1 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,720 2 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,320 'In this programme, we're looking at the worst jobs 3 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,720 in the thousand years up to 1066.' 4 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,960 'Some were hard... 5 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:34,960 some were messy... 6 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,960 others were just frightening.' 7 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,600 TONY: Oh, Jesus Christ! 8 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,040 'Written history began when the Romans invaded, 9 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:51,960 and they brought some HORRIBLE jobs with them.' 10 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,960 Now, we know what the Romans gave to us - 11 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,040 all those lovely straight roads, 12 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,800 and measurements like the mile and the calendar. 13 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:03,880 But it wasn't all one way. 14 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,680 They wanted something from us - gold. 15 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,480 'Gold was very important to the Romans.' 16 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,520 'They used it as a status symbol, 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,120 and we had it here in southwest Wales.' 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,640 'The Romans sought it out deep underground.' 19 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,200 'But getting it out was one of the worst jobs 20 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,240 in the Roman Empire.' 21 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,280 'The Romans had plenty of rotten jobs, 22 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:32,520 most of them done by slaves, 23 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,160 but for me, the worst of them all was working in the gold mines.' 24 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,240 'Even Pliny the Elder, who had slaves of his own, 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,280 was shocked at the conditions.' 26 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:43,560 'It was so bad that working in the mines 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,640 was used as a means of punishment.' 28 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,440 'The local population in Wales was plundered for healthy people 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,440 to dig out the gold.' 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,320 Welcome to the worst job of Roman gold-miner. 31 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,920 The gold has come from the centre of the earth. 32 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,280 It's been erupted through volcanoes, etc, millions of years ago, 33 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,480 and due to the movement of the earth and plate tectonics, 34 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,000 it comes out in this higgledy-piggledy manner. 35 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,760 You've GOT TO keep on digging it and it might take you up or down. 36 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,200 - Do you have to chase these things? - You'd have to chase it. 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,160 Basically, at any point, it could open up to a bigger vein. 38 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,840 You'd have to keep chasing it until you KNOW you've come to the end. 39 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,360 - How do you get the stuff out? - You use a pick. 40 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,720 Would be pretty difficult to swing a pick in here. 41 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,120 It's a small pick. 42 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,000 Hadn't realised you meant a pick as small as this one. 43 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,720 - How do you use it? - You just chip away. 44 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,920 You can see, you've got a quartz vein there. 45 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,280 You've got to chip away at that 46 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,320 to expose the quartz and to get it out. 47 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,640 Just chip away at the ordinary rock... 48 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,000 - That's right. - and hope that... 49 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,880 quartz comes away. Oh, it is peeling off a bit. 50 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,960 What do you think the conditions would've been like? 51 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Pretty horrible. 52 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,640 In the summer, it would be very hot. Lots of men working here, 53 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:05,680 and they would have had candles. 54 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,400 They would have had small lamps that they would have used. 55 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,080 And the rest of the mine would have been pitch-black. 56 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,120 So, in the summertime, very warm. 57 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,880 In the the winter, very cold, colder down here than outside. 58 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,840 So, you can imagine, you got the worst of both worlds, really. 59 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,720 TONY: In some ways, it's an easier job than I thought it would be 60 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,760 because...this rock... fractures so easily. 61 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,040 But on the other hand, it gets in your eyes. 62 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,920 Lucky you're wearing glasses. Then up your... 63 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,440 nose...all the time. 64 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,360 It's not actually the nicest job in the world. I should think... 65 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,560 half of them... Oh, I've got a bit of quartz. 66 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,600 Half of them would've been blind 67 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,800 by the time they'd be doing it for a year or so. 68 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,640 'In fact, many of them died before they had the chance to go blind.' 69 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,840 'Because the Romans were impatient, they were always coming up 70 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,320 with more efficient ways of doing things.' 71 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,280 'Getting through lots of rock quickly was a priority.' 72 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,320 'So they came up with fire setting, 73 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,600 a process of smashing rocks on an industrial scale.' 74 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,360 'The cost in lives didn't matter.' 75 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,040 'Workers' lives were cheap.' 76 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,720 PAUL: If you look at this area here, 77 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,720 what you would've done is built up this area 78 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,960 full of timber - branches, logs, etc - and set it alight. 79 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,800 You would've kept that going for three or four days. 80 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,080 - God, it would've been smoky! - Exactly. 81 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,720 You would have had a lot of smoke. It would have been an intense heat. 82 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,080 Also, parts of the rock would have started to 83 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,320 break and shatter at that point. 84 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,360 But after then, a few days, you'd throw water on it, 85 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,400 buckets of water, and that would cause 86 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,560 a bit like a mini explosion. 87 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,280 The whole face there would crack and shatter. 88 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,320 TONY: So, it'd be an incredibly boring job, a very smoky job. 89 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,520 - And then, a very dangerous job. - Exactly. 90 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,120 But it would show you where the seam is going then. 91 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,320 Once it's shattered, you get a pile of rock just like we've got here. 92 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,880 'The problem THEN, 93 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,080 is that you're left with large quantities of rock to carry out.' 94 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,240 'It takes this lot ten truckloads to get one lode of quartz out.' 95 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,760 'Within this much quartz, there's maybe a piece of gold 96 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,880 the size of half a cube of sugar.' 97 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:19,240 'In Roman times, it all came out by hand.' 98 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,080 'Hundreds of men would've been doing this.' 99 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:31,480 'Bent double. Carrying big, heavy loads. Day in, day out.' 100 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,920 'And if the weight wasn't bad enough, 101 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,280 there was always the danger of falling rocks.' 102 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,640 TONY: It's fine when the tunnels are wide, 103 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:42,680 but when you get to about here, 104 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,480 you're carrying this weight and having to duck down, too. 105 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,000 'To make emperors like Nero rich 106 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,000 took the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of Welsh miners, 107 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,760 people who were forced to work in the most horrible, 108 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,400 dark and dangerous conditions.' 109 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,600 Life was hard for the first 400 years of British history. 110 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,200 But at least when the Romans were gold-mining, 111 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,640 something BEAUTIFUL came out at the end of it. 112 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,880 For the Saxons, who followed them, though, 113 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:15,240 things were pretty BLEAK. 114 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,920 Look at the materials I'm going to have to be handling 115 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,160 to break into the Saxon building trade. 116 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,837 117 00:06:23,957 --> 00:06:25,637 118 00:06:28,677 --> 00:06:31,197 'The Romans brought a sense of order with them.' 119 00:06:31,237 --> 00:06:33,197 'They were VERY civilised.' 120 00:06:34,037 --> 00:06:36,717 'They built streets with houses and workshops 121 00:06:36,757 --> 00:06:38,717 in neat, straight lines.' 122 00:06:40,397 --> 00:06:42,357 'Then they left.' 123 00:06:42,797 --> 00:06:44,757 'And what did we do?' 124 00:06:45,197 --> 00:06:47,157 'We went back to this.' 125 00:06:49,957 --> 00:06:53,037 'When the Romans left, we went back to living in mud huts 126 00:06:53,077 --> 00:06:55,237 in higgledy-piggledy streets.' 127 00:06:55,277 --> 00:06:57,357 'This was how most of the country lived 128 00:06:57,397 --> 00:06:59,357 until the middle of the Middle Ages.' 129 00:07:02,037 --> 00:07:05,437 Despite all that, the people who lived here after the Romans left, 130 00:07:05,477 --> 00:07:07,877 were part of a very highly-structured society. 131 00:07:07,917 --> 00:07:10,077 At the top were the local kings, 132 00:07:10,117 --> 00:07:12,437 below them were various kinds of noblemen, 133 00:07:12,477 --> 00:07:14,277 all of whom were warriors. 134 00:07:14,317 --> 00:07:16,317 So basically, their job was to fight. 135 00:07:16,357 --> 00:07:19,157 Below them was everybody else doing the ordinary jobs. 136 00:07:20,877 --> 00:07:23,557 'At the bottom of the pile, propping up everyone else, 137 00:07:23,957 --> 00:07:26,317 was the Saxon peasant - the churl.' 138 00:07:27,037 --> 00:07:29,957 'He didn't get paid, he had a few acres of land, 139 00:07:29,997 --> 00:07:33,477 and his job was simply to keep himself and his family alive.' 140 00:07:34,477 --> 00:07:36,717 'He needed to be a jack of all trades.' 141 00:07:39,237 --> 00:07:41,677 'He was a farmer, a builder, 142 00:07:42,037 --> 00:07:44,157 he had to do his own baking, 143 00:07:44,197 --> 00:07:46,197 he was a woodsman, 144 00:07:46,237 --> 00:07:48,637 and he also had civic services to perform.' 145 00:07:54,677 --> 00:07:56,837 Most people, of course, lived off the land, 146 00:07:56,877 --> 00:07:58,877 which meant that they had to work it, 147 00:07:58,917 --> 00:08:01,997 which brings us to a very difficult and backbreaking job. 148 00:08:02,037 --> 00:08:04,357 Would they have had to do very much ploughing? 149 00:08:04,397 --> 00:08:07,637 Ploughing was quite literally a matter of life and death. 150 00:08:07,677 --> 00:08:09,677 If you didn't work the land, 151 00:08:09,717 --> 00:08:12,037 if you didn't plough your fields 152 00:08:12,077 --> 00:08:14,917 and plant your crops you wouldn't have food on the table. 153 00:08:14,957 --> 00:08:18,357 So ploughing was important to everybody, right through society. 154 00:08:18,397 --> 00:08:21,477 TONY: Why did they use oxen and not horses? 155 00:08:21,517 --> 00:08:23,837 LAURA: Cattle are much stronger than horses. 156 00:08:23,877 --> 00:08:26,757 They're beefier. They can wade through the kind of soil 157 00:08:26,797 --> 00:08:28,797 that we're working on here. 158 00:08:28,837 --> 00:08:31,037 Horses were rare in the Anglo-Saxon period. 159 00:08:31,077 --> 00:08:34,357 There were horses, but they tended to be grander animals. 160 00:08:34,397 --> 00:08:36,437 They were the kind of things that higher, 161 00:08:36,477 --> 00:08:39,157 more important people in society would own. 162 00:08:39,197 --> 00:08:42,157 'The word "acre" is an old Saxon word.' 163 00:08:42,197 --> 00:08:45,637 'It was the amount of land one could expect to plough in a day.' 164 00:08:46,357 --> 00:08:49,437 'It wouldn't have looked as sophisticated as this, though.' 165 00:08:49,477 --> 00:08:51,477 'Their ploughs weren't made of metal.' 166 00:08:51,517 --> 00:08:53,517 'That does make a difference.' 167 00:08:53,557 --> 00:08:55,757 'Or so I'd like to think.' 168 00:08:55,797 --> 00:08:57,757 Let's have a look at the plough itself. 169 00:08:58,277 --> 00:09:00,637 - It's fairly rudimentary. - But it does the job. 170 00:09:00,677 --> 00:09:02,797 Now what you've got to do is stand at the back 171 00:09:02,837 --> 00:09:05,557 and get a good grip either side, on the handle here. 172 00:09:05,597 --> 00:09:08,637 - OK. - How do I dig it in? 173 00:09:08,677 --> 00:09:11,597 Just lean a little bit of weight on it as you go along. 174 00:09:11,637 --> 00:09:14,397 Oh, I see. Yeah. How do I make 'em go? 175 00:09:14,437 --> 00:09:18,517 When you want to move forward, you're going to say, "Walk on." 176 00:09:18,557 --> 00:09:20,997 It's Edwin and Oswin. 177 00:09:21,037 --> 00:09:23,397 If you call their names, first, they'll wake up, 178 00:09:23,437 --> 00:09:25,997 then they'll go, "A-ha! Tony's in charge now." 179 00:09:26,037 --> 00:09:29,797 - Edwin and Oswin. - "Edwin...Oswin...Walk on." 180 00:09:30,157 --> 00:09:33,957 You said, "Walk on" and "Steady, boys". And they're just static! 181 00:09:33,997 --> 00:09:36,477 Yes. But it's got to be a COMMANDING tone of voice. 182 00:09:36,517 --> 00:09:39,157 TONY: OK, yeah. What do I do when I come to a corner? 183 00:09:39,197 --> 00:09:42,917 You've just got to try and bring the plough across a little bit. 184 00:09:42,957 --> 00:09:45,157 - OK. - That's for the steering. 185 00:09:45,197 --> 00:09:48,437 OK? I'll be beside you in case you fall over in the mud. 186 00:09:48,477 --> 00:09:51,317 - Can't be that difficult! - Well, give it a try. 187 00:09:52,037 --> 00:09:54,037 CHRIS: Nice commanding tone of voice. 188 00:09:54,077 --> 00:09:56,117 TONY: EDWIN! OSWIN! 189 00:09:56,157 --> 00:09:58,117 WALK ON! 190 00:09:58,917 --> 00:10:01,597 CHRIS: Come on! Walk on! Walk on! 191 00:10:02,677 --> 00:10:04,797 TONY: Come on! CHRIS: Walk on! 192 00:10:04,837 --> 00:10:07,557 TONY: Come on, you...fat boys. - That's it! 193 00:10:07,597 --> 00:10:09,597 TONY: Oh, it's going. 194 00:10:09,637 --> 00:10:12,037 CHRIS: Walk on! TONY: It is very boggy here. 195 00:10:12,077 --> 00:10:14,917 CHRIS: Hold it straight. TONY: Difficult not to get it... 196 00:10:14,957 --> 00:10:17,357 - skidding off to one side. - Walk on! 197 00:10:17,397 --> 00:10:19,957 'What makes this REALLY difficult is the weight 198 00:10:19,997 --> 00:10:21,997 or lack of it.' 199 00:10:22,037 --> 00:10:24,037 'This plough is very light, 200 00:10:24,077 --> 00:10:27,317 so, to dig it in, you need to apply a lot of weight to it 201 00:10:27,357 --> 00:10:29,557 and lean heavily downwards.' 202 00:10:29,597 --> 00:10:33,757 'As a Saxon, I wouldn't have had a team of people helping me out.' 203 00:10:33,797 --> 00:10:35,757 CHRIS: Walk on! 204 00:10:36,117 --> 00:10:38,317 TONY: Oh! (CHRIS LAUGHS) 205 00:10:39,397 --> 00:10:41,677 It's all right. They're learning who's boss. 206 00:10:41,717 --> 00:10:43,717 CHRIS: Yeah, yeah (LAUGHS) 207 00:10:43,757 --> 00:10:46,677 Edwin, get around. Get your bum round this way! 208 00:10:47,117 --> 00:10:48,597 TONY: Come on! 209 00:10:48,637 --> 00:10:52,117 To be quite honest, I think they're a bit fat and spoilt, these two. 210 00:10:52,157 --> 00:10:55,277 TONY: That's better. CHRIS: Walk on! 211 00:10:55,317 --> 00:10:57,317 'This might look like a bit of fun, 212 00:10:57,357 --> 00:10:59,717 but for a Saxon farmer, it wouldn't have been.' 213 00:11:00,077 --> 00:11:03,637 'This was the day job, the job he had to do continually 214 00:11:03,677 --> 00:11:05,677 to ensure food for him and his family.' 215 00:11:05,717 --> 00:11:08,157 CHRIS: What's happened to your commanding tone? 216 00:11:08,197 --> 00:11:11,117 TONY: I was concentrating on keeping the furrow straight. 217 00:11:11,157 --> 00:11:13,677 I know you'll find that hard to believe. Here we go! 218 00:11:13,717 --> 00:11:15,877 Look at this! Good boys, good boys. 219 00:11:15,917 --> 00:11:19,477 'As well as all the other stuff, this was just one more job.' 220 00:11:20,997 --> 00:11:22,997 CHRIS: OK. 'And I was crap at it.' 221 00:11:23,037 --> 00:11:26,597 I just want you to see this finely-tilled field. 222 00:11:29,677 --> 00:11:32,517 I think my crops are going to work pretty well this year. 223 00:11:33,997 --> 00:11:35,957 Good boys. Good boys. 224 00:11:43,237 --> 00:11:45,237 'But looking after the family's needs 225 00:11:45,277 --> 00:11:47,877 wasn't simply a matter of putting food on the table.' 226 00:11:48,677 --> 00:11:51,357 'The churl also had to provide shelter 227 00:11:51,397 --> 00:11:53,477 and this came from wood.' 228 00:11:55,317 --> 00:11:59,757 'In the Saxon period, 70% of the country was covered by trees.' 229 00:12:00,957 --> 00:12:03,997 'And people really did use wood for lots of stuff, 230 00:12:04,037 --> 00:12:06,357 from firewood to ploughs.' 231 00:12:06,397 --> 00:12:09,757 One of the things we know they used wood for was making their houses. 232 00:12:09,797 --> 00:12:13,677 And to make them, they used this rather spindly-looking stuff, 233 00:12:13,717 --> 00:12:17,837 which would be transformed into a wall looking like this. 234 00:12:17,877 --> 00:12:20,997 This is wattle, isn't it, for wattle and daub? 235 00:12:21,037 --> 00:12:23,037 - That's right. - How do you set it up? 236 00:12:23,077 --> 00:12:26,637 We're gonna weave this into the hurdle on the alternate side 237 00:12:27,237 --> 00:12:30,277 to the rod below it, so if you put the butt of that 238 00:12:30,877 --> 00:12:33,997 in front of the ends there, like that. 239 00:12:34,037 --> 00:12:36,437 - Yeah. - Take it in front of that. 240 00:12:36,477 --> 00:12:40,317 - Looks like it'll snap off. - It should be flexible enough. 241 00:12:40,357 --> 00:12:42,397 Push it down at that end, Tony, and then... 242 00:12:42,957 --> 00:12:44,957 Put your foot on it. 243 00:12:44,997 --> 00:12:46,997 TONY: It really does kink, doesn't it? 244 00:12:47,037 --> 00:12:50,117 GEOFF: That's right. It's green, so it's flexible. 245 00:12:50,157 --> 00:12:52,157 GEOFF: Turn that down there. 246 00:12:52,717 --> 00:12:56,077 GEOFF: And when we get to the end, we have to bring this around. 247 00:12:56,117 --> 00:12:58,197 Now if we just... if we just pull it, 248 00:12:58,237 --> 00:13:00,517 - it'll snap. - Yeah, yeah. 249 00:13:00,557 --> 00:13:02,597 GEOFF: So we have to separate the fibres. 250 00:13:02,637 --> 00:13:05,437 And we do that by... If you want to just... 251 00:13:05,477 --> 00:13:07,477 - Put one hand there. - Yeah. 252 00:13:07,517 --> 00:13:10,837 And I'm going to pull it towards us and we're going to twist as we do it. 253 00:13:10,877 --> 00:13:13,797 TONY: Twist away? GEOFF: Yeah. Twist away, like that. 254 00:13:13,837 --> 00:13:18,357 GEOFF: Eventually, we should see... TONY: Oh, it's turning into rope. 255 00:13:18,397 --> 00:13:20,757 GEOFF: That's right. TONY: Before my very eyes! 256 00:13:20,797 --> 00:13:23,557 GEOFF: It becomes very flexible and that comes round. 257 00:13:23,597 --> 00:13:26,717 And that one might even go behind that upright there 258 00:13:26,757 --> 00:13:28,717 to finish it off. 259 00:13:29,877 --> 00:13:31,917 Oh, brilliant! 260 00:13:31,957 --> 00:13:34,997 Oh, only another 60 and we'll have a wall. 261 00:13:35,637 --> 00:13:37,917 'Building this little bit took ages.' 262 00:13:37,957 --> 00:13:39,957 'And all I was doing was assembling it.' 263 00:13:39,997 --> 00:13:42,357 'I didn't have to gather the right sorts of wood 264 00:13:42,397 --> 00:13:44,997 and strip it all down and split it, 265 00:13:45,037 --> 00:13:47,437 and make sure I had enough of the right length.' 266 00:13:47,477 --> 00:13:50,517 'This might be interesting if you're doing arts and crafts, 267 00:13:50,557 --> 00:13:53,677 but as a JOB, getting 20 or so of these together 268 00:13:53,717 --> 00:13:56,877 for a house or fencing, wasn't my idea of fun.' 269 00:13:57,557 --> 00:14:00,077 'The worst part was still waiting for me, though.' 270 00:14:00,117 --> 00:14:02,397 This is what a finished wall should look like. 271 00:14:02,437 --> 00:14:04,517 But as you can see, it's pretty draughty. 272 00:14:04,557 --> 00:14:06,557 So the next job is to fill in the gaps. 273 00:14:06,597 --> 00:14:08,757 And to do that we need daub. 274 00:14:08,797 --> 00:14:10,997 Hence the term, "wattle and daub". 275 00:14:11,037 --> 00:14:13,037 And daub comes in four parts. 276 00:14:13,077 --> 00:14:15,357 There's water, straw, mud... 277 00:14:16,077 --> 00:14:18,037 and ONE other ingredient. 278 00:14:22,757 --> 00:14:24,757 TONY: Why dung? 279 00:14:24,797 --> 00:14:27,557 If you're using a lot of topsoil to cover a wall, 280 00:14:27,597 --> 00:14:30,997 the trouble with topsoil is if you mix it with water, 281 00:14:31,037 --> 00:14:33,637 and you slap it up on the wall, once it dries, 282 00:14:33,677 --> 00:14:35,677 it can crumble and fall off. 283 00:14:35,717 --> 00:14:38,637 So if you put this stuff in, then it acts like a binding agent 284 00:14:38,677 --> 00:14:40,677 and it REALLY holds the soil together. 285 00:14:40,717 --> 00:14:42,997 Plus you need to put some straw in as well. 286 00:14:43,037 --> 00:14:45,797 TONY: It's going to take a long time to fill our bucket. 287 00:14:45,837 --> 00:14:48,717 - How much are we going to need? - Buckets and buckets of it, 288 00:14:48,757 --> 00:14:51,237 or as much as the horses will actually give us. 289 00:14:51,917 --> 00:14:53,877 Great! 290 00:14:57,277 --> 00:14:59,277 Next thing is we need some water. 291 00:14:59,317 --> 00:15:01,917 - Just to "squadge" it all up. - Yeah. 292 00:15:01,957 --> 00:15:04,157 So I pour that, like so 293 00:15:04,557 --> 00:15:06,957 and you need a lot more water than you'd think. 294 00:15:06,997 --> 00:15:08,957 So that's just the first bucket, 295 00:15:10,117 --> 00:15:12,077 then another one. 296 00:15:13,277 --> 00:15:16,677 And then, you might as well put the binding agent in. 297 00:15:16,717 --> 00:15:18,677 Hooray! 298 00:15:20,437 --> 00:15:22,997 PETER: Then spread it round a bit. 299 00:15:23,037 --> 00:15:24,997 - Like so. - Yeah. 300 00:15:25,037 --> 00:15:27,037 PETER: And then you need your straw. 301 00:15:27,077 --> 00:15:29,037 Well, this stuff's pretty important. 302 00:15:29,677 --> 00:15:32,357 So when the mud cracks a bit in hot weather, 303 00:15:32,397 --> 00:15:34,957 this holds all the pieces. 304 00:15:34,997 --> 00:15:37,757 What we need to do now is just get in it. 305 00:15:37,797 --> 00:15:40,717 - Like so. - And stomp. 306 00:15:41,797 --> 00:15:45,117 PETER: You've got your wellies on but I've got my Saxon boots, 307 00:15:45,157 --> 00:15:47,117 which are designed to leak. 308 00:15:47,157 --> 00:15:48,757 Well, they do! 309 00:15:48,797 --> 00:15:52,837 'So far, so good. Treading in this wasn't too bad, just a bit smelly.' 310 00:15:52,877 --> 00:15:55,277 TONY: Good for the skin. PETER: Wonderful(!) 311 00:15:55,317 --> 00:15:57,477 This is gonna be a good brew. 312 00:15:57,517 --> 00:15:59,917 'Next, though, was the messy bit.' 313 00:16:00,637 --> 00:16:03,037 There's a little bit of a knack to this. 314 00:16:03,077 --> 00:16:05,437 - You get a handful like that. - Yeah. 315 00:16:05,797 --> 00:16:07,957 - Roll into a sort of blob. - Yeah. 316 00:16:08,077 --> 00:16:10,117 You always start at the bottom. 317 00:16:10,157 --> 00:16:12,717 That's best cos each layer supports the layer above. 318 00:16:13,597 --> 00:16:15,957 Plonk it on and then you get your palm... 319 00:16:17,157 --> 00:16:19,277 and you just smooth it in like this. 320 00:16:19,597 --> 00:16:22,077 - So, I get a big dollop. - Like so. 321 00:16:24,277 --> 00:16:26,797 PETER: Roll it into a, sort of, little bit of a ball. 322 00:16:26,837 --> 00:16:29,117 TONY: Oh, it's getting mixed up with my scarf! 323 00:16:29,157 --> 00:16:31,117 PETER: Start at the bottom and just... 324 00:16:31,597 --> 00:16:33,637 slap it on. 325 00:16:33,677 --> 00:16:36,357 - Then slide it into the wood. - SLAP it on! 326 00:16:36,397 --> 00:16:39,837 - That's it! - You splashed me with your dollop! 327 00:16:39,877 --> 00:16:41,877 You'll get me back. 328 00:16:43,237 --> 00:16:45,197 There we go. 329 00:16:45,237 --> 00:16:47,277 - Very therapeutic, isn't it? - Ah! 330 00:16:47,717 --> 00:16:49,837 TONY: Your psyche must be pretty messed up 331 00:16:49,877 --> 00:16:51,917 if you find this therapeutic. 332 00:16:51,957 --> 00:16:54,237 TONY: Right! PETER: Or less messed up. 333 00:16:58,037 --> 00:17:00,797 TONY: Into that crack. - Once you get your system going, 334 00:17:00,837 --> 00:17:03,557 it's amazing how fast you can cover a wall. 335 00:17:14,957 --> 00:17:17,037 TONY: I wish you wouldn't keep doing that. 336 00:17:17,077 --> 00:17:19,277 PETER: Do I keep splashing you? TONY: Yeah. 337 00:17:19,317 --> 00:17:21,277 I do apologise! 338 00:17:21,317 --> 00:17:23,837 'At the end, it should've looked like this.' 339 00:17:24,317 --> 00:17:26,277 'Lovely, isn't it?' 340 00:17:30,437 --> 00:17:32,837 'But even after he'd whittled his wattle 341 00:17:32,877 --> 00:17:34,837 and slapped his daub, 342 00:17:35,157 --> 00:17:38,157 the churl's chores had only just started.' 343 00:17:38,957 --> 00:17:42,757 Life in the house was very dull and incredibly repetitive. 344 00:17:42,797 --> 00:17:45,837 For instance, the fire was the focal point 345 00:17:45,877 --> 00:17:47,957 of all the activity in the house. 346 00:17:47,997 --> 00:17:51,397 But it didn't half burn up a lot of fuel. It could take up to four hours 347 00:17:51,437 --> 00:17:54,557 to get enough wood just to keep this one, single fire going, 348 00:17:54,597 --> 00:17:57,117 so it was important to have the children around 349 00:17:57,157 --> 00:17:59,357 because that was a job they could help with. 350 00:17:59,397 --> 00:18:01,677 And then there's THIS - the daily grind. 351 00:18:01,717 --> 00:18:03,757 That's where we get the expression from. 352 00:18:03,797 --> 00:18:06,477 This is the quern stone, where they used to grind corn. 353 00:18:06,517 --> 00:18:08,917 - How did this work, Fiona? - The barley grains 354 00:18:08,957 --> 00:18:11,237 go into the middle of the hole in the quern 355 00:18:11,637 --> 00:18:14,077 and you turn it, rotate it. 356 00:18:14,117 --> 00:18:17,637 The two stones squash the grains together to make flour. 357 00:18:17,677 --> 00:18:19,757 So is there flour beneath these two now? 358 00:18:19,797 --> 00:18:21,757 There is. 359 00:18:21,957 --> 00:18:24,597 TONY: Amazing! How long would you have to do this for? 360 00:18:24,637 --> 00:18:26,637 FIONA: It takes three to four hours 361 00:18:26,677 --> 00:18:29,437 to produce enough flour to make bread for a family of 12. 362 00:18:31,397 --> 00:18:34,197 So after you've done the three or four hours' grinding, 363 00:18:34,237 --> 00:18:37,397 you can relax a bit by kneading the dough. 364 00:18:37,437 --> 00:18:40,637 And when you'd done that, you'd form it into patties, 365 00:18:41,037 --> 00:18:43,037 put it on the fire 366 00:18:43,077 --> 00:18:46,477 and when they were cooked, you'd have enough bread for the family! 367 00:18:46,517 --> 00:18:49,357 But your whole life wasn't just limited 368 00:18:49,397 --> 00:18:51,397 to what happened in the house. 369 00:18:51,437 --> 00:18:53,437 Sometimes, civic duty called. 370 00:18:54,437 --> 00:18:57,477 'The Dark Ages were turbulent times.' 371 00:18:57,517 --> 00:19:01,117 'By 850, England had formed into three warring kingdoms - 372 00:19:01,157 --> 00:19:03,837 Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex.' 373 00:19:03,957 --> 00:19:06,717 'They fought each other and outsiders.' 374 00:19:07,517 --> 00:19:10,997 'On top of his other jobs, the churl had to do national service.' 375 00:19:11,477 --> 00:19:14,997 'All those axes, swords and armour required iron.' 376 00:19:16,157 --> 00:19:18,717 'And that created another terrible job - 377 00:19:19,077 --> 00:19:21,077 the bog iron hunter.' 378 00:19:28,517 --> 00:19:30,477 TONY: What are we after, Gerry? 379 00:19:30,517 --> 00:19:33,677 What we're looking for is a stuff called bog ore. 380 00:19:34,437 --> 00:19:37,997 It's the iron ore that was used certainly in the Saxon period. 381 00:19:39,037 --> 00:19:41,637 'In Saxon times, bogs were the main source 382 00:19:41,677 --> 00:19:43,677 of iron ore for smelting.' 383 00:19:45,877 --> 00:19:48,197 'The wetlands were where the ore had developed 384 00:19:48,237 --> 00:19:50,237 across millions of years.' 385 00:19:50,677 --> 00:19:52,637 'It then just had to be found.' 386 00:19:52,957 --> 00:19:55,757 Who would the guys have been who would have been doing this? 387 00:19:55,797 --> 00:19:57,757 Probably at the very bottom, I think. 388 00:19:57,957 --> 00:20:00,557 I mean, it's a mucky, hard, endless job, 389 00:20:00,597 --> 00:20:02,557 because they would be needing, 390 00:20:02,597 --> 00:20:05,917 when they were doing a lot of iron smelting, 30 or 40 kilos a day. 391 00:20:05,957 --> 00:20:09,557 TONY: We've got wet-weather gear, but they wouldn't have had anything. 392 00:20:09,597 --> 00:20:12,917 It's a thankless task because the iron smelter was dependant 393 00:20:12,957 --> 00:20:15,637 - on getting his iron ore. - It's a bit like a needle 394 00:20:15,677 --> 00:20:17,837 - in a haystack. - It is, it is. 395 00:20:17,877 --> 00:20:21,317 They'd probably know where it is but not EXACTLY where it is. 396 00:20:21,597 --> 00:20:24,277 And because they'll be utilising it year in, year out, 397 00:20:24,317 --> 00:20:26,397 they're ALWAYS looking for new sources. 398 00:20:26,437 --> 00:20:29,477 So they'd be out there all the time looking for it. 399 00:20:29,517 --> 00:20:32,597 TONY: I've found something that's going "clunk" a bit. 400 00:20:33,437 --> 00:20:35,437 GERRY: Let's get that out. TONY: OK. 401 00:20:39,077 --> 00:20:41,637 GERRY: That's the sort of thing we're looking for. 402 00:20:41,677 --> 00:20:43,957 - "Sort of thing"? Is it it? - It is. 403 00:20:44,077 --> 00:20:46,917 It doesn't look like anything special but that is bog ore. 404 00:20:46,957 --> 00:20:49,397 TONY: How much metal do you reckon there is in there? 405 00:20:49,437 --> 00:20:51,477 If you were gonna do a smelt tomorrow, 406 00:20:51,517 --> 00:20:53,557 we'd need another 10 or 15 of these, 407 00:20:53,597 --> 00:20:55,837 cos it only weighs perhaps 2kg or 3kg. 408 00:20:55,877 --> 00:20:59,677 And they're just scattered off around the...bogs. 409 00:21:01,357 --> 00:21:04,237 TONY: A frustrating job, isn't it? GERRY: It is, it is. 410 00:21:05,517 --> 00:21:08,077 'This was a backbreaking and thankless job, 411 00:21:08,517 --> 00:21:11,037 out in all weathers in places like this.' 412 00:21:12,237 --> 00:21:14,397 'Four or five more lumps like the one we've got 413 00:21:14,437 --> 00:21:16,437 and I'd have enough for an axe.' 414 00:21:18,077 --> 00:21:21,197 'In the Dark Ages, very few jobs paid money.' 415 00:21:21,597 --> 00:21:24,437 'Like the churl, most people just worked to live.' 416 00:21:24,597 --> 00:21:26,957 'But there were some specialised jobs.' 417 00:21:27,437 --> 00:21:30,597 'Someone had to work metal - not everyone could do this.' 418 00:21:31,597 --> 00:21:33,837 'But to get metal hot enough to work with, 419 00:21:33,877 --> 00:21:37,037 required material capable of giving off great heat.' 420 00:21:37,637 --> 00:21:39,837 'Charcoal.' 421 00:21:39,877 --> 00:21:42,997 Nowadays, all our charcoal's mass-produced. 422 00:21:43,037 --> 00:21:45,397 It's just something in a big sack that you heave 423 00:21:45,437 --> 00:21:47,477 into the back of the car. 424 00:21:47,517 --> 00:21:49,997 But in Saxon times, it was very different. 425 00:21:50,037 --> 00:21:53,317 Everybody needed charcoal virtually all of the time. 426 00:21:53,357 --> 00:21:55,397 And it all had to be made. 427 00:21:55,437 --> 00:21:59,077 And that was a long, hard and very difficult job. 428 00:22:01,357 --> 00:22:03,397 'Every little town and village 429 00:22:03,437 --> 00:22:05,437 would have had its own charcoal-maker.' 430 00:22:05,877 --> 00:22:07,997 'They set themselves up in the forest, 431 00:22:08,037 --> 00:22:10,597 they cleared the space, and collected wood.' 432 00:22:11,157 --> 00:22:14,037 'Lots of it - three tons or so.' 433 00:22:16,677 --> 00:22:19,477 'They then built it up into a sort of igloo shape, 434 00:22:19,517 --> 00:22:22,077 carefully placing the wood so it didn't collapse.' 435 00:22:26,717 --> 00:22:29,397 'This, basically, ended up as a sort of giant oven 436 00:22:29,437 --> 00:22:31,437 to slowly bake the wood.' 437 00:22:34,357 --> 00:22:36,397 'They lit a fire inside, 438 00:22:36,437 --> 00:22:39,157 which would've taken about five hours or so to catch.' 439 00:22:40,077 --> 00:22:42,637 Right, well, it looks like it's the moment of truth. 440 00:22:52,517 --> 00:22:55,317 'They had to be careful to make sure it just smouldered 441 00:22:55,357 --> 00:22:57,397 and didn't really burn, as such.' 442 00:22:57,437 --> 00:23:01,117 'If it burnt too strongly, then the whole lot would have gone up, 443 00:23:01,517 --> 00:23:03,557 maybe also bits of the forest too.' 444 00:23:05,317 --> 00:23:08,117 'But what made this a REALLY horrible job 445 00:23:08,157 --> 00:23:10,157 was the process once it was lit.' 446 00:23:11,157 --> 00:23:14,037 'What you had to do was just sit and watch it 447 00:23:15,317 --> 00:23:18,277 for up to 100 hours solid.' 448 00:23:18,797 --> 00:23:21,637 You sit for many an hour watching a charcoal kiln, 449 00:23:21,677 --> 00:23:25,397 day and night, and the tendency is to get a little bored 450 00:23:25,437 --> 00:23:27,397 and to nod off. 451 00:23:27,437 --> 00:23:29,477 And it is VERY frightening to wake up 452 00:23:29,517 --> 00:23:31,477 and find a big hole in your kiln 453 00:23:31,517 --> 00:23:34,677 with flames leaping 12, 15 feet in the sky. 454 00:23:34,717 --> 00:23:37,637 'So the charcoal burners developed a one-legged stool, 455 00:23:37,677 --> 00:23:40,317 so that if they DID nod off, they LITERALLY 456 00:23:40,357 --> 00:23:42,397 nodded off the stool.' 457 00:23:42,437 --> 00:23:44,397 'It kept them awake.' 458 00:23:48,157 --> 00:23:50,517 'Right, let's leave them to it, then.' 459 00:23:51,037 --> 00:23:53,277 'We'll pop back in a few days or so.' 460 00:24:02,957 --> 00:24:07,655 461 00:24:08,735 --> 00:24:10,735 There's one other skilled craftsman 462 00:24:10,775 --> 00:24:13,935 who deserves a mention on ANY list of The Worst Jobs In History. 463 00:24:14,375 --> 00:24:17,535 A man who risked his LIMBS for his work. 464 00:24:17,895 --> 00:24:19,895 A man who lived CONSTANTLY in fear, 465 00:24:19,935 --> 00:24:22,495 ALWAYS afraid of being denounced for cheating. 466 00:24:22,895 --> 00:24:24,895 For my next worst job, 467 00:24:24,935 --> 00:24:27,775 welcome to the world of the coin-stamper. 468 00:24:29,135 --> 00:24:32,735 'The Saxons produced the first penny in 765.' 469 00:24:33,455 --> 00:24:36,535 'At that time, every local area had to have its own mint.' 470 00:24:44,175 --> 00:24:46,895 'Each one had five or six people like this 471 00:24:46,935 --> 00:24:49,655 cutting and hammering away and making coins.' 472 00:24:52,335 --> 00:24:54,295 'It was really like early piecework.' 473 00:24:54,815 --> 00:24:58,295 'But these guys didn't get paid, they got bed and board. 474 00:24:58,335 --> 00:25:02,135 Yet they were surrounded by all this money, all the time, 475 00:25:02,175 --> 00:25:04,135 and NONE of it was theirs.' 476 00:25:04,975 --> 00:25:06,975 'Coins had to be shaped.' 477 00:25:07,015 --> 00:25:09,095 'You might think that the poor old stamper 478 00:25:09,135 --> 00:25:11,655 would be tempted to snip off the odd bit of silver.' 479 00:25:12,255 --> 00:25:15,055 'If he was caught, the punishments were severe.' 480 00:25:16,935 --> 00:25:20,735 'Shaving a bit off the coins were seen as defacing the king's head, 481 00:25:20,775 --> 00:25:23,015 a very serious offence.' 482 00:25:23,055 --> 00:25:25,095 'The penalty was castration.' 483 00:25:27,455 --> 00:25:30,535 'And if a whole coin went missing, then this guy's boss 484 00:25:30,575 --> 00:25:34,415 had his hand cut off and nailed to the door as a deterrent.' 485 00:25:35,135 --> 00:25:37,495 'So the pressure was really applied hard.' 486 00:25:37,895 --> 00:25:40,015 'Long, cold days in the mint 487 00:25:40,535 --> 00:25:42,495 and NO chance of a mistake.' 488 00:25:48,055 --> 00:25:50,535 'Back out in the woods, Dave has been awake 489 00:25:50,575 --> 00:25:52,535 for 48 hours solid.' 490 00:26:10,935 --> 00:26:13,095 'But it's not over yet.' 491 00:26:13,135 --> 00:26:16,175 'For the charcoal-burner, TIME is the enemy.' 492 00:26:16,215 --> 00:26:19,335 'There's still a danger that the whole lot goes up in smoke.' 493 00:26:21,415 --> 00:26:24,975 'And after another 24 hours, this is it, 494 00:26:25,015 --> 00:26:26,975 the big moment.' 495 00:26:27,815 --> 00:26:31,295 'After a week of hard work and sitting around staying awake, 496 00:26:31,335 --> 00:26:35,895 the Saxon charcoal-makers were left with this much charcoal.' 497 00:26:36,335 --> 00:26:39,895 'And because charcoal was in so much demand in Saxon times, 498 00:26:40,255 --> 00:26:42,215 they just had to clear this lot away 499 00:26:42,655 --> 00:26:45,735 and start the whole process all over again.' 500 00:26:51,335 --> 00:26:54,655 'The monastery was a key part of Saxon life.' 501 00:26:57,375 --> 00:27:01,375 'Monks led a life of serenity, of reflection and prayer.' 502 00:27:02,375 --> 00:27:04,975 'A bit of singing and a lot of bowing.' 503 00:27:06,175 --> 00:27:08,655 'Compared with the drudgery of outdoor life, 504 00:27:09,055 --> 00:27:11,015 this looks pretty cushy.' 505 00:27:12,535 --> 00:27:15,255 Hang on, that is just the telly. 506 00:27:15,295 --> 00:27:17,655 It may have looked like that in medieval times, 507 00:27:17,695 --> 00:27:21,175 or at least in our rather romantic vision of medieval times, 508 00:27:21,215 --> 00:27:23,655 with lots of cloisters and plainsong 509 00:27:23,695 --> 00:27:27,655 and people praying and meditating very quietly. 510 00:27:28,055 --> 00:27:31,015 But in Saxon times, it was much harder, 511 00:27:31,055 --> 00:27:33,015 it was a REALLY tough job. 512 00:27:34,935 --> 00:27:38,495 'To start with, the monks would have lived in huts like these.' 513 00:27:38,535 --> 00:27:41,535 'And they too would have had to build them themselves.' 514 00:27:43,455 --> 00:27:45,455 'They had to make their own bread 515 00:27:45,495 --> 00:27:47,815 and they also had to do their own ploughing.' 516 00:27:48,735 --> 00:27:50,735 'In fact, the worst part of being a monk 517 00:27:50,775 --> 00:27:53,775 was that they had to do everything that everyone else had to do 518 00:27:54,175 --> 00:27:56,615 AND they had the day job.' 519 00:27:56,655 --> 00:27:59,655 Well this is a far cry from the medieval cloister, isn't it? 520 00:27:59,695 --> 00:28:01,695 - Indeed it is, yes. - Is this it? 521 00:28:01,735 --> 00:28:04,975 This is exactly it - a Dark Age monk cell. 522 00:28:05,535 --> 00:28:07,975 - What you see is what you get. - No furniture? 523 00:28:08,015 --> 00:28:11,575 No furniture, a bit of blanket, perhaps, for a bed on top of straw, 524 00:28:11,615 --> 00:28:13,695 a few eating irons, you know, erm... 525 00:28:14,135 --> 00:28:17,855 a drinking vessel, a plate, a knife to...to cut your bread. 526 00:28:17,895 --> 00:28:19,895 And that was it. And... 527 00:28:19,935 --> 00:28:22,015 a very, very strict prayer regime. 528 00:28:22,055 --> 00:28:24,215 And all the other work they had to do, as well. 529 00:28:24,255 --> 00:28:27,375 - How many times did they pray? - About eight times in 24 hours. 530 00:28:27,415 --> 00:28:29,655 And this isn't hands together, eyes closed. 531 00:28:29,695 --> 00:28:31,775 - This is down to the church? - Yes. 532 00:28:31,815 --> 00:28:34,215 They were stipulated exactly at... 533 00:28:34,255 --> 00:28:36,375 at regular hours throughout the day. 534 00:28:36,415 --> 00:28:39,055 - At what times? - Starting just after midnight... 535 00:28:39,495 --> 00:28:42,975 Bear in mind, of course, they didn't go to bed as late as we do. 536 00:28:43,015 --> 00:28:46,735 Just after midnight, then at 3:30 in the morning, then at six o'clock. 537 00:28:46,775 --> 00:28:49,175 Six in the morning was called "the first hour"... 538 00:28:49,215 --> 00:28:51,495 of daylight when they'd have their prayers, 539 00:28:51,535 --> 00:28:53,535 then they'd go off to work. 540 00:28:53,575 --> 00:28:56,575 And then straight after that, you'd have nine o'clock, 541 00:28:56,615 --> 00:29:00,175 then mid-day and then about 5:30 in the afternoon. 542 00:29:00,535 --> 00:29:02,735 Then the late prayers before they went to bed. 543 00:29:02,775 --> 00:29:05,615 - Went to bed about eight o'clock. - What happened if you gave 544 00:29:05,655 --> 00:29:09,055 - it a miss and slept in? - That was just a definite no-no! 545 00:29:09,095 --> 00:29:11,095 Punishments were quite severe. 546 00:29:11,135 --> 00:29:15,935 Even being late for a service would have meant severe punishment. 547 00:29:15,975 --> 00:29:18,575 - What punishments? - Various types of punishments. 548 00:29:18,615 --> 00:29:22,175 For lesser faults, you would have to prostrate yourself 549 00:29:22,215 --> 00:29:25,295 in front of the brethren. This was called, "making the venia". 550 00:29:25,335 --> 00:29:27,615 What do you mean by "prostrate yourself"? 551 00:29:27,655 --> 00:29:29,775 Would you like to demonstrate? (LAUGHS) 552 00:29:29,815 --> 00:29:32,695 There's some straw there. What you do is lie yourself down 553 00:29:32,735 --> 00:29:34,775 - with your arms outstretched? - Like... 554 00:29:34,815 --> 00:29:37,135 No. On your front, on your top. That's right. 555 00:29:37,175 --> 00:29:39,735 Arms outstretched... And that's where you'd be, 556 00:29:39,775 --> 00:29:42,175 and the abbots and others would be around you 557 00:29:42,215 --> 00:29:44,895 and you would stay there until the abbots thought 558 00:29:44,935 --> 00:29:47,255 - that you'd had enough. - Roughly how long? 559 00:29:47,295 --> 00:29:50,855 Could be as long as that particular gathering was in session. 560 00:29:50,895 --> 00:29:53,495 So you could be talking up to hours, perhaps. 561 00:29:53,535 --> 00:29:56,335 I don't think my sin was particularly grave. 562 00:29:56,775 --> 00:29:58,775 What other punishments were there? 563 00:29:58,815 --> 00:30:00,815 For the GRAVEST of offences, 564 00:30:00,855 --> 00:30:03,295 you could be thrown out of the monastery. 565 00:30:04,815 --> 00:30:07,495 Doesn't sound too bad a punishment to me! 566 00:30:07,535 --> 00:30:09,575 It might have been a good thing if you were 567 00:30:09,615 --> 00:30:12,375 that sort of person that you didn't want to do it anyway. 568 00:30:12,415 --> 00:30:15,815 But if you were that sort of person, how would you fare in Saxon life? 569 00:30:15,855 --> 00:30:18,335 You wouldn't really get on anywhere, would you? 570 00:30:22,415 --> 00:30:24,375 'This is St Cuthbert.' 571 00:30:25,535 --> 00:30:28,415 'Famous monks like him weren't in trouble that often, 572 00:30:28,815 --> 00:30:30,815 but their lives were still very hard 573 00:30:30,855 --> 00:30:34,295 and some of it was accepted as a big part of the job.' 574 00:30:42,055 --> 00:30:44,375 One of the worst parts of the job of being a monk 575 00:30:44,415 --> 00:30:46,375 has got to be atonement. 576 00:30:46,535 --> 00:30:50,695 This was the process whereby you SUFFERED as a monk 577 00:30:50,735 --> 00:30:54,255 in order to try and prevent other people in your community 578 00:30:54,655 --> 00:30:56,655 from going to hell. 579 00:30:56,695 --> 00:30:59,375 There were lots of different forms of suffering. 580 00:30:59,415 --> 00:31:01,855 One of the things that Cuthbert did 581 00:31:01,895 --> 00:31:05,215 was that he used to wade out into the sea, 582 00:31:05,695 --> 00:31:08,335 sometimes in the middle of winter, 583 00:31:08,775 --> 00:31:11,135 and (PANTS) in the freezing cold. 584 00:31:11,375 --> 00:31:13,375 And... OUCH! 585 00:31:13,415 --> 00:31:17,695 He'd pray for up to seven or eight hours at a time. 586 00:31:18,535 --> 00:31:20,655 He did it in secret but... 587 00:31:20,695 --> 00:31:23,135 people saw him and he became... 588 00:31:23,175 --> 00:31:25,255 very famous for it. 589 00:31:25,295 --> 00:31:28,175 I don't know if it stopped anybody going to hell or not, 590 00:31:28,215 --> 00:31:31,855 but what we do know, is that within 300 years, 591 00:31:31,895 --> 00:31:33,855 the entire country was Christian. 592 00:31:34,335 --> 00:31:36,295 I tell you what, that was REALLY cold. 593 00:31:41,575 --> 00:31:45,815 'The WORST job of being a monk, though, was the writing.' 594 00:31:45,855 --> 00:31:48,375 'Great writers like the Venerable Bede 595 00:31:48,415 --> 00:31:50,455 give us a lot of our history of the period.' 596 00:31:51,095 --> 00:31:53,255 'But most monks didn't really WRITE 597 00:31:53,295 --> 00:31:55,535 as much as just copy texts, 598 00:31:55,575 --> 00:31:57,575 which was far more boring.' 599 00:31:57,615 --> 00:32:00,735 'The danger of making mistakes was always there.' 600 00:32:00,775 --> 00:32:02,935 'Remember all those punishments?' 601 00:32:02,975 --> 00:32:05,215 'And they worked in cold conditions.' 602 00:32:05,575 --> 00:32:07,575 'Because they didn't have much light, 603 00:32:07,615 --> 00:32:10,415 they usually worked by open doors or windows.' 604 00:32:10,455 --> 00:32:14,135 'Remember, they didn't have glass so they were always cold.' 605 00:32:14,855 --> 00:32:16,815 'One Benedictine monk wrote, 606 00:32:17,135 --> 00:32:20,775 "Writing tires the eyes, wearies the back, 607 00:32:20,815 --> 00:32:23,655 and sends cramps through the arms and legs."' 608 00:32:24,655 --> 00:32:28,135 'But the worst part - that was the danger.' 609 00:32:29,815 --> 00:32:31,815 'Because of the valuable books, 610 00:32:31,855 --> 00:32:34,735 monasteries were a prime target for raiders.' 611 00:32:37,215 --> 00:32:39,455 'And not just any old raider.' 612 00:32:42,895 --> 00:32:46,095 'The biggest danger facing many people in Saxon times 613 00:32:46,455 --> 00:32:48,455 was the Vikings.' 614 00:32:48,495 --> 00:32:51,295 'The Vikings began raiding Britain in the 790s.' 615 00:32:51,655 --> 00:32:53,855 'Although they started out as raiders, 616 00:32:53,895 --> 00:32:56,055 once here, they began to settle down.' 617 00:32:56,095 --> 00:32:58,055 (ROAR OF BATTLE) 618 00:33:01,175 --> 00:33:04,615 'Eventually, they created their own kingdom - the Danelaw - 619 00:33:04,655 --> 00:33:06,735 stretching from East Anglia, 620 00:33:06,775 --> 00:33:09,495 up to Yorkshire and beyond.' 621 00:33:10,175 --> 00:33:14,055 The thing about the Vikings is we have a generalised view of them. 622 00:33:14,095 --> 00:33:17,535 They were these great, hairy men who sailed across the sea 623 00:33:17,575 --> 00:33:20,335 in order to hack us to pieces, rape our women, 624 00:33:20,695 --> 00:33:22,695 and set fire to our churches. 625 00:33:22,735 --> 00:33:25,175 But there was MUCH more to them than that. 626 00:33:25,215 --> 00:33:28,375 Welcome to the worst job of the Viking warrior. 627 00:33:30,855 --> 00:33:32,975 'Now, when I think of Viking boats, 628 00:33:33,015 --> 00:33:35,015 I think of pretty large ships 629 00:33:35,055 --> 00:33:37,055 with a dozen or so people rowing 630 00:33:37,095 --> 00:33:40,095 and the rest hanging around, being carried to battle.' 631 00:33:40,135 --> 00:33:43,415 'It's fine when the wind's up and you can raise the sail, 632 00:33:43,455 --> 00:33:45,415 it fairly clips along.' 633 00:33:47,495 --> 00:33:50,015 'But I didn't think it would be like this.' 634 00:33:50,055 --> 00:33:54,815 'Just room for about 16 of us, and we're all rowing.' 635 00:33:54,855 --> 00:33:57,375 What would life have been like on the boat? 636 00:33:57,415 --> 00:34:00,455 It would have been pretty cramped and uncomfortable. 637 00:34:00,495 --> 00:34:04,135 As you can see, we're pretty tight in here, even as it is. 638 00:34:04,175 --> 00:34:06,175 And it's a lovely day. 639 00:34:06,215 --> 00:34:10,255 If we were going across the North Sea or the Atlantic on a rough day, 640 00:34:10,295 --> 00:34:12,455 we'd have water spraying all over us. 641 00:34:12,495 --> 00:34:15,895 And of course, we wouldn't just be rowing in the afternoon. 642 00:34:15,935 --> 00:34:18,895 We'd have the problem of... we'd be here all night, 643 00:34:18,935 --> 00:34:20,935 so you've got to sleep in this space. 644 00:34:20,975 --> 00:34:24,175 We'd all be huddled between the sea chests, no privacy. 645 00:34:24,735 --> 00:34:27,815 So it'd be cold, wet, probably extremely smelly. 646 00:34:27,855 --> 00:34:29,895 And remember, no toilet facilities. 647 00:34:30,295 --> 00:34:32,455 You've just got the side of the boat. 648 00:34:32,495 --> 00:34:34,495 TONY: Were there women Viking sailors? 649 00:34:34,535 --> 00:34:37,295 There's at least one reference to a Viking army 650 00:34:37,335 --> 00:34:40,015 coming across from the Continent to England, 651 00:34:40,055 --> 00:34:42,055 bringing the women with them. 652 00:34:42,095 --> 00:34:44,895 But for the longer voyages, when they went out to settle 653 00:34:44,935 --> 00:34:48,175 in the North Atlantic, the Faeroes and Iceland and so on, 654 00:34:48,215 --> 00:34:50,215 they took their families with them. 655 00:34:50,255 --> 00:34:52,255 The women would have been on the boat 656 00:34:52,295 --> 00:34:55,055 and they'd have done their share of the rowing as well. 657 00:34:55,095 --> 00:34:57,095 PULL! 658 00:34:57,135 --> 00:34:59,575 PULL! SLOW AND DEEP! PULL! 659 00:35:00,295 --> 00:35:02,295 Pull! 660 00:35:02,335 --> 00:35:04,335 Pull! 661 00:35:04,375 --> 00:35:07,015 Pull! Keep it together! Pull! 662 00:35:07,655 --> 00:35:09,655 - Given how tough this is... - Pull! 663 00:35:09,695 --> 00:35:13,535 it's impossible to imagine how you'd do it for two or three days, 664 00:35:13,895 --> 00:35:16,615 in a squall, with very little to eat, 665 00:35:17,095 --> 00:35:19,095 no toilet facilities... 666 00:35:19,135 --> 00:35:21,335 Huh... huh... 667 00:35:21,375 --> 00:35:24,535 And I know I'm the crappiest rower in the world but... 668 00:35:24,975 --> 00:35:27,855 if this isn't the worst job, I don't know what is. 669 00:35:37,175 --> 00:35:41,135 So we've been rowing and bailing out for two days and two nights. 670 00:35:41,175 --> 00:35:43,175 Finally, land ahoy. 671 00:35:43,215 --> 00:35:45,215 And we want to get over here. 672 00:35:45,255 --> 00:35:47,255 So we've got two alternatives. 673 00:35:47,295 --> 00:35:51,375 We can either sail ALL the way round this headland about 20 miles 674 00:35:51,415 --> 00:35:53,415 till we come to here. 675 00:35:53,455 --> 00:35:56,455 Or we can carry the boat over this hill! 676 00:35:58,055 --> 00:36:00,255 'This process was called portage.' 677 00:36:00,295 --> 00:36:02,455 'It was a common Viking practice.' 678 00:36:02,495 --> 00:36:06,775 'The two key aspects were speed - how quickly can this be done? 679 00:36:06,815 --> 00:36:08,775 - and caring for the boat.' 680 00:36:09,935 --> 00:36:12,375 'Viking ships were made from single planks, 681 00:36:12,415 --> 00:36:14,815 split radially from very long trees.' 682 00:36:15,175 --> 00:36:17,855 'Building them was tricky and time-consuming.' 683 00:36:17,895 --> 00:36:21,055 'So repairs away from home were not a good idea.' 684 00:36:22,175 --> 00:36:26,135 'But more importantly, the ship was also a spiritual symbol.' 685 00:36:26,175 --> 00:36:29,135 'Important Vikings were BURIED in their boats.' 686 00:36:29,175 --> 00:36:34,135 'Ensuring that the boats were well looked after was very important.' 687 00:36:34,895 --> 00:36:37,775 Gareth! Even with this number of people, 688 00:36:37,815 --> 00:36:39,855 I find it hard to believe 689 00:36:39,895 --> 00:36:42,295 that you could shift a boat as heavy as... 690 00:36:42,855 --> 00:36:46,575 this one is...by hand across a hill. How do you do it? 691 00:36:46,615 --> 00:36:50,735 It's not easy. We're going to shift it along these wooden runners. 692 00:36:50,775 --> 00:36:53,575 - These things here? - So we slide it along the runners 693 00:36:53,615 --> 00:36:56,375 and it's going to be half lifted, half pushed, 694 00:36:56,415 --> 00:36:58,735 and we've got the rope there to drag it as well. 695 00:36:58,775 --> 00:37:01,575 And we slide it along the runners, someone comes behind, 696 00:37:01,615 --> 00:37:03,775 picking up the runners once it's over them, 697 00:37:03,815 --> 00:37:06,695 moving them to the front, and we keep moving, keep moving. 698 00:37:06,735 --> 00:37:09,535 Why wouldn't the boat just snag on these things? 699 00:37:09,575 --> 00:37:11,855 Well, this is where it gets really unpleasant 700 00:37:11,895 --> 00:37:15,055 because to stop it snagging, the runners have got to be greased. 701 00:37:15,095 --> 00:37:17,095 TONY: With? - There's various things 702 00:37:17,135 --> 00:37:19,415 we can use for that. Erm... Lard is one, 703 00:37:19,455 --> 00:37:23,095 butter is another, rancid after a couple of weeks on board ship. 704 00:37:23,135 --> 00:37:25,135 But what we're going to be using is fish. 705 00:37:25,175 --> 00:37:27,135 - These things? - Yes, that's right. 706 00:37:27,615 --> 00:37:31,615 It's pretty absurd. A line of fish with a boat sliding down them? 707 00:37:31,655 --> 00:37:35,055 We're not going to use WHOLE fish. There's lots of grease in there. 708 00:37:35,095 --> 00:37:39,175 But what we have to do before we can use them is mash them up. 709 00:37:41,695 --> 00:37:44,215 TONY: Gets stinkier as you go, doesn't it? 710 00:37:44,255 --> 00:37:46,215 I ain't half glad I've got a cold! 711 00:37:47,735 --> 00:37:50,615 Right, what we do we do with these little sweethearts now? 712 00:37:50,655 --> 00:37:53,295 Basically, pick them up and smear them on the logs. 713 00:37:54,415 --> 00:37:58,135 'The thing about these fish is that after four days in a box, 714 00:37:58,175 --> 00:38:00,215 they were REALLY smelly.' 715 00:38:00,255 --> 00:38:04,535 'You can't imagine how much they stank. That was the worst part.' 716 00:38:07,015 --> 00:38:10,535 'At this stage, moving the boat looked like the EASY bit.' 717 00:38:11,695 --> 00:38:13,695 We've got it lifted already. 718 00:38:13,735 --> 00:38:17,375 Basically, what we need to do is, sort of, half lift and half push. 719 00:38:17,415 --> 00:38:20,295 So get your weight underneath as far as you can, 720 00:38:20,335 --> 00:38:22,735 so you're taking some of the weight off the keel. 721 00:38:22,775 --> 00:38:25,575 That way, there's less weight to actually push forward. 722 00:38:25,615 --> 00:38:27,735 What's Viking for "one, two, three, go"? 723 00:38:27,775 --> 00:38:30,495 - One, two, three, go. - All right. One, two, three, go! 724 00:38:30,535 --> 00:38:33,295 Right. Oh! Uhh! 725 00:38:33,775 --> 00:38:36,895 Push! Go! 726 00:38:37,455 --> 00:38:40,935 Towards me, towards me, Derek. Towards me. 727 00:38:41,775 --> 00:38:44,255 GARETH: Keep it towards me. Push! 728 00:38:45,015 --> 00:38:46,975 Put your backside to it. PUSH! 729 00:38:47,375 --> 00:38:49,375 COME ON! PUSH! 730 00:38:49,415 --> 00:38:51,415 - Aaah! GARETH: Push! 731 00:38:51,455 --> 00:38:54,255 PUSH! Here we go! PUSH! 732 00:38:54,295 --> 00:38:57,935 TONY: We need some more runners! GARETH: Push! Push! 733 00:38:58,335 --> 00:39:00,335 PUSH! 734 00:39:00,375 --> 00:39:02,935 A whole shoal of fish was sacrificed for this. 735 00:39:03,615 --> 00:39:06,135 - Aaah! GARETH: Come on! Push! 736 00:39:09,935 --> 00:39:12,655 Push! Push! 737 00:39:16,695 --> 00:39:19,055 I tell you, that fish grease really does work. 738 00:39:19,095 --> 00:39:21,055 but...I have to say... 739 00:39:22,975 --> 00:39:24,975 that does have to be one of the worst jobs. 740 00:39:28,335 --> 00:39:30,295 'But it wasn't the very worst.' 741 00:39:30,935 --> 00:39:34,015 'For me, the worst job of all in the Dark Ages 742 00:39:34,055 --> 00:39:36,055 was still to come.' 743 00:39:36,095 --> 00:39:38,695 I don't want to do this. I really don't want to do this. 744 00:39:38,735 --> 00:39:42,519 745 00:39:44,559 --> 00:39:48,279 I still like to have a go at the worst job of each era myself. 746 00:39:48,319 --> 00:39:51,319 So, what's the worst job that the first thousand years 747 00:39:51,359 --> 00:39:53,319 of British History can throw at me? 748 00:39:54,319 --> 00:39:57,559 'Building a Saxon house wasn't the most pleasant of tasks.' 749 00:40:00,079 --> 00:40:03,039 'Being a Viking warrior wasn't all plain sailing.' 750 00:40:03,079 --> 00:40:05,039 PULL! 751 00:40:05,399 --> 00:40:08,079 'And the life of a monk wasn't a bed of rosaries.' 752 00:40:09,759 --> 00:40:13,119 But there was one job which I reckon was worse than any of those. 753 00:40:13,679 --> 00:40:15,679 It was a job where you risked your life 754 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:17,959 for the most basic of foods, 755 00:40:17,999 --> 00:40:21,319 where your workplace required a really good head for heights, 756 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,639 and where your technical equipment, and health and safety, 757 00:40:24,679 --> 00:40:26,639 were a bucket and a rope. 758 00:40:26,959 --> 00:40:29,479 But I've committed myself to doing it, 759 00:40:29,519 --> 00:40:31,479 even in this pouring rain. 760 00:40:31,879 --> 00:40:35,679 So welcome to the world of the guillemot egg collector. 761 00:40:38,439 --> 00:40:42,319 'In the Dark Ages, guillemot eggs were much sought after.' 762 00:40:42,359 --> 00:40:44,679 'They were good to eat and bigger than most.' 763 00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:47,399 'Farming was tough and unpredictable.' 764 00:40:47,439 --> 00:40:49,719 'Collecting eggs was seen as essential.' 765 00:40:50,079 --> 00:40:52,679 'Many people believed that chickens were sacred, 766 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:54,839 so you couldn't actually eat their eggs.' 767 00:40:55,399 --> 00:40:57,599 'That meant you had to look elsewhere.' 768 00:40:59,079 --> 00:41:01,079 'Like here.' 769 00:41:01,119 --> 00:41:03,719 'Getting to the eggs was difficult.' 770 00:41:03,759 --> 00:41:05,879 'People went over the edge on a rope 771 00:41:05,919 --> 00:41:09,399 with a bucket to collect them. They went out in all weathers 772 00:41:09,439 --> 00:41:12,399 and were attacked by birds trying to protect their eggs.' 773 00:41:12,439 --> 00:41:16,039 'In Victorian times, the people who did this were known as "climmers".' 774 00:41:16,079 --> 00:41:18,079 'It was a nasty job.' 775 00:41:18,119 --> 00:41:21,559 'But I geared up in Saxon clothes and had a go.' 776 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:25,479 - Does this look authentic to you? - Well, it's not too bad. 777 00:41:25,519 --> 00:41:27,919 How do we know people were actually doing this? 778 00:41:27,959 --> 00:41:31,639 Well, there's an account from... the 10th century 779 00:41:31,679 --> 00:41:34,519 of a trader who visited King Alfred. 780 00:41:34,559 --> 00:41:37,759 And he described some of the people 781 00:41:37,799 --> 00:41:41,439 that were harvesting various products 782 00:41:41,479 --> 00:41:44,879 and eggs, from what he described as "egg mountains". 783 00:41:44,919 --> 00:41:46,399 Egg mountains? 784 00:41:46,439 --> 00:41:49,679 Well, that we take to be the sea cliffs and the sea colonies. 785 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,599 Why would they collect guillemot eggs in the first place? 786 00:41:52,639 --> 00:41:55,479 Guillemots' eggs would have been a rich form of protein 787 00:41:55,519 --> 00:41:58,639 at a time when other forms of food would have been scarce. 788 00:41:58,679 --> 00:42:01,759 And the cliffs would have been laden with THOUSANDS of them. 789 00:42:01,799 --> 00:42:05,199 They would have needed to keep the eggs and, without refrigeration, 790 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:09,319 they had to have fresh eggs at least every two or three days. 791 00:42:09,359 --> 00:42:11,399 - They were doing this for money? - No. 792 00:42:11,439 --> 00:42:13,519 This would have been the food they needed. 793 00:42:13,559 --> 00:42:16,439 The biggest battle they faced was to put food on the table. 794 00:42:16,479 --> 00:42:18,959 And sometimes, in a bleak landscape like this, 795 00:42:19,439 --> 00:42:22,639 - food could be very scarce. - So the guillemots were nesting 796 00:42:22,679 --> 00:42:26,439 - in the sheer cliffs? - Yes, they tend to nest on ledges 797 00:42:26,479 --> 00:42:29,879 and they get pretty aggressive when you try and take their eggs. 798 00:42:29,919 --> 00:42:32,199 TONY: Great, great. GARY: Watch out for that. 799 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:34,239 TONY: How did the collectors get down? 800 00:42:34,279 --> 00:42:36,559 They would have needed to use a handmade rope. 801 00:42:36,599 --> 00:42:39,079 There are lots of materials they could have used, 802 00:42:39,119 --> 00:42:42,199 but what was very popular was seal skin like this. 803 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:45,039 And this would have been cut and braided... 804 00:42:45,079 --> 00:42:47,079 together to actually make a rope. 805 00:42:47,119 --> 00:42:50,439 They could have also, of course, used something like this. 806 00:42:50,479 --> 00:42:53,759 And just hang on to it and... 807 00:42:53,799 --> 00:42:56,439 - and go down. - Well, pretty well. 808 00:42:56,479 --> 00:42:59,599 They would have needed to take a bucket to collect the eggs in. 809 00:42:59,639 --> 00:43:01,999 - So you're one-handed? - Well, yes. 810 00:43:02,439 --> 00:43:05,599 If you think, I'm doing it like this, you've got to be mad. 811 00:43:05,639 --> 00:43:07,799 Fortunately... Ah! 812 00:43:07,839 --> 00:43:10,559 I'm going to be able to do it the proper, 21st-century way. 813 00:43:11,559 --> 00:43:13,799 'Getting kitted up with modern safety gear, 814 00:43:13,839 --> 00:43:16,639 didn't REALLY make me feel any better about doing this.' 815 00:43:18,639 --> 00:43:22,039 'I'd chosen this as the worst job in the Saxon period for me.' 816 00:43:22,919 --> 00:43:26,319 'But even on a cliff, with very few birds of any description, 817 00:43:26,839 --> 00:43:30,239 I was still DESPERATELY unhappy when it came to actually doing it.' 818 00:43:30,279 --> 00:43:32,679 - We need you to come down here. TONY: Yeah. 819 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:35,919 To these ledges. We're going to hook you to the safety system. 820 00:43:37,279 --> 00:43:39,639 - This is Rick, your safety man. TONY: Yeah. 821 00:43:39,679 --> 00:43:41,639 All right? 822 00:43:42,599 --> 00:43:44,919 I've never abseiled in my life before. 823 00:43:47,479 --> 00:43:50,759 - Oh, just this looking down, mate. - Don't look down. 824 00:43:51,479 --> 00:43:53,439 Sort of concentrate on the rope. 825 00:43:55,159 --> 00:43:58,399 TONY: Oooh! - That's OK. Keep looking at me. 826 00:43:58,759 --> 00:44:01,679 Ooaah! I don't want do this, I really don't want do this. 827 00:44:02,439 --> 00:44:05,839 'At this stage, I was really glad I wasn't being ATTACKED 828 00:44:05,879 --> 00:44:08,319 like the Saxon egg collectors would have been, 829 00:44:08,359 --> 00:44:11,239 and that someone was passing the bucket down to me.' 830 00:44:11,279 --> 00:44:14,559 'Someone else had planted eggs for me to find.' 831 00:44:15,359 --> 00:44:17,639 'Even so, I wasn't that confident.' 832 00:44:17,679 --> 00:44:21,239 Oh, I looked down, I looked down, I looked down. It was horrible. 833 00:44:23,599 --> 00:44:26,879 Oh! I see an egg, I see an egg, I see an egg. 834 00:44:27,199 --> 00:44:29,719 I don't know how the hell I'll get it but I can see... 835 00:44:29,759 --> 00:44:31,759 Oh, my shoe's come off! 836 00:44:31,799 --> 00:44:33,759 Oh! 837 00:44:35,039 --> 00:44:38,439 There's an egg over here. There's an egg just over here. 838 00:44:38,919 --> 00:44:41,919 It's horrible leaning back. I don't know how I'm going to... 839 00:44:41,959 --> 00:44:44,839 get it in the bucket without breaking the things in my hand. 840 00:44:46,519 --> 00:44:48,759 God knows how they laid the things here. 841 00:44:49,559 --> 00:44:51,999 The trouble is, when you're this frightened, 842 00:44:52,439 --> 00:44:55,519 all your muscles go shaky, and it's hard to handle it. 843 00:44:56,199 --> 00:44:59,399 Uhh...hah...hah. 844 00:45:00,319 --> 00:45:03,799 I'd quite like to...er... be...er...to come up now. Really. 845 00:45:06,559 --> 00:45:08,519 Can I come up? 846 00:45:09,319 --> 00:45:12,319 'So, I had modern safety gear on, 847 00:45:12,359 --> 00:45:15,639 a warm hat, a whole team of people helping me, 848 00:45:15,679 --> 00:45:18,759 planted eggs, and I wasn't being attacked.' 849 00:45:18,799 --> 00:45:20,399 Thanks ever so much. 850 00:45:20,439 --> 00:45:23,919 'But this was still, for me, the worst job of the Dark Ages.' 851 00:45:26,399 --> 00:45:29,479 Here's your...eggs. I got two of them. 852 00:45:30,759 --> 00:45:32,719 The worst thing... 853 00:45:33,439 --> 00:45:36,199 was when my shoes fell off and I looked down 854 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:38,319 and they were just spiralling 855 00:45:38,359 --> 00:45:41,879 down...towards the sea... hundreds of feet below. 856 00:45:41,919 --> 00:45:45,399 Then, when I came away from the rock, and kept coming forward, 857 00:45:45,439 --> 00:45:48,679 my feet were just chafing against...against the rock. 858 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:51,279 I don't think I'm a very good egg collector. 859 00:45:52,399 --> 00:45:54,399 Next time, we're going to be looking 860 00:45:54,439 --> 00:45:57,279 at some of the worst jobs of the Middle Ages. 861 00:45:58,479 --> 00:46:00,439 Surely, they can't be worse than this! 862 00:46:00,999 --> 00:46:02,959 Can they? 863 00:46:05,399 --> 00:46:07,719 'Among the worst jobs in the Middle Ages, 864 00:46:07,759 --> 00:46:10,679 I'll be acting as a human hamster building cathedrals, 865 00:46:12,279 --> 00:46:14,639 trying a bizarre cure for sore throats, 866 00:46:16,399 --> 00:46:18,359 and up to my knees in urine, 867 00:46:18,839 --> 00:46:20,799 stale, human urine. 868 00:46:38,559 --> 00:46:40,519