Chapeltown to Doncaster

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0:00:04 > 0:00:08For Victorian Britons, George Bradshaw was a household name.

0:00:09 > 0:00:11At a time when railways were new,

0:00:11 > 0:00:15Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them to take to the tracks.

0:00:15 > 0:00:17I'm using a Bradshaw's Guide

0:00:17 > 0:00:20to understand how trains transformed Britain.

0:00:20 > 0:00:26Its landscape, its industry, society and leisure time.

0:00:26 > 0:00:30As I crisscross the country 150 years later,

0:00:30 > 0:00:33it helps me to discover the Britain of today.

0:00:52 > 0:00:55My rail journey from Blackpool to Harwich

0:00:55 > 0:00:57progresses through Yorkshire.

0:00:57 > 0:01:02I hope to get out into the country to appreciate the wildness of nature

0:01:02 > 0:01:07which so appealed to the romanticism of Victorians.

0:01:07 > 0:01:10Back in the cities, entrepreneurs who'd made a fortune,

0:01:10 > 0:01:13like steel manufacturers in Sheffield,

0:01:13 > 0:01:16saw the importance of investing in better education

0:01:16 > 0:01:19if Britain was to stay ahead,

0:01:19 > 0:01:22and I'm hoping to get a leg up myself.

0:01:28 > 0:01:32My route is taking me across England to the southern edge of East Anglia.

0:01:33 > 0:01:35I started in Blackpool

0:01:35 > 0:01:39and moved through the industrial cities of northern England.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42From Manchester, I'll cross the Peak District,

0:01:42 > 0:01:46following the route of the North Country Continental rail service

0:01:46 > 0:01:51and I'll traverse the Fens to end at Essex's gateway to Europe.

0:01:54 > 0:01:57Today, my journey begins by scaling the heights near Chapeltown

0:01:57 > 0:02:00before heading south to Sheffield.

0:02:00 > 0:02:03From there, I travel north-east to Conisbrough and finish in

0:02:03 > 0:02:05the great railway town of Doncaster.

0:02:07 > 0:02:09On this journey...

0:02:09 > 0:02:10- Up there?- That's the one.

0:02:10 > 0:02:12..I climb beyond my comfort zone...

0:02:12 > 0:02:15- Put your other foot on the next hold.- All the way over there?

0:02:15 > 0:02:17Yeah, you'll be fine, I've got you nice and safe.

0:02:17 > 0:02:20..uncover a museum of curiosities...

0:02:20 > 0:02:22If a predator tries to grab them,

0:02:22 > 0:02:25they'll ooze out all this slime and the predator will

0:02:25 > 0:02:29literally kind of spit the hagfish out in disgust.

0:02:29 > 0:02:32..and embrace a new language with open arms.

0:02:32 > 0:02:35- This is have to. - Oh. That's have to.- Yeah.

0:02:35 > 0:02:38- Yeah.- That's good, yes.

0:02:44 > 0:02:47My first stop will be Chapeltown.

0:02:47 > 0:02:49Bradshaw's mentions Wharncliffe Crags,

0:02:49 > 0:02:51and the Dragon's Den,

0:02:51 > 0:02:55from all of which may be obtained the most beautiful views.

0:02:55 > 0:02:57For some Victorians,

0:02:57 > 0:03:01it wasn't enough to observe the lofty crags from a distance.

0:03:01 > 0:03:05They had to be tackled, tamed, conquered,

0:03:05 > 0:03:07or perish in the attempt.

0:03:17 > 0:03:20The Victorians would have alighted at Deepcar,

0:03:20 > 0:03:24but that station closed in 1959 and the nearest stop today

0:03:24 > 0:03:26is Chapeltown, north of Sheffield.

0:03:28 > 0:03:31From there it's a six-mile journey to the foot of Wharncliffe Crags.

0:03:34 > 0:03:37In Bradshaw's time, Victorians would take their constitutionals

0:03:37 > 0:03:41atop the crags to admire the views.

0:03:41 > 0:03:44But that was too genteel for the flintier adventurer,

0:03:44 > 0:03:47who invented a vertical challenge, rock climbing.

0:03:51 > 0:03:54I've come to meet writer and climber Graham Hoey

0:03:54 > 0:03:55to get a foothold on the story.

0:03:55 > 0:03:58- Good morning, Michael. - What a perfect morning.

0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Absolutely wonderful, isn't it? - How far to Wharncliffe Crags?

0:04:00 > 0:04:04- About ten minutes or so, I think. - Best foot forward?- OK.

0:04:07 > 0:04:11The crags were the habitat of the legendary Dragon of Wantley.

0:04:15 > 0:04:18A cave at the southern end of the cliffs is named Dragon's Den

0:04:18 > 0:04:22and featured in Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.

0:04:22 > 0:04:27These intimidating, giant broken rock structures would easily suggest

0:04:27 > 0:04:29superhuman interventions.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31Here we are approaching the crags.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33When did rock climbing get going?

0:04:33 > 0:04:36Well, it wasn't until the late 19th century, really.

0:04:36 > 0:04:38Until then, it was just a small part

0:04:38 > 0:04:41of what was seen to be the far grander sport of mountaineering,

0:04:41 > 0:04:43a pastime that took place in the Alps

0:04:43 > 0:04:45in the summer and winter seasons.

0:04:45 > 0:04:49And what was the distinction between mountaineering and rock climbing?

0:04:49 > 0:04:53Well, in mountaineering, the whole aim really was to get to the summit,

0:04:53 > 0:04:55not necessarily by the most difficult route,

0:04:55 > 0:04:56often the easiest route.

0:04:56 > 0:04:58That often involved scrambling,

0:04:58 > 0:05:01some snow and ice work, and sometimes some rock climbing.

0:05:01 > 0:05:02But the rock climbing wasn't

0:05:02 > 0:05:05the aim of it and often the rock climbing wasn't that difficult.

0:05:05 > 0:05:06And how did that change here?

0:05:06 > 0:05:09Well, in 1885, Jimmy Puttrell came out and started

0:05:09 > 0:05:11climbing alone on these rocks.

0:05:11 > 0:05:15He was just coming to enjoy himself. There was no summit to be attained.

0:05:15 > 0:05:16He just got pleasure from climbing

0:05:16 > 0:05:19the rocks and inventing ways up and ways down.

0:05:19 > 0:05:22He turned it into an outdoor gymnasium, really.

0:05:22 > 0:05:26Puttrell climbed without ropes or safety devices.

0:05:26 > 0:05:30He popularised what is now known as gritstone climbing.

0:05:30 > 0:05:34By 1900, there were about 35 recorded routes

0:05:34 > 0:05:36on Wharncliffe Crags.

0:05:36 > 0:05:39He died in 1939 at the age of 70,

0:05:39 > 0:05:44after living to see his sport taken up across the world.

0:05:44 > 0:05:46How has the sport moved on?

0:05:46 > 0:05:48Well, Jimmy Puttrell would not

0:05:48 > 0:05:50recognise the standard of rock climbing nowadays.

0:05:50 > 0:05:51Climbers have got much fitter,

0:05:51 > 0:05:55much stronger and rock climbers are able to really pull up on

0:05:55 > 0:05:59just the very end of one finger. On and overhanging wall,

0:05:59 > 0:06:00the feet would leave the rock

0:06:00 > 0:06:02and they would go through to a similar hold.

0:06:02 > 0:06:03It's just absolutely phenomenal.

0:06:03 > 0:06:06Well, it sounds completely terrifying.

0:06:06 > 0:06:08Today, the Peak District

0:06:08 > 0:06:11is celebrated as the UK's climbing capital -

0:06:11 > 0:06:13a fitting tribute to Jimmy Puttrell.

0:06:16 > 0:06:18OK, Michael, this is the climb we're going to do.

0:06:18 > 0:06:21It's called Alpha Crack and was climbed by Jimmy Puttrell

0:06:21 > 0:06:23some time around 1885.

0:06:23 > 0:06:25- Up there?- That's the one.

0:06:25 > 0:06:26And what will stop me falling off?

0:06:26 > 0:06:28A rope which will take about 640 kilos.

0:06:28 > 0:06:31That should just about cover it, I think.

0:06:31 > 0:06:32OK. Tie me on.

0:06:36 > 0:06:39OK, right. I'm now going to climb to the top of the route and I'm going

0:06:39 > 0:06:41to secure myself on the ledge.

0:06:41 > 0:06:44I'm then going to take the rope in and it will come tight on you.

0:06:44 > 0:06:46When it comes tight on you, I want you to say, "That's me."

0:06:46 > 0:06:49- That's me.- And I will say, "Climb when you're ready."

0:06:49 > 0:06:52And you will tell me when you're climbing by saying, "Climbing."

0:06:52 > 0:06:54Wait till I say OK and then you set off.

0:06:54 > 0:06:56- OK.- Good luck.- Thank you.

0:06:57 > 0:07:02Thankfully, safety precautions have developed since Puttrell's day,

0:07:02 > 0:07:05but I find it's still a major challenge.

0:07:06 > 0:07:07Taking in.

0:07:10 > 0:07:13- That's me. - Climb when you're ready, Michael.

0:07:13 > 0:07:15This is the insanest thing I ever did.

0:07:15 > 0:07:17I just signed up to travel by train.

0:07:17 > 0:07:19- I'm climbing.- OK.

0:07:34 > 0:07:36Trust your balance.

0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Go left now.- Left?

0:07:40 > 0:07:41Yes.

0:07:41 > 0:07:42Excellent.

0:07:42 > 0:07:44You're a natural, Michael.

0:07:45 > 0:07:48- OK.- OK, that's lovely, that.

0:07:48 > 0:07:50- OK.- OK.

0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Now what?- Keep going across.

0:07:52 > 0:07:54Put your other foot on the next hold.

0:07:54 > 0:07:57- All the way over there?- Yeah, you'll be fine, I've got you nice and safe.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00- With my right foot? - Yes, that's lovely that.

0:08:00 > 0:08:03Ah, lovely.

0:08:03 > 0:08:05That's it, keep moving across.

0:08:05 > 0:08:07That's lovely.

0:08:07 > 0:08:09There's a nice... That's it.

0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Where do I hold on?- That's it.

0:08:11 > 0:08:13And there's the top just here.

0:08:13 > 0:08:17That's it. Lovely. That's it.

0:08:17 > 0:08:19- There?- That's the one. Press with your right foot.

0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Fantastic. That's the one.- OK.

0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Now where does the foot go? - And up again.

0:08:23 > 0:08:25- That it, you're there.- OK.

0:08:25 > 0:08:27You're doing fine, big pull.

0:08:27 > 0:08:30- Big pull.- Big pull.- That's it.

0:08:30 > 0:08:31You OK?

0:08:31 > 0:08:33- Yep.- Come on.

0:08:33 > 0:08:34Fantastic!

0:08:37 > 0:08:40Amazing.

0:08:40 > 0:08:42Superb.

0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Of course, we've still got a bit to do yet.- Yeah.

0:08:46 > 0:08:47OK. Great.

0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Graham, I've made it. - Well done. That's you firm.

0:08:57 > 0:08:58Fantastic view.

0:09:01 > 0:09:03The most terrifying thing I've ever done.

0:09:03 > 0:09:05I will never do it again.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Thank you, Graham.- OK, Michael.

0:09:08 > 0:09:12Without encountering a single fire-breathing dragon,

0:09:12 > 0:09:14today has been very scary.

0:09:17 > 0:09:21Returning to Chapeltown, I'm taking a short seven-mile journey south.

0:09:24 > 0:09:26My next stop will be Sheffield,

0:09:26 > 0:09:31which my guidebook describes as the great seat of the cutlery trade.

0:09:31 > 0:09:35It's also a great city of learning, partly because some of those

0:09:35 > 0:09:39whose bread and butter was knives and forks

0:09:39 > 0:09:43helped others to learn their ABC and pi R squared.

0:10:00 > 0:10:04Sheffield is known as Steel City and steel is still produced here,

0:10:04 > 0:10:07but the traditional heavy steel industry

0:10:07 > 0:10:09has been in decline for 40 years.

0:10:09 > 0:10:12The city's changed into a modern business hub

0:10:12 > 0:10:17with award-winning public spaces and thriving cultural institutions.

0:10:19 > 0:10:22Sheffield's population increased tenfold

0:10:22 > 0:10:24during the Industrial Revolution.

0:10:24 > 0:10:27As the city grew, so did its need for education.

0:10:29 > 0:10:32Local steel magnate and philanthropist Mark Firth

0:10:32 > 0:10:35paid for the opening of Firth College in 1879

0:10:35 > 0:10:38to teach arts and science.

0:10:38 > 0:10:42The college became part of today's University of Sheffield.

0:10:45 > 0:10:47During the 1880s,

0:10:47 > 0:10:49one of the college's founding professors was inspired

0:10:49 > 0:10:53by the new theories of evolution to found a pioneering

0:10:53 > 0:10:55natural history collection which still exists.

0:11:00 > 0:11:03I'm meeting Dr Nicola Hemmings, a research fellow in

0:11:03 > 0:11:07the university's department of animal and plant sciences.

0:11:07 > 0:11:08Nicola?

0:11:09 > 0:11:11- Hello.- Hi, Michael.

0:11:11 > 0:11:15What an extraordinary collection of skeletons and other specimens.

0:11:15 > 0:11:17How does it come to be here?

0:11:17 > 0:11:21So this collection was established by Alfred Denny, who was the first

0:11:21 > 0:11:24professor of biology at the University of Sheffield.

0:11:24 > 0:11:28Legend has it that he arrived with a single dog skull

0:11:28 > 0:11:31and from then on he amassed this amazing collection

0:11:31 > 0:11:35of different skeletons and taxidermy specimens.

0:11:35 > 0:11:38Did Alfred Denny go out and make the collection himself

0:11:38 > 0:11:39or did he acquire it?

0:11:39 > 0:11:43We actually don't know a lot of the history of many of our specimens

0:11:43 > 0:11:48because records were lost in the World War II bombings,

0:11:48 > 0:11:52but we do know that there was at least one private zoo

0:11:52 > 0:11:56in Sheffield in the late 1800s which, when animals died,

0:11:56 > 0:12:00they would be given or bought by the university.

0:12:00 > 0:12:02And Alfred Denny would have

0:12:02 > 0:12:04prepared many of these specimens himself, as well.

0:12:04 > 0:12:08So what sort of contribution was Denny able to make to the college,

0:12:08 > 0:12:11to the university, with the aid of his collection?

0:12:11 > 0:12:14This kind of collection is absolutely crucial

0:12:14 > 0:12:17for teaching students the evolutionary relationships

0:12:17 > 0:12:20between different species.

0:12:21 > 0:12:25Denny's collection brought far-flung species to Sheffield.

0:12:25 > 0:12:28For over a century, the collection remained obscure,

0:12:28 > 0:12:31open only to staff and for student research.

0:12:31 > 0:12:35It finally opened its doors to the public in 2012.

0:12:36 > 0:12:39So what you can see here is a very typical collection

0:12:39 > 0:12:44of what we call wet specimens, preserved in some kind of fixative,

0:12:44 > 0:12:48suspended in these lovely glass jars.

0:12:48 > 0:12:52I kind of think of this as as much of a historic collection

0:12:52 > 0:12:55as it is a zoological collection.

0:12:55 > 0:12:57These bell jars could be Victorian

0:12:57 > 0:12:59and the liquid wouldn't have changed?

0:12:59 > 0:13:02No. I mean, it will have probably been topped up since then

0:13:02 > 0:13:05but certainly these are as they were,

0:13:05 > 0:13:09collected and preserved over 100 years ago.

0:13:09 > 0:13:10What on earth are these things?

0:13:10 > 0:13:13This one here is a hagfish.

0:13:13 > 0:13:15I know they look a little bit disgusting,

0:13:15 > 0:13:17but they are absolutely amazing.

0:13:17 > 0:13:22They produce loads of slime and so if a predator tries to grab them,

0:13:22 > 0:13:26they'll ooze out all this slime and the predator will literally kind of

0:13:26 > 0:13:28spit the hagfish out in disgust.

0:13:28 > 0:13:31And poor fish to be called hag.

0:13:31 > 0:13:34Well, it's not particularly pretty, is it?

0:13:36 > 0:13:39Denny was a compelling and charismatic communicator,

0:13:39 > 0:13:41popular with students and public alike.

0:13:44 > 0:13:48In 1859, Charles Darwin revolutionised biology

0:13:48 > 0:13:52with his publication of On The Origin Of Species,

0:13:52 > 0:13:54outlining his theory of evolution.

0:13:57 > 0:13:59Now this fellow, I think I recognise.

0:13:59 > 0:14:02Yep, well you should do. This is what you look like inside.

0:14:02 > 0:14:06Obviously this is a human skeleton, and then we have the gorilla,

0:14:06 > 0:14:10the chimpanzee, and then the gibbon at the end there.

0:14:10 > 0:14:15Having specimens set out like this allows us to see how close

0:14:15 > 0:14:19our evolutionary relationships are to other great apes.

0:14:19 > 0:14:23This kind of study really became popular after Darwin and he really

0:14:23 > 0:14:28brought about a huge change in thinking at the time.

0:14:28 > 0:14:30Was there any connection between Darwin and Denny?

0:14:30 > 0:14:34Well, there wasn't a direct connection between Alfred Denny

0:14:34 > 0:14:37and Darwin but Alfred Denny's father, Henry Denny,

0:14:37 > 0:14:41who was an entomologist and he was curator at Leeds Museum,

0:14:41 > 0:14:44he actually corresponded with Darwin,

0:14:44 > 0:14:47so we actually have those letters in our collection.

0:14:47 > 0:14:50Did Alfred Denny take up the subject of evolution?

0:14:50 > 0:14:53Yes, and it wasn't just his teaching.

0:14:53 > 0:14:56He gave public lectures, which were really popular, on evolution

0:14:56 > 0:14:58and adaptation in the animal world

0:14:58 > 0:15:02and he drew crowds of hundreds of people,

0:15:02 > 0:15:06so he was really kind of key in teaching some of these ideas.

0:15:06 > 0:15:09- A sort of Darwinian evangelist. - Yeah, exactly.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16Still exhausted from my mountain exertions,

0:15:16 > 0:15:19it's time for a well-earned rest.

0:15:31 > 0:15:34Continuing on the route of the North Country Continental,

0:15:34 > 0:15:37I am re-joining the railway at Sheffield,

0:15:37 > 0:15:39and travelling 16 miles north-east to Conisbrough.

0:15:43 > 0:15:45As I know from many a railway station,

0:15:45 > 0:15:48the Victorians like their architecture Gothic.

0:15:48 > 0:15:50They like their novels that way too,

0:15:50 > 0:15:54tales of knights errant and chivalry,

0:15:54 > 0:15:59and the very symbol of Romanticism was the ancient ruin.

0:15:59 > 0:16:01Bradshaw's tells me that at Conisbrough,

0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'll find a castle belonging to the Duke of Leeds

0:16:05 > 0:16:10built at the time of the conquest, with a keep 78-feet high.

0:16:10 > 0:16:12I believe I've found my Grail.

0:16:18 > 0:16:19Conisbrough Castle is one of

0:16:19 > 0:16:22the best-preserved medieval fortifications in England,

0:16:22 > 0:16:25dating from the 1170s.

0:16:29 > 0:16:33This is the sort of castle keep that I was asked to draw at school

0:16:33 > 0:16:38as a child and, even now, to me, it means a damsel in distress

0:16:38 > 0:16:42or the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

0:16:42 > 0:16:46I suppose that there is a bit of 19th-century Romanticism

0:16:46 > 0:16:49that is forever in the British DNA.

0:16:52 > 0:16:54At the spectacular Conisbrough,

0:16:54 > 0:16:57my interest is as much literary as historical.

0:16:58 > 0:17:03I'm meeting Kevin Booth, senior curator for English Heritage.

0:17:03 > 0:17:04Very good to see you,

0:17:04 > 0:17:07and what a splendid view of the castle from here.

0:17:07 > 0:17:09Now Bradshaw's, which is not always right,

0:17:09 > 0:17:12tells me that the castle is from the Norman conquest.

0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Right or wrong? - Right, and wrong, I suppose.

0:17:16 > 0:17:18Yes, there is a castle here, a defence here,

0:17:18 > 0:17:20from the conquest period,

0:17:20 > 0:17:22but what we see in front of us is about a century later.

0:17:22 > 0:17:25The castle was the seat of the de Warenne family,

0:17:25 > 0:17:27and Hamelin Plantagenet,

0:17:27 > 0:17:30the illegitimate half-brother of King Henry II,

0:17:30 > 0:17:33acquired the property by marrying Isabel de Warenne.

0:17:33 > 0:17:38Hamelin transformed Conisbrough into the imposing fortress seen today.

0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's about authority of the de Warennes.

0:17:42 > 0:17:45They're making a statement to both Conisbrough town

0:17:45 > 0:17:49and the wider estate that they have control. They are, after all,

0:17:49 > 0:17:52the great Norman family coming over with the Conqueror.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54And did this magnificent structure ever see battle?

0:17:54 > 0:17:56In the early 14th century,

0:17:56 > 0:17:59Thomas of Lancaster turns up with his men. The Earl of de Warenne

0:17:59 > 0:18:01has kidnapped his wife, so he lays siege.

0:18:01 > 0:18:05There were six people in the castle, including the town miller.

0:18:05 > 0:18:08It's almost sort of Python-esque in its progression.

0:18:08 > 0:18:11How did it fall into ruin?

0:18:11 > 0:18:15I think Conisbrough is one of those classic English castles, really.

0:18:15 > 0:18:19It ceases to have a great function, it's no longer a military defence,

0:18:19 > 0:18:22it's no longer really a family home,

0:18:22 > 0:18:23and, literally in the case of Conisbrough,

0:18:23 > 0:18:26it simply slides away from history.

0:18:27 > 0:18:31In 1537, the castle was surveyed for Henry VIII.

0:18:31 > 0:18:34It was found abandoned and dilapidated

0:18:34 > 0:18:36with its gate collapsed into a ditch.

0:18:39 > 0:18:42But it was unexpectedly to enjoy a new literary lease of life

0:18:42 > 0:18:46in the 19th century, when it became the inspiration

0:18:46 > 0:18:50for Conisbrough Castle in the 1820 novel

0:18:50 > 0:18:51Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott.

0:18:54 > 0:18:57The fact that it's mentioned in my Bradshaw's makes me think that

0:18:57 > 0:19:00the castle was popular in Victorian times.

0:19:00 > 0:19:02It became exceedingly popular as the century went on,

0:19:02 > 0:19:05and I think a lot of that is based on Ivanhoe.

0:19:05 > 0:19:09And Ivanhoe, how would you summarise its themes?

0:19:09 > 0:19:12Well, it's an interesting historical account, certainly.

0:19:12 > 0:19:16We have Anglo-Saxons and Normans, we have Richard the Lionheart,

0:19:16 > 0:19:21we have Robin Hood, we have the oppressed, we have tyranny.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23Yeah, it's a fair mix

0:19:23 > 0:19:26of all the sort of great Romantic themes, I think.

0:19:26 > 0:19:29In as much as Walter Scott dealt with the history of the castle,

0:19:29 > 0:19:31- does he get it right? - Not especially!

0:19:31 > 0:19:34I mean, the idea that this is a great tower

0:19:34 > 0:19:36of a royal Anglo-Saxon lord,

0:19:36 > 0:19:40the irony really is that it's built by the Norman oppressors

0:19:40 > 0:19:43precisely to stamp their authority on the land.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45But there are elements of what he says

0:19:45 > 0:19:47which are actually quite accurate.

0:19:47 > 0:19:49Do you have a sense of why Victorians are so drawn to castles,

0:19:49 > 0:19:51ruins and Romanticism?

0:19:52 > 0:19:55I think there is the idea that the Victorians are looking back to some

0:19:55 > 0:19:59kind of preindustrial age, and Conisbrough itself, by the 1850s,

0:19:59 > 0:20:02is really developing as an industrial hub,

0:20:02 > 0:20:04so works like Ivanhoe potentially

0:20:04 > 0:20:07are creating that sort of aspiration,

0:20:07 > 0:20:10that nostalgia, for medieval Britain.

0:20:15 > 0:20:18Conisbrough station opened in 1849,

0:20:18 > 0:20:21allowing curious Victorians to visit.

0:20:21 > 0:20:24As the century progressed, their numbers swelled.

0:20:24 > 0:20:28On Good Friday in 1882, holiday special trains,

0:20:28 > 0:20:31laid on by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln Railway,

0:20:31 > 0:20:35brought up to 10,000 to visit the castle and its grounds.

0:20:37 > 0:20:40You get a wonderful view from the tower.

0:20:41 > 0:20:44What are the highlights of what we can see?

0:20:44 > 0:20:47The heart of Conisbrough is early eighth century,

0:20:47 > 0:20:51but really everything else is 19th, 20th century, urban.

0:20:51 > 0:20:55So, you have the pits, you have glassworks, brickworks,

0:20:55 > 0:20:58you have the monumental viaduct across the River Don.

0:20:58 > 0:21:01Really, Conisbrough, in the late 19th and early 20th century,

0:21:01 > 0:21:04is a vibrant, powerful economic hub.

0:21:04 > 0:21:07And if you didn't like the grime and the dust and the smoke,

0:21:07 > 0:21:09you could escape to the keep.

0:21:09 > 0:21:11Or immerse yourself in Ivanhoe.

0:21:15 > 0:21:18From the ruined splendour of Conisbrough,

0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm re-joining the train,

0:21:20 > 0:21:23and travelling six miles north-east to Doncaster.

0:21:30 > 0:21:33The novels of Charles Dickens indicate that Victorians

0:21:33 > 0:21:37became increasingly concerned with the plight of vulnerable children.

0:21:37 > 0:21:41Bradshaw's tells me that among the principal buildings of Doncaster

0:21:41 > 0:21:45are the New Mansion House, and the Yorkshire Deaf and Dumb School,

0:21:45 > 0:21:48founded in 1829.

0:21:48 > 0:21:51So, pre-Victorian, ahead of its time.

0:21:53 > 0:21:56In the late 18th and 19th centuries,

0:21:56 > 0:21:59Doncaster was dominated by engineering,

0:21:59 > 0:22:01and the Great Northern Railway

0:22:01 > 0:22:05moved its engine-building works to the town in 1853.

0:22:08 > 0:22:10The building to the left is iconic.

0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's where the Flying Scotsman was designed.

0:22:13 > 0:22:1719th century industrialists were often generous philanthropists,

0:22:17 > 0:22:19and the churches were also active in promoting

0:22:19 > 0:22:22new ideas to help those less fortunate.

0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Alan, hello. - Michael, lovely to meet you.

0:22:26 > 0:22:28Alan W Robinson is the head teacher

0:22:28 > 0:22:33of what is now known as the Doncaster School for the Deaf.

0:22:33 > 0:22:36Well, Michael, this is the Reverend Carr Fenton,

0:22:36 > 0:22:39he's the founder of our institution in 1829.

0:22:40 > 0:22:42What you will notice here is

0:22:42 > 0:22:45that there is a painting of a building here,

0:22:45 > 0:22:47which is known as Eastfield House,

0:22:47 > 0:22:51the first building that was used to house our school for the deaf.

0:22:51 > 0:22:53What kind of a man was William Carr Fenton?

0:22:53 > 0:22:57Well, he is a Church of England minister in South Yorkshire,

0:22:57 > 0:23:00and it was while he was out in the parish, he overheard a labourer,

0:23:00 > 0:23:03who said he had

0:23:03 > 0:23:08five members of his family who were profoundly deaf,

0:23:08 > 0:23:09and he felt, at that point,

0:23:09 > 0:23:13challenged to think about their education.

0:23:13 > 0:23:16From where could you gain inspiration in those days?

0:23:16 > 0:23:19Well, one of the fundamental things he did was travel

0:23:19 > 0:23:23to the school for the deaf in Paris, and at that institution,

0:23:23 > 0:23:28he decided that he would come back to his parish in Yorkshire,

0:23:28 > 0:23:31and create an institution for the deaf and dumb.

0:23:34 > 0:23:38Without the education facilities on offer today,

0:23:38 > 0:23:40deaf people at the time were largely cut off

0:23:40 > 0:23:43from their surrounding world.

0:23:43 > 0:23:46Although there were five deaf schools in Britain by 1828,

0:23:46 > 0:23:48none existed in Yorkshire.

0:23:50 > 0:23:53To remedy that, Carr Fenton held a public meeting

0:23:53 > 0:23:55at Doncaster's Mansion House,

0:23:55 > 0:24:00which raised £70, a decent sum, for what was then called

0:24:00 > 0:24:04the Yorkshire Institution for the Deaf and Dumb Poor.

0:24:08 > 0:24:12This is the minutes of our institution from 1829,

0:24:12 > 0:24:16and you can see here it was determined that a school

0:24:16 > 0:24:17should be formed.

0:24:17 > 0:24:20And here we have the minute of the first 11 boys

0:24:20 > 0:24:23that were entered into the school.

0:24:23 > 0:24:26By the time Carr Fenton had spent almost 40 years

0:24:26 > 0:24:31as the chairman of the school, the school had grown to over 100 pupils.

0:24:31 > 0:24:33Extraordinary.

0:24:33 > 0:24:36Now, the subject of the education of deaf people has been,

0:24:36 > 0:24:38and I think is, controversial.

0:24:38 > 0:24:42What were the movements that were present during the 19th century?

0:24:42 > 0:24:43There was a split.

0:24:43 > 0:24:45There was the oralist movement

0:24:45 > 0:24:50and there was the sign-language-teaching movement.

0:24:50 > 0:24:55And they often clashed as to which was the best way forward.

0:24:55 > 0:24:59The oralists believed in teaching lip-reading and speech,

0:24:59 > 0:25:02arguing that sign language would impede students' progress

0:25:02 > 0:25:05in integrating with the hearing world.

0:25:05 > 0:25:08The natural language of a pre-lingually deaf,

0:25:08 > 0:25:13profoundly deaf individual was to use sign language and gesture.

0:25:13 > 0:25:15But in fact in the early days,

0:25:15 > 0:25:18pupils were often expected to sit on their hands

0:25:18 > 0:25:20and not use their natural language.

0:25:20 > 0:25:25Today, sign language is seen as a mother language of deaf people.

0:25:25 > 0:25:27Things have clearly moved hugely

0:25:27 > 0:25:29since the days of William Carr Fenton,

0:25:29 > 0:25:32but is there still a residual affection and respect

0:25:32 > 0:25:34- for what he did?- Oh, absolutely.

0:25:34 > 0:25:37This is a jewel in the crown of the British education system

0:25:37 > 0:25:40from its inception to its present day.

0:25:43 > 0:25:47Today, there are 32 pupils at the Doncaster School for the Deaf.

0:25:49 > 0:25:52Simon Tacey is a former student.

0:25:52 > 0:25:56Excuse me. I'm Michael. Good to see you.

0:25:59 > 0:26:01- Laura. Hi, how do you do? - Nice to meet you?

0:26:01 > 0:26:06Simon, you were a pupil at this school and college.

0:26:06 > 0:26:07How did the school help you?

0:26:10 > 0:26:12- TRANSLATED: - The school helped me a lot.

0:26:12 > 0:26:16The teachers all used BSL and could sign so that was useful for me to

0:26:16 > 0:26:18understand the education.

0:26:18 > 0:26:20You're now employed at the college.

0:26:20 > 0:26:22What is the work that you do?

0:26:27 > 0:26:29So I work in employment support,

0:26:29 > 0:26:34so that is finding work for people who are disabled and deaf.

0:26:34 > 0:26:38And your native language is British Sign Language.

0:26:40 > 0:26:42Yes, that's right.

0:26:42 > 0:26:44I started learning BSL when I was around 18 months old

0:26:44 > 0:26:46and I've used it all my life, so I'm used to it now.

0:26:46 > 0:26:48I use it everyday.

0:26:48 > 0:26:51I wonder if you could help me with a little sign language?

0:26:53 > 0:26:54Sure, no problem.

0:26:54 > 0:26:58I'm always having to rush for a train.

0:26:58 > 0:27:01Could you help me to say, "I have a train to catch"?

0:27:01 > 0:27:03So, point to yourself for I.

0:27:03 > 0:27:06- This is "have to". - Oh, that's "have to".- Yeah.- Yeah.

0:27:07 > 0:27:09Then you'd say "catch".

0:27:09 > 0:27:10And this is "train".

0:27:16 > 0:27:18- That's correct, yes.- Thank you.

0:27:29 > 0:27:33We may scoff at the Victorian taste for romantic medievalism,

0:27:33 > 0:27:38but men like William Carr Fenton were in earnest

0:27:38 > 0:27:41about educating deaf children,

0:27:41 > 0:27:46and Alfred Denny about spreading knowledge of the natural world.

0:27:46 > 0:27:51Their ambition was for a better society to move onward and up,

0:27:51 > 0:27:56which is rather how I felt when suspended from a craggy rock.

0:28:00 > 0:28:05Next time, I have my reaction times tested by a mechanical marvel...

0:28:05 > 0:28:08This would drive you mad if you did this all day.

0:28:08 > 0:28:11..get carried away by the cadences of conflict...

0:28:11 > 0:28:13"Half a league, half a league, half a league onward,

0:28:13 > 0:28:16"into the valley of death rode the 600."

0:28:16 > 0:28:20..and see how today's railway is regenerating its past.

0:28:20 > 0:28:25We recycled around 46,000 tonnes of steel last year,

0:28:25 > 0:28:28which is actually the equivalent of six Eiffel Towers.