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I've always been fascinated
by the River Thames.
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It runs right through the place
where I was born, London,
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where my family have lived
for 300 years.
4
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As a teenager,
I worked in the docks.
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You wouldn't recognise it.
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Not one of these buildings was here.
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It's the river that built Britain.
8
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Now I'm going to get to know it
even more intimately,
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to find out what makes this one of
the greatest rivers in the world.
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I'm following it from source to sea
along the Thames Path National Trail,
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Europe's longest riverside walk.
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Is that water?
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From its humble beginnings
in Gloucestershire...
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I could look at it for hours.
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...to downriver...
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Would the boats come down on this?
Yeah.
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...where I learn how
we tamed the Thames...
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It would have been chaos,
wouldn't it? It would.
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...for trade...
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Wow! This is all sugar?
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It's like the pyramids!
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...and pleasure.
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You can really imagine,
can't you, being Victorian,
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leaving work on Friday afternoon,
getting back after lunch on a Monday.
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I'll meet people whose lives
revolve around the Thames...
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I'm a porter, Tony.
Fish porter, man and boy.
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I think we will make a boat builder
out of you yet, Tony. Are you sure?
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And, over the course
of my 200-mile journey,
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I'll witness
an extraordinary transformation
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from a trickle in a field
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to the lifeblood of our capital.
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Money, money, money -
money everywhere.
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And, finally, how it becomes
a magnificent giant
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as it merges with the sea.
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Join me, Tony Robinson,
walking the Thames.
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I'm a little bit stymied here.
I think I'm in the right field.
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Look, it says there "the source
of the River Thames"
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and, underneath in brackets,
"spring".
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But, er...l can't see anything other
than green grass and dandelions.
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The source is not what I imagined.
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I'm in the next field now.
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There is something kind of grey
and square there, can you see it?
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That could be an inscription.
44
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Oh, yes.
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There's definitely something.
46
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Almost impossible
to read what it says.
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"This stone was
something-something-something...
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"..source of the River Thames."
49
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That's it, isn't it?
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Here we are, "Thames Barrier London,
184 miles, 294km."
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CHUCKLING: But it is a bit
of an anti-climax cos, look -
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the source of the Thames,
no water whatsoever.
53
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But I would like to find
a sort of wet source of the Thames.
54
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300 years ago,
there was usually a stream here.
55
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But, with a growing population,
industry and agriculture
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all extracting water
from the layers of limestone below,
57
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it now only flows
in the wettest winters.
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But about a mile away,
there is a more reliable source.
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Is that water?
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Oh, yes,
that's a bit more promising.
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Look at this.
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M. wen.
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That's a proper source
of the river, isn't it?
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That's so satisfying,
I could look at it for hours.
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Certainly the Anglo-Saxons
were aware of this place
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and the Bronze Age people,
as well as the Romans.
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In past centuries, it was common
to leave offerings in the river
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because it was believed to have
spiritual or mystical powers.
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The Romans seem to have been
particularly keen on the practice.
70
00:04:01,866 --> 00:04:05,455
They'd take something
that meant something to them -
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00:04:05,455 --> 00:04:09,806
a sword or a badge or a brooch
or something -
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break it and put it in.
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00:04:12,896 --> 00:04:16,406
So I thought
I would do something similar,
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asking for good luck on my journey.
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This is a spoon that was among the
things that I got when my mum died,
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and I remember it vividly
from when I was a kid,
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eating the old boiled egg from it.
78
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So...I'm sacrificing it.
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I was thinking of chucking it in,
80
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but it probably isn't very good form
to clutter the river.
81
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I'm going to bury it, but I'm not
going to bury it right here
82
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cos someone will only come
and dig it up.
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I'm not going to tell you where.
84
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With the spoon sorted
and water found, my walk can begin.
85
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The first leg of my journey takes me
from the source, close to Kemble
86
00:05:02,796 --> 00:05:05,836
near Cirencester, through
a little-changed landscape
87
00:05:05,836 --> 00:05:10,555
of Cotswold villages and historic
trading towns to the dreaming spires
88
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of Oxford, about 50 miles away.
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I'm following the infant
River Thames.
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Right now, it's hard to believe
it has had such an influence
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00:05:25,636 --> 00:05:30,666
on Britain, but within a few miles,
the trickle has already grown
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00:05:30,666 --> 00:05:32,425
to a fast-flowing stream.
93
00:05:34,636 --> 00:05:38,026
On its journey to London, the River
Thames travels
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00:05:38,026 --> 00:05:41,505
at between 2.5 and 3 mph,
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so by my calculations,
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it should be going through
the Thames Barrier...
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There it goes! ..in just three days.
98
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There's no way I can keep
up with that stick.
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00:05:53,866 --> 00:05:58,216
It takes even seasoned walkers
around 12 clays to reach London.
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The first village on the river is
Ashton Keynes, south of Cirencester.
101
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It's best known for the 16 bridges
that straddle the Thames to access
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houses on the main street,
and it's got some reminders
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of a violent past.
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It's a 14th-century cross
that had its head whipped off
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by Cromwell's men
during the English Civil War.
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The puritanical Roundheads
deplored symbols of Catholicism,
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and four crosses in the village
suffered at their hands.
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I can see why they would've
wanted to put a brick through
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a stained glass window
in a cathedral,
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cos they hated Catholic iconography,
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but just to take the top off that
seems a bit rubbish, really.
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The Thames here was powerful enough
to power a watermill.
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The Domesday Book records
one in 1086.
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That made the village more important
than average, but it never grew
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into a town, because the river
is too shallow for boats
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to trade here.
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00:07:07,255 --> 00:07:09,946
That's why half of Ashton Keynes
has remained largely
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unchanged for centuries.
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These images were taken
over 100 years ago.
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I'm going round...
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There we are.
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It really hasn't changed much.
There's a phone box and a car -
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that's about all the differences
there are.
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Local historians believe postcards
like these were sent to soldiers
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fighting in the trenches
of the First World War to remind
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them of England and what
they were fighting for.
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This is the quintessential
English village, isn't it?
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You half expect a load of Disney
peasant women to leap out and start
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singing a song!
HE LAUGHS
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In these upper stretches
of the Thames, you can clearly see
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the river's flood plain
in its original natural state.
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In long periods of wet weather,
it's normal for the Thames
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to overflow its banks, and
because the surrounding meadows
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haven't been built on,
they can absorb the water,
135
00:08:07,876 --> 00:08:09,696
rather like a giant sponge.
136
00:08:11,896 --> 00:08:15,416
When it's tipping down with rain,
like it is now, it's important
137
00:08:15,416 --> 00:08:18,946
to know how fast the river's
flowing, whether it's flooding,
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whether its banks are being eroded,
in order to protect the villages
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00:08:23,135 --> 00:08:25,526
and towns along the Thames.
140
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So I'm about to meet a group
of hydrologists who know that
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sort of thing and are using
the most modern tech in order
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to understand the river.
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Downriver, where many of the meadows
like these have been built on,
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there's less capacity to absorb
water that overflows the river banks,
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leaving homes and businesses
at risk of flooding
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00:08:48,326 --> 00:08:51,886
with potentially devastating effects.
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Work to prevent that is
the responsibility of
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00:08:54,476 --> 00:08:58,676
Environment Agency scientists,
like Nick Everard.
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00:08:58,676 --> 00:09:00,756
Terrible old weather today, isn't it?
150
00:09:00,756 --> 00:09:02,754
Oh, well, this is
job security for us.
151
00:09:02,754 --> 00:09:05,284
Without the rain, we wouldn't have
a job. And what is it you're doing?
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We're trying to understand
the total flow rate of the river,
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so we can understand how to balance
the flow of water down the river
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for water supply, for agriculture,
for the environment and ecology.
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And in times of high flow,
we need to manage flooding
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and understand where to put
flood defences, but also forecast
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and understand the magnitude
of future events we might have.
158
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To help achieve all this,
the scientists use an acoustic
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00:09:27,178 --> 00:09:30,618
radio-controlled boat with
an on board sensor to detect
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water depth and speed.
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00:09:33,357 --> 00:09:37,288
The agency also monitors water
quality and Rachel Shacklady
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is testing for indicators
of rural pollution...
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00:09:41,078 --> 00:09:42,278
Hiya!
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00:09:42,278 --> 00:09:45,908
...such as sewage,
slurry and fertiliser.
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We can measure the temperature
of the water, the conductivity,
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the pH and also the ammonium.
167
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That's the poo and the pee, isn't it?
168
00:09:52,668 --> 00:09:55,978
Exactly, that is - so human waste
or agricultural waste.
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00:09:55,978 --> 00:09:58,488
It helps us to see
the quality of the water.
170
00:09:58,488 --> 00:10:00,048
And it's taking a reading right now?
171
00:10:00,048 --> 00:10:02,337
It is. Would you like me
to get some data up for you? Yeah.
172
00:10:02,337 --> 00:10:05,217
So here, each line represents
a different parameter.
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What's that spike there?
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This is turbidity. What? Turbidity.
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If you have quite heavy rainfall,
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it can stir up lots of the
dissolved organic material.
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Like what - mud?
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00:10:15,337 --> 00:10:18,137
Yeah, mud, whatever's
being kicked up in the water.
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00:10:18,137 --> 00:10:21,028
The orange line here's the ammonium,
like you mentioned earlier.
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The poo and the pee. Exactly.
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00:10:22,698 --> 00:10:25,778
And then you've got the blue line
- this is the nice dissolved oxygen.
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00:10:25,778 --> 00:10:28,778
If you start to see levels
dipping down quite low,
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00:10:28,778 --> 00:10:33,488
that can cause fish kills and
you can see that's reading 97.3%.
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00:10:33,488 --> 00:10:35,818
We've got a healthy river.
We do indeed.
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00:10:35,818 --> 00:10:40,018
Just along the bank, the sensor
on the boat has now relayed its data
186
00:10:40,018 --> 00:10:41,387
back to Nick.
187
00:10:41,387 --> 00:10:43,538
We've finished the measurement
and we can see how much water
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00:10:43,538 --> 00:10:44,848
is going down the river.
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00:10:44,848 --> 00:10:47,688
It's 50,000 litres a second. Cor!
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00:10:47,688 --> 00:10:50,668
Put another way, it's 15 tonnes
of water every second.
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00:10:50,668 --> 00:10:53,387
In the summer this can get as low
as one, but in a flood, it can get
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00:10:53,387 --> 00:10:56,488
up to about 80. So, essentially,
everything is under control?
193
00:10:56,488 --> 00:10:58,538
Everything is under control.
The river is behaving exactly
194
00:10:58,538 --> 00:11:01,058
as we'd like it to,
so everything is good.
195
00:11:01,058 --> 00:11:04,898
It's good news today, but the Thames
has the most densely populated
196
00:11:04,898 --> 00:11:08,808
river basin in the UK,
with 13 million residents,
197
00:11:08,808 --> 00:11:11,978
so continued monitoring is vital.
198
00:11:11,978 --> 00:11:14,778
That boat's a real asset.
199
00:11:14,778 --> 00:11:17,488
Is it particularly complex to
operate? It's very simple.
200
00:11:17,488 --> 00:11:20,137
So simple that, dare I say,
you could have a go yourself,
201
00:11:20,137 --> 00:11:22,028
if you'd like to. It would
have to be very simple.
202
00:11:22,028 --> 00:11:24,337
It is, believe me. All right.
203
00:11:24,337 --> 00:11:25,978
I haven't done one these before.
204
00:11:25,978 --> 00:11:28,548
This one is power, so forward
makes the boat go forward,
205
00:11:28,548 --> 00:11:29,988
backwards makes it go backwards,
206
00:11:29,988 --> 00:11:32,668
and this one is steering with
rudders, and you get the idea.
207
00:11:32,668 --> 00:11:35,137
It's very, very easy to drive,
and that's a beautiful circle
208
00:11:35,137 --> 00:11:37,337
you've just driven on the Thames
to prove the point.
209
00:11:37,337 --> 00:11:39,568
And you've just discovered
the boat can go quite fast.
210
00:11:39,568 --> 00:11:43,137
It can, can't it? Do you want to give
it a top speed run? Yeah, yeah.
211
00:11:43,137 --> 00:11:45,298
Point it straight upriver
and then push that one
212
00:11:45,298 --> 00:11:46,828
all the way forward. Whoa!
213
00:11:46,828 --> 00:11:48,387
Go, my son! Go, my son!
214
00:11:48,387 --> 00:11:51,698
Now we'll steer it a little way
away from the bank.
215
00:11:51,698 --> 00:11:53,748
HE LAUGHS
I love your nervous laugh!
216
00:11:53,748 --> 00:11:56,748
Yeah! You know, it's, er,
it's not that cheap,
217
00:11:56,748 --> 00:11:58,898
the boat that's out there.
How much does it cost?
218
00:11:58,898 --> 00:12:01,217
The boat is about £15,000
219
00:12:01,217 --> 00:12:04,387
and the sensor on it
is rather more than that.
220
00:12:04,387 --> 00:12:08,628
It turns out I'm driving
40 grand's worth of kit.
221
00:12:08,628 --> 00:12:11,778
Let's come back towards us.
Which one do I push to get it back?
222
00:12:11,778 --> 00:12:14,387
My laugh is getting more nervous
by the minute, isn't it?
223
00:12:14,387 --> 00:12:18,098
Shall I bring it back and then you
can take control? I can do this. Oh!
224
00:12:18,098 --> 00:12:19,337
Turn it back. And then... No.
225
00:12:19,337 --> 00:12:21,538
Forward on that one and...just...
There you are.
226
00:12:21,538 --> 00:12:24,858
Yeah. It looks as though you knew
exactly what you're doing. I did.
227
00:12:27,548 --> 00:12:31,778
Well, that was great. It actually
made a rainy day very fun.
228
00:12:31,778 --> 00:12:33,978
Oh, good. Thank you.
And the rain's even stopped.
229
00:12:33,978 --> 00:12:36,698
The sun's trying to come out.
Look at that. What a joy.
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00:12:36,698 --> 00:12:39,187
It'll go back in any moment.
THEY LAUGH
231
00:12:40,678 --> 00:12:42,017
Coming UP---
232
00:12:42,017 --> 00:12:44,778
...my walk stumbles into
hostile territory...
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00:12:44,778 --> 00:12:46,978
I'm a friend. I'm a friend!
234
00:12:46,978 --> 00:12:48,658
...and a fishing trip...
235
00:12:48,658 --> 00:12:50,207
# Championes... #
236
00:12:50,207 --> 00:12:52,137
...turns bizarre.
237
00:12:52,137 --> 00:12:57,127
Bob has actually taken photographs
of me in the nude, right?
238
00:12:57,127 --> 00:12:58,848
I have, I'm afraid, yeah.
239
00:13:07,517 --> 00:13:12,137
I'm following the mighty Thames from
its source right down to the sea.
240
00:13:13,517 --> 00:13:18,007
I'm now about 23 miles downriver,
near the town of Lechlade -
241
00:13:18,007 --> 00:13:20,377
a significant point on my journey.
242
00:13:22,617 --> 00:13:27,476
This is the Thames, of course,
but over there beyond that weeping
243
00:13:27,476 --> 00:13:31,147
willow is its tributary, the Cole.
244
00:13:31,147 --> 00:13:35,446
It's one of 38 main tributaries
along the length of the river.
245
00:13:35,446 --> 00:13:41,087
And where the Cole joins it,
suddenly the river gets much bigger.
246
00:13:41,087 --> 00:13:46,167
In fact, this is the official start
of motorised navigation
247
00:13:46,167 --> 00:13:49,887
on the Thames, and what that means
is that for the last few hours,
248
00:13:49,887 --> 00:13:52,847
I have seen virtually nobody,
but up ahead
249
00:13:52,847 --> 00:13:54,957
there'll be loads of people.
250
00:13:59,137 --> 00:14:02,887
This now bigger Thames makes
Lechlade the furthest large boats
251
00:14:02,887 --> 00:14:07,287
can travel upriver, so
it's a busy spot.
252
00:14:07,287 --> 00:14:11,887
In the past, it helped the town grow
through trade as a gateway for goods
253
00:14:11,887 --> 00:14:14,807
moving between the
Cotswolds and London.
254
00:14:14,807 --> 00:14:18,847
So the plan is I meet up
with a bloke called Bob,
255
00:14:18,847 --> 00:14:21,927
and blag a lift down the
next stretch of the river.
256
00:14:23,657 --> 00:14:28,617
Bob Ring is one of a handful
of licensed crayfish trappers.
257
00:14:28,617 --> 00:14:30,807
We're meeting at St John's Lock,
258
00:14:30,807 --> 00:14:34,236
the first of 45 between
here and London.
259
00:14:34,236 --> 00:14:35,887
Excuse me, are you Bob?
260
00:14:35,887 --> 00:14:38,087
Yes, I am. Hi, I'm Tony.
261
00:14:38,087 --> 00:14:41,087
Is it OK if I do my next leg
of my journey with you?
262
00:14:41,087 --> 00:14:43,527
Yes, of course. Hop on.
263
00:14:43,527 --> 00:14:46,217
I think Old Father Thames
is rooting for me.
264
00:14:46,217 --> 00:14:48,657
He was originally commissioned
for the Crystal Palace,
265
00:14:48,657 --> 00:14:50,767
but he's been here since 1974.
266
00:14:53,097 --> 00:14:55,757
In return for cadging
a lift with Bob...
267
00:14:55,757 --> 00:14:56,957
Going down.
268
00:14:56,957 --> 00:15:00,137
...I'm expected to do
a little grafting.
269
00:15:00,137 --> 00:15:01,376
Get off! There we go.
270
00:15:04,407 --> 00:15:09,047
The original lock on this site
was built in 1790, part of a series
271
00:15:09,047 --> 00:15:12,727
of works that allowed larger boats
to navigate up the Thames,
272
00:15:12,727 --> 00:15:16,217
making the river the trade
superhighway of its time.
273
00:15:17,687 --> 00:15:20,456
Used to be incredibly busy,
years and years ago.
274
00:15:20,456 --> 00:15:23,617
From Lechlade you could go
all the way down to London,
275
00:15:23,617 --> 00:15:28,537
but in the late 18th century, they
built the Thames and Severn Canal,
276
00:15:28,537 --> 00:15:31,857
which came through into here,
and once you'd got that,
277
00:15:31,857 --> 00:15:35,897
then you could also go east-west,
right down as far as Bristol,
278
00:15:35,897 --> 00:15:39,817
which meant there was loads
of traffic coming here.
279
00:15:39,817 --> 00:15:42,366
You got... Oh, excuse me! Sorry.
280
00:15:42,366 --> 00:15:46,607
You got cheese and you got
wool and you got stone...
281
00:15:46,607 --> 00:15:52,007
Well, the stone that actually built
St Paul's Cathedral came down here.
282
00:15:52,007 --> 00:15:55,576
Hugely busy. You'd never
think it now, would you?
283
00:15:55,576 --> 00:15:59,807
From the mid-1800s, the coming
of the railways made boat transport
284
00:15:59,807 --> 00:16:02,527
of cargo ever-less
financially viable.
285
00:16:02,527 --> 00:16:06,326
That's not to say no-one makes
a living from the river any more -
286
00:16:06,326 --> 00:16:09,767
Bob does it by catching
American signal crayfish.
287
00:16:11,167 --> 00:16:16,167
The species was introduced to the UK
in the 1970s to be farmed for food,
288
00:16:16,167 --> 00:16:19,576
but many escaped into the wild.
289
00:16:19,576 --> 00:16:23,116
Only later was it discovered
they're carriers of a plague fatal
290
00:16:23,116 --> 00:16:24,446
to native crayfish.
291
00:16:25,477 --> 00:16:27,517
There they are, wandering
around completely immune
292
00:16:27,517 --> 00:16:29,687
to the thing they carry,
but all our native ones...
293
00:16:29,687 --> 00:16:30,847
HE CROAKS
294
00:16:30,847 --> 00:16:33,047
"falling over.
295
00:16:33,047 --> 00:16:35,737
On the Thames the problem
is currently so severe,
296
00:16:35,737 --> 00:16:40,737
it's thought native crayfish
have declined by over 95%.
297
00:16:40,737 --> 00:16:43,177
These you've pulled out
of the river. Yeah.
298
00:16:43,177 --> 00:16:45,727
And these are American?
These are American signal.
299
00:16:45,727 --> 00:16:48,477
What does the signal mean?
It refers to the...
300
00:16:48,477 --> 00:16:50,366
They've got these
sort of white knuckles.
301
00:16:50,366 --> 00:16:53,167
They seem that they're sort
of almost signalling to each other.
302
00:16:53,167 --> 00:16:56,527
So when that one's waving its little
claw now... Yeah.
303
00:16:56,527 --> 00:16:58,287
...it's showing us the
little white flash.
304
00:16:58,287 --> 00:16:59,817
He is, or he's... Signalling.
305
00:16:59,817 --> 00:17:01,697
...making some sort of
gesture, anyway.
306
00:17:01,697 --> 00:17:03,937
Some sort of gesture indeed!
307
00:17:03,937 --> 00:17:08,297
Bob does crayfish removal to try to
keep the pests under control,
308
00:17:08,297 --> 00:17:11,847
and he's developed a niche market,
selling some of the catch
309
00:17:11,847 --> 00:17:15,326
to restaurants and making dishes
such as Louisiana gumbo
310
00:17:15,326 --> 00:17:17,586
for events and festivals.
311
00:17:17,586 --> 00:17:19,576
I do the gumbo at Glastonbury.
312
00:17:19,576 --> 00:17:21,297
Do you? It's a big seller.
313
00:17:21,297 --> 00:17:24,887
I was the sustainable trader
of the year in 2014. Hey!
314
00:17:24,887 --> 00:17:26,657
Hey! They always give me a bit
of...
315
00:17:26,657 --> 00:17:29,767
The Glastonbury sustainable trader
of the year! That's right.
316
00:17:31,887 --> 00:17:35,576
Something's been bugging me,
and as we set off to check the traps
317
00:17:35,576 --> 00:17:37,847
set last night, the penny drops.
318
00:17:39,487 --> 00:17:42,597
I didn't realise this,
but this is absolutely true -
319
00:17:42,597 --> 00:17:44,576
I didn't recognise Bob,
320
00:17:44,576 --> 00:17:47,737
but we had known each other
30 years ago.
321
00:17:47,737 --> 00:17:51,097
He used to be a publicity
photographer.
322
00:17:51,097 --> 00:17:57,326
I worked on a very rude show called
Who Dares Wins, and Bob has actually
323
00:17:57,326 --> 00:18:00,376
taken photographs of me in the nude.
324
00:18:00,376 --> 00:18:01,687
I have, I'm afraid.
325
00:18:01,687 --> 00:18:04,487
I think the ad might have
originally been "pure genius".
326
00:18:04,487 --> 00:18:05,727
That's right, yeah.
327
00:18:05,727 --> 00:18:07,376
It was a parody of that ad.
328
00:18:07,376 --> 00:18:09,326
Well, I'm glad I shared
that with you.
329
00:18:09,326 --> 00:18:10,937
THEY LAUGH
330
00:18:10,937 --> 00:18:13,177
Anyway, back to business.
331
00:18:13,177 --> 00:18:15,487
Underneath the water,
there would be crayfish?
332
00:18:15,487 --> 00:18:16,947
There will be crayfish.
333
00:18:16,947 --> 00:18:20,947
It's a little early season, so not
all of them are out and about.
334
00:18:20,947 --> 00:18:25,456
Bob has baited his pots
with mackerel, so fingers crossed.
335
00:18:25,456 --> 00:18:26,737
No, not a thing.
336
00:18:27,947 --> 00:18:30,857
Typical. There must be millions
of the little blighters,
337
00:18:30,857 --> 00:18:33,307
but they're camera-shy.
338
00:18:33,307 --> 00:18:35,747
Right, at last. Yay! A result!
339
00:18:35,747 --> 00:18:38,027
So many times over the years
I've done this,
340
00:18:38,027 --> 00:18:40,576
"Let's go out and see if we can catch
something!"
341
00:18:40,576 --> 00:18:43,767
You never do - but triumph!
342
00:18:43,767 --> 00:18:47,017
# Championes, championes
343
00:18:47,017 --> 00:18:51,136
# Ole, ole, ole... #
344
00:18:51,136 --> 00:18:55,386
Back on the boat, we cook up Bob's
signature dish of crayfish gumbo
345
00:18:55,386 --> 00:18:59,537
and mix crayfish, spicy sausage,
spuds and corn on the cob.
346
00:19:01,617 --> 00:19:04,847
With butter, extra spice,
and a jolly good mixing
347
00:19:04,847 --> 00:19:09,456
in a slightly unorthodox serving
bowl, our boat cuisine is ready.
348
00:19:10,737 --> 00:19:12,657
It doesn't look
incredibly appetising.
349
00:19:12,657 --> 00:19:16,107
It looks like what's left
over at the end of a tsunami.
350
00:19:16,107 --> 00:19:18,547
I think you'll find
it's pretty tasty, though.
351
00:19:18,547 --> 00:19:19,857
I'll be the judge of that!
352
00:19:21,537 --> 00:19:23,407
Nice, isn't it? Yes. Very nice.
353
00:19:27,216 --> 00:19:29,777
Unexpected free meal
from the Thames.
354
00:19:29,777 --> 00:19:32,057
Not that the sweetcorn and
the potatoes grew in the Thames,
355
00:19:32,057 --> 00:19:34,657
but you know what I mean.
356
00:19:34,657 --> 00:19:37,336
It's quite blowy now, isn't it?
It's picked up a bit.
357
00:19:37,336 --> 00:19:39,537
Cheers, mate. It's been
an absolute pleasure, Tony.
358
00:19:39,537 --> 00:19:42,407
Lovely to see you.
Lovely to see you after 30 years!
359
00:19:42,407 --> 00:19:44,297
I know. See you later.
360
00:19:48,206 --> 00:19:52,136
As I head east along the path,
it's increasingly clear crayfish
361
00:19:52,136 --> 00:19:56,136
aren't the only invaders to
cause worry along the Thames.
362
00:19:57,206 --> 00:19:58,847
Ever since leaving Lechlade,
363
00:19:58,847 --> 00:20:02,017
I've been seeing these
fortified guard posts,
364
00:20:02,017 --> 00:20:05,017
evidence of the river's
strategic importance.
365
00:20:07,107 --> 00:20:09,617
I've got to the part of the Thames
where there are a lot
366
00:20:09,617 --> 00:20:11,136
of pillboxes around.
367
00:20:11,136 --> 00:20:14,206
In fact, along here,
there's one every half mile,
368
00:20:14,206 --> 00:20:17,577
and that is because
in the Second World War,
369
00:20:17,577 --> 00:20:20,027
if the Germans had invaded by land,
370
00:20:20,027 --> 00:20:23,216
then the Thames was going to be the
line of defence
371
00:20:23,216 --> 00:20:27,386
to stop them getting to
the Midlands and the North.
372
00:20:29,417 --> 00:20:34,126
In the summer of 1940,
after the evacuation from Dunkirk,
373
00:20:34,126 --> 00:20:37,577
the threat of a German
invasion became very real.
374
00:20:37,577 --> 00:20:41,336
If Britain's coastal defences
failed, Stop Line Red,
375
00:20:41,336 --> 00:20:45,567
following the Thames, was to be part
of a series of defensive stop lines
376
00:20:45,567 --> 00:20:48,436
that would at least prevent
Rommel's Panzer divisions
377
00:20:48,436 --> 00:20:51,797
advancing into our industrial
heartland to the north.
378
00:20:54,316 --> 00:20:59,196
I've got a rendezvous with a bunch
of people who know quite a lot
379
00:20:59,196 --> 00:21:02,397
about those defences,
although they're not here yet,
380
00:21:02,397 --> 00:21:06,947
which is odd, because I was supposed
to see them at 1600 hours,
381
00:21:06,947 --> 00:21:08,456
and it's now...
382
00:21:08,456 --> 00:21:10,087
Good lord.
383
00:21:14,136 --> 00:21:17,937
Bill King and his re-enactors honour
the memory of the men who defended
384
00:21:17,937 --> 00:21:21,017
this area with displays each summer.
385
00:21:21,017 --> 00:21:22,326
I'm a friend!
386
00:21:22,326 --> 00:21:24,206
I'm a friend!
387
00:21:24,206 --> 00:21:27,577
Oh, Bill, you saved me
from a terrible fate.
388
00:21:27,577 --> 00:21:30,336
Can we go and have a look
at these guys? Yes, sure, we can.
389
00:21:30,336 --> 00:21:32,537
Who were they?
Who would they have been?
390
00:21:32,537 --> 00:21:35,427
You're looking at members
of the Oxfordshire Home Guard.
391
00:21:37,297 --> 00:21:40,847
Dad's Army poked fun at the
Home Guard but, in reality,
392
00:21:40,847 --> 00:21:45,027
they had a deadly serious mission -
to hinder a German invasion.
393
00:21:46,297 --> 00:21:50,057
Men with crucial civilian jobs
or those too young
394
00:21:50,057 --> 00:21:52,627
or old for the regular forces
could volunteer,
395
00:21:52,627 --> 00:21:56,547
and by July 1940,
1.5 million had clone so.
396
00:21:58,266 --> 00:22:00,466
These two have got
different coloured hats on.
397
00:22:00,466 --> 00:22:02,216
These two are Upper Thames patrol.
398
00:22:02,216 --> 00:22:04,567
The patrol was formed prior
to the Home Guard
399
00:22:04,567 --> 00:22:07,827
so these two have got seniority over
the others, from that point of view.
400
00:22:07,827 --> 00:22:09,016
And what was their job?
401
00:22:09,016 --> 00:22:12,097
To look after the river, to make
sure that the locks and the weirs
402
00:22:12,097 --> 00:22:13,977
are protected and not sabotaged.
403
00:22:13,977 --> 00:22:17,497
If the Germans had invaded,
what would they have had to do?
404
00:22:17,497 --> 00:22:21,057
Oh, literally, this was going
to be the last-ditch defence,
405
00:22:21,057 --> 00:22:24,097
and so the pillboxes
would have been hard points,
406
00:22:24,097 --> 00:22:27,107
but their task, literally,
would have been to blow the bridges.
407
00:22:27,107 --> 00:22:28,937
If the enemy are coming
from the south,
408
00:22:28,937 --> 00:22:31,747
their job is to prevent them
from crossing the river.
409
00:22:31,747 --> 00:22:35,537
As well as blowing up the bridges,
the brief was to open the weirs
410
00:22:35,537 --> 00:22:38,476
and locks so the
surrounding land would flood
411
00:22:38,476 --> 00:22:41,297
and bog down a mechanised invasion.
412
00:22:41,297 --> 00:22:42,987
Who would've built the pillboxes?
413
00:22:42,987 --> 00:22:44,788
Would it have been guys like this?
Oh, no.
414
00:22:44,788 --> 00:22:47,076
These were all done by either
civilian contractors
415
00:22:47,076 --> 00:22:49,076
or by Royal Pioneer Corps.
416
00:22:49,076 --> 00:22:51,455
It was done in about
six to eight weeks.
417
00:22:51,455 --> 00:22:54,556
How many did they make in six
to eight weeks? About 5,000.
418
00:22:54,556 --> 00:22:57,445
Wow, it must have been frenzy!
It was.
419
00:22:57,445 --> 00:23:00,115
But they were never used
because the Germans didn't invade.
420
00:23:00,115 --> 00:23:01,806
The Battle of Britain took place,
421
00:23:01,806 --> 00:23:03,526
the enemy never got air superiority
422
00:23:03,526 --> 00:23:06,435
and, as a consequence, they were
never able to cross the Channel.
423
00:23:06,435 --> 00:23:09,356
But these guys would've stopped them,
wouldn't they? Oh, absolutely.
424
00:23:09,356 --> 00:23:10,566
Fine body of men.
425
00:23:10,566 --> 00:23:13,526
Shall we put them through their
paces? Oh, definitely. I think so.
426
00:23:13,526 --> 00:23:15,086
Upper Thames, stand fast.
427
00:23:15,086 --> 00:23:16,406
Oxfordshire Home Guard,
428
00:23:16,406 --> 00:23:18,596
fix bayonets.
429
00:23:22,315 --> 00:23:24,455
Attention!
430
00:23:26,766 --> 00:23:29,526
A couple were a bit slow
behind you but, by and large,
431
00:23:29,526 --> 00:23:30,806
you were pretty impressive.
432
00:23:30,806 --> 00:23:32,886
I do notice one thing, corporal.
433
00:23:32,886 --> 00:23:35,916
One of your Home Guard has
an earring.
434
00:23:35,916 --> 00:23:37,526
THEY LAUGH
435
00:23:37,526 --> 00:23:39,706
I forgot to take that out
this morning.
436
00:23:39,706 --> 00:23:42,846
Well, thank you ever so much
for coming out.
437
00:23:42,846 --> 00:23:45,356
And, Bill, thanks for all
that information. Thank you, Tony.
438
00:23:45,356 --> 00:23:48,195
How far is Rycote? Two miles,
straight down stream.
439
00:23:48,195 --> 00:23:51,686
Right, well, that's where I'm going
now. Good luck. Cheers. See you.
440
00:23:56,125 --> 00:23:57,315
Coming UP---
441
00:23:57,315 --> 00:23:59,396
Oh, wow, loads of them!
442
00:23:59,396 --> 00:24:02,115
...restoring the river calls
for some fishy business...
443
00:24:02,115 --> 00:24:03,636
Well, go on, my son.
444
00:24:03,636 --> 00:24:05,836
Hey! He's gone.
445
00:24:05,836 --> 00:24:08,166
...taking a toll turns out
to be fun...
446
00:24:08,166 --> 00:24:09,325
Thank you.
447
00:24:09,325 --> 00:24:10,556
...and lucrative...
448
00:24:10,556 --> 00:24:13,315
Don't shake my hand,
take my money. OK!
449
00:24:13,315 --> 00:24:16,806
...and a green electricity
scheme gives me a shock.
450
00:24:16,806 --> 00:24:18,315
Ow! It's like torture.
451
00:24:18,315 --> 00:24:20,436
It's like being a bit of cheese
on a grater.
452
00:24:29,016 --> 00:24:31,576
In my journey along
the length of the Thames,
453
00:24:31,576 --> 00:24:34,295
I'm looking at a river that's
dramatically different from the one
454
00:24:34,295 --> 00:24:35,686
I grew up with.
455
00:24:37,206 --> 00:24:40,016
Here on the upper reaches
of the Thames, it's peaceful,
456
00:24:40,016 --> 00:24:42,656
undisturbed, the river looks lovely.
457
00:24:42,656 --> 00:24:46,586
In fact, the Thames is cleaner now
than it has been at any time
458
00:24:46,586 --> 00:24:48,206
in the last 500 years.
459
00:24:49,686 --> 00:24:52,606
When I was a kid in London
in the 1950s,
460
00:24:52,606 --> 00:24:55,606
the lower reaches of the river
were polluted by industry
461
00:24:55,606 --> 00:24:58,196
and wartime damage to the sewers.
462
00:24:59,336 --> 00:25:02,845
Bacteria in sewage use
the oxygen in water,
463
00:25:02,845 --> 00:25:06,085
leaving little for other life forms.
464
00:25:06,085 --> 00:25:11,055
By 1957, the water quality was
so bad the Natural History Museum
465
00:25:11,055 --> 00:25:13,886
declared London's river
biologically dead.
466
00:25:16,126 --> 00:25:18,855
Today, I'm back with
the Environment Agency,
467
00:25:18,855 --> 00:25:21,126
which has achieved
a massive turnaround,
468
00:25:21,126 --> 00:25:23,835
cleaning up the whole length
of the river.
469
00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:26,175
Hi. Ah, morning.
470
00:25:26,175 --> 00:25:27,666
What are you doing, 9113/5?
471
00:25:27,666 --> 00:25:30,526
Rab's come from our fish farm
at Calverton to stock some fish
472
00:25:30,526 --> 00:25:32,816
in the Thames for us.
473
00:25:32,816 --> 00:25:36,326
Stuart Manwaring's releasing
1,200 chub and barbel
474
00:25:36,326 --> 00:25:40,566
to boost the fish population and
ensure there are enough for anglers,
475
00:25:40,566 --> 00:25:43,526
whose licence fees
help pay for this work.
476
00:25:43,526 --> 00:25:45,816
If you want to hop up and have a
look... Yeah, sure.
477
00:25:45,816 --> 00:25:49,536
...Rab will fish a few out for you,
see what we've got.
478
00:25:49,536 --> 00:25:52,456
Oh, wow, loads of them!
So, these are the chub.
479
00:25:52,456 --> 00:25:54,656
How old are they?
So these are a year old,
480
00:25:54,656 --> 00:25:57,126
and then, round the other side,
I think we've got some barbel.
481
00:25:57,126 --> 00:25:59,165
These are a little bigger,
so they might splash.
482
00:25:59,165 --> 00:26:01,766
Oh, yeah, they're big boys,
aren't they?
483
00:26:01,766 --> 00:26:03,736
With so many fish to release,
484
00:26:03,736 --> 00:26:06,175
I'm going to get togged up
to lend a hand.
485
00:26:06,175 --> 00:26:08,406
As an actor, I'm used
to costume changes
486
00:26:08,406 --> 00:26:11,016
but this is way more strenuous...
487
00:26:11,016 --> 00:26:12,886
HE GRUNTS
Come on. Come on!
488
00:26:12,886 --> 00:26:14,286
HE CHUCKLES
489
00:26:14,286 --> 00:26:15,886
...worrying...
490
00:26:15,886 --> 00:26:18,746
Hope I don't need a pee.
491
00:26:18,746 --> 00:26:21,295
...and deeply unflattering.
492
00:26:21,295 --> 00:26:23,456
Tweedledum.
493
00:26:23,456 --> 00:26:24,456
Off I g0!
494
00:26:25,656 --> 00:26:28,136
First up for release are some chub.
495
00:26:28,136 --> 00:26:32,616
They're just part of around 20,000
fish the agency releases each year
496
00:26:32,616 --> 00:26:34,536
into the Thames.
497
00:26:34,536 --> 00:26:37,126
The key is finding a nice easy spot
to get down to the river.
498
00:26:37,126 --> 00:26:39,606
Oh, yeah. Nice, gentle banks.
Easy access here. Yeah.
499
00:26:39,606 --> 00:26:43,466
Peak time for release is winter
and spring when the water temperature
500
00:26:43,466 --> 00:26:46,696
in the Thames roughly matches
the cool temperatures at the farm
501
00:26:46,696 --> 00:26:48,975
where the fish were raised.
502
00:26:48,975 --> 00:26:52,925
Right, you ready? So, we just...
Yeah, we gently drop them in.
503
00:26:52,925 --> 00:26:54,816
Freedom. There we go.
504
00:26:54,816 --> 00:26:57,165
Do they seem to adapt
pretty well to the wild
505
00:26:57,165 --> 00:26:59,336
or do you find loads of them
belly up in a couple of days?
506
00:26:59,336 --> 00:27:00,616
Oh, they're gone.
507
00:27:00,616 --> 00:27:02,855
They're shooting off to find
the new niches to live in.
508
00:27:02,855 --> 00:27:06,256
Stuart and his colleagues work
with farmers, landowners
509
00:27:06,256 --> 00:27:09,975
and fishing clubs to improve river
habitats so the fish population
510
00:27:09,975 --> 00:27:12,105
can become more self-sustaining.
511
00:27:13,175 --> 00:27:14,686
Blimey!
512
00:27:14,686 --> 00:27:17,766
It's all right, don't panic,
you're going in the water.
513
00:27:17,766 --> 00:27:19,486
The chub should start reproducing
514
00:27:19,486 --> 00:27:21,915
once they're about
four or five years old,
515
00:27:21,915 --> 00:27:24,576
and these barbel at three or four.
516
00:27:24,576 --> 00:27:27,616
So, with any luck, these guys
will be 600 millimetres long
517
00:27:27,616 --> 00:27:30,496
in ten years, weighing 10, 12 lbs.
518
00:27:30,496 --> 00:27:32,696
Those are actually called barbels,
aren't they,
519
00:27:32,696 --> 00:27:34,286
those things sticking
from its mouth?
520
00:27:34,286 --> 00:27:36,326
Yeah, that's what it's using
to rummage around in all
521
00:27:36,326 --> 00:27:38,386
the sediment and the sand,
looking for invertebrates.
522
00:27:38,386 --> 00:27:40,566
These are sensitive feelers.
Beautiful fish.
523
00:27:40,566 --> 00:27:42,975
I won't leave him out of the water
any more. Go on, my son.
524
00:27:42,975 --> 00:27:44,536
Hey, he's gone.
525
00:27:44,536 --> 00:27:48,406
There were barbel in this river
in medieval times, weren't there?
526
00:27:48,406 --> 00:27:51,206
You see them written about in the
documents. Absolutely, yes.
527
00:27:51,206 --> 00:27:53,055
Yeah, the Thames was
very different back then.
528
00:27:55,175 --> 00:27:57,975
Happily, things seem
to be coming full circle.
529
00:27:57,975 --> 00:28:02,346
There are around 125 species
of fish along the Thames now.
530
00:28:02,346 --> 00:28:06,546
And a healthier river has drawn back
other wildlife, such as otters
531
00:28:06,546 --> 00:28:08,925
and even seals in the lower reaches.
532
00:28:08,925 --> 00:28:11,095
It's so unlike that
vision of the Thames
533
00:28:11,095 --> 00:28:12,496
that I used to have as a child,
534
00:28:12,496 --> 00:28:15,126
of a place where the river
was virtually black.
535
00:28:15,126 --> 00:28:18,736
The chronic pollution in the Thames,
hopefully those days are done now.
536
00:28:18,736 --> 00:28:19,975
Fingers crossed. Yeah.
537
00:28:19,975 --> 00:28:22,686
Old Father Thames keeps
rolling along. He does.
538
00:28:22,686 --> 00:28:25,175
Oh, my feet are stuck.
Give us a hand!
539
00:28:29,406 --> 00:28:31,826
Having extracted myself from the mud,
540
00:28:31,826 --> 00:28:34,576
there's a peaceful 16 miles
to my next stop.
541
00:28:40,736 --> 00:28:42,696
Walking along a river
mile after mile,
542
00:28:42,696 --> 00:28:45,256
you tend not to see anything
particularly dramatic,
543
00:28:45,256 --> 00:28:50,416
so when you're confronted
with something like that, you go,
544
00:28:50,416 --> 00:28:52,766
"Oh, wow, look at that engineering,
545
00:28:52,766 --> 00:28:55,055
"see the light bouncing
off the stone,"
546
00:28:55,055 --> 00:28:58,406
and, in fact, that bridge, Swinford,
is very interesting
547
00:28:58,406 --> 00:29:01,256
because it's one of
only two toll bridges
548
00:29:01,256 --> 00:29:03,216
on the whole of the River Thames.
549
00:29:04,376 --> 00:29:06,175
I suppose there's
the Dartford Crossing
550
00:29:06,175 --> 00:29:07,816
but I'm not sure that counts.
551
00:29:10,906 --> 00:29:13,776
Before the bridge was built
there was just a ferry.
552
00:29:13,776 --> 00:29:17,776
The story goes that King George Ill
received a right royal dunking
553
00:29:17,776 --> 00:29:21,256
after his carriage slipped off
the ferry and into the river.
554
00:29:21,256 --> 00:29:24,206
He was not amused and got to
the Earl of Abingdon
555
00:29:24,206 --> 00:29:26,256
to foot the bill for a bridge.
556
00:29:26,256 --> 00:29:29,486
In return, the Earl got the
rights to collect tolls
557
00:29:29,486 --> 00:29:32,686
entirely tax free forever.
558
00:29:34,616 --> 00:29:36,406
Sounds like something I should try.
559
00:29:38,945 --> 00:29:41,115
Thank you.
560
00:29:41,115 --> 00:29:42,346
Hello.
561
00:29:43,496 --> 00:29:44,536
Thank you.
562
00:29:46,626 --> 00:29:49,055
Tax free for life,
that's not bad, is it?
563
00:29:49,055 --> 00:29:50,376
Ta.
564
00:29:50,376 --> 00:29:53,055
No wonder that when the bridge
was sold in 2009...
565
00:29:53,055 --> 00:29:54,216
Thank you.
566
00:29:54,216 --> 00:29:55,776
...it went for a million quid.
567
00:29:55,776 --> 00:29:59,216
I mean, think about it,
Sp for a car, 20p for a bus.
568
00:29:59,216 --> 00:30:00,296
Ta.
569
00:30:00,296 --> 00:30:04,616
I reckon I must have made £1.40 in
the time it's taken to tell you that.
570
00:30:05,975 --> 00:30:10,626
It may roll in fast but
I've got to hand it over.
571
00:30:10,626 --> 00:30:12,416
The bridge has a toll house
572
00:30:12,416 --> 00:30:14,616
and in it lives the manager,
Paul Batty.
573
00:30:14,616 --> 00:30:17,646
Don't shake my hand, take my money!
OK. Well done.
574
00:30:17,646 --> 00:30:21,126
The house comes complete
with this idyllic garden.
575
00:30:21,126 --> 00:30:23,326
Which side are you going to sit?
576
00:30:23,326 --> 00:30:25,146
Let's get the...
POURS COINS OUT
577
00:30:25,146 --> 00:30:26,935
How much did we do? Money!
578
00:30:26,935 --> 00:30:29,146
That's not bad, is it?
Ten minutes' work.
579
00:30:29,146 --> 00:30:31,286
How long do you reckon
they've been tolling here?
580
00:30:31,286 --> 00:30:33,696
The bridge opened August 1769,
581
00:30:33,696 --> 00:30:35,616
and they've been collecting
tolls ever since.
582
00:30:35,616 --> 00:30:37,496
Under the original
Act of Parliament,
583
00:30:37,496 --> 00:30:41,466
which I've got a copy of here...
Yeah. ..for the Earl of Abingdon.
584
00:30:41,466 --> 00:30:42,826
And it was tax-free.
585
00:30:42,826 --> 00:30:46,226
It was very clever wording
that was put into the original act,
586
00:30:46,226 --> 00:30:48,656
that said forever.
587
00:30:48,656 --> 00:30:52,496
The act details the price
for anything to cross the bridge.
588
00:30:52,496 --> 00:30:55,006
"Any carriage with four wheels,
the sum of 4p,
589
00:30:55,006 --> 00:30:57,896
"with less than four wheels,
the sum of 2p,
590
00:30:57,896 --> 00:31:00,576
for every horse, mare,
gelding, mule or ass,
591
00:31:00,576 --> 00:31:04,826
"laden or unladen, drawing or not
drawing, the sum of 1p.
592
00:31:04,826 --> 00:31:08,546
"For every ox," blah, blah,"
every sheep, every lamb," I mean,
593
00:31:08,546 --> 00:31:12,185
it's really detailed, isn't it?
It is, yeah.
594
00:31:12,185 --> 00:31:15,416
Charges can only be raised
by Act of Parliament,
595
00:31:15,416 --> 00:31:20,016
which they were in 1994 to help
cover the cost of maintenance.
596
00:31:20,016 --> 00:31:23,185
But if you don't want to cough up,
there's an alternative.
597
00:31:24,706 --> 00:31:28,065
We close at 9pm at night. Ah.
So it's all free at night.
598
00:31:28,065 --> 00:31:30,476
Do you ever get people
waiting at 8.55?
599
00:31:30,476 --> 00:31:32,006
On a Wednesday, my friend,
600
00:31:32,006 --> 00:31:34,826
he waits till nine o'clock
before he comes over.
601
00:31:37,935 --> 00:31:41,975
So far, my journey following
the Thames from source to sea
602
00:31:41,975 --> 00:31:45,336
has covered 47 miles
to Swinford Bridge.
603
00:31:45,336 --> 00:31:48,735
From here, it's only about
six miles to Oxford.
604
00:31:51,576 --> 00:31:53,576
Before the hurly-burly of the city,
605
00:31:53,576 --> 00:31:57,576
there's a haven for wildlife in the
ancient woodland at Wytham Woods,
606
00:31:57,576 --> 00:32:00,055
which borders the path.
607
00:32:00,055 --> 00:32:02,376
It belongs to Oxford University
608
00:32:02,376 --> 00:32:06,065
and the habitats here have
been studied since the 1920s,
609
00:32:06,065 --> 00:32:09,826
giving real insights into
conservation in a changing world.
610
00:32:11,055 --> 00:32:13,536
Further on, just to the west
of the city centre,
611
00:32:13,536 --> 00:32:15,935
there's another project
that's all about creating
612
00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:18,055
a more sustainable future.
613
00:32:19,985 --> 00:32:23,026
I love the way that bits of our
natural environment are used
614
00:32:23,026 --> 00:32:26,346
for virtually the same function
for hundreds of years,
615
00:32:26,346 --> 00:32:30,626
so that an Iron Age hillfort
becomes a Norman castle,
616
00:32:30,626 --> 00:32:36,185
a Roman temple becomes a church,
and 850 years ago, right here,
617
00:32:36,185 --> 00:32:39,446
the monks of Osney Abbey
built a water wheel
618
00:32:39,446 --> 00:32:43,626
and they're still harnessing
the power of the river here today.
619
00:32:45,576 --> 00:32:50,346
The Osney Lock Hydro generates
hydroelectric power from the Thames,
620
00:32:50,346 --> 00:32:53,376
supplying green energy
to the National Grid.
621
00:32:53,376 --> 00:32:55,146
Hi, Saskia. Hi.
622
00:32:55,146 --> 00:32:57,216
Can I get in? Yeah, absolutely.
623
00:32:57,216 --> 00:33:00,626
Saskia Huggins is one
of the team which runs it.
624
00:33:00,626 --> 00:33:02,896
Welcome to Osney Lock Hydro.
Thank you.
625
00:33:02,896 --> 00:33:06,776
Come and have a look. This is
basically a pretty small building
626
00:33:06,776 --> 00:33:09,436
with a great big screw running
through it, isn't it?
627
00:33:09,436 --> 00:33:12,666
That pretty much sums it up, yes.
628
00:33:12,666 --> 00:33:14,906
If we get closer
we can see what's going on.
629
00:33:16,906 --> 00:33:18,526
I wasn't wrong, was I?
630
00:33:18,526 --> 00:33:22,376
It really is a big screw in a
small box. Absolutely massive.
631
00:33:24,945 --> 00:33:27,865
This giant 11-tonne hunk of metal
632
00:33:27,865 --> 00:33:31,065
is being turned by the force
of the river to create electricity.
633
00:33:34,096 --> 00:33:36,855
It has four blades and
it's over four metres long.
634
00:33:38,296 --> 00:33:41,026
It's actually a really
ancient technology.
635
00:33:41,026 --> 00:33:45,546
Archimedes' screw, yeah. Yeah,
it's exactly the same technology.
636
00:33:45,546 --> 00:33:47,096
The Archimedes' screw,
637
00:33:47,096 --> 00:33:50,546
supposedly invented by
the ancient Greek scientist,
638
00:33:50,546 --> 00:33:52,506
is a method to lift water up,
639
00:33:52,506 --> 00:33:54,995
for example to pump out
a ship's hold.
640
00:33:54,995 --> 00:33:59,735
It uses a source of energy,
such as men or oxen, to turn a screw.
641
00:33:59,735 --> 00:34:03,786
The screw forces the water up
to where it's needed.
642
00:34:03,786 --> 00:34:07,346
At the hydro, that principle is used
in reverse to create energy.
643
00:34:09,376 --> 00:34:12,026
Instead of us putting power in
to turn the water up,
644
00:34:12,026 --> 00:34:15,376
we're using the power of the water
to turn the screw,
645
00:34:15,376 --> 00:34:17,176
which we're then turning
into electricity.
646
00:34:19,556 --> 00:34:21,356
At this point on the Thames,
647
00:34:21,356 --> 00:34:24,386
tributary rivers such as the Churn
and the Windrush,
648
00:34:24,386 --> 00:34:28,096
as well as the Cole, have all joined,
boosting the volume of water.
649
00:34:32,576 --> 00:34:36,106
There can be up to 50,000 litres
per second flowing through
650
00:34:36,106 --> 00:34:37,306
but it varies dramatically.
651
00:34:39,096 --> 00:34:42,065
So here you really get to
appreciate the force of the water
652
00:34:42,065 --> 00:34:44,226
as it's flowing over
this point of the river.
653
00:34:44,226 --> 00:34:45,576
It's a real gush, isn't it?
654
00:34:47,226 --> 00:34:49,296
This is a community project.
655
00:34:49,296 --> 00:34:52,815
The lion's share of the start-up
costs was funded by local people.
656
00:34:54,586 --> 00:34:58,955
Yet in an average year, it generates
the equivalent of enough electricity
657
00:34:58,955 --> 00:35:00,386
for 55 homes.
658
00:35:02,276 --> 00:35:06,865
Osney Island resident Dr Barbara
Hammond has been heavily involved.
659
00:35:06,865 --> 00:35:09,516
You were actually there at the start
of this project, weren't you?
660
00:35:09,516 --> 00:35:12,306
Yeah, way back in 2001,
661
00:35:12,306 --> 00:35:15,226
we asked the community
on Osney Island
662
00:35:15,226 --> 00:35:18,636
whether they wanted local renewables
and they all came back and said,
663
00:35:18,636 --> 00:35:20,386
"Well, we want a hydro at the weir."
664
00:35:20,386 --> 00:35:23,995
Will it actually generate
more money than it cost? Yeah.
665
00:35:23,995 --> 00:35:26,745
This project is a 40-year project
that, over its lifetime,
666
00:35:26,745 --> 00:35:30,636
it should raise well over £1 million
for local environmental projects.
667
00:35:33,016 --> 00:35:37,276
The hydro's been running since
2015 and it could be a blueprint
668
00:35:37,276 --> 00:35:40,456
for similar projects elsewhere
on the Thames.
669
00:35:40,456 --> 00:35:43,896
This one relies on daily maintenance
by volunteers.
670
00:35:45,825 --> 00:35:50,065
We have a trash screen to stop
big things going into the screw
671
00:35:50,065 --> 00:35:53,815
and breaking the screw and we have
to keep that trash screen clear
672
00:35:53,815 --> 00:35:56,985
in order to keep the power output
at its optimum
673
00:35:56,985 --> 00:35:58,596
for the river conditions.
674
00:35:58,596 --> 00:36:01,226
VOICEOVER: I'm getting a funny
feeling where this is heading.
675
00:36:01,226 --> 00:36:03,912
And we haven't cleared their trash
screen yet so we were wondering
676
00:36:03,912 --> 00:36:06,216
if you might like to help.
VOICEOVER: Thought so!
677
00:36:06,216 --> 00:36:08,246
The great thing about being
in showbusiness
678
00:36:08,246 --> 00:36:10,166
is the exotic jobs you get
asked to do.
679
00:36:10,166 --> 00:36:12,016
I'm going to clear the trash screen.
680
00:36:13,805 --> 00:36:16,815
There's some rather fetching
safety gear to don.
681
00:36:18,735 --> 00:36:20,896
And a choice of tools.
682
00:36:20,896 --> 00:36:23,426
Which would you like?
683
00:36:23,426 --> 00:36:26,855
I rather like this cos
it's more medieval. Yeah.
684
00:36:26,855 --> 00:36:29,526
I've no idea why I need a yoga mat.
685
00:36:29,526 --> 00:36:30,985
Yeah, really good.
686
00:36:30,985 --> 00:36:34,216
But the ladies seem
suspiciously cheerful.
687
00:36:34,216 --> 00:36:36,456
Ow! It's quite sharp, isn't it?
688
00:36:36,456 --> 00:36:38,466
It's all designed to be nonslip.
689
00:36:38,466 --> 00:36:40,376
Yeah. Not great for your knees.
690
00:36:40,376 --> 00:36:42,176
Typical male reaction.
691
00:36:42,176 --> 00:36:45,065
I thought, "I don't need a
mat, that's a bit girlie",
692
00:36:45,065 --> 00:36:46,586
but it's like torture.
693
00:36:46,586 --> 00:36:48,506
It's like being a bit of cheese
on a grater.
694
00:36:50,576 --> 00:36:52,446
While they watch in comfort,
695
00:36:52,446 --> 00:36:56,216
I have the joyous task of
hooking debris away from the screen
696
00:36:56,216 --> 00:36:59,416
so it's harmlessly swept clear
of the screw.
697
00:37:00,855 --> 00:37:02,536
It's a great work-out.
698
00:37:02,536 --> 00:37:05,985
Do you ever get really big things
caught in this?
699
00:37:05,985 --> 00:37:08,586
We had a really disgusting thing
last week.
700
00:37:08,586 --> 00:37:11,786
It was a dead sheep.
Oh, you're joking! No.
701
00:37:11,786 --> 00:37:13,256
There we go.
702
00:37:13,256 --> 00:37:15,855
Way! Oh, it's going back in again.
Get away!
703
00:37:15,855 --> 00:37:18,256
I'm really admiring
this thoroughness.
704
00:37:18,256 --> 00:37:22,506
TONY GRUNTS
Oh, great! Fantastic.
705
00:37:22,506 --> 00:37:25,935
I feel you're
patronisingly me slightly!
706
00:37:25,935 --> 00:37:28,886
What we're trying to do, Tony,
is keep the water level
707
00:37:28,886 --> 00:37:32,716
across the trash screen, so it's
beautifully level now, so thank you.
708
00:37:32,716 --> 00:37:36,186
Don't call me if there's
another sheep, will you?
709
00:37:36,186 --> 00:37:39,605
Twigs I can handle, but before
anything nasty floats my way...
710
00:37:39,605 --> 00:37:41,146
Lovely to meet you both.
711
00:37:41,146 --> 00:37:42,805
...I'm going to bid farewell.
712
00:37:42,805 --> 00:37:44,966
Thanks so much for your help.
Power to the people.
713
00:37:44,966 --> 00:37:46,865
THEY LAUGH
714
00:37:46,865 --> 00:37:49,586
Bye, then. Thank you. See you. Bye.
715
00:37:51,016 --> 00:37:52,426
Coming UP---
716
00:37:52,426 --> 00:37:54,656
Oh, stuck in the tree!
717
00:37:54,656 --> 00:37:59,696
...the working boats that became a
favourite for Victorians at leisure
718
00:37:59,696 --> 00:38:02,075
and a challenge for me.
719
00:38:02,075 --> 00:38:05,586
We're going down the river very
efficiently, although sideways.
720
00:38:14,636 --> 00:38:17,836
I'm walking the Thames
from source to sea.
721
00:38:17,836 --> 00:38:20,487
At the end of this first leg,
722
00:38:20,487 --> 00:38:22,367
I've reached central Oxford.
723
00:38:24,577 --> 00:38:28,577
The abbess Saint Frideswide founded
a monastery here close to the river.
724
00:38:32,207 --> 00:38:35,287
The origins of the university
are hard to pinpoint
725
00:38:35,287 --> 00:38:39,127
but by the 12th century the presence
of several monastic houses
726
00:38:39,127 --> 00:38:43,057
in and around Oxford made it a
gathering place for learned men.
727
00:38:47,526 --> 00:38:50,357
Oxford is built on a
lot of little islands
728
00:38:50,357 --> 00:38:52,636
where the Cherwell meets the Thames.
729
00:38:52,636 --> 00:38:55,337
That's why you've got
all these waterways winding
730
00:38:55,337 --> 00:38:56,776
their way throughout it.
731
00:38:59,157 --> 00:39:02,607
The Thames helped the city grow.
732
00:39:02,607 --> 00:39:06,417
Stone to create some of its finest
buildings came downriver
733
00:39:06,417 --> 00:39:10,257
from the Cotswolds and
paper came upriver from London
734
00:39:10,257 --> 00:39:12,976
to supply the
Oxford University Press.
735
00:39:14,766 --> 00:39:18,447
But where you've got waterways
you need a means to get round them,
736
00:39:18,447 --> 00:39:19,877
hence the punt.
737
00:39:23,417 --> 00:39:27,367
These flat-bottomed boats were
just the thing for workaday jobs
738
00:39:27,367 --> 00:39:31,367
such as carrying small cargoes,
ferrying people or fishing.
739
00:39:32,636 --> 00:39:35,057
But what in previous centuries
740
00:39:35,057 --> 00:39:38,776
was the utilitarian white van
that everybody used,
741
00:39:38,776 --> 00:39:42,287
by the end of the 19th century
it was the craft of choice
742
00:39:42,287 --> 00:39:43,846
for the leisure classes.
743
00:39:45,797 --> 00:39:49,017
Like one of them,
I fancy enjoying the views.
744
00:39:49,017 --> 00:39:51,846
My guide is Simon Wenham.
745
00:39:51,846 --> 00:39:54,287
Hello, Simon. Hello.
Good to meet you. And you.
746
00:39:54,287 --> 00:39:56,976
He's got a doctorate in
the history of Oxford boating.
747
00:39:58,287 --> 00:40:01,217
If I stay in the middle, will I be
all right? Yes, absolutely.
748
00:40:01,217 --> 00:40:03,526
Well, this is all right, isn't it?
749
00:40:03,526 --> 00:40:04,976
Thank you very much.
750
00:40:07,297 --> 00:40:10,887
From the mid-19th century, the city's
relationship with its river
751
00:40:10,887 --> 00:40:14,007
shifted from business to leisure.
752
00:40:14,007 --> 00:40:16,807
The Salter Brothers boat company
became influential
753
00:40:16,807 --> 00:40:19,596
in popularising pleasure boating.
754
00:40:19,596 --> 00:40:21,887
There were steamer trips along
the Thames
755
00:40:21,887 --> 00:40:26,127
and punts built as leisure craft
rather than working boats.
756
00:40:26,127 --> 00:40:28,497
How long do you reckon there have
been punts on this river?
757
00:40:28,497 --> 00:40:30,357
The punt itself is an ancient boat.
758
00:40:30,357 --> 00:40:32,596
Julius Caesar referred to
the Latin ponto,
759
00:40:32,596 --> 00:40:34,887
which is where we get to
the word punt from,
760
00:40:34,887 --> 00:40:38,217
and they've been on the River Thames
certainly since Saxon times
761
00:40:38,217 --> 00:40:41,846
and probably before, given that they
were there in Roman times in Gaul.
762
00:40:41,846 --> 00:40:44,577
In terms of pleasure boats,
that's a fairly recent innovation.
763
00:40:44,577 --> 00:40:47,736
Just over 100 years they've been
very popular for leisure.
764
00:40:47,736 --> 00:40:49,497
Two design changes were important.
765
00:40:49,497 --> 00:40:51,127
One is the narrowing of the craft
766
00:40:51,127 --> 00:40:53,167
which makes it much more
manoeuvrable,
767
00:40:53,167 --> 00:40:55,646
and the other was the introduction
of the saloon seating,
768
00:40:55,646 --> 00:40:57,577
which you're sitting in
in the middle,
769
00:40:57,577 --> 00:41:00,526
and that allowed four people to sit
in the centre and that actually
770
00:41:00,526 --> 00:41:04,447
made the pursuit a lot more of
a sort of sociable pastime.
771
00:41:04,447 --> 00:41:07,887
Punting was considered a suitable
pastime for young ladies,
772
00:41:07,887 --> 00:41:11,776
including those from the
university's women's colleges.
773
00:41:11,776 --> 00:41:14,367
By the Edwardian era,
it was so popular
774
00:41:14,367 --> 00:41:16,646
there were 1,000 punts in Oxford.
775
00:41:18,077 --> 00:41:20,337
They're not that easy to manoeuvre,
really, are they?
776
00:41:20,337 --> 00:41:22,697
If you're a beginner, actually,
they can be quite difficult.
777
00:41:22,697 --> 00:41:25,017
What's the trick? I would say
there's a couple of things.
778
00:41:25,017 --> 00:41:27,227
One is when you drop the pole,
779
00:41:27,227 --> 00:41:29,057
first you need to feel if it's
muddy,
780
00:41:29,057 --> 00:41:30,417
it can be difficult to pull out
781
00:41:30,417 --> 00:41:32,976
and you can, obviously,
lose your balance.
782
00:41:32,976 --> 00:41:34,937
And the other one is,
once you've pushed off,
783
00:41:34,937 --> 00:41:36,877
to use the pole as a rudder
behind you.
784
00:41:36,877 --> 00:41:38,487
So if you want to steer to the left,
785
00:41:38,487 --> 00:41:40,887
you just push it in the water that
way, and if you do the right,
786
00:41:40,887 --> 00:41:44,457
you steer to the right. Can I have
a go? You can indeed, absolutely.
787
00:41:45,526 --> 00:41:47,577
Before I even get
to the punting bit,
788
00:41:47,577 --> 00:41:49,927
there's the challenge
of swapping ends.
789
00:41:49,927 --> 00:41:53,606
It seems one high and one low
is the way to avoid a ducking.
790
00:41:55,526 --> 00:41:58,007
Have you punted before?
Never punted before in my life.
791
00:41:58,007 --> 00:41:59,807
Not at all? Oh, wow.
That's very good.
792
00:41:59,807 --> 00:42:01,856
I know I look like a natural...
Oh, absolutely!
793
00:42:01,856 --> 00:42:04,606
We're going down the river
very efficiently, although sideways.
794
00:42:06,577 --> 00:42:10,097
There's actually such
a thing as punt racing.
795
00:42:10,097 --> 00:42:13,887
It evolved in the late 1800s
from gentlemen betting on races
796
00:42:13,887 --> 00:42:15,577
between professional boatmen.
797
00:42:17,297 --> 00:42:20,057
To compete seriously,
I'd need to work on techniques
798
00:42:20,057 --> 00:42:23,536
like body swing,
arm drive and back shove.
799
00:42:23,536 --> 00:42:25,367
HE EXHALES
800
00:42:25,367 --> 00:42:28,807
I've got mixed feelings
about my ability as a punter.
801
00:42:28,807 --> 00:42:31,937
On the one hand, we seem
to be going fairly straight.
802
00:42:31,937 --> 00:42:34,536
Absolutely. Or at least following
the course of the river.
803
00:42:34,536 --> 00:42:37,017
On the other hand,
I got stuck in the tree!
804
00:42:37,017 --> 00:42:40,247
There you are, that
explicitly demonstrated
805
00:42:40,247 --> 00:42:43,697
why I'm not the greatest punter
in the world.
806
00:42:43,697 --> 00:42:47,317
Still, it's a wonderful way
to wind up my tranquiljourney
807
00:42:47,317 --> 00:42:48,937
through the Upper Thames.
808
00:42:48,937 --> 00:42:51,087
But from here on, it's all change.
809
00:42:52,776 --> 00:42:54,157
Next time...
810
00:42:54,157 --> 00:42:55,457
Race pace!
811
00:42:55,457 --> 00:42:57,227
...the river gains momentum...
812
00:42:57,227 --> 00:42:59,887
Oh, my gosh. I did it!
813
00:42:59,887 --> 00:43:04,606
...and I discover how we tamed
the Thames for trade and pleasure.
814
00:43:04,606 --> 00:43:14,837
I could get used to this.