0:00:02 > 0:00:04This country is a treasure trove of incredible buildings,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07amazing objects and, of course, extraordinary people,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09who have all helped to make up our rich history.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11On Britain's Hidden History,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14we've travelled the United Kingdom, visiting much loved treasures,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18unearthing gems from the past as we go.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Today, I will be visiting
0:00:19 > 0:00:22one of the country's most beautiful grand buildings.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The house that Queen Victoria called home.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29When you're in this room,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31there's a real sense of history.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36Clare Balding will be trawling through some of the 22,000 incredible items
0:00:36 > 0:00:41that were assembled by one of Britain's first extreme hoarders.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Wow, those uniforms up there. They look like...civil war.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Absolutely, they're just amazing, how well preserved they are.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Charlie Luxton finds out that not all of our beautiful buildings
0:00:51 > 0:00:52have stood the test of time.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I'll be in Scotland looking at a tale of two castles.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57They started life as equals,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00but their histories have been very, very different.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03And special guest reporter Richard E Grant
0:01:03 > 0:01:05will be revealing his heritage passion
0:01:05 > 0:01:09with a behind-the-scenes visit to the home of British cinema.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14The most filmed country house in all of Britain.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Heatherden Hall, here at Pinewood Studios.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21This is the story of Britain's hidden heritage.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49they had the choice of three royal palaces to live in -
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and the Royal Pavilion at Brighton.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55However, for this family-minded young couple,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58these three grand architectural delights
0:01:58 > 0:02:00were a little too much for them.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04What they really wanted, and to put it in the Queen's own words, was,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07"A place of one's own, quiet and retired."
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And so, using their own money, they came to the Isle of Wight
0:02:10 > 0:02:15and began to build for themselves their very own modern family home.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Welcome to Osborne.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Queen Victoria knew and loved the Isle of Wight
0:02:30 > 0:02:33after holidaying on the island as a child.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37And she and Prince Albert were both determined to buy a property here.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39The island had everything they were looking for -
0:02:39 > 0:02:43beautiful countryside, the sea air and, above all, it was quiet.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53With the coming of the railways, it was now quick and easy
0:02:53 > 0:02:55to get here from London.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And yet, it still had the remoteness and the privacy
0:02:58 > 0:03:00that the Queen so sought after.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03The Isle of Wight was, in short,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06the perfect antidote to court life and official duties.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09And Victoria and Albert could not wait to move in.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Walk inside Osborne and you're instantly transported back
0:03:16 > 0:03:18to the 19th century.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22And Queen Victoria's home very much as she would have known it,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25apart, perhaps, from an absence of servants,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27although it's certainly not short of staff.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31English Heritage have been managing the house since 1986.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33And it's a popular attraction
0:03:33 > 0:03:36with visitors drawn by the opulent interiors
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and by the opportunity to see, first hand,
0:03:39 > 0:03:44how one of Britain's most celebrated monarchs went about her family life.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Now, while the staff get ready to open up the house
0:03:53 > 0:03:54to the general pubic,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58I've got the opportunity to have a tour all to myself.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03This is the door that the guests and officials would arrive at to enter the building.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09Once inside, you're greeted by what I can only describe as a sculpture court,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12a place to show off your latest acquisition of fine art.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And the first thing you notice is a statue -
0:04:15 > 0:04:20a young Queen Victoria in classical costume by John Gibson.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24'Prince Albert was very scholarly,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28'keen to impress with his selection of classically-inspired statues.'
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Victoria, however, was quite the opposite.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Her choices of artwork leant towards the sentimental.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And here is a very good example of one such statue.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42This was her favourite pet dog.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It was a collie and it went by the name of Noble.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And I think that is the most marvellous name
0:04:47 > 0:04:49for a royal dog - Noble.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53In fact, the whole house is full of clues that tell us
0:04:53 > 0:04:57about the relationship of the royal couple and their family life.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Because what makes Osborne unique among royal residencies
0:05:00 > 0:05:03is that it was not lived in before Victoria and Albert
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and it was not lived in after.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09And that becomes evident as you walk around.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Well, here we are in Victoria and Albert's drawing room
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and it is a magnificent grand room.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20This may be a family home
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but this is a subtle reminder that it's the home of heads of state.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28And Queen Victoria herself described this room as extremely handsome,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32with its yellow damask satin curtains and furniture to match.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36We're surrounded by statues of the children,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38etchings done by family members,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and photographs and portraits.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45It is unique, unlike any other royal collection.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Because what you see here has been collected
0:05:48 > 0:05:51in Victoria and Albert's lifetime by them.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Nothing has been handed down from previous generations
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and nothing has been added to after their death.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03And that's why everything here sits in perfect harmony.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05It was their choice.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Now, one thing that really does arrest my attention
0:06:08 > 0:06:10are these magnificent chandeliers.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12There's three hanging from the ceiling up here.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15They are made by Oslers of Birmingham.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And there's two, a matching pair of pedestal chandeliers here.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23First exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25An idea conceived by Albert himself
0:06:25 > 0:06:29to promote artisans and craftsmanship in this country.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And he actually oversaw the design of these ones
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and, with that royal seal of approval,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Oslers went on to dominate the high-end manufacturing market.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Perhaps, to contemporary eyes,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50the interiors of Osborne look quite fussy,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53but take yourself back to the mid-19th century.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57And this house would have had an incredibly modern feel.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Victoria and Albert, like any other young well-to-do family,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05wanted to stand their own sense of style on their family home.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11From the outside, Osborne towered over an estate of 342 acres.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14At the time, it was quite a radical design.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And that was totally down to Prince Albert himself
0:07:17 > 0:07:19with the aid of London builder Thomas Cubitt,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23who was employed to bring the Prince's vision to life.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Looking at the house here now,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30you feel like you've been transported to the continent.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33It's got a very Italianate feel to it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Yes, it has.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Prince Albert was very well-travelled.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38He'd done the Grand Tour.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41He'd visited Italy and, when he came here to Osborne,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44he said that the view across the Solent from here
0:07:44 > 0:07:45looked like the Bay of Naples.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And so he really wanted an Italian style.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51He worked closely with the builder Thomas Cubitt.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Was it on a day-to-day basis?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Did this thing evolve
0:07:54 > 0:07:56or were there sets of drawings and plans for this
0:07:56 > 0:07:58put in place by Albert?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I think they had a very close working relationship.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03They talked a lot directly one with the other.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Albert certainly came up with a very clear brief
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and Thomas Cubitt was able to build to that brief.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- And understand that. - On time and to budget.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14That must have impressed his wife, surely.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Yes, I expect it probably did.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I think he was probably quite keen to do that, because, you know,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22as consort and not king, he didn't really have any official role.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25He famously said, in the early years of the marriage,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28that he was only the husband and not the master of the house.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31So I suppose yes, he was looking for a project
0:08:31 > 0:08:33that he could really, sort of, you know, spread his wings...
0:08:33 > 0:08:38- And it's a great place to bring up a family as well.- Paradise.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Prince Albert out there with the kids, flying kites,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44catching butterflies, learning to swim on the beach.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It must have been absolute heaven.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Life at Osborne wasn't just all about Victoria and Albert
0:08:51 > 0:08:53and a world above stairs.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57There was a huge team of staff here working exceptionally hard below stairs,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00keeping this house running to an exactingly high standard.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01And later on in the programme,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04we'll be finding out a little bit more about them.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But first, Clare Balding has made a trip to the Cotswolds
0:09:08 > 0:09:12to discover the bizarre collection of an extraordinary man.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Britain's heritage isn't just about artefacts and architecture.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26It's also peopled with great individuals.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Men and women who have changed the world we live in
0:09:28 > 0:09:32or whose great creations have had an impact on our culture.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Now, the man I've come to find out more about today
0:09:34 > 0:09:37operated on a somewhat smaller scale.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39His legacy didn't really extend
0:09:39 > 0:09:41beyond the limits of this Gloucestershire village.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43But step inside his house
0:09:43 > 0:09:48and you enter one of Britain's most extraordinary heritage treasures.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55This is Snowshill Manor and, after the First World War,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59its celebrated owner was Charles Paget Wade.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03He wasn't an inventor, a politician, a scientist or a writer.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07No - Charles Wade was one of history's true eccentrics.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15You could say he was Britain's first extreme hoarder.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21But, over his lifetime,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23he didn't just collect the detritus of daily life,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27he collected beautifully crafted objects
0:10:27 > 0:10:33whose origins not only spanned the world, but spanned all of history.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The remarkable collection had been growing
0:10:41 > 0:10:44since Wade was just seven years old,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47a time when his parents were mostly abroad,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49leaving their son to a rather isolated upbringing
0:10:49 > 0:10:51in the care of his grandmother.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55So this is Granny Spencer,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58who Charles Wade was sent to live with as a small boy...
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- She's quite severe looking, isn't she?- She is quite severe looking.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And this was her cabinet, it's a beautiful Cantonese cabinet.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It's showing a bit of wear now, a bit of age.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12But, on a Sunday, Charles Wade as a boy was allowed to look inside here
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and he thought it was wonderful.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It was like a golden palace
0:11:16 > 0:11:19that had all these wonderful objects inside it
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and that really inspired his collecting.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23So he bought his first objects at the age of seven.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And then, just collected for the rest of his life.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33Luckily for Wade, he inherited a fortune before he was 30.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36His father had been a wealthy sugar merchant,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38which gave Charles the means to buy and restore
0:11:38 > 0:11:42this old Cotswold manor house.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44This was to become the home of his collection.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45And, for the rest of his life,
0:11:45 > 0:11:50his Latin motto applied to everything he did.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Nequid Pereat - let nothing perish.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01So is there any method to this, or is it just a collection of things?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Oh, there's definitely a method.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's all about colour, design and craftsmanship.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10So all of the objects that are collected are hand-made,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12hand-crafted, lovingly made
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and that's really what inspired Charles Wade to collect.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Now, there seems to be a very strong Japanese influence
0:12:21 > 0:12:24in a few things around the house, and this is a good example.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29That's right. This is a 19th-century carving of a mask maker.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31And it was made by a man called Hananuma.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And he's carved out of a solid piece of wood
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and this was Charles Wade's favourite object.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- What's the hair?- It's, it's actually human hair individually inserted.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45You can see the veins that protrude,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47you can see muscle definition.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's an astonishing piece of work.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54And also, the tiny mask that he's holding. That is so delicate.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Charles Wade had the largest private collection
0:13:01 > 0:13:04of Samurai warriors outside Japan.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08He had 28 of them in total and the first one he got was by accident.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10He went into Cheltenham to get a washer for a tap,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12stopped at the hardware shop,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16the guy who ran the shop had one of these suits of armour by the counter.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18So, obviously, Charles Wade asked about it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20He said, "Oh, yeah, I've got a lot more in the garden.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22"My wife won't let me have them in the house."
0:13:22 > 0:13:25So he went there, bought six of them and then added to the collection.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29They are so realistic, it's terrifying.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38There's just so much stuff. Wow, those uniforms up there.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- Now, they look like...Civil War. - Absolutely.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42They are Cromwellian armour.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And they are just amazing,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45how well-preserved they are.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50- Did he ever dress up in them himself? - Oh, yes.- Did he? Brilliant.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Great sense of theatre about the house and about Charles Wade.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It would be easy to discount Wade as a slightly ridiculous figure.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Eccentric, certainly.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07But recently, an incredible new discovery has come to light.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12A set of Wade's personal sketchbooks were discovered in a damp cellar,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14hidden for over a hundred years.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17These worm-eaten relics go to show
0:14:17 > 0:14:21what an immensely talented artist and draughtsman he really was.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25And I'm lucky enough to be one of the first to see them.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28And these were done around 1905,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31when he was working as an architect.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34He works on Hampstead Garden Suburb,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38so he worked with the firm of Parker and Unwin for a few years.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But when, obviously, his father died,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43he inherited the sugar plantations that gave him the money
0:14:43 > 0:14:45to pretty much retire at a very early age
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and just indulge his passions.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52But, for a man with few financial concerns,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Wade chose to live a very simple life.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Whilst he housed his collection in the main Snowshill Manor,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02his living accommodation was here,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03a tiny cottage next door.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07This was a place free from all mod cons.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10There's not even a kitchen.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Wade survived on the most basic of diets -
0:15:13 > 0:15:16boiled eggs and guava jam sandwiches.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The hub of his world was his workshop,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23where he turned his hand to any craft or repair work
0:15:23 > 0:15:24that his collection demanded.
0:15:25 > 0:15:31On his death in 1956, Wade left Snowshill to the nation.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35A temple to his work and a quite extraordinary life.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46That is the most extraordinary place, and there's no doubt
0:15:46 > 0:15:49that the more time you spend in there, the more it rewards you.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Because there are so many fascinating objects.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55And there are little hidden treasures behind panels.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's just intriguing,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01and it may be that Charles Wade didn't build anything of great significance,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but THAT is a life's work of art.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05And without people like him,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09the world would be an infinitely duller place.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Later on, on Britain's Hidden Heritage,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Charlie Luxton will be unearthing a long-forgotten ruin.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26It's almost like it's just gone into a very long sleep.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And Richard E Grant will be visiting the home of British cinema.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33My only chance of being in a Bond film, I think, Tony...
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- Is on the Bond stage.- It's on the Bond stage in your buggy.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40But first, we are back on the Isle of Wight
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and Osborne, where my tour continues.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45The house today is in pristine condition,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49much as it would have been 150 years ago.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Victoria and Albert were famously particular
0:16:52 > 0:16:55about the standard the house was kept in.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59But it wasn't all about regimental order.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Now, cast your mind back to the late 1800s.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07What would day-to-day life have been like for Queen Victoria?
0:17:07 > 0:17:12Well, as queen, a good section of the day would be dedicated to official duties.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Meeting ministers and listening to royal advisers.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16But what about family life?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Well, it seems both Albert and Victoria were delighted
0:17:19 > 0:17:22to spend as much time with their children as possible.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25But there's one thing that the family all enjoyed together.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And that was a magic lantern show.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Ladies and gentlemen, here we go.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33The fun will now commence.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Yes, ladies and gentlemen,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I'd like to introduce you now to Bonzo, the Wonder Dog, here he is.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Now, Bonzo is about to perform a remarkable trick.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Bonzo will now leap into the air,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46straight through the hoop at the word of command.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47One, two, three...
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Hoopla! Thank you.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Magic lanterns were hugely popular in Victorian Britain.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Touring lanternists, like Charles Goodwin Norton,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59were regular entertainers for the Royal Family.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02And the Queen herself spoke fondly of them.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Here's another character.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07SNORES
0:18:07 > 0:18:09HE LAUGHS
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- See the little mouse that's going to go in his mouth. - Oh, you guessed!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Om-mm-mm! Oh, here's another one.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Oh, I didn't know he was going to eat it, though.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18THEY LAUGH
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Of course! Om-mm-mmm!
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- You can see this would appeal to the whole family, couldn't you?- Yes.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27This must have been, in its day though, like early television.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Probably quite scary with moving pictures for the very first time.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Yeah, I think so. And, actually, the magic lantern goes back
0:18:33 > 0:18:35to the middle of the 17th century, believe it or not.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40The first mention in this country is in Pepys' diary, about 1666.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43He went to see a magic lantern demonstration.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46What we're looking at now, the projector you've got here,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49is this the sort of kit that was available at Victoria's time?
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Yes, it was.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54It's called a biunial lantern because it has two lenses.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59So you could do things like transformations, superimpositions,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01all kinds of wonderful effects.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- And all these were available to buy at the time, weren't they?- Yes.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08To buy and, by the 1890s, you could hire them as well.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10So, if you had a magic lantern at home,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14you could go to a shop in the high street
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and you could hire your slides for a night.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Do you know the sort of slides that would amuse Victoria?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23There are references to shows given
0:19:23 > 0:19:26here at Osborne House, in fact, to Victoria.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28And we know she liked particular story-sets
0:19:28 > 0:19:32called The Two Magicians or Mystify and Company.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It tells of these two rival magicians
0:19:34 > 0:19:37who happen to be partners in the same company.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I say they were rivals,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42so they were constantly trying to come up with ways
0:19:42 > 0:19:46of getting the edge over their partners.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48The sort of thing that Queen Victoria
0:19:48 > 0:19:50probably would have enjoyed too
0:19:50 > 0:19:54are these sequences known as dissolvant-view sequences.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Here is a typical one. This is a water mill, for example.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- You could turn winter into spring... - HANDLE CREAKING
0:20:03 > 0:20:04..as the snow melts.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Oh, look at that!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- And you can actually hear the millwheel turning!- You can!
0:20:09 > 0:20:10HE LAUGHS
0:20:10 > 0:20:12It's very clever!
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Because it's something today that we don't see very often,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16a magic lantern show,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20we're constantly looking at wonderful antiques and fine arts of the period,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but this really does evoke more, doesn't it?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25This really says it all.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Well, it's a time capsule in many ways, a visual time capsule,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33because you can not only see the history of the Victorian period
0:20:33 > 0:20:35through the magic lantern,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38but see it as the Victorians themselves would have seen it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Exactly. And seeing it being operated,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and the whole performance that you're putting on as well.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Life for Queen Victoria and her family was, without doubt, one of privilege.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53What the Queen wanted in her day-to-day life, she would get.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Which meant having a large team of behind-the-scenes professionals ready to jump.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Now, I've come down below stairs to the servants' quarters.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06This would have been a hive of activity in its day.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Everybody working hard, the laundry would have been down here, the kitchens...
0:21:09 > 0:21:12You can imagine, especially at meal times - pots and pans clattering,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14footsteps going to and fro.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16The Queen would not come down here,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18but there's one room in this basement area
0:21:18 > 0:21:21where you would get a great deal of peace and quiet.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Bizarrely enough, it is the lift operator's room.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27And you have to remember, it would have been dark down here as well.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32So the lift operator had to operate the lift manually
0:21:32 > 0:21:34by pulling this rope.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The Queen would instruct the page to say she was getting in the lift
0:21:37 > 0:21:38and she was about to ring the bell.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41He would come charging down the stairs and tell the lift operator,
0:21:41 > 0:21:42who would be one of the footmen,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to get ready, the bell is going to ring, she's in the lift.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47And there you have it - ding, ding, ding, one ring maybe for up.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49HE CHUCKLES
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Two rings for down, depending on which direction she was going in.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It's not exactly state of the art.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Let's face it - she was the Queen of England. But it did work.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03The Queen and her family would often spend
0:22:03 > 0:22:05over 100 days a year at Osborne.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And, when in residence, would bring a lot of extra staff -
0:22:08 > 0:22:12ladies in waiting, footmen, advisers and guests.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Downstairs, particularly at meal times,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18the place had to run like a well-oiled machine.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22How many staff were employed here at the house, Rowena?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Er...it did change,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28but it was between about 80 or could go up to as much as 120.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30So what would have taken place in this room?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It looks rather an unusual room?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Well, this is for the table deckers.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Their job is specifically to make sure
0:22:38 > 0:22:40that upstairs, in the dining room,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42everything is perfect.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Not just how the knives and forks are laid,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47they'd have had a ruler to do that.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48They would be absolutely precise.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52But it's the timing of these complex meals.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54I mean, you could have up to eight courses at a banquet.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59And everything has to come out hot, which, at Osborne, is quite a feat,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03because the kitchens are sort of, almost, sort of half a mile away,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06as it were, in the other direction
0:23:06 > 0:23:09because Queen Victoria didn't like the smell of cooking
0:23:09 > 0:23:11anywhere near her, or anywhere near in the house.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16So they had a little hot trolley that they had to trundle along.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I mean, it's almost like Heathrow here, with food coming and going.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- Non-stop.- Yes.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Now, what's this room? There's a rather large table there.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Well, this is the hub of the table deckers' room, if you like,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28where most of the activity went on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- So this is where you plate up? - Yes.- Right.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34You've got your plates here and straight to the table.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- That's it, and plate up and up those stairs.- Yes.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39It is a lovely dinner service. Is it complete?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- Actually, it's not the original dinner service.- Is it not, really?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45No. After Queen Victoria died,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47it's tradition, really, in the Royal Family,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50that the sort of standard dinner services, as you can see,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54it's got the Queen's cipher here, because they are not likely to be used again,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57the perk, as it were, for the servants, is that they take pieces of it.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01But it means that, when we came to try and reproduce what the Queen had,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04there was nothing left. We didn't know what there was here.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Presumably, a lot of the staff lived here on the island
0:24:07 > 0:24:10so, maybe, a lot of it is still here.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Oh, I do hope so.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14You know, I hope one day someone will turn up and say,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19"This is a plate we've got in the attic," or, "My grandmother had... Is this from Osborne?"
0:24:19 > 0:24:22And then, we would have something that we knew was from here.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27From Queen Victoria's beautiful dinner service
0:24:27 > 0:24:29to the immaculately kept fixtures and fittings,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32English Heritage have done an incredible job
0:24:32 > 0:24:37bringing Osborne back to the condition it would have been in 150 years ago.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Not all our historic houses have fared so well as this one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Our reporter Charlie Luxton has made a trip to Scotland
0:24:46 > 0:24:51to find out what happens when fate is not so kind to a country house.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Welcome to the blustery Ayrshire coastline
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and the rather wonderful Culzean Castle.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It's one of the best-known country estates in Scotland,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05one of its top heritage attractions.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07And it's even here,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10on the Royal Bank Of Scotland five-pound note.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15The castle was the creation of Robert Adam,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18arguably Scotland's most celebrated architect.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21In the 1780s, he had an almost free rein
0:25:21 > 0:25:25to design and build Culzean as he saw fit.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27From the outside, it's a dramatic castle,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30with square turrets, endless crenellations
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and a drum tower overlooking the sea.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Inside, it's a fine country mansion,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44with Adam's plaster work and personally designed features.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49It's been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland since 1945,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and they've been conserving, restoring it and publicising it since then.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Its future is guaranteed.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00But Culzean Castle is just the start of our story.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Not all of our country houses have fared as well as this one.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Since the start of the 20th century,
0:26:08 > 0:26:13Britain has lost over 1,500 significant properties.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17They've been abandoned, gutted and usually demolished.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Every corner of Britain was affected.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Including, right here, in Ayrshire.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Now, I want you to fix a picture of this place in your mind's eye,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28because Culzean has a sister,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32another castle hidden, neglected and forgotten.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It's time for me to head inland
0:26:34 > 0:26:38in search of a rather mysterious property.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43The name of the place is Dalquharran Castle,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47once a jewel in the crown of Scotland's beautiful buildings.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Now, if you wind the clock back a couple of centuries,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Culzean and Dalquharran have a lot in common.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They're owned by the same wealthy family,
0:27:00 > 0:27:01they're just a few miles apart,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05both designed by the fair hand of Robert Adam.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10But, since then, they've taken a very different path.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12And this is it here.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16And that...is quite extraordinary. Look at that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24That...
0:27:24 > 0:27:25HE CHUCKLES
0:27:25 > 0:27:28That's amazing. I mean, it looks so perfect.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I thought it would be more sort of fallen down, more like a ruin.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But, actually, the outside looks like it's all still there.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36But, through the windows,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39you can see the interiors have totally disappeared.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43It's almost like it's... sort of gone to sleep.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52The family who originally commissioned Dalquharran stayed for a century
0:27:52 > 0:27:57until financial problems led them to sell their Robert Adam's showpiece.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02The castle's life in the 20th century was anything but settled.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Until, ultimately, the main building was left empty.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14The shell of Dalquharran has remained pretty much untouched since the late 1960s,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19when the last resident took the decision to remove the roof.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23You see, the cost of upkeep in the castle became too much to bear,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26and by removing the roof, they made it uninhabitable
0:28:26 > 0:28:29and, therefore, they were no longer liable to pay rates.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37The building and its land remain in private ownership
0:28:37 > 0:28:41and, as you can see, visitors are not normally welcome.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42But Dalquharran's neighbour,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45who is also one of its recent owners,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47has agreed to meet me.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Well, my first connection to it
0:28:49 > 0:28:51was as a neighbouring farmer myself.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53And my father at that time
0:28:53 > 0:28:56bought the castle and the surrounding land.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59It was really landlords looking for ways
0:28:59 > 0:29:02to expand the farming enterprise at the time.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04- So, how many acres did you get?- 300.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06So he bought 300 acres
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- and there just happened to be this castle on it and that was...- Yes.
0:29:10 > 0:29:11Did you use it for anything?
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Nothing at all, really.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19We used the coach houses and attached buildings across the courtyard.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23I indeed stayed there for the first 17 years of my married life.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28- Did your kids play sort of in there? - Well, we tried to discourage them, but...
0:29:28 > 0:29:32- I bet they did, didn't they? I bet you! That would be brilliant!- They'd play here from time to time, yes.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37Did you do anything to actually sort of preserve the castle itself?
0:29:37 > 0:29:40No, nothing. There wasn't a lot you could do with it, actually.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44The roof was taken off about five years previously
0:29:44 > 0:29:46to us buying the castle.
0:29:46 > 0:29:52I'm fascinated by the idea that, for at least 50 years now,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55this architectural treasure has been of no value
0:29:55 > 0:29:57other than the price of the land in which it stands.
0:29:57 > 0:30:03The exterior is clearly in the Robert Adam Scottish castle style.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07But it's often his interiors for which Adam is best remembered.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09And I can't wait to take a look inside today.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Showing me around is historian Michael Davis,
0:30:12 > 0:30:16who has written extensively on mansions and castles in Ayrshire.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Oh, wow! So the roof is totally gone.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24You can see a lot of trees growing up there.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Lantern plasterwork is still there.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Gosh! Panelling, the half panelling.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Look at that, look at that!
0:30:31 > 0:30:35A spiral stair, going right up, there's the railings up there.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38There's certainly one thing, for sure, with this place,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40and it's certainly not as Mr Adam intended.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41THEY LAUGH
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Well, this is very like er...Culzean, isn't it?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Yes! It's like a miniature of the round room at Culzean.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- And what do you think this room was? - This was the drawing room.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59This whole ceiling there
0:30:59 > 0:31:03really consisted of a whole series of circular rooms.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07And on the top floor was, in fact, the library.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- The view up there would have been amazing.- Yes.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13I can vouch for the fact that it was amazing, because I've been up there.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17In the 1980s, when I visited Dalquharran
0:31:17 > 0:31:19and I was able to stand on the landing.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21And I could look straight across to the windows
0:31:21 > 0:31:24and there were still even carved Adam bookcases
0:31:24 > 0:31:27clinging to the sides of the walls, defying gravity.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34We really know very little about the original interiors at Dalquharran.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36But here, in the library, is one clue
0:31:36 > 0:31:41that Robert Adam's designs would have once graced the castle.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45In the 1970s, this splendid fireplace survived.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48A perfect match with an original 18th-century sketch
0:31:48 > 0:31:50made by the renowned architect.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Today, these details have gone.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58But we can at least imagine interiors here
0:31:58 > 0:32:01to match those still found at Culzean Castle.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Including, even perhaps, Adam's oval staircase,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09a superbly theatrical centrepiece,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12bathed in light pouring in from above.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Charlie, this is a room you really have to see.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Wow! That is a complete cantileving,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23three-level stone stair, complete with tree!
0:32:23 > 0:32:28I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before in my life. It's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:32:28 > 0:32:33You can imagine this in rural Ayrshire, appearing in the 1780s, 1790s...
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- This is really... - Cutting edge, isn't it?- Yes.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40The neighbours must have come and they must have been really jealous.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44But, I mean, there's obviously something sort of slightly tragic
0:32:44 > 0:32:47about the loss of this piece of architectural heritage.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52But also, what's left is kind of fascinating in its own way too.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54It's absolutely stunning.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Yes, it is sad, but there's also an element to this castle
0:32:58 > 0:33:00which is absolutely spectacular.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Fundamentally, the '60s, the '70s and even into the '80s
0:33:03 > 0:33:06were really very bad for country house heritage.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10After the Second World War, society had changed.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Wage costs were going up and country houses were a thing
0:33:14 > 0:33:18that many people thought we would be best without, almost.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21There's a very different story here from Culzean,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23but it's a story, I think, which is worth telling.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28It's very much the story of all those houses which, actually, didn't make it.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34So what is the future for Dalquharran Castle?
0:33:34 > 0:33:38There's been grand talk of it becoming the centre of a golf resort.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42But we have to accept it may just remain a ruin
0:33:42 > 0:33:46at the continuing mercy of the Scottish weather.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Is that so bad a thing though?
0:33:48 > 0:33:52There's an architectural majesty about ruins.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55And they always tell stories of our changing times.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02The idea of the perfect country house preserved for all time
0:34:02 > 0:34:04is really only for the lucky few.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09For the most part, time cannot be stopped for country houses
0:34:09 > 0:34:12any more than it can for the rest of us.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Still to come on Britain's Hidden Heritage,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Richard E Grant will be visiting a film studio
0:34:24 > 0:34:26that has a place in many people's hearts.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Good morning, Dr Soaper! Are we all loaded?
0:34:28 > 0:34:31This is what it's about, it's not just about film on sound stages,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34it's the house, it's the gardens, it's Pinewood.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38But first, back on the Isle of Wight,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41my behind-the-scenes look at Osborne continues.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44One of the most recognisable architectural features of the building
0:34:44 > 0:34:47are its twin Italian Renaissance-style towers.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50One built as an observation platform,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53where the view over the grounds and the coastline could be enjoyed.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58The second tower to incorporate a rather magnificent clock.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Definitely not frequented by the royals,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07as access is through a cupboard door.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Well, here we are, this is what I want to see.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21We're almost around sort of 32 metres up in the air now,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24but I've come up to see this magnificent clock.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Now, here, look, the maker's name - John Smith.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33Made in 1777 for His Majesty King George III.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Now, originally, this clock was installed at Kew Palace,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40but it was brought here to Osborne in 1849.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43It had one dial back at Kew Palace,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47but Queen Victoria wanted four dials, so she had it altered
0:35:47 > 0:35:52because she wanted to see a dial on each elevation of this tower.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56So she could tell the time from wherever she was in the grounds.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01And the dials worked...they are synchronised by virtue of this very clever mechanism
0:36:01 > 0:36:06that runs all around this tower linking up the dials.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Fabulous. And it strikes on every quarter of the hour.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15BELLS TOLL
0:36:22 > 0:36:24The views from the clock tower are quite outstanding,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27but this seemingly natural beauty was, in fact,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30given a helping hand by Prince Albert himself.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34He and builder Thomas Cubitt didn't just design the beautiful terraces
0:36:34 > 0:36:36that sit beneath the royal apartments.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38They completely reshaped the whole landscape
0:36:38 > 0:36:43in order to give it an idyllic sweeping view down to the sea.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47An enormous task in the days before mechanical earth movers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52In Victorian England, the seaside was becoming increasingly popular.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Now accessible with the invention of railways,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58people, for the first time, began to flock out of the smoggy cities
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and escape to the coast.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Victoria and Albert were no exception, although unlike most,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05they had their own private beach,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08just half a mile from the house.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Currently under restoration by English Heritage,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15this place gives a unique insight into royal family life.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18What would everybody be doing?
0:37:18 > 0:37:22I mean, obviously Victoria would be playing with the princes and the princesses down here.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23How would they enjoy their day?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Well, we think that the royal children used to come down here
0:37:26 > 0:37:29very often with their governess, Lady Littleton,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32rather than with the Queen and Prince Albert themselves.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35And the Queen would often just sort of drop in to visit.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- She would go on her sort of rides or walks around the estate.- Yeah.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And she would drop and see how the children were getting on.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42And we know from Lady Littleton's letters
0:37:42 > 0:37:46that the children loved collecting shells, digging on the sand...
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- The usual things...- The usual things that children do, yes.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51It was their first experience of the seaside.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56Well, there's a bit of restoration going on here, in this alcove with all the scaffolding getting up.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Well, this is Queen Victoria's alcove by the sea.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00They started building it around 1865
0:38:00 > 0:38:04and it was completed not until 1869, surprisingly enough.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05This is absolutely marvellous!
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I like the mosaic work as well. There's a lot of detail here.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09There is.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13What would have been the value of this to Victoria?
0:38:13 > 0:38:18I think she found this a lovely, tranquil and peaceful place to shelter
0:38:18 > 0:38:22while she looked out to sea and sketched or dealt with her correspondence.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24We know she loved being in the open air.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27She had a number of a...a number of her watercolours we've got here,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29which show pictures of the area near to the beach.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32This one is showing the valley footpath leading down to the beach,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and you've got the Queen's children there,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37all busy decorating...adorning their heads with flowers.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39And then, we have another one here.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- This is the actual beach here we are on?- This is...yes.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46The view down to the beach there with a little boat just offshore.
0:38:46 > 0:38:47And then, we have one down here.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51This is a more sombre view here for the period after the death of Albert,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54where she's gone to much more sort of loose brushstrokes
0:38:54 > 0:38:56and much lighter shades.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00She was very well trained by people like Edward Lear and William Leitch,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02who was her Drawing Master,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05who came down here and gave her lessons in watercolour drawing.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- And she became a very proficient artist.- She's very good.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13The more time you spend at Osborne, the more it becomes evident
0:39:13 > 0:39:16why Queen Victoria became so enamoured with the place.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18And later, I'll be finding out
0:39:18 > 0:39:20how the Queen spent her final weeks here.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24But first, guest reporter Richard E Grant has been to visit a place
0:39:24 > 0:39:28that has, almost certainly at some point, touched all our lives.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43When I was a teenager with aspirations of becoming an actor,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47there was one place that seemed to be the epicentre
0:39:47 > 0:39:50of all these dreams becoming a reality.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53The jewel in the crown in the British film industry.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56And that place is Pinewood Studios.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02For more than 75 years now,
0:40:02 > 0:40:08this place has been producing some of the biggest and best films ever made.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13More importantly, it produced the films I grew up watching.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Here, in the green and leafy home county of Buckinghamshire,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19a mountain of movie heritage awaits.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Norman Wisdom films, Doctor In The House series,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Carry On films, the whole Bond franchise.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31In fact, the whole British film history
0:40:31 > 0:40:35in one great cast of a studio, which is Pinewood.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37I worked here a couple of times myself,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40so I'm going to show you and discover
0:40:40 > 0:40:43the essential Britishness of it.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47THEY SCREAM
0:40:49 > 0:40:52There's no doubt that Pinewood is brimful of movie heritage.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56But there's a well-kept secret here too.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59For, at the heart of these studios, is a piece of British history,
0:40:59 > 0:41:03one which you've probably seen several times before.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08The most filmed country house in all of Britain -
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Heatherden Hall, here at Pinewood Studios.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16Every single bit of it and its grounds have been in a film
0:41:16 > 0:41:18over the last 75 years of its history.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21There's three large tents for the girls,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23one for me, one for Miss Haggard...
0:41:23 > 0:41:25WOLF WHISTLE
0:41:25 > 0:41:26Get a load of that! Whoa-ho!
0:41:26 > 0:41:28HE LAUGHS
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Good morning, Dr Soaper. Are we all loaded?
0:41:31 > 0:41:32Not 'alf!
0:41:32 > 0:41:34HE LAUGHS
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The name Heatherden Hall is all but forgotten these days.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41But it's been a star of the silver screen
0:41:41 > 0:41:43since Charles Boot and J Arthur Rank
0:41:43 > 0:41:47set about creating Pinewood Studios in 1935.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Heatherden's English country charms provided a winning backdrop
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and lent Pinewood a glamour which American studios
0:41:56 > 0:41:58could only dream about.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02Pinewood's founders simply picked up where Heatherden Hall left off.
0:42:02 > 0:42:08And, during the 1920s, this place had been a country retreat for politicians and diplomats.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11But, during the Great Depression of the 1930s,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15the place was sold off for a song.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19The entire estate was bought at auction for just £35,000.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22The stages would all be built from scratch.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25But already there was a grand dinning room,
0:42:25 > 0:42:30bedroom suites, cocktail bars and an indoor swimming pool.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37From the very start, Pinewood has been no ordinary place at work.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Even in the movie trade.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- Morris!- Hello, Richard.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- The man who has written the history of the studios.- Yes.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Can you tell me how it got changed from Heatherden Hall
0:42:49 > 0:42:50to being called Pinewood.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Well, it sounds very simple, but it's very true.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55They wanted to give it a feel of an American studio.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56They liked Hollywood.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58They had a look in the gardens, covered in pine trees.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So they called it Pinewood, simple as that.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04I mean, what films have been filmed in front of where we are standing here now?
0:43:04 > 0:43:07This is extraordinary. You can literally turn around on the dial of a clock,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- and every time you stop, you'll see something else.- OK, guide me.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Well, we've got Barbara Windsor and Sid James
0:43:13 > 0:43:15running through the gardens in Carry On Henry.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18This whole sequence where we are now in the garden
0:43:18 > 0:43:21was used at the beginning of the film From Russia With Love,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24when Sean Connery is being chased around by Robert Shaw.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27The SAS film, the big thriller of the early '80s - Who Dares Wins.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29They're climbing up the side of the walls,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31they're blowing out the windows.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34In the corner there, you've got a shot where, in Goldfinger,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37- you might remember, Oddjob takes his hat off.- Yeah, yeah.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39And he throws it and he decapitates a statue.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Well, he's actually standing in Stoke Poges Golf Club when he does it,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45but the close-up shot is done in that corner over there.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49So, by my calculation, he throws his bowler hat about nine and a half miles.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52This is what it's about. It's not just about film on sound stages,
0:43:52 > 0:43:53it's the house, gardens, it's Pinewood.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57It didn't seem to matter whether budgets were large or small.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Producers were ever alert for an opportunity
0:44:00 > 0:44:03to make use of Heatherden's manicured lawn...
0:44:06 > 0:44:08..and elegant facade.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19But Heatherden wasn't just a pretty face.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23It was a focal point for work going on at the studios.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26In the 1960s, you know, they'd sit in the restaurants,
0:44:26 > 0:44:30you'd have Barbara Windsor and the Carry Ons on one table, Norman Wisdom on his.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Morecambe and Wise made three films here in the 1960s.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37They'd be there, Bond would be there. And it was in the days before trailers came in and fed actors.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42Everyone came in and ate together - directors, producers and actors. And there was a great atmosphere.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45That's why people came to Pinewood, because of this great family atmosphere.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49The centre of any family is a home, and that home has Heatherden Hall.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52In the '50s and '60s, Pinewood turned that family atmosphere
0:44:52 > 0:44:56into a business plan producing large numbers of low-cost films,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58where, just like a theatre repertory company,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01the same faces would gather again and again.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09The Carry On films were a little gem because of the people.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11I mean, they were all characters,
0:45:11 > 0:45:13not only in the films were they characters,
0:45:13 > 0:45:15but off the set they were characters.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Several years earlier, Shirley Eaton had first appeared
0:45:19 > 0:45:22alongside Dirk Bogarde in Doctor In The House.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Britain's most popular film of 1954.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29Over the next ten years, she became a Pinewood regular.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34The face of the films that were taking the British traditions of musical and radio comedy
0:45:34 > 0:45:38and transferring them to the big screen.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45I suppose the post-war feeling is why the Carry Ons did so well.
0:45:45 > 0:45:51People needed some craziness and some very English bawdiness.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56It's worth noting that 1959, the year of Carry On Sergeant,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58the very first in the series,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01finished with an extraordinary statistic.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05The top 12 box office films in Britain were all actually made in Britain.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10Something never since repeated and now almost inconceivable.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15The Carry Ons were like a great mirror poking fun at post-war Britain.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19From national service to the newly-formed NHS,
0:46:19 > 0:46:21and even the crumbling empire,
0:46:21 > 0:46:25there was barely an institution that didn't get lampooned.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27The audiences couldn't get enough
0:46:27 > 0:46:32and filming carried on all year round, rain or shine.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36Why are you leading me to this industrial dumping yard here?
0:46:36 > 0:46:39A busy part of the studios now, of course,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42with all these hangers full of materials and stuff for films.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43But, over 40 years ago,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45it was just a bit of field at the back of the studios
0:46:45 > 0:46:48where the filmed the eponymous and iconic Carry On Camping.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51That famous sequence where Barbara Windsor
0:46:51 > 0:46:53becomes unattached to her bikini top.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Begin. And fling...and in...
0:46:56 > 0:46:59It was November of 1968, they were making Carry On Camping
0:46:59 > 0:47:01for the next spring and summer film release,
0:47:01 > 0:47:03so they had to come out here at that time of the year.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05It was very muddy, it was very wet.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10They had to paint the grass green, they had to paint the leaves on the trees, because there weren't any
0:47:10 > 0:47:11to make it look like it was summer.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13The actors, when they rehearsed, wore mink coats.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16But when they came to the shot, everything had to come off.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19And, in the case of Barbara, more came off than perhaps she'd anticipated.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Fling and in. And fling!
0:47:23 > 0:47:25LAUGHTER
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Matron, take them away! Oh!
0:47:31 > 0:47:37By the 1960s, Pinewood had built up a stable of very bankable British movie brands.
0:47:37 > 0:47:43It was time to go international. And to expand the site itself.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46So these are the original stages
0:47:46 > 0:47:48and the original production offices here
0:47:48 > 0:47:50that started off in 1936.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55We're just going to turn into Goldfinger Avenue.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00This road was used partly in the car chase in Goldfinger.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03It's virtually impossible to visit Pinewood today
0:48:03 > 0:48:05without paying homage to Bond.
0:48:05 > 0:48:11It must surely rank as one of Britain's greatest exports of the last 50 years.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17It even boasts its own 007 stage.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21All 59,000 square feet of it.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Wow!
0:48:23 > 0:48:25HE LAUGHS
0:48:25 > 0:48:28'This enormous stage has not only hosted'
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Bond's most ambitious scenes,
0:48:30 > 0:48:32it's also regularly been loaned out
0:48:32 > 0:48:35to some of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39helping to turn Pinewood from a quintessentially British cottage industry
0:48:39 > 0:48:42into a truly international player.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46My only chance of being in a Bond film, I think, Tony...
0:48:46 > 0:48:50- Is on the Bond stage.- It's on the Bond stage in your buggy.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Amongst all the huge sets and special effect stages
0:48:56 > 0:48:59that inhabit the Pinewood of today,
0:48:59 > 0:49:00for me, the soul of the studios
0:49:00 > 0:49:03is still to be found at the centre of the old estate.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07As a country house, Heatherden Hall might not be brimful
0:49:07 > 0:49:10of great paintings and Chippendale furniture.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13The old masters here are the slapstick comedies,
0:49:13 > 0:49:16the send-ups and the action sequences
0:49:16 > 0:49:18that have entertained and enlightened generations of us Brits.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23So many moments of love and laughter.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26A remarkable contribution to our cultural heritage.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32What I absolutely love is the quirky seriousness of making movies
0:49:32 > 0:49:36alongside an incredible Britishness
0:49:36 > 0:49:39that pervades the whole of Pinewood Studios.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44At the grand press opening here in 1935,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47some toff was overheard saying,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50"It's as if a millionaire with a beautiful house
0:49:50 > 0:49:54"has allowed movie making to go on in the back garden."
0:49:54 > 0:49:56And it's been going on here ever since.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Back at Osborne, and the last part of my tour
0:50:10 > 0:50:14concentrates on the final years of both Albert and Victoria.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17The death of Albert, at the age of just 42,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20had a devastating effect on the Queen.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25The perfect family life came to an abrupt and untimely end.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29And this family home became a retreat and a place of mourning.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33The private sitting room and the bedrooms of the royal couple
0:50:33 > 0:50:37are perhaps the most moving of all the rooms in Osborne.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41The were sealed up to all but close family members for 50 years.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43And since then, they've been kept
0:50:43 > 0:50:46just as they were at the end of the Queen's life.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Now, this does look more like a family room.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Slightly more cluttered, lived in, but that's what you'd expect.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Yes, up here in the private apartments,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57it's like a little flat, almost.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59And yes, lots of clutter.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02Is this two writing desks? Obviously, is this one the Queen's?
0:51:02 > 0:51:03Queen's on the left, yeah.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07- Slightly more cluttered.- Yes. - Albert's a little bit more minimal.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Yes, yes.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Now, most people's sort of preconception
0:51:11 > 0:51:13of Albert and Victoria is slightly prudish.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Yet, there they are sitting together, side by side,
0:51:16 > 0:51:21- looking up at ten beautiful naked, semi-naked ladies. - LAUGHTER
0:51:21 > 0:51:25Yeah, this was a birthday present from Queen Victoria to Prince Albert.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30I don't know whether she was trying to loosen him up a little, perhaps. LAUGHTER
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Look, there's somebody in the bushes there.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35That shows a sense of humour, doesn't it? It really does.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- Yes, yes.- Let's talk about the happier times,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39because, obviously, this was a family room.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42And the children would have been allowed to play in here,
0:51:42 > 0:51:43which was quite unusual,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46because children of a similar status, let's say,
0:51:46 > 0:51:47born to other heads of state,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50would have been far removed from these quarters, wouldn't they?
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Oh, yes, and in similar Victorian houses of this period,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57there would have been a completely separate nursery wing miles away from the parents' quarters.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00But no, that wasn't the case at Osborne.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02The children were very integrated into the daily life
0:52:02 > 0:52:04of the Queen and the Prince.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06The nurseries are immediately above us here, for instance.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09We know, from references in the Queen's journals,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11that the children were allowed into this room...
0:52:11 > 0:52:16So their toys would have been in here sometimes and their little seats and chairs...
0:52:16 > 0:52:17- Yes, exactly, yes. - Well, that's lovely.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21It just goes to show what a family-orientated, loving couple they were.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27It's impossible not to be touched by the haunting atmosphere
0:52:27 > 0:52:29that still pervades this part of the house.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33Over the years, many stories have grown up around Albert and Victoria.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35But enter their private quarters at Osborne,
0:52:35 > 0:52:40with their belongings sitting virtually untouched for over a century
0:52:40 > 0:52:44and you get a true picture of this devoted couple.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49And Michael, this is Albert's dressing room,
0:52:49 > 0:52:51but it looks more like a study.
0:52:51 > 0:52:52Well, it was a study, really.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56It was a cross between a study and a dressing room.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59And it was here that Albert came first thing in the morning
0:52:59 > 0:53:03to go through his papers and his correspondence and so on.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Was it love at first sight when they first met?
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Perhaps not at first sight, but I think at second sight.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09That's pretty good, isn't it?
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Yes, I mean, famously, I think, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal
0:53:13 > 0:53:16after the second time that she met Albert at Windsor
0:53:16 > 0:53:19that she "beheld Albert who is beautiful."
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Let's just talk about his death, 1861.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24I mean, it was a particularly bad year for the Queen.
0:53:24 > 0:53:271861 wasn't a good year for Queen Victoria.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Her mother died in March, and Albert, of course, died on 14th December.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34And just days after Albert's death at Windsor,
0:53:34 > 0:53:38the Queen retreated straight away down here to Osborne.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Did she suffer from depression?
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Yes, I suppose... Yes, it's what we would now, I think, recognise as depression,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47a sort of...some kind of a breakdown, really.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52Bearing in mind that the Queen and the Prince had hardly spent any time apart.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55You know, it was a very close working relationship
0:53:55 > 0:53:57as well as a personal relationship.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59And when that ended,
0:53:59 > 0:54:03I think the Queen was completely pole-axed and disorientated.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I really think she didn't quite know how to go forward.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08But you can understand her coming back here, can't you?
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Just wanting to be surrounded by his things.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12You can gain a lot of strength from that.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16I think the Queen didn't, in a way, acknowledge Albert's passing.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20You know, I think she kept everything very much as it was in his time,
0:54:20 > 0:54:21including indeed in this room,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24making sure that his clothes were laid out every morning.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28And we know that also his bowl of water on his wash stand
0:54:28 > 0:54:30was filled up with hot water every morning,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33as if he was just sort of about to come into the room.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Oh, that's very touching.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42Throughout her widowhood, Victoria spent every Christmas at Osborne.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45In old age, rheumatism in her legs rendered her lame.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Her eyesight was clouded by cataracts.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52And, by the New Year of 1901, she was confined to her room,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55feeling drowsy and confused.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Today, that room, perhaps more than anywhere else in the house,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03tells us much about the married life and the final days of Victoria.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08This is the Queen's bedroom,
0:55:08 > 0:55:11the most private and important room in the house.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13The first thing you notice is the bed.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17After Albert's death, Victoria always slept
0:55:17 > 0:55:19with a portrait of Albert on his side of the bed.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22And there's a little pouch there on the headboard.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25Albert always popped his watch in there before he went to sleep.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27There's something I want to point out.
0:55:27 > 0:55:28There is a little tiny plaque
0:55:28 > 0:55:31that Victoria had mounted on the footboard.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34It's a personal memorial, really.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37And it tells you the date they first slept together
0:55:37 > 0:55:39and the date they last slept together.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41But this is not just Queen Victoria's bedroom.
0:55:41 > 0:55:47This is where Victoria died in January in 1901.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It was the end of the Victorian era.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52The things we associate with Queen Victoria -
0:55:52 > 0:55:55the great British Empire, the Industrial Revolution
0:55:55 > 0:56:00moving forward, at full tilt - steam trains, steam ships.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02It all happened in her reign.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07When you're in this room, there's a real sense of history.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11And we always associate Victoria in mourning, dressed in black.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14But, for her funeral, she was dressed in white and purple.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Although both Victoria and Albert adored their life here at Osborne,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25it held few charms for their children.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27In her will, she left strict instructions
0:56:27 > 0:56:30that the house should stay within the family.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32But no-one wanted it.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Perhaps it was too associated with their mother's death.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Or perhaps the world had changed.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40The house that Victoria and Albert made so personal to themselves
0:56:40 > 0:56:44was no longer modern in the new era of the 20th century.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49The new King Edward VII presented it to the nation.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52It became a naval training school and a convalescent home,
0:56:52 > 0:56:56eventually opening to the public, much as it is today.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Osborne is, without doubt, one of Britain's most elegant stately homes.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05The building, the grounds and the setting are simply stunning.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09But, for me, what makes Osborne such a powerful part of our heritage
0:57:09 > 0:57:13is the intimate story it tells us about Victoria and Albert.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Their attention to detail,
0:57:15 > 0:57:19and their desire to create for themselves a perfect family home.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23And, of course, their love and affection for their children.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29If you'd like to find out more information on today's show,
0:57:29 > 0:57:31then check out our website.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Next time on Britain's Hidden Heritage,
0:57:39 > 0:57:42I travel to Northern Ireland to uncover a time capsule of a house
0:57:42 > 0:57:46that, for nearly two centuries, was at the centre of British politics.
0:57:48 > 0:57:53Upstairs, there's stuff that hasn't been seen for well over 150 years,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56and it's only just being revealed.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Charlie Luxton is in the Lake District
0:57:58 > 0:58:02finding out about a forgotten side of our Industrial Revolution.
0:58:02 > 0:58:08You're going to make it? Yeah! Yes, brilliant!
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Clare Balding goes in search
0:58:10 > 0:58:13of one of Europe's finest ecclesiastical treasures.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15I don't quite know what I was expecting,
0:58:15 > 0:58:17but I wasn't expecting this.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20And The Apprentice's Nick Hewer takes to the sky
0:58:20 > 0:58:23to recapture the past and find out
0:58:23 > 0:58:25about the pioneers of aerial photography.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28I don't know how those guys did it with big plane cameras.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31You know something? It's not easy.
0:58:45 > 0:58:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd