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 --> 00:00:17,557
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
00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,115
My Bradshaw's is now guiding me
across northern EngIand.

10
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,674
The castIes that I've seen recentIy

11
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,237
remind us of the Iong wars
between the Scots and the EngIish.

12
00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,478
I'm now going to visit
the very icon of that enmity.

13
00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,592
For, as even recent history
has shown us,

14
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:21,670
ruIers who want to maintain separation
between peopIes buiId waIIs.

15
00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,792
On today's leg of thejourney,

16
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,151
I'll be gettIng down and dIrty
In a Roman barracks...

17
00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,512
- WeII, I am your sIave. Back to work.
- Back to work. Quite right.

18
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,392
..dIscoverIng a small InventIon

19
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,750
that made a bIg dIfference
to the publIc...

20
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,952
Let me do the dog ticket first.
That's easy enough.

21
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:42,991
One dog ticket.

22
00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:47,312
..and drInkIng In
spectacular engIneerIng trIumphs

23
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:48,998
In the CumbrIan countrysIde.

24
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,270
- Thank you for going sIoly.
- You're weIcome.

25
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,231
- Isn't that a beautifuI thing?
- Aye.

26
00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,238
I started thIsjourney
In BerwIck-upon-Tweed

27
00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,636
and I'm travellIng south-west
across the shoulder of England

28
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,197
and wIll end my trIp by crossIng
the IrIsh Sea to the Isle of Man.

29
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,394
Today's leg of thejourney begIns at
Bardon MIll on hIstorIc HadrIan's Wall

30
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,353
and takes me through
CumbrIa's breathtakIng landscape

31
00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,710
to the IndustrIal town of WIgton.

32
00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:30,959
My Bradshaw's says

33
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:36,359
that Hadrian's WaII is nearIy
700 miIes Iong from sea to sea.

34
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,994
I'm afraid that's wrong
by about a factor of ten.

35
00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:40,872
It's much shorter than that.

36
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,152
Bradshaw's goes on to say that ''it was
buiIt by the Roman conquerors of Britain

37
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,717
to secure themseIves from
the troubIesome savages beyond''.

38
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,470
Scottish viewers may ish to quarreI
ith the accuracy of that, as weII.

39
00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,591
HavIng studIed hIstory at unIversIty,

40
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,871
I've always been drawn
to BrItaIn's Roman past.

41
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,039
So, I'm alIghtIng at Bardon MIll
on the HadrIan's Wall Country LIne,

42
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,151
32 mIles from Newcastle,

43
00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,829
to see the IconIc barrIer
between warrIng populatIons

44
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,520
whIch stretches back two mIllennIa.

45
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:22,037
If you Iove history as I do,
you adore Hadrian's WaII.

46
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,312
The Emperor Hadrian was
facing rebeIIions in Libya and Egypt.

47
00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,237
How history repeats itseIf.

48
00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:30,555
He thought he might
at Ieast Iimit his probIems

49
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,433
by buiIding a waII
to keep out the CaIedonians.

50
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,869
It runs from coast to coast.

51
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:37,752
It was 1 1ft high.

52
00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,314
It had ditches.
It had a castIe every miIe.

53
00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,115
It had fortresses big enough
to hoId 1 7,000 troops.

54
00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,834
Four Iegions buiIt it in eight years.

55
00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,839
It was the most fantastic
engineering project.

56
00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:52,678
You have to be impressed.

57
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,471
And you have to be depressed

58
00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,354
that so much effort was put into
keeping two peopIes separate.

59
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,749
The VIctorIans, wIth theIr new-found
freedom to travel on traIns,

60
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,438
loved to vIsIt ancIent sItes.

61
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:14,157
One of theIr favourIte destInatIons was
the Roman garrIson fort of VIndolanda

62
00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,353
where they Indulged theIr passIon
for the new craze of archaeology.

63
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,152
I've followed In theIr footsteps

64
00:04:20,280 --> 00:04:23,477
and I'm meetIng sIte dIrector
PatrIcIa BIrley.

65
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,597
I've just come from Hadrian's WaII.

66
00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,712
How does the fort here reIate
to Hadrian's WaII?

67
00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,469
WeII, you're standing a miIe south
of Hadrian's WaII here, MichaeI.

68
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,192
There were forts Iike VindoIanda

69
00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,357
about every seven to eight miIes
aIong the Stanegate Road.

70
00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,029
It was to protect the road
for traveIIers, trade and so forth,

71
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:43,832
and make a frontier, reaIIy.

72
00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:48,988
The arIstocracy had habItually
undertaken the Grand Tour of Europe,

73
00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,430
explorIng the RenaIssance
and classIcal antIquItIes.

74
00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,312
From the early 1 800s,

75
00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,718
the BrItIsh started to take an Interest
In theIr own Roman hIstory.

76
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,879
Archaeology Increased Its appeal
and the VIctorIans realIsed

77
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,549
that there were treasure troves to be
explored wIthIn theIr own country.

78
00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,798
However, theIr methods of excavatIon
were somewhat basIc.

79
00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,036
We have a term for it
in the north of EngIand.

80
00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,039
We caII it ''howking'', which is
digging a hoIe to find something.

81
00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,195
Having said that,

82
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:23,075
the antiquarian excavators did try to
record everything that they were doing

83
00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:24,633
and indeed gave papers

84
00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,196
to the nely-formed
Iiterary and phiIosophicaI

85
00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,357
and archaeoIogicaI societies
that were springing up.

86
00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:35,473
That was the start of what we
wouId caII modern archaeoIogy.

87
00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,510
The fIrst tourIst group to vIsIt
VIndolanda arrIved In 1 849.

88
00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:46,714
TheIr only access to the sIte was on
a far-from-luxurIous IndustrIal raIlway.

89
00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:51,356
ThIs wagon-way had been buIlt
to carry stone from the quarrIes.

90
00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,833
Our first piIgrims got in the, I hope,
cIeaned-out wagons.

91
00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:01,511
And the wagons stopped
just on the hiIIside beyond us there.

92
00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,153
The piIgrims got out

93
00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:06,795
and they had a good Iook around
and had their no doubt IittIe taIk.

94
00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,957
And then got back into the wagons
and away they went,

95
00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,753
back down to the nely-opened
raiIway Iine,

96
00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:14,791
which must have been very exciting.

97
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:16,751
It brings a wonderfuI picture to mind.

98
00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,236
These earnest Victorians
in partiaIIy cIeaned-out stone wagons

99
00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,555
arriving to pay tribute to this site.

100
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,834
The popularIty of hands-on archaeology

101
00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,758
rose throughout
the 19th and 20th centurIes,

102
00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,952
leadIng to Improved understandIng
of HadrIan's Wall,

103
00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,833
mIlItary hIstory and Roman BrItaIn.

104
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,192
I've moved to the sIte of the modern-day
excavatIons of the fort of VIndolanda

105
00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,869
to meet archaeologIst JustIn Blake.

106
00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,558
- Justin, heIIo.
- HeIIo.

107
00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,830
- MichaeI.
- Nice to meet you.

108
00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,269
What is it you're excavating here?

109
00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,960
(JustIn) We're right in the middIe
of a barrack room

110
00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,992
that was buiIt in our earIy
third-century fort of VindoIanda.

111
00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,795
This is where eight men
wouId have sIept overnight,

112
00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,514
cooked meaIs, sociaIised together.

113
00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:04,995
And, I wouIdn't be at aII surprised,

114
00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,317
moaned about Iife on the northern
frontier up to a point, as weII.

115
00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,398
What do we know
from what you've discovered?

116
00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,557
(JustIn) We know that they've been
using oIive oiI.

117
00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,629
At the back end of Iast week, we found
a beautifuI neck from an oIive oiI jar,

118
00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:21,398
which is this one here.

119
00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,115
So we've got that the handIe over there
and part of the spout.

120
00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,950
It's a huge, gIobuIar bol. UsuaIIy they
hoId about 50 or 80 Iitres of oIive oiI.

121
00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,196
- LoveIy thick cIay, isn't it?
- It reaIIy is.

122
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,072
It's been imported from south Spain.

123
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,953
It's traveIIed quite a Iong way
to get to VindoIanda.

124
00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,390
Best of aII, we know that they've been
pIaying games and sociaIising.

125
00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,719
Just this morning, we found a wonderfuI
IittIe bIack gIass gaming counter.

126
00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,159
You found that this morning?

127
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,192
It came out about ten minutes
before you arrived to see us.

128
00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,153
I can't resIst a lIttle dIg myseIf,

129
00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,716
just In case another Roman treasure
lurks below the surface.

130
00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:58,034
OK.

131
00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,277
I hope you've pIanted some gem
that I can find here.

132
00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:02,833
To encourage me.

133
00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,394
It's one of the wonderfuI things
about archaeoIogy.

134
00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,159
You never know what's going to be
underneath the soiI.

135
00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,078
You've been finding pieces
of these peopIe's Iives.

136
00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,431
- What impression do you have?
- It's Iike modern society.

137
00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,269
It's a huge spectrum of different peopIe
doing aII manner of different jobs.

138
00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,836
You get very different impressions
in each IittIe bit that you dig in.

139
00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,678
I am your sIave. Back to work.

140
00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,189
Back to work. Quite right, as weII.

141
00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:31,879
It's back to the tracks.

142
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,276
Though thankfully,
not In a horse-drawn mIneral wagon

143
00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,631
as my VIctorIan forerunners
would have done.

144
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,670
One of the things that the Romans found
attractive about northern EngIand

145
00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,836
was its weaIth of mineraIs.

146
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,279
My Bradshaw's refers to

147
00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,790
''mineraI specimens that may be
procured in the caves,''

148
00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:57,597
and aIso refers to the Iarge Iead mines
which aIso produced siIver and copper.

149
00:08:57,720 --> 00:08:59,631
Of course, in the 19th century,

150
00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,754
these mineraIs couId onIy be expIoited
successfuIIy using the raiIways.

151
00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,639
LeavIng HadrIan's Wall behInd,
I'm headIng west to HaltwhIstle,

152
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,276
to make thejourney to Alston In CumbrIa
and the South Tynedale RaIlway.

153
00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,712
ThIs branch lIne was key to transportIng
the coal, lead and other mInerals

154
00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,239
mIned In the area.

155
00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,635
But at the beautIfully restored statIon,

156
00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,275
I'm takIng a moment to InvestIgate
a clever InventIon

157
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,039
that was to change
the way we travel on traIns.

158
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,151
One ticket on your IoveIy raiIway,
pIease.

159
00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,396
(vendor) That'II be £6, pIease.

160
00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:34,999
(MIchael) Thank you very much.

161
00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,477
Now, that is
what I caII a raiIway ticket.

162
00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,592
AII my young Iife, that's
what a raiIway ticket Iooked Iike.

163
00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,029
It wasn't orange
and it wasn't made of paper.

164
00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,039
It was just a IoveIy bit of card
Iike that.

165
00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,993
What was the history of these tickets?

166
00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,352
Apparently, a revolutIonary tIcket
system was Introduced In thIs area.

167
00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:01,759
South Tynedale lIne enthusIast Tom Bell
wIll show me Its sImple brIllIance.

168
00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,075
Why is it caIIed the Edmondson system?

169
00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,510
Thomas Edmondson was appointed
station agent at Brampton

170
00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,519
by the NewcastIe and CarIisIe RaiIway
when it opened in 1836.

171
00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:12,959
Brampton's cIose to here?

172
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:14,433
It's about 20 miIes from here

173
00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:17,711
and it's on the main Iine of the company
that buiIt this branch Iine.

174
00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,877
So, what's the great breakthrough
about this system?

175
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,150
WeII, first of aII,
if you Iook at this ticket,

176
00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,397
you'II see that it has
a seriaI number printed on.

177
00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,795
The first thing he did
was design a system

178
00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,118
to seriaIIy number aII the tickets
from one to 9,999.

179
00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,152
That meant that you couId
actuaIIy print tickets

180
00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,478
for one station to every destination
that peopIe wanted to traveI.

181
00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,795
You had the price. You had the cIass.

182
00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,435
You had whether it was aduIt or chiId
or singIe or return.

183
00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:48,596
PrIor to thIs InventIon,

184
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,430
raIlways Issued handwrItten tIckets,
as stagecoach operators had done.

185
00:10:53,560 --> 00:10:56,233
But they'd had
only haIf a dozen passengers.

186
00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,999
WIth hundreds of people
usIng the boomIng raIlways,

187
00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,396
the IntroductIon of the Edmondson
numerIc tIcketIng system

188
00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,431
met the modern need.

189
00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:08,269
It also prevented unscrupulous clerks
from lInIng theIr pockets

190
00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,472
as they had to reconcIle daIly the cash

191
00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,478
agaInst the unsold
serIally-numbered tIckets.

192
00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,160
The system spread rapIdly
across the country

193
00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,910
and amazIngly, served the UK's raIlways
for over 150 years,

194
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,508
untIl the dawn of the computer age.

195
00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:27,597
Now, if you have numericaI sequences,

196
00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,156
it's pretty important to keep
your tickets tidy and in order.

197
00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,191
- Yes.
- Did he aIso invent these racks?

198
00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:34,878
He invented the racks.

199
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,673
SmaII racks
for the IittIe-used destinations.

200
00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,234
The big racks
for frequentIy-used destinations.

201
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,432
The tickets were put in
ith the Iowest number at the bottom.

202
00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:47,473
Each station had a ticket assembIy
Iike that.

203
00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:51,036
And Iike a card shark,
you deaIt from the bottom.

204
00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:52,434
Very nice.

205
00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,513
How can I heIp you today?

206
00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,790
Can we have a famiIy ticket, pIease?

207
00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,990
- I notice you've got a dog.
- Yeah.

208
00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,475
- WouId you Iike a dog ticket as weII?
- Yes, pIease.

209
00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,478
Let me do the dog ticket first.
That's easy enough.

210
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,591
One dog ticket.

211
00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:09,556
There we are.

212
00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:11,272
- (chIld) Thank you!
- Thank you!

213
00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,631
From Its openIng In 1 852,

214
00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,070
thIs raIlway was Important
notjust for the tIcketIng system.

215
00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,760
The lure of lead In the wIld hIlls

216
00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,031
brought the Newcastle and CarlIsle
RaIlway to Alston.

217
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,789
WIth the South Tyne valley also
producIng large quantItIes of coal,

218
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,436
the arrIval of the raIlway was
the catalyst for major growth In mInIng.

219
00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:38,955
Today, happIly, the lIne's stIll open
as a herItage narrow gauge raIlway.

220
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,280
It's IoveIy to be
on the South TynedaIe RaiIway.

221
00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:45,674
HistoricaIIy, though,

222
00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,633
this is the raiIway that used
to bring Iead from the mines.

223
00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:53,117
That's right. It was buiIt to take Iead
out of the North Pennines ore fieId.

224
00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,152
My Bradshaw's aIso mentions
siIver coming from those mines.

225
00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:57,713
Any record of siIver?

226
00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,638
(Tom) Yes. AIthough most of the ore
was Iead and zinc,

227
00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,638
there was a smaII amount
of siIver brought out as weII.

228
00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:08,436
In the VIctorIan age, lead had become
a very Important commodIty

229
00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,597
for the productIon of pIpIng,
roofIng and paInt.

230
00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,678
The lead mInes brought
jobs and prosperIty to the area.

231
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,519
The raIlway began
to transport both the ore

232
00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,552
and the populatIon drawn to the valley.

233
00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:23,240
It used to take
a fair number of passengers.

234
00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,670
It aIso was very earIy
in the tourist industry.

235
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:32,033
The North Eastern RaiIway ran
speciaI trains after Easter up to AIston

236
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,310
for peopIe to rent cottages
for the summer.

237
00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,954
We are running through
some beautifuI countryside.

238
00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,799
It's known as EngIand's Iast iIderness.

239
00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,435
But if you Iook around,
the Iandscape's entireIy man-made.

240
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,312
It's been man-made since Roman times,

241
00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,638
but mainIy by the Iead miners
since the 1 7th century.

242
00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,309
It's tIme to retIre for the evenIng.

243
00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,273
I'm headed for the small vIllage
of GIlsland

244
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,789
on the edge of the Northumberland
NatIonal Park,

245
00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,388
sItuated hard upon HadrIan's Wall.

246
00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:11,277
As the VIctorIans began to travel
by traIn, they needed places to stay.

247
00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,154
''Bradshaw's'' contaIns
recommendatIons for the weary tourIst.

248
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,280
Where to spend such a pretty evening?

249
00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,356
Bradshaw's has the answer.

250
00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:22,674
''GiIsIand Spa.''

251
00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,190
''A good suIphur spring
which issues from a cIiff in the gIen

252
00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,232
at the back of Shaw's exceIIent hoteI.''

253
00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,033
The hoteI has changed shape and name,

254
00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,628
but I bet the spring's stiII there.

255
00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,149
To compete agaInst theIr rIvals,

256
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,716
VIctorIan hotels lIked
to offer health experIences,

257
00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,389
and the sulphur sprIngs
fItted the bIll perfectly.

258
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,956
My guIde Is local hIstorIan WIll HIggs.

259
00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:53,359
WeII, this is the fountain to which
the suIphur water has now been piped.

260
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,516
AIthough that was quite a Iong time ago.

261
00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,108
UnfortunateIy, the pipe seems to be
getting bIocked

262
00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,151
and it's pretty weII dried up.

263
00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,989
You can certainIy smeII the stuff.

264
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,554
(exclaIms) That's terribIe. Rotten eggs.

265
00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,557
- It's deIicious.
- (laughs)

266
00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,229
And that's not the only attractIon
of the hotel.

267
00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:13,759
Deep In the dreamy glens,

268
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,429
a rather suggestIve-shaped boulder
called the PoppIng Stone

269
00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,074
entIced the straIt-laced
VIctorIan tourIsts

270
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,397
to cast asIde theIr InhIbItIons.

271
00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,956
WeII, here it is.
The famous Popping Stone.

272
00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,870
Legend has it that this is the spot
where WaIter Scott proposed to his ife,

273
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,274
CharIotte Carpenter.

274
00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:38,997
It seems to have had associations ith
courtship and possibIy even fertiIity.

275
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,669
- What did the Victorians make of that?
- They had pIenty of fun.

276
00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,473
CertainIy the hoIidaymakers
who came here on the train

277
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,034
frequentIy made a beeIine
for the Popping Stone

278
00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,151
and had their photographs taken on it.

279
00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,750
I've got a picture postcard here
from 1910,

280
00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,030
shoing a very smart chap ith a Iady,

281
00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,276
sitting on the stone,
much as it is today.

282
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,073
There's more to this photograph.

283
00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:06,354
It gives us a IittIe hint of what's
at the heart of the hoteI's aIIure.

284
00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,755
If you Iook
at the inscription on the back...

285
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,876
(MIchael) Er... Yes.

286
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,309
Mr Bonar and Mrs WiIson.

287
00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:19,070
What was Mr Bonar doing ith Mrs WiIson
on the Popping Stone?

288
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,192
They seem to Iook rather shifty
as weII, if you Iook.

289
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:27,348
Oh! It's a pIace for dirty weekends.
I hope they came by train.

290
00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,796
You may have gathered that I Iove
Victorian raiIway architecture.

291
00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,789
It's a beautifuI summer's morning.
What better time to see a viaduct?

292
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,756
I'm rejoInIng the lIne at
HaltwhIstle statIon In Northumberland,

293
00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:58,112
travellIng past the fabulous
Roman mIlecastle of Poltross Burn,

294
00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,595
on my way west towards CarlIsle.

295
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,710
This countryside is simpIy stunning.

296
00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:06,671
It's so beautifuI.

297
00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,950
O, to be in EngIand,
now that summer's here.

298
00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,275
And to be on a train.

299
00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:20,796
Discussing this beautifuI Iandscape,

300
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,072
Bradshaw's refers to the stunning views
and to the ravines.

301
00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,273
This was not easy territory
for earIy Victorian raiIway buiIders.

302
00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,870
Nothing was going to sIow them
in their progress.

303
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,309
I'm heading to the viaduct
at WetheraI,

304
00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,274
a pIace that Bradshaw's says
''is pIeasantIy situated on the Eden.''

305
00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,756
Having seen Stephenson's viaduct
on the River Tweed,

306
00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,919
the remarkabIe thing about WetheraI
is that it's much oIder.

307
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,510
SurprIsIngly for such
a small, rural communIty,

308
00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,236
the vIllage of Wetheral entered the
raIlway age very early, In the 1 830s.

309
00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:59,273
The Newcastle to CarlIsle LIne, lInkIng
the east and west coasts of BrItaIn,

310
00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,029
needed a spectacular pIece
of pre-VIctorIan engIneerIng

311
00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:07,199
to straddle the dauntIng 100ft gorge
over the RIver Eden.

312
00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,118
That Indeed Is what they got.

313
00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,033
And now we cross the fantastic viaduct.

314
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,232
The driver has sIowed right down
to give us a view.

315
00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,079
We are so high above the river.

316
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,077
Isn't that spectacuIar?

317
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:36,352
- Driver!
- How are we doing?

318
00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,074
Wanted to thank you
for going sIoly over the viaduct.

319
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,714
- Isn't that a beautifuI thing?
- It's beautifuI, aye.

320
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,877
We had a wonderfuI view.
It's a beautifuI piece of architecture.

321
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:45,796
It is beautifuI.

322
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,990
You haven't got a spare book, have you?

323
00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,873
There we are. There's Bradshaw's.
You can touch it.

324
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,069
Bye, driver. Thank you.

325
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:53,519
Thank you. Bye.

326
00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,317
Completed In 1 834,

327
00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,192
the Eden or Wetheral vIaduct

328
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,392
was one of the fIrst raIlway vIaducts
to be buIlt In BrItaIn.

329
00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,876
It's a notable
early archItectural trIumph,

330
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,231
buIlt four years
before VIctorIa came to the throne.

331
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,989
It lInked not only the burgeonIng cItIes
of Newcastle and CarlIsle,

332
00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:19,680
but also the vIllages on opposIte sIdes
of the rIver,

333
00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:21,791
Wetheral and Great Corby.

334
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,596
I'm hopIng that no less a personage
than the mayor of CarlIsle, Barry Earp,

335
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:27,869
can tell me more.

336
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,035
Barry, weII met.

337
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,230
WeIcome to WetheraI. LoveIy to have you.

338
00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:34,193
Ordinary Victorians must have
thought it spectacuIar.

339
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,357
It's a great engineering achievement
and a thing of beauty.

340
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:38,708
It was a thing of beauty.

341
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,877
PeopIe used to come from CarIisIe
for day-trips out.

342
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,468
They enjoyed the river trip
across to Great Corby

343
00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,353
and then waIked across the viaduct,
back into WetheraI.

344
00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:49,190
Locals, meanwhIle,

345
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,710
were sIdesteppIng the cost of a ferry
to travel between the two vIllages

346
00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,355
and rIskIng lIfe and lImb
to walk across the vIaduct

347
00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,474
In 1 85 1, the raIlway was forced to buIld
a walkway at the sIde of the track

348
00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:02,999
whIch Is stIll In use today.

349
00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:05,156
But there was a catch.

350
00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:11,040
The waIkway over the viaduct
cost the peopIe a ha'penny

351
00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,869
in the oId L.s.d coinage.

352
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,356
It was a ha'penny there
and a ha'penny back.

353
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,472
This started in 1851

354
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,114
and continued untiI 1956,

355
00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,755
by which time the cost had gone up
to a penny each way.

356
00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:31,031
The toll was fInally scrapped
In the late 1950s.

357
00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,596
But Wetheral StatIon
has another claIm to fame.

358
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,235
DespIte beIng closed
In the BeechIng cuts of 1967,

359
00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:43,673
Barry and the parIsh councIl succeeded
In havIng It reopened In 1981.

360
00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,236
I have to comment that your station
is deIightfuI. WetheraI Station.

361
00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:49,749
Not Ieast this fantastic bridge.

362
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:51,598
I'm so pIeased to see it open.

363
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:56,111
WetheraI was a groing viIIage and had
more and more peopIe Iiving here.

364
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,437
And, of course, it is onIy
a very short distance into CarIisIe.

365
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,633
It was a Iot easier and cheaper
in actuaI fact to use the train.

366
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:07,233
It's always extremely cheerIng

367
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:11,512
to hear about the reopenIng
of a statIon once consIgned to hIstory.

368
00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,315
All credIt to Barry and hIs colleagues
for campaIgnIng hard.

369
00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,516
Now I'm on the last leg
of today'sjourney, to CarlIsle,

370
00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,758
to catch the CumbrIan Coast LIne
to the market town of WIgton.

371
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,719
- Bye-bye!
- AIright.

372
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,915
WeII, after aII
that beautifuI open countryside,

373
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,632
CarIisIe feeIs Iike a big pIace.

374
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:35,830
It's where I'm changing train.

375
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,270
WeII, this is
an extraordinariIy crowded train.

376
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,279
I'II have to stand here
and teII you that I'm headed for Wigton,

377
00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,235
which my Bradshaw's GuIde teIIs me
has print and dye works.

378
00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:05,477
Now, I have a feeIing
that those works are no Ionger there.

379
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,956
But I'm interested to see
what happens in Wigton today.

380
00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,869
(announcement)
We are now approachIng WIgton.

381
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:24,672
Why is the train so crowded?

382
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,190
- It's the first train to CarIisIe.
- There's onIy one in three hours.

383
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,914
This is the first train
from CarIisIe this morning.

384
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:32,473
That's why it's overcrowded.

385
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,989
It's not usuaIIy as bad as this,
to be truthfuI.

386
00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:36,030
OK.

387
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,072
UsuaIIy you can go
up and down the train.

388
00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,031
It's been a very intimate experience.

389
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:42,559
(laughs) I'II say!

390
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,432
I can onIy apoIogise.

391
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,072
- Thank you.
- Not a probIem.

392
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:47,996
I apoIogise.

393
00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:50,315
No, no. Not at aII.
We enjoyed it, actuaIIy.

394
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:51,555
It was fun.

395
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:52,669
Bye.

396
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,237
The VIctorIan era saw some
of the most Important InnovatIons

397
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:00,918
of the last two centurIes.

398
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,113
From the lIghtbulb
to effectIve anaesthesIa and plastIc.

399
00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:09,472
Invented by EnglIshmen Alexander Parkes
In 1 856,

400
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,068
the fIrst synthetIc plastIc, ParkesIne,

401
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,078
was demonstrated
at the World FaIr In London.

402
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,031
It was derIved from cellulose,

403
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:21,278
and began an Industry that would
radIcally change the way we lIve.

404
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,675
WIgton,just east of CarlIsle,

405
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,075
was strugglIng at the end
of the 19th century

406
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,760
as Its tradItIonal IndustrIes declIned.

407
00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,998
But another unIque InventIon from
the use of cellulose came to Its rescue

408
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:37,671
as engIneerIng specIalIst
Roy CrosthwaIte Is goIng to explaIn.

409
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,109
What was the industriaI history
of Wigton?

410
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:45,360
WeII, the industry was based around
tanneries and dye works for cotton,

411
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,029
which has one of the principaI products
produced in Wigton at the time.

412
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,515
You now produce
something compIeteIy different.

413
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:52,390
We do indeed.

414
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,719
We actuaIIy manufacture ceIIophane
and poIypropyIene fiIms on this site.

415
00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,355
CeIIophane's been produced since 1933.

416
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,072
What's the raw materiaIs for that?

417
00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,714
Wood puIp is the principaI raw materiaI,

418
00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,071
which was brought in by steam trains
down these very Iines.

419
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,069
DurIng the 19th and early 20th century,
synthetIcs were In theIr Infancy.

420
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,634
It was a perIod of experImentatIon.

421
00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,992
Inkwells, cutlery handles
and the very earlIest gramophone records

422
00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:23,554
all pushed
the boundarIes of synthetIc productIon,

423
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,716
wIth the records, rather revoltIngly,

424
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:29,674
beIng made from mIxed beetle excretIons
and powdered mInerals.

425
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,959
WhIlst these InnovatIons were
useful enough,

426
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,469
plastIcs
and what would become cellophane

427
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,195
dIdn't really take off
untIl the 20th century.

428
00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,517
(man) You'II put on your pIastic
raincoat. Put up your pIastic hood.

429
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:44,755
Wait. It's stopped now.

430
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,029
Open your pIastic bag

431
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,118
to see if that pIastic hood has
messed up your hairdo.

432
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,596
Roy's company specIalIses
In food and product wrappIng

433
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,359
and Is the largest employer In WIgton.

434
00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:59,234
ThIs company and town have
boomed on the back of InventIon.

435
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,079
But It was the ease of movement
offered by the raIlway,

436
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,670
IncludIng a set of sIdIngs runnIng
Into the heart of the factory,

437
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,555
that allowed an Isolated CumbrIan town
to compete globally.

438
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:17,433
And it's because of the raiIway, in
fact, that we actuaIIy had the factory.

439
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:18,879
We brought in raw materiaIs.

440
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,151
Our product was exported
or shipped out by train.

441
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,111
So it was quite significant.

442
00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,789
Without this, there's no doubt
there'd be no factory.

443
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,271
One of the company's key products
Is cellophane,

444
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,393
whIch was Invented In 1908
and Is now used worldwIde In packagIng.

445
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,910
It's made from cellulose vIscose,

446
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,600
whIch, to my surprIse,
Is derIved from wood pulp.

447
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,000
So, here is the most interesting
part of the process.

448
00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:48,678
We've manufactured the viscose.

449
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,759
It's then pumped in through the sIop dye
into a bath of suIphuric acid,

450
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,030
when, hey presto...

451
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,116
..it hits the acid and forms the fiIm.

452
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:01,119
This fiIm iII then be drawn off
and fed down the casting machine,

453
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,277
where the suIphur is washed out,
and it forms into ceIIuIose.

454
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:06,434
It's as simpIe as that.

455
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,118
(laughs) As simpIe as that.

456
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,515
I mean, I see this product
every day of my Iife.

457
00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,110
It's never occurred to me
to think about how it's made.

458
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:15,150
(Roy) AbsoIuteIy.

459
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,068
The cellophane made here wIll be found
on everyday consumer products,

460
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,158
from chocolates to perfume,
cheese to teabags.

461
00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,511
I saw the wood puIp at the beginning.
A IoveIy naturaI resource.

462
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,279
Of course, the food wrappings
come out of the other end

463
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,994
and very often,
they're part of Iitter in our society.

464
00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:32,314
What can we do about that?

465
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:36,319
We have deveIoped a product recentIy
which is biodegradabIe.

466
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,750
It iII actuaIIy degrade in six weeks.

467
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:41,552
You put it in the famiIy compost heap

468
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,194
and in six weeks' time,
it's back to nature.

469
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,629
I teII you, I was disappointed
when I came here

470
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,796
that your raiIway Iines
are no Ionger in use.

471
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,275
- You don't use the raiIways any more?
- Not reaIIy.

472
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,278
We do pay Network RaiI a retainer,

473
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,597
so we have the option to use the siding
some time in the future.

474
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,717
The company stopped usIng the raIlway
for transport In the late 1960s

475
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,513
once the M6 motorway reached CarlIsle

476
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,996
and road haulage
sadly proved cheaper than raIl.

477
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:14,396
But gIven that the Infrastructure
stIll exIsts on the sIte,

478
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,830
I hold a hope that,
maybe for thIs company at least,

479
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,269
the raIlways mIght rIse agaIn.

480
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:35,875
I've rareIy seen such unspoiIed country
as on this journey.

481
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,675
But this terrain has aIways been made
to work for man.

482
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,711
The Romans quarried its stone.

483
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:43,910
The Victorians mined its Iead.

484
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:48,750
Now it produces manufactured goods,
incIuding some new products

485
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,078
that aim to be
as green as this Iandscape.

486
00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,994
When I contInue my raIlway adventure,

487
00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:02,680
I'll be takIng a traIn
from coast to mountaIn top...

488
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,472
Every now and again,

489
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:09,390
a IittIe smut hits the eye to remind
you of the joys of steam traveI.

490
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,991
..gaInIng rare access to an Industry
that dIvIdes opInIon worldwIde,

491
00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:15,599
nuclear power...

492
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:17,950
And it is absoIuteIy massive.

493
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,753
The goIf baII itseIf
is probabIy about 60 metres high.

494
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,871
..and beIng present at the unveIlIng

495
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,958
of an extremely rare Cumberland Luck.

496
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,595
This is, I must say, a rather
emotionaI moment, isn't it?