0:00:02 > 0:00:04Pubs have been at the heart of Britain for hundreds of years.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Cheers, mucker!
0:00:05 > 0:00:09- And city taverns.- And village inns.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Landlords have pulled pints for locals, travellers
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and, well, the odd king or two...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15myself included.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Try and have a drink now.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20LAUGHTER
0:00:20 > 0:00:23But with 30 pubs closing every week,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25our historic taverns need defending.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Step! Step!
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're heading out to discover amazing stories linked to
0:00:30 > 0:00:32the nation's watering holes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34- Not far to go.- How far?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36- Oh, a couple of miles.- What?!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38From the Wars of the Roses...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40To shipbuilding on the Clyde.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44We've ditched our bikes so that we can sample an ale or two.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Get in!
0:00:46 > 0:00:47This is very good.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49LAUGHTER
0:00:49 > 0:00:51So join us for...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Today we are visiting alehouses in the home counties of England
0:01:01 > 0:01:04to tell a tale of treachery and treason.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08A complicated royal family feud
0:01:08 > 0:01:12that you and I would know as the Wars of the Roses.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Battle after bloody battle was fought all over England
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and it all began in the centre of St Albans.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It turns out that here in St Albans, Englishmen fought Englishmen,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29cousin fought cousin in an attempt to control the King, Kingy.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I saw what you did there, dude. That was good, that.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38It's 1455 and it's the first battle in the Wars of the Roses.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42The only thing is, though, what has it got to do with roses?
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Well, to get to the ROOT of that THORNY problem,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48we're going to have to find a good pub to travel back in time.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Come on, petal.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53HE SIGHS
0:01:54 > 0:01:58We're spinning the clock back over 500 years
0:01:58 > 0:02:02to the medieval England of 1455.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Henry VI was the country's king but he was losing his grip on power.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Noblemen from two great houses, the Yorkists and Lancastrians,
0:02:14 > 0:02:19were locked in a power struggle over who should become his successor.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21With tensions running high,
0:02:21 > 0:02:26it was all about to kick off right here where this ancient pub stands,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29in the bustling market town of St Albans.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- Here we are, then. The Boot. - Well, mate, it certainly looks old.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Definitely older than the phone box, that's for sure.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40It's believed that in this part of the marketplace,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43it was used by tanners in the 1400s, hence the name, The Boot.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Ah, well, I never! You see, we have history all around us, mate.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48All around us in these very walls.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57This cracking pub is one of the town's oldest buildings.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01We know it has been an alehouse since the 1700s,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04but it's reckoned parts of the building
0:03:04 > 0:03:06date back as far as the 1400s.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Wow, now, that's pretty ancient, dude.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11You weren't lying, Kingy.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15- The history is in the walls. - It's also in the ceilings, mate.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18They must have been pretty short in them days, mustn't they?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23And we also know that The Boot is slap-bang on the site
0:03:23 > 0:03:26of the first battle of the Wars of the Roses,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30which is why it's officially a Battlefields Pub.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35And we're meeting Mike Elliott from the Battlefields Trust
0:03:35 > 0:03:36to find out more.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- Hello.- How do, Mike? Dave. Pleased to meet you.- Pleased to meet you.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Mike, I'm Si. Pleased to meet you. - Welcome to St Albans.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Thank you, sir. Thank you. It was the War of the Roses.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- Wars of the Roses.- What were they fighting about?- OK.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Lots of people get very confused about this.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54They think that because it was York and Lancaster,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57all the fighting was up in the North. Totally wrong.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It was actually a dynastic war.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02There were two rival great houses -
0:04:02 > 0:04:04the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07These two great houses were both saying
0:04:07 > 0:04:09they had a claim to the throne.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11So over a period of 28 years,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15they fought a number of campaigns to try and decide who would be king.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21So, in one corner, Henry VI and the House of Lancaster.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25In the other, Richard the Duke of York and, you've guessed it,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27the House of York.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Richard believed that he was in line for the throne,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35but he had fallen out with the King.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37The sides were squaring up for a fight.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So, Richard the Duke of York heard the King was out to get rid
0:04:44 > 0:04:48of him, so did Richard come here to confront the King, to kill the King?
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Well, he wasn't really out to get rid of him.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54It was more a case of that the rival houses wanted to establish
0:04:54 > 0:04:56who was next in line of succession.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01The Duke of York wanted to make sure that the King knew that it
0:05:01 > 0:05:04was actually he who was going to be the next king.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10So the King left London in May 1455 to travel to Leicester
0:05:10 > 0:05:12and St Albans, of course, is on the way.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15The Lancastrian army arrives here in St Albans,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17early in the morning on 22 May
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and then they hear that the Yorkist army,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23which outnumbers them by about 50%, is just outside.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26There then precedes a lengthy period of negotiation
0:05:26 > 0:05:31and eventually, Henry VI says, "Right, I've had enough."
0:05:31 > 0:05:33And raises the Royal Standard.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- So, that was game on, then?- Mm-hm.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And at that point, the Duke of York says,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41"Well, I've had enough of this," and he decides to attack.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So the bell, which is in the clock tower just outside,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46which was there at the time of the battle,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49is tolled and that's the signal for all Lancastrians
0:05:49 > 0:05:50who'd probably be in all the taverns
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and drinking places around having breakfast,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57suddenly realising, "Oh, golly, we've got to defend ourselves."
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- And that's why they were late for the battle.- Yeah, in a way.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- Having breakfast.- Having breakfast. - In a pub.- Drinking ale.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07I think that's brilliant! I mean, at least it's human.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Absolutely.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11So, if I was standing here looking out the window
0:06:11 > 0:06:15on the morning of 22 May, 1455, I'd have seen the battle?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17What you would have seen here outside
0:06:17 > 0:06:21would have been lots of Lancastrian men at arms frantically
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- putting on their armour and getting ready to fight...- Gosh.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27..because it takes about 20 minutes to put on a full suit of armour.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29The fighting only lasted half an hour,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32so in many cases, by the time they got their armour on,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34the troops had broken through into the town centre
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and they were surrounded.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Why was it called the Wars of the Roses?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It wasn't actually called the Wars of the Roses at the time.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It was not until Shakespeare wrote a famous scene
0:06:44 > 0:06:47in the Temple Garden in Henry VI Part I,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50where the rival houses are confronting each other
0:06:50 > 0:06:53in the Temple Garden and the Lancastrians select a red rose
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and the Yorkists select a white rose.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Of course, it's all complete fiction.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58But then, in the 19th century,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01historians start referring in history books
0:07:01 > 0:07:02to the Wars of the Roses,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05basically because of the scene in Shakespeare.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06- Right.- Ah!
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Well, I never. A work of fiction, eh?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Aye, but the war that Shakespeare christened certainly wasn't,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19on and off, off and on, for 30 years they fought.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It was tough-going for the soldiers.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26One bonus, though.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- They got to enjoy a pint or two. - Indeed.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Kevin Yellen is a regular of The Boot
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and dabbles in historic home-brew.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Just the man to show us what was being drunk
0:07:36 > 0:07:37in the taverns of the time
0:07:37 > 0:07:41before getting "the boot" back onto the battlefield.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Oh, funny, ha-ha(!)
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- So, is this ye olde ale? - It is, yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52This is recreation of what I believe a medieval ale
0:07:52 > 0:07:55around May 1455 would look like.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- Shall we have a little sample? - Oh, yeah.- Definitely.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Talking of samples, it does look like one.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02THEY LAUGH
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Obviously, unfiltered.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06THEY LAUGH
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Said he, raising his eyebrows as a brewer.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Go on, mate. We'd love to taste it. - So, we've got two brews here.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14What we have is, we would have mashed the grain
0:08:14 > 0:08:15and then we have our first running,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17which would have been very high in sugar,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20so that'll produce a higher-alcoholic beverage,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and then with the same grain we'd add more water to it,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25do a second mash and that produces a much weaker ale,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and, typically, what we expect is the weaker ale would be one
0:08:28 > 0:08:31which would be drunk by the family and the stronger one would have
0:08:31 > 0:08:33more of a preservative quality because of the high alcohol content
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and that would then be able to be kept for a little while longer,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38maybe kept for special occasions
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and certainly would be offered to passers-by to purchase,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46especially in a town like St Albans with, obviously, coaching routes
0:08:46 > 0:08:47and the masses of pilgrims.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53St Albans was the first stagecoach post north of London,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57and its cathedral a sacred site for pilgrimage.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The town's coaching inn stabled over 2,000 visiting horses at any
0:09:04 > 0:09:09one time, which meant lots of owners and lots of ale. What a hoof!
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Very interesting that you said that ale would be drunk by all
0:09:12 > 0:09:14the families. So, why weren't they drinking water at the time?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The Abbey has countless mills around 1455.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Obviously, that's going to turn the water up,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22it's going to make it very turbid,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24not very appetising to drink.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Brewing is probably second only to agriculture as an occupation
0:09:28 > 0:09:31of people in St Albans at that time.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36St Albans in the 1400s sounds like our kind of place, Kingy.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Home brew available all over the shop.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And I think a little sample is in order.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47First up, the family brew.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49What do you reckon, Kingy?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It's not what I would choose to drink.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- It's just a different palette, isn't it, now?- It's very light.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57We're expecting something that it's not delivering, in a way.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Absolutely. There's very little sort of complexity.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02There's a little bit of a herbal taste to it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I can see how you would feed this to your kids, there's nutrition in it.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Absolutely, it's not just a way of hydrating the family,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13it's a valuable food source, all the vitamins which are in it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- So this is the better one? - This is the better one.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18This is the one which is higher in alcohol.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- The first one around about 2.6% in alcohol.- Oh! That'll be why.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25We're approaching the 8% on this particular beverage.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- Cheers.- Cheers.- Cheers. - Your very good health.- Thank you.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- Oh, that tastes better. - Fruity?- Oh, aye.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39We're onto a stout, aren't we now, almost?
0:10:39 > 0:10:43How many pints a day do you reckon the average middle-aged sol...
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Middle-aged! We're middle-aged soldiers.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49How many pints a day do you reckon that the average soldier in the Middle Ag... Er...
0:10:49 > 0:10:50This is very good.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52LAUGHTER
0:10:54 > 0:10:57How many pints of this stuff a day...
0:10:57 > 0:11:00would the average soldier in the Middle Ages have got through?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- Not many if it had the same effect as it has on you!- Aye.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04Erm, but...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Anything approaching a gallon, I would have thought
0:11:07 > 0:11:09might well be a daily intake for them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Isn't it wonderful to think we're here drinking beer
0:11:12 > 0:11:13- as it would have been drank then. - It is.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- In a pub, on the edge of the battlefield.- Absolutely.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- Except, the good thing is, we don't have to fight.- That's good, yeah.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Fascinating stuff, mucker.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28I'll tell you what, though, that ancient home brew's a bit rough.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Did you know, on the subject of drinking establishments,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38in the Middle Ages, taverns were like modern-day wine bars,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40providing for posh people like me.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Oh!
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Well, alehouses were more like pubs,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46which provided a drinking establishment
0:11:46 > 0:11:48for the more common folk like...you.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55Inns, like hotels, providing food and bed, stabling and entertainment.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Ah, which would be perfect for somebody like a king to stay in,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01which would, of course, be me.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09And that's not the only bit of ye olde tavern trivia up our sleeves.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Pub signs are full of fascinating facts, too.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And in St Albans, there's a few corkers.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20The Six Bells is named after the number of bells
0:12:20 > 0:12:22in nearby St Michael's Church.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25A ringing endorsement, if ever there was one.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28I like what you did there, Myers.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The Camp sits near the site where Romans set up camp
0:12:34 > 0:12:36over 2,000 years ago.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And I can think of worse places than a pub to pitch me tent.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And the Verulam Arms is a 19th-century boozer,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49displaying the crest of the Earl of Verulam.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The Latin motto translates as "mediocrity is safe."
0:12:54 > 0:12:56I hope that doesn't refer to the beer!
0:12:58 > 0:13:02But back to the St Albans of 1455.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05We're taking to the streets, Wars of the Roses style,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09to find out more about what happened when the battle kicked off.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's time to prepare for battle. What's your favourite colour, Si?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Is it the King's Lancastrian red, or York's rebel white?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Rebel white, mate, definitely, definitely rebel white.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Good, because my patch is Barrow-in-Furness
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and we used to be Lancashire.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26So...let's bring it on!
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Oh...
0:13:31 > 0:13:34If I've got any chance of winning, I need the battle plan.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The Yorkist army were stationed outside the town walls
0:13:40 > 0:13:42while the King and his Lancastrian troops
0:13:42 > 0:13:46were hanging out in the streets and taverns, unprepared for battle.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53I'm back outside The Boot to meet local historian Rob.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- Hello, Rob, I'm Dave.- Hi, there. - Rob, we're here at The Clock Tower.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58So what part did that play in the battle?
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Was it there to kind of ring seconds out or announce the kick-off?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05The Lancastrian scouts climb up the tower to get a really good
0:14:05 > 0:14:07view of the lay of the land.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12They find the Yorkist positions are within a crossbow bolt of the tower.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13- Right.- They're really nearby.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16This tower, it was here at the time of the battle?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It's exactly as it was at the time of the battle, yeah.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It's an amazing survivor.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23A piece of medieval bling that was built by the townsfolk.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Rob, could you show me around the tower.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- Yeah, let's do it. - Fantastic, thank you.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- It's very cramped in here. - It is, yeah.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- We've got a narrow stairway to climb.- Lead on, Macduff.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'Ere, I wouldn't fancy this in a full set of armour.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I wonder if I'll spot Si from up here?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Ah, so the sentries would be up here
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and just reporting, really, on the state of the battlefield?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- That's right.- How many troops did the Yorkists have?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08They had about 2,500.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- The Lancastrians had 2,000.- So the Yorkists really had the upper hand.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16The Yorkists demanded the King surrender
0:15:16 > 0:15:19one of his closest allies, the Duke of Somerset,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22who was lining himself up as successor to the throne.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26But when the King refused, the Yorkists stormed this very square...
0:15:29 > 0:15:33..and an alehouse may very well have been involved.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37They talk about coming across a pub called The Chequer
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- and we think this is where they broke through the lines.- Right.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43They talk about breaking down walls and houses
0:15:43 > 0:15:46to get through to the Market Square.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Can you imagine how terrifying it would have been,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49having a pint in The Chequers?
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55I love it where pubs really signify milestones in British history.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's remarkable.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Once the Yorkists had stormed the town,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05it was only a matter of time before they captured the King himself.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10That happened in the town square below.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13And they burst through into the market square
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and they find the King and his royal retinue totally unprepared.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- Here?- Absolutely, on this spot.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Eventually the King himself is wounded.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And I wonder how many people here doing their shopping
0:16:24 > 0:16:25give it a second thought.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30All this momentous fighting happened here, in the middle of St Albans.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It wasn't your regular battlefield scene
0:16:39 > 0:16:41with knights on horseback, you know.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It was 15th-century street fighting.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51The common soldiers didn't have full suits of armour like the noblemen.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Oh, no, they had to make do with pretty much naff-all.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58But they did have weapons.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Ian, Max, great to meet you. How are you, sir?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- Not too bad at all. - Good to meet you, thanks.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08This is remarkable. This is remarkable.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11So, what do we have here?
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Well, in keeping with the location, St Albans, 1455.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19What we've got here is Max wearing the equipment and clothing
0:17:19 > 0:17:21that a soldier in the armies of 1455 in the battle
0:17:21 > 0:17:22would have been wearing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24So they would have come out of the pub
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- and they would have got all their clobber on.- Aye.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29And then legged it towards the battle.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And it becomes a dirty, nasty street fight.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35When we say "dirty" we mean really up close and personal?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Really up close and personal. Do you want to see?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Yeah, go on, go on. Yeah, because I'm a Geordie,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41I'm used to this sort of thing.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Hang on a minute, lads, I need to get into character.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Although we haven't got a helmet for you to wear,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53let's give you a nice hat.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- You're joking, he wouldn't go into battle with this?- Why not?
0:17:55 > 0:17:56He would be encased in armour
0:17:56 > 0:17:58but there's no reason why he couldn't wear it
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and you look beautiful.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Let's remember everything's a fashion statement
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- in the 15th century. - Is it?- Absolutely!
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Your armour, your clothes, the weapons you fight with - it's 100% a fashion statement.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13You are not a noble unless you have a true noble's weapon.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16If you're fighting men and you want to use a sword,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18the only weapon for you is the longsword.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Flipping 'eck!- The longsword, a beautiful weapon.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25As you can see, it has got a name for a reason.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Yes, it's long and it's a sword. - Absolutely! It's that simple.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Let's say my lord York moves forward. I cut in like so.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32There we go.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Then at this point, suddenly you've got a strong line.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37You can bring your hands up in front of you, moving forward,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40move that weapon slightly to one side
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and you can thrust straight through and walk over me as I fall down.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Game over. You only need to go that distance into me
0:18:46 > 0:18:47for me to fall over.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Flipping heck!
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- I mean, the level of brutality is just...- Vicious.- ..unbel...
0:18:52 > 0:18:57It's vicious, man. The levels of skill that's required to survive
0:18:57 > 0:18:59is...is mind-blowing.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Right, Myers, I've had some training now.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08It's going to get up close and personal and nasty!
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Oh-ho-ho!
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Keep your hat on, Kingy, it's not 1455 now, you know.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- You're jealous because my side won. - All right, I'll give you that.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Richard of York did thrash the King.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Phwoar, dear me.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Well, that was different.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30You know, I thought like medieval battles happened
0:19:30 > 0:19:32on fields with knights on horseback and armour.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It's strange to imagine knights in armour,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- running up and down the high street with broadswords and axes.- It is.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I'll tell you what, they're brutal, those broadswords, mate.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- I've lost a finger look at that. - Give over.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51The King lost three prominent nobles and round one,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54but that certainly wasn't the end of it.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You're not kidding, Kingy, England was in turmoil
0:19:58 > 0:20:01as sporadic battles took place across the country for decades.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And at many of these ancient battlefields,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08there still stands a great British pub...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13..And a passionate punter fascinated by the history.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Time to meet a local who loves his local!
0:20:22 > 0:20:24You'll find the Crooked Billet pub just outside
0:20:24 > 0:20:28the North Yorkshire village of Saxton.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31It sits at the site of an infamous Wars of the Roses battlefield.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37It's the local boozer of Mark, who's been supping here for years.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40The Crooked Billet at Saxton is a great pub,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I've been coming here for over 15 years.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Not only is the beer really good, the food's fantastic,
0:20:45 > 0:20:46the service great,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48its location, its setting.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It's set in rural Yorkshire
0:20:50 > 0:20:52but also it's on the edge of the Battle of Towton.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Towton battlefield was the scene of England's bloodiest battle.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Because of that, heritage has been drawn into the pub.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06The Battle of Towton marks six years in the Wars of the Roses.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Today the pub garden's still a target for local archers,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12though, thankfully, not the killing kind.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You'll find that archery has been a real draw to get people
0:21:18 > 0:21:19engaged with heritage.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It's a great sport and also it's good fun.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It's become known as the archery pub.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28People will drive along the main road and see the archery
0:21:28 > 0:21:32going ahead, pull in, have a meal and have a go with a longbow.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Well, it's kind of handy
0:21:35 > 0:21:38if you ever find yourself in the crossfire of a bloodthirsty battle.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41Archery was massive.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44If you could imagine 20,000 or 30,000 archers on each side,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49all shooting volleys of 12, 24 arrows at each other.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52You know, in really atrocious conditions.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55You can imagine what the sky was... Covered black with arrows.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Somebody's calculated there may have been
0:21:57 > 0:21:59a million arrows in the sky at one time.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02For me, the pub is just my pub.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05When I drive into the area, as soon as I get out of the car,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I feel a connection with the locality, instantly.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10You know, I look out upon a deserted medieval village.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12I've driven through the Towton battlefield.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16This is where myself and my peers come and do our archery
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and I walk into the pub and it feels a connection straight away.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Back on our historic pub crawl, we're travelling to
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire
0:22:29 > 0:22:32to a pub that marks a very special occasion.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Indeed it does.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37The end of the Wars of the Roses,
0:22:37 > 0:22:42when the Lancastrians won the final battle at Bosworth Field in 1485.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I bet everybody was over the moon that it was all over.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Yes, there would've been dancing in the streets
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and partying in every pub in Britain,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53even down little country lanes like this one.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Oh, look at that.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57For over 900 years, this hostelry has been known throughout the land.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58So even here.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06The Royal Standard of England is jam-packed with history
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and royal connections to die for.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Its name was granted by Charles II in 1663
0:23:12 > 0:23:16and is the only pub in Britain to be bestowed with such an honour.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Ooh-er!
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Si, this is possibly the most beautiful pub I've ever been in.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23It is, mate, it's absolutely gorgeous.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- You can certainly feel the history, can't you?- It's great.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27- Are you Tom?- I am.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Barman Tom Murden's the resident history expert,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34who's giving us the gen on how the good news spread.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39Tom, can you tell us about this pub
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and its connection with the end of the Wars of the Roses?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44The pub would have been a site of celebration
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and, in particular, would've been celebrated by the local traders.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50In those days, it would have been the traders from Penn down the road.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51They would've been tar merchants.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Most importantly, they would have shared the celebration with the Welsh drovers.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58The Welsh drovers used this road as a route from the west,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01into London, but also via market towns like Beaconsfield.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Do you know what always intrigues me, is that in those times,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06how did people know that the Wars of the Roses were over?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09I mean, there was no television news reports. There were no newspapers.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12How did they actually find out it was finished?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- That's an interesting question because the drovers would've acted as news carriers.- Ah...
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Because they would have...
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Obviously, droving from Wales to London
0:24:19 > 0:24:20would've entailed a number of stops
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and this wasn't the only place they stopped.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26They would've picked up information along the way, sharing it with barmen and landlords.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29They would be news carriers, as well as cattle drovers.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34You see, that's fascinating, isn't it, because that kind of then again reinforces yet again
0:24:34 > 0:24:37the kind of culture of the pub throughout British history.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Yeah, yeah.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Drovers moved cattle across the country
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and would often pop in here for a bevvy.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And when peace was declared, they stopped in for a bit of a boogie,
0:24:51 > 0:24:52medieval stylie.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55The legend of the pub is built around the fact that there
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- were a group of dances to celebrate the end of the war.- Oh...
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- They were called Border dances. - Right.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It was a dance that was used for celebrations in the 15th century.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So, Tom, would you say the Border dances were anything
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- like our Morris dances that we know today?- Almost certainly.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Today we can see the regional dances as Morris dances.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Morris dancing is just an umbrella term.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It just happened to be the regional dance that was closest to the Welsh border.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21That's a remarkable story.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It is incredible, isn't it, that this pub from the Wars of the Roses.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Yeah.- This pub has been there and witnessed it all.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Now some traditions never die and Morris dancing is one that's
0:25:32 > 0:25:35still celebrated by the locals in this very pub.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The Grand Union of Morris Men dance in pubs across the country,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45much like those 15th-century drovers.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47MORRIS DANCING MUSIC
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Dudley here is what they call the Grand Union Bagman.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- Dudley, that was brilliant. - Was it good?- It was fantastic.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07We enjoy it, as well.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10You know, Dudley, the question has to be...why?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12If only I knew why!
0:26:12 > 0:26:16We know where, we know how, but why... We just enjoy it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19A lovely pub and it's traditional Morris.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It's been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Do you all know the history of Morris, then?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26It comes from the Dark Ages.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Some people say it's even pagan but that would be controversial.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32All we do know, it was around at the War of the Roses and before
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and it's evolved over the last few centuries to what you see today.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Dudley, I have to say, I have to say, it's got to be pagan
0:26:39 > 0:26:42in some way, shape or form because you're dressed as a magic bush.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44LAUGHTER
0:26:44 > 0:26:47No, I'm the Green Man who is born each year on May 1st.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Well, there you are! That's pagan to me, mate.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52It's a wonderful tradition.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It's great to see it's alive and thriving.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Dudley, it's a shame to come here and not join in.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- Do you think Dave and I could have a go?- Of course you can.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's easy, really, but it takes years of practice.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- Brilliant!- Come and join us. - Fantastic!
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Well, I'd better get dressed for the part.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Somewhere there's a village missing its idiot!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Go!
0:27:17 > 0:27:18And back.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20And again.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23We're getting the hang of this, Kingy.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26That's it and now back.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29What can I say, mucker, you can't teach natural rhythm like this!
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Skip!- I'm skipping!
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I'm following the bush!
0:27:34 > 0:27:37No, Si, you definitely can't!
0:27:44 > 0:27:48What a brilliant end to a brilliant pub tour.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Yeah, everything from medieval ale
0:27:50 > 0:27:52to battlefield boozers.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Fantastic!
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Right, mate, a final piece of Wars of the Roses trivia for you.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00DAVE SIGHS
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I bet you don't know this one.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09The Duke of Clarence was executed in 1478 in the Tower Of London.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11How was he put to death?
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Of course I know this one, I did Richard III at school.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18He was drowned in a vat of Malmsey wine.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20He was an' all!
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- That was good that, mate. Well done. - I know. I have education.