0 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,430 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 --> 00:00:17,555 and hIs raIlway guIdes InspIred the VIctorIans to take to the tracks. 3 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,596 Stop by stop, he told them where to travel, 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:23,950 what to see and where to stay. 5 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,795 Now, 1 70 years later, 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,708 I'm makIng a serIes ofjourneys across the length and breadth of the country 7 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,718 to see what of Bradshaw's BrItaIn remaIns. 8 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,950 Having used my Bradshaw's GuIde from Windsor to Winchester to Wight, 9 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,517 I'm now on the finaI Ieg of my journey to Wareham and Weymouth 10 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:08,993 and the worId beyond. 11 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,477 I'm voyagIng Into an area blessed wIth valuable mInerals, 12 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,309 whIch were rIpe for exploItatIon by VIctorIan IndustrIalIsts. 13 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,876 On thIs stretch, I'll be uncoverIng a hIdden Industry wIth VIctorIan roots,... 14 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,718 - That is an oiIfieId? - (woman) Yes. 15 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,913 Stretching aII the way past PooIe, beneath Bournemouth, under the sea. 16 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,636 ..admIrIng a hIstorIc castle catapulted to fame by the raIlways... 17 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,558 Wow, that is fanta... That is fantastic. 18 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,035 The most romantic ruin. 19 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,516 ..and dIscoverIng Weymouth's role In the D-Day landIngs. 20 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,313 The day they Ieft... They Ieft from PortIand Harbour. 21 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,874 I went down and waved them bye-bye. 22 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,558 I knew them as friends. 23 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,194 I began my journey travellIng lInes that Queen VIctorIa would have known, 24 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,517 as she moved between WIndsor and the Isle of WIght, 25 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,870 before crossIng Into the county of Dorset, 26 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,833 transformed by 19th-century tourIsm. 27 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,477 ThIs fInal sectIon starts on the Purbeck PenInsula, 28 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,832 and takes me west vIa Weymouth, to the beautIful Isle of Portland. 29 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,515 The unspoIlt countrysIde of Dorset Is ajoy. 30 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:28,997 But In Bradshaw's day, thIs was home to a VIctorIan enterprIse 31 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,669 whIch foreshadowed a massIve modern Industry. 32 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:38,352 The IndustriaI RevoIution was founded on power, on energy, on fueI. 33 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,995 And as we approach Wareham, my Bradshaw's GuIde comments that the area 34 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,636 ''is rich in sheIIs and saurian...'' reptiIian, ''..fossiIs, 35 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,149 beyond which are the beds of Kimmeridge cIay.'' 36 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,630 ThIs KimmerIdge clay Is actually a type of rock, 37 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,309 and In VIctorIan tImes, people around here found they could mIne It 38 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,670 and extract oIl and gas. 39 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,190 For a short whIle It was used extensIvely In street lamps. 40 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,790 The process was costly and dIrty and never flourIshed, 41 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:12,957 but thIs brIef experIment offered the fIrst hInt 42 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,389 of very much bIgger thIngs to come. 43 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:19,514 Another gIorious day. 44 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:21,198 I'm leavIng the traIn at Wareham, 45 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,437 and headIng to a place whIch has played a major role 46 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,711 In supplyIng BrItaIn's modern energy needs. 47 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,071 EnvIronmental scIentIst SuzIe Baverstock knows the story. 48 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,078 - HeIIo, Suzie. - HeIIo. WeIcome to Wytch Farm. 49 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,668 Thank you very much. And what is Wytch Farm? 50 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,191 Wytch Farm is the Iargest onshore oiIfieId in western Europe. 51 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,754 (MIchael) We're very cIose to Wareham here. 52 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,952 You'd hardIy suspect that it existed. 53 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,152 I know. It's weII hidden away in the Iandscape here. 54 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,033 A Iot of care was taken to do just that, actuaIIy. 55 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,310 From ground level, you'd barely know It, 56 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,273 but tucked amongst the trees here on the Isle of Purbeck 57 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,516 Is a vast gatherIng statIon. 58 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:06,760 1 7,000 barrels of oIl are collected each day from underground deposIts. 59 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,509 (SuzIe) That is the extent of the Iarger 60 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,029 of the three main reseRVoirs, 61 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,434 where we extract oiI today. 62 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,710 - (MIchael) That is an oiIfieId. - Yes. 63 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:21,118 Stretching aII the way past PooIe, beneath Bournemouth, under the sea. 64 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,196 What kind of distance is that? 65 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:27,791 It's about 20 kiIometres, or 12 miIes, in distance. 66 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:29,876 And it's about a miIe down. 67 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,872 The land whIch gave the VIctorIan mIners oIl shale, 68 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,879 90 years later once agaIn rewarded lucky prospectors. 69 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,438 They suspected that below the shale oIl rock there mIght be more lucratIve oIl, 70 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:44,709 and they were rIght. 71 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:48,879 The fIrst successful wells were drIlled In the 1950s. 72 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:54,955 (SuzIe) This is one of the first of the weII sites here at Wytch Farm. 73 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,153 It's actuaIIy the weII site that has the discovery weII on it. 74 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:01,396 - Where they first found the oiI. - Yes. 75 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,674 AIthough, in a way, it wasn't first found in the 1950s. 76 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,109 It was first found by the Victorians. 77 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,913 They certainIy were expIoiting the oiI shaIe, 78 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,795 but they weren't actuaIIy abIe to get this stuff out of the ground, 79 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,388 - which is at the Iower strata. - That's the crude. 80 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,078 This is the crude oiI. 81 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,839 StiII, I think we shouId be generous to the Victorians 82 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,394 and say that they gave us the idea. 83 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,513 They couId never have predicted how much energy we wouId demand. 84 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:38,190 By the 1970s, the true extent of the oIIfIeld was becomIng apparent. 85 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:39,958 PrIvate sIdIngs were buIlt 86 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,072 and soon the raIlways were beIng used to export the oIl. 87 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,713 How busy was this in its heyday? 88 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:54,674 In the '70s and '80s it was stiII quite a smaII oiIfieId. 89 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,032 This was the onIy way that you couId get oiI to the refinery. 90 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,948 This was absoIuteIy cruciaI to the operation of the oiIfieId. 91 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,232 When the big deveIopment took pIace, we then buiIt a pipeIine, 92 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,237 so the oiI went out by pipeIine. 93 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,237 But instead of using this for oiI, 94 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,273 we used it to export Iiquid petroIeum gases by train. 95 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,197 But over aII that Iong period, 96 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,996 we must have had about over 5,000 trains go out of these sidings. 97 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,192 AbsoIuteIy enormous. So the raiIway was fundamentaI 98 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,788 - to deveIoping this fieId. - AbsoIuteIy. 99 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,154 Today the oIIfIeld produces 6. 1 mIllIon barrels a year. 100 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:35,750 SophIstIcated drIllIng technology allows oIl to be brought here 101 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,271 from deposIts burIed deep under the sea, 1 1 kIlometres away, 102 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:45,793 wIth barely a scar on the landscape In thIs area of outstandIng natural beauty. 103 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,117 What precautions were taken ith environmentaI matters 104 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:50,559 when this was buiIt? 105 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,275 A very much seIf-contained site, so... 106 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,518 Everything was buiIt in a way that you couIdn't see it above the tree Iine. 107 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,359 If you see, it's down at a Iower IeveI. 108 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,517 It's aIso been painted a nice dark brown coIour 109 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,471 so that it's hidden amongst the trees. 110 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,353 (MIchael) It's not gone rusty. It's painted that coIour. 111 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,358 - (SuzIe) A speciaI Van Dyke brown. - Van Dyke brown. 112 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,233 It's amazIng to thInk that such a huge oIIfIeld Is so hard to glImpse, 113 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,831 especIally as thIs Is an area that gets two and a haIf mIllIon vIsItors a year. 114 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,275 I'm now on my way to a hIstorIc spot 115 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,517 that's been pullIng In the tourIsts ever sInce Bradshaw's day. 116 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,351 - HeIIo there. - (man) Good afternoon, sir. 117 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,869 - Just one stop for me, pIease. - Thank you. 118 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,592 (MIchael) Thank you very much. 119 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,633 For the next part of my journey, there's no reguIar pubIic raiI seRVice, 120 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,719 so I'm forced to traveI on a heritage Iine ith a steam engine, 121 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,398 and I'm not compIaining. 122 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,995 ThIs lIne was buIlt In the 1 880s 123 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:55,636 to lInk Wareham wIth the busy resort of Swanage on the coast. 124 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,514 After It was closed In the 1970s, all the track was lIfted, 125 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,950 but enthusIasts have paInstakIngly rebuIlt It. 126 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,230 The joys of an oId-fashioned carriage. 127 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:09,911 I'm headIng a mIle down the lIne 128 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,715 towards the 1,000-year-old ruIns of Corfe Castle. 129 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:16,957 And my fIrst glImpse doesn't dIsappoInt. 130 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,152 Wow, that is fanta... That is fantastic. 131 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,351 Sitting on this hiII here... 132 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,359 are the most romantic ruins of a castIe. 133 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,309 And this must be the best pIace to see them from. 134 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,193 The raiIway Iine is absoIuteIy the pIace to see them from. 135 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,151 I've never seen that before. 136 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:42,149 Sitting on its mound. Sitting on its hiII. Fantastic. 137 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,716 (traIn whIstle) 138 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:54,039 With the steam engine chugging away, Bradshaw's, as ever, iII be my guide. 139 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,311 ''The surrounding country is fuII of casteIIated remains 140 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,795 and interesting historicaI associations.'' 141 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:04,072 ''In the neighbouring IsIe of Purbeck are the ruins of Corfe CastIe.'' 142 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,270 DefiniteIy worth a cIoser Iook. 143 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,876 Corfe Castle sIts on a mound far above the vIllage that takes Its name. 144 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,310 VIctorIan readers of my ''Bradshaw's GuIde'' were among the fIrst tourIsts 145 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,590 to clImb to the summIt and admIre the ruIns. 146 00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:26,994 As I get nearer the castIe, it's just as impressive, 147 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,477 because now I get a sense of scaIe. The keep is absoIuteIy massive. 148 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:33,989 The peopIe who are visiting Iook Iike IittIe dots. 149 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,031 On a warm day cIimbing up this hiII, 150 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:40,278 I have every sympathy ith anybody who tried to invade this castIe. 151 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,554 I'm meetIng hIstorIan Pam WhIte 152 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:49,912 to hear how the VIctorIans fell In love wIth thIs pIcturesque relIc. 153 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,150 - HeIIo, Pam. - HeIIo, MichaeI. 154 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,510 What wonderfuI ruins these are. 155 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,598 They're just spectacuIar, they reaIIy are. 156 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,119 (MIchael) How oId is it? 157 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,151 (Pam) A IittIe bit of Saxon work here, 158 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,670 but most of it's from 1 100, so it's about 900 years oId. 159 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:07,870 - So just after the Norman conquest. - Yes. 160 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,877 (MIchael) It's been a ruin awhiIe. 161 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,834 (Pam) It's been a ruin since 1646, so nearIy 400 years. 162 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,839 ObviousIy it was more or Iess in this condition in Victorian times. 163 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:22,238 It was. The Victorians reaIIy turned it into a tourist attraction. 164 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,715 Trains started here in 1885. 165 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,628 The Iine from WaterIoo to Weymouth went in in the 1850s, 166 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,352 and then the branch Iine. 167 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,517 (MIchael) I just got off at the raiIway station at Corfe CastIe, 168 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,598 - so it had its own raiIway station. - (Pam) Yes. Very important. 169 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,678 That reaIIy was why the tourism took off. 170 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,238 Roads didn't come tiII about the 1920s, when cars started to get more popuIar. 171 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,397 So for a whiIe, the raiIway was the way to get here. 172 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,557 The onIy way, apart from an occasionaI horse and carriage. 173 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,959 In the 19th century, hIstorIcal novels and popular paIntIngs 174 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,197 fuelled a romantIc vIew of BrItIsh hIstory, 175 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,518 and vIsItIng tumbledown ruIns became a fashIonable pursuIt. 176 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,359 To fIre the ImagInatIon of VIctorIan vIsItors, 177 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,711 my guIdebook brIngs to lIfe a heroIc story 178 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,638 from the castle's 1 7th-century past. 179 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,558 My Bradshaw's GuIde says during the EngIish CiviI War, 180 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:20,309 the castIe became famous ''because of the gaIIant defence 181 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,319 made by the ife of Chief Justice Bankes on behaIf of the king.'' 182 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,070 ''She was assisted by her daughters, maids and onIy five soIdiers.'' 183 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,474 ''After a siege of ten weeks, 184 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,717 the Roundheads were obIiged to give up the siege.'' 185 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,913 - Quite an amazing bit of history. - She was a fantastic woman. 186 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,429 RoyalIst Lady Bankes was home alone 187 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:44,235 when the castle was besIeged by OlIver Cromwell's Roundheads. 188 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:45,679 She held fIrm. 189 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,952 Her courageous defence earned her the name Brave Dame Mary. 190 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:54,870 But eventually she was foIled, when the Roundheads played a dastardly trIck. 191 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,959 Just outside the castIe, they simpIy turned their coats inside out, 192 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,072 because the CavaIier soIdiers in the area had bIue coats, 193 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,636 Roundheads had red coats but ith bIue Iinings. 194 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,479 It's a reaIIy sneaky way to get into the castIe. 195 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,275 This is the origin of the expression ''turncoat'', isn't it? 196 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,949 And it sounds as if she was soId out for 20 pieces of siIver. 197 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,959 I can see why the VIctorIans were entranced by the tale, 198 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,119 whIch marked the end of Corfe Castle's hIstory as a fortIfIcatIon. 199 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,674 (MIchael) How was it the castIe came to be destroyed? 200 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,030 CromweII didn't want it. 201 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,596 To garrison it ith soIdiers wouId have cost a Iot of money. 202 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,314 So they simpIy bIew it up ith gunpowder. 203 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,636 The destructIon of Corfe Castle underlIned the defeat of King Charles. 204 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,718 But for the vIllagers, It wasn't all bad news. 205 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,914 Apparently, stone taken from the ruIns can stIll be seen In local houses. 206 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,553 I'm on the hunt for that looted booty. 207 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,434 LoveIy house, IoveIy fIowers. 208 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:00,869 WeII, I shouId have watered them a Iot. 209 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:04,472 - A Iot... I beg your pardon. - I don't mind getting wet. 210 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:06,909 Do you have any bits of castIe in your house? 211 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,837 No, I don't actuaIIy think I do. 212 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,157 I'm on the Iookout for bits of stone in houses. 213 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,193 MichaeI Bond may have, I wouId imagine, in there. 214 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,390 Next house? I'II try there. 215 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:23,389 Forgive me asking, are these from the castIe, these muIIions here? 216 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,511 (Bond) ProbabIy not, actuaIIy. 217 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,473 We have got something which I think might be from the castIe. 218 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,909 - Quite Iow, isn't it? - Do duck. 219 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:33,239 What are we Iooking for? 220 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,316 We're Iooking at that piece of paneIIing. 221 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,149 This is spectacuIar. It's from the castIe? 222 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,192 I Iike to pretend so, Iet's put it that way. 223 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,197 PeopIe who know about joinery 224 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,790 teII me it's from about Iate 16th, earIy 1 7th century. 225 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,879 It wasn't made for where it is now, because it doesn't fit at either end. 226 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,275 When it was sacked, it was a great quarry 227 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,153 and everybody heIped themseIves to whatever they wanted. 228 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,238 One of my ancestors, who was a crony of CromweII's, 229 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,511 took some of the beams from the great haII 230 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,029 and took them away for part of a barn 231 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,958 that he had at a farm about three miIes west of here. 232 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,117 What was he, a coIoneI of CromweII's, a generaI? 233 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:13,798 No, he was a poIitician. 234 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,832 Oh, the worst sort. 235 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,153 The destruction of Corfe CastIe during the EngIish CiviI War 236 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:23,793 seems Iike a tragedy. 237 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,070 But the distribution of its stones 238 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,829 has Ieft us ith a poignant ruin and a charming viIIage. 239 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,195 I've retraced my steps to Wareham 240 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,198 to contInue my journey towards the coast. 241 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,914 (tannoy) ThIs traIn Is for Weymouth. 242 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,638 (MIchael) I'm travellIng 25 mIles down the track 243 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,799 towards the fInal stop on the South West MaIn LIne from London. 244 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,157 Weymouth was one of BrItaIn's fIrst seasIde resorts, 245 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,795 and It gets a glowIng revIew In my 19th-century guIde. 246 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:08,749 Weymouth. 247 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:13,908 And Bradshaw's says, ''No pIace couId be more saIubrious than Weymouth.'' 248 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:16,634 ''The town is not onIy frequented during the summer, 249 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:21,550 but has been seIected by many opuIent famiIies as a permanent residence.'' 250 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,229 ''The beauty of its scenery and the heaIthfuIness of its cIimate 251 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,956 have contributed to raise it from the Iow state into which it had faIIen 252 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,153 to one of the most fIourishing towns in the kingdom.'' 253 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,032 ''Weymouth reborn.'' 254 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,950 Weymouth fIrst became popular In GeorgIan tImes, 255 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,470 and InItIally was accessIble only for the well-to-do. 256 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,717 But after the raIlway arrIved In 1 857, 257 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:53,118 the town was transformed Into a destInatIon for mass tourIsm. 258 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,191 By the 20th century, thousands of vIsItors were comIng here 259 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,630 for theIr annual hIt of sun, sea and sand. 260 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,071 It's the perfect place for me to break my journey. 261 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,477 My Bradshaw's GuIde mentions the beautifuI view from the buiIdings 262 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,397 aIong the seafront here at Weymouth. 263 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,115 LuckiIy, there's a hoteI perfectIy situated. 264 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,640 - Good evening. - Good evening. WeIcome to RoyaI HoteI. 265 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,591 MichaeI PortiIIo checking in, pIease. 266 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,030 The Royal Hotel Is one of the few VIctorIan buIldIngs 267 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,799 on Weymouth's GeorgIan Esplanade. 268 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,673 BuIlt In the year of Queen VIctorIa's DIamond JubIlee, 269 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:39,873 It's an Ideal spot to see the town through 19th-century eyes. 270 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,595 My Bradshaw's says, ''From the indows of these buiIdings, 271 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,871 a most extensive and deIightfuI view is obtained, 272 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:51,835 comprehending on the Ieft a nobIe range of hiIIs and cIiffs, 273 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:57,830 and of the sea in front, ith numerous vesseIs, yachts and pIeasure boats.'' 274 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,319 And when the sun finaIIy sets on this vista, 275 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,352 I shaII go to sIeep in this royaI hoteI. 276 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,109 WakIng to Weymouth, 277 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:26,075 I can see why my ''Bradshaw's GuIde'' Is so enthusIastIc about Its beauty. 278 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,953 Butjust 80 years after my guIdebook was publIshed, 279 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,153 thIs pIcturesque seasIde resort was transformed beyond recognItIon. 280 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,588 In World War Two, wIth German-occupIed France so close across the Channel, 281 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,712 the whole of the south coast was declared a war zone. 282 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,912 Nearby Portland was an Important naval base, 283 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,316 and Weymouth's raIlways were targeted In aIr raIds. 284 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,954 Beach huts and donkey rIdes were replaced 285 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,753 wIth barbed wIre and antI-aIrcraft guns. 286 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,270 And for the resIdents, It was a dramatIc change. 287 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,518 I'm meetIng Ken Warren, who grew up In wartIme Weymouth. 288 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:01,675 HeIIo, Ken. 289 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:04,988 - How very good to see you. - Good to see you. 290 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,839 Do you remember Weymouth before the wartime? 291 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,872 No. My memory doesn't go back that far. 292 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,956 I can't remember much about it at aII. 293 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,550 So your first memory of this charming resort 294 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:18,636 is of barbed ire and warfare. 295 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,230 (Ken) And soIdiers and guns and bombs and aeropIanes 296 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:25,238 - and shooting and sirens. - It doesn't sound Iike 297 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,079 - the normaI description of Weymouth. - No, it does not. 298 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:33,797 AstonIshIngly, Ken remembers playIng wIth thIs sort of gun as a boy. 299 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,480 (Ken) I used to go to the troops 300 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,592 and I used to take them comics and run errands for them. 301 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,599 They wouId Iet us have a go at the gun. Me and my mate wouId get on either side. 302 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,109 Turn one handIe and the barreI wouId go up and down. 303 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,515 Turn the other handIe and it traveIs right round. 304 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,712 - How oId were you? - I was about ten years oId. 305 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:57,718 By 1944, the AllIes were plannIng to storm the beaches of northern France. 306 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,308 Troops massed along the south coast, 307 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,671 IncludIng over a mIllIon from the UnIted States. 308 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,635 These exotIc new arrIvals made a lastIng ImpressIon on the locals. 309 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,877 What's your first memory of American troops in Weymouth? 310 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,912 Smart-Iooking feIIows in these nice uniforms. 311 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:16,632 They were aII smiIing and happy, 312 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:21,197 whereas the British troops had had enough of the war and didn't want it. 313 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,912 They came and it was so nice. 314 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:25,759 They had aII these things that we never had. 315 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:30,874 They wouId aIways shake our hands and say, ''Hiya, boy. Hiya, Mac.'' 316 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,718 What sort of things did they have? 317 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,709 MostIy it was biscuits and dried miIk and dried egg 318 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,389 we used to take home to mother. She Ioved it when I brought that home. 319 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,713 What Ken dIdn't know was that the frIendly GIs 320 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,674 were beIng secretly prepared for one of the most ambItIous operatIons 321 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,917 of the Second World War, the D-Day landIngs. 322 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,473 (Ken) It was kept pretty quiet, as a matter of fact. 323 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,309 We just thought it was an exercise. We didn't know they were going. 324 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,477 - It was aII hushed up. - What did you actuaIIy see? 325 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,239 AII these tanks roIIing in the streets 326 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:09,830 and aII the troops marching aIong, getting ready. 327 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,875 On 6 June 1944, 328 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,037 6,000 shIps and 2,500 planes 329 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,994 delIvered 160,000 AllIed troops to Normandy. 330 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:24,669 It was to prove a turnIng poInt In the course of the war. 331 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,189 But thousands lost theIr lIves. 332 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,118 (Ken) The day they Ieft... They Ieft from PortIand Harbour. 333 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,198 I went down and I waved them bye-bye. 334 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:34,799 I knew them as friends. 335 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,673 I knew one of them quite personaIIy. His name was Joe RoyaI. 336 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,031 I often wondered what happened to him. I used to do his shopping for him 337 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,278 and my mother used to do his ironing. We used to have him up for tea. 338 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:46,594 He was a great friend. 339 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,554 GrowIng up In such a dangerous envIronment, 340 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,753 the raIlway held no fear for Ken and hIs frIends. 341 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:57,154 They often played nearby, 342 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,317 puttIng pennIes on the lIne to be squashed by the traIn. 343 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,432 UntIl Ken took thIngs too far. 344 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,796 (Ken) One day, the workmen's hut was open. 345 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,434 I had a Iook round and I saw some detonators. 346 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,357 I pIaced them on the Iine. 347 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,119 AIong come the train, run over these detonators, 348 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:20,792 bang, bang, bang, puff of smoke, steeI grinding, sparks everywhere. 349 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,912 I thought, ''What have I done? I've done something wrong.'' 350 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,998 ''There's gonna be an accident. I'm gonna get in awfuI troubIe.'' 351 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:30,476 I went home and stayed indoors for three days. I daren't come out 352 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,876 in case they associated me ith this train puIIing up. 353 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,594 But IuckiIy, no disaster. It just made the train stop. 354 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,631 - (Ken) Yes, it made the train stop. - Wow. 355 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:46,593 That raIlway lIne that Ken feared he'd destroyed opened In 1 865. 356 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,029 It lInked Weymouth to the Isle of Portland, 357 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,720 my last stop on thIs long journey. 358 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,670 Over there is PortIand. 359 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,237 Bradshaw says, ''About four miIes south from Weymouth is the isIand of PortIand, 360 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,670 which, though thus caIIed, is in reaIity a peninsuIa, 361 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:04,358 connected ith the mainIand 362 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,598 by an extremeIy narrow isthmus caIIed ChesiI Bank.'' 363 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,475 And this was once a raiIway track, but discontinued in the 1960s, 364 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,795 so now you have to hoof it. 365 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:23,111 Portland Is at one end of the stunnIng 1 8-mIle-long ChesIl Beach, 366 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,117 or Bank, as Bradshaw calls It, 367 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,232 whIch stretches up the Dorset coast west of Weymouth. 368 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:32,876 It's a remarkable natural phenomenon, but a dangerous one, too. 369 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,070 ThIs coastlIne Is famous for shIpwrecks. 370 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,273 SInce the 1 8th century, a lIghthouse has stood on Portland BIll 371 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,428 to warn approachIng saIlors of the danger that lurks beneath Its beauty. 372 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:49,475 Bradshaw's comments, ''This picturesque coast is unrivaIIed.'' 373 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,958 ''The sea view is agreeabIy diversified ith grand and striking objects 374 00:22:55,080 --> 00:23:00,438 to break the monotony that usuaIIy peRVades a marine prospect.'' 375 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:02,516 I Iove those Bradshaw-isms. 376 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,996 There's certainIy nothing monotonous about the view from PortIand. 377 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,589 Portland Is part of the JurassIc Coast World HerItage SIte, 378 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,996 a 95-mIle stretch of Dorset coastlIne 379 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:21,513 whIch charts how the Earth has changed over 1 85 mIllIon years. 380 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,712 It's not only geologIsts who are passIonate about these rocks. 381 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,990 In the 19th century, the comIng of the raIlway 382 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:32,717 helped export unprecedented quantItIes of stone from the Island's quarrIes. 383 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,434 As I've toured Britain's cities, 384 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,472 Bradshaw's has toId me that many of our finest buiIdings 385 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,716 are made of PortIand stone. 386 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,868 So I had to visit the cradIe of EngIand's most handsome rock. 387 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,833 Portland stone Is a type of lImestone, 388 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,110 formed around 150 mIllIon years ago 389 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,674 on what was once the sea bed. 390 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,678 It's always been hIghly prIzed as a buIldIng stone, 391 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,870 and In VIctorIan tImes was much In demand 392 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,195 for the most prestIgIous projects, 393 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,869 from Nelson's Column to the refurbIshment of BuckIngham Palace. 394 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,198 For generatIons It's provIded jobs for quarrymen lIke Ralph Stone. 395 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:10,673 HeIIo, MichaeI. 396 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,917 - It's an impressive pIace. - CertainIy is. WeIcome to PortIand. 397 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,429 (MIchael) When did you start as a quarryman? 398 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,039 1959. 399 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,072 - That's a good Iong stretch. - 50 years digging hoIes. 400 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,119 In the 19th century, as BrItaIn's cItIes developed at breakneck speed, 401 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:29,719 the quarrIes were boomIng. 402 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,910 My guIdebook tells me 403 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,670 50,000 tons of stone were exported yearly from Portland. 404 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,030 I suppose the raiIways pIayed an important part 405 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,913 - in PortIand stone's deveIopment. - Very much so. 406 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,998 The merchant raiIway first of aII was first deveIoped 407 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,918 to take the stone down to the cast-iron pier, 408 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,998 where they used to unIoad it on the steamers, 409 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:53,918 or the Thames barges to take into London. 410 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,315 (MIchael) That first raiIway, was that steam? 411 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:58,032 (Ralph) No, that was horse-drawn. 412 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,276 The main raiIway, when that came here, 413 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,516 that was a reveIation for the stone trade. 414 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,710 They used to puII right into the factory. 415 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,389 They'd Ioad them straight into the raiIway trucks. 416 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,033 Off they used to go wherever. 417 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,035 RemovIng thIs valuable stone wIthout damagIng It 418 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,799 has always requIred Immense skIll. 419 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:18,990 In the 19th and 20th century, 420 00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:22,874 workers relIed on chIsels, hammers and a few explosIves. 421 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,150 It was back-breakIng work. 422 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,875 In Victorian times, what wouId the scene have been 423 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,197 - and how wouId they have done it? - In Victorian times, a Iot of men. 424 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,595 A Iot of men. AII manpower. AII manpower. 425 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,759 The quarry used to be worked according to the naturaI joints in the ground. 426 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,953 It's Iike a giant three-dimensionaI jigsaw, PortIand stone is. 427 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,232 The quarrymen, through a Iot of experience, take the jigsaw apart. 428 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,830 Ralph's VIctorIan predecessors receIved help from an unlIkely quarter, 429 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:57,033 when In the mId 19th-century, a prIson was buIlt on Portland. 430 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,118 (MIchael) What was the history of the convicts in the quarries? 431 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,516 ApparentIy, they were sent here for hard Iabour 432 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,677 before they were deported to the coIonies. 433 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,870 So it was a doubIe whammy for them. 434 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,389 You can imagine inexperienced peopIe 435 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,830 being put in an environment Iike this, ith expIosives. 436 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:19,112 There were a Iot of fataIities ith the convicts in the quarries. 437 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,437 I think it was one of the reasons why hard Iabour was stopped. 438 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,154 - (MIchael) A grim history. - (Ralph) A grim history. 439 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,350 Even Into the 20th century, 440 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,995 the combInatIon of explosIves and heavy machInery 441 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:33,475 made quarryIng a dangerous occupatIon. 442 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,273 When I started work, I went in the hut ith the men, 443 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,118 I was taken there by the manager. 444 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,276 ''That's your seat.'' I sat down in the seat. 445 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,437 I didn't know untiI months afterwards, 446 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:48,714 underneath my seat was a tin box ith bIack powder and a fuse in. 447 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,479 Right by the side of me, in between my knees, 448 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,352 there was a great big stove aII Iit. 449 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,710 It was enough to bIow everybody to kingdom come. 450 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,753 You're taIking about the 1950s. Imagine what it was Iike in the 1850s. 451 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:02,950 WeII, there you are. 452 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,151 Recently, mInes have been dug to reach deeper deposIts. 453 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:10,829 Such technIques may supersede opencast quarrIes. 454 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,758 But whIle much has changed sInce Bradshaw's day, 455 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:19,079 as I say goodbye to Portland, what strIkes me Is how much remaIns the same. 456 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,596 My route from Windsor has taken me aIong tracks famiIiar to Queen Victoria, 457 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,599 and heIped me to understand how the raiIways transformed her Iife, 458 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:30,233 and those of her subjects, 459 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:33,875 and the Iandscapes and industries of her reaIm. 460 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,788 My Bradshaw's has given me insights and experiences 461 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,469 that I couId not have derived from any modern guidebook. 462 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,149 It's Ied me now to the RoyaI Manor of PortIand, 463 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:47,999 and one of the most beautifuI views in EngIand. 464 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,636 My nextjourney takes me west from the rollIng Cotswolds, 465 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:59,117 passIng through the Malvern HIlls and on to travel the raIlways 466 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,754 that changed the fortunes of IndustrIal South Wales. 467 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:06,158 En route, I'll be samplIng a VIctorIan navvy's favourIte brew... 468 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,078 Cheers. You couId buiId a raiIway once you've drunk that. 469 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:13,159 ..learnIng how WorcestershIre farmIng has changed sInce Bradshaw's tIme... 470 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,432 This is the most unexpected sight. SuddenIy this riot of coIour. 471 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,269 ..and seeIng the modern face of the 19th-century steel Industry. 472 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,836 I can feeI the heat of the bIast furnace. I see a stream of moIten iron, 473 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:29,750 I can see sparks fIying, smoke, and now this fantastic train that's emerging.