0:00:06 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in the British Isles.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw
0:00:12 > 0:00:17and 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 > 0:00:27Now 170 years later,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I'm making a series of journeys across the length and breadth
0:00:30 > 0:00:35of these isles to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I'm now on the second stage of my journey from London to Devon.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Today's leg takes me across Wiltshire and Somerset
0:01:06 > 0:01:10starting with some of the most iconic images of England.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13On today's leg,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I visit a tourist hotspot that's been captivating visitors
0:01:17 > 0:01:19since the Victorian era.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23This is the granddaddy of all castles and cathedrals
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and skyscrapers, this is the beginning of architecture.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Thank you very much.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I take to the air...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I think George Bradshaw would have loved this machine,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34but he would have been even more amazed to find out
0:01:34 > 0:01:39that there would be trains that went faster than this thing does.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45And I try my hand at cloth making, the 19th century way.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48This is more difficult than it looks.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51You're horsing around with me, aren't you?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54On this journey, I'm tracking the master engineer
0:01:54 > 0:01:57of the Great Western Railway, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00I began at one of his greatest successes,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02London's Paddington Station,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and I'll end my journey in Newton Abbot,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09the scene of one of his most brilliant failures.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12This leg covers 51 miles.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16From Wiltshire, I'll venture into Somerset, finishing up at a station
0:02:16 > 0:02:20that for most of the year is a picture of peace and tranquillity.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24My first stop is Salisbury, whose cathedral
0:02:24 > 0:02:27with its slender spire, has attracted the admiration
0:02:27 > 0:02:31of visitors over centuries including the author of my Bradshaw's guide.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35"It has the great advantage of being not only uniform in design,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39"but offers a complete specimen of the style of that age,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42"namely early English",
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and in my view that style is one of unsurpassed elegance.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57The cathedral was begun in 1220 and the main body completed in 38 years.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00An astonishing feat when you consider its scale.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The spire, the tallest in the United Kingdom,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06was added over 50 years later
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and has proudly presided over the city for 700 years.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The artist John Constable made this vista famous
0:03:31 > 0:03:35of what Bradshaw's describes as "a magnificent edifice
0:03:35 > 0:03:39"begun by Bishop Poore", but then my Bradshaw strikes a different note
0:03:39 > 0:03:41saying "unfortunately the city lies low
0:03:41 > 0:03:43"and though its water meadows are pleasant to look at,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48"the courts in which the poor live are in a filthy state".
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Evidently there was more to Salisbury than met the artist's eye.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Despite being founded in the 13th century,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Salisbury could in fact best be described as a new town,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04a "medieval Milton Keynes".
0:04:04 > 0:04:07The original settlement, known as Old Sarum,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10was located on a hill to the north.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14However, in 1220, deteriorating relationships
0:04:14 > 0:04:16between the clergy of Old Sarum and the military
0:04:16 > 0:04:19led to a new cathedral being built here
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and a new city purposefully designed and set around it.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29The new city of Salisbury was built on a series of chequers,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33a grid system a bit reminiscent of a modern American city.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37My Bradshaw's says most of the streets are laid out straight
0:04:37 > 0:04:41and regular with rilles four or five foot broad
0:04:41 > 0:04:44running through them from the Avon, Nadder and Wylye
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and it was these rilles or water channels
0:04:47 > 0:04:51that gave so many health problems in Victorian England.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55In the summer of 1849, the medieval water system
0:04:55 > 0:04:59carrying human waste led to a devastating cholera epidemic
0:04:59 > 0:05:02that killed nearly 200 citizens.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08I'm meeting Adrian Green, curator of the Salisbury and Wiltshire Museum.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Adrian, good morning. - Hello, pleasure to meet you,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15I'm getting an extraordinary impression of Salisbury
0:05:15 > 0:05:18in the middle 19th century, the poor in their courts
0:05:18 > 0:05:21living in filthy conditions, what's Bradshaw's referring to?
0:05:21 > 0:05:24He's referring to the places where people used to live
0:05:24 > 0:05:27in the middle of the 19th century, which they actually lived in
0:05:27 > 0:05:30going right back into Medieval Times. Filthy, filthy conditions.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And there were these rilles, these water channels
0:05:33 > 0:05:35criss-crossing the city - a kind of Amsterdam, was it?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38That's right, it was often referred to as an English Venice,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41but that was somewhat glamorising the situation because these rilles
0:05:41 > 0:05:44were basically open sewers, running through the streets.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47And so that gave rise to the health problems, to cholera?
0:05:47 > 0:05:50That's right, because there was no organised water supply in Salisbury.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55People got their water supply from the ground, right by where these rilles or water channels were.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So dirt would seep into the ground and people would then get their
0:05:57 > 0:06:01own drinking water from the very same place that all the dirt was.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Was it well understood that the cholera was coming from the water?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07People were beginning to understand that. There were local doctors
0:06:07 > 0:06:10who were beginning to pick up on the idea that cholera
0:06:10 > 0:06:13seemed to be concentrated where these open water channels were.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And they petitioned the local council to do something about it,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but nothing happened so they went one stage higher.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23They went to the National Board of Health in London, to the government inspector
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and they invited down a man called Thomas Rammell, who did an inquiry
0:06:27 > 0:06:32to find out what the causes were of the terrible conditions in Salisbury.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36This enquiry was carried out in 1851 and determined that disease
0:06:36 > 0:06:38did indeed arise from the rilles,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and recommended that the 700-year-old waterways
0:06:41 > 0:06:45be replaced with subterranean brick-built sewers.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49A mammoth engineering project which would take years.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52However, in the process of removing the old water channels,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57the Victorian workmen unearthed hoards of archaeological treasures.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02To keep the artefacts in Salisbury, a museum was founded
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and that's where the collection is now housed.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10And here we have some of drainage collection on display.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15It looks like a fantastic collection of everyday items - spoons and knives and forks and scissors.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17That's right. It's a real snapshot of daily life,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19going back through the Middle Ages.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22And in particular, they have a very fine collection of pilgrim badges
0:07:22 > 0:07:25which date back to the Medieval period before the Reformation.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And why are these things so nicely preserved?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It's basically because they fell into the mud in the bottom
0:07:31 > 0:07:33of the water channels and there was no oxygen there.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It slowed down the process of decay.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Objects made out of things like pewter, for example,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40which would normally rot away and deteriorate,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44in this case have survived, and to an exceptional level of preservation.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Well, it's really a very fine collection.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Yes, it is an absolutely fine collection.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Let's go and look at some of the others in storage.- OK, fantastic.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55I thought I'd show you one of my favourite pieces
0:07:55 > 0:07:57which is a fabulous chess piece.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59That is exquisite. What's that made of?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's made of walrus ivory. It dates back to the 13th century,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06which is about the time that Salisbury Cathedral was constructed.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's a king piece, as you can see he's wearing his crown,
0:08:09 > 0:08:10sitting on horseback
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and then protected by a whole series of foot-soldiers.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14Absolutely beautiful.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Your collection really is of a national standard, isn't it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19That's right, it is.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We are designated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport
0:08:22 > 0:08:24because our collections are so important
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and one of the main reasons is because of this collection.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37For more than century and a half railway passengers have been
0:08:37 > 0:08:41attracted to Salisbury, not just for its magnificent cathedral,
0:08:41 > 0:08:46but also because of its proximity to of one of the world's most enigmatic ancient historic sites,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48to which I'm headed now.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21Bradshaw's says, "Salisbury Plain is a turfy naked tract.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26"In the flattest and most solitary part are the celebrated Druids' Circles of Stonehenge."
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Bradshaw's admits that it's ever been
0:09:28 > 0:09:31considered the greatest wonder in west of England, but then says
0:09:31 > 0:09:35"Stonehenge is apt to disappoint the stranger at the first sight
0:09:35 > 0:09:37"and to some it is a trifle indeed."
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Well, it may not be built on the scale
0:09:39 > 0:09:44of a Victorian railway station, but I'm impressed by its antiquity.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- Hello, do you like Stonehenge? - Yes!
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I'm reading a Victorian guide book, a 19th-century guide book.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07It says, "Stonehenge can disappoint the stranger at first sight."
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Do you agree with that? Do you find it disappointing?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- No, not at all. - Where have you come from?
0:10:13 > 0:10:14I've come from Florida.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Ah, well, that's very interesting because my guidebook also says
0:10:18 > 0:10:21that in the 19th century an American came here and looked at it,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25looked up at the stones on top of each other and wondered that
0:10:25 > 0:10:28anyone should think anything of it at all. How do you react to that?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30He's an idiot!
0:10:30 > 0:10:31MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:10:31 > 0:10:35So what's your reaction? Have you been moved to see it?
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Yeah, I mean, I'm here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I've paid money to fly across the country to see it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It's just as astounding as a pyramid.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- So you have not been disappointed? - Not at all.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51- Well, you've rescued the reputation of your nation, well done!- OK.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I'm so relieved to discover that nowadays an American has come here
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and expressed the proper sense of awe.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01George Bradshaw ought to know about this.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05One of the most recognisable ancient monuments on the planet,
0:11:05 > 0:11:11Stonehenge has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The true significance of this antiquity has become
0:11:13 > 0:11:17confused in the mists of time, but there are plenty of theories
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and I'm hoping that Blue Badge guide and expert David Richards
0:11:21 > 0:11:23will be able to enlighten me.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- Hello, David. - Hello, Michael.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28I've been steered here as usual by my Bradshaw's Guide,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32which tells me that this is Druids' Circles, is that correct?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Sadly not so. The Druids are a Victorian construct.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40This was built by people 5,000 years ago, long before the Druids.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44And they had to bring these stones a long distance, that's the wonder of it, isn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47It is, astonishing that these stones
0:11:47 > 0:11:51weighing 30-40 tonnes should be dragged 25 miles from the north,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54some of them coming - the smaller ones - from South Wales.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56And the purpose of building this was religious?
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Yes, I'm sure it was.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00With the setting of the midwinter sun and the rising
0:12:00 > 0:12:05of the summer solstice, I'm sure it was used for religious purposes.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- And what else? - Well, it is one of the biggest,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11if not THE biggest ancient cemetery. 200 people are buried there.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The place is very popular with tourists today,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16but I think it was in the Victorian era too, wasn't it?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Absolutely, yes. The railways did that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25When the railways come to Salisbury in 1847, everything is transformed.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The South Western Railway advertises in the Times of London,
0:12:28 > 0:12:33"Go to Stonehenge. It'll cost you three and sixpence in an open carriage",
0:12:33 > 0:12:36an open carriage, good gracious, on a day like this!
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And the Victorians came in multitudes.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Day-trippers coming to party and to picnic.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Just like today's tourists, they also wanted a snapshot.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The earliest photograph of the stones dates back to 1853
0:12:54 > 0:12:56and was owned by Prince Albert himself,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00but by the end of the century thanks to advances in technology
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and the canniness of one guide, William Judd,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06an instant souvenir was accessible to all.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Armed with a camera, he set up a mobile studio
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and darkroom on the site and, for the right price of course,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15he would oblige visitors with a souvenir print.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Bradshaw's also tells me that there are about 140 stones,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24but it's impossible to count them and if you count them twice
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and get the same number twice, that's unlucky.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Well, that's a myth which is still told today.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Is it really? - But the Victorians, mind you,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35when they came they got into all sorts of trouble
0:13:35 > 0:13:38because people had read that, and they'd come here,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40they'd say "I'm going to crack this,"
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and they'd go round and they'd chalk the stones,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44so the stones were covered in numbers,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- which local people didn't like. - Victorian vandalism.- Oh, absolutely.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It wasn't good, and so...
0:13:50 > 0:13:54but the worst vandalism of all was that
0:13:54 > 0:13:58people would arrive from London, I suspect, with hammers
0:13:58 > 0:14:03and they would whack the stones and take a chunk of it back home.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06And so the railways and Stonehenge ultimately led to
0:14:06 > 0:14:09the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13What is the importance of Stonehenge in the human story?
0:14:13 > 0:14:16This is the granddaddy of all castles and cathedrals
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and skyscrapers, this is the beginning of architecture.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I could linger all day by these enduringly fascinating stones,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27but I must continue.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31I'm returning to Salisbury to travel on an alternative line
0:14:31 > 0:14:32to the Great Western.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I'm on my way now to Yeovil Junction.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49My guide tells me that the town has a fine Gothic church
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and a large market which occurs on Fridays.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56In the vicinity is Brympton House, the old seat of the Fane family.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Well, the present owners have invited me to dinner.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18There has been a manor at Brympton since 1220.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22However, the current house dates from the early 15th century,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24with Elizabethan and Jacobean additions.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29It's built in its entirety from local Somerset hamstone,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32which gives the house its mellow, honeyed hue.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36What a beautiful house!
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I'm meeting current owner and old acquaintance, Bill Glossop.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Bill, how good to see you.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Hello, nice to see you. Long time since we've met.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Long time.- Do come in. - Thank you so much.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57One of the most interesting things about the house is this
0:15:57 > 0:16:01wonderful terrace which...people who come here for weddings
0:16:01 > 0:16:03love to come straight out of the wedding room
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and have a glass of champagne on here.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11It was built by Lady Georgiana Fane in Victorian times
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and it was she who sold the land for the railway
0:16:14 > 0:16:19which runs between Yeovil and Taunton which has now been made into a road.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The spread of the Victorian railway network was largely dependent
0:16:24 > 0:16:27on local landowners like Lady Georgiana
0:16:27 > 0:16:29agreeing to sell their land.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Whether they championed this new mode of transport or held out
0:16:33 > 0:16:37in order to make substantial gain, without their agreement,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40large swathes of countryside would have remained inaccessible.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Thank you so much, Bill, for having us. Lovely to see you all.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47And you. Cheers!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02It's a new day and before I leave Yeovil,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I have further exploring to do.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Bradshaw's tell me that Yeovil is an ancient town,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14the seat of a considerable glove trade.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Nowadays the town has its finger in a bigger pie
0:17:17 > 0:17:21and for a rural county, manufacturing here has really taken off.
0:17:23 > 0:17:30Yeovil is now home to the UK's sole helicopter producer, AgustaWestland.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The company's origins can be traced back to the late 19th century
0:17:33 > 0:17:37when it was founded by the Petter brothers, Ernest and Percy.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Westland helicopters has a particular place
0:17:42 > 0:17:46in my personal experience and indeed in political history
0:17:46 > 0:17:49because an order for helicopters led to a massive row
0:17:49 > 0:17:54in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet, the resignation of Michael Heseltine
0:17:54 > 0:17:56who stormed out of the Cabinet room,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and very nearly the demise of Margaret Thatcher herself.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07'Today I'm meeting up with employee of 20 years, Ted Udall,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'to find out how this firm took flight.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Ted, good morning.- Morning, Michael.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16I believe this Westland goes all the way back to Victorian times?
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Yes, indeed - the 1860s.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20It started off as a little hardware shop in centre of Yeovil.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26It gradually expanded from there into stoves,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and then later on into agricultural machinery.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31When did they get into aircraft?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Well, it wasn't until the start of the First World War
0:18:34 > 0:18:39when Lloyd George made a speech in the House where they needed more armaments,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and more support for the war. And the management of the company
0:18:43 > 0:18:47decided to write off to the Admiralty and the War Office
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and the Admiralty said, "Well, please come and see us."
0:18:50 > 0:18:54From that they said, "Well, you're a high-tech company, why don't you build aeroplanes?"
0:18:56 > 0:19:01The firm was originally commissioned to build 30 Short patrol seaplanes.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06Production was so successful that by 1918 the Petters had built their own airfield
0:19:06 > 0:19:11and 1,100 planes had rolled off the production line.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15With the end of the war, they diversified into civil aircraft,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19but peace was to be short-lived and during the Second World War
0:19:19 > 0:19:23they manufactured the most iconic of British fighters - the Spitfire.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26But now the business is helicopters.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Yes, indeed, since 1946.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So give me a quick rundown of which helicopters you deal with.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35In here we've got Sea Kings which are being refurbished.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37They've been in service quite a long time now.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40We've got Merlin helicopters on this side
0:19:40 > 0:19:42which are the current Royal Navy ones.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And we've got the Lynx and its replacement, the Wildcat.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50My Bradshaw's guide mentions that Yeovil was once famous for glove-making.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52It really is a long way from glove-making to aircraft.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Yes, it certainly is, but of course that was one of reasons why
0:19:55 > 0:19:58the company decided that they could go into aircraft making anyway.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02One of the local skills, part of the glove-making industry, is sewing.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05And aircraft, in those very early days,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08you had to spread canvas over the wooden frame and sew it together.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11So that gave the company that confidence.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16'The early success of the factory was very much linked
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'to its proximity to Yeovil's complex rail network,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23'so I'm taking to the skies to survey how it looks today.
0:20:23 > 0:20:31'My lift - a twin-engine AW109, used for VIP travel and air ambulances.'
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Riding alongside the train now.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37It seems that Yeovil once was pretty much criss-crossed by railways.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42Yes, indeed it was. The original railway came in from the west
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and then the other line came in from the north to the south.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50And there were, at one point, four separate railway stations,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53including the one on the main east-west line
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- which runs a couple of miles south of the town.- Amazing.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I think George Bradshaw, who loved engineering and innovation,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04would have loved this machine,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06but he would have been even more amazed to find out
0:21:06 > 0:21:11that there would be trains that went faster than this thing does.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14He certainly would, yes. The technology has moved on a pace.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21Sadly, it's back down to earth for me as I continue the journey westwards.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24I'm leaving Yeovil from its only other surviving station,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Pen Mill, where I've rejoined Brunel's Great Western railway.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36My next stop is Castle Cary which my Bradshaw's tells me
0:21:36 > 0:21:41has the remains of a castle built by William de Percheval in the reign of King Stephen.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I've always thought it a very beautiful name
0:21:43 > 0:21:48and I assumed that it must be one of England's sleepiest stations.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It's certainly a picture of peace and tranquillity.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And I'm told that on any normal day,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Castle Cary is used by fewer than 800 passengers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05'However for a few days in June most years,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08'that figure rises dramatically.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13'I'm going to meet station manager Dave Martin to find out why.'
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Dave, hello.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Congratulations on a lovely station, and a very quiet one too.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Thank you very much.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24It seems to be quite quiet today, but it's not always.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28We're the closest station to the site for the Glastonbury festival
0:22:28 > 0:22:31so it turns into quite an entertaining place to be.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Lots of people coming by train?
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Absolutely. About 18,000 people coming through the station to go to the festival.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's hard to imagine in this little station.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It is. It takes a lot of organising,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and they all want to go back on the same day as well.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45And they'd all be well behaved, of course.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The majority are.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51One or two seem to think they can turn up without a ticket.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52So, what ploys do they try?
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Occasionally, a few people will come from very local stations
0:22:57 > 0:23:00that aren't that well populated.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And somebody came along who'd obviously glanced out of the window
0:23:02 > 0:23:06at Bruton station that they'd gone through, but not quite caught the name.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09We asked him where he'd come from and he said Buxton
0:23:09 > 0:23:12so we were quite happy to charge him £96.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Long before the music fans began to pass through here,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Castle Cary was better known for its textile industry.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25By the 19th century,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28the town specialised in producing a hard-wearing
0:23:28 > 0:23:32luxury fabric made, remarkably, using horsehair.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37And one company survives manufacturing the material
0:23:37 > 0:23:39just as it did 140 years ago.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Anna Smith is the managing director.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Anna, hello.- Hello, hi. - It's good to see you.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47So this is horsehair.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I wondered whether I would recognise it, but I certainly do.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Yes, that's right. It's the tail hair from horses, working horses,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57live animals that have their tails cut.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- And what do you actually do with it? - We weave it into upholstery fabric.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03And what are the advantages of that?
0:24:03 > 0:24:05It's a very durable, hard-wearing fabric.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09It'll last more than 100 years if it's properly upholstered.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11And how long has this factory been going?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15The company's been going since 1837. It was started by John Boyd,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18he was a travelling Scotsman who came down to this area.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20How unusual is it now to produce horsehair?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22There's only two of us left in the world, that's us
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and there's a company in France and that's it now.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I'm intrigued to see this industrial process.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Can we go in and have a look at it? - Yes, certainly.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33'First, the hair has to be straightened.'
0:24:34 > 0:24:38That looks like a bed of nails. I'm not required to lie on it, am I?
0:24:38 > 0:24:43No, but we pull the hair through it. It's called a hackle.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45What's the technique, Duncan?
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Hold it tight there, start with the ends, gradually pull them through.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Mind if I have a go at that?
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- Start with the ends.- Yeah.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Ooh, that's not so good, is it?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59This is more difficult that it looked.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01You're horsing around with me, aren't you?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It takes a little bit of practice.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05So how long do you do this for, Duncan?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Just a couple of minutes. It depends.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09You can feel when it goes through easily.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17It's tougher than it looks, actually.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Ah, that's better.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I'm getting better, aren't I? Oh, yes.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- How I learned to hackle. Thereby hangs a tail.- It'll do.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31It needs a little bit more work before the weavers get it!
0:25:33 > 0:25:35'I think I had better leave it to the pros.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'The hair is then dyed, a process which takes a week.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'The length of the fabric is made up from cotton,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46'silk or linen threads wound on what's called a warper
0:25:46 > 0:25:50'whilst the bundles of horsehair are placed directly on the loom
0:25:50 > 0:25:56'and each single tail hair is picked out to make up the width of the fabric.'
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I've stepped into the 19th century. This is amazing!
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Yes, not much has changed.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It's like a museum, but it's in production.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09Historically, children were used to pick the hair out of the bundles,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14but the 1870 Education Act abolished child labour in favour of schooling.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20So Boyd diversified by inventing and patenting special looms
0:26:20 > 0:26:22to mimic the skills of little fingers.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Remarkably, those machines are still in use today,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32now powered by electricity in place of steam.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37So you have the horsehair across the width
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and the yarn to give you the length direction.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Can I touch that? It's a lovely feel to it, isn't it?
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I don't want to put my fingers in there, though.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's a beautiful pattern. This is really lovely.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Yes, the pattern dates back to about 1900
0:26:53 > 0:26:55so it's still the original pattern.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59The looms are the same speed as hand-weaving,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03so they only weave two-three metres per day, per loom.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Each hair is put in individually and we have 90 hairs in one inch,
0:27:07 > 0:27:13so the loom has to go backwards and forwards 90 times just to produce one inch of cloth.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16You're producing something really special here.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19What kind of uses did it used to be put to in Victorian times?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21It was used mainly for upholstery,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but it was also used in railway carriages because it was so durable.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Well, I think this would have been fit for use
0:27:26 > 0:27:29in the royal railway carriage of Queen Victoria.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Definitely!
0:27:36 > 0:27:40George Bradshaw might be amazed that in the 21st century
0:27:40 > 0:27:42we're still using Victorian sewers
0:27:42 > 0:27:46and there's a factory still producing horsehair.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51But more astonishing is that engines that once powered agricultural equipment
0:27:51 > 0:27:55have evolved into helicopters employed in our national defence.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02On the next leg of my journey,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06I'll explore a church that moves in mysterious ways.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10That's extraordinary. It really is moving from side to side.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15I'll find out just what it takes to run a 19th-century signal box.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I had no idea that what a signalman had to do
0:28:18 > 0:28:21was so responsible and so physical.
0:28:21 > 0:28:28And I'll summon all my strength to shift a 110-tonne steam locomotive.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29She's moving.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd