Hartlebury to Great Malvern

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0:00:05 > 0:00:10'In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain.

0:00:10 > 0:00:12'His name was George Bradshaw.

0:00:12 > 0:00:17'And his railways guides inspired Victorians to take to the tracks.'

0:00:18 > 0:00:21'Stop by stop, he told them where to travel,

0:00:21 > 0:00:24'What to see and where to stay.

0:00:25 > 0:00:28'Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys

0:00:28 > 0:00:31'across the length and breadth of the country

0:00:31 > 0:00:34'to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.'

0:00:55 > 0:00:58Continuing my journey, my Bradshaw's is guiding me

0:00:58 > 0:01:01through the beautiful county of Worcestershire.

0:01:01 > 0:01:04From these lands, some harvested crops,

0:01:04 > 0:01:07others divined water

0:01:07 > 0:01:11and one in particular drew divine inspiration.

0:01:12 > 0:01:14'On this stretch,

0:01:14 > 0:01:18'I'll be visiting the home of Queen Victoria's favourite bishop.'

0:01:18 > 0:01:21She commented that Bishop Perowne

0:01:21 > 0:01:23had the best legs in tights

0:01:23 > 0:01:24of any man on the Episcopal bench.

0:01:24 > 0:01:29'Sniffing out the secrets of a famous 19th century condiment.'

0:01:29 > 0:01:31That's a glorious, very concentrated smell.

0:01:31 > 0:01:36'And following in the footsteps of Victorian health fanatics.'

0:01:36 > 0:01:38There would be wet towels wrapped around you

0:01:38 > 0:01:40and water poured upon you from a ghastly height.

0:01:40 > 0:01:44- So, pretty bracing stuff. - Bracing indeed.

0:01:45 > 0:01:49'I'm travelling from central England to the west coast of Wales.

0:01:49 > 0:01:52'So far, I've explored the stunning Cotswolds.

0:01:52 > 0:01:55'Now I'm continuing west, through Worcestershire.

0:01:55 > 0:01:59'Then I'll cross the border to hunt out South Wales' industrial legacy,

0:01:59 > 0:02:01'finishing up at Milford Haven.

0:02:03 > 0:02:06'This leg covers 25 miles.

0:02:06 > 0:02:08'From Hartlebury via Worcester

0:02:08 > 0:02:11'and on to the beautiful Malvern Hills.'

0:02:19 > 0:02:22My Bradshaw's is leading me to Hartlebury Castle.

0:02:22 > 0:02:26"For many centuries, the residence of the bishops of Worcester.

0:02:26 > 0:02:28"The library of Bishop Hurd,

0:02:28 > 0:02:32"together with some of Pope and Warburton's books

0:02:32 > 0:02:33"are at the castle."

0:02:33 > 0:02:36Clearly, these bishops were a force in the land.

0:02:36 > 0:02:38'The pages of my guidebook are peppered

0:02:38 > 0:02:41'with references to the residencies of Britain's elite.

0:02:41 > 0:02:45'Just as today's tourists flock to Britain's stately homes,

0:02:45 > 0:02:48'Victorian railway travellers could arrange a private tour

0:02:48 > 0:02:53'of an outstanding country pile by writing to the housekeeper.

0:02:53 > 0:02:57'In the 19th century, bishops were at the top of the social tree.

0:02:57 > 0:03:00'And their palaces could rival the grandest ancestral seats.

0:03:02 > 0:03:06'The bishop of Worcester's home was no exception.'

0:03:10 > 0:03:14The first time I've ever seen Hartlebury Castle.

0:03:14 > 0:03:15Huge, magnificent, imposing.

0:03:15 > 0:03:18But not particularly like a castle.

0:03:19 > 0:03:22'My tour will be led by Alison Brimlow,

0:03:22 > 0:03:25'who chairs the castle's preservation trust.'

0:03:25 > 0:03:27Welcome to Hartlebury.

0:03:27 > 0:03:30It's awe-inspiring. I've been brought here by my Bradshaw's,

0:03:30 > 0:03:34which says that it's the residence of the bishops of Worcester. Is that the case?

0:03:34 > 0:03:35Unfortunately, no.

0:03:35 > 0:03:40In 2007, the Bishop was moved to Worcester because this is too big and too expensive.

0:03:40 > 0:03:43It has been home to bishops of Worcester for more than 1,000 years.

0:03:43 > 0:03:45And the house tells their story.

0:03:45 > 0:03:49'The first building on this site was a motive castle,

0:03:49 > 0:03:53'built as a fortress for the bishop in the 13th century.

0:03:53 > 0:03:57'It was rebuilt in the 1700s as this lavish private home.

0:03:57 > 0:04:02'Exploring it today, I can see why readers of my guidebook were interested in its rich history.'

0:04:02 > 0:04:06This is the medieval Great Hall of the castle.

0:04:06 > 0:04:10Amended in the light of 18th century taste.

0:04:10 > 0:04:13But very much the heart of the castle from the Middle Ages onwards.

0:04:13 > 0:04:15So the oldest part that you can see.

0:04:15 > 0:04:17'The portraits that line the Great Hall

0:04:17 > 0:04:22'testify to the might and celebrity that the bishops once enjoyed.'

0:04:22 > 0:04:26And what sort of temporal or political power did bishops have?

0:04:26 > 0:04:28It developed over the years.

0:04:28 > 0:04:30In the middle ages and pre-middle ages,

0:04:30 > 0:04:33they were part of the political power structure of the country.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36They mattered to the king and the warlords.

0:04:36 > 0:04:38They had money, they had access to people.

0:04:38 > 0:04:41We were very close to frontier territory with Wales -

0:04:41 > 0:04:44the Severn and, beyond that, the risk of clashes with the Welsh.

0:04:44 > 0:04:46So this place really mattered

0:04:46 > 0:04:49to political stability in this part of England.

0:04:49 > 0:04:54'By Victorian times, the bishops no longer raised armies,

0:04:54 > 0:04:58'but still played a role in politics, as is the case today.

0:04:58 > 0:05:03'Senior bishops sat in the House of Lords and many of them were prominent public figures.'

0:05:03 > 0:05:05Do you have any eminent Victorians?

0:05:05 > 0:05:07We have a number of eminent Victorians,

0:05:07 > 0:05:10but I have to say, my favourite is Bishop Perowne.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13Because of what Queen Victoria said about him.

0:05:13 > 0:05:15He was bishop at the end of the 19th century,

0:05:15 > 0:05:17so Victoria was not a young woman.

0:05:17 > 0:05:19And she commented that Bishop Perowne

0:05:19 > 0:05:23had the best legs in tights of any man on the Episcopal bench.

0:05:23 > 0:05:27It's good to know that the royal eye was still all-seeing.

0:05:28 > 0:05:30'Touring this palatial home,

0:05:30 > 0:05:34'I can see why my Victorian guidebook thought it worthy of note.

0:05:34 > 0:05:37'One room given special mention is the library.

0:05:37 > 0:05:41'So before I leave, I would love to see it.'

0:05:41 > 0:05:47This is the library that Bishop Hurd commissioned in 1781

0:05:47 > 0:05:48when he came here as bishop.

0:05:48 > 0:05:51He already had this wonderful collection of books

0:05:51 > 0:05:54and he found there wasn't a library to put them in.

0:05:54 > 0:05:57So he set about rectifying that omission

0:05:57 > 0:06:00and commissioned an architect in Shifnal, up the road,

0:06:00 > 0:06:03to build him a library at the back of house.

0:06:03 > 0:06:05I just absolutely love it.

0:06:05 > 0:06:08I think it's the most beautiful room I've seen for a long time.

0:06:08 > 0:06:10It's exquisite, isn't it?

0:06:10 > 0:06:13'Apparently, Queen Victoria's grandfather

0:06:13 > 0:06:15'enjoyed a meal in this very room.'

0:06:15 > 0:06:18Bishop Hurd was a great friend of King George III

0:06:18 > 0:06:20and his wife, Queen Charlotte.

0:06:20 > 0:06:23And in 1788, he came to visit Hurd here,

0:06:23 > 0:06:28visited the castle and had breakfast in this bay window.

0:06:28 > 0:06:30- So, George III breakfasted here? - Yes. And his nephew

0:06:30 > 0:06:35has left us a wonderful manuscript record of what happened.

0:06:35 > 0:06:39If you look at this page here, you can see what they had for breakfast.

0:06:39 > 0:06:42Tea, coffee, chocolate - pretty ordinary.

0:06:42 > 0:06:43Fruit, which is nice and healthy,

0:06:43 > 0:06:46and jellies, which is children's afternoon tea, to me.

0:06:48 > 0:06:53'This castle stands as a reminder of the bishops' historic power.

0:06:53 > 0:06:57'Even in the railway age, they tried to assert their influence.'

0:06:57 > 0:07:02During the 19th century, one of the bishops of Worcester, Bishop Philpott,

0:07:02 > 0:07:07complained the station had been placed too far from Hartlebury Castle.

0:07:07 > 0:07:12And that there was no conveyance to be had anywhere nearer than Kidderminster.

0:07:12 > 0:07:16'He also moaned there was no waiting room, which seems to be the case today, as well.

0:07:16 > 0:07:21'Luckily, in fine weather, I don't miss it.

0:07:21 > 0:07:25'My journey continues south, towards this county's superb cathedral city.

0:07:32 > 0:07:35I'm headed for Worcester.

0:07:35 > 0:07:40My Bradshaw's says that it's known for china and boots and shoes.

0:07:40 > 0:07:43I don't think of Worcester boots and shoes,

0:07:43 > 0:07:46but the city's name is still inextricably linked

0:07:46 > 0:07:50with the world-famous Victorian concoction.

0:07:53 > 0:07:56'I'm getting off at Worcester's Shrub Hill Station.

0:07:56 > 0:07:58'It opened in 1850

0:07:58 > 0:08:02'and the current Georgian-style building dates from 1865.

0:08:02 > 0:08:06'Soon after the railway arrived, it helped a small, local company

0:08:06 > 0:08:10'to become one of Britain's best-known brands.

0:08:10 > 0:08:14'I've come to the Victorian factory to meet manager, Nigel Dickie.

0:08:14 > 0:08:19I've entered a fragrant, pungent, aromatic world here.

0:08:19 > 0:08:20It's wonderful, isn't it?

0:08:20 > 0:08:24This factory was opened in 1897.

0:08:24 > 0:08:28It was a purpose-built factory.

0:08:28 > 0:08:30I noticed Shrub Hill Station is close by.

0:08:30 > 0:08:33Were railways important in the history of Worcestershire Sauce?

0:08:33 > 0:08:37Absolutely critical. Mr Lea and Mr Perrins needed bigger premises.

0:08:37 > 0:08:41And the fact that this land was purchased from the railways

0:08:41 > 0:08:46and then, using the Shrub Hill Station and the goods yard there,

0:08:46 > 0:08:50ingredients were being brought in, product was being sent out

0:08:50 > 0:08:53that would end up in 200 countries around the world.

0:08:53 > 0:08:59'Worcestershire Sauce was born in the age of Victorian imperialism.

0:08:59 > 0:09:04'As the empire expanded, people developed more exotic tastes.

0:09:04 > 0:09:05'One such adventurous gourmet

0:09:05 > 0:09:10'is said to be behind the recipe for this famous sauce.'

0:09:10 > 0:09:14The story goes that Lord Sandys, a nobleman of this area

0:09:14 > 0:09:18who had reputably held a variety of offices,

0:09:18 > 0:09:20including the Governor of Bengal,

0:09:20 > 0:09:23came back from his travels with this recipe

0:09:23 > 0:09:27and he went to two Victorian chemists

0:09:27 > 0:09:31in Broad Street in Worcester and asked them to make up the recipe.

0:09:31 > 0:09:36They did, with a variety of international ingredients.

0:09:36 > 0:09:39But when they tasted it, it was quite horrible.

0:09:39 > 0:09:41It was harsh, it was unpleasant.

0:09:41 > 0:09:44So they put it down in the basement, in the cellar,

0:09:44 > 0:09:46left it there for a year or so.

0:09:46 > 0:09:50And when they were clearing out, they came across it again,

0:09:50 > 0:09:57tasted it and found it had matured into this wonderful sauce.

0:09:58 > 0:10:00'Amazingly, this curious blend of ingredients,

0:10:00 > 0:10:03'including anchovies, garlic and tamarind,

0:10:03 > 0:10:05'took off with the British public.

0:10:05 > 0:10:07'Exports began in the 1840s

0:10:07 > 0:10:11'and it was soon in international demand.'

0:10:11 > 0:10:12Why is it so popular?

0:10:12 > 0:10:17Something that makes a tomato juice that little bit special.

0:10:17 > 0:10:21Tomato juice, my foot. It makes a Bloody Mary taste very good.

0:10:21 > 0:10:25- That's true.- The exact recipe is a closely-guarded secret.

0:10:25 > 0:10:30And the technique of maturing the ingredients remains crucial.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33This is where the process all comes together.

0:10:33 > 0:10:36The smell in here is getting to the back of my throat.

0:10:36 > 0:10:38Well, that's the malt vinegar.

0:10:38 > 0:10:40That's what these ingredients

0:10:40 > 0:10:43have been quietly and gently maturing in.

0:10:43 > 0:10:48So if we look here, Michael, we've got, er...red-skin onions

0:10:48 > 0:10:52and, er...let's have a look here.

0:10:52 > 0:10:56Ooh! That does hit you!

0:10:56 > 0:11:00Actually, that's, that's a glorious smell but a very concentrated smell.

0:11:00 > 0:11:03We've got the French garlic.

0:11:06 > 0:11:08It's huge, isn't it? That is huge!

0:11:08 > 0:11:11- It's very good. - Let me have a go at the anchovies.

0:11:11 > 0:11:14These will be the Big Daddy of smell, I imagine.

0:11:14 > 0:11:16Well, try that for size.

0:11:18 > 0:11:21These anchovies are soaked in salt.

0:11:21 > 0:11:23- Not too bad at all, actually.- No.

0:11:23 > 0:11:27They're an essential part of the ingredients.

0:11:27 > 0:11:30I mean, fishy, of course, but, no not bad at all.

0:11:30 > 0:11:35'In Victorian times, the ingredients were aged in wooden barrels.

0:11:35 > 0:11:37'Nowadays, they're plastic.

0:11:37 > 0:11:40'But in most other ways, the process is unchanged.'

0:11:41 > 0:11:43Do not attempt this at home.

0:11:47 > 0:11:51I never realised how much there was to know about Worcestershire Sauce.

0:11:51 > 0:11:55But it's the genius of the Victorian imperialists, isn't it?

0:11:55 > 0:11:59You'd go to the empire, get a recipe and make it fundamentally British.

0:11:59 > 0:12:00Absolutely.

0:12:05 > 0:12:09'I'm leaving the factory to explore the city centre.

0:12:09 > 0:12:12'Worcester got its railway late, in the 1850s,

0:12:12 > 0:12:16'after a long campaign by residents.

0:12:16 > 0:12:21'The city had always thrived, thanks to its strategic position on the River Severn.

0:12:21 > 0:12:23'But the Industrial Revolution

0:12:23 > 0:12:27'saw other nearby towns develop while Worcester was left behind.

0:12:27 > 0:12:31'It was hoped that a rail link would boost local industries,

0:12:31 > 0:12:35'including one that gets a special mention in my guidebook.'

0:12:35 > 0:12:40Bradshaw's says one distinct branch of manufacturer is glove-making

0:12:40 > 0:12:44to the amount of 500,000 pairs of leather and kid-gloves annually,

0:12:44 > 0:12:48employing 1,000-2,000 persons.

0:12:48 > 0:12:51And luckily for me, the hotel where I'm staying tonight

0:12:51 > 0:12:54is a converted glove factory.

0:12:54 > 0:12:58'Gloves had been made here since the Middle Ages.

0:12:58 > 0:13:02'And in the 1700s, 30,000 people were employed in the trade.

0:13:02 > 0:13:05'When the railway arrived, the industry experienced a sharp decline

0:13:05 > 0:13:07'due to a flood of foreign imports.

0:13:07 > 0:13:09'But some firms survived

0:13:09 > 0:13:13'by embracing the latest manufacturing techniques.

0:13:13 > 0:13:16'I've come to a factory built in Victorian times

0:13:16 > 0:13:19to meet historian Philippa Tinsley.'

0:13:19 > 0:13:23So this was once the Fownes Glove Factory.

0:13:23 > 0:13:24Yes. Absolutely.

0:13:24 > 0:13:26So we opened here in 1887

0:13:26 > 0:13:30and at one point had 1,000 people working in the building.

0:13:30 > 0:13:32We've got some pictures here

0:13:32 > 0:13:35of the seamstresses working in the sewing rooms.

0:13:35 > 0:13:38They're absolutely packed in. Are they using sewing machines?

0:13:38 > 0:13:42Yes. It became very mechanised at the beginning of the 19th century.

0:13:42 > 0:13:44And Fownes was one of the great factories here

0:13:44 > 0:13:47that really made a success

0:13:47 > 0:13:50of being an industrial process of making gloves.

0:13:50 > 0:13:53Why did Victorians wear gloves so much more than we do?

0:13:53 > 0:13:55I think a lot of it was to do with that sense of hygiene.

0:13:55 > 0:13:58Of course, there was a lot of more horrible things around

0:13:58 > 0:13:59that we're used to now.

0:13:59 > 0:14:03But it was an enormous fashion thing, as well.

0:14:03 > 0:14:05I've got a pair here that you can see

0:14:05 > 0:14:09were made about the same period that Fownes was opened in the 1880s.

0:14:09 > 0:14:12And you can see just the exquisite workmanship and lace

0:14:12 > 0:14:15and the beautiful buttons that have gone into creating these.

0:14:15 > 0:14:19They loved beautiful things. There's such exquisite detail on that.

0:14:19 > 0:14:22'19th century etiquette could require ladies

0:14:22 > 0:14:24'to be gloved at all times.

0:14:24 > 0:14:27'But by the late 20th century, things had changed.

0:14:27 > 0:14:30'And Worcester's glove trade came to an end.

0:14:30 > 0:14:33'This factory closed in 1974.

0:14:33 > 0:14:36'And now it's going to give me my bed for the night.'

0:14:43 > 0:14:48It looks like a fine day and I'm in the mood for some music.

0:14:52 > 0:14:54'On this leg of my trip,

0:14:54 > 0:14:59'I'm continuing south west along a section of line built in 1859.'

0:15:00 > 0:15:03Of course, the railways moved around goods and people.

0:15:03 > 0:15:08But they also spread ideas and culture.

0:15:08 > 0:15:10I'm on my way to the Malvern Hills,

0:15:10 > 0:15:13which were, for much of his life,

0:15:13 > 0:15:17home to a composer whose music I've known since childhood.

0:15:17 > 0:15:20Sir Edward Elgar.

0:15:20 > 0:15:22INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

0:15:25 > 0:15:26'In the late 1800s,

0:15:26 > 0:15:32'the railways helped Elgar to transform Victorian English music.

0:15:37 > 0:15:42'I'm alighting at Great Malvern's stunning station to find out how.'

0:15:44 > 0:15:49Great Malvern station is absolutely magnificent.

0:15:49 > 0:15:54I love these columns decorated with foliage and palms.

0:15:54 > 0:15:57And the buildings are exquisite.

0:15:57 > 0:16:01The reason for this is that a great landowner here was a Lady Foley.

0:16:01 > 0:16:04And even though this is a provincial place,

0:16:04 > 0:16:08she insisted that it have a station that is really grand.

0:16:11 > 0:16:13'The station opened in 1860,

0:16:13 > 0:16:18'when Elgar lived in hope, but was yet to achieve glory.

0:16:20 > 0:16:23'I'm meeting historian Chris Bennett to hear the story.'

0:16:23 > 0:16:24- Morning.- Morning.

0:16:24 > 0:16:28It seems as though we meet really in an Elgarian setting, don't we?

0:16:28 > 0:16:30The most perfect railway station.

0:16:30 > 0:16:34It's a beautiful Victorian Great Malvern station. It's lovely.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37Pretty much as Elgar himself would have remembered it.

0:16:37 > 0:16:39Now, Elgar was born quite early in Victoria's reign.

0:16:39 > 0:16:42How important a figure did he become in Britain's music scene?

0:16:42 > 0:16:45Well, he became very important.

0:16:45 > 0:16:47In Victorian times, mid 19th century,

0:16:47 > 0:16:50England was known as the land without music.

0:16:50 > 0:16:53We'd had all these great German and Austrian composers,

0:16:53 > 0:16:56but in England, there'd been no-one since Purcell in the 1700s

0:16:56 > 0:16:59who could rank alongside those great European composers.

0:16:59 > 0:17:02And Elgar really did lift English music,

0:17:02 > 0:17:05British music back up to compare with the great Europeans.

0:17:05 > 0:17:08'Elgar was born in Worcester

0:17:08 > 0:17:11'and lived most of his life within sight of the Malvern Hills.

0:17:11 > 0:17:15'After a brief attempt at living in London, he fled back in 1891.

0:17:15 > 0:17:19'But travelling via railway kept him in touch with music in the capital.'

0:17:19 > 0:17:23He was the sort of person who had to have new musical experiences.

0:17:23 > 0:17:26Whereas there's lots of music in Worcester and Malvern and Hereford,

0:17:26 > 0:17:30I would think it might have been rather conservative programming.

0:17:30 > 0:17:32Elgar was convinced he had to go to London

0:17:32 > 0:17:34to hear the best of new music.

0:17:34 > 0:17:36Which for him meant the Crystal Palace concerts,

0:17:36 > 0:17:39and that meant a long journey on the train.

0:17:39 > 0:17:41But it was possible. He got up at 6:00am.

0:17:41 > 0:17:43Walked to the station, train at 7:00am.

0:17:43 > 0:17:45Got to London at about 11:00am.

0:17:45 > 0:17:48Then on the Underground to Victoria, onto the Crystal Palace.

0:17:48 > 0:17:52If he was fortunate, he heard a bit of the rehearsal in the afternoon.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54Then the concert at teatime,

0:17:54 > 0:17:58over in time to get the last train back from Paddington to Worcester.

0:17:58 > 0:18:00Home perhaps 11:00pm.

0:18:01 > 0:18:03'The railway revolution

0:18:03 > 0:18:06'allowed Elgar to have the best of both worlds.

0:18:06 > 0:18:09'Experiencing avant-garde music in London

0:18:09 > 0:18:11'whilst living among the scenery

0:18:11 > 0:18:14'that inspired some of his greatest work.'

0:18:15 > 0:18:17It's beautiful country.

0:18:17 > 0:18:20What do we know about how Elgar experienced it?

0:18:20 > 0:18:23Elgar loved the countryside. He got so much inspiration from it.

0:18:23 > 0:18:26We know this from his diaries, letters and notebooks.

0:18:26 > 0:18:28And he was one of these people

0:18:28 > 0:18:31who go on very lengthy walks, bike rides.

0:18:31 > 0:18:33Always took his notebooks with him.

0:18:33 > 0:18:37And as musical ideas came to him, he would jot them down.

0:18:37 > 0:18:41So this area in and around the Malvern Hills meant so much to him.

0:18:42 > 0:18:45'Success came to Elgar late in life.

0:18:45 > 0:18:49'But in the 1890s, his reputation was established.

0:18:49 > 0:18:51'In 1901, the year of Queen Victoria's death,

0:18:51 > 0:18:54'he set words to his Pomp and Circumstance March

0:18:54 > 0:18:58'for the coronation of Edward VII.

0:18:58 > 0:19:01'It has since become an unofficial English anthem.'

0:19:02 > 0:19:05In his music, he captured the countryside,

0:19:05 > 0:19:08especially the beautiful countryside around here in Malvern.

0:19:08 > 0:19:10And his ceremonial music

0:19:10 > 0:19:12perfectly caught the atmosphere

0:19:12 > 0:19:15of the great state occasions in London.

0:19:15 > 0:19:18Why it is English, I don't know, but English it certainly is.

0:19:18 > 0:19:20And the English absolutely love it.

0:19:27 > 0:19:30'It's nearly time for me to catch my next train.

0:19:30 > 0:19:33'But first, I've heard there's a curious sight

0:19:33 > 0:19:35'in the sidings at Malvern Station.'

0:19:35 > 0:19:37Hello?

0:19:37 > 0:19:39Hello. I'm sorry to trouble you.

0:19:39 > 0:19:40- Hello.- Good to see you.

0:19:40 > 0:19:43- Are you living in this thing? - Not at the moment, no.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45I'm in the midst of its restoration.

0:19:45 > 0:19:49I've spent a couple of years restoring the outside

0:19:49 > 0:19:51and now I plan to restore the inside in order to live in,

0:19:51 > 0:19:54subject to planning permission.

0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Did you find it here at Malvern Station?- No, no, no.

0:19:57 > 0:19:59I bought it from the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway

0:19:59 > 0:20:02and I've restored the outside there

0:20:02 > 0:20:05and then brought it here and put the rails down,

0:20:05 > 0:20:08built the platform and put the fence up.

0:20:08 > 0:20:12- Why would you want to live in a railway carriage?- Why not?

0:20:12 > 0:20:16- Would you mind if I come aboard?- No. Come and have a look.- Thank you.

0:20:20 > 0:20:24It's beautifully nostalgic of an old corridor train.

0:20:24 > 0:20:26What are you going to do with the carriage?

0:20:26 > 0:20:30Well, I've got a plan here that shows what I plan to do.

0:20:30 > 0:20:34Originally, being a first-class carriage, it has seven compartments.

0:20:34 > 0:20:38That one's the original compartment, which we'll retain as it is.

0:20:38 > 0:20:43These two then will be one bedroom, dressing room knocked into one.

0:20:43 > 0:20:46This one here is a study with views up to the hills.

0:20:46 > 0:20:48- The view is fantastic. - And then the rest

0:20:48 > 0:20:51an open-plan area with living, dining and kitchen.

0:20:51 > 0:20:53How long do you imagine that will take you?

0:20:53 > 0:20:56I thought this would take 6-12 months and it's taken two years.

0:20:56 > 0:21:00So it's very much just keep plodding along with it,

0:21:00 > 0:21:02eventually, it'll be done.

0:21:02 > 0:21:05I think it's fortunate that you are so young.

0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Otherwise, you might never see the fruits of this.- This is very true.

0:21:08 > 0:21:12'Living in a railway carriage isn't everyone's idea of luxury,

0:21:12 > 0:21:13'but in Bradshaw's day,

0:21:13 > 0:21:16'it would not have been considered a suitable address.'

0:21:16 > 0:21:19Before I leave Great Malvern Station,

0:21:19 > 0:21:22there's a tunnel I want to see, known as The Worm.

0:21:22 > 0:21:25Which was originally established...

0:21:25 > 0:21:30for the convenience of first-class passengers and their luggage.

0:21:30 > 0:21:36And such class divisions were quite typical in Victorian times.

0:21:38 > 0:21:40And then it curves around to the right

0:21:40 > 0:21:43and I think it now ends in a dead-end.

0:21:43 > 0:21:47'This tunnel used to link directly with the old Imperial Hotel.

0:21:47 > 0:21:52'A smart establishment that gets a gushing review in my guidebook.

0:21:52 > 0:21:54'But now the hotel has been converted into a school

0:21:54 > 0:21:56'and first-class passengers

0:21:56 > 0:21:59'must encounter the hoi-polloi as they exit the station.

0:22:04 > 0:22:07'My last stop for today is just a hop and a skip up the line

0:22:07 > 0:22:10'on the outskirts of the town.

0:22:10 > 0:22:12'I'm on the trail of a natural resource

0:22:12 > 0:22:16'that helped Malvern to thrive in Victorian times.'

0:22:16 > 0:22:19Bradshaw's describes the Malvern Hills as,

0:22:19 > 0:22:22"A healthy, fashionable and agreeable watering place.

0:22:22 > 0:22:26"Limestone and sandstone with syenite, granite, etcetera,

0:22:26 > 0:22:29"are the chief ingredients in this range,

0:22:29 > 0:22:31"which is green to the summit."

0:22:31 > 0:22:34I must say, I've always associated the Malvern Hills

0:22:34 > 0:22:37with the healthiest and purest water.

0:22:41 > 0:22:44'To see where this famous water comes from,

0:22:44 > 0:22:48'I'm leaving the train at Colwall, outside Great Malvern.

0:22:48 > 0:22:51'Up the road is a public fountain,

0:22:51 > 0:22:53'where, since Victorian times,

0:22:53 > 0:22:57'passing travellers have had the right to stop and take refreshment.

0:22:57 > 0:22:59'I want to sustain that tradition.'

0:22:59 > 0:23:02- Hello. Are you sampling the water? - Yes.

0:23:06 > 0:23:10That's absolutely wonderful! What could be better?

0:23:11 > 0:23:15I agree with you. But this water is obviously famous to you.

0:23:15 > 0:23:18- You knew what to expect.- I did.

0:23:18 > 0:23:21I came to buy some. Unfortunately, they don't sell it here.

0:23:21 > 0:23:25So I've got to go to a local supermarket and buy it.

0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Or pop down the hill and come back with a plastic bottle or two.- True.

0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Cheers.- Cheers.

0:23:30 > 0:23:32- Mm!- Even better than beer.

0:23:32 > 0:23:35THEY LAUGH

0:23:35 > 0:23:39'These days, we're more likely to swig our spring water from a bottle.

0:23:39 > 0:23:42'A trend that can be traced back to Victorian times

0:23:42 > 0:23:47'when the railways helped to spread the taste for Malvern water.

0:23:47 > 0:23:51'This public fountain is in fact part of a Victorian bottling plant

0:23:51 > 0:23:53'thought to be the oldest in the world.

0:23:53 > 0:23:57'It's still operating today and is run by Rhys Humm.'

0:23:59 > 0:24:04I get the impression of a highly automated process, but rather small.

0:24:04 > 0:24:06This looks like a very exclusive water.

0:24:06 > 0:24:07It really is indeed, yes.

0:24:07 > 0:24:10We only do 1,200 bottles a day, which sounds a lot,

0:24:10 > 0:24:12but by industry standards, it's miniscule.

0:24:12 > 0:24:15'When this factory opened in 1850,

0:24:15 > 0:24:18'it was said to have been Britain's first mineral water business.

0:24:18 > 0:24:23'And it soon became famous thanks to a brilliant marketing ploy.'

0:24:23 > 0:24:24In 1851, the water from this plant

0:24:24 > 0:24:27was taken to the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace.

0:24:27 > 0:24:30The Victorians decided it would be a fabulous idea

0:24:30 > 0:24:33to display it in a magnificent 10-tonne fountain

0:24:33 > 0:24:34for all people to try.

0:24:34 > 0:24:38This is where Queen Victoria first came across Malvern water.

0:24:38 > 0:24:40'The local industry got a further boost

0:24:40 > 0:24:42'after the railway reached Colwall in 1861.'

0:24:42 > 0:24:44Now, back in the 19th century,

0:24:44 > 0:24:48- would the water have been sent around the country by train?- Yes.

0:24:48 > 0:24:53One of the bottling plants in Malvern was put near the railway station for that reason,

0:24:53 > 0:24:56so the water could be shipped out across to London,

0:24:56 > 0:24:58in particular, on the train links.

0:24:58 > 0:25:02'As the railways transported water out of Malvern,

0:25:02 > 0:25:04'they also began to bring in health tourists

0:25:04 > 0:25:06'to experience its healing powers.

0:25:06 > 0:25:11'The water cure was a craze that swept Victorian society.

0:25:11 > 0:25:15'Well-to-do visitors flocked to spa towns to down litres of water

0:25:15 > 0:25:18'and endure a regime of cold baths and bracing walks.

0:25:18 > 0:25:23'Rhys has led me to the source of one of Malvern's 70 springs.'

0:25:23 > 0:25:27This is the primary source of the Holywell Spring in the Malvern Hills.

0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Pouring out down here.- Indeed, yes.

0:25:29 > 0:25:33Now, my Bradshaw's refers to the Saint Ann's and Holywell springs.

0:25:33 > 0:25:35- So this is Holywell. - Indeed.

0:25:35 > 0:25:36And he says,

0:25:36 > 0:25:39"Water much resorted to, and useful,

0:25:39 > 0:25:43"especially in glandular and skin complaints.

0:25:43 > 0:25:47"The pump rooms were built attached to each of the wells."

0:25:47 > 0:25:49So, why is the water good for people?

0:25:49 > 0:25:52We're stood upon thousands of tonnes of Precambrian granite,

0:25:52 > 0:25:55which is the oldest and densest rock in the country.

0:25:55 > 0:25:57It does not contribute a mineral to the water,

0:25:57 > 0:25:59as is the case with most mineral waters.

0:25:59 > 0:26:01It actually cleanses and purifies the water.

0:26:01 > 0:26:05So as such, the water itself is famed for containing nothing at all.

0:26:05 > 0:26:09'Thanks to this pure water, Malvern was made for hydrotherapy,

0:26:09 > 0:26:13'which Bradshaw's says is, "Carried out with much success

0:26:13 > 0:26:16"at the establishments of doctors Gully and Wilson".'

0:26:16 > 0:26:20Bradshaw refers to two doctors called Wilson and Gully

0:26:20 > 0:26:23who apparently were involved in hydrotherapy.

0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Have you any idea what they were up to?- Indeed, yes.

0:26:26 > 0:26:28Malvern's famous water cure.

0:26:28 > 0:26:30That ran here for a good 40-50 years.

0:26:30 > 0:26:33Victorian gentry would come here and partake of the water cure.

0:26:33 > 0:26:36- Drinking it or bathing in it or what?- All sorts.

0:26:36 > 0:26:38There would be a lot of drinking of it,

0:26:38 > 0:26:41a lot of walking on the hills and a lot of bathing.

0:26:41 > 0:26:43A sitz bath, for example, was a very cold bath.

0:26:43 > 0:26:46There would be wet towels wrapped around you

0:26:46 > 0:26:49and water poured upon you from a ghastly height.

0:26:49 > 0:26:52- So, actually pretty bracing stuff. - Bracing, indeed.

0:26:52 > 0:26:55'The clinics set up by the two doctors in Malvern

0:26:55 > 0:26:57'were among Britain's first water cure centres.

0:26:57 > 0:27:00'It was claimed that the regime could remedy everything.

0:27:00 > 0:27:03'From sore throats to vertigo.

0:27:03 > 0:27:06'And it won advocates among the celebrities of the day.'

0:27:06 > 0:27:08Charles Darwin was rather a large fan

0:27:08 > 0:27:10of Malvern's Victorian water cure.

0:27:10 > 0:27:13So he came here and partook of it. He was a rather sickly man,

0:27:13 > 0:27:17but he came back slightly better off, I believe.

0:27:17 > 0:27:20- It probably gave him the idea of the survival of the fittest. - Quite possibly.

0:27:22 > 0:27:25'The water cure might have proved a short-lived fad,

0:27:25 > 0:27:29'but bottled mineral water seems to be here to stay.

0:27:29 > 0:27:32'And the appeal of these magnificent hills

0:27:32 > 0:27:35'is undimmed since Bradshaw's day.'

0:27:35 > 0:27:37As new railways spread wealth and power

0:27:37 > 0:27:39through Britain's fertile landscape,

0:27:39 > 0:27:43you can understand why, at the close of Victoria's reign,

0:27:43 > 0:27:46Sir Edward Elgar, a Worcestershire composer,

0:27:46 > 0:27:48much stimulated by natural beauty,

0:27:48 > 0:27:53would choose to extol this land of hope and glory.

0:27:57 > 0:28:00'On the next part of my journey, I'll discover Britain's hidden micro mines,

0:28:00 > 0:28:04'in private hands since Bradshaw's day.'

0:28:04 > 0:28:07The harder we work, the more coal we get,

0:28:07 > 0:28:09the better off we are. So it's great.

0:28:09 > 0:28:13'Uncovering the railway engineering behind an industrial icon.'

0:28:13 > 0:28:16So we've got, effectively, an enormous railway wagon

0:28:16 > 0:28:20- that spreads across these rails on either side.- That's exactly right.

0:28:20 > 0:28:25'And seeing why the Victorians fell for this romantic ruin.'

0:28:25 > 0:28:27Absolute perfection, isn't it?

0:28:29 > 0:28:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:28:32 > 0:28:35E-mail subtitling@BBC.co.uk