Swansea to Hereford Great British Railway Journeys

For Victorian Britons, George Bradshaw was a household name.

At a time when railways were new, Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them

to take to the tracks.

I'm using Bradshaw's guide to understand how trains

transformed Britain -

its landscape, its industries, society and leisure time.

As I crisscross the country 150 years later,

it helps me to discover the Britain of today.

Today, I am excited to be embarking on the Heart of Wales line.

Completed only in 1868 to serve the needs of the agricultural,

tin and anthracite industries,

now it's used mainly by locals and tourists who gasp at its spectacular

viaducts and tunnels on a line that is historic, scenic and epic.

This week, I'm travelling across Britain

from west Wales to East Anglia.

My journey, which began in Pembroke Dock, continued to Swansea

and now passes through the valleys and mountains of Wales,

crossing into Herefordshire and moving south-east to Oxford

to take in Bedford and to end in Cambridge.

Today's leg begins in Swansea,

moves north to marvel at the exotic in Llandeilo,

finds a room with a view in Ludlow,

heads south to Leominster, before arriving in Hereford.

On this journey, I receive a lesson in Welsh pronunciation...

Start from Pantyffynnon to Llandeilo,

then there's Llandeilo to Llandovery, Llandovery to Llanwrtyd.

You don't get confused with all your Llans do you?

Well, I don't! HE CHUCKLES

..step into my dancing shoes for a quadrille...

And away they go!

..and put my schoolboy scrumping skills to good use.

Heavens. That is delicious!

-Nice and fruity, isn't it?

-Oh!

Be even better when it's alcoholic!

HE LAUGHS Definitely.

Part of your five a day, that.

This part of the line had been built by 1857,

and so my Bradshaw's lists the stations which are tongue twisters

for the non-Welsh-speaker.

Llanelly, Llandeilo, Llangadock, Llandovery.

I'll be getting off at Llandeilo in order to visit Aberglasney,

magnetised, as Victorians were, by its old-fashioned gardens.

At the time of my guidebook, in order to reach the gardens

visitors would pass through the picturesque medieval market town

of Llandeilo on the River Towy.

With the expansion of the British Empire, exotic plants

such as rhododendrons and azaleas reached Britain.

By the mid-19th century, botany had gripped the nation.

With it came revived interest in formal garden design

of earlier eras.

So it's no surprise that Aberglasney's Elizabethan parterres

were a source of inspiration to green-fingered Victorians.

I'm meeting Roger Evans of the Aberglasney Restoration Trust.

Roger, there's a delightful tranquillity here.

A lady visiting about the time of my Bradshaw's Guide, Hermione Jennings,

talked about it being a curiously old-fashioned place.

What would she have meant by that?

Well, the basic structure of the garden goes back to the early 1600s

and has remained fundamentally unchanged since that time

So these structures, what were their origins?

When Bishop Rudd moved here as bishop of St David's in 1594,

he brought with him the idea of cloisters

from his previous posting at Gloucester Cathedral,

and so he built these magnificent cloisters.

And fortunately, these remain now the only cloistered gardens

left in the UK.

But not all of the gardens are frozen in time.

In 2005, the Trust created something new - a Ninfarium.

It took its inspiration from the Italian gardens of Ninfa,

planted amongst medieval ruins.

The Ninfarium occupies the mansion's ruinous central rooms and courtyard.

It's subtropical in here!

I sense how exciting the grand glass houses of the 18th

and 19th centuries must have seemed to the Victorians.

Amongst the tropical plants I am meeting volunteer gardener,

Helen Scutt.

The Victorians had a fondness for glasshouses?

They did because I suppose it was a different environment for them,

they could express their artistic urge.

And of course, when all these plant explorers came back

with these new exotic plants, things like pineapples,

these strange, bizarre things -

ginger and passion flowers -

they had nowhere to grow them

because, of course, it's rainy and wet in Britain.

So they had to build these houses, if you like, to show them off in,

so why not create something quite beautiful at the same time?

Everyday Victorians were inspired by the grand glasshouses

of Regent's Park and Kew Gardens.

With innovations in manufacturing

and the abolition of the window tax in 1851,

they might hope to emulate them at a domestic scale.

What do you think the Victorians

would have made of a space like this?

They would have loved it.

They liked anything that was new and off-centre and exciting,

and I think this is a very exciting space.

They were building grottos and other sort of garden buildings,

so to come into a ruined garden like this,

I think they would have loved it.

It's now time to resume my journey north-east,

through mid Wales towards Ludlow.

I am going back on the Heart of Wales line

as it enters ever-more picturesque countryside.

The best place to see its twists and turns

is from the driver's point of view in the cab.

I am keen to appreciate why this line, completed in 1868,

is known as one of the most scenic in Britain.

Long-serving driver Haydn Williams

is happy for me to ride shotgun.

A very picturesque line, Haydn.

Do you think it is up there with the best in Britain?

Oh, definitely.

The best, probably.

How long have you been driving it?

Uh.. Since 1970, I started.

And this is the line I started on.

-Good heavens. That is a long time.

-That is a long time.

There's some quite spectacular features, aren't there?

You've got a couple of viaducts and a tunnel?

Yes, we've got Cynghordy Viaduct,

which is just the other side of Llandovery.

Plus you've got Sugar Loaf Tunnel.

It's 1,001 yards long.

Much of the Heart of Wales line is single track

and a Victorian signalling system that allows trains to pass safely

is still in use today.

Single track, how do you manage occupation of the track?

With the token.

This is what gives you permission to be on the track.

This train doesn't go anywhere without this.

When do we exchange that?

We exchange it now in Llandovery, for the next section.

Do you know how long that system has existed?

Well, before I started!

HE LAUGHS

-Very ancient indeed!

-Oh! Well, yeah.

Electronic token block signalling was in service by 1880.

Only the driver in possession of a token

could occupy a block of track at a given time.

It proved fail-safe.

2957 at Llandovery. I put Llandeilo-Llandovery token in.

Can I have the Llandovery-Llanwrtyd token out, please?

-You've asked permission to get the token.

-Yes.

-And he's now going to release that?

-That's it. And we get the light.

If you don't get the light, you can't get the token out.

Should then get a series of lights. There we are.

I've got Llandovery-Llanwrtyd token,

the white set-for-departure light is lit and the TPWS is flashing.

There's only one of these tokens, is there?

There's more than one token but there's only token out at one time

and this is the only one that can be released.

You cannot release any more tokens out of the machine now

-until we put this one back in.

-Aha.

-So we can be clear that the track is ours?

-Yes.

-So we have our new token.

-Yes, we do.

How many places are there along the line

where you have to exchange the token?

The five sections are start from Pantyffynnon to Llandeilo,

then there's Llandeilo to Llandovery,

Llandovery to Llanwrtyd, Llanwrtyd to Llandrindod,

and Llandrindod to Knighton.

It's easy for you to say!

Then the final one, Knighton to Craven Arms.

Oh, that one I can manage!

You don't get confused with all your Llans do you?

Well, I don't!

I am looking forward to the Cynghordy Viaduct.

Will I get a good view of it?

Yes, you will.

It gives you quite a view of the valley either side as well,

which is quite spectacular.

Oh, I can see the arches now spreading out below.

That is beautiful!

That is superb.

In 1860, the Central Wales Extension Railway

commissioned the Cynghordy Viaduct.

18 arches long, this magnificent structure of sandstone and brick

stands at a dizzying height of 100 foot over the Bran Valley.

-What's our next stop, Haydn?

-Llandrindod Well is our next stop.

It's where we change tokens and I will change with the other driver.

Ah, well. I have really enjoyed my ride had a fantastic view

and I have enjoyed your passion for Heart of Wales Line.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

Today, the line carries around 200,000 people a year,

but historically it carried freight - mainly iron and coal.

Britain was building great iron ships

and railways for world markets and the demand for coal,

used in iron smelting and for steam power, was growing rapidly.

By the 1870s, Welsh coal production had exceeded 18 million tonnes.

As the train pulls into Llandrindod Wells, I'm in for a surprise.

Well, hello!

CROWD SHOUTS: Hello!

What a wonderfully, beautifully dressed group of people you are!

-Very nice to see you.

-How do you do?

Why are you having a Victorian festival?

Victorian town, spa town,

and this is an annual festival which has been going for 33 years.

We heard you were on the train, so we've all come to welcome you.

-That's really sweet of you.

-We're thrilled to bits to see you.

-Can I just hold that?

-You may hold the Bradshaw's! Oh!

THE CROWD CHEERS

May I say that I never seen a better dressed group of people

on any railway station in Britain!

-Have a wonderful festival!

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Once connected to the line in 1868,

remote spa towns like Llandrindod Wells

were transformed into holiday resorts.

Tourists from South Wales, the Midlands and Northeast England

flocked to the town's spas and pools to take the waters.

I am now on my way to Craven Arms,

where I shall take a mainline train and head south into Shropshire.

My destination now is Ludlow.

Bradshaw's tells me that of the old castle, the only remains are

a chapel in the Norman style, a great hall

and a keep 100ft high.

I can think of no better way to end my day

than with a delightful panorama.

The arrival of the train in 1852 transformed Ludlow into

something of a tourist magnet, with the castle as its main attraction.

And before I turn in for the night, I am heading straight to the top.

By the 15th century, Ludlow Castle was the seat of government

for Wales and the border counties,

and thanks to its pivotal role in the War of the Roses,

a royal palace too.

Ah, yes. What a view.

Looking that way towards Wales.

Here taking in the county of Shropshire.

An excellent vista over the ruins of the castle.

That, I believe, with the fine tower, is the church of St Laurence.

And the River Teme just below me.

As so often before, Bradshaw's has been a reliable guide.

After a good night's sleep, I am continuing my journey south

towards Hereford.

My first stop today is Leominster.

Bradshaw's tells me that it has,

"..a considerable trade in wheat, wool, hops and cider.

"Many of the buildings of timber and plaster are grotesquely ornamented."

It recommends the Lion Hotel.

Leominster was at a hub of Georgian coach routes.

Hotels like the Lion, offering travellers entertainment,

experienced a boom.

I'm visiting the Lion Hotel's ballroom.

For it was here in 1853 that a grand ball was held

to celebrate the opening of the Ludlow to Hereford railway.

James.

-Morning, Michael.

-Very good to see you.

Owner James Hinton has kindly offered to show me inside.

It's superb!

With its lovely pillars and its chandeliers.

Tell me about the history of this ballroom.

The hotel itself was a coaching inn and, obviously before the railways,

coaching was the prominent means of getting people and parcels

around the country.

And this was the grand assembly room for the hotel.

Built in 1840 in the fashionable neo-classical style,

it was designed to host formal dances.

But the Lion Hotel's lavish improvement came too late.

Within a decade of reopening, it was bankrupt.

What happened to the hotel?

Well, unfortunately the railways are what happened to the hotel.

You're serious? The impact of the railway was that immediate?

Yes. You didn't need a horse and carriage to get to Hereford -

you had the railways.

Suddenly you could travel around the country within a day

as opposed to three or four days.

Within a week of the service being up and running,

the hotel was available to let.

I notice that the ballroom is in superb condition,

so I'm assuming it's still used for functions?

Oh, very much so. It still gets used for, would you believe,

-Victorian dancing.

-Really?

Yes!

MICHAEL LAUGHS

How elegant! How beautiful!

Welcome, ladies.

Evidently, you do perform Victorian dances here.

Yes, we do. Yes.

-Every week.

-Every week?

Yes, we have a practice and run through mostly quadrilles.

A Quadrille was a fashionable formation dance imported from Paris.

Together with the waltz, polka and mazurka

it became a favourite on the Victorian dance floor.

As you may have feared, I'm going to give it a go.

TRIO PLAYS A CLASSICAL PIECE

For the aspiring middle class, strict protocols governed

how to behave and dress, and they extended to the ballroom.

Ladies danced by invitation

and introductions could be made only by a husband or chaperone.

The rule book is extensive.

I'm clutching on to the rule that says,

"What happens in the ballroom stays in the ballroom."

Apart from a few bruised toes, my performance will be forgotten.

Thank you.

Dear lady.

SHE CHUCKLES

After my impromptu dance lesson, I'm in need of refreshment.

Travelling south through the West Midlands,

my final destination of this leg promises to be just the ticket.

I am going now as far as Hereford.

Bradshaw's tells me that, "The soil is a rich tract of meadow, orchard

"and timber, and the internal trade is chiefly in agricultural products,

"good cider and perry, which require a little brandy to qualify them."

Well, I feel qualified by experience to sample them.

Hereford boasts a long history of cider making,

which moved forward with the Industrial Revolution

from farmhouse cider mills to factory production.

The coming of the railway in 1853 opened new markets

and the cider factories helped the industry to survive

the Great Agricultural Depression of the late 19th century.

Today, there's a growing taste for specialist ciders,

which keeps farmers like Dennis Gwatkin very busy.

Hello, Dennis!

Hello there! Hello.

Vigorous action. I take it it's harvest time?

Yes, it's this time of year again.

These apples are much smaller than I imagined.

Yeah, they're cider apples.

They're unlike your eaters and cookers.

They're like little bullets, really.

They're bittersweet.

Mmm. Not bad, though. Not bad at all.

In 1877, 24,000 acres of Herefordshire

were given over to orchards,

more than any other county in Britain.

Bradshaw's talks about needing a little brandy to qualify the cider.

What does that mean?

Some of the cider, especially the farm ciders years ago,

was pretty rough stuff.

The scrumpy, as you might say.

And sometimes when it was drank in the pubs or cider houses of the day,

they put a little bit of brandy with it to make it a bit more palatable.

So how to make cider. First grow your apples,

second get the apples off the tree.

-Can I give you a hand with that?

-Yeah, by all means!

Watch you head, watch you head.

DENNIS LAUGHS

We're not going to get drunk tonight, are we!

THEY BOTH LAUGH

Shaking the tree to harvest the ripe fruit is a tried and tested method.

Finally, I have enough apples to make my first batch of cider.

This looks like a fine vintage piece of machinery you've got here.

Yeah, it's a Victorian cider mill and press, travelling mill and press.

ENGINE CRANKS UP

We're off!

And away they go!

The machinery may be outdated but the production method is sound.

The mill passes the apples between two stone rollers

to produce pulp for the press.

MACHINE CHUGS

I learnt my technique shovelling on a steam engine!

Similar thing, I guess.

My next task is to fill the press with layers of pulp

sandwiched between porous cheesecloths

to separate out the juice.

Getting near full, I would say, now. That's getting near enough.

Now we've got to fold the cloths over to form the cheese.

We take the press board off.

-Nice heavy board.

-Yup.

A couple of oak blocks.

Now the hard work begins.

And you'll begin to see the juice start to run.

Excellent. We have our first drops, I think.

It's coming.

TRICKLING

The juice is strained through the cloth into a barrel,

where it will ferment for two months.

MICHAEL STRAINS

We've got a good flow there.

Can you actually drink that stuff?

Oh, yeah. It's pure apple juice, that.

Now's the time to drink it

to know what sort of cider you're going to get.

MICHAEL GROANS

Straight off the press.

Heavens! That is delicious.

-Nice and fruity, isn't it?

-Oh! Mmm!

Be even better when it's alcoholic.

DENNIS LAUGHS Definitely!

Part of your five a day, that.

After today's physical exertion, I feel a refreshment is deserved.

I can't imagine a more charming hostelry

than Dennis' historic cider house.

Who came in here?

The farm workers, the locals.

And that thing which looks as if it belongs to a St Bernard,

what is that?

DENNIS CHUCKLES That is a costrel.

That is an old term for a vessel that would have been taken out

in the fields every day by the farm workers

and that was actually paid as part of their wages.

-Cider?

-Cider. Definitely, yeah.

The better the cider, the better the farm workers, the farm got,

so it was in their interest to make sure they made a good drop.

They were allowed two of those a day.

Cos all that stuff was banned in the middle Victorian period

by a thing called the Truck Act.

Yes, I think the politicians stepped in

and stopped a good thing, as usual!

The 1887 Truck Act was one of many attempts to stamp out

the practice of payment in kind and with it bonded labour.

The rapid changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution

prompted enlightened Victorians to enact a raft of laws

aimed at protecting both adults and children at work.

-What have we here?

-This is a pint of Yarlington Mill.

It is a nice medium-sweet, fresh sort of tasting cider, that one.

Oh. That is lovely. Mmm, I like that.

Would I know about it if I drank a pint or two?

Oh, most definitely.

This is about 7% in alcohol, so it's...

You're not serious?

Oh, most serious.

Oh, my goodness. Well, bottoms up!

And thank you very much for offering me this lovely pint.

Not a problem at all.

I think for your hard day's labour, this is payment in kind.

I thought that had been banned!

A perfect day is drawing to a close and there's just enough time

to finish my pint before heading to the station to continue my journey.

From this part of my journey,

I should like to forget my attempts to stumble around a ballroom.

And cider laced with brandy, as recommended by my Bradshaw's,

would certainly induce oblivion.

But I shall long remember the Heart of Wales railway,

a Victorian masterpiece, in itself a thing of beauty,

which has enabled generations to appreciate the splendours

of the Welsh hillsides passing their carriage window at a leisurely pace.

'Next time, my heart is in my mouth as I go down a mine...'

We're 300ft below the surface and it's a strange feeling, isn't it?

It is, yep.

'..I plough my way through Oxfordshire...'

-You happy there? Are you a relaxed man?

-Yeah.

-Good. I'm very relaxed about this.

-Keep... Don't put it quite so tight.

-That's it. Perfect.

-Very nice.

-Perfect!

'..and I glimpse some racy artwork at Blenheim Palace.'

Ooh la la! There's a lot of flesh on display.

They were perhaps a little too risque for the ladies to see.