0:00:05 > 0:00:09In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11His name was George Bradshaw
0:00:11 > 0:00:17and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Stop by stop, he told them where to go,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23what to see and where to stay.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27And now, 170 years later, I'm aboard for a series
0:00:27 > 0:00:30of rail adventures across the United Kingdom,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58My journey that began in Norfolk continues through Kent.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Bradshaw's tells me that, "The railway's iron roads
0:01:01 > 0:01:04"intersect this beautiful county,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07"affording the inhabitants of the great metropolis
0:01:07 > 0:01:10"to become acquainted with picturesque scenery,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12"cities and baronial halls."
0:01:12 > 0:01:15They had set out in order to discover
0:01:15 > 0:01:18the essence of Britain, as I have today.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23On this leg, I'll deliver beer
0:01:23 > 0:01:25with old-fashioned directness...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Anyone in need of a drink?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..learn about some old balls...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32That is the oldest cricket ball
0:01:32 > 0:01:34known to exist anywhere in the world.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38It was used in a match at Lord's in 1820.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40..and ruffle some feathers in Dorking.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46I quite like a wash and blow-dry myself, so we're birds of a feather.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54My journey began in the cathedral city of Norwich.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I travelled south, through East Anglia to Ipswich
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and Chelmsford, and crossed the Thames at Tilbury.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Now I'll continue through Kent to Dover.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05After heading inland to Tonbridge,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I'll return to the coast at Brighton,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09before ending my journey
0:02:09 > 0:02:11in another cathedral city, Chichester.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Today, I will start in Faversham,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17travelling on to Dover and the Channel.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'll continue my journey through western Kent,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22detouring to Dorking, in Surrey.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34My next stop is Faversham. The guide book tells me that,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37"It's situated on a small stream running into the East Swale,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39"which is navigable.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43"There are some imports and a considerable coasting trade."
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I think some of those boats were hopping to local ports,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49bearing the town's frothy product.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54This part of Kent is famous for its distinctive oast houses,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57which were used for drying hops.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Beer has been made here for centuries
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and Faversham has a distinguished brewing history.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05At the time of my guide, there were two breweries based here.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Today, one survives,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12Shepherd Neame, and it claims to be the country's oldest.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I'm meeting local historian John Owen to find out more.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Hello.- Michael, good morning,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- welcome to Shepherd Neame. - Thank you so much.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Faversham is a beautiful town,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26permeated by the gorgeous smell of hops,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and this is a very ancient brewery, by the look of it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- You go back how far? - We've been on the same site
0:03:31 > 0:03:33from 1573.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Extraordinary, actually here?
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Actually on this site. It is just a remarkable survival.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41I assume that originally,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43beer production had to be for local consumption,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45does beer travel well?
0:03:45 > 0:03:46No, it doesn't, and certainly,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48beer made in the 16th century
0:03:48 > 0:03:51would have travelled far worse than it does today.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53What made the difference to all of that?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I think the quality of the transport and, ultimately,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00the coming of the railways in the middle of the 19th century.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The railway arrived in Faversham in 1858
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and this brewery, in particular,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08was quick to see a new business opportunity.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It built a new malt house
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and invested heavily in the railways.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Did the brewery have its own rolling stock?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I think it had about a dozen trucks by the 1880s.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- In the brewery's livery? - Oh, yes. Wonderful livery.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Pale cream and Oxford blue, which must have made quite a statement
0:04:25 > 0:04:27going up and down the line.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And the expansion was quick.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Whereas in 1865, the brewery had only five stores,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37by 1900, it had nearly 20.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Thanks to the railways, they could now send their beer
0:04:39 > 0:04:42all the way up to Camberwell, in South London.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45This brewery's association with steam engines
0:04:45 > 0:04:47goes back much further.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51As early as 1789, it bought a Sun and Planet steam engine,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53which revolutionised production,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56mechanising the grinding of malt, and pumping water and beer
0:04:56 > 0:05:00around the factory. To find out how they make beer now,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I'm meeting Chief Brewer Richard Frost.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Hello, Richard. - Hello, Michael, good to see you.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08It's an ancient brewery,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and here I see some fairly ancient looking machinery,
0:05:12 > 0:05:13what kind of vintage is this stuff?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16These mash tuns date back to 1914.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- 100 years old.- Yeah, 100 years old. Very traditional, made of oak.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21So that's contributing
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- part of the flavour. - Definitely, without a doubt.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I mean, here, you have the most fantastic combination
0:05:27 > 0:05:29of the old and the new. You've got digital controls,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31with some fairly ancient looking machinery.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Yeah, the machinery dates back to Victorian days.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- Are you doing any mashing today? - We are, in fact,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Ian is just going to kick the process off.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The brewing process hasn't changed much either.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47The crushed malt from the hopper above is mixed with hot water
0:05:47 > 0:05:49that has to be at exactly the right temperature.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54What temperature are we going up to, Ian?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Between 63 and 63.4, just trying to get it
0:05:57 > 0:06:00levelled off in the middle area.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So just a little adjustment here to this wheel.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- 63.4 is about right. - It's going up a bit there,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09so you open it up slightly.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Now I'm going upstairs to the coppers,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17to find out about the next step in the process.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19The next part is to boil that up with some hops,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21some Kentish locally grown hops.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So we'll go ahead and add some here. We have some behind you.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27It has that magnificent aroma, doesn't it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Oh, yeah, hops are rather like herbs and spices
0:06:29 > 0:06:31that a cook would use, or a chef would use.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34They add aroma and flavour to beer.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35If you would like to tip those in.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Look at all that Kent goodness going down the chute.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41They're wonderful hops.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Having found out how to brew a traditional Kentish beer,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48it's appropriate to make a local delivery,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52in one of the brewery's oldest vans.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Here, we have a lovely Austin 20,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58and I thought it would be really nice if we could recreate a journey
0:06:58 > 0:07:00delivering some beer to the Railway Tavern in Faversham.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I believe they're very thirsty there. Let's get going.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Ah, what a magnificent car!
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Ah, thank you very much.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- Anyone in need of a drink? - Yes, please. Thank you.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43It's now time to leave Faversham
0:07:43 > 0:07:44and head for the coast.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Bradshaw's makes Dover sound really inviting.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04"The line of noble-looking mansions spreading along the coast,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06"the pureness of the atmosphere,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08"the bold and rocky scenery
0:08:08 > 0:08:12"give it an important position among our-sea loving citizens."
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Ah, but Dover had an important position
0:08:15 > 0:08:18militarily and strategically long before tourism.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Guarding the narrowest stretch of the English Channel,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Dover has been a strategic defensive town since Roman times.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Here, I am little more than 20 miles
0:08:38 > 0:08:40from our historic enemy, the French.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48The castle, says my guide book,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50is, "The great lion of Dover,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53"and as the first object that strikes the eye of the traveller,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57"it is sure to woo his footsteps thither."
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Well, my footsteps are wooed
0:08:59 > 0:09:03by another military structure which is a bit less obvious.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14According to Bradshaw, this is,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16"The grand military shaft,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18"leading to the heights
0:09:18 > 0:09:19"and barracks above.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24"Sufficiently capacious to contain many thousand troops."
0:09:24 > 0:09:28For such a vast place, this must be Dover's best kept secret.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I'm meeting Mandy Whall of the Western Heights Preservation Society
0:09:41 > 0:09:42to find out more.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Mandy, hello.- Hello, Michael.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I think this is the most extraordinary place
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I've ever seen. Why was this built?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Above us on the cliff, we have the Grand Shaft Barracks
0:09:53 > 0:09:56where approximately 1,000 troops would have been housed.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00The only way down to the seafront, had an enemy invaded,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03would be to run down the side of the cliff,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07down there, miles away, come back... It's about a mile and a half.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11So they needed a way to move troops very quickly from the barracks
0:10:11 > 0:10:14down to the seafront, which is about 300 yards that way.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19So we've got the elegant solution of a triple helix spiral staircase,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23so you can move your troops very quickly from the barracks site
0:10:23 > 0:10:24down to the seafront.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- This is all about fear of invasion, I suppose?- Yes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31And I suppose it's the French as usual that we were worried about?
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Oh, yes, yes, Napoleon.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37The initial building started in 1804 and it was completed by 1806,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- so a very quick build. - Was this a very secret operation?
0:10:41 > 0:10:44We wouldn't have told the French, to be sure.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46There are a lot of fortifications up here.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48They are all very well concealed
0:10:48 > 0:10:51so they couldn't be observed from even the town of Dover itself.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And are we able to go up to the top these days?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You certainly are, yes, it's 200 stairs
0:10:57 > 0:10:59and I've got a bit of a challenge for you.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03In 1826, one soldier bet that he could run up these stairs
0:11:03 > 0:11:06in 30 seconds, and I wondered if you would like to have a go?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- 200 steps in 30 seconds?!- Yes.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I don't think so, but I'll give it a go!
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- See you in a minute! - See you in a moment.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21OK, Michael? Ready... Steady... Go!
0:11:35 > 0:11:40- What's the score?- 46.6 seconds. - I was weighed down by my book!
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- Did I come all that way? - You certainly did!
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I think this now explains something in Bradshaw's Guide
0:11:48 > 0:11:49which was puzzling me
0:11:49 > 0:11:51that says that there are three spiral staircases
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and I see there are.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Now, what was the point of having three?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59It means you can move three times the troops in a third of the time.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01And how did they decide which one to use?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04When it was first built, there was no class distinction,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07so anybody went down whatever staircase,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09but by the time you get to the Victorian era,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12there's a much bigger class distinction.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So what they did is they allocated staircases.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19One for officers and their ladies, one for sergeants and their wives
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and the other for soldiers and their women.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24But it just shows the class system
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- gets into everything in Britain, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- Oh, not another set of steps! - MANDY LAUGHS
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So, I think I get the idea now.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42The fortress is sunk into the cliff so that in Napoleonic times
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and actually even today, you have no clue that it's here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Well, that's right. It's cunningly concealed within the contours
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and topography of the landscape.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54What went on here at the top?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Well, this is the parade ground,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59at the late 19th century they had the Easter Reviews.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It was a huge spectacular.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The Easter Volunteers would stage elaborate military manoeuvres
0:13:04 > 0:13:08that were important battlefield training exercises.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11But they were also massive public spectacles
0:13:11 > 0:13:15with thousands of people coming to watch from all over the country.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19We have accounts of 30 trains between 6am and 9am
0:13:19 > 0:13:23bringing down 25,000 troops as well as any ammunition
0:13:23 > 0:13:27and all the horses, and everything else that they required on that day.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32And then they all pack up at the end of the day and go home by train.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Absolute military precision -
0:13:33 > 0:13:36mechanised warfare using the railways.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Can we take a walk around? - Of course you can, yes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Mandy, as we look out towards France, across the narrow moat
0:13:51 > 0:13:53that has protected our realm over the centuries,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55let me read to you from Bradshaw.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59"Nowhere, perhaps in the whole circuit of the kingdom
0:13:59 > 0:14:02"is there another spot so calculated to awaken
0:14:02 > 0:14:07"in the bosom of an Englishman feelings of pride and exultation,
0:14:07 > 0:14:12"as the objects around call up in succession those martial
0:14:12 > 0:14:15"and intellectual achievements by which the inviolate island
0:14:15 > 0:14:18"of the sage and the free
0:14:18 > 0:14:22"has attained her present unquestioned supremacy."
0:14:37 > 0:14:41It's now time for me to continue my journey on through Kent.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55My train has taken me into the interior of Kent.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Bradshaw's tells me that my next stop, Staplehurst, is near
0:14:59 > 0:15:03the remains of Sissinghurst Castle and that's well worth a visit.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06If I could lay my head close to Sissinghurst Castle,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08that would be something.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Best known for its gardens, designed in the 1930s by the poet
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Vita Sackville-West,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Sissinghurst Castle had been in Victorian times a mediaeval ruin.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39But the estate had won fame for its progressive farming techniques
0:15:39 > 0:15:41under the tenancy of George Neve.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Some of the farm buildings from the mid-19th century have survived
0:15:45 > 0:15:49and stand as a monument to the Great Victorian Farming Revival
0:15:49 > 0:15:51that began in the 1850s.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52Peter Mellor knows more.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- Hello, Peter.- Hello, Michael.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- Good to see you.- Welcome to the Sissinghurst Castle Estate.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Well, thank you.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So, this farmhouse on the castle estate
0:16:02 > 0:16:07has a very Victorian look to me, what's its history?
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Built in 1855 by the Cornwallis family for a farm tenant,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18George Neve, who was only 28 at the time the farmhouse was built.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It was a splendid house for a very progressive
0:16:22 > 0:16:27and energetic farm tenant in the golden age of Victorian farming.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31The farmhouse was the centre of a thriving and modern farm
0:16:31 > 0:16:33of around 500 acres.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36The railway was crucial to the farm's success,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40allowing it to transport its produce far and wide.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Well, the house tells a very Victorian story.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I shall be very pleased indeed to stay here.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Cheers.- Cheers, Michael.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05It's a new day and I'm heading west -
0:17:05 > 0:17:08further into the Weald of Kent.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18My first stop today will be Tonbridge.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Bradshaw's tells me that it's situated on the Tun
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and four branches of the Medway all crossed by bridges.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It is noted for the excellent grammar school.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29I'm hoping to take a lesson in how the railways
0:17:29 > 0:17:32put the school on track.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47At Tonbridge School, I'm hoping to find out more
0:17:47 > 0:17:50from former deputy head teacher David Walsh.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- David.- Good morning, Michael, and welcome to Tonbridge School.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Thank you very much. A very ancient foundation, dating back to...?
0:17:59 > 0:18:051553. It was founded by Sir Andrew Judd who was a city merchant.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I think of public schools as rather large institutions,
0:18:08 > 0:18:09did it begin that way?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12No, for the first 300 years of its existence,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15really until the railways came in the mid-19th century,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17it only had about 40 or 50 boys,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20but by the time the Victorian Age ended,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22it had gone up to about 440 boys.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24And the railways had something to do with that?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26The railways had a lot to do with that.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29The railways were, of course, one of the main sort of drivers
0:18:29 > 0:18:32of Victorian prosperity, which meant that more and more people
0:18:32 > 0:18:35could afford to send their children to schools where they had to pay fees.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39But they also widened people's geographical horizons considerably.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Tonbridge School was also fortunate to own a piece of land
0:18:43 > 0:18:46next to the new St Pancras station in London.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50When that was sold profitably to the Midland Railway during the 1860s,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52around the time of my Bradshaw's,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56the school was able to rebuild and enlarge its buildings.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59The school also owned a sloping piece of land
0:18:59 > 0:19:01near the new railway line in Tonbridge,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04which it levelled, using the spoil from the line's construction
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to create The Head cricket ground.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09David's taking me to have a look.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13It's a lovely setting for a cricket match.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Cricket has always been an important part of Tonbridge school.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I think partly because of the lovely ground we have here
0:19:19 > 0:19:21but also because of the presence in the school
0:19:21 > 0:19:23of old boys like Colin Cowdrey,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26who was a boy here from 1946 until 1950.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Beginning with Colin Cowdrey
0:19:29 > 0:19:33many talented cricketers have emerged from this school.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Including his sons, Chris and Graham Cowdrey, and more recently
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Richard Ellison and Ed Smith, the Test Match Special pundit.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45The area is as noted for cricket balls as cricket stars.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48And here's how it's made down in the garden of Kent.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50While the hide strips for the cover are drying,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53the core or quilt is being fashioned,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55the cover is cut into quarters and these are sewn
0:19:55 > 0:20:00together into halves by a process known as closing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So a powerful vice is used to press them together and up into a slight ridge.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Now comes another lot of sewing, with threads of specially prepared flax.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12And then the harvest, ammunition for village greens and county pitches.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Neil Robinson from the MCC Museum will educate me, it seems.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- What have you got here? - We have got a sample of 3 balls
0:20:21 > 0:20:23from various periods through history.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and you will notice immediately simply from the size
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and design that they really haven't changed that much.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33If you'd like to pop these gloves on you will be able to weigh them in your hands.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Now that is the oldest cricket ball known to exist anywhere in the world.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41It was used at a match at Lords in 1820
0:20:41 > 0:20:46So this ball feels to me pretty much like a cricket ball of today.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50It should do the only notable difference is obviously the leather has faded over the last 2 centuries.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55- And this newer ball. - The second ball we have here
0:20:55 > 0:21:01dates from 1902. You'll see the leather has faded slightly but isn't quite as far gone as the 1820 ball.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04This was used in a match at the Oval a test match between England
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and Australia which England won by one wicket,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09a very famous match, a very thrilling innings by Gilbert Jessop.
0:21:09 > 0:21:15And it was actually made, this ball, in the John Wisden and Co works on Baltic Road here in Tonbridge.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19John Wisden, now that's a name I know surely for the cricket almanacs.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Well, yes indeed, Wisden brought out his first cricket almanac in 1864
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and it's been going for 150 years now rather like Bradshaw there.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- Yeah, this is 1864ish as well. - Indeed.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- An important year for cricket? - It was very much so.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37WG Grace made his first appearance at Lords, over arm bowling was legalised.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40So you may say the modern world was making itself
0:21:40 > 0:21:43felt in cricket as it was through the railways and other areas.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Well, Neal, I don't believe I have touched a cricket ball for some decades
0:21:47 > 0:21:48but this has given me an idea.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54This is where Bradshaw turns to Brad-MAN.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Oh, yes!
0:22:09 > 0:22:12My luck is in today.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Wow, we're off again.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Even Bradman had his bad days.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41Bowled over by the cricketing prowess of Tonbridge school, I'm detouring further west into Surrey.
0:22:41 > 0:22:48I'm changing trains at Redhill because something in my Bradshaw's has piqued my interest.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I'm on my way to Dorking.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Bradshaw's tells me it's celebrated for its poultry.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Particularly for a five-toed breed called Dorkings,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07supposed to have been introduced by the Romans.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Now that's worth crossing the road for!
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I'm going to visit Wymbleton farm,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28where Lana Gazder is going to tell me all about this noble fowl.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Hello, Lana.- Hello, Michael. Nice to meet you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34I'd never thought of counting the toes of a chicken but Bradshaw's
0:23:34 > 0:23:38tells me there's a special five-toed variety here in Dorking.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40There is and they are quite rare.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It is one of the oldest chickens in Britain if not the oldest.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And the five toes is a bit of a mystery where it came from.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50People think that the Romans brought the Dorking in
0:23:50 > 0:23:52but I don't believe that.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55If that was so, there would still be Dorkings in Italy.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58So I tend to think they were here already,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00possibly brought in by the Venetian traders,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04they might have brought in the Hudan or the Arden, they have five toes,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and they may have mixed them with the Scott's dumpy,
0:24:08 > 0:24:14so I reckon there was a five-toed bird in England and when the Romans came they recognised them as
0:24:14 > 0:24:18an excellent bird to feed their army, and I do believe they perfected them.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Just show me the difference.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23These are the front three toes, which every chicken has,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and they also have a fourth toe at the back.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28But the Dorking has a fifth toe, so that is the unusual bit.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34It's probably a deformity but it was bred in an it's a dominant feature
0:24:34 > 0:24:37OK so they have more toes. What else makes them special?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39What makes them important?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41They're important for the fact
0:24:41 > 0:24:46they are probably the most excellent meat bird in Britain.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52Also, the whole shape of them is a lengthy, rectangular bird.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- Are Dorkings still sold for meat? - Sadly not.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00It's economically not viable nowadays.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04The Dorking's eggs were particularly prized by Queen Victoria
0:25:04 > 0:25:09She insisted on them being served because they were delicious and digestible.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14I just have to find out what all the fuss is about.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Mmm, lovely dark yellow hue.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26It's bursting with flavour. Absolutely glorious.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31- And you can assure me that it's also easy on my digestion!- Absolutely.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Queen Victoria couldn't have been wrong!
0:25:35 > 0:25:37This humble chicken has put Dorking on the map.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40There's a 10 foot statue of a Dorking
0:25:40 > 0:25:44installed on a roundabout in 2007.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47It was modelled on one of Lana's exhibition chickens.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I'll now help her to prepare one for a show.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55This is a dark Dorking.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57What are you going to do first?
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I will very carefully put her in the water.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04And very quietly apply the water without scaring her.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08No brisk movements is the secret.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Dab the sponge until she gets used to it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16And then you have to very carefully scrub at her legs.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, Lana, I can absolutely tell you that I have never before
0:26:19 > 0:26:22scrubbed the feet of a chicken with a toothbrush!
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- What a handsome beast you're going to be!- She's enjoying it I think
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Very well behaved indeed,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30considering she's being groomed by an amateur.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Now, you've got one wet chicken.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I have. She'll have to be blow dried.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40- You can't be serious. - No, they really enjoy it because if you think of a chicken
0:26:40 > 0:26:44on a tree, the wind blowing through their feathers,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46that's a natural thing for them.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48This, I have to see.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Very handy having help.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Under the wing.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02She'll be feeling nice and warm now, won't she?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06I quite like a wash and blow dry myself so we're birds of a feather!
0:27:06 > 0:27:11- I think she's virtually done now with the hairdryer.- Well, Lana, thank you so much.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And just to think I would never have discovered a five-toed
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Dorking without my Bradshaw's guide!
0:27:16 > 0:27:18That's very good.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The Duke of Wellington remarked that the battle of Waterloo
0:27:28 > 0:27:29was won on the playing fields of Eton.
0:27:29 > 0:27:35You might also say that test matches have been won on the cricket square of Tonbridge school.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41Warm beer, cricket and public schools were parts of Victorian culture.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The white cliffs of Dover would be the front line in which
0:27:45 > 0:27:49British customs and values would be defended against aggressors.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54A sentiment expressed in patriotic language by my Bradshaw's guide.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Next time, I'll pick up the scent underground in Brighton...
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I had no idea that sewage had such a sweet tinkle to it.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06..Visit a party palace fit for a queen...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08"As the royal pair approached Castle Square,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11"the crowed pressed forward more closely
0:28:11 > 0:28:15"and some errand boys rudely peered beneath her majesty's bonnet."
0:28:15 > 0:28:16How frightful!
0:28:16 > 0:28:19..And pass the chequered flag in style.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24- Down the straight they are doing 180 miles per hour.- I can't believe it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29- I'm touching just over 60 now and enjoying it.- That was 70, come on!