I'm Richard Wilson
and I am on a driving tour of the UK.
This thing about the country lanes is
you never know what you are going to see when you go around the corner!
But, I am doing it without the aid of modern technology.
No satnav for me!
Very twisty. Twisty, turny.
I'm using the rather splendid collection of Shell Guides
first published in the 1930s,
to see how Britain has changed over the decades.
(HORN HONKS)
The Shell Guide sent you around the counties of Britain
and mapped out where to go, things to do...
Oh!
..and even what to eat!
When they first appeared,
going for a drive was a pleasurable experience...
(GASPS AND EXCLAIMS)
..something that is harder to accomplish today.
(STAMMERS) I'm trying to reverse!
(HORNS HONKING)
Oh, shut up!
But, I'm sure that me and my Daimler...
Which I have christened Deborah.
..will get us where we need to go.
Today, I'm in Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England.
A landlocked county which celebrates the great outdoors
attracting over 20 million visitors every year.
Following the 1935 guide,
I will be taking in the county's most famous view,
plunging into the Georgian spa town of Buxton,
and stuffing myself with tart in Bakewell.
This 1935 guide to Derbyshire stood out to me from all the others
because it is very much the personal opinion
of the author Christopher Hobhouse.
He claims that Derbyshire is a paradise.
Now, that's a pretty big statement!
At the front here, he lists all the aspects of the county
that make up his idea of paradise.
Castles, seats of the nobility,
picturesque scenery, towns, public buildings,
churches, antiquities, etc.
Now, that's a pretty long list so I'm going to visit some of these places
and see if they are as special as he says.
My exploration of Derbyshire has to start
with the county's jewel in its crown, the Peak District.
Straightaway, you can see why the guide says
the county is so beautiful.
It covers over 1,000 square miles, most of which is countryside.
This is my kind of place!
One of the pictures that stood out for me in the guide was Monsal Head.
We are going there now. I can't wait to see it.
Monsal Head with its view over the Derbyshire dales,
is the most famous beauty spot of the Peak District.
One of the reasons I wanted to do this programme was,
I-I love a good view.
I love...vistas
and I am intrigued by what it is in a vista
that gives us that uplifting feeling.
And, this is one of the best views in the county, Monsal Head.
That's the Monsal viaduct down there. It is an old railway viaduct.
There are other bridges down there.
There are paths leading out and paths leading further down
and it's just a spectacular piece of scenery.
A lot of people come here to walk.
I'm not going to go down there because erm...
It's nearly lunchtime!
I couldn't have picked a better day. Look at it!
You have to realise when Hobhouse was writing the guide in 1935,
much of this land was privately owned.
You weren't allowed on it. The general public were locked out.
What a travesty!
So, I'm driving up to the scene of an extraordinary event
that took place in the early thirties.
My guide says,
"A large portion of the open country..."
What they meant by sportsmen was that this land
was owned by a few landed gentry
who used it for hunting and shooting for a few weeks of the year.
The public were denied access.
So, a part of Hobhouse's paradise was unobtainable to the majority.
In 1932, three years before the guide book was written,
ordinary people were so angry about
not having the right to walk over this land,
they organised a demonstration.
The protest became known as The Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout,
named after the highest point in the Peak District.
To tell me more, I'm meeting Park Ranger Martin Sharp
who has worked in the Peak District for over 20 years.
So, Martin, tell me about this mass protest they had.
You have got to imagine people in the cities,
they'd look up at Kinder and places like this and want to be out there,
especially on a Sunday which was the only day they had off.
Manchester is just over there. Just there. Sheffield's that way.
So, they are looking at the Peak District and wanting access.
They couldn't get it, they couldn't go where they wanted
to some of these fantastic hills behind us.
And so, they kind of banded together
and decided they were going to come up en masse.
So, who were these organising groups?
The workers co-operative. Co-operative.
Just individuals that came together.
The Ramblers weren't involved at the time
of the Ramblers Association.
So, these people got together and had a meeting.
They had strategic meeting points.
Then they had a rally in a car park at Hayfield,
then they marched up onto Kinder.
There were public rights of way leading up there.
As soon as they stepped off they met the gamekeepers.
The gamekeepers had been forewarned. The land owner had been warned.
# No man has the right To own mountains
# Any more than the deep ocean bed #
It was partly that confrontation
and then partly the people getting arrested
for X number of months for doing this
that really bought the problem to a fore.
I love a bit of civil disobedience!
I think if that hadn't have happened it would have passed on by.
So, in 1951,
the Labour government had the National Parks Act...
The Peak District was the first national park to be designated
and now you can...
Anywhere on that plateau, you can go walking.
Right. You're free to roam.
All of Britain's national parks can trace their roots back
to the incredible scenes that played out here.
It just goes to show what a small group of people can achieve
if they stand together.
Thanks to them, we can all enjoy countryside like this.
It's not only humans that enjoy the Peak District,
there are thousands of different species of animals that live here
and the guide devotes pages listing the wildlife
that could be found in 1935.
But, there's one more recent animal arrival I am determined to meet.
I've heard that there is an otter sanctuary nearby
and I'm very keen to see it,
so I have overruled the producers and that's where I'm going now!
They are just near Chapel en le Frith off the A623.
Hello!
The Chestnut Centre has been here for 30 years.
I'm Richard. Nice to meet you.
And, its owner Carol Heap has devoted her life to rescuing animals.
If you'd like to go round the other side.
Unless you want to drive it? I think I'll let you drive!
Now there's a dangerous man.
You know the way. Yep.
I'm very good with female drivers. What, do you complain?
Oh, I'd better hold on tight!
I've got 16 otters here at the moment.
(SQUEAKING)
Hello! You are talkative!
I understand otter talk.
(CAROL LAUGHS)
They are saying, "I want my grub!"
I believe they have two coats? Is that right?
They do, yes, they have outer guard hairs,
but then they have this highly dense fur underneath.
Oop!
(CAROL LAUGHS)
I wasn't paying attention, Carol! They were!
(BOTH LAUGH)
Now, the giant otters you've got, they are imported, are they?
Yes, they both came from German zoos.
They themselves were bred in captivity.
(LOUD SQUEAKING)
Oh, my goodness! They're huge! Aren't they?
How are we going to feed them? Oh, you are going to feed them.
How wonderful.
You are going to throw one of those into the water. Into the water?
Without covering the rest of us with fish juice, please!
Here we go, dinner time! What greedy beggars!
Apparently, they eat up to eight pounds of fish every day.
Here is the last one coming for hers.
OK.
Oh! OH!
Although they're a good family unit where food is concerned,
they can be a little bit jealous of each other!
Just like humans then!
(LOUD SQUEALING)
They keep in contact with each other by exactly what we are hearing now.
They never...shut...up!
You can say that again!
So, can we see some other animals? We certainly can.
Let's go and have a look at the deer.
The Chestnut Centre is home to around 40 fallow deer,
which were introduced to this country by the Normans.
Aren't they beautiful? Beautiful.
Their summer coats as well, true dapples.
Spotty coats, aren't they? Yeah.
Storm is coming in, wondering what we are doing.
His antlers are still in velvet.
In velvet? Yeah.
Look at this. Oh, this is Spirit.
Spirit! I've got to have a chat with Spirit.
You want to feed them?
You can see even in the dark one, she's got lighter spots on her.
Yes.
What handsome creatures,
and so quiet compared to their noisy neighbours!
I've really enjoyed my visit to the Chestnut Centre.
They are doing wonderful work
in preservation of otters and other animals,
and I got to feed giant otters!
I've never seen a giant otter, never mind fed one!
I got to feed these wonderful deer from my hand with raisins.
It's a rare privilege.
This is a visit I'm going to remember for a long time.
And yes, it is a bit like paradise.
Time to leave the country
and hit the town of Buxton spa.
Today, I'm in Derbyshire following the 1935 Shell Guide
written by Christopher Hobhouse
who claimed that the county was akin to paradise.
The next stop offs take me to two well-known towns
on the edge of the Peak District that he thought were delightful,
Buxton and Bakewell.
According to Hobhouse, Buxton has everything a tourist could wish for.
Let's find out, shall we?
Buxton stands 1,000 feet above sea level
and is the highest town in England.
In the 18th century, the Duke of Devonshire,
who was one of the richest men in England at the time,
spent a fortune developing Buxton as a spa town to rival Bath.
"Buxton, it is a delicious town,
"combining the intimacy of a mountain village
"with the spaciousness of an 18th century spa.
"The town, while lacking in architectural beauty,
"has the charm of being full of open spaces
"and built of local materials."
It is rather odd that Hobhouse says there is no architectural beauty
and has given a two-page spread of his favourite building.
So, I'm just going to go and have a look.
From the Georgian to the Victorian era,
the elegant Crescent was full of hotels
to accommodate the fashionable spa visitors.
But, in the mid-20th century,
the buildings started to fall into disrepair
and have lain empty for over 25 years.
Richard Tuffrey is one of the council-led team
bringing them back to life.
I am privileged to get a tour of the old spa baths
before the builders move in.
So, here we are.
Ah, it smells. It does. A bit musty.
Of a bathhouse!
Oh, yes! This is wonderful. It's fantastic, isn't it?
This was the ladies' pool.
It was by far the best space in the building.
It's got this wonderful cast iron column beam structure
which was from the 1853 structure.
The architect for this actually worked
quite closely with Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth.
You can see his influence
with sort of elements of the Crystal Palace here
that Paxton went on to build in London.
How many ladies would be in here? Who knows? Dozens probably.
But, it was in constant use.
So, the demand was so great
there would never be a time when there wasn't somebody in the water.
I can imagine those bathers splashing around in their elegant costumes.
Well, I may not be able to swim in them today,
but I can at least feel them.
Just over the road is the source of the water, St Anne's Well.
It is said to have healing powers.
It is claimed that Mary Queen of Scots,
who suffered badly from rheumatism,
came here to take in the waters in the mid-16th century.
The water that is coming out of the well is about 5,000 years old.
It's taken that long to work its way through the system.
This water is 5,000 years old?
Absolutely, yes, yes. My goodness!
And if I drink this, will it make me better?
Hobhouse suggests that Buxton has absolutely everything to offer.
I was hoping perhaps
that I might have a dip in a nice, warm thermal bath.
But, it looks as though I'm going to be waiting for some time.
Derbyshire is not only famous for its water,
it also produces world-famous food.
I'm feeling a little peckish, so back on the road to sample some.
This is what I call going for a drive.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all roads were as beautiful and clear as this?
The A6 cut straight through the heart of the Peak District,
and is blissful 20-minute journey to the market town of Bakewell.
Where all too soon it is back to the usual town traffic mayhem!
One of the places that Hobhouse mentions is Bakewell.
And you know what they make there.
I've always been partial to a bit of tart.
I know what a Bakewell tart is,
but I have no idea what the pudding is.
I have a feeling the producers expect me to find out though!
Looks rather tasty.
Julie Hurst is going to teach me
the difference between a pudding and a tart.
It's a tough job but someone's got to do it.
I've got here an example of our Bakewell pudding.
This is what we are famous for. Our recipe dates back to the 1860s.
Would you like to try a piece of the Bakewell tart and pudding
and see which you prefer?
OK.
Mmm, this is my type of challenge!
That's a typically iced Bakewell tart
with a drier sponge and short crust pastry base.
And the jam. And the jam.
You've got the Bakewell pudding
which is puff pastry, strawberry jam,
and we've added the ingredient which makes quite a jelly eggy texture.
Can you see the difference? Yeah.
So, that is your Bakewell pudding. OK.
Even more to taste, excellent!
Well, I prefer the pudding.
Well done! (LAUGHS)
Was that the right thing to say? That was the right answer.
When it was made back in the 1860s,
we think the young lady was making a tart or a frangipane.
She missed the flour out and what came out was the Bakewell pudding.
It's like an eggy texture with there being no flour in.
So, our company here have the recipe that dates back to the 1860s.
Mrs Wilson... Mrs Wilson? Any relation to me?
No! (LAUGHS)
..who owned this business used to make candles.
She realised there was money to be made.
The dish had become popular at the local pub.
She was a candle maker. Originally.
She became a pudding maker. She did.
She made a lot more money than when she was doing candles!
So, in here you've got ground almonds,
eggs, butter and sugar.
But, there is a secret ingredient which I cannot tell you.
Can you whisper it to me? No! No.
I'm not going to play then!
Have a taste and see if you can guess! No, no, no!
She's a tough cookie this one!
There is no way she is going to divulge the secret.
Am I going to do this? Yes.
What you've got here is puff pastry. Is the secret ingredient in there?
No, that's just puff pastry. OK.
So, because this is a very light mixture,
we need to have a flat bottom so it ends up looking like that.
Yeah. Yours is certainly better than mine.
And this is...? Seedless strawberry jam.
When does that go in, after that? It goes in here, now.
You drop a little bit of jam in the bottom like that.
Do you want me to pop it in for you? Pop that in for me.
OK.
I think Mary Berry may have something to say about my soggy bottom!
The next thing is the mixture.
You are looking to just cover your jam,
which is about that amount.
OK. That's it.
What we do with these now,
is we pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes.
They will bake and rise. Then we turn the oven off.
Open the oven door and they come back down and set again.
They are ready to eat. OK.
What a lot of bother and I still don't know the secret ingredient!
While I'm waiting for them to bake, time for a quick cuppa.
First time?
Twenty minutes later and here is my masterpiece!
Is that mine? Yeah.
Very good but it needs to set. It's a very good pudding though.
I am impressed by my pudding making...skills.
But, that's your tuition!
It doesn't look as attractive as a tart,
but the proof of the pudding is in the eating!
Yes!
Did you enjoy your pudding, sir? I thought it was delicious.
I've always been a fan of Bakewell tart but that pudding...
Is that your first pudding? Yeah.
I've got a very sweet tooth and it is delicious.
Very moreish!
They tell me there is a secret ingredient.
But, they won't tell me what it is!
(LAUGHTER)
Hobhouse in the guide
makes a passing reference to Bakewell tart,
but I have just made and tasted Bakewell pudding,
which I think is much nicer.
I think Hobhouse missed a trick there!
In my 1935 Shell Guide to Derbyshire,
Hobhouse said this was a paradise in Britain
and I tend to agree with him.
It has extraordinary food, the purest water,
and amazing architecture.
But, the thing that has impressed me the most has been its natural beauty
and I feel a strong debt of gratitude
to the people who fought the powers that be
to make it available to all.
Next time in Durham,
Deborah and I have a little difficulty navigating the roads!
This is not what I am agreeing to do ever again!
I visit the 14th century Raby Castle,
and I get to blast out a tune at Durham Cathedral!
(ORGAN BOOMING)
OH! Oh, I could do that all day!
subtitles by Deluxe