0:00:02 > 0:00:04In Britain we have a passion for property,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08and of course, our national obsession is house prices.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09How much to buy?
0:00:09 > 0:00:13You're looking at about 1.7 million for an apartment like this.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17But housing is about so much more than bricks and mortar.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Look at the smile on my face.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23It's about who we are and how we choose to live.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24LAUGHTER
0:00:26 > 0:00:2975 years since the Beveridge Report
0:00:29 > 0:00:31vowed to rebuild Britain's housing...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Slums must go.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36..we're opening the door to Britain's home truths.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- From council houses... - To suburban semis.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- High rises.- To country pads.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46In fact, anywhere we call home.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49To find out if three quarters of a century later
0:00:49 > 0:00:52we really have built a better place to live.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06MUSIC: Country House by Blur
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Over 11 million people live in the British countryside,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16but a lot more have their roots here. Including me.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I was born and bred in the country,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21so today I'm going to find out the part
0:01:21 > 0:01:25that Britain's countryside has played in our housing revolution.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I'm going back to the place that had a massive impact on my life
0:01:28 > 0:01:32and my career, rural Northern Ireland.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36I'm just over an hour's drive away from the heart of Belfast,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and within such a short time, it's a totally different world.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I've lived in towns and cities,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43but really I'm a country girl at heart,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and being back gives me a real feeling of excitement.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49If you feel like getting away from it all for a couple of hours
0:01:49 > 0:01:52this weekend, I can't think of anywhere nicer to come to than Castle Ward House,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56one of the National Trust properties near Strangford in County Down.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Well, that wasn't exactly yesterday,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01but I was brought up here in County Armagh, on the outskirts
0:02:01 > 0:02:03of a small place called Portadown.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07There's my dad, an amateur magician, and there's my mum.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11She's outside our house where I was brought up with my big sister Lena
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and my gran, Granny McCann, who's on the left, but the place
0:02:15 > 0:02:19that perhaps had the biggest impact on me was actually my gran's farm,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21a short bike ride away.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23And that's where I'm heading now.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32I'm in the townland or the countryside where my granny lived
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and where I spent a lot of time,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37on my holidays and school holidays and things,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40but I don't really recognise.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45It's 63 years since I've been to this area.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49My granny's farm was my gateway to the countryside of the '50s,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53playing on haystacks and running across fields.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55The memories of country life here are really strong,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58as are the memories of the people I enjoyed it with.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I really wish my mum was with me, actually, because...
0:03:01 > 0:03:04And my sister - both, sadly, are gone,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and I have such strong memories of...
0:03:07 > 0:03:10them being with me, or taking me here.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11And my tummy is really...
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I've got butterflies now, because I think,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17just over the rise of the hill here,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I think this is my grandmother's house.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23My granny, mum and big sister would've really loved to have seen
0:03:23 > 0:03:26the place again, although I think, like me,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31they would have difficulty recognising the small two-bedroomed farmhouse today.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36And here's the house.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I feel almost sick with emotion looking at the house,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45because although I remember the structure of it
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and have a very vivid,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49clear picture in my head as to what it looked like,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51of course it's changed.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Obviously the farm has been turned into kennels.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56DOGS BARK
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It has.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And there's what was known as a moss nearby,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04that might have been the entrance to the moss.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06So, if it's different outside,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I guess it's got to be very different inside, so...
0:04:09 > 0:04:13I want to maybe tell the owner of the house now just how it used to be.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The current owner is John Breen,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and he's been living here more than 26 years.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22I wish I had a penny for every time I walked towards this porch.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Um, it really is deja vu.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I sort of can't believe that I'm back after 63 years.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Now, obviously you're John, who bought the house.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34You would've bought it then from my mother's brother, from Geordie.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Geordie McCann...- Yeah. That wasn't there, that sort of bed thing.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38No, we put that in too,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41just to give something at the front of the house.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Yeah, cos when they painted the strip at the bottom,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- I remember the black going down to the road.- Yeah...
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- You know, when they painted it? - Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Yeah. Is it OK if I go in? - Yes, of course.- Uh-huh?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55I have to tell you, I feel very weepy at the moment,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58because we have so many family memories,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59- but I'm sure you've changed it all.- Yeah...
0:04:59 > 0:05:02My aunt, who lived here after my grandmother died,
0:05:02 > 0:05:03would've changed it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But this wall would've had a little window here.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11And my granny would sit behind that window, and she'd look at anybody
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- going past, cos it's a dead-end road.- That's right.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17She would think, "Why are they going past there?"
0:05:17 > 0:05:19And this room, definitely,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22was the room where the churning was done for making butter.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And they had the churn and the pats, you know,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27to pat the butter and do that.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31This is where the feeding was kept for whatever animals
0:05:31 > 0:05:32they had around,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36pigs and so on, and of course, this bathroom was definitely not here.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- There was no inside toilet in my day.- Yeah.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42It's all so different,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46but there are still little corners in and outside the house
0:05:46 > 0:05:48that transport me right back.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Well, this is it. As a child, this was the beginning of our playground,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56this was the entrance down to what's known here as a moss,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59which actually is an area where they cut the turf,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03you've got a big long spade and they cut the turf for the fire.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07But I so wish my sister and my mum could see all of this.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I really find it quite choking, I have to say.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Because, erm...
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Yeah.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Even though the house has changed,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I still see my grandmother in that house.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25She was strong, she was quite a tall woman, which I'm not,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28but she just had this strong nose and she was very strong
0:06:28 > 0:06:32when she lifted things. I suppose life on the farm made her strong.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35But I see those people very sharply in my mind today.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38So, this has been a joy to relive it,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43but very emotional and I could cry very easily over the whole thing.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55OK, I guess my home truth when it comes to country living
0:06:55 > 0:06:57is one of nostalgia and rose...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Or should that be green-tinted spectacles?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04On the sunlit village green, King Willow reigns.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Long may he do so.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11And it was all built around the main rural industry - farming,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15which in the '50s employed around 800,000 people.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Now, today, it's a quarter of that.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The real future of the countryside still lies in the land,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24in its ability not only to provide food for the nation,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27but also work and rewards for the people of the countryside.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But I now want to put Britain's countryside story
0:07:32 > 0:07:34into a wider context.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And for that, I'm going to one of Northern Ireland's best viewpoints.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39It's called Scrabo Tower.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Helping me get a wider perspective on the views we'll be looking at
0:07:43 > 0:07:46is social historian Dr Gillian McIntosh.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Gillian, believe it or not there are 122 steps up this tower.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Now, they tell me the views are magnificent,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55but I ain't going up there. THEY LAUGH
0:07:55 > 0:07:56I think the view here is terrific,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59but it does allow you to see the expanse of land...
0:07:59 > 0:08:04So, basically, how does it divide up in terms of urban or otherwise?
0:08:04 > 0:08:05In the United Kingdom as a whole,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08about a third of the land is now deemed to be,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11or assessed as being, er, urban,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but in fact two thirds of us live in an urban setting,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and in Northern Ireland about 36% of us live in a rural setting.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I'm wondering how the land has changed, really.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Because, I mean, I came into this world in the '40s.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I mean, if you're looking at a landscape like this,
0:08:26 > 0:08:31one of the things you'd notice first of all, if you hadn't been morphed from 1940 to now,
0:08:31 > 0:08:32was the volume of traffic.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36The expanse of roads, complicated road systems, new road systems,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38dual carriageways, and a lot more traffic,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41a lot more cars with private car ownership
0:08:41 > 0:08:44coming more to the fore after the Second World War.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46You'd notice it was noisier, for instance,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47because you'd hear the sound of traffic,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49but looking out at this kind of landscape,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52you also notice pylons, electricity pylons.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Now the shire suffers a devastating change.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Its gentle landscapes strung with wire,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02old places looking ill and strange.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Somewhere like Belfast had electricity from the end of the 19th century,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10but electricity rolls out across Northern Ireland much more slowly,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and even into the period of the '40s and '50s
0:09:13 > 0:09:16people would've still had, in rural areas, used gas,
0:09:16 > 0:09:21used oil lamps for lighting and cooking in their homes.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24When I was a child, we were living off a gas mantle on the wall.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26You know, we didn't have electricity.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30People were using electricity not so much for their homes but for work.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31You might have had...
0:09:31 > 0:09:34The milking parlour might have had some electricity,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37but you wouldn't necessarily think that you needed to have that in your home.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's amazing to think how late
0:09:39 > 0:09:43mains electricity actually came to the British countryside.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Pylons started to appear in the '20s,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48when the National Grid was established.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49But by 1938,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53nine in ten farms and a third of all rural dwellings
0:09:53 > 0:09:56were still without mains power.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Electricity use in British homes really began to take off
0:09:59 > 0:10:02in the '50s, with new gadgets coming out every month.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Another machine which saves hours of time
0:10:04 > 0:10:08is the electric ironing machine, which is being demonstrated here.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But even then, only half of the UK's homes had sockets,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and it would be a long time until rural kitchens
0:10:14 > 0:10:17joined this technological revolution.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Incredibly, some parts of the UK countryside were still waiting
0:10:21 > 0:10:24for electricity to arrive right up to the 1970s.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I think that women had it really hard then.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Because I still have a memory of, say, my mother with a washboard,
0:10:30 > 0:10:37and just a boiler, and to do just a Monday wash was really hard work.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Yes, and I think that women were probably the drivers
0:10:39 > 0:10:42of wanting electricity to come into their homes,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44because they got laboursaving devices.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Women were responsible for lighting the home, for tending oil lamps,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50for instance. That responsibility would be taken off them.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Women's work, like ironing for instance,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55which would previously have to be done with a fire and heating an iron,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58now you could buy an iron that you plugged in
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and your work got done much faster.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03So women drove the domestic goods end,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06er, which needed electricity to work.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Well, Gillian, I have to tell you it's fascinating,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and I think you've been a Trojan standing in this wind
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and gale, I think it's about to rain,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- so I think we should go, don't you? - Yes...
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Speaking to Gillian has made me want to know even more
0:11:23 > 0:11:25about how living in the countryside has changed
0:11:25 > 0:11:27since I left these parts.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It's a story that in many ways hasn't been told,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35with our obsession for all things modern and urban
0:11:35 > 0:11:38drowning out the rural story.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40AIR RAID SIREN As with so many things,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42the Second World War was a real watershed
0:11:42 > 0:11:44when it came to our urban-rural divide.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50In the wake of the Blitz,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54the powers that be were determined to rid the nation of slum living,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and that meant rebuilding the cities,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00planning new towns and erecting council estates across the land.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04But the countryside way of life still had a big romantic draw.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06And after two world wars,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10many people began to question just what kind of Britain
0:12:10 > 0:12:12- we had been fighting for. - But this I do know -
0:12:12 > 0:12:18we ain't never properly appreciated all these things we got so used to.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We made a fine big war effort.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23When it's all over, we got to see to it we make a fine big peace effort,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25there's no two ways about it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27If country ways were to survive,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30then something drastic had to be done, and here in Northern Ireland,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34they took the lead by setting up this place.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The Ulster Folk Museum in Cultra
0:12:36 > 0:12:39was established in the 1950s by an act of Parliament.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Its aim?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Well, it was to help preserve the way of life
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and the properties of a rural tradition that many felt
0:12:46 > 0:12:48to be under threat by the modern world.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55In many ways it was the forerunner of a wider UK heritage industry,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57that today is worth millions.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01So, like many visitors before me,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I've come here to experience how things used to be
0:13:04 > 0:13:08in the countryside, and you know what? I want to look the part.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11So my first stop is Sloane's drapers.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The original shop opened in 1887
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and seven generations of tailors have worked here.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Out at the back of the shop
0:13:19 > 0:13:23they still hand-weave clothes, which are worn by the museum staff.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Well, I think it's time I got fitted out,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and guiding me on my journey back to the past
0:13:28 > 0:13:32is the museum curator of textiles, Valerie Wilson.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The vast majority of what you see in this exhibit building
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- is the original material from Sloane's shop...- Really?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40..around 1910 to 1915.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I remember my mum,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I mean, she used to wear corsets like this
0:13:44 > 0:13:46with the stays, with the boning that went down here.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It would be so uncomfortable.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51When she took it off at night, it kind of just all fell out.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- Yes...- She'd go, "Such a relief to be out of that corset."
0:13:54 > 0:13:57What delicacies do you have lined up for me, then, today?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Well, I have a lovely autumnal outfit.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- OK.- A choice, actually.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04All good shops would give you a choice.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Er, a comfortable wool skirt.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Obviously no zippers, because we're
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- looking at a time that's long before zippers.- That's good.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Anything that's got elastic in the waist, I like it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18What about a coat, just in case it gets chilly?
0:14:18 > 0:14:19Just one...
0:14:19 > 0:14:24is an exact replica of the original in the museum's collection.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27This sort of puffed shoulder idea is very in this year.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28I love this, where
0:14:28 > 0:14:32all the attention is focused on drawing your eye down to the waist.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33Yeah. Beautifully made.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- OK.- Where do I change? - Just at the back of the shop.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- Lovely.- Take it to the room? - Thank you for all of that. Yeah, lovely.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42Oh, my goodness.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46That was just so nostalgic, taking me right back in time.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Not perhaps the most flattering outfit I've ever had in my life,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51but it is authentic right down to the blouse
0:14:51 > 0:14:52that's got to be buttoned up.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I have my lovely shawl and I've got my beautiful outer coat,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57which actually keeps me very warm,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00but I think it's time to get totally immersed into country life
0:15:00 > 0:15:01as it would've been.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I'm off for a real treat,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10to travel back to when I was a little girl,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12to a time when my granny was alive,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15making Irish soda bread the traditional way.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Now, it's not the first time I've done this on TV.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22In fact, I think it's becoming a bit of a habit.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Well, I might be taking my life in my hands by tasting it,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30but it certainly is a long time since I've had a lovely hot soda farl,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32oozing with butter, straight off the griddle,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and it really does taste good.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39Oh, dear. This is so reminiscent of what I remember my granny's farm
0:15:39 > 0:15:40to have been. And every Easter,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43they would whitewash the walls and the black would've been painted up,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and it was just a special thing
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and, you know... She had thatch at one point,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I'm not sure what happened in later years, but...
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Amazing. And the hens were running around, just at her place,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56running loose, I love that.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Oh, gosh.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04You know, this is almost unreal for me, because at my granny's farm
0:16:04 > 0:16:09she had this little window, and this is identical, and so is the kitchen.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10It's so surreal.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13It's almost like the museum has just plucked the cottage
0:16:13 > 0:16:16straight out of my memories of Granny McCann's farm kitchen.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19And helping me with the baking is Audrey,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21who's been working at the museum for six years.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Audrey, hello.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- Hello.- Hi, I hear you're the master baker?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- I think so.- I'll wash my hands.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32'It wasn't until the 1920s that most British kitchens had a gas stove.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Shall I pour the milk in and you can stir? Is that a good idea?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38'That country staple, the aga,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'also appeared in this decade, as indeed did the electric stoves,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'but like many people in rural Britain,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47'my granny was still cooking over an open fire well into the '50s.'
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Now, my mum, she used to bake 13 different kinds of bread
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- every Saturday, religiously. - My goodness.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57And she'd keep a quarter of the loaf of her bread for our family,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and the rest she'd give away to the neighbours.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- You'll turn it out.- I usually...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05don't even roll it.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- I just...- Just shape it?- Shape it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Oh, not long to wait now.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So, now, if you go back into your own life, your own family history,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16what do you remember that might be similar to this?
0:17:16 > 0:17:20I, funnily enough, was brought up in a house without electricity,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25indoor bathroom, any water, and to me, it's just going back,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28like you, back home again.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- Mm.- Until I was about 11.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- It's like two lives, really.- It is.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34It's now the moment I've been waiting for.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Can I be really greedy and just go for it?
0:17:37 > 0:17:38- Just eat it.- Yeah. Mmm.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Oh, my goodness.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44You see, I'm back in the hay field now.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47My granny's just delivered the soda bread, off the griddle.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Mmm. What a sharp memory that is.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52I can't tell you how yummy it is,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55cos the butter is oozing through it. Mmm.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Mmm.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Heaven.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's truly amazing to think that this place was opened
0:18:09 > 0:18:11just as Britain's cultural revolution
0:18:11 > 0:18:12was about to get under way,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15at a time when rock and roll ruled the world,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17the space race was about to begin
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and concrete high-rises were springing up
0:18:20 > 0:18:21right across the land.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And yet, maybe that was the point.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29In a world where everything was changing,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32places like the Folk Museum were designed to remind us
0:18:32 > 0:18:35of our more traditional roots,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37and that's certainly the view of Valerie,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41who's taking me to a cottage first built in the mid-1800s...
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- I love the little sort of windows and things.- Very picturesque.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46..to show me just how far we've come.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49And the fire's on.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Valerie, that's what I call a good fire.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Lots of turf going up the chimney.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- And a nice smell coming off it, too. - Yeah, lovely smell.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00It's incredible to me, in time gone by,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03that five people would've lived in this one room.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06This would've been everything, really, during the day, wouldn't it?
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Well, it would've been, and then it just had the one bedroom
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and a settle bed, which you see just behind me here, which opens out.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14This house in particular
0:19:14 > 0:19:17was well known for its very sociable family,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and it was also known very much as a ceilidh house.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22You can't imagine having a ceilidh in here, can you?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26No, well, I think on occasions, quite a few of the other family
0:19:26 > 0:19:27and neighbours gathered here
0:19:27 > 0:19:29for a good old night's entertainment.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So, with this photograph,
0:19:31 > 0:19:32is that the person who owned the house?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Yes, that's a photograph of Dan Hyndman.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38He's pictured here sometime in the 1950s.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Like most of the buildings in the museum,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46the Hyndmans' house was transported brick by brick,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48with each brick numbered and put back into place
0:19:48 > 0:19:51like a big, giant 3D jigsaw.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52In piles of numbered stones,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55the buildings come from all over Ulster -
0:19:55 > 0:19:59old churches, schools, farmhouses, weaver's homes.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02A heritage slowly rebuilt over the years,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05rescued from the 20th-century bulldozer.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Why do you think it's so important
0:20:07 > 0:20:11that people generally get to know what rural life was like?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I think it's absolutely essential, in some ways.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It has been said that in order to know where you want to go,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19you need to know where you've come from,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and that's really what we're doing here in the museum.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24That's what I love about the authenticity.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And, in fact, at my age, I can remember, you know,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31being in a similar situation either at my grandmother's farm or indeed
0:20:31 > 0:20:32- in my mother's kitchen.- Mm-hm.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Because we would sit by the fire chatting away.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37My sister would be there with her friends
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and everybody was packed in.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I was under the table cos I was so much younger.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I used to say it was like the clicking of the needles
0:20:44 > 0:20:46and the clacking of the tongues,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49because the needles were going like this, the tongues like this,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and of course, you always had to finish with a song.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54# If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
0:20:54 > 0:20:57# Then maybe at the closing of your day
0:20:57 > 0:21:02# You can sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh
0:21:02 > 0:21:06# And watch the sun go down on Galway Bay. #
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Which is a long way from here, by the way.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10But we always had to do our piece. It didn't matter what it was.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It was called "do your piece".
0:21:12 > 0:21:14I think Dan Hyndman would've loved that!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16You would've been part of his ceilidh, no problem.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23While the Folk Museum may have been unique to Ulster,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26it was part of a wider trend to protect the countryside
0:21:26 > 0:21:30that was happening right across the whole of the UK in the 1950s.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Green belts were established
0:21:31 > 0:21:35to protect against too much urban spread.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The surrounding country is being eaten up bit by bit.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- Put a stop to it, quick!- Right.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Then we'll have a great belt here
0:21:43 > 0:21:45in which agriculture will be safe forever
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and into which the town will not intrude.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Also, national parks started to be established in this era.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55From Snowdonia to the Lake District,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59there were now ten protected areas of unspoiled beauty
0:21:59 > 0:22:01that everybody could enjoy.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03There are thousands of square miles of country and coast
0:22:03 > 0:22:06which should be made into national parks.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Extensive districts to be preserved in their natural aspects
0:22:09 > 0:22:11and kept for public enjoyment and health.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Mountain, moor, forest and heath
0:22:14 > 0:22:16form nearly one third of Britain's total area,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18and it must be protected.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Also central to this plan of preserving the countryside
0:22:21 > 0:22:25was the preservation and restoration of the grand houses.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Once at the very centre of rural life,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31around 1,000 country estates have been lost since the war.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33But the lucky ones were brought
0:22:33 > 0:22:35under the control of the National Trust,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39who now manage over 300 historic buildings and estates -
0:22:39 > 0:22:43places like the magnificent Crom Castle in County Fermanagh.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48This splendid 2,000-acre estate
0:22:48 > 0:22:51is situated on the banks of Lough Erne
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and was acquired by the National Trust in 1988.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Now, I know this place very, very well.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Before the National Trust stepped in,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I was really lucky to have rented a farm worker's cottage here.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It was the most perfect spot
0:23:07 > 0:23:09to come to with my then young family,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14so I've decided to come back and see if the magic is still here.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's very emotional even outside,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19because I have great memories of every Friday night
0:23:19 > 0:23:23arriving with a car stuffed with food and children,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and we were here every Friday to Sunday, and, of course,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27all the holidays in between.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32It's this superb double-fronted stone house, for £138 a year.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33Can you imagine?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Back then, this cottage was pretty basic -
0:23:38 > 0:23:41a farm worker's building next to what was called the piggery
0:23:41 > 0:23:44with no heating, not too much of a kitchen.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47But, by then, I was working hard starting a career in the media
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and this was a piece of heaven.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54One of the main improvements we made was to put in a new kitchen,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56but, I mean, really, this is posh compared to what we put in.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58It was kind of more bits and pieces,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01but it was better than what was here originally,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and that was the purpose of such a cheap, peppercorn rent -
0:24:04 > 0:24:05to improve the building.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And certainly it improved it for us,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10but I think the National Trust has it much better than we did.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14What I really appreciate about Crom Estate
0:24:14 > 0:24:17is that it allowed me to give my daughter Caron
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and my sons Paul and Michael a taste of rural freedom,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24the kind of freedom that I'd experienced as a young girl.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28I have extremely strong memories of exactly where I am,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30because this is what we called the baby room.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Exactly where this bed is, we had the most wonderful brass cot
0:24:33 > 0:24:37that an old baby-sitter had given me for my younger son, Michael.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40The present Lord Erne was then the same age as Michael.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I used to think it was very posh
0:24:43 > 0:24:46that my little boy was playing with the future Lord Erne.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Caron, for example - well, you know, I could weep when I think back.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55And she always, always wanted a pony,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58but we could never, ever afford...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Sorry, when I talk about Caron and a pony, I get sad.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I'm sorry. I have to stop.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Sadly, my daughter Caron died when she was only 41 of breast cancer.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17And today has reminded me of all the precious family moments
0:25:17 > 0:25:19that we enjoyed here.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33I truly enjoyed this stone farm worker's house and today,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36these cottages and the whole of the Crom Estate
0:25:36 > 0:25:38is managed by the National Trust,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42which means lots of other families get to enjoy it as well.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The management of the estate has also assured the future
0:25:45 > 0:25:48of what we call in Ireland "the big house",
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and I can't come here without saying hello
0:25:50 > 0:25:52to the current lord of the manor, John -
0:25:52 > 0:25:54or, I should say, Lord Erne.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- You don't have a knocker! - Gloria.- Lord Erne. How are you?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02- Welcome home. - How very nice to see you again.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- Thank you for doing this. - Not at all. Looking forward to it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- I love how you say, "Welcome home." That's so nice.- Well, it is here.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12'This is the new Lord Erne, who used to climb trees with my son Michael.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15'The former Lord Erne very sadly died earlier this year.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16'We were also very close.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19'One of the last times I saw him was a few years ago,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21'filming with Eamonn Holmes.'
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- You haven't changed a bit. - Are you joking?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- You look wonderful. - Thank you.- Welcome home.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Did we do any improvements to this house during our time?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29You did. You did. By being in it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Even by being in it, it made a hell of a difference.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They've got a plaque up there, "Gloria Hunniford stayed here."
0:26:34 > 0:26:35It's so funny actually, John.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37When your dad was alive and occasionally,
0:26:37 > 0:26:38when we were down at the cottages,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40he would invite us up for a drink or something.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43As the years went on, I used to think it was fantastic
0:26:43 > 0:26:46to come into this magnificent castle.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And now, of course, you're the new Lord Erne.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So, I used to call you John-John. Now I have to call you Lord Erne.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- You certainly don't. - You've inherited the title. Yes.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Where are we going, to the library? - We're going to the library.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Actually, no, it's always John-John to you.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Crom Castle is a bit of a new build by country house standards.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04It was built in 1830,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08after the 17th-century castle was destroyed by fire.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13The earls of Erne have been living on this estate for 350 years.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16What would you say was the heyday of Crom?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20I would say that it would probably have been from the 1850s
0:27:20 > 0:27:25through to the sad breakout of World War I
0:27:25 > 0:27:28when a lot of the family and the neighbours
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and the community would've gone off to war,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and sadly, some of them never came back.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36I mean, everyone that lived at Crom worked for the family,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so we would've given employment to many families in the area,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43not only outside the gates, but within the gates.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47And we had our own letterbox and we had our own shop,
0:27:47 > 0:27:48so it was almost like a hamlet.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52So, do you think that the estate and Crom would have survived
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- if it hadn't been for the National Trust?- No.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58He gave the land and the outbuildings,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and I remember, there were 22 listed buildings on the estate,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05which would all have needed to have been repaired at some stage
0:28:05 > 0:28:07and looked after,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11as well as the acreage of the actual estate itself.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15So, it was a complete blessing for us that the National Trust
0:28:15 > 0:28:17were able to take it on
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and now they deem it as being one of the most important
0:28:20 > 0:28:22nature conservation areas in the British Isles,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24which I'm immensely proud of.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27This little pocket of Northern Ireland is so important.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30MUSIC: Orinoco Flow by Enya
0:28:31 > 0:28:36It was great to catch up with the young lord, but before I leave,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38just one last, lingering look at Lough Erne.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Oh, my goodness,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I've got so many stories about Lough Erne.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46The fishermen say that it's 38 feet deep.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48It's 36 of fish and two of water.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And there's another lovely expression.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52They say, "If you don't like the weather,
0:28:52 > 0:28:53"well, just wait a minute."
0:28:53 > 0:28:57But it is so beautiful. So tranquil, so peaceful.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00It's really important that places and countryside
0:29:00 > 0:29:02and waterways like this are preserved
0:29:02 > 0:29:04for everybody to enjoy,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06because it's a bit of a miracle, really.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Country estates have moved on since lords, servants and serfs,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15but the fact that historical and beautiful corners
0:29:15 > 0:29:18of the countryside are preserved, I think, is really important.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Of course, it's all very well being to the manor born,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36but for those without blue blood in their veins,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38the hard work of farming still had to be done,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42and in the 1960s, much like society as a whole,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44the fields and farms across Britain
0:29:44 > 0:29:47were also going through a major revolution.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Throughout the decade, the baby boomer post-war years
0:29:50 > 0:29:53helped produce an extra three million mouths to feed,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56creating a demand for food like never before.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Well, the prices and quality appear to vary a lot at the moment,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02so if you want good, cheap apples,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05it looks as if you'll have to get out and shop around.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06Out went the inefficient
0:30:06 > 0:30:09labour-intensive practices of yesteryear
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and in came a new way of working.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Farming today is becoming big business.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19In the grain dryer of the store, which is electrically operated,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22one man can do the work previously done by many.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Today, the food and farming industry in the UK
0:30:31 > 0:30:33is worth over £100 billion,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and farmer Dean Ryder is a product of those changing times.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40He works his modern, mechanised farm
0:30:40 > 0:30:43close to Portadown and Granny McCann's.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45And I have to tell you, milking the cows
0:30:45 > 0:30:47certainly wasn't like this in my granny's time,
0:30:47 > 0:30:48I can tell you that.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52- So, the milking part.- Yes, Gloria.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54This is actually where the milking process
0:30:54 > 0:30:55takes place on a daily basis.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Three times a day, approximately 175 cows go through this facility.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02It's a long time since all of the hand stuff, isn't it?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05And I think it's like anything else,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07like technology in any other business in the world.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11You know, technology in our business has come on a lot.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14But while labour-saving techniques have helped farmers like Dean
0:31:14 > 0:31:16keep their head above water,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19the old rural way of life has been transformed,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21and nowhere can this be seen more
0:31:21 > 0:31:24than in the shape of Dean's old family farmhouse
0:31:24 > 0:31:28that still stands in the yard as a monument to a passing age.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29What date is this?
0:31:29 > 0:31:311600s, theory would have it.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33But we can trace it back
0:31:33 > 0:31:35within five generations of our family to 1830.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37- All farmers?- All farmers.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39I'm the fifth generation of farmers on this farm.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41So really it'd be your great, great, great-grandfather
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- who bought it originally? - It would, yes.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45My grandfather's great-grandfather
0:31:45 > 0:31:48probably purchased this and three acres in 1830.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51This house is actually built from clay and straw,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and it's actually mud-walled and it was originally thatched.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I'll get you a photograph of the house
0:31:56 > 0:31:58during the construction of the new house.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00You can see bricks and sand and timber.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03So, that was obviously dated in around 1951.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And what do you remember about living in this house?
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Because, presumably, it was pretty cramped?
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Basically, we made our own fun
0:32:09 > 0:32:12via board games and very little television.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14It was always warm in the winter time
0:32:14 > 0:32:16because the walls were three feet wide.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18It was cold in the summertime.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20I think it was a fantastic house to live in as a child.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Now, clearly, you've not knocked this lovely building down.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24You've kept it all these generations.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26What are you going to do with it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29I think possibly in coming years,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33if I end up processing my own milk into a product
0:32:33 > 0:32:36like cheese and butter, it'd probably be the ideal site.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Albeit, yes, you wouldn't like to knock the house down,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40but some decisions have to be made.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43I have a funny feeling you will never knock this down.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44This is too much part of your history.
0:32:44 > 0:32:45I imagine you're probably right.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52The biggest effect of this agricultural technology
0:32:52 > 0:32:53has been on rural jobs.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00As the amount of manual labour needed on farms got less and less,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03people started to leave the countryside in their droves.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Indeed, I was one of them.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Following my dream of becoming a journalist
0:33:07 > 0:33:09and moving to the big city.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11BBC World Service.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16The impact on villages and hamlets was, however, devastating,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18leading to some rural settlements
0:33:18 > 0:33:20to become nothing more than ghost towns.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28But then in the '80s, something odd happened,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31because the process of decline started to reverse,
0:33:31 > 0:33:32as people working in the cities
0:33:32 > 0:33:35suddenly craved a bit more of a tranquil way of life.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44And they were also willing to pay for it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45The commuter village was born,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48and Hillsborough, where I've now arrived,
0:33:48 > 0:33:49is a prime example.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54The history of this village dates back to the 1600s,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and it's a bit posh, if the truth be told.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00So posh that it's the Queen's home when she's in Northern Ireland.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07This is Hillsborough Castle.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10It's not actually a castle, but a Georgian mansion,
0:34:10 > 0:34:15and the Queen has to share it with over 13,000 visitors a year.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Now, I know a lot about this place,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21because Hillsborough is not just a village fit for royalty.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26It was also my family home for over ten very happy years.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29You know, for example, this pub here,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31my daughter Caron used to work in here on a Saturday,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and, of course, many days were spent in here
0:34:34 > 0:34:36having lunch and it was kind of a focal point
0:34:36 > 0:34:38for a lot of local people.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43This village gave the family everything, and yet,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45I was only 14 minutes away
0:34:45 > 0:34:47from the city of Belfast where I worked.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50So, it was a great combination between, you know, rural
0:34:50 > 0:34:53and yet a sophistication about the village
0:34:53 > 0:34:55that give you everything that you needed.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Throughout the 1980s and '90s,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00commuter villages all over the country
0:35:00 > 0:35:02from Dunton Green to Uppermill
0:35:02 > 0:35:07flourished as new developments began to pop up everywhere.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Not everybody was happy, though,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12as the precious green belts established back in the '50s
0:35:12 > 0:35:14were under increased strain.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I feel there's plenty of other building land available
0:35:17 > 0:35:19without building on the green belt.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23This movement out of the city shows no sign of slowing,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25especially in England,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28where the rural population is actually set to increase by 6%
0:35:28 > 0:35:29over the next decade.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33I've come to see this trend for myself
0:35:33 > 0:35:36in one of Hillsborough's most desirable developments,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38which is called Governor's Gate.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41This is a new version of country living - rural suburbs,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44where the distinction between rural and urban life
0:35:44 > 0:35:46is becoming increasingly blurred.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Proudly showing me around is estate agent Mark Leinster.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52See, the thing is, Mark,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55I lived here for many years in the village, and yet,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58when I was here, this would've been all farmland, wouldn't it?
0:35:58 > 0:35:59Yes. It would've been, yes.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Was the idea to keep the architecture tasteful
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- and within that period?- In keeping with the period, very much so.- Yeah.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07The beauty of it is that there's such a mixed bag of housing
0:36:07 > 0:36:09in the development.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12There's apartments for people who would be downsizing.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14There are more modest town houses
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and semidetached for the first-time buyers and professionals,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and then, like this little select area of four houses
0:36:20 > 0:36:23would be more for the larger family market, you know?
0:36:23 > 0:36:27I have to say, I'm impressed. I wonder how much they cost.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- What sort of price range? - Well, they would vary now.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35This particular property here is on the market apparently at 395,000.
0:36:35 > 0:36:36I'm going to stop you there.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38You wouldn't even get a one-bed apartment in London for that.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- So I hear, so I hear.- I think we better go and have a look.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- What do you think? - Let's go have a look.- Yeah, yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I'll lead the way. There's a brochure for you.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- Ever the salesman, eh? - Absolutely. Always.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- Come on through.- This looks so lovely. Lovely entrance hall.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56So, you've got your little snug sitting room here on the left.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Could be dining room or you could use this as a dining room,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59whenever you choose.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02This is a long way from Granny McCann's country cottage.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06The kitchen/dining/living area is almost as big as her entire house.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10What do you think people are looking for these days?
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Because there are people who've enjoyed city life
0:37:12 > 0:37:14- or had to be in the cities because of their work.- Yeah.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Do you think they're now looking for a more rural way of life?
0:37:18 > 0:37:20I think people like both.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Hillsborough's appeal really is that it is a semi-rural village,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26as such, but still, you're very handy to getting on the motorway
0:37:26 > 0:37:29if you're going to Belfast, which is 20 minutes down the road,
0:37:29 > 0:37:31and you've got all your amenities
0:37:31 > 0:37:33within a short drive or a short stroll away,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35so that really is the appeal.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38I suppose when you analyse it all,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41the people who live here aren't exactly leading a rural life,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43because they have a very sophisticated village
0:37:43 > 0:37:45like Hillsborough.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48But, nevertheless, they are near the city, so it's that balance
0:37:48 > 0:37:49as a kind of a hybrid.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53So, in a way, the people here are getting the best of both worlds.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59I find it sad to leave Hillsborough, I do love it so much,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01but as I head back into the countryside,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05I do wonder what my old granny would make of it today.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Is it really a rural village
0:38:07 > 0:38:09or is it somewhere people with a bit of money
0:38:09 > 0:38:11pretend to be living the rural lifestyle?
0:38:15 > 0:38:18For the final couple I'm meeting on my journey,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22this authenticity gap is something they're trying to bridge.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Steve, Claire and their little daughter Lyra are living off grid,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29which means they generate their own electricity,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31and their eventual aim
0:38:31 > 0:38:34is to be almost entirely self-sufficient.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37There are currently over 75,000 people in the UK
0:38:37 > 0:38:38living off grid,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40and Steve and Claire have been so successful
0:38:40 > 0:38:42in their version of country life
0:38:42 > 0:38:45that eco-tourists come from all over the world
0:38:45 > 0:38:48to stay with them and learn from their experiences.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51In the foothills of the Mourne Mountains,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53they're doing their best to live the good life.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57A goat?
0:38:57 > 0:38:59This is sheer folly. It's just won't work!
0:38:59 > 0:39:02You're... You're totally insane!
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Jerry, we've never been saner in all our lives.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Now, if you'll excuse me,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I've got three hundredweight of spuds to put in.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11- Hi, Claire and Steve.- Hey.- Hello.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I have to say, I've been looking forward to meeting you.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Marvellous. How are you? Hi. Really good to see you.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18So, this is the famous cottage?
0:39:18 > 0:39:19- Yep.- Yes.- And how old is this one?
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- It was built in about 1840. - Yes.- It was originally thatched.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26When we got here, the thatch was still up there under the tin,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28but it was too far gone to save, unfortunately.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- And very expensive to replace. - Very expensive.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- I'm dying to see what you're doing, eco-wise.- Want to come in?
0:39:33 > 0:39:34Lovely, thank you.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Right, so a very, very cosy kitchen.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Now, so, this would be the original entrance?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Yes. And this is the kitchen.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45The original range is in here still.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- You inherited that one?- We did, yes.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Yes, bedroom through there and then we have a little office
0:39:51 > 0:39:54and a bathroom at the other end of the house.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- This is the extension that we've added to the house.- Right.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- What you've added personally? - Yes.- Yep.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03It's strange looking round Claire and Steve's smallholding.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06In many ways, it retains the traditional values
0:40:06 > 0:40:09that my grandmother would've been so proud of.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I do wonder, though, how much of a good life it is.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Being honest, I know I would find it very hard
0:40:14 > 0:40:17to let go of the trappings of modern life.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21So, what is it that appeals to you about this old style of life?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It's just feels a lot simpler. It's slower.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28You have to look at things more and just go with the seasons
0:40:28 > 0:40:29and feeling of the place.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And the people who lived here originally
0:40:31 > 0:40:34lived in a very similar way to us.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36They had some chickens, they kept a couple of pigs from time to time.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40- And pheasants, yeah.- Yeah. Rabbits. They grew some veg.- Yeah.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44And in a way, a lot of what we do is similar to that,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46- but we have the kind of benefit of...- Technology.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49..modern technology to make it possible.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51And I must admit upfront, I'm nontechnical,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- but can you just show me on the computer...- Yeah.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55..what exactly is happening here?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58860 watts, which isn't a huge amount.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01- Coming in?- Coming in. And we've only 24 watts going out.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Does this bank just build up and build up and build up?
0:41:04 > 0:41:07We've a big battery bank out in the shed there
0:41:07 > 0:41:10which is enough to keep us going for about five days.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12You just monitor the weather all the time before you do anything.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15If it's really windy, or really sunny, do all the washing,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18do all the drying, get it all out of the way.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20When did you add this on?
0:41:20 > 0:41:23We built this two years ago.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26It's built from straw that comes from a mile away.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30The clay came out of the ground 500 yards away.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Most of the timber is from down the road.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- And did you do it all yourselves? - Yes.- Mm-hm.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38What about the toilet arrangements?
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Toilet arrangements, we have a compost toilet outside.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45We used to have an inside composting toilet, too,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- and we now have a flushing toilet. - A flushing toilet!
0:41:48 > 0:41:51And is that to do with your family, people coming to stay, saying,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53like, "I'm not going outside to your compost toilet"?
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- We have one of two, yes.- Yes.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- I can't name names. - THEY LAUGH
0:41:58 > 0:42:00I have to say,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02if I was the grandparent looking after the child,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05I would want a flushing toilet as well.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06I can sympathise with your mothers.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Well, it's nearly the end of my journey,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11so what home truths have I discovered
0:42:11 > 0:42:13about living in the countryside,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17and how much has it changed since the Beveridge Report 75 years ago?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20It's always been a place of extremes, I guess -
0:42:20 > 0:42:23of real poverty at one end of the spectrum
0:42:23 > 0:42:25and posh pampering at the other.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28And that's been reflected in the property people have lived in,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30past and present.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32But what unites everybody
0:42:32 > 0:42:35is a desire to preserve a simpler way of life
0:42:35 > 0:42:38that they feel brings them closer to nature.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43And even when they experience loss, they fight back and survive,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46which I can certainly relate to.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49And so I've come back to where I started my journey,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53at my granny's old farm on the Selsion Moss
0:42:53 > 0:42:56to ensure that something of mine will always be here,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58in a corner of the country.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Well, as you see, I'm complete with spade,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03and although this was my mother's home,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05my father used to love coming out here,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09and so Charlie, as he was known, Charlie loved hydrangeas.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12So, I thought as a memory to all the gorgeous people
0:43:12 > 0:43:15who used to live here that I would plant
0:43:15 > 0:43:18one of these lovely hydrangeas in memory of my dad,
0:43:18 > 0:43:24my mum, who lived here, my granny who gave us so much in every sense.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28I like the idea of planting trees or flowers in memory of people.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Well, good memories.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37# Oh, he lives in a house A very big house in the country
0:43:37 > 0:43:39# He's got a fog in his chest
0:43:39 > 0:43:43# So he needs a lot of rest in the country
0:43:43 > 0:43:49# He doesn't drink, smoke, laugh Takes herbal baths in the country
0:43:49 > 0:43:54# You should come to no harm on the animal farm in the country
0:43:54 > 0:43:57# Ooh, la-la-la. #