

153
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,359
But no, it doesn't have that
manufactured sweet taste

154
00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,436
- that our modern biscuit has.
- That's it.

155
00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:13,913
Different Victorian paIate.

156
00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,997
I lIke to ImagIne VIctorIan
passengers nIbblIng one of those

157
00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,874
as they thumbed the pages
of theIr ''Bradshaw's GuIde''.

158
00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,390
And now It's tIme for me
to catch my next traIn.

159
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,279
I'm back at Reading Station,
a pIace weII known to Queen Victoria,

160
00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,676
who gave her royaI patronage
to HuntIey & PaImers.

161
00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,472
I'm gIad I got off at Reading.

162
00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,160
I know now know that
through its raiIways,

163
00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,748
this town exported biscuits

164
00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,111
and, just as importantIy,
tins to the worId.

165
00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,158
(blows whIstle)

166
00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,477
I'm now leavIng
the bustle of ReadIng behInd

167
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,388
and headIng south towards
a much more rural landscape.

168
00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,359
To get to my next destInatIon,
I have to change traIns at BasIngstoke

169
00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,870
and take a lIne
through stunnIng countrysIde.

170
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,514
(announcer) Next stop
on this seRVice, MicheIdever.

171
00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,191
I've crossed the border into Hampshire
and my Bradshaw's GuIde is enthusiastic.

172
00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,278
''The surface of Hampshire
is beautifuIIy varied

173
00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:31,599
ith gentIy rising hiIIs, fruitfuI
vaIIeys and extensive woodIands.''

174
00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,918
And as I gIimpse it through the trees,
so it appears to be.

175
00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,949
In Bradshaw's day,
thIs landscape was beIng transformed

176
00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,550
as new raIlway lInes
radIated out from London.

177
00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:51,595
And Isolated vIllages were suddenly
wIthIn easy reach of the capItal.

178
00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,115
I'm leavIng the traIn at
the tIny statIon of MIcheldever.

179
00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,676
It only gets a passIng reference
In my ''Bradshaw's GuIde''

180
00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,156
but thanks to Its posItIon on
the Southampton to London lIne,

181
00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:10,638
thIs stop played a starrIng role
In BrItIsh Transport hIstory.

182
00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,035
George Bradshaw began by
mapping the canaIs

183
00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,038
which were suppIanted by the raiIways.

184
00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,993
I've come to MicheIdever
to Iook at a technoIogy

185
00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,759
which wouId eventuaIIy
Iead to the cIosure

186
00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,475
of vast amounts of
that Victorian raiI network.

187
00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,310
Throughout the 19th century,
the raIlways contInued to spread.

188
00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,874
But even before
they had reached theIr zenIth,

189
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,595
the fIrst motor cars had started
to appear on BrItaIn's roads.

190
00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,669
What an unbeIievabIe machine.

191
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,394
I'm meetIng vIntage car enthusIast
ChrIs Loader

192
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,511
to see how MIcheldever StatIon

193
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,950
sped the arrIval of
thIs new threat to the raIls.

194
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:52,752
This is beautifuI. What is it?

195
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:53,869
It's a Peugeot.

196
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,675
It was owned by Sir David SuIIivan
of BroomhiII in Tunbridge WeIIs.

197
00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,473
- What age?
- 1898.

198
00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,670
- And it's on the road?
- It's on the road, yes.

199
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,792
What is MicheIdever's
significance in motoring?

200
00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,832
(ChrIs) The first car journey
made in a petroI-driven car

201
00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,315
was taken from this station.

202
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,433
(MIchael) In 1 895, a motorIng pIoneer
called Evelyn EllIs

203
00:12:15,560 --> 00:12:18,870
had a custom-buIlt automobIle
Imported from France

204
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,278
and delIvered by raIl from
Southampton to MIcheldever StatIon.

205
00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:28,713
The trIp he took In hIs new horseless
carrIage changed travel forever.

206
00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:32,196
So 1895 is the first recorded
car journey in this country?

207
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:33,275
(ChrIs) Correct.

208
00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:34,719
Where did he traveI to?

209
00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,310
He traveIIed to his home in Datchet,
which is just next to Windsor.

210
00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,228
So a totaI distance of about 56 miIes.

211
00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,272
- Remember, no Tarmac.
- No.

212
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,676
And peopIe must have been astonished
as he went aIong his way.

213
00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:50,995
- Yep.
- Can we take a ride in it today?

214
00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:52,348
Love to drive you.

215
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:54,719
AccordIng to the records,

216
00:12:54,840 --> 00:13:01,075
Evelyn EllIs rolled out of thIs statIon
at 9.'26am on 5 July 1 895...

217
00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,078
(ChrIs) Here we go.

218
00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:09,079
..and took over eIght hours
to reach hIs fInal destInatIon.

219
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:15,430
ChrIs Is takIng me out In hIs vIntage
vehIcle, buIltjust three years later,

220
00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:18,916
to gIve me a flavour of
that ground-breakIng journey.

221
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,874
You imagine, if he had broken down
in any shape or form,

222
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,958
no AA, no RAC to pick him up.

223
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,594
No petroI stations.

224
00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,429
I beIieve peopIe actuaIIy, in order to
get petroI, you had to go to a chemist.

225
00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,393
(MIchael) Imagine
it's on that first journey.

226
00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,875
We'd be passing horses and bicycIes.

227
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,390
PeopIe wouId be stopping in their tracks
to have a Iook at us.

228
00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,193
Yep. I beIieve on that actuaI trip,

229
00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,357
there were about 133 horses
which they passed

230
00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,755
- which is about three horses per miIe.
- Yeah.

231
00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:50,835
And out of that,

232
00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:56,353
there was onIy a coupIe of horses
which were terrified by it.

233
00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:57,879
Which wasn't bad reaIIy.

234
00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,835
So the horses took the arrivaI of
their rivaI quite caImIy.

235
00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,838
Yes. I don't think
there were much probIems at aII.

236
00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,550
Evelyn EllIs's experImental trIp
was such a success

237
00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:15,079
that by the end of the year,

238
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,636
20 automobIles had already been
brought Into the country.

239
00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,598
Have you ever thought of the paradox
that EveIyn EIIis's car

240
00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,837
was deIivered to MicheIdever Station
by train...

241
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:26,995
By train.

242
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,510
I think they were known in those days
as road Iocomotives, these things.

243
00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,552
And of course,
as peopIe bought more and more of them,

244
00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,716
that wouId see off
many of the raiIway Iines.

245
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,957
Once one person had a car Iike this,
they aII wanted them.

246
00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,029
Chris, Iook at this.
Now we are in the open.

247
00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:52,473
It's absoIuteIy gIorious. We're in
a 19th-century horseIess carriage.

248
00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,113
I think this is bIiss, don't you?

249
00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,634
It's easy to see how thIs
new and excItIng mode of travel

250
00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,070
captured the ImagInatIon of
those motorIng pIoneers.

251
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,510
But In Bradshaw's day,
the traIn was stIll kIng.

252
00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,677
My guIdebook doesn't say much
about WhItchurch, my next stop,

253
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,758
but It too was touched by
the IndustrIal RevolutIon.

254
00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,590
To my surprIse, thIs sleepy HampshIre
town on the London to SalIsbury lIne

255
00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:22,635
Is home to a VIctorIan sIlk mIll
that's stIll In full workIng order.

256
00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:23,875
Stephen.

257
00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,798
- It's a wonderfuI pIace.
- WeIcome.

258
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,469
This is cIearIy your water wheeI.
Is that ancient?

259
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,034
That's a Iater wheeI
that dates to the 1890s,

260
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,594
but this miII has aIways been
powered by water power.

261
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:36,789
Back to what time?

262
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,388
- Back to 181 7.
- 181 7?

263
00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,398
- Yes.
- And this is stiII operating the miII?

264
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,273
(Stephen) Yes, it's Britain's
oIdest working siIk miII

265
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,197
in its originaI buiIding.

266
00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,190
MId-19th century BrItaIn
had a flourIshIng sIlk Industry

267
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,835
whIch at Its peak
employed 130,000 people.

268
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,997
The fIrst water-powered mIlls
were set up In the MIdlands,

269
00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,271
but as they proved successful,
ImItators followed theIr lead.

270
00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:07,315
By the 1 830s, there were sIlk mIlls
lIke thIs In 20 countIes In BrItaIn.

271
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,797
And the fast-flowIng RIver Test
made WhItchurch a perfect spot.

272
00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,397
(MIchael) This is a fantastic site.

273
00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:20,150
This hugeIy powerfuI wheeI transferring
its power through this axIe.

274
00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:25,035
Then causing these wheeIs
to turn in a horizontaI pIane.

275
00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,354
(Stephen) Yes.

276
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,029
- Then that transfers the power here.
- Yes.

277
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,594
- How does aII this reIate to siIk?
- (laughs)

278
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,359
WeII, it Iooks very coarse,
doesn't it?

279
00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,040
This is the amazing thing about siIk.

280
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,277
The machinery is reaIIy very industriaI.

281
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,868
Gives you a great sense of
the IndustriaI RevoIution

282
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,116
but deaIing ith something
incredibIy fine.

283
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,071
The contrasts are extraordinary.

284
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,437
So the wheeI I saw turning
the other side

285
00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,791
now transfers the power
through this Ieather band.

286
00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,673
(Stephen) That's right.
To the shaft here.

287
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,109
(MIchael) And that in turn
deIivers it to a shaft.

288
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,993
It's Iike foIIoing a thread of
cotton through a buiIding.

289
00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:06,394
(Stephen) Yes, it is. Yes.

290
00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,476
- That goes aII the way...
- Yes.

291
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,477
AbsoIuteIy fantastic imagination.

292
00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,398
Ah. Now aII of these things
are spinning too.

293
00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:14,509
(Stephen) Yes.

294
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,919
So aII of that is happening by a process
that started ith the water wheeI.

295
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,600
- Yes.
- That's briIIiant.

296
00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:23,869
BriIIiantIy effective.

297
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,879
The raIlways connected
provIncIal mIlls lIke thIs

298
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,310
wIth new markets and brought
skIlled workers from the capItal

299
00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,317
tojoIn the local workforce.

300
00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,069
And when you Iook back at the Census,
it's very cIear that there were cousins,

301
00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,634
sisters and brothers aII working here.

302
00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,079
How many peopIe?

303
00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,236
At one time,
there were 100 peopIe here.

304
00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:46,033
(Stephen) Their age ranges
were enormous.

305
00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,038
- From 13 up to 90.
- (MIchael) Thirteen.

306
00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,152
In those days,
chiIdren couId work in factories.

307
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,518
The late 19th century
saw the Industry declIne

308
00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,236
due to cheaper foreIgn Imports,
but WhItchurch mIll survIved.

309
00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:05,830
The machInery Is unchanged
sInce Bradshaw's day

310
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:10,636
and Is stIll makIng VIctorIan textIles
for everythIng from costume dramas

311
00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:12,512
to hIstorIc buIldIngs.

312
00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,756
This isn't just here as a museum.

313
00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,599
- You are stiII producing siIk.
- We are indeed.

314
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,429
Very often you are having to recreate
something that was done, Iet's say,

315
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:22,913
- in Victorian times.
- Yes.

316
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,192
And we might onIy receive a smaII
fragment of the originaI fabric

317
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:28,719
because it's so precious.

318
00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,070
And have to work out
how it was aII set up,

319
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,113
the type of yarn used and the coIours,
of course, used to create it.

320
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,276
So there's
a bit of detective work invoIved.

321
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,436
Some years ago,
we reproduced some fabrics

322
00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,915
- in Queen Victoria's raiIway carriage.
- ReaIIy?

323
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:42,995
(Stephen) Yes.

324
00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,954
ObviousIy, I find that very thriIIing.
And George Bradshaw wouId too.

325
00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:48,399
(laughs) Yes.

326
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,951
It's remarkable to thInk
that In Bradshaw's tIme,

327
00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:58,153
even thIs peaceful corner of the country
was a hIve of Industry.

328
00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,510
Day two of thIs leg of my journey

329
00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,757
and I'm one another of the many lInes
that connected thIs regIon

330
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,678
wIth the capItal In Bradshaw's era.

331
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,713
My route passes through the rollIng
chalk hIlls of the HampshIre Downs.

332
00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,876
ThIs pretty countrysIde
became a major source of wealth

333
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,788
when It was used to grow one of
the VIctorIans' favourIte foods.

334
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,190
I'm leavIng the traIn at Alton
to fInd out more.

335
00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:40,039
(announcement) ..parcels unattended
anywhere on the statIon.

336
00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,232
AIton, what a deIightfuI station.

337
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,193
It's painted in the oId green
and cream coIours.

338
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:47,878
It's reaIIy oId-fashioned.

339
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,797
It reaIIy takes you back.

340
00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:56,473
In the 19th century,

341
00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,354
thIs whole area was famous
for a sIngle crop, watercress.

342
00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,471
ThIs aquatIc plant has always grown well

343
00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,068
thanks to HampshIre's
mIneral-rIch sprIngs.

344
00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,033
But It was the arrIval of the raIlways
In the 1 860s

345
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,756
that transformed thIs Into the
outstandIng watercress area In BrItaIn.

346
00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,518
- HeIIo, there.
- How nice to see you.

347
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:20,192
I've come to meet farmer Tom Amery
on Manor Farm In nearby Alresford.

348
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,278
(MIchael) It is a fantastic sight,
aII these watercress beds.

349
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,631
(Tom) It is quite unique.
Not many pIaces in the country that have

350
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,274
such a Iarge array of
watercress beds in one Iocation.

351
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,517
And farmed Iike this,
how far does this go back in time?

352
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:33,595
A Iong way.

353
00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,554
Watercress beds Iike this have been
farmed for about 120 or 150 years.

354
00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,319
- (MIchael) That makes them Victorian.
- It does indeed.

355
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,194
It was that deveIopment in the Victorian
era that reaIIy set the standards

356
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,630
for how watercress has been grown
and is stiII grown today.

357
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,514
In the 19th century, BrItaIn's
IndustrIal cItIes were growIng fast.

358
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,679
Urban workers desperately needed
fresh vegetables from the countrysIde,

359
00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,109
and watercress was cheap to grow.

360
00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,276
Demand soon skyrocketed.

361
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,153
Pre-Victorian period,
watercress wouId have been grown

362
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,714
in Iots of Iocations in smaII voIumes.

363
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,718
And what was happening
was ith London deveIoping

364
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,037
and obviousIy Iosing the area
that you couId grow watercress,

365
00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,392
they started Iooking for Iocations that
naturaIIy had a Iot of spring water.

366
00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,308
That may be down in Dorset where we have
farms as weII, and aIso around here.

367
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,031
ThIs was the Ideal locatIon

368
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,357
for IndustrIal-scale
watercress productIon.

369
00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,519
But fIrst, the growers had to solve
a major problem.

370
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,235
What was very important, it had
to be transported fresh and quickIy.

371
00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,636
It's one of those products
that is naturaIIy quite perishabIe.

372
00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,877
- They had to move it fast.
- By raiIway I assume?

373
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,958
AbsoIuteIy. The watercress
wouId be haRVested on these farms

374
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,548
and then pIaced into
what we caII icker fIats,

375
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:52,196
then sent up to London
or whichever city or town it wouId be

376
00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,390
and then it was made into bunches
and soId.

377
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,557
In the 19th century, It was thought
that watercress could cure everythIng

378
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:00,954
from hIccups to freckles.

379
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:02,479
And thanks to the traIns,

380
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,831
cIty dwellers now had an abundant supply
of thIs superfood

381
00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:07,757
delIvered to theIr doorstep.

382
00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,077
The Victorians beIieved it to be
very heaIthy. Were they right?

383
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,269
(Tom) They were indeed.

384
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,073
The heaIth benefits
derive from the spring water.

385
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,919
That water contains
a Iot of vitamins and mineraIs,

386
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,678
high in caIcium for instance.

387
00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,234
And that caIcium is then taken up
by the crop,

388
00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:28,310
so it's fuII of vitamin C, caIcium,
other mineraIs that are very important.

389
00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:32,149
So it was
a very easy source of nutrition.

390
00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:33,599
How wouId peopIe take it?

391
00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,632
Were they buying it in IittIe baskets
as we sometimes do today?

392
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,274
Were they having it in sandiches?
How did they eat it?

393
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,359
The EarI of Sandich mentioned
watercress in his earIy sandiches,

394
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:44,959
which is very convenient,

395
00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,959
but they were actuaIIy eating it
as a cone nearIy, which was a bunch.

396
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,395
Watercress contInued to thrIve
through the two world wars.

397
00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,035
But by the end of the 20th century,
It had fallen out of favour.

398
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:03,875
Now, though, It's back In the spotlIght
thanks to Its health benefIts.

399
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,034
- You've got a basket of the stuff here
- I have.

400
00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,358
- I hope not aII for me. May I try some?
- Of course. It was picked this morning.

401
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,678
- (MIchael) Is there a method?
- No, as much as you can fit reaIIy.

402
00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,028
OK.

403
00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,434
Do you know,
it takes me back to chiIdhood.

404
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,235
I confess,
I don't eat it much these days.

405
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:33,193
- That IoveIy tangy mustardy taste.
- That's right.

406
00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,470
Mmm, that's briIIiant stuff.

407
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,233
At Its peak,
It's estImated that growers sold

408
00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:44,158
many hundreds of tonnes
of watercress per week.

409
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:48,432
For the raIlway workers, transportIng It
meant bravIng all weathers

410
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,358
and pushIng theIr locomotIves
to the lImIt.

411
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,756
Having seen those beautifuI acres
of watercress beds,

412
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,237
it's now time to see how the crop
was moved to the markets of Britain

413
00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:03,069
on what was inevitabIy known
as the Watercress Line.

414
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,311
I've come to Alresford, at
the start of the MId Hants RaIlway,

415
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:12,753
whIch opened In 1 865, carvIng a path
through the rollIng HampshIre Downs.

416
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,589
It was closed down In 1973,
butjust a few years later,

417
00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,359
It was reopened as a herItage lIne.

418
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,155
I Iove this,
the oId British RaiIways sign.

419
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,840
The Iion and the wheeI and the crown.

420
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,552
- HeIIo.
- HeIIo, MichaeI.

421
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,557
- How IoveIy to see you.
- Nice to meet you.

422
00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,638
- WeIcome to the Watercress Line.
- I'm Iooking forward to this.

423
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,637
Good.
We've got some uniform for you,

424
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,194
if you'd Iike to put that on
and come back and join us.

425
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:39,753
(MIchael) See you in a moment.

426
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:41,677
You wait here.

427
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,429
I've been gIven the chance
to rIde on the footplate

428
00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,313
of one of the raIlway's
magnIfIcent steam engInes.

429
00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,829
Dressed for the part.

430
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,799
- Do I pass muster?
- You're ready. PIease come aboard.

431
00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,956
- Thank you.
- (toots whIstle)

432
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,950
Volunteer drIver ChrIs Yates
knows how tough It was

433
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,389
to drIve a traIn on the Watercress LIne.

434
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,711
(MIchael) What's this bit of Iine Iike?

435
00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,876
It can be hard work.

436
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,629
EspeciaIIy for the fireman who has to
shoveI the coaI to produce the steam.

437
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,957
- (MIchael) Hard work why?
- Because we've got a hiII to go up.

438
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:24,676
For about four miIes, it cIimbs
up about 400ft to the summit.

439
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,588
- That's demanding for a steam engine.
- AbsoIuteIy.

440
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,599
And ith a heavy train behind you,
you'II need the steam to do that.

441
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:38,116
At Its peak, 16 steam traIns a day
braved thIs challengIng route.

442
00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,437
MichaeI, we're now on the steepest part
of the Iine at one in 60.

443
00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:43,915
- You can probabIy see how steep it is.
- Very steep.

444
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,476
(ChrIs) The engine is Iabouring a IittIe
bit ith the weight of the train.

445
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,195
But if you'd Iike to have a go,
pIease feeI free.

446
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,390
What do I do?

447
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,717
We've got the reguIator here.
That emits steam to the cyIinders.

448
00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,479
- (MIchael) Does that need any movement?
- That moves up.

449
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,958
If you get underneath it and Iift it up.
Give it a... yank.

450
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,120
Bit more. Bit more. Bit more.

451
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,151
Bit more.

452
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,274
(ChrIs) That's it.

453
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,789
You probabIy hear that
the beat of the engine (IndIstInct).

454
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,230
If you'd Iike to ind that
sIightIy anti-cIockise...

455
00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:25,069
What we're doing is reducing the amount
of steam going into the cyIinders

456
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,272
and making use of
the expansive properties of the steam.

457
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,039
- (MIchael) Is it moving OK?
- It's moving perfectIy.

458
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,879
We're moving up the hiII quite fast.

459
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,438
I'm finding a reaI responsibiIity
driving this thing.

460
00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,551
It's so big and heavy.

461
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,276
And the thing about it is
you can make you go faster or sIower

462
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,436
but you can't steer it.

463
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:59,668
Although It's hard work, drIvIng
a locomotIve Is a boyhood dream.

464
00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,030
I Iove that rhythm of the steam engine.

465
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:03,309
AbsoIuteIy.

466
00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,829
I've so often heard it
but today I can feeI it.

467
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:07,678
You can feeI it aII through your body.

468
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,030
- The engine is taIking to you.
- AbsoIuteIy.

469
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,437
(toots whIstle)

470
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,396
TravellIng wIth my ''Bradshaw's GuIde'',

471
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:25,875
I've seen how
the raIlways helped to send

472
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,468
the effects of the IndustrIal RevolutIon

473
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,989
rIpplIng through
the BrItIsh countrysIde.

474
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:38,598
On my journeys I've often thought about
the sociaI and industriaI impact

475
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,314
of the raiIways in Victorian Britain.

476
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:43,590
But having driven this monster,

477
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:47,759
today I'm thinking about
the visuaI impact on the Iandscape

478
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:52,590
as this green and pIeasant Iand
was criss-crossed by engines

479
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,314
beIching fire and steam.

480
00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:00,998
On the next part of my journey

481
00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:05,159
I'll be learnIng how VIctorIan
engIneerIng made Its mark on musIc...

482
00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,431
- Now I'm going to press a pedaI.
- (organ sounds)

483
00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:10,118
Amazing feeIing of power.

484
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,471
..goIng behInd the scenes
at a 19th-century raIlway works...

485
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,639
That is what I caII a Iocomotive.
That is fantastic.

486
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,958
..and dIscoverIng a landscape that
wowed tourIsts In Bradshaw's day.

487
00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:27,359
I have this amazing pIunge
down to the beach. Whoa!

488
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,391
You have to have
a head for heights here.