0:00:04 > 0:00:08For Victorian Britons, George Bradshaw was a household name.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10At a time when railways were new,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them to take to the tracks.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20I'm using a Bradshaw's Guide to understand how trains transformed
0:00:20 > 0:00:26Britain, its landscape, its industry, society and leisure time.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31As I crisscross the country 150 years later, it helps me
0:00:31 > 0:00:33to discover the Britain of today.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I'm beginning a journey through the north-western quarter of England.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It contains some of Britain's loveliest scenery.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04But it was also the cradle of the Industrial Revolution
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and its great cities polluted the air and the water.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Trains enabled urban workers occasionally to escape
0:01:12 > 0:01:17from the grime, but then again, mass tourism threatened the beauty spots.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21On this journey, I hope to discover how the Victorians were the
0:01:21 > 0:01:26first generation to struggle with the conflict between progress and nature.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Following my Bradshaw's Guide,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37my route will cross northwest England to finish in the West Midlands.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42It begins close to the Scottish border,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46heads through the mountains and valleys of Cumbria,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51continues south through Lancashire's once smoke-filled cities
0:01:51 > 0:01:52and teeming docks,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and ends in Staffordshire.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Today's leg starts in Carlisle,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03moves east to the Victorian market town of Brampton,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07then heads southwest to Penrith, the gateway to the northern lakes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15'On this journey, I get to grips with factory life...'
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Oh, that's quite a good one!
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- Well done!- Quite a good one! So exciting when I get it right!
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'..descend to the bowels of the Earth...'
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Is this the little incline you were talking about?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- This is the little incline, yeah. - This is a rollercoaster.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This is a fairground ride. What the hell! Argh!
0:02:32 > 0:02:35'..and come out on top of the world.'
0:02:35 > 0:02:39So I'm now walking out on air and the drop beneath me
0:02:39 > 0:02:41appears to be infinite.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52My first stop will be Carlisle,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55which Bradshaw's describes as, "a healthy spot on the Eden
0:02:55 > 0:02:58"in Cumberland, on the Scottish border,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01"once the key to Scotland on this side of the island."
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And I might add that its railway station is a suitable gateway
0:03:05 > 0:03:07to England.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Carlisle is known as the Great Border City,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17positioned ten miles south of Scotland.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21And, thanks to the Victorians, it's the main cultural, commercial
0:03:21 > 0:03:26and industrial centre in north Cumbria.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29By Bradshaw's day, Carlisle Citadel Station had united the city's
0:03:29 > 0:03:33expanding rail connections under one roof.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Carlisle was once served by seven different railway companies.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42It was the scene of intense competition between those
0:03:42 > 0:03:46great railway builders, George Stephenson and Joseph Locke.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It once boasted the largest railway marshalling yard in Europe.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It was a strategic hub on the West Coast Mainline,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56just south of the Scottish border.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Rail links with the northwest and northeast of England
0:04:01 > 0:04:04transformed the city into a thriving industrial centre.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Today, Carlisle boasts a population of more than 100,000
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and it's the historic home of some of the country's major food producers.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19I'm heading to the McVitie's factory, who make Carr's biscuits.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Bradshaw's has the most extraordinary entry.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28"Carlisle is celebrated for its manufacture of fancy biscuits.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32"The leading establishment being Messrs Carr.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35"If curiosity should induce the tourist to make a visit,
0:04:35 > 0:04:40"we do not hesitate to say that it would be found highly interesting.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44"If any prejudice exist against fancy biscuits,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47"it will at once be removed on an inspection of the works,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50"even from the minds of the most fastidious.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54"The most scrupulous cleanliness being observable throughout."
0:04:54 > 0:04:59So, removing all prejudice from my mind, I set out biscuit-wards.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06'I've not heard of a fancy biscuit, but hopefully factory general
0:05:06 > 0:05:10'manager Angela Gibbs can shed some light on the matter.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Angela, my Bradshaw's Guide is rather polite about this place.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17He calls it a manufactory. When did it all begin?
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Well, Jonathan Dodgson Carr came up from Kendal in 1831.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25He opened a shop in Carlisle, first of all baking bread,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and then he moved eventually to this site.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31This factory was up and running by 1841,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35so that's a fantastic achievement in ten years.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40'Jonathan Dodgson Carr had come to Carlisle to make his fortune.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47'He achieved it through his ingenuity and by harnessing steam power
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'to produce biscuits on an industrial scale.'
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I get the impression from the guide book that this place was quite
0:05:55 > 0:05:58mechanised by the 1860s.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Yes, it was, because this is the birthplace of biscuit automation.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Jonathan Dodgson Carr was an amazingly inventive man
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and he saw what was happening in the printing industry and
0:06:09 > 0:06:14he adapted a printing press to stamp out 20, 30, 40 biscuits at a time.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18And that revolutionised the biscuit industry.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22'But Carr also needed to develop an appealing product.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'Biscuits had been hard, dry and savoury,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'used to sustain the Navy on long voyages.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30'He came up with a plan.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:33There's an extraordinarily long passage in my guide book
0:06:33 > 0:06:35about fancy biscuits.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37What did Victorians mean by that?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41That evolved here into the famous Carr's Table Water,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43but they were very plain biscuits.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47What happened later in the 1800s was the development of what's
0:06:47 > 0:06:51referred to as fancy biscuits - amazing different ingredients
0:06:51 > 0:06:53and different types of biscuits.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55The custard creams, the bourbon creams,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58the jam rings that we know today,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03but also amazing things like ragged robin creams and just desserts.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05They had an amazing array.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And Carr's made those into assortments and sold them
0:07:08 > 0:07:10as fancy biscuits.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12A simple treat that people could afford.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'Carr's timing couldn't have been better.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'Coach travellers had been able to stop for food at roadside inns.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22'With the arrival of the railways,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'people began to make longer journeys and, often,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28'they were unable to buy refreshments along the way.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32'And so the demand for a travel snack was born.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35'Today, fancy biscuits are as popular as ever.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:38How many biscuits are you producing per year?
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Well, we make 3.5 billion packets of biscuits a year.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Things like custard creams, six million a day, bourbon creams,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50six million a day. Ginger nuts, seven million a day.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54So this is an amazing legacy to Jonathan Dodgson Carr.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58'In the 21st century, the machinery may be modern, but the role
0:07:58 > 0:08:02'of the biscuit packer has changed little since Bradshaw's day.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:06The first thing you have to do is judge how many biscuits
0:08:06 > 0:08:07go in a packet.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Then you have to seize them, squeeze them like a concertina,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14transport them over here, rest them on the edge,
0:08:14 > 0:08:19divide them in two, all while this thing is racing past.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20It's impossible!
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Not too much squeezing!
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Not too much squeezing. Here we go.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28That one was a little bit short.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36That's it. There you go. Well done.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40That's your first packet of biscuits. Pull them towards you.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Not so good.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Too many, too many, too many.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49This is much more difficult than it looks.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51You're causing havoc down here!
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- Not quite.- Not quite. Getting there. Oh, that's quite a good one.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Yeah, well done.- Quite a good one!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02So exciting when I get it right!
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Angela, I'm sorry.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I think I destroyed about three billion biscuits.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Well, you did very well, but there needs to be a lot more
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- improvement before we could employ you.- I know.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14But I hope you'll take some of our fancy biscuits with you to
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- enjoy on the rest of your journey. - Oh, thank you. In an antique tin.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20That's absolutely marvellous. I've really enjoyed the visit.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21- Thank you for coming.- Bye.- Bye.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26'Well, I won't be giving up the day job.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30'Before returning to the station, I'm making a small detour.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'My interest has been sparked by a church in the nearby village Wreay
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'and I can't leave without having a peek.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42'My guide is to be architect Raymond Whittaker.'
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Well met, Raymond. - Welcome to St Mary's, Michael.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- It's lovely to be here. What an amazing facade!- It is.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Quite extraordinary, isn't it?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Raymond, I'm ashamed to say that this wonderful church
0:09:52 > 0:09:54does not appear in Bradshaw's,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57but that great architectural commentator Pevsner does
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and says it's the finest ecclesiastical piece
0:10:00 > 0:10:03of Victorian architecture, but it's absolutely extraordinary.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04What are we looking at here?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07It's a bit of Italy set in north Cumbria.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09It's a Romanesque basilica church.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It's a very simple form,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15but look at the details of it and you see absolutely amazing things.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18You see fossils, you see animals and insects.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21It's absolutely full of these things.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26'In 1840, St Mary's was in a poor state of repair.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28'Wealthy local resident
0:10:28 > 0:10:32'and self-taught designer Sarah Losh offered to fund a new building,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36'on condition that she had a free hand in its design.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:40What is so striking then is that, as far as I can see,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42there are no virgins, there are no crucifixes,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46there are none of the symbols that I would expect to find.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Absolutely not, no. But it is a church full of symbolism.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54It's even pre-Christian, slightly pagan, but very personal to Sarah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Now, the first thing I want to show you, Michael, are these pine cones.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- Very handsome. What do they tell us? - They have quite a story behind them.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Because Sarah had a friend, William Thain, he was in the Army
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and he went to fight in Afghanistan and unfortunately was killed there.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18But before then, he sent back a pine cone to Sarah.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Sarah planted it in the churchyard and it grew into a tree here.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25To Sarah, it was a symbol of new life
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and also a symbol of her dear friend, William.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33'In the 1830s, Britain experienced a great religious revival.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36'By 1872, the number of churches across the country had
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'increased by over a third.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43'St Mary's broke the architectural mould.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- Tell me about the form. A Roman basilica?- Yes, it is.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And going against the trend of the day.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52If you think of Victorian architecture,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56there would be Gothic churches, high steeples, big pointed arches,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00but here we have a very simple form, a simple rectangular knave
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and this fantastic curved apse.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04What was a basilica in Roman times?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07A basilica was in fact a Roman law court.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10In the apse would be seating the judges, the chief judge
0:12:10 > 0:12:14in the centre and in the middle there, the sacrificial table.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'Somewhat unusually for a woman of her time,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'Sarah was highly educated and well travelled.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25'She drew inspiration for St Mary's from a grand tour of the Continent,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'undertaken with her sister Katherine.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- Was Sarah Losh a married woman? - No, she never did marry.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Her parents died when she was young and she,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38with her sister Katherine, grew up together, but unfortunately,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Katherine also died quite young
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and Sarah built this church in memory of her younger sister.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49'Katherine's death in 1835 devastated Sarah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'And, after completing St Mary's in 1842,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'she built a mausoleum for her in the grounds of the church.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04'Styles and fashions have changed very much since Victorian times
0:13:04 > 0:13:08'and this might seem to our tastes flamboyant.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10'For Victorians, a mausoleum
0:13:10 > 0:13:14'expressed the enormity of love and of loss.'
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- That is very lovely, isn't it? Very moving. And very refined.- Yes, it is.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23It's a very fine marble statue by a sculptor called David Dunbar,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27but it's based on a sketch that Sarah did of Katherine
0:13:27 > 0:13:29when they were on their grand tour in Italy.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Katherine was sitting by a northern lake in Italy and there she is
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and in her hand, she's holding a pine cone.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40And so even though Sarah avoided in her architecture
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Christian symbols, she provides her lamented sister
0:13:44 > 0:13:46with a token of resurrection.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52'It's been a treat to head off the beaten track
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'and to discover such a peaceful haven.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58'Back to the hurly burly of Carlisle station.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04'Like a travel-weary Victorian, I'm feeling a little peckish.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07'My prize tin of fancy biscuits
0:14:07 > 0:14:10'should keep me going until I reach my hotel tonight
0:14:10 > 0:14:14'at my next stop in Brampton, about ten miles east of Carlisle.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- Hello there.- Hello. How are you?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- I'm very well. Do you feel lucky today?- Yes, I do.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- Cos I've got a little treat for you. - Oh, right.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29They're not quite as old as the tin...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I was going to say, very old treat. Thank you.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- Do you fancy a biscuit?- Yes, that's very kind. Thank you very much.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Do you know?
0:14:37 > 0:14:40In my old Bradshaw's Guide, these are referred to as fancy biscuits.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- Are they?- Yeah.- I didn't know that.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- Shall we see whether they taste fancy?- Are they made in Carlisle?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- They are Carr's biscuits, in the old parlance, you know.- Oh, right.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50There we go.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- Very nice.- Mm.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Thank you.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01- When you travel by train, do you ever fancy a biscuit?- Yes, quite often.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Mm.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- Particularly chocolate ones.- Oh... I've taken the chocolate one.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- You should have told me.- It's OK. - Were you being polite?- I was.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11You fancied the chocolate one, you left it.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13That's very nice of you.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Hello. Is there anyone here who likes biscuits?
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- Do you want one?- Yes, please. - Would you like a biscuit?- Mm.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Yes, please.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29What's your favourite biscuit?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- Do you like that one?- These biscuits. - What would you describe that as?
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Fruity.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38A fruity biscuit. And you've gone for a custard cream. Do you like those?
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Yeah.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So, if zero is no good at all and ten is very good,
0:15:42 > 0:15:43how good is that biscuit?
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Hm...
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Eight?
0:15:46 > 0:15:49What do you think? How good is your biscuit, zero to ten?
0:15:49 > 0:15:51One?!
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Is that cos you want another one?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02My final stop of the day is Brampton,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05in the heart of the Cumbrian countryside,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07two miles south of Hadrian's Wall.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12With a population of 4,600, this small market town lays claim to the
0:16:12 > 0:16:17only church designed by the Victorian Pre-Raphaelite architect Philip Webb.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26My overnight rest is at the Howard Arms, mentioned in my Bradshaw's.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39I'm ready to resume my journey south to the heart of the Lake District.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Bradshaw's tells me that "Cumberland presents the traveller with perhaps
0:16:49 > 0:16:53"the grandest and most romantic scenery to be met within England."
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And then there's an intriguing reference to
0:16:57 > 0:16:59"minerals peculiar to the mountains".
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Now, one of those will put lead in your pencil, to be blunt.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'Ladies and gentlemen leaving the service here at Penrith,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'please take extra care as there is a large step down to the platform.'
0:17:18 > 0:17:22From Penrith station, the gateway to the Northern Lakes,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27I'll head 40 miles west by road, through glorious scenery.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31In 1865, the now-closed Cockermouth, Keswick
0:17:31 > 0:17:36and Penrith Railway opened up West Cumberland to Victorian tourists,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38who were keen to escape the grime of the city
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and to indulge in a late 19th century passion for fell walking.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Today, it's one of the most popular spots for ramblers
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and climbers in the United Kingdom.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But this region claims more than a spectacular landscape.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59The market town of Keswick was once home to the first pencil factory
0:17:59 > 0:18:02in the world, established in 1832.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's now based in new premises on the west coast, at Workington.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17I'm meeting Derwent Pencils' technical manager, Barbara Murray.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21When did pencil manufacture begin in the Lake District?
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Graphite was discovered in 1565 in the Borrowdale Valley,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28a shepherd uncovered it when he was in a thunderstorm.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31He thought it was lead. Black lead, they used to call it.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33And they started marking sheep with it,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37so that was the first use and then it evolved into pencils from there.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41It was for many years the only known source of graphite in Europe,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44the most valuable mineral ever mined in Cumbria.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46During the 18th century,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50local cottage industries were producing rudimentary pencils, but it
0:18:50 > 0:18:55wasn't until the early 19th century that the new writing tool took off.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00The Victorian factory made a slimline lead, invaluable to
0:19:00 > 0:19:01architects and engineers.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So, despite the development of the ballpoint pen and the computer
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and so on, there's still huge demand for pencils.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11There is a huge demand for pencils. We make about a million a week
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and we export to 70 or 80 countries all around the world.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16At the time of my guide book,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21the factory was already producing five to six million pencils a year.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25And, as the railways began to open up the Lake District to tourism,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29sketching the landscape became a popular holiday pastime.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32And the graphite pencil was the perfect tool.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- Is this all graphite in there? - It's a mixture of graphite and clay.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40This says it's 9B, which I think means it's very soft, is it?
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It does, yes. B means black and H means hard.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So the blend of graphite and clay varies,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49depending on the hardness or softness of the pencil.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Today, pencils are produced in every imaginable shade and colour.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- These are obviously your pigments. - Yes, they are.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00From just these few colours, we can blend 800 or 900 different colours.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01That's amazing.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Now, in Victorian times, how would you have made a yellow?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Yellow was probably made from plants in Victorian times.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10They would have been much duller because they were earth colours,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12so they'd have made them from plants
0:20:12 > 0:20:14or from iron oxides or from crushed insect.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16For example, the red would have been made from crushed insects.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19But nowadays, they're all chemically derived. Very dependable.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22They're always the same colour every time we buy them.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Pity though, to put all those crushed insects out of work, isn't it?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- It is! - SHE LAUGHS
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I'm pleased to see this historic company thriving nearly two centuries
0:20:32 > 0:20:36on, continuing to innovate as it did to achieve its early success.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I'm now heading through the Borrowdale valley
0:20:43 > 0:20:46towards my last destination of the day.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51Inspired by the romantic poetry of William Wordsworth and his passion
0:20:51 > 0:20:55for the Lakes, Victorians began to recognise this area for its beauty.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58By contrast, industrialists saw
0:20:58 > 0:21:02the potential of its great mineral wealth.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I've come to Honister slate mine in the Borrowdale valley,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10where Westmorland green slate has been quarried since the early 1700s.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14When mines were created here in 1833,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17north Cumbrian slate became big business.
0:21:17 > 0:21:23Today, it's the only operational slate mine of its kind in England.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I'm meeting co-owner Joe Weir.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Joe, here we are in what I might call the Slate District.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31How did you get into the business?
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Yeah, I got into it through me brother.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Me brother bought it as a derelict place about 20 years ago now.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Set it up.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Before then, me grandfather had worked here all my childhood days.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43And how do we get to the mine?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'm going to take you up in the Land Rover.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Joe, I've heard talk of inclines. What are inclines?
0:21:52 > 0:21:56They're like the motorway where they get all the slate out
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and they fetch the slate down on railway tracks.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Going very steeply up the mountain.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05The gradient on it is amazing, what they've built.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08In 1879, the pack horses
0:22:08 > 0:22:13and sledges were replaced by an inclined tramway that carried slate
0:22:13 > 0:22:15from the 2,000ft high quarries
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to a railway connected to the work sheds.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23- What are those pieces along the side of the incline?- The buttresses?- Yeah.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26That's where the men would come out with the bogies and the tubs
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and, if it was rubbish in the tubs,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32then they would chuck that over the edge and that would make the scree.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35If it was good slate, they would connect that on to the incline
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and then they would lower it down to the bottom.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42The Victorian slate mining industry rapidly expanded
0:22:42 > 0:22:46in response to a demand for slate roofing in towns and cities.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Massive population growth had created a national housing
0:22:51 > 0:22:52shortage across Britain.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- What's the market for slate these days?- It's a niche market.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Just like the olden days, we turn it in to roofing slate.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02We also make kitchens
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and the different products that we can make out of it.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09But we're in a very small way, compared to the olden days.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13There used to be 200 to 300 men work up here. Now, we have three men.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Wait a minute. Is this the little incline you were talking about?
0:23:19 > 0:23:21This is the little incline, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This is a rollercoaster. This is a fairground ride.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- What the hell! Argh! - You get used to it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Oh, yes? - You need a helmet now.- OK.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Michael, we'll have to get rid of that lovely little hat you've got,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35or you can place that on top.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Tea cosy off.- Very good.- Helmet on.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44At the time of my guide book, miners used pickaxes to hack out
0:23:44 > 0:23:47an impressive 3,000 tonnes of slate each year.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Joe is taking me deeper into the old mine,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54where he has a surprise in store.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I've brought you into here because I believe...
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I don't watch too much telly, but you're into railways, aren't you?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I'm into railways.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Here's our little railway. Our little 2ft gauge railway.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Electric, as you... You probably know more about it than me actually.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08I don't think so!
0:24:08 > 0:24:13In 1883, work began on the Honister Crag Railway,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16which was completed 13 years later.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20It greatly increased the amount of slate that could be shifted
0:24:20 > 0:24:21out of the mine each day.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24So what kind of weight can you put in one of those wagons?
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Maybe about three-quarters of a tonne.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29There's little wooden bogies we have as well
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and we can fit about two and a half tonne, that's a slate clog,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35what we call a clog, and our maximum would be about two and a half tonne.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38So you're really quite closely connected here
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- to the Victorian era, aren't you? - We are, yeah.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Alongside Honister slate mine, on the mountain edge,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49is Britain's only via ferrata, or iron way.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54It traces the route taken by Victorian miners whose daily
0:24:54 > 0:24:57walk to work was at a dizzying height of 2,000ft.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Hello. You lot look as if you're going on the via ferrata.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- ALL:- Yes, we are! - So, the question is why?
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- We don't know.- Might as well. - LAUGHTER
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- We've no idea!- So, are you nervous? - No, not at all. Just excited.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15So, what's the bit you're least looking forward to?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The bridge. The bridge what we have to go over.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20And why does that scare you?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Basically, because it wobbles about a bit.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Plus there's some strong winds up there as well.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Now it's my turn to step out.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Seven times the height of Big Ben,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33the via ferrata is not for the faint-hearted.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35These are original steps in here
0:25:35 > 0:25:38that the miners would come to work on.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44In 2012, Joe installed an ominous looking skywalk,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47a terrifying tightrope walk across the valley.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Right, are you ready for this, Michael?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Ready as I'll ever be, Joe. Let's go.- Follow me.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- You all right, Michael?- I'm OK-ish.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Now, at this point, the wooden slats run out.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Don't get the Elvis Presley leg, though.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- What's that? - Where you're shaking, like that!
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Oh, no, don't shake me, Joe!
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- What shall I do now, Joe?- We head off now. Good luck, I'm leaving you.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18I'm now stepping out over the abyss below.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I didn't think I'd be terrified.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21But I am.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Oh... Carefully positioning one foot in front of the other...
0:26:25 > 0:26:30Whoa! The wind is rocking us backwards and forwards!
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Send in the helicopter!
0:26:32 > 0:26:38So I'm now walking out on air and the drop beneath me
0:26:38 > 0:26:40appears to be infinite.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46I think I ventured far enough to appreciate the fantastic view.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It'll be a relief to get my feet back on terra firma
0:26:49 > 0:26:50and continue my journey.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Sarah Losh's delightful church celebrates
0:26:58 > 0:27:02the innocence of nature before it was disturbed by man.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04By contrast,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08amongst the harsh beauty of the crags near Keswick, Victorian miners
0:27:08 > 0:27:11toiled to extract industrial quantities of slate to feed
0:27:11 > 0:27:15the voracious demand for housing in the cities.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20My high-wire act, swaying above the green valley, taught me
0:27:20 > 0:27:25to appreciate, for a moment, the fear that they must have felt
0:27:25 > 0:27:29constantly, working in dangerous conditions all the time.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Next time, I revisit a literary hero from childhood...
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- He's a small rabbit, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43He has to stretch up on his tippy toes to post his letter.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48..lend a hand making the archetypal fell walker's snack...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Wow! Absolutely refreshing, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55When you make Kendal Mint Cake, it's very rare that you get a cold.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58..visit the home of a man of extraordinary talents...
0:27:58 > 0:28:02It's rather ironic that the greatest architecture critic of his age
0:28:02 > 0:28:05would end up living in a house to be looked out of,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07rather than looked towards.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10..and finish off with a brief encounter on the platform.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It was an ideal location for people to meet by chance.