0:00:02 > 0:00:03This country is famous for its wealth of heritage, from
0:00:03 > 0:00:08the many buildings that surround us, to its extraordinary objects and its exceptional engineering.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13Most of it we already know and love, but this country is a treasure trove
0:00:13 > 0:00:16of hidden heritage, and it's all waiting to be discovered.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22In this series, we've been travelling up and down the nation, looking for undiscovered treasures
0:00:22 > 0:00:29and forgotten places that tell us so much about our rich and astonishing history.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And on Britain's Hidden Heritage today, we will be
0:00:32 > 0:00:36visiting one of the country's greatest historical treasures,
0:00:36 > 0:00:42a stately home in Scotland that has opened its doors to the public for the very first time.
0:00:43 > 0:00:49And I'll be meeting a very special guest, who helped save the house for the nation.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I'd heard about this house, you see,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56that there was difficulty with it, and that they wanted to sell it.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00And I know it would have just become a ruin.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06Also, Charlie Luxton is reporting on an industrial time capsule in Birmingham.
0:01:06 > 0:01:13It's staggering, having spent 53 years here, I still take my hat off to him, I don't know how he did it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Clare Balding travels to Essex to learn more about
0:01:15 > 0:01:19the recent discovery of a very tasty manuscript.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It ceases to be a collection of recipes
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and becomes a record of cooking in the English country house.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Plus, John Sergeant takes to the skies to find an icon
0:01:30 > 0:01:35of the Cold War that's still in the air after 50 years of service.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38You would not expect to be in a small plane like this,
0:01:38 > 0:01:44flying alongside what was one of the most powerful machines ever built.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50This is a journey to the very heart of Britain's hidden heritage.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Sitting over the River Lugar in East Ayrshire, this picturesque
0:02:15 > 0:02:21Georgian bridge gives you an indication that somewhere along this unassuming cart track,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25you're going to find something simply magical and quite special.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30But even this chocolate box location cannot prepare you for what you're about to discover,
0:02:30 > 0:02:36and what can only be described as one of Britain's most remarkable heritage secrets - Dumfries House.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Nestling in the south-west corner of Scotland,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49this is surely one of the most elegant country houses in Britain.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57Built 250 years ago by the 5th Earl of Dumfries, it has spent much of its life frozen in time, untouched
0:02:57 > 0:03:04and often unlived-in, a privately owned and very grand second home.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07That is until recently, when it came up for sale
0:03:07 > 0:03:13and became the subject of a frantic bid to keep it for the nation, a bid that was thankfully successful
0:03:13 > 0:03:20because what makes this place really unique is the fact that it still has nearly all of its original contents.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26And when you take a look inside, you realise how important this heritage success story really is.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Now, walking into Dumfries House today is quite a strange experience.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Unlike many other such country seats that have been remodelled,
0:03:37 > 0:03:42redecorated and refurnished over the years, very little has taken place here.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I've just come in through the side door, the servants' entrance.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49If I was to bump into the 5th Earl today, he would notice exactly the same furnishings that
0:03:49 > 0:03:53he originally purchased for this place back in the 18th century,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and it's still where he left it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59And so influential was the 5th Earl's taste and wishes
0:03:59 > 0:04:05that over the centuries, subsequent residents have hardly dared move or replace the contents.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Even some of the original carpets are still on the floor.
0:04:08 > 0:04:16For the last three years, Dumfries House and its unrivalled collection of furniture have undergone
0:04:16 > 0:04:21a major restoration, bringing the place back to the condition it was in when it was first built.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Because after 250 years as a sleeping beauty,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29it has just started opening its doors to the public.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34In fact, the whole house has a wonderful feel about it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And for me, it feels like I've just personally stepped in to
0:04:37 > 0:04:42an atmospheric photograph that's been immortalised - it's quite incredible.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Every day at 7am, with an almost military position,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52the housekeeping team set to work keeping Dumfries House spick and span.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Now, here's a sound you don't hear that often.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07This is the sound of the 18th century...
0:05:07 > 0:05:10CURTAIN OPENING MECHANISM SCREECHES
0:05:13 > 0:05:16The whole house would have woken up to this sound.
0:05:16 > 0:05:24But the immaculate condition of the interiors is more than just the result of a daily cleaning routine.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31How has the house managed to stay in such good condition over the last 250 years?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33The house was built for William Crichton Dalrymple,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35the 5th Earl of Dumfries.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37A great military man himself,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42widowed in 1755, he lavishly furnished Dumfries House
0:05:42 > 0:05:46plain and simply to lure another lady here to the estate.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Sadly he died in 1768.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The house was then later passed on to his nephew, Patrick, the 6th Earl of Dumfries,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57who lived at Dumfries House for a further 35 years.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- But it really didn't have an awful lot of wear and tear...- Not at all.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Not daily use.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08No, and in the early part of the 19th century, the house was
0:06:08 > 0:06:14entrusted to three live-in servants, under the direct charge of a very formidable housekeeper, and a fire
0:06:14 > 0:06:20was to be lit in every room during the winter months, and the windows were opened on every fair day.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Mary, now, we're going to set this table.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31- First of all we're going to place this in the centre, just get it really bang in the middle.- OK.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35That's pretty good, in line with the chandelier.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Ever so slightly towards you, yes...
0:06:39 > 0:06:42For much of its history, the skeleton staff of Dumfries House
0:06:42 > 0:06:45kept the place in constant readiness for
0:06:45 > 0:06:50the return of a family. But as it turned out, it was rarely actually lived in.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Although, to this very day, the staff have been regimental about the daily maintenance
0:06:54 > 0:07:02of this 18th century time-capsule, going to painstaking efforts to preserve its priceless contents.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07The whole house is coming to life, the smell of fresh flowers in the reception area...
0:07:07 > 0:07:13Everybody knows what they have to do, and they do it with pride and passion.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26VACUUM CLEANER WHIRS
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Hello. Sorry to stop you working!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35There's a lot of rooms to hoover, and you're not
0:07:35 > 0:07:37just hoovering the floors, are you, it's the furniture as well.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40No, all the gilding, yes.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Have you ever hoovered up an important part of the carving, has anything broken off?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- No.- I guess that's why. - Yes, this would catch anything that
0:07:47 > 0:07:50would come off the gilding, it would catch in the muslin.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53We're just getting purely dust in there.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Gosh. So how long would that consul table take to do?
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- Oh!- That could take a week.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Yes.- One week cleaning this. - Yes. You want to have a go?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I'll see if I can find a bit of dust.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Dip it in but rub it with your fingers first so it's not too wet.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13See if you can find a wee bit to clean.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21I can see what I'm doing now, I'm bringing this little bit of gilding to life.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Look at the dirt.- Gosh.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It's absolutely remarkable that this house and its contents
0:08:36 > 0:08:39have stayed virtually untouched for two-and-a-half centuries.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But it could have been a very different story.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Only until recently, this little bit of our heritage could have been lost to the nation for ever.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Thank goodness it wasn't, and that's down to the decisive action
0:08:49 > 0:08:52of one man, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58In 2007, the descendants of the Earls of Dumfries put the estate up for sale.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The building and its contents would have been split up and auctioned off.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05But Prince Charles stepped in and headed up a consortium that included
0:09:05 > 0:09:13the Scottish Government and heritage organisations to purchase the estate and keep it for the nation.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Later on in the programme, I'll have the pleasure of talking to him
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and finding out why he's so passionate about this place.
0:09:19 > 0:09:26Country houses such as Dumfries relied heavily on artisans and small industries to keep them running,
0:09:26 > 0:09:32from famous furniture-makers down to the people who made the candelabra that graced the grand tables.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37To discover more of that rich manufacturing past, reporter Charlie Luxton
0:09:37 > 0:09:41has been to explore our industrial heritage in Birmingham.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43VIOLIN PLAYS
0:09:43 > 0:09:46# I'm a roving jack of all trades... #
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I've come to the old cobbled lanes of Birmingham's jewellery quarter
0:09:48 > 0:09:52in search of an incredible piece of our history.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00In the 19th century, Birmingham was known as the workshop of the world,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and these now-forgotten backstreets were running with gold.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09With over 20,000 men and women employed in
0:10:09 > 0:10:10the streets and alleys around here,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14it must have been a very vital, exciting place to be.
0:10:14 > 0:10:20Buildings teeming with life, smoke billowing from chimneys, horses and carts everywhere,
0:10:20 > 0:10:21the pounding of machinery.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Looking around these streets today, you might think
0:10:25 > 0:10:30that nothing remains of that world, but you'd be quite wrong
0:10:30 > 0:10:33because behind this unremarkable
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Victorian exterior lies a hidden world suspended in time.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And it was into this hectic industrial world that 19th century
0:10:53 > 0:10:58metal worker Jenkin William Evans arrived - and he had good timing.
0:10:58 > 0:11:05The jewellery quarter was booming, workshops were springing up all over the place. Kitchen tables were being
0:11:05 > 0:11:10turned into work benches, garden sheds into factories, and Jenkin wanted some of the action.
0:11:10 > 0:11:16He started producing silver plate tableware as fast as his workers could make it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:24His inventions and tools were passed from father to son until the factory finally closed its doors in 2008.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30But in truth, it's hard to imagine that it would have looked much different in the 19th century.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I've come to meet Jenkin Evans's grandson, Tony,
0:11:38 > 0:11:43who also spent his entire working life in this extraordinary place.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47So, what exactly did you make here?
0:11:47 > 0:11:51We made items for a high-quality table.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56Things like sauce boats, sugar casters, candlesticks, candelabra...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59All that posh stuff you'd have on a lovely dinner service.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Yes, the business was in its heyday, in Edwardian times.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Is this what I'm seeing behind you here?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Yes, we've got a decanter label here. This one is made in copper,
0:12:09 > 0:12:15this is a copy of one, which we produced probably around about 1830.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- This is the kind of thing I would see in my grandparents. - You'd have a nice chain around
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the neck of a cut-glass decanter.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24And if it was silver it would bear a hallmark as well.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30So why does the factory look the way it does, why are there thousands of tools everywhere?
0:12:30 > 0:12:37Because my grandfather was producing about one new design a day, year on year on year.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40That seems like an incredibly prolific output.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42It's staggering.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Having spent 53 years here, I still take my hat off to him, I don't know how he did it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I feel as if I've been transported back in time.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58I can sense the past and vividly picture the world these people lived in.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The factory is made up of adjoining terraced houses that
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Jenkin Evans bought and converted as the jewellery business expanded.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15It was in these houses that Jenkin Evans and his family lived as well as worked.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Even his children were born here above the shop floor.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25There's no doubt that Jenkin was an extraordinary man, and it's now
0:13:25 > 0:13:31my chance to turn the clock back and see his machines come back to life.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Barry Abbotts learned his trade here at JW Evans.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41He's agreed to come back for the day and show me how to make a bit of traditional tableware.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- So, what are we going to make? - Today we're making wine labels.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- What's the start?- Basically we've got to get the blank.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- This has already been set up.- OK.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55So we're going to make some blanks, so then we can stamp them.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- So this is the raw material.- Yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00What is this?
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- This is nickel silver. - Nickel silver.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05How many of those do we need?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07We'll do about three.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09- OK.- That should be enough.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21Barry spent 25 years working as a stamper here at JW Evans.
0:14:21 > 0:14:27The real skill, he says, is setting these great hammers just right so when they crash into
0:14:27 > 0:14:34the precious metal, the connection with the carefully-carved image on the die is true.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Now I'm just going to make sure the hammer is all right.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46- So that's so easy because that belt is being lifted by this wheel. - That's right.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49That feels like it weighs a couple of kilos - how much does it weigh?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- I would say about 250 kilos.- Really?
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Yes. But from the top to the bottom,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57it's about two tonne.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- So that's just had two tonne of pressure banging on to it.- Yeah.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04So, is this the last stage?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Yes, this is the last part I would do.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10We're going to clip it now, we're going to take all the scrap away.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13We put this into the tool...
0:15:13 > 0:15:14TOOL THUDS
0:15:17 > 0:15:22And there you are. Now, it's got to be pierced, then it's got to be
0:15:22 > 0:15:27polished, then plated, and then put the chain on, and it's finished.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Then it can go and hang in somebody's front room.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32- Yeah.- It must take you back to being a young man.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- Yes.- Can I keep that as a souvenir?
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- By all means.- That's very kind, thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:15:41 > 0:15:47Barry represents the past for JW Evans, but the future of this extraordinary place
0:15:47 > 0:15:53is now being conserved with just as much love and attention as he put into the silver work that he made.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Because English Heritage are
0:15:56 > 0:15:58undertaking a restoration project here that's ground-breaking.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Restoration expert Alex Carrington has been working here for months.
0:16:01 > 0:16:08Her aim is to capture the building at the moment the machines fell silent, so, when English Heritage open
0:16:08 > 0:16:15the doors once more, people will get a true picture of what life was really like at JW Evans.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19There's a certain amount of first aid work required,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22which in some cases is the minimum you need to do.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27- In other places, decisions have to be made how far to go. - What you keep, what you get rid of.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Absolutely. Because you're preserving
0:16:29 > 0:16:33a moment in time, and it's almost as if somebody has left, they've
0:16:33 > 0:16:38just put their tools down and gone, you would lose that charm, where things live, you'd disturb the dust.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Because a lot of the dust and dirt is being kept here.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Even the cobwebs are being kept here.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46So you're preserving all that.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49# In Church Street was a silversmith
0:16:49 > 0:16:52# In Livery Street made split rings
0:16:52 > 0:16:54# In Charles Street was a pot maker... #
0:16:54 > 0:16:58So much of our industrial heritage has gone, and it's easy to understand why.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Industry is all about progress, evolving, moving forward.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08And that is what makes this place so special and unique.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12It really is the most amazing little time-capsule, that allows you to
0:17:12 > 0:17:18travel back 100 years to visit a world that's been lost for ever.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Back at Dumfries House, I'm keen to find out more about the structure
0:17:38 > 0:17:41of this beautifully-designed country home.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The 5th Earl of Dumfries, who built this house, certainly had
0:17:48 > 0:17:49his finger on the pulse when it came to fashion.
0:17:49 > 0:17:55He nabbed young architect Robert Adam and gave him his first big commission.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01Robert designed the inside and the outside of this magnificent house at the tender age of just 26 years old.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09Together with his older brother John, they completed the main build of this place.
0:18:09 > 0:18:18They oversaw the work and they got it done on time and on budget for the princely sum of £5,847.
0:18:18 > 0:18:25In today's money, that equates to about half a million pounds, which is absolutely astonishing.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35But just what is it about the Adams style that many still find so captivating?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39I met up with the head curator of Dumfries House to find out.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41It can't escape anyone's notice,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45this is all about proportion and harmony and symmetry.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49If you look at the plan itself, you could literally draw a line in the middle,
0:18:49 > 0:18:55fold it over, and the two halves would be completely identical.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's beautiful, it's absolutely beautiful.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- This local stone has weathered so beautifully.- It's amazing.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05It's softened, especially in this light with the sun on it.
0:19:05 > 0:19:11Yes, consider 250 years of Scottish weather - wind and rain...
0:19:11 > 0:19:14This is facing south, so it gets a good beating occasionally.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20It does, doesn't it? But I'll tell you what, it looks absolutely beautiful.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I can't believe how tight those joints are.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Yes, it's amazing, these stones would have been
0:19:25 > 0:19:31polished and polished and polished until they would come up with this perfect... It's absolutely perfect.
0:19:31 > 0:19:37In many ways the whole house is about perfection, the highest standards and craftsmanship,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38and putting it all together.
0:19:38 > 0:19:45And here it stands 250 years later, still in an extremely amazing condition.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Dumfries House itself may look
0:19:56 > 0:19:59almost exactly as it did when first finished,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03but restoration work on the estate is a never-ending challenge.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11This bridge, a key element of the landscaped grounds surrounding the home, is also Adam designed.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14But the ravages of time have taken their toll.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It's currently being surveyed to find out just how much work
0:20:17 > 0:20:21is required to bring it back to its original glory.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I think Darren would have to take some stones out.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The only way we're going to prove that is to remove some stones
0:20:29 > 0:20:32to see what the actual check on the stone was, cos it's certainly not obvious.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- No.- Very heavily weathered on the edge.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40This is quite interesting. There's a site meeting on the bridge here
0:20:40 > 0:20:42with a surveyor, a member of the trust
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and a stone mason on site, talking about the weather,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the damage and the repair and what has to be done.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53That stone doesn't weather well,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56which is why we've lost these corners here. You can see,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59it's not too bad up here, where it's been protected by the weather.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03but here it's been exposed. It's lost the sharp edges.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- Hello, sorry to interrupt. Hello, Emma.- Hello.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10There's a heated debate going on here. Is there much work needed to be done?
0:21:10 > 0:21:11- A lot.- Really?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Both from an aesthetic point of view and from...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16a structural and best practice point of view.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19To remove the cement, and there's cement going from early cements
0:21:19 > 0:21:21right through to modern cement.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It all needs to come off and a traditional lime mortar put in.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Dismantling the bridge,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to replace the ageing cement with traditional lime mortar
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and incorporate newly-cut sandstone blocks,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35will cost Dumfries House Trust
0:21:35 > 0:21:38somewhere in the region of £1 million.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Sandstone is an enduring building material,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48over the centuries used on everything,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52from city tenement homes to country seats and, of course, bridges.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58The nearby quarry at Locharbriggs, one of the oldest and largest quarries in Scotland,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01has been supplying sandstone since the 1700s.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06As well as using cutting-edge technology,
0:22:06 > 0:22:12the stonemasons here still do much of the final dressing of the stone by hand.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So you can imagine, I couldn't wait to see these experts in action.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23That's exactly the section of cornice you're going to find back at Dumfries House.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24How long would that take to cut out?
0:22:24 > 0:22:29That there, to do with traditional methods, we're talking three hours.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- Three hours?- Three hours' work. - OK, that's 100 years ago,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36chipping away by hand, with a small chisel.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Today, how long would that take you to do?
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- Today, I think I could do that in about 40 minutes.- Really?- That quick.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47That's a beautiful finish you've got on that. Absolutely beautiful. So symmetrical.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52These days, stone masons like Neil speed up the sculpting process
0:22:52 > 0:22:56by using power tools. And in no time,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I can see the section of sandstone beginning to take shape.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02But what's really reassuring for me
0:23:02 > 0:23:04is that specialists here at Locharbriggs
0:23:04 > 0:23:08are still able to do the same detailed work using traditional methods.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Let's put the clock back 250 years. Do it the traditional way.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Okey-doke.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23It's like working with a piece of wood, you follow the grain
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- so it doesn't split along.- Yeah, it's much the same.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26It's much the same.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Is this a skill that's dying out?
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Yes, it is, I'm afraid. If you think of the amount of people that work here today,
0:23:33 > 0:23:39we have three, four masons onsite and there used to be, say, about 250 would be stonemasons.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- Can I have a little go? - Yes, of course you can.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I mean, this is very enjoyable to work on.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- If I was standing here trying to cut some granite...- Yes?
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Would I be struggling right now? - You'd be here for about two weeks!
0:23:53 > 0:23:56THEY LAUGH
0:23:56 > 0:24:00In the 1750S, hand-carving an ornate cornice like this
0:24:00 > 0:24:04would have taken three hours. I wonder how long it would take me!
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And there's not a lot of wastage, either, is there?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09No, not particularly.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14That's thoroughly satisfying, really, really satisfying.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18It's not until you start to have a go at cutting a bit of stone yourself
0:24:18 > 0:24:21that you realise how tricky it really is,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26making that incredible facade at Dumfries House all the more impressive.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Still to come on Britain's Hidden Heritage -
0:24:37 > 0:24:42I'll be taking a closer look at Dumfries House's unrivalled collection of furniture,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46including what is thought to be the most valuable bookcase in the world.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53The Prince of Wales tells us why it was so important to save this house for the nation.
0:24:53 > 0:25:00There are so few houses left now, which have their original furniture, everything, designed for their house.
0:25:00 > 0:25:08And John Sergeant fulfils a boyhood fantasy as he takes to the skies to get close to a cold war icon.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13When I was a kid, dreaming about Vulcans and being a Vulcan pilot,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and here we are, in this cramped space.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20It's a childhood dream come true.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23But first, Clare Balding is off to Essex
0:25:23 > 0:25:29to investigate a culinary discovery that takes us back 130 years.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33This is Audley End in Essex.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35It's one of the UK's finest country houses
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and a monument to Jacobean magnificence.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It has over 120,000 visitors a year.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46But what none of them have ever seen is a piece of hidden social history
0:25:46 > 0:25:49that's come to light in a most extraordinary way.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57This breathtaking home has a rich history,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00stretching right back to the 16th century.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04During its lifetime, the site has been a monastery,
0:26:04 > 0:26:05and royal residence.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10But the discovery I'm here to learn about relates to the 1880s,
0:26:10 > 0:26:15when Audley End was lived in by the 5th Baron Braybrooke and his clan.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22The Braybrookes were an important landowning aristocratic family of the late Victorian era.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26They were also well known socialites, who loved to entertain.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29When a historic gem was recently unearthed,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33shining a light into how this upper-class family wined,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37dined and socialised, I just had to investigate.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40But the secret I'm searching for isn't to be found
0:26:40 > 0:26:45in any of Audley End's stately rooms or in this imposing great hall.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52It's to be found in the kitchen, the heart of every home.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56The discovery is a collection of Victorian recipes,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58that were written in the 1880s.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02The author was one Avis Crowcombe,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06the cook who prepared the finest foods for the family upstairs.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Amazingly, she took the trouble to document her culinary creations
0:27:12 > 0:27:16in this ordinary-looking but utterly remarkable book.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20But historians at Audley End were unaware of its existence
0:27:20 > 0:27:22until three years ago.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25So, Annie, who was this book discovered?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We had a phone call from a gentleman called Bob Stride,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31who is descended from Avis Crowcombe's husband's brother.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35And he rang us up one day, said he had this cookbook,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39it had "Avis Crowcombe, Audley End," written in the front of it, and were we interested?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42And on a further investigation, we realised what it was.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46And once the screaming in delight had died down,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48we obviously accepted it, with...
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It was a mind-boggling moment, actually,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54when we just thought, "How could this happen? This is brilliant."
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Because we know who used it, we know where it came from,
0:27:59 > 0:28:04we know where Avis Crowcombe was cooking, that makes it really important.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06It ceases to be a collection of recipes
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and becomes a record of cooking in an English country house.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16This handwritten, leather-bound manuscript was brought in 2008.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Contained within it, nearly 150 examples of the dishes
0:28:20 > 0:28:24created by Avis for the Braybrookes' many banquets.
0:28:26 > 0:28:32And it's all handwritten, obviously. Sort of faded-to-brown, if it ever started off as black,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34and written almost like a mini essay.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39You're used to seeing recipes done with measurements at the top
0:28:39 > 0:28:41and exactly what one needs for the ingredients
0:28:41 > 0:28:43and then a description of how it's done.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Cookbooks at this time didn't usually have ingredients.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51You'll see at the end, there are some recipes in different handwriting,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54which are probably either sort of inter-war
0:28:54 > 0:28:59or just after the Second World War and they are much more what we would think of as conventional recipes,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02so they have the ingredients listed first and then the methodology.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09As cook, Avis Crowcombe would have been an important person in the running of Audley End.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13She'd have been responsible for all aspects of running the kitchen,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17working directly with the Braybrookes when planning the menus.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21She is able to do the accounts of the kitchen,
0:29:21 > 0:29:26she not only knows cooking, she knows preserving, she knows how to run a household.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30She is somebody who, today, would be regarded as a ferocious businesswoman.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35So the responsibilities for a cook in a large country home
0:29:35 > 0:29:39in the 19th century included more than simply looking after the food.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Her scullery maid is 17, her oldest kitchen maid is 25.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49So she's looking after an entire kitchen full of hormonal young woman
0:29:49 > 0:29:51who's only thought in some cases is to get married.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56So she's also having to look after, almost be a sort of dormitory mistress, if you like,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59for a lot of young girls under her charge, who left home when they were 13.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03To help me get a taste for the 1880s,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08Annie's preparing a variety of sumptuous dishes for me to sample,
0:30:08 > 0:30:13all made following the recipes exactly as laid out in Avis Crowcombe's cookbook.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Among the delights, will be Gateaux de Pommes
0:30:15 > 0:30:18made with Nonsuch apples grown on the estate
0:30:18 > 0:30:23and according to Avis, these should be, "Stirred without quitting it
0:30:23 > 0:30:26"until it forms a very thick and dry marmalade."
0:30:26 > 0:30:30We'll also be sampling Windsor Sandwiches with ox tongue filling.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Not so fashionable nowadays. Can't think why(!)
0:30:33 > 0:30:36And Amandine Cake, which, going by the recipe,
0:30:36 > 0:30:42should be filled with apricot jam or whipped cream or fruit, according to taste.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Before I am let loose on her creations,
0:30:47 > 0:30:53I want to learn more about the eating habits of such a large and affluent household.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Lucky for me, a daily account exists,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59detailing every meal eaten at Audley End.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02So, Andrew, what have we got here?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05What we have here is a consumption book from the 1870s,
0:31:05 > 0:31:10which is just a few years before Avis Crowcombe came to Audley End.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14And it lists all the meat and other produce that was consumed by the family and servants.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16If you look here, at the first page, here,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20we have, on the Sunday, beef and mutton, 29 pounds.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24They're having two different meats a day, beef and mutton, or beef and pork
0:31:24 > 0:31:30and then you've got hares, rabbits, pheasants, rabbits, partridges, turkey, chicken. All the rest, ducks.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34You would have had all the main courses, of which there would be several at once,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36so it was very different than the table we're used to today,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39where you get brought different courses one after the other.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41It was a case of everything at the same time.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45The 5th Baron Braybrooke and his family
0:31:45 > 0:31:49clearly loved putting the skills of cooks like Avis to good use,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53holding frequent banquets for their aristocratic friends.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58The Audley End archives demonstrate
0:31:58 > 0:32:00just how extravagant these feasts were,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04detailing not only the sheer quantity of food consumed at the house,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07but also the enormous number of diners.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14For instance, we have here 17 family and visitors, 32 servants.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17That's because a lot of the guests would have brought their own servants with them.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21So it's not the family's servants, it's the servants of the visiting guests.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24They would have brought their footmen, they might have brought a valet.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The ladies would have brought their maids, so it would've been extra at the table.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33So the servants are presumably being fed the same food, from the kitchen gardens here?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Yes, they are. They would've had similar food,
0:32:35 > 0:32:40in terms of meat and vegetables, but dressed in different ways.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43They wouldn't have had any elaborate dishes that were provided for the main table.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45They would've had probably stews or broths.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Audley End's meticulous records may tell us what produce was eaten here,
0:32:51 > 0:32:57but it's Avis's cookbook that allows me to discover how that food would've tasted.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Annie has finished preparing her banquet of dishes from the recipe book.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And joining me is Bob Stride,
0:33:06 > 0:33:12Avis Crowcombe's great, great grand nephew and the person responsible for unearthing the cookbook.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- Is there any tea, Andrew?- That there is. Shall I do the honours?
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Yes, I'd love you too. Thank you very much.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23What we see in front of us now is bang on what was in Avis's cookbook.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Yes, it is amazing, but I've never actually made a thing from it.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30What else have you learnt about Avis?
0:33:30 > 0:33:32I've found that she actually married
0:33:32 > 0:33:38my great great uncle in 1884
0:33:38 > 0:33:45and they then left the estate and took up a residence in London
0:33:45 > 0:33:47and started a boarding house.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50So they left behind this domestic life.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54The other thing that strikes me about the book, Bob,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58is there's something that may not have made much if you'd taken it to auction.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03It didn't have any monetary value, but put it here, in the place where it should be,
0:34:03 > 0:34:08create the food that Avis was creating and you have something that is real history.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12This is living history, this is authentic, tangible food.
0:34:12 > 0:34:18I must admit, we were very overwhelmed by the reception that we had for it right from the start.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28I feel as if I've really got to know Avis Crowcombe during my time here at Audley End.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Not because I've looked at photographs or portraits of her,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34or read a diary of her innermost thoughts,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38but because I have seen and sampled her work,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42her recipe book and her food are her hidden heritage.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44It's her legacy.
0:34:53 > 0:34:59Returning to Dumfries House, my tour of what must be one of Britain's greatest heritage secrets continues.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Walking around the building, it's impossible not to get swept away
0:35:03 > 0:35:08by the sheer quantity and quality of the opulent interior decor.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14These were made by Edinburgh carver William Mathie,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17a man working at the top of his genre. Incredible detail.
0:35:17 > 0:35:23Now, what you've got to remember is, making a mirror back in the 1750s was an extraordinary task,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27to get the hand-blown glass this size, this flat.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30And then it had to be hand-ground and polished.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32One mistake, and that mirror would just crack
0:35:32 > 0:35:35and the whole process would have to be repeated.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38And then you had to get the mirror here by horse and cart,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40over all those potholes, from Edinburgh.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43One very nervous delivery man.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47I would imagine this mirror would've been wrapped in a bed of hay and boxed securely.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Still, I wouldn't like to do it.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56The Earl of Dumfries, who bought and commissioned the furniture here
0:35:56 > 0:36:01in the middle of the 18th century, certainly surrounded himself with the very best,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05including works by perhaps the greatest ever British cabinet maker,
0:36:05 > 0:36:06Thomas Chippendale,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10thought of as the Shakespeare of the furniture world.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15It's estimated that around 600 authenticated Chippendale works still survive.
0:36:15 > 0:36:1850 of them, with their original bills of sale,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22are here in the Dumfries house.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Now restored to its former glory,
0:36:24 > 0:36:29the Chippendale collection here includes what is considered to be his greatest rococo work,
0:36:29 > 0:36:36this rosewood book case, bought in 1759 for £47 and 5 shillings.
0:36:38 > 0:36:45In 2007, Christie's auctioneers gave this bookcase an estimated value of £4 million.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Had it gone up for sale, it's thought it would have trebled that amount,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53which would make it one of that most valuable pieces of furniture in the world.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01I met up with the man giving the daunting task of conserving this priceless artefact.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03James, this is fabulous.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Is this the most important piece you've ever worked on?- Definitely.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- Was it frightening? - It was pretty scary at first.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13It took me about two days to settle down to get into it.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16And you had to do it on site. There's no way you'd want to move that.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21If you moved that, I mean, that front there is a massive piece of oak.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24If you put that in a different climate,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26that could have warped and twisted and split.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- It's lovely, isn't it? - It's gorgeous.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33Beautiful choice selection of the grains. This lovely Cuban flame mahogany flaring out.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35- Can you pull open a drawer? - Yes, of course.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37There are sections of dovetails.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40This is a brushing sliding drawer, as you know.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43This is where your clothes would be put to brush them down.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46And also wealthy gentleman loved to have furniture that did things.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Things came out, full front bureaux and all sorts of things.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- Little secret drawers. - Yes, that's exactly it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:59Look at the action in that. That is as good as it was made 250 years ago.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- It slides perfectly. - Absolutely gorgeous.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04What about the carvings? I know you are a master carver.
0:38:04 > 0:38:10- One of the best in the business. - I wouldn't go that far.- You are.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13You wouldn't be allowed to work on this otherwise.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17That's true, I suppose. There's about 60 patches in the cornice.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I won't touch it because you don't want to touch the gold,
0:38:20 > 0:38:25but this piece of wood here is not thick enough. He's had to glue bits of wood on.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29And the bits that had been glued on dropped off and got lost.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Up in the basket, up there, there was an awful lot of leaves
0:38:32 > 0:38:38that stick out which had got caught and broken off and disappeared.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Well, I can't tell the difference between your work and...
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Well, there are some pretty massive bits of wood in there, I must admit.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49When Christie's came to the house to catalogue this piece of furniture,
0:38:49 > 0:38:53they implied this was possibly the most important piece of furniture
0:38:53 > 0:38:56they'd ever come across and the world's most expensive.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Well, it certainly... I mean, look at the size, it's tiny.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- Proportions are just right for any house.- Proportions are gorgeous.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06You could buy that and move it to New York.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10That could have right now been sitting in a New York apartment.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13They could have spent £10 million buying it,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17it would be sitting over there and what a massive cultural loss
0:39:17 > 0:39:19to Britain that would have been and to this house
0:39:19 > 0:39:23because, made for here, belongs here, as everything does.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Over the last two years,
0:39:26 > 0:39:31James has been responsible for conserving a number of the house's most important pieces.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36But he isn't the only expert helping to bring Dumfries's furniture back to its former glory.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Among the many items in need of attention
0:39:39 > 0:39:42were a group of Chippendale chairs and a sofa.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Each has been stripped back to the frame and reupholstered,
0:39:45 > 0:39:52using as many of the original materials as possible, including the 250-year-old horsehair stuffing.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Each chair took a five-man team 40 hours to complete,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05and with an estimated value of more than £1 million each,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08you can understand why they were lavished with such care.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17And this 1759 Chippendale four-poster bed was given a total restoration.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Having been re-designed in Victorian times,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23it required hours of detective work before a specialist team
0:40:23 > 0:40:25undertook the task of taking it back
0:40:25 > 0:40:28to a state that Chippendale would have recognised.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37The silk was woven and hand-stitched using traditional methods,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41taking 15 people 880 hours to complete.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Now, when the 5th Earl had this bed made in 1759,
0:40:50 > 0:40:55he only had one thing on his mind - to find himself a wife.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58He was a widower at the age of 60 and without an heir.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01And back in the 18th century, it was this old soldier's way
0:41:01 > 0:41:06of attracting a woman, romancing her and hoping she could give him a son and heir he craved.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09If you look up you can see the head cresting, the cartouches,
0:41:09 > 0:41:11all the undercuts, that's all carved in wood,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14originally covered in fabric.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Thankfully, it's been restored to its former glory
0:41:17 > 0:41:19with wonderful new Damascus silks
0:41:19 > 0:41:22and it really is absolutely exceptional.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33Now, on Britain's Hidden Heritage, former political Correspondent John Sergeant
0:41:33 > 0:41:36reveals his personal passion for an iconic aeroplane
0:41:36 > 0:41:38that dates back to the Cold War.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- NEWSREEL:- 'The Vulcan, also known as the Avro 698,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52'is almost as manoeuvrable as a fighter.'
0:41:52 > 0:41:56After victory in the Second World War there was great confidence in our armed forces.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59We had the men and the machines to take on all-comers.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04For a boy growing up in the 1950s, one plane in particular
0:42:04 > 0:42:07summed up our power and our glory.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12'The Vulcan is just one of the aircraft keeping supremacy in the air for Britain.'
0:42:13 > 0:42:16This is going to be a special day for me.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20I'm going to fulfil a childhood ambition.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21When I was a kid,
0:42:21 > 0:42:26lots of us were keen on spaceships and rockets
0:42:26 > 0:42:27and flying saucers.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30But I was crazy about aircraft.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35And one plane in particular caught the imagination
0:42:35 > 0:42:38of almost every schoolboy in the country.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43And that plane was the Avro Vulcan bomber.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44With the Cold War escalating,
0:42:44 > 0:42:49a nuclear strike against Britain had become a very real threat.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53To defend herself, Britain needed a long-range aerial bomber
0:42:53 > 0:42:57capable of reaching targets across the Soviet Union.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02This Vulcan, the XH 558,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06is the only one in the world that's still capable of flying.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12I'm going to be allowed to take to the skies to fly with the Vulcan.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16I want to relive the excitement and passion I felt
0:43:16 > 0:43:18about this plane when I was growing up.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23I'll be helped by a brilliant volunteer team who formed
0:43:23 > 0:43:28a charitable trust to save the plane and get it back into the air.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32It's been a labour of love against extraordinary odds.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37And it's that passion for the plane, which has made it possible
0:43:37 > 0:43:42to have this version, the only one of its kind in the world still flying.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44It's an amazing story.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48So when you first came across this plane, what condition was it in?
0:43:48 > 0:43:49It was nowhere airworthy.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51There was a lot wrong with it
0:43:51 > 0:43:53that we needed to work on to get it to the stage
0:43:53 > 0:43:56where it would receive the approvals to fly.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04It took Robert and his team of over 20 skilled engineers
0:44:04 > 0:44:08more than two years to strip this enormous bomber back to its airframe.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13It had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Around 800 separate components were overhauled.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Thousands of individual tasks
0:44:21 > 0:44:26to turn it back from a museum piece to a flying aircraft.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28So what was the secret of its success?
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Sheer determination and perseverance, never say die!
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Finally, 14 years and £7 million later,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Vulcan XH 558
0:44:39 > 0:44:41once again took to the skies.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45But there's one part of this plane
0:44:45 > 0:44:48that hasn't been restored to full working order.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51This is the bomb bay,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54this was designed to carry the British nuclear weapon.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57That's where the great big nuclear weapon sits?
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Exactly.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Yeah. That's incredible, isn't it?
0:45:03 > 0:45:07And there it is, the dark side of the Vulcan...
0:45:08 > 0:45:11..the dream plane built to unleash a nightmare.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15The Government has decided
0:45:15 > 0:45:19that in the present state of international tension,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21you should be told how best to protect yourselves
0:45:21 > 0:45:25from the dangerous effects of nuclear attack.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31From the '50s onwards, Britain feared a nuclear war with the Soviet bloc...
0:45:33 > 0:45:37..and was quick to develop a nuclear arsenal.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43'You can greatly improve protection for the first few hours
0:45:43 > 0:45:47'when radiation is at its greatest intensity.'
0:45:48 > 0:45:52It was the Vulcan that was designed to deliver this nuclear assault.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56But what was it like to be the pilot and have that responsibility?
0:45:56 > 0:46:01I'm meeting John Tye, who was ready to get airborne at a moment's notice
0:46:01 > 0:46:03and prepare for an attack.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10We'd get the Tannoy message and the Tannoy message would say,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14"Attention! Attention! This is the bomber Controller
0:46:14 > 0:46:17"for one group only, red in the state 15."
0:46:17 > 0:46:20That meant we had 15 minutes to get airborne.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23And did you know at that point, once the Tannoy went,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25did you know
0:46:25 > 0:46:26that it was a real alert,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29or did you think it was an exercise?
0:46:29 > 0:46:30We had no idea.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34so every time the Tannoy went, it could have been for real.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37You were in a position not to order an attack,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40but to take part in an attack
0:46:40 > 0:46:43which could kill tens of thousands of people?
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Yes, it was horrifying. But I used to...
0:46:47 > 0:46:51think only we'd have to do it if we were attacked.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58Between 1957 and 1969, the Vulcan bomber
0:46:58 > 0:47:03and crew men like John were primed to do their duty and retaliate.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Thankfully, the attack never came and John never dropped the bomb.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12But he did come face to face with reality
0:47:12 > 0:47:17of this terrible responsibility some years later.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20My wife and myself were on holiday and a young girl came to talk to me.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23And she said, "I notice you were talking English.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26"And I wanted to practise my English."
0:47:26 > 0:47:27So I said, "Where are you from?"
0:47:27 > 0:47:30She said the name of this town in Russia.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34It was my primary target
0:47:34 > 0:47:36and it rocked me back on my heels.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I could not believe
0:47:38 > 0:47:42that here was a person from my primary target
0:47:42 > 0:47:45which I thought was barracks, airfields.
0:47:45 > 0:47:50I never thought of it as people, and here was a beautiful young woman
0:47:50 > 0:47:53talking to you and you suddenly realise all these years later
0:47:53 > 0:47:57you've this lovely person you might have obliterated.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01And that really shook me to the core.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06In 1969, the RAF handed over responsibility
0:48:06 > 0:48:08for the nuclear deterrent
0:48:08 > 0:48:11to the Navy's Polaris submarines.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15But this wasn't the end for the Vulcan.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Instead, it was converted for use as a conventional bomber
0:48:20 > 0:48:23and played a pivotal role in 1982
0:48:23 > 0:48:25during the Falklands War.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29'Last night, two Vulcan bombers took off...
0:48:30 > 0:48:33'Their target - 3,500 miles away.'
0:48:36 > 0:48:39On May 1st, the British liberation of the islands began
0:48:39 > 0:48:43with Operation Black Buck, a high altitude bombing assault
0:48:43 > 0:48:46on the airfield at Stanley by Vulcan bombers.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53I'm meeting Martin Withers, who flew on this mission.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58You were on that famous bombing mission in the Falklands War, weren't you?
0:48:58 > 0:49:04I was the captain of the first one that went in on 1st May 1982.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06I flew one of these for 15 and three-quarter hours.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10- So you're cramped in these conditions?- We had to refuel,
0:49:10 > 0:49:14we refuelled a total of seven times from airborne Victor tankers.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17And what was your task? What were you meant to be doing?
0:49:17 > 0:49:22The task was to put a bomb or two bombs onto the runway at Stanley.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25And how much of the success was this attack?
0:49:25 > 0:49:29We're very pleased to be able to say that it made a major contribution.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33It was successful, we hit the runway
0:49:33 > 0:49:34and thereafter, the Argentinians
0:49:34 > 0:49:38never launched any strikes from that airfield.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Despite this high-profile success,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46the Vulcan's service life was coming to an end.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49And in 1993, the last one was sold off.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54But now, the Vulcan's back.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00I'm keen to get flying, but I can't resist the chance to look inside
0:50:00 > 0:50:02to see the heart of the beast.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06This would not have been allowed in the 1950s.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11When I was a kid dreaming about Vulcans
0:50:11 > 0:50:13and being a Vulcan pilot, and here we are,
0:50:13 > 0:50:15in this cramped space.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19It's just what it should be, it's difficult,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22it's complicated, it is. It's just...
0:50:22 > 0:50:25It's a childhood dream come true.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Finally, the moment has come.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- I never thought this would happen. - Parachute on.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37I'm going to fly wing-to-wing with the plane of my dreams.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41It's going to be a tremendous trip.
0:50:41 > 0:50:42And that noise you hear,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45that's the noise of the Vulcan,
0:50:45 > 0:50:47it is the Vulcan roar!
0:50:48 > 0:50:52In a small plane up close and personal,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54I'm going to see aviation history
0:50:54 > 0:50:56played out in the skies.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00We're right over the Vulcan now
0:51:00 > 0:51:02and we can see it on the runway.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Blade five happy for you to slam as required.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08It's about to take off,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11the Vulcan is starting to move along the runway.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Picking up speed.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16And take off, it's going up!
0:51:21 > 0:51:24What a sight! What a wonderful sight it is.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31It's already starting to pull away.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Vulcan, you are one noisy bird,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36but it's very beautiful. Contact Doncaster radar 126.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44That's amazing, and we're right ahead of the Vulcan and we're seeing it...
0:51:44 > 0:51:45Oh, that's a wonderful sight.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51I know it's a cliche, but it's like a great big bird.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57And the camouflage works perfectly
0:51:57 > 0:52:00against the criss-cross of the field.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03You're seeing the Vulcan in its natural habitat.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Just below it,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11and we can read what it says on the front.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14It's called "The Spirit of Great Britain."
0:52:16 > 0:52:21This is one of the most amazing and one of the most extraordinary aircraft in the world.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23It's an emotional moment.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28In ordinary life, how would you ever see a plane like this?
0:52:28 > 0:52:30What a sight. Oh, dear, look at that!
0:52:34 > 0:52:36Oh! That's looks terrific.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Fabulous patchwork of Britain,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49one of the greatest planes in the world
0:52:49 > 0:52:54which just happens to be - let's be proud of it - British.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00And off she goes. Off she goes!
0:53:00 > 0:53:04Wow! Look at that, and now she's showing a real speed.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07And we can see the Vulcan just roaring away from us
0:53:07 > 0:53:09right up into the sky.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15What an amazing experience that was!
0:53:16 > 0:53:20You don't expect to get a small plane like this flying alongside
0:53:20 > 0:53:25what was one of the most powerful machines ever built.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28And it's just looks so beautiful.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Dumfries House in Ayrshire is a unique time capsule,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56a home and all its interiors left intact,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59exactly how it was first imagined in the 1750s.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06But in 2007, its future hung in the balance, its then owner,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09the Marquis of Bute, decided to put his time and money
0:54:09 > 0:54:12into his other ancestral home and put Dumfries House up for sale.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19This piece of Britain's Hidden Heritage was about to be lost,
0:54:19 > 0:54:23until, that is, a very important benefactor stepped in.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Hugely grateful.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Your Royal Highness, thank you for talking to me today,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- I know you're a very busy man. - I don't mind.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Why is Dumfries House so special to you?
0:54:37 > 0:54:42I'd heard about this house, that there was difficulty with it,
0:54:42 > 0:54:44and that they wanted to sell it
0:54:44 > 0:54:46and find a solution,
0:54:46 > 0:54:51but unfortunately it didn't happen.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54I remember trying four years before
0:54:54 > 0:54:56it actually came up for sale
0:54:56 > 0:55:00as a problem, I tried to find a way of seeing if we could help sort it out
0:55:00 > 0:55:02or find somebody who might help -
0:55:02 > 0:55:04a sponsor, a donor or whatever -
0:55:04 > 0:55:07but it was such an enormous task.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Prince Charles personally secured a £20 million loan
0:55:12 > 0:55:16that was still needed towards the 45 million required
0:55:16 > 0:55:18to purchase the estate,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21including the house and its contents.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23It was a race against time with just minutes to spare
0:55:23 > 0:55:27before the seller's deadline expired.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Had the Prince not stepped in,
0:55:29 > 0:55:31it would have been a very different story.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37The reason why I wanted to do something about it was because the house
0:55:37 > 0:55:41is so unique with its contents. There are so few houses left now
0:55:41 > 0:55:45which have their original furniture,
0:55:45 > 0:55:47everything designed for that house.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50And of course by the great furniture-makers,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Chippendale and the great Edinburgh makers,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Peter, Matthew and Brody.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00Extraordinary to have that, and still in situ.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04I felt it would have been a tragedy of immense proportions
0:56:04 > 0:56:06if the whole thing had just been split up.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09And we would have been left with an empty shell of a house.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14And I know it would have just become a ruin.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18Unbelievably, in one frantic weekend,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Prince Charles was able to finally rally enough support for the project,
0:56:22 > 0:56:26raising the money needed to save the home from the auctioneer's hammer.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29But that's not the end of the story.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32His Royal Highness is now working hard to find ways
0:56:32 > 0:56:35of sustaining Dumfries House so that it can continue
0:56:35 > 0:56:37to be a treasure for the nation.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Half the battle is to, I think,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45see if we can use it for more events,
0:56:45 > 0:56:49all sorts of different occasions and weddings.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52As you can imagine, it isn't cheap to run it all.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55A regular visitor to Dumfries House,
0:56:55 > 0:57:00it's obvious the Prince has a genuine passion for this historic home.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Do you've a favourite room?
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Yes, I do rather love... It's that dining room,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07the pink dining room.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Because the plaster work is remarkable in there.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14And also it's the quality of the light that comes in through those windows.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15When I first saw that room
0:57:15 > 0:57:18I thought, "This really is very special."
0:57:18 > 0:57:21You've done a wonderful job. That's down to your passion and commitment,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25and I've discovered a real treasure from Britain's Hidden Heritage.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29- I'm so glad you have! - Thank you so much for talking to me.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33If you want more information on today's show,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35check out the website at:
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Next time on Britain's Hidden Heritage,
0:57:46 > 0:57:49I travel to Northumberland to uncover a surprising house
0:57:49 > 0:57:51with a grand setting and a unique claim to fame.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56The first room in the world to be lit by electricity,
0:57:56 > 0:57:59what an amazing piece of history!
0:58:00 > 0:58:05Charlie Luxton uncovers some dark secrets of our Victorian past.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09So, if you can imagine two years of virtually not talking to anybody,
0:58:09 > 0:58:11it sent a lot of people mad.
0:58:11 > 0:58:16Charley Boorman is searching the ocean floor for a forgotten piece of naval history.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22You can see the tower at the top and everything.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25It's just sitting there on the bed of the sea just below us.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29And Clare Balding discovers an enchanting place, once ravaged
0:58:29 > 0:58:31by the forces of a Tudor King.
0:58:31 > 0:58:33That is magical.
0:58:33 > 0:58:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:36 > 0:58:39E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk