0
00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,476
In 1 840, one man
transformed travel In Britain.

1
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,516
his name was George Bradshaw,

2
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,509
and his raIlway guIdes InspIred
the VIctorIans to take to the tracks.

3
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,551
Stop by stop,
he told them where to travel,

4
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,955
what to see and where to stay.

5
00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,715
Now, 170 years later,

6
00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,674
I'm makIng a series ofjourneys across
the length and breadth of the country

7
00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,678
to see what of Bradshaw's Britain
remaIns.

8
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,477
I'm over halfway through my journey

9
00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,558
tracIng the raIlway's Impact
on the south of England.

10
00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,071
Today I'm continuing my route

11
00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,909
towards what my Bradshaw's GuIde
caIIs Dorsetshire.

12
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,670
Today's journey takes me through the
beautifuI Iandscape of the New Forest.

13
00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,360
The raiIways enabied
Victorian tourists en masse

14
00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,677
to visit and experience
this distant iIderness,

15
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,555
and heIped Victorian industry
to expIoit nature's gifts.

16
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,959
On this stage of thejourney,

17
00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,231
I'll be slItherIng In the tracks
of a VIctorIan snake catcher,...

18
00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:26,679
Fantastic view.

19
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:28,756
I never dreamt I'd get that cIose.

20
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,793
..uncoverIng a secret lIbrary
descrIbed In my ''Bradshaw's GuIde''...

21
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:34,831
- This is your oIdest book?
- Yes, it is.

22
00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:36,916
(man) OnIy two other copies exist.

23
00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,271
..and takIng one of
my shortest ever raIlway journeys.

24
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,960
Whoa! Off we go.

25
00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:51,315
So far I've dIscovered how royalty,
Industry and agrIculture alIke

26
00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,829
were transformed by traIn travel.

27
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,713
Now I'm explorIng this regIon's
stunnIng coastlIne,

28
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,912
as I approach my fInal stop
on the Isle of Portland.

29
00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,397
On this stretch I'll pass through
the New Forest NatIonal Park,

30
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,957
stoppIng off at Bournemouth
on my way to the harbour town of Poole.

31
00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,039
(tannoy)
We are now arrIvIng Into Brockenhurst.

32
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,232
(MIchael) The VIctorIans
were fascInated by nature

33
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,430
and the raIlway
helped make the New Forest

34
00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,109
a hot spot
for botanIsts and Insect collectors.

35
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,435
This is Brockenhurst.
My Bradshaw's GuIde says,

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00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,472
''This station
is most exquisiteIy situated

37
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,071
amidst the charming scenery
of the New Forest.'' And so it is.

38
00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,112
And the raiIways transformed it
from a very smaII viIIage

39
00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:44,992
into something of a resort.

40
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,477
But intriguingIy, many Victorians
came here not in search of iIdIife,

41
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,878
but in search of a particuIarIy
charismatic individuaI.

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00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:01,156
Brockenhurst StatIon opened In 1 847
and was soon brIngIng vIsItors

43
00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,909
eager to meet the New Forest's
outstandIng celebrIty.

44
00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:07,551
I've come to the vIllage churchyard

45
00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,229
to hear the story from local historIan
RIchard Reeves.

46
00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,078
- Richard.
- How are you?

47
00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,111
- What a wonderfuI pIace.
- Yes.

48
00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,835
A very intriguing tombstone.
Why are we meeting by this one?

49
00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,396
This tombstone here
is that of Harry MiIIs.

50
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,512
He was a Victorian snake catcher.
Bit of an odd occupation,

51
00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:29,269
but it made him one of the most famous
Victorian characters in the New Forest.

52
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:34,554
He Iived in a smaII charcoaI burner's
hut in the forest for 19 years.

53
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:39,834
As a hermit and a snake catcher,
he was not your standard human being.

54
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,034
As Britain became IncreasIngly urbanIsed
In the 19th century,

55
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,630
there was a huge appetIte
for news of the natural world.

56
00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,038
In the 1 880s, a vIsItor
whojoIned Harry MIlls on a snake hunt

57
00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,720
wrote It up In the natIonal press.

58
00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,799
Soon, people were arrIvIng by traIn
to see hIm for themselves.

59
00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,310
What kind of things did he do
that made him a character,

60
00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,398
that made him
kind of a tourist attraction?

61
00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,308
One of the things he wouId do was,
as tourists arrived in the forest,

62
00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,910
he'd waIk up
and surreptitiousIy drop a snake

63
00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,634
and everyone wouId panic and run around.

64
00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,673
He wouId waIk up, catch the snake
and doff his hat and, you know,

65
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,429
''Spare a shiIIing?'',
and safeIy stow the snake away.

66
00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,756
As well as brIngIng tourIsts
to gawp at this fearless snake catcher,

67
00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,556
the new raIlway also enabled Harry
MIlls to set up a lucratIve sIdelIne,

68
00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,911
sendIng lIve snakes by raIl
to the capItal.

69
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:42,194
He then became suppIier
to the snake house in London Zoo.

70
00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,754
They required
a good suppIy of Iive snakes

71
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,031
to feed the snake-eating snakes
in their coIiections.

72
00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,833
He was getting a shiIIing a head
for every snake he caught.

73
00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,873
In fact, on one particuIar occasion,
he'd done a good job on catching adders.

74
00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,798
He usuaIIy suppIied grass snakes,
which are non-venomous,

75
00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,912
but one month he had 76 adders
and he decided to pack them off.

76
00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:02,473
They sent a note back saying,

77
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,558
''We'd rather you didn't send those
any more because they bite.''

78
00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,796
So after that
he couId onIy send grass snakes.

79
00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:09,148
Was he bitten, do you know?.

80
00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:13,717
Yes, he was bitten a coupie of times.
He does state that it was his own fauIt.

81
00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:17,628
But he used to boiI the adders up
and extract their fat

82
00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,673
and he swore by that
as an effective remedy for a snake bite,

83
00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,234
which he aIso soId IocaIIy
as a cure-aII,

84
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:29,593
one of those cIassic Victorian Iotions
which wouId sort anything,

85
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,280
from a bIack eye to adder bite.

86
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,797
AmazIngly, Harry MIlls kIlled
around 30,000 snakes In his lIfetIme.

87
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,957
These days, mercIfully,
they're protected by law.

88
00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,548
RIchard's become
a modern-day snake hunter.

89
00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,549
He's Interested In conservIng, not
destroyIng, the local adder populatIon,

90
00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,036
but uses the same skIlls
to track them down.

91
00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,879
(RIchard) When I come out here,
I'm taking photographs,

92
00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,835
identifying the individuaIs, and thereby
I'm abie to monitor the popuIation,

93
00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,951
to make sure it's doing OK.

94
00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,197
- And it is doing OK?
- This one is doing perfectIy weII.

95
00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:10,199
In a Iot of areas around the country,
they're decIining due to habitat Ioss.

96
00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,949
SearchIng for adders
can be hIt and mIss,

97
00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,196
but RIchard knows exactly where to look.

98
00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,471
(RIchard) You shouId Iook around
the bottom edges of these bushes.

99
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,477
You see there? Nice ginger adder.

100
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,909
- BeautifuI femaie.
- I can. That is beautifuI.

101
00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,077
(MIchael) She's very gingery.
ReaIIy quite bright coIours.

102
00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,510
(RIchard) You can't say snakes
aren't beautifuI when you see that one.

103
00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,679
Thanks to RIchard, I'm wIthIn
fIve feet of a venomous vIper.

104
00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,279
Fantastic view.

105
00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,914
I never dreamt I'd get that cIose.

106
00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,555
You couId get cIoser,
but there's no point in disturbing her

107
00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,513
and we get a perfectIy good view
from here.

108
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,278
She's a IoveIy animaI.

109
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,835
As I say goodbye, I'm glad that thIngs
have changed sInce Bradshaw's day.

110
00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,794
My snake hunt led me
to apprecIate nature, not destroy It.

111
00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,555
BuIldIng this lIne through
the New Forest was a real challenge.

112
00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,878
Some sectIons of the raIlway
were even supported on wooden stIlts

113
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,197
to stop the track
from sInkIng Into the bog below.

114
00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:16,473
Thanks to that effort, we now have
this superb view of romantIc wIlderness.

115
00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,710
- Mind if I join you for a second?
- Not at aII.

116
00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,513
I can't heIp noticing
how beautifuI this countryside is.

117
00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,029
- (woman) Gorgeous.
- Do you go through it every day?

118
00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,709
I don't, actuaIIy. This is the first
and onIy journey I'II be making for work

119
00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,070
and I'm a bit gutted
I've got a company car.

120
00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,316
But I do come down
to the New Forest quite a Iot.

121
00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,159
So normaIIy you wouId drive
but today you're on the train.

122
00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,510
Today I'm on the train.
I'm picking up a new car.

123
00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,234
It does make you think,
why do we bother ith cars?

124
00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:42,918
- It's IoveIy.
- It's wonderfuI.

125
00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:44,519
When you're a passenger,

126
00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,551
- you can enjoy it compieteIy.
- ExactIy.

127
00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,989
I'm on my way to Bournemouth.

128
00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,953
To my surprIse,
I've had to swItch guIdebooks.

129
00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,470
The Bradshaw's GuIde I normaIIy use
is from the mid-1860s.

130
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,750
I Iooked up Bournemouth
and it's not there,

131
00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,440
which means
it didn't yet have a raiIway.

132
00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,279
Isn't that incredibie for a town
which is now so big?

133
00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,517
So I'm using a more recent Bradshaw's
from the 1880s.

134
00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:11,555
It says that ''Bournemouth is
a fashionabie, modern watering pIace

135
00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,071
and inter residence. It's situated
in a beautifuI sheItered spot

136
00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,998
in the chine of Iow chaIk cIiffs.''

137
00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,032
''It's much resorted to by invaIids

138
00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,789
for its heaIthy situation
and quiet retirement.''

139
00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,310
I used to go there
for a compieteIy different reason.

140
00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,272
For me, Bournemouth
wIll forever be synonymous

141
00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,311
wIth party polItIcal conferences.

142
00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,193
But comIng as part of
an InvasIon of polItIcIans,

143
00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,995
I've rarely had the chance
to apprecIate Bournemouth's charms.

144
00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,309
WIth seven mIles of sandy beaches
and a VIctorIan pier,

145
00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:54,275
It's easy to see why fIve mIllIon people
vIsIt this busy resort every year.

146
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,910
Remarkably, all this
Is only 200 years old.

147
00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,715
To hear how this town
popped up from nowhere,

148
00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,798
I'm meetIng historIan Andrew Emery
In the Pleasure Gardens.

149
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,673
- Andrew, very good to see you.
- Good to see you, too.

150
00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,758
It's surprising to me how Iate
the raiIway gets to Bournemouth,

151
00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,633
considering what a big pIace it is now.
Not tiII the 1870s.

152
00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,355
What's happening during the 19th
century, before the raiIway gets here?

153
00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,792
If you go back 250 years ago,
this was nothing but barren heathIand.

154
00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,911
No trees. Quite a few smuggiers, though.

155
00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,191
This was a popuIar smuggIing path
down from the beach over there.

156
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,117
Then around about 1800,

157
00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:34,916
the Iand owners at the time
pIanted this whoie area ith pine trees.

158
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,837
Early In the 19th century,
a few wealthy famIlies

159
00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,509
spotted Bournemouth's potentIal
as a fIne spot to relax.

160
00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:48,156
They planted Scots and MedIterranean
pInes to enhance the scenery,

161
00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:53,434
creatIng tranquIllIty and beauty
that powerfully attracted tourIsts.

162
00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,396
It's reaIIy down to this gentieman,
Dr GranviIie,

163
00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:03,036
who wrote a book about
the famous spa towns of EngIand.

164
00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,469
He visits in the 1840s.

165
00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:10,594
He sees the opportunities to deveIop
this into a fantastic resort.

166
00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,235
He thinks this couId be
the best resort in the country

167
00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,433
and aIso quotes that the emanations
from the pines

168
00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:21,757
have reaI fantastic
heaIth-giving quaIities to them.

169
00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,314
Dr GranvIlle's guIdes
dId for health resorts

170
00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,351
what Bradshaw's dId for the raIlways.

171
00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:28,754
WIthIn 40 years,

172
00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,077
Bournemouth had mushroomed
from a vIllage of a few hundred people

173
00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,191
to a town of around 1 7,000.

174
00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,595
That wasn't the end of the story.

175
00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:43,111
Up untiI the 1870s, the town was reaIIy
just about an invaIids' spa resort.

176
00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,789
But from the Iate 1870s, 1880s onwards,
the raiIway comes,

177
00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,957
you get the middie cIasses
and working cIasses,

178
00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:54,073
and the town starts to change
into a popuIar seaside resort

179
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,395
fuII of aII the attractions
that you see today.

180
00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:01,235
Although Bournemouth has long lost
Its reputatIon as a health resort,

181
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,955
you can stIll take a stroll
through the so-called InvalIds' Walk.

182
00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:10,791
Here, VIctorIans sought relief from the
straIn of lIvIng In smoke-fIlled cIties.

183
00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:12,433
I came here today on the train.

184
00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:16,439
Let's suppose I'm a Victorian gentieman
ith poor Iungs.

185
00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:18,471
I take a Iong waIk aIong here, do I?

186
00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:23,116
AbsoIuteIy. This was the pIace
to promenade, to breathe in the pines.

187
00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,949
Nice and shady as weII in pIaces,
so you're not going to get sunburnt.

188
00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,116
This is the pIace to meet peopie.

189
00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,879
- Did it do me any good?
- AbsoIuteIy.

190
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,389
This cIimate, fantastic for the heaIth.

191
00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,080
PossibIy not breathing in the pines.

192
00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,795
Modern medicine wouId probabIy
dispute the medicinaI vaIue of that.

193
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,309
But nevertheiess, good for the heaIth.

194
00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:47,638
Hundreds of years Iater, the pines
are stiII important to Bournemouth.

195
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,672
(Andrew) AbsoIuteIy.
They feature on the crest of the town.

196
00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,155
A Iot of these pines
are the originaI ones

197
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,238
that have been on this site
for over 150 years.

198
00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,715
So the pines have reaIIy kept
Bournemouth spruce!

199
00:11:58,840 --> 00:11:59,795
AbsoIuteIy.

200
00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:03,911
Thanks to the raIlway,
Investment poured Into Bournemouth.

201
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,158
By the mId 20th century, the empty
heathland was a dIstant memory,

202
00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,794
replaced by a hIghly developed resort.

203
00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,912
Paths zIg-zagged down
the dramatIc clIffs to the beach,

204
00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,316
and the droves of tourIsts
could enjoy all the trappIngs

205
00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,237
of a classIc seasIde holIday.

206
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,911
I can't waIt to try out one of the fIrst
attractIons enjoyed by vIsItors.

207
00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,076
- HeIIo.
- (man) Hi.

208
00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,078
- A singie to the top, piease.
- That's £1 .20, piease.

209
00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:30,519
Thank you very much.

210
00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,320
In the 19th century, as tourIsm boomed,

211
00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,557
so began a fascInatIon
for funIcular raIlways,

212
00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:41,719
whIch let VIctorIan tourIsts admIre
the view wIthout breakIng a sweat.

213
00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,195
Whoa! Off we go.

214
00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,993
Bournemouth dIdn't get this one
untIl 1908,

215
00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,078
but It's stIll the best way
to scale the 40-metre clIff.

216
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,080
It's sImple but effectIve technology.

217
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,795
Two cars move at once,
balancIng each other's weIght.

218
00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,676
The beach recedes incredibIy quickIy.

219
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,270
It's onIy a 30- or 40-second journey,

220
00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,437
but that's not the point, reaIIy.
It's the journey you avoid.

221
00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,279
It's how Iong it wouId have taken you
to waIk to the top.

222
00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,470
What a view, what a day.

223
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,680
Short, but very definiteIy sweet.

224
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,354
From the top I get the most fantastic
view over Bournemouth's piers

225
00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,790
and out towards the white cIiffs
of the Isie of Wight.

226
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,957
I caII that a pretty good £1 .20's worth.

227
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:38,633
This clIfftop walk holds a specIal place
In my memory for another reason.

228
00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,399
In party conference days,
when I was here,

229
00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,034
the government stays
at the hoteI at the top of the hiII

230
00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,118
and they have to go down
to the conference centre every morning.

231
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:48,719
So toing and froing aIong here

232
00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,310
you've got aII the members of the
cabinet waIking backwards and forwards.

233
00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,079
You got Margaret Thatcher
in her armour-pIated car.

234
00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,430
You've got John Major
in his armour-pIated car.

235
00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,437
For the few days
of the party conference,

236
00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:03,030
this is the corridor of power.

237
00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,069
Bournemouth's sea aIr has done Itsjob

238
00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,236
and I'm ready to fInd my bed
for tonIght.

239
00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,272
I've made a beelIne
for the grand VIctorIan buIldIngs

240
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,868
up on Bournemouth's East ClIff.

241
00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:20,397
As so often,
I've turned to my Bradshaw's

242
00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,750
for a recommendation of where to stay.

243
00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,633
The Bath, now known as the RoyaI Bath.

244
00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,833
In fact, I didn't need Bradshaw because
I've been to many a good party here,

245
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,757
which I can just about remember.

246
00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,117
This was Bournemouth's fIrst hotel.

247
00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,313
It opened on the very day
that Queen VIctorIa was crowned.

248
00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,513
Ever sInce then It's been hostIng
the great and the good.

249
00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,270
WeII, very IoveIy room.

250
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,311
Oh, my goodness.

251
00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,000
''In this room Lord BeaconsfieId,
when prime minister,

252
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,908
heId three cabinet counciIs
in the inter of 187 4-5.''

253
00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,999
And ''Lord John RusseII, prime minister,
occupied this room.''

254
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:05,599
Wow.

255
00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,960
As a former future prime minister,

256
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,312
I feeI reaIIy honoured to be staying
in this room. That's fantastic.

257
00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,834
- Eggs Benedict ith bacon.
- Thank you very much.

258
00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,838
- Enjoy your breakfast.
- Thank you. It Iooks IoveIy.

259
00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,349
For me, summer in EngIand
has reaIIy arrived

260
00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,268
when you can have aII your meaIs,
breakfast, Iunch and dinner, outside.

261
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,960
What better pIace to try that
than Bournemouth?

262
00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,117
And what better Iight
in which to read the smaII print

263
00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:50,514
of my Bradshaw's GuIde?

264
00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:53,798
FollowIng my guIdebook,

265
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,595
I'm now contInuIng my journey
Into Bradshaw's DorsetshIre.

266
00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,275
I'm headIng fIve mIles up the track
towards my next stop.

267
00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,155
I'm on my way to Wimborne, but it
doesn't have a raiIway station any more.

268
00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:15,555
I'm onIy going as far as Pooie,
I'm afraid, sir.

269
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,430
Unfortunately,
I can't go all the way by raIl.

270
00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,234
WeII, this is not Wimborne,
but Parkstone.

271
00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,909
There used to be a Wimborne Station,
it's in my Bradshaw's GuIde.

272
00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:41,875
But unfortunateIy, it was a victim
of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s,

273
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,560
so this is as far
as the train iII take me.

274
00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,114
The BeechIng Report Into
the profItabIlIty of Britain's raIlways

275
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:53,912
was publIshed In 1963.

276
00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,600
In the decade that followed,

277
00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,032
over 4,000 mIles of track
and thousands of statIons were closed.

278
00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,435
WImborne MInster statIon was a vIctIm.

279
00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,758
In Bradshaw's tIme, It was a busy
junctIon on the maIn lIne to London.

280
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,953
But as nearby Bournemouth grew, more
dIrect routes to the coast were buIlt,

281
00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,355
and Its Importance declIned.

282
00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:20,474
Today, this small market town
Is famous for Its 900-year-old church.

283
00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,708
And Its ImpressIve model vIllage.

284
00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,479
But I'm here to see the real thIng.

285
00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:31,913
I've never been to Wimborne before,
and this minster is absoIuteIy gIorious.

286
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,955
It's so ancient and perfect

287
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,197
and I Iove the way
that it sits in this green

288
00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,118
so that you can get a reaI view of it.
It's perfect.

289
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:48,554
My guIdebook wrItes, ''The mInster Is
a most InterestIng relIc of antIquIty,

290
00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,435
saId to have been erected
between the years 705 and 723. ''

291
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,597
''The whole buIldIng
has a cathedral-lIke appearance. ''

292
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:03,118
And the interior is just as beautifuI.
It dates back to Norman times,

293
00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,756
because the Saxon buiIding referred to
in my guide was destroyed.

294
00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,277
As Bradshaw says, it's cathedraI-Iike.

295
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:14,792
AbsoIuteIy.

296
00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,119
I'm IntrIgued by a another lIne
In my 19th-century guIde.

297
00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:25,074
In the vestry
are some curIous chaIned books.

298
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,155
To fInd out more,
I'm clImbIng a 600-year-old staIrcase

299
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,589
to meet lIbrarIan Frank Tandy.

300
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:35,032
- Frank, heIIo.
- HeIIo.

301
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:40,075
My Bradshaw's taIks about
''curious oId chained books''.

302
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,431
I see some of them are chained.
Why was a book chained?

303
00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:45,835
(Frank) To ensure they're aIways here.

304
00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,794
In the 15th century, 16th century,
books were rather expensive.

305
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,480
Universities and cathedraIs
couIdn't afford

306
00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,990
to aIIow the books to be taken away
because they might not come back.

307
00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:58,554
To buy a smaII book Iike that,

308
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,910
The Gentleman's CompanIon,
for instance,

309
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,156
was, in today's money, about £350.

310
00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:04,474
- No!
- Yes.

311
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,832
Every time you bought a book, it was
Iike buying a idescreen teievision.

312
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,110
- (Frank) Yes.
- Amazing.

313
00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:16,189
This lIbrary was founded durIng the
relIgIous upheavals of the 1 7th century.

314
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,472
An Oxford scholar, the Reverend Stone,
after beIng condemned as a CatholIc,

315
00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,718
donated his lIbrary of relIgIous works
to the church.

316
00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,400
These were regarded
as dangerous CathoIic texts.

317
00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:28,555
(Frank) Yes.

318
00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,752
The Reverend Stone sent them here
because he knew they'd be safe.

319
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,632
Nobody in Wimborne couId read.

320
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,673
So they wouIdn't know
whether they were seditious or not.

321
00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,030
They were aII in Greek,
Hebrew and Latin anyway.

322
00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,038
These books are here pureIy by chance.

323
00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,958
After ten years they were stiII
being described in this town

324
00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:47,433
as ''a musty divinity''.

325
00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,472
The collectIon grew
from that InItIal bequest,

326
00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,319
and today Includes
extraordInarIly rare works

327
00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,115
IncludIng this 1 4th-century
priest's handbook.

328
00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,073
- (MIchael) This is your oIdest book?
- (Frank) Yes, it is.

329
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,398
This book was written in 1343.
It's written on 80 caIfskins.

330
00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,398
- (MIchael) CaIfskins?
- (Frank) CaIfskin. Not Iambskin.

331
00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,159
- But not paper.
- No. Paper wasn't invented.

332
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:11,269
This is veIIum.

333
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,392
There are onIy two other copies
of this in existence.

334
00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:15,669
What eIse can you show me?

335
00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,598
This book was bound by
King Henry VIII's bookbinder.

336
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:19,709
King Henry VIII?

337
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,594
(Frank) Yes. This is a binding
shoing the Passion. DifficuIt to see.

338
00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,073
(MIchael) It's exquisite.

339
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,714
Of your more recent books,
what shouId I see?

340
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,752
Sir WaIter Raieigh's
history of the World.' In FIve Books.

341
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,075
- Here it is.
- (MIchael) LiteraIIy priceiess.

342
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,111
(Frank) It is beyond price.

343
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,597
From early days, anyone was free
to come here and read the works,

344
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,678
makIng this one of Britain's
fIrst publIc lIbraries.

345
00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:47,032
I can see why my ''Bradshaw's GuIde''
sIngled out this remarkable collectIon,

346
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:48,559
but I can't help notIcIng

347
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,592
there's somethIng unusual
about the way It's arranged.

348
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:55,429
It's interesting that
the chained books appear to be put in,

349
00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:57,551
as I wouId think of it,
the wrong way around.

350
00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:59,830
(Frank)
No, this is the right way around.

351
00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:04,431
A Iibrary Iike this, that's
the correct way for the books to be,

352
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,473
because what you did was you wrote
the number on the book.

353
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,876
Or you wrote the titie on the book
on the fore-edge.

354
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,197
ChiIdren iII teII you,
Hogwarts HaII Library, Harry Potter,

355
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,312
- that's how the books are.
- The books are the wrong way around.

356
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,113
- They're the right way around.
- The right way around.

357
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,949
For once, my 19th-century
''Bradshaw's GuIde'' seems very young.

358
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,674
After my lIterary adventure, I'm pIckIng
up the traIn agaIn at Parkstone.

359
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:34,948
- Thank you.
- AII yours.

360
00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:39,153
- Lots of bicycies today.
- Yes. AIways Iots of bikes.

361
00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:40,872
(laughs) Have fun.

362
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,995
I'm on my way to my last stop
on this leg of thejourney.

363
00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:49,111
I'm approaching Pooie.

364
00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,118
My Bradshaw's says,
rather haIf-heartedIy,

365
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,390
''a comparativeIy modern town

366
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,080
that has aIways preseRVed
a respectabie position

367
00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,317
as a third- or fourth-cIass port.''

368
00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:06,228
At one tIme, Poole Harbour
was an Important tradIng post.

369
00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:08,874
But by the 19th century,
It had begun to declIne.

370
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,559
The raIlway,
whIch reached Poole In 1 847,

371
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:14,750
accelerated the harbour's downfall

372
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:19,112
by offerIng a faster, cheaper
alternatIve to coastal shIppIng.

373
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,673
LuckIly for Poole, though, the traIns
also brought new opportunIties.

374
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,757
Bradshaw's comments that
one of the chief exports from Pooie

375
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,474
is potter's cIay from Purbeck,

376
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,070
''of so good quaIity that it's proposed
to estabIish potteries here

377
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:48,718
on a great scaie, especiaIIy as the
transit of coaI is now easy and direct.''

378
00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,991
So Bradshaw's foreseeing that
ith the raiIways bringing coaI,

379
00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:54,509
Pooie couId have a big new industry.

380
00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,191
''Bradshaw's'' was rIght.

381
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,390
Around the tIme
the raIlways arrIved here,

382
00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,637
potteries were sprIngIng up
all around Poole.

383
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,354
They specIalIsed In brIcks,
tIles and pIpes,

384
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,359
and even produced
some of the fIrst modern loos.

385
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,756
As VIctorIan Britain boomed,
demand surged.

386
00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,077
The town was soon crIss-crossed
by prIvate sIdIngs.

387
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,714
TraIns brought In coal
to fIre the kIlns

388
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,832
and helped to export
Poole's ceramIcs across the globe.

389
00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,316
Unfortunately, by the second haIf
of the 20th century,

390
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,035
most of the potteries had closed
due to foreIgn competItIon.

391
00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,674
I've come to see
one of the few that remaIn.

392
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,791
- HeIIo, AIan.
- HeIIo, MichaeI.

393
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:40,073
No? AIright.

394
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,031
Alan WhIte Is the head potter.

395
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,151
I see you're making a IoveIy pot there.

396
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,349
Yes, hopefuIIy.

397
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,789
What is it that's speciaI
about Pooie Pottery?

398
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,391
BasicaIIy, the unique quaIity
of the cIay that's ithin the area.

399
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,034
MostIy in the Purbecks
and in and around Pooie.

400
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,832
It was shipped aII over the worId.

401
00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,918
It was aIways brought
to the boats by raiI.

402
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,838
There are two jetties
on the far side of the harbour

403
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,839
which brought the cIay to the jetties

404
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,430
and then it wouId have been put into
boats and gone aII over the worId,

405
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:15,998
and especiaIIy to Stoke,
which is the home of pottery in EngIand.

406
00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:18,076
So it was vastIy important.

407
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,873
What brought you into making pots?

408
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,594
Women. GirIs.

409
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,676
I'm afraid it was girIs.

410
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,873
I went to a segregated schooI and
you weren't aIIowed to cross the Iine

411
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,833
onto the girIs' side
ithout getting detention.

412
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,670
But the ceramic bIock
was on the girIs' side,

413
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,995
behind the domestic science bIock.

414
00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:43,556
So aII the boys voIunteered
to go to pottery

415
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,477
because they wanted to ogie the girIs.

416
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,512
But I feII in Iove ith pottery
and none of the girIs at the time.

417
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:54,191
This pottery began
as a tIle manufacturer In 1 873

418
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:58,313
but by the 20th century
had moved Into hand-thrown pots.

419
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,000
Its heyday was the 1920s and 30s,

420
00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:05,079
when Its Art Deco desIgns
were sold In every town In Britain.

421
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,556
Watching you ith your cIay
on your potter's wheeI, I'm speechiess.

422
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,150
I'm Iike a person watching
a magic trick. Just unbeIievabie.

423
00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,635
(Alan) I've been doing it
nearIy 45 years,

424
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,638
so it's not reaIIy magic.

425
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,469
It's the cuImination of
quite a Iot of hard work, reaIIy.

426
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,956
(chuckles) But it is IoveIy.

427
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:26,798
I thoroughIy enjoy it.

428
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,753
I've aIways enjoyed getting on the wheeI
and making pots.

429
00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:35,432
It's something that I shaII
never stop doing, I don't think.

430
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,028
In fact, I'II probabIy end up
making my own urn

431
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,709
and putting me in the furnace
to get rid of me at the end of it.

432
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,637
So... we'II see.

433
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:47,992
In VIctorIan tImes, as the spendIng
power of the mIddle classes grew,

434
00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:51,271
decoratIve pottery In Britain
became hugely fashIonable.

435
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,597
Potters created
ever more colourful glazes.

436
00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,188
PaInter NIkkI Massarella
carries on the tradItIon.

437
00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:01,359
What's the technique? I see here
things in various stages of preparation.

438
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:05,917
This one, what's happened here is I've
caRVed in the veins of the dragonfIy,

439
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,953
as you can see. Then I've got to paint
the bIue on, which I'm going to do next.

440
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,230
When it's fired
it'II come out Iike that one.

441
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:15,113
This pink that you can see here
is actuaIIy the red gIaze.

442
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,198
If I didn't paint anything on it,
it wouId come out red Iike that.

443
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:19,355
- ReaIIy?
- Yes.

444
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,109
I paint aII the other coIours on top.
When that's fired, it'II change to that.

445
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,834
(MIchael) How Iong does it take you
to produce one pot?

446
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,076
It probabIy takes about ten, 15 minutes.

447
00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:30,555
(MIchael) How couId you do that
in ten minutes?

448
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,478
When you do Iots,
you go into piecework mode.

449
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:38,151
You do aII the ieaves and then aII
the rings, so it makes it a Iot quicker.

450
00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,669
NIkkI Is lettIng me loose
wIth a paIntbrush.

451
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,075
But I'm not sure I'll match her speed.

452
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,555
I've drawn them in for you
so they're nice and easy.

453
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:46,954
Yes, that's nice and easy.

454
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,469
This is just Iike a chiId
fiIIing in the...

455
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,752
- Then what coIour iII that come out?
- This'II come out bIue.

456
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,039
(MIchael) This is not easy.

457
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,754
Oh! Horrid crooked Iine there.

458
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,474
I think I might hand back to you there.
I've done two Iittie ieaves.

459
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:11,591
- Over to you.
- Thank you.

460
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,597
(both laugh)

461
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,950
- ''Thanks for nothing.''
- I'II fiII it in.

462
00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,712
Such thIngs
are best left to professIonals.

463
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,992
Thank goodness that the skIlls
of the Poole potters are not extInct.

464
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,640
My guidebook has often ied me
to discover how,

465
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:33,912
in Victorian times,
the combination of raiIways and coaI

466
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,156
ied to the deveIopment of new industries

467
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,477
as it did ith the potteries
here in Pooie.

468
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:44,230
But it aIso ied me to the coIourfuI
character of Brusher MiIIs

469
00:27:44,360 --> 00:27:47,830
and my own encounter
ith poisonous snakes.

470
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,748
ReaIIy, Bradshaw's
never ceases to amaze me.

471
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,836
On the fInal stretch of thisjourney,

472
00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,272
I'll be uncoverIng a hIdden Industry
wIth VIctorIan roots,...

473
00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,834
- That is an oiI fieId?
- (woman) Yes.

474
00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:08,192
Stretching aII the way past Pooie,
beneath Bournemouth, way under the sea.

475
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:12,598
..admIrIng a historIc castle
catapulted to fame by the raIlways,...

476
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,314
Wow. That is fanta... That is fantastic.

477
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:17,874
The most romantic ruin.

478
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,276
..and dIscoverIng Weymouth's role
In the D-Day landIngs.

479
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,676
They wouId iet us have a go at the gun,
me and my mate.

480
00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,268
- How oId were you?
- I was about ten years oId.