0:00:05 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw,
0:00:12 > 0:00:18and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Stop by stop, he told them where to travel,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24what to see and where to stay.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys
0:00:28 > 0:00:32across the length and breadth of the country to see
0:00:32 > 0:00:35what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Guided, as ever, by my Bradshaw's, I've embarked on a new journey,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03from the rolling countryside of Oxfordshire
0:01:03 > 0:01:07to the mining and smelting heartlands of South Wales.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09During the Industrial Revolution,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12the Victorians exploited the fruits of this land,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16transforming the country and its cities.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17And, as ever,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21the catalyst for that change was the arrival of the railways.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I'm beginning in a quintessentially English region.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Its timeless beauty and quirky traditions are
0:01:28 > 0:01:32all recorded in my 19th-century guidebook.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36On this leg of the journey, I'll be seeing Oxford through Bradshaw's eyes.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40It's really worth the climb, isn't it? That is the most fantastic view.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Sampling a Victorian navvy's favourite brew. Cheers!
0:01:44 > 0:01:47You could build a railway once you've drunk that, couldn't you?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51And discovering a surprising crop in the heart of the Cotswolds.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54This is the most, uh, unexpected sight.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Suddenly a riot of colour!
0:01:59 > 0:02:02This journey starts in the heart of England,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07taking me west through the Malvern Hills and across the Welsh border.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I'll then travel through the industrial powerhouse of South Wales,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13finishing up in Milford Haven.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Starting in historic Oxford,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23this stretch explores the picture postcard landscape of the Cotswold Hills,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27as far as Pershore, near the agricultural Vale of Evesham.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33My first stop is Oxford,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36known as home to one of Britain's best universities.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42According to my Bradshaw's, Oxford University has an advantage over
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Cambridge in being placed among more attractive scenery
0:02:45 > 0:02:50and combining a greater variety of splendid architecture.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53That judgement will be highly controversial
0:02:53 > 0:02:56amongst people, like me, who went to Cambridge.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Whatever my personal views, there's no disputing that Oxford
0:03:05 > 0:03:08is a wonderfully preserved historic city.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12After the railway arrived here in the 1840s, it brought new waves
0:03:12 > 0:03:18of tourists to admire the dreaming spires, and provided a speedy way
0:03:18 > 0:03:22for students to travel to, and from, their venerable seat of learning.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Many of Oxford's beautiful buildings and ancient traditions date back to medieval times.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30But the 19th century also left its mark,
0:03:30 > 0:03:36introducing competitive rowing, punting and the bicycle to the city.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41My Bradshaw's guide waxes lyrical about seeing the Oxford panorama from above.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46To see how the modern view measures up, I'm meeting Chris Kissane at Merton College.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- Chris, hello.- Hello, Michael.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Great to see you. - Nice to meet you. How are you?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Oxford is a city to be proud of, isn't it?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- It really is. It's a wonderful city. - What's your connection with it?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Well, I'm a student here now, at Balliol College,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and, when I was born, my dad was a student at Merton College,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03so we actually lived in college accommodation when I was born.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07- You were actually born within Merton College?- So, yeah, I'm an Irishman but Oxford is home away from home.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09And Merton, I think, is the oldest college, isn't it?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Well, we in Balliol claim to be the oldest college as well but...
0:04:12 > 0:04:15To avoid family arguments, we'll agree to disagree!
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Now, you're clutching a very impressive key.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Yes, well, we've been lucky enough to get the key to
0:04:19 > 0:04:22the tower of Merton College Chapel, one of the oldest remaining
0:04:22 > 0:04:25medieval buildings in Oxford so I think that we're going
0:04:25 > 0:04:27to have a look up the top and see the view of the city from the top.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32- I can't wait. Lead me on. - OK.- Thank you.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Merton is just one of dozens of independent colleges
0:04:36 > 0:04:38that make up the university.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Each adds its own distinctive architecture to the city's skyline,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45creating the view that my guidebook so admires.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50It's really worth the climb, isn't it? That is the most fantastic view.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It's extraordinary. It's inspiring, really, isn't it?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56And what Bradshaw says is that it's the concentration,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59the combination of buildings, that makes Oxford so great.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And I think that's true.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04He says, "The city presents a very imposing appearance,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08"from the number and variety of its spires, domes and public edifices,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12"while these structures, from their magnitude and splendid architecture,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14"give it an air of great magnificence."
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- That's a pretty good description, isn't it?- Very apt, yes.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19What's amazing is this is Bradshaw's view, isn't it?
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- It hasn't changed, really, very much at all.- It hasn't changed at all.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Oxford is lucky to have preserved its stunning skyline.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe deliberately targeted
0:05:30 > 0:05:34some of Britain's most historic cities, in a bid to dent morale.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38They even used guidebooks to pinpoint heritage towns.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42But, amazingly, Oxford survived unscathed.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Why is it so well preserved?
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Well, the story goes that Hitler had his eyes on
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Oxford's magnificent buildings for his capital, if he ever invaded England.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The story's never been proven but you can understand why
0:05:54 > 0:05:57anyone would be absolutely enchanted by the view.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03- It's a rather grim reason for a very beautiful survival.- It is.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09One famous landmark that survived is the Radcliffe Camera.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14Bradshaw says, "Its dome is one of the most conspicuous objects in the views of Oxford."
0:06:14 > 0:06:19But, to me, this library is memorable for another reason.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22You know, even though I was at Cambridge, when I was
0:06:22 > 0:06:26running up to some exams, I did two weeks' revision in the Radcliffe Camera.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30And, so, for me, although it's a beautiful building, it has that horrible feeling of fear,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33when you're running up to an exam, you know.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38An experience that I, and many other Oxford students, can definitely identify with!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The University has always set Oxford apart and,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43despite the arrival of the railway,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47the city didn't develop any major industries in the 19th century.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52But the ever-expanding academic community ensured that local trades thrived.
0:06:52 > 0:06:59Bradshaw's says that the high street of Oxford is justly considered the finest in England,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04from the number and elegance of its public buildings and the remarkable curvature.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And it does, indeed, resemble a long crescent.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12And then it says, "Oxford has long been famous for good sausages."
0:07:12 > 0:07:15That's news to me.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18To see whether sausages are still a local delicacy,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I'm heading to the covered market.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It was built 230 years ago,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28to try and rid the city centre of unsightly and smelly outdoor stalls.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The first businesses to move in were the butchers.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35And several still prosper here today.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Fantastic display of sausages!
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Colin Dawson has worked here since the 1990s. Colin, hello.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- Oh, hello, Michael. - I've come in search of sausages.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46I think I've come to the right place, haven't I?
0:07:46 > 0:07:47You certainly have.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- What about the Oxford sausage, do you have that?- We do.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52This is it. It's our best-selling sausage at the moment.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I confess I'd never heard of an Oxford sausage. What do you put in it?
0:07:56 > 0:08:03There's pork, lemon, there's herbs, there's thyme, parsley, breadcrumbs.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I'm following a 19th-century guidebook. Would it have been the same recipe in those days?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11No, it'd be different. In those days, they used to have veal and beef suet as well.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14The veal, to me, sounds as if it would have been very, very tasty.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17What about the beef suet, what would that have done?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Beef suet would've been very greasy. It'd make a very greasy sausage.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23But I think, in those days, they thought it was good for their health.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29Actually, recipes for Oxford sausages date back to the early 18th century.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33But it was in Victorian times that they achieved national recognition.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Evidently the Oxford sausage was popular in the 1860s.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Where did you get the recipe from?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The recipe was handed down to us from another company.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45But Mrs Beeton's - the Victorian Mrs Beeton - Household Management book, the recipe's in there.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Well, that would account for why Bradshaw's mentions it,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52because she's 1860s as well, isn't she?
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Yeah, 1861, the book, yes.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Isabella Beeton's book was a hit with the growing middle classes,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02seeking guidance on how to run a respectable household.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Her recipe gives two ways to serve an Oxford sausage,
0:09:06 > 0:09:07with or without skins.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Apparently, the earliest Oxford sausages resembled our modern hamburgers.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16As far as we understand, this is the type of thing...
0:09:17 > 0:09:23Just press out like that and then they moved on to sausage a bit later in time.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24Very good, yeah.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Well, despite the historic interest, I think I'll go for a sausage today. - All right.
0:09:28 > 0:09:35- These Oxford sausages that have just been cooked today.- Beautiful! - Help yourself.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- Gosh, that's good!- They are nice.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39That is meaty and I can taste the herbs.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43And I can taste lemon, lots of lemon. Absolutely brilliant!
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- That's good.- Thank you. - I'm glad you're enjoying it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Fuelled by my sausage,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I'm now leaving Oxford behind to head into the picturesque Cotswolds.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59The line I'm following was built in the 1850s,
0:09:59 > 0:10:04under the supervision of the famous engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:10:04 > 0:10:11In the 19th century, the construction of railways was scarcely mechanised at all.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16It depended on the thousands of labourers, or navvies, using shovels and hammers.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21Luckily, these fields supply a crop used to produce a refreshing,
0:10:21 > 0:10:26not to say alcoholic, drink, that could be used to
0:10:26 > 0:10:30quench their thirst after a day of toil and sweat.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36In Victorian times, this part of Oxfordshire was
0:10:36 > 0:10:40a major growing area for barley, a principal ingredient in beer.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45To find out how the railways helped beer-making to flourish here,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47I'm getting off at Charlbury station.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Beautiful station. Not the best day to see it.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Just up the road is a splendid Victorian brewery,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02born in the railway age.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05For five generations, it's been run by James Clarke's family.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Michael, welcome to Hook Norton. - Lovely to be here.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15What a fantastically historic and picturesque-looking brewery this is.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21Absolutely. We're very lucky. Very traditional design and unspoilt, really, by time.
0:11:21 > 0:11:2419th-century Britons were beer enthusiasts,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28believing it to be a healthy drink, and it was seen as patriotic
0:11:28 > 0:11:31to choose a British brew over European wine.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35In the 1800s, licensing laws were changed to boost
0:11:35 > 0:11:38beer production, fuelling an explosion of new breweries.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42The company was started back in 1849 by my great-great-grandfather.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Then the first commercial brewing records were back in 1856.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48But brewing developed and he built a small brewery in the 1870s
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and then followed up with this brewery,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54that was complete around the turn of the century.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The industry was quick to adopt the latest technology.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00This brewery embraced steam power to mill malted barley,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04the first stage of the brewing process.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- And the steam engine still works, does it?- It does.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The steam engine was installed in 1889 and originally would have
0:12:10 > 0:12:13been the sole source of motive power that was distributed throughout
0:12:13 > 0:12:16the brewery by a series of line-shafting and open-drive belts.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- Is it possible to see the machine working?- Absolutely. Let's fire her up!
0:12:25 > 0:12:28We disappear in a cloud of water vapour!
0:12:28 > 0:12:30What a fantastic machine!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It has a bit of the look, and certainly the sound,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- of a locomotive on the railway, doesn't it?- Absolutely.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Just Victorian engineering, really well and solidly built,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and, consequently, lasted 110 years plus.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45It makes me feel very at home.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Breweries are traditionally built on many floors so that gravity
0:12:53 > 0:12:57can help to move the beer between different stages of production.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- Up and up and up.- Yes, six flights of stairs to the top of the brewery.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:13:02 > 0:13:04And we've just come up a couple of them.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09This brewery grew rapidly in the late 19th century thanks, in part,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13to a new railway line, built through the nearby Oxfordshire Hills.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Now, I believe that the process of building the railway
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- had a big impact on the brewery. - It had a huge impact, yes.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The section through Hook Norton was quite difficult, engineering-wise,
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and reputed to have taken 400 navvies four years to build two sets of viaducts
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and a long tunnel so, clearly, 400 men working very hard and working up quite a thirst.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36For the navvies who built the railways, life was tough.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41The dark beer that they drank was an important source of nutrition, rich in iron.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46And are you making the those Victorian beers on which the navvies thrived?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50In fact, we have an old bottle here, which shows the original label.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And that's a beer we're still producing today.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- Wow, that is dark, isn't it?- It is.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02It has a small amount of very highly roasted malt in it to give it a real depth of colour and flavour.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04That's as black as night.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Hmm.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Wow.- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17You could build a railway once you've drunk that, couldn't you?
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Yeah, that puts hairs on your chest and muscles on your arms, I should think!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Barrels of beer used to be carried by horse and cart
0:14:24 > 0:14:28to the railway at Hook Norton, a mile down the road.
0:14:28 > 0:14:34Sadly, that branch line has closed but the horse and cart tradition continues.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Hello, what a fabulous dray and what beautiful horses.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42- You wouldn't be going towards the station, would you? - I certainly can do.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Walk on!
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Well, I've often travelled by railway, like George Bradshaw,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51but I've never headed towards the station by horse,
0:14:51 > 0:14:52like George Bradshaw.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59My Victorian transport is carrying me towards my next train.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07This leg of the journey takes me deeper into the heart of
0:15:07 > 0:15:12the famous gently rolling hills called the Cotswolds.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19My next stop got its station in 1853.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24But its history as a halting place for travellers reaches far into the past.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27My journey has brought me across the border from Oxfordshire
0:15:27 > 0:15:31into Gloucestershire, to Moreton-in-Marsh.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And, here, I shall find a place to rest my head.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38My guidebook tells me that Moreton-in-Marsh is a small town
0:15:38 > 0:15:41on the old Fosse Way, a Roman road that stretched all the way
0:15:41 > 0:15:47from Exeter to Lincoln, the perfect spot for a traditional coaching inn.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I love the colour of Cotswolds stone.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53It has an extraordinary warmth.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59And one of the hotels mentioned in my Bradshaw's still stands - the White Hart.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- Good evening, Michael Portillo checking in.- Good evening.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- Nice to meet you.- Very good to see you. What have you...
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- Well, this evening you'll be staying in the King Charles Suite.- Ah!
0:16:10 > 0:16:15- Which King Charles is that? - It was King Charles I, and the suite is actually named after him.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19In fact, he stayed here the night on his way to Marston Moor
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and he left the next morning without paying his bill!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Oh, well, that's fantastically historic.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28As long as you don't expect me to pay his bill!
0:16:28 > 0:16:33- You can if you want to!- Thank you very much.- Thank you.- Good night.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Magnificent!
0:16:38 > 0:16:40This really crowns my day!
0:16:53 > 0:16:57I've woken to a perfect day for exploring the Cotswolds.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Before I catch my next train,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05I want to uncover the story behind a local landmark.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09I've come to Moreton because my Bradshaw's mentions
0:17:09 > 0:17:12"the Saxon tower on Broadway Hill."
0:17:12 > 0:17:16And the author was seeing it from Warwick, 20 miles away,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19so it must be rather special.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Broadway Hill is a stiff climb from Moreton
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and the second highest point in the Cotswolds.
0:17:30 > 0:17:37Intriguingly, my Bradshaw's guide claims that the tower that tops it is visible from Warwick Castle.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41And, as I approach it, I begin to see why.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Well, there's a stunning view.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47A slender castle.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50And whoever built it really knew their site.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52What a fantastic position!
0:17:52 > 0:17:56I mean, the horizon has just opened up all around it.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Neil Thorneywork knows the history of this castellated curiosity.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06- Hello, Neil.- Hello.- Tower looking beautiful in sunlight today.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Yes, it's always nice when the sun's on it. Looks a treat.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Now, my Bradshaw's refers to it as a Saxon tower
0:18:12 > 0:18:14but I'm guessing it's not.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16No, it was finished in 1799.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Saxon refers to the style of architecture used.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- Who built the tower?- It was built by the sixth Earl of Coventry
0:18:23 > 0:18:25as a present for his wife.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Very, very nice present, too.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29A bit unusual compared to today's presents.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- What was she supposed to do with it? - Nothing.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35All she wanted to do was look out of the estate window,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38some ten miles away, and, basically, say, "That's my tower."
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- So this was in the tradition of building follies?- Yes, very much so.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Wealthy Victorians continued to construct quirky buildings
0:18:45 > 0:18:49like this and Britain is claimed to have had more follies
0:18:49 > 0:18:51than anywhere else in the world.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55The definition of folly is a pointless, useless building.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59And they were essentially built by the wealthy,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03in a period from 1750 to about 1910.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08Some people think it was even done to give people employment.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11But, normally, it was just there as a show of wealth.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15And so they were buildings that they could enjoy views of,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17views from, and just to amuse their friends.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Or just simply to amuse their friends and say, "This is my folly."
0:19:20 > 0:19:25These days, the tower is open to the public and, reputedly,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30on a fine day, you can see for over 50 miles from the top.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Yeah, that is stunning, isn't it?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- Some view, isn't it? - Oh, that's fantastic.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36How high are we now?
0:19:36 > 0:19:40We're just about 1080 feet, including the tower.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42And, reputedly, you can see 14 counties from here?
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- Yes, on a perfectly clear atmospheric day.- Which are they?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Buckinghamshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Avon, Dyfed,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Gwent, Powys, Wiltshire and Somerset.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Bravo! That was very, very good.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Now, the author of Bradshaw's guide was standing on
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Guy's Tower at Warwick Castle when he saw this tower.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Do you know where that is?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Yeah, Warwick Castle just over in that direction there.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17OK. And, obviously, we would be able to see it from here on a really clear day.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Yes, I think you'd probably need to field glasses to distinguish it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Although the tower was built as a flight of fancy, in the 19th century
0:20:25 > 0:20:28it helped the development of an important art movement.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32The Pre-Raphaelite artists, the arts and crafts movement,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- all used to come and stay here. - Because?
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Basically, the resident here at that time was a gentleman
0:20:38 > 0:20:42called Crom Price, who was a very good friend of Burne-Jones.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46So he used to invite the Pre-Raphaelites to come here and stay with him.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50And I'm sure William Morris gained some great inspiration from being here.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54He'd certainly be able to see lots of leaves and trees and inspiring things from here.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55That's right.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Visiting here led William Morris to campaign to preserve
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Britain's historic monuments.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I, for one, am very glad that this particular oddity has survived.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Any man watching this programme who's
0:21:08 > 0:21:11stuck for an idea for his wife for Christmas...
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- a folly's the thing! - That's right. Build a tower!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Wins every time!
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I'd love to stay and plan my gift list but it's time for me
0:21:22 > 0:21:24to catch my next train.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30So, I continue down the beautiful Cotswolds line.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Next stop - Pershore.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The scenery I'm passing through is beautiful.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41But it hasn't always been peaceful.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44My train will soon pass under the Cotswolds Ridge,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46through the Campden tunnel.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And this was the scene of an extraordinary piece of railway history.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The tunnel was under the engineering supervision of Brunel.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56He'd employed some navvies to dig it.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00He was dissatisfied with their progress and decided to evict them.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05He did that by marching his own band of 3,000 navvies to throw them out.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11It was the scene of one of the last pitched battles on British soil.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And it was fought over a railway tunnel.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20Brunel's side was victorious and, within a year, the tunnel was complete.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23The finished line linked Oxford and Worcester and, these days,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25it's known as the Cotswolds line.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- Good afternoon, sir. Tickets, please. - Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- This line is so beautiful, isn't it? The Cotswolds line.- Mm.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34We're quite lucky to have it still, aren't we, I think?
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Yes, it's a great pleasure to work on, it really is.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Lots of beautiful stations and scenery.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51My journey now brings me into Worcestershire,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55which my Bradshaw's says is engaged chiefly in agriculture.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57And I'm heading for Pershore.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Bradshaw says, "The situation of the town is very beautiful
0:23:01 > 0:23:03"and the surrounding scenery is picturesque."
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Well, I want to see how agriculture has changed
0:23:07 > 0:23:12and I'm certainly hoping to see something highly picturesque.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16I'm getting off at a station on the edge of the Vale of Evesham,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19a richly fertile area which, in the 19th century,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22was a major centre for market gardening.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Orchards covered the countryside
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and hundreds of tons of fruit were sent to market by rail.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33In the 20th century, as foreign competition grew,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36this trade died off and many farmers struggled to survive.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40But one family farm has recently had a renaissance,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43thanks to this stunning crop.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47This is the most, uh, unexpected sight.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I mean, here we are in the middle of an English countryside
0:23:50 > 0:23:54of normal greens and browns and, suddenly, this riot of colour!
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I mean, it's like, I don't know, someone tipped a pot of
0:23:57 > 0:24:00different coloured paints all over the landscape!
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Fantastic.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I'm a meeting Charles Hudson,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14whose family has farmed this land for over 200 years.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17What an amazing sight. What a riot of colour, this is.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It is a bit of a surprise, isn't it, when you walk down a
0:24:20 > 0:24:23green country lane and turn the corner and suddenly see this.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It's very unlikely!
0:24:27 > 0:24:32This sensational array of delphiniums isn't just for decoration
0:24:32 > 0:24:34and nor are they sold as cut flowers.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40In fact, this farm grows a vital ingredient for a traditional English wedding.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43We pick the petals.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48We dry them and then they can be thrown as confetti.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Well, that's a wonderful idea.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Whenever I've been to a church, I've seen paper confetti.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I mean, this is obviously a much lovelier idea.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And does it work as a business?
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Do you know? We farm over 1,000 acres here
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and this field is about 15 acres.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And this makes up 50 percent of our turnover.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- Really?- So it's been a real saviour of everything.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It's got us through some really difficult times.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Newlyweds have been showered with everything from rice to
0:25:15 > 0:25:16sweets for centuries.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19The origins of modern confetti are unclear.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21But, by Victorian times,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24the kind of paper missiles that we launch today were common.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27I suppose, you know, environmentally,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29if you're chucking around an organic product,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33that that's a much nicer thing to do than chucking around paper.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Certainly, yes. Paper and this sort of pernicious new product,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42which is foil confetti, which, you know, everybody really hates
0:25:42 > 0:25:44because it just never goes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47So, yes, petals are just like the grass and the leaves.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You know, they're organic and they just disappear.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Confetti is the latest in a long line of crops grown here by Charles' family.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Over the years, they've witnessed many changes,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00including the arrival of the railway.
0:26:00 > 0:26:06We stopped the railways coming through our farm a couple of hundred years ago.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Why did your family do that, do you think?
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Originally, 300 years ago the turnpike road went through and
0:26:12 > 0:26:15cut things in half and then, I think, then the railways,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17it was the sort of giddy limit.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21So I think they campaigned, really,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24to try and push it the other side of the river,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26which is ultimately what happened,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30which is why Pershore station is now about a mile and a half out of...
0:26:30 > 0:26:34out of town, which I think everybody always curses the walk that they
0:26:34 > 0:26:36have to make into town!
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Before I make the trek back to the station,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I want to see Charles' finished product.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43So this is what it looks like.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I mean, there's the sort of bags that they...
0:26:46 > 0:26:48You would hardly know that they weren't...
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- It's got a nice sort of hay smell to it, hasn't it?- Lovely smell.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- That's a stunning blue in there, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's really a very far cry from paper confetti, isn't it?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00It's wonderfully natural.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04- Yeah.- And light. Well, thank you, Charles.- Not at all.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I must head off to the railway station which,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08thanks to your ancestors, is quite a long way away!
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- I'm afraid it is!- Bye. - Sorry about that. Ha ha!
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Pershore's confetti fields have certainly made their mark on
0:27:16 > 0:27:20the landscape and they're ringing the changes at weddings, too.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26The Industrial Revolution brought factories
0:27:26 > 0:27:30and dark satanic mills to much of Britain.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But, when I looked down on the colleges of Oxford,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and on the countryside around Broadway, and walked through
0:27:37 > 0:27:40the flowers at Pershore, I was reminded that,
0:27:40 > 0:27:46whilst the railways affected everywhere, many places were left unspoiled.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49This is still a land of green pastures.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53On the next step of my journey,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57I'll be visiting the home of Queen Victoria's favourite Bishop.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01She commented that Bishop Perowne had the best legs in tights of
0:28:01 > 0:28:03any man on the Episcopal bench.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Sniffing out the secrets of a famous 19th-century condiment.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Hm, that's a glorious smell, but a very concentrated smell, isn't it?
0:28:11 > 0:28:16And following in the footsteps of Victorian health fanatics.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18There would be wet towels wrapped around you and
0:28:18 > 0:28:21water poured upon you from a ghastly height.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- So, actually pretty bracing stuff. - Bracing, indeed.
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0:28:38 > 0:28:41E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk