0:00:02 > 0:00:0660 years ago, an extraordinary man called Harold Briercliffe
0:00:06 > 0:00:10wrote a string of books about his great passion - cycling.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16Now largely forgotten, these overlooked gems were the culmination of a lifelong epic journey.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20His destination? The whole of Britain, on two wheels.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25Over half a century later, armed with one of his trusty cycling touring guides
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and riding Harold's very own bicycle, a Dawes Super Galaxy,
0:00:29 > 0:00:35I'm retracing his tracks to find the glorious landscape he loved.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39I'm going in search of Britain by bike.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Welcome to the rugged and romantic Atlantic coastline of North Devon.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03I've come to North Devon, a favourite destination of the cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe,
0:01:03 > 0:01:09who described this coastline as "incomparably the finest and the grandest anywhere in the country".
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And he said, "In quaintness and pleasantness,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15"the villages and hamlets of the West Country stand alone."
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Yet soon after Harold's visit here, this same landscape
0:01:19 > 0:01:22would inflict a terrible tragedy on the people of this area.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27I'm following just part of Harold Briercliffe's 286-mile tour
0:01:27 > 0:01:31through what he calls "the crowning glory of the Atlantic Coast" -
0:01:31 > 0:01:37a stunning coastline that takes in Combe Martin and the Port of Ilfracombe.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Along the way,
0:01:38 > 0:01:43I'll be exploring how the landscape of Devon has shaped its destiny
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and how the people of the area continue to look ahead at new ways
0:01:47 > 0:01:51of making the most of their tremendous natural resources.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54'My first port of call is Lynmouth.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58'There'll be plenty of climbing to come, but the first bit is easy.'
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Whee-hee-hee!
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Harold Briercliffe, normally a straight-talking northerner,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06was exceptionally struck by its effortless appeal.
0:02:06 > 0:02:13"The situation of Lynmouth, at the foot of a steep-sided valley, is a most romantic one.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19"200 yards from the shore, the two Lyn streams, east and west, unite,
0:02:19 > 0:02:24"and even their final yards are inclined, so that Lynmouth has no untidy estuary.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27"The courses of the two Lyns are amongst the most
0:02:27 > 0:02:31"picturesque stretches of valley scenery in Britain".
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Picturesque? Romantic? Undoubtedly.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38But this place has changed dramatically since Harold cycled through.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42In 1952, just a few years after his Cycling Touring Guides were
0:02:42 > 0:02:47published, the worst post-war flood in Britain took place here.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52It may look calm today, but in August 1952
0:02:52 > 0:02:57after 90 million tons of rain fell on Exmoor,
0:02:57 > 0:03:02the combined force of the swollen Lyn rivers almost destroyed the entire village.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Local historian Tim Prosser remembers weeping when he heard the news of the disaster,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12and ever since, Lynmouth's flood has held a peculiar fascination for him.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16He told me what happened that dark summer day.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19This black, ominous cloud came over in the afternoon.
0:03:19 > 0:03:26Some people have likened it to the clouds seen after an atomic explosion.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32And...by six o'clock, the village was in pitch darkness.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38Excitement grew during the day, but that turned to concern
0:03:38 > 0:03:43at about six o'clock in the evening, when May Bridge was swept away,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and then all hell let loose.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53This footage, taken the next morning and never before shown in public,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57graphically portrays the devastation caused by the Lynmouth flood.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02In total, 34 people lost their lives when bridges and buildings collapsed
0:04:02 > 0:04:04as water engulfed the village.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Shocked survivors were helped to escape from their ruined homes,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13as the community tried to find safety and shelter from the wreckage
0:04:13 > 0:04:15left in the wake of the relentless flood.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21In one night, Lynmouth's relationship with the Lyn rivers was changed for ever.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Tim has built a scale model of the village, just as it was
0:04:28 > 0:04:32moments before the flood struck. The model is housed in a museum
0:04:32 > 0:04:35'dedicated to the memory of the victims.'
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Gosh. This is it then, Tim?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- This is the model of Lynmouth.- How long did this take you?- Three years.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47And a very patient wife, because it was built in the dining room.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51A contributing factor to the flood
0:04:51 > 0:04:56was that this Lyn Valley Hotel,
0:04:56 > 0:05:02built in 1893, encroached onto the riverbed.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Consequently, the river became a narrow channel.
0:05:05 > 0:05:12And on the night of the flood, 50-60 tonne boulders were washed down and blocked this narrow channel,
0:05:12 > 0:05:20forcing the river to divert through the heart of the village and cause a tremendous amount of damage.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22People in Lynton,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27at the top of the cliff just above Lynmouth, slept peacefully the whole night,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31without realising what was happening in the village below them.
0:05:31 > 0:05:39It was PC Derek Harper who managed to make his way up to the hotel,
0:05:39 > 0:05:46borrow a motorcar and drive to Porlock, ten miles away, before he found a telephone that was working.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And that was about 3:30 in the morning.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56'Help arrived at first light, and soon a rescue operation was launched.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00'114,000 tonnes of debris were cleared from the mouth of the rivers,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'and an appeal fund was set up to rebuild the village.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'Lynmouth became a cause celebre,
0:06:08 > 0:06:13'and people who had never heard of the village were moved by its plight.
0:06:13 > 0:06:20'Over the following years, a new road was built to improve access for cars, and the rivers were widened,
0:06:20 > 0:06:26'their courses altered to ensure that the village would never suffer another such catastrophe.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:32It's almost as if this is your memorial to those who died in the flood.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36My life changed from the moment this went on display.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39All of a sudden, the pride I had
0:06:39 > 0:06:46and the appreciation of survivors of the flood who would come and look at the model,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51and thank me for recreating the village they thought they'd lost for ever.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Many a tear was shed by the elders of the village.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03The same power of water that had devastated Lynmouth in 1952
0:07:03 > 0:07:06had previously been harnessed for its benefit.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12The steep drop of the Lyn rivers as they approach the sea is a source of enormous natural energy.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17So this is the place where all of that water power
0:07:17 > 0:07:20is put into action.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Situated at the bottom of the Glen Lyn Gorge,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27this private hydroelectric station draws on the power of the West Lyn river,
0:07:27 > 0:07:33but back in 1890, a similar turbine was built on the East Lyn river,
0:07:33 > 0:07:39and Lynmouth became one of the first settlements in Britain to light its streets with electricity.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43They also developed a pioneering system
0:07:43 > 0:07:48using off-peak electricity to fill a reservoir at the top of the hill,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52generating a constant supply of power regardless of the river flow.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Have a look at this if you want to enjoy the power of water.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00This water cannon is just being switched now to full power,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and it's just the gravity of water rushing down from the top of Exmoor that's creating this.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08There's no artificial pump happening here.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Gee whiz!
0:08:11 > 0:08:15That is major league! That would water a few lawns, wouldn't it?
0:08:15 > 0:08:22And over across the other side of the river, you can see where the flood level was that night in 1952.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26They say in that one night, there was more water coming down here
0:08:26 > 0:08:29than you'd get in three months on the Thames.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Must have been absolutely terrifying. All the lights went out.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36There was no power, that would have come from the hydroelectric station
0:08:36 > 0:08:40on the other river, and that was swept away. It would have just been horrendous.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Most modern tourists arrive and leave by car, which does make life easier,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52because Lynmouth lies at the bottom of a 500ft rock face,
0:08:52 > 0:08:58a daunting hill which was a major obstacle to the area's economic development in the 19th century.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Early visitors wishing to reach the village of Lynton at the top
0:09:02 > 0:09:06had to either climb it on foot or hitch a ride on a donkey.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11Until, that is, the community drew on its natural resources to solve the problem.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17This Cliff Railway opened in 1890 and immediately brought trade and tourism to Lynton and Lynmouth.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And do you know how it's powered? By water.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24This isn't the only water-driven railway in Britain, but it is the last.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Every other one has gone electric.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And the mechanics are really simple - if you're an engineer.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Basically, it's a counterbalance system.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37We use a big tank of water.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43Under each carriage, when the car's ready to move away, he'll be letting water out of the tank underneath -
0:09:43 > 0:09:47he keeps letting water out until the balance changes and the top car becomes heavier.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Then it's simply gravity. The top car drops and pulls the bottom car up.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55The water we use comes from a river inland.
0:09:55 > 0:10:01When they built the thing, they found that a point in the river slightly higher than the top station.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And its gravity fed along a pipe about half a mile long.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10When we let it out down there, it goes under the road and out to sea. Very ecological and clever.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- It's brilliant.- Yeah.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14And here he comes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- I see.- That's the buffer.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Got it. And this is the tank.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Yeah, it's just full of water.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35Harold says in the book that you can cycle up the long way round the road. But to be honest,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40even he reckons this is a slightly easier option, and he writes about the people who run the cliff railway
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and says they've made provisions for bicycles.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- There is a charge. How much is it to take the bike on?- £3 for a bicycle.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49That sounds like a bargain.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52And then you let it out with this wheel here, do you?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- That's the brake. - Oh, that's the brake!
0:10:55 > 0:10:56See, I still don't understand it.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58BELL RINGS
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Ah!
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Back in 1948, the charge for bikes or luggage was tuppence extra.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15For Harold, it was a price worth paying to experience one of
0:11:15 > 0:11:20the steepest and most spectacular railway rides in the world.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24"Automatic brakes come into action in case of any mishap.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29"On the ascent, a glorious view opens across Lynmouth Bay at Foreland Point
0:11:29 > 0:11:33"and the thin strip of road up Countisbury Hill".
0:11:33 > 0:11:34That was fantastic.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36That is so cool.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's a 500ft ride,
0:11:39 > 0:11:44and it comes up so smoothly and so quickly and so quietly as well.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Thank you.- OK?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Brilliant. Thank you.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55See you. Bye.
0:12:00 > 0:12:08"Once on firm earth again, the tourist finds himself in the smart streets of Lynton, a breezy resort.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11"It would be advisable for the touring cyclist to eat here,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14"for opportunities are fewer for some miles".
0:12:16 > 0:12:20I'm travelling westwards out of Lynton in the direction of Combe Martin,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24by way of an impressive gorge known as the Valley of Rocks.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29The same Victorian tourists who had made the cliff railway a success
0:12:29 > 0:12:33were equally appreciative of this landscape.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39With its echoes of the Alps, they called this "Little Switzerland".
0:12:39 > 0:12:45When Harold visited in the late 1940s, he too was impressed.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50"This is one of the finest bits of country in the West.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55"The road gives little impression of what lies to the north, closer to the sea".
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Harold said that the view from this height out to sea is
0:13:02 > 0:13:08"most alarming or satisfying, depending upon the beholder".
0:13:08 > 0:13:13I think it's pretty satisfying unless, of course, you're worried about your brakes.
0:13:13 > 0:13:19The Valley of Rocks is unique in Britain in running parallel with the sea, not inland from it,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22due to the rivers cutting deeply during the last Ice Age.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Now home to a population of wild goats, the spectacular
0:13:26 > 0:13:29weathered rock formations are eerily atmospheric.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37Harold said that the Valley of Rocks provided "sensations in plenty".
0:13:37 > 0:13:43And the rocks around have really weird names, there's the Devil's Cheesewring and Ragged Jack.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45SHE LAUGHS
0:13:45 > 0:13:49How can you call a rock the Devil's Cheesewring?!
0:13:49 > 0:13:51That's just ridiculous!
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Harold was very much one to stop and stare. He loved a good view.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11If that meant getting up high to appreciate the view even better, he'd do that.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17In fact, he says in the book, leave the bike behind and either make for North Walk
0:14:17 > 0:14:22or climb up Castle Rock here, because it's definitely worth it.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So that's what I'm going to do.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Local legend says there's the silhouette of a woman hidden in this rock,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57but I have to make my way down the valley and around the coast to see whether it's true.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And that means a steep climb.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- BREATHLESSLY:- Harold...was a man for cycling really,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08really long distances.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10But round here,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13he said keep it short.
0:15:13 > 0:15:1530 miles is plenty.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17And he was right.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24But at the top of the hill is the perfect spot to reveal the secret of the lady hidden in the rock.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30This is meant to be the point
0:15:30 > 0:15:34where I can see. That's where I was sitting.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36See the slanty bit of rock?
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Just under that, you can make it out. Oh, my word!
0:15:39 > 0:15:44It's a white witch with a broom, and she's wearing a skirt and you can see her little leg.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46That's incredible.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56"Continuing along the road, quite well surfaced at this point, the tourist climbs to another gap
0:15:56 > 0:16:00"and then drops to the gateway of Lee Abbey grounds".
0:16:02 > 0:16:09There's a toll here at the abbey, but it's like an honesty box, so there's nobody actually manning it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12But it's £1.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15That's for cars or bikes.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21And a pound may be a bit steep, but a good joke's included in the price.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26"During the next climb, there is a lovely outlook across Woody Bay.
0:16:26 > 0:16:33"For nearly two miles, this coastal drive continues, giving splendid pictures of the rocky coast".
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The views from up here are so bewitching, they led one man to his ruin.
0:16:37 > 0:16:44In the late 19th century, Woody Bay caught the eye of a solicitor called Colonel Benjamin Lake.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50What nature and fortune had created round the corner at Lynton, he thought he could create here.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54As part of his grand scheme, the Colonel purchased the Hunter's Inn
0:16:54 > 0:16:59at the bottom of the adjacent valley, and the current owner David Orton has cycled up here to meet me.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Hello, David.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Gosh, what a sight.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Tell me about what it was meant to be.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Woody Bay, as it was originally known, is a beautiful little cove.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Colonel Lake decided that he wanted a tourist attraction on the scale of
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Linton, Lynmouth or perhaps even Ilfracombe.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24His ambition was to have a big pier there, have steamers coming in. The idea was, he was going to build
0:17:24 > 0:17:32luxurious hotels and villas, and further develop this piece of coast.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37I assume that Colonel Lake therefore invested a lot of his own money in this place?
0:17:37 > 0:17:41He'd had some slightly dubious dealings in coal shares, and lost a lot of money on that.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46To be fair, he did invest a lot of his own money here, but he mortgaged an awful lot.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51He then remortgaged his land further to buy more bits of land and help with the development.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56He was finally declared bankrupt by the London courts, and he personally went bankrupt for £200,000.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01That would be the equivalent of millions today.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03A phenomenal sum of money, unbelievable.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08He'd actually been embezzling his clients' funds, and was imprisoned for 12 years.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Unfortunately, he didn't complete his sentence, because he died.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17So from these grand plans and this dream of making Woody Bay a rival
0:18:17 > 0:18:20to the other good tourist towns around here,
0:18:20 > 0:18:25he ended up overspending, being declared bankrupt and dying in prison. That's tragic.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Stealing other people's money is unforgivable. I can understand why
0:18:29 > 0:18:32he loved this piece of coast so much.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37The natural beauty is staggering. But there's no excuse for what he did.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43I'm following a route that was undertaken by Harold Briercliffe, who was a really keen cyclist.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46He came from Hitchin. He would have cycled along this path.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I suspect that he'd be pleased that this never was developed.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55It hasn't changed at all in the time since he last cycled along here.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's absolutely beautiful. He would love it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06"This is perhaps the finest part of the accessible coast of North Devon.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09"For a mile, the road descends steeply,
0:19:09 > 0:19:16"and then reaches the bridge at Hunter's Inn, one of the pleasantest of all spots in the West of England".
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Hunter's Inn nestles in the heart of the Heddon Valley, one of the deepest valleys in England,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25and it's quite a relief to ease off the pedals and freewheel down to the waiting refreshment.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28PEOPLE CHATTERING
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Talk about a party! What is going on?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33I didn't think it'd be this busy.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36This is our annual beer festival. We do it every year.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40We all get together and have great fun. It's a big party.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45After it was rebuilt by Colonel Lake, the Hunter's Inn became a playground for the rich and famous.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Its quirky charms made it a particular favourite for writers and musicians,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and it's still a popular watering hole today.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Back in the 1940s, the price of a room at the Hunter's Inn was
0:19:59 > 0:20:04probably well beyond Harold's reach and that of most ordinary Britons.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07But after the war, the spending power of working people was growing,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and so was the demand for low cost holidays.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17Harold's cycle touring guides were written to satisfy an eager new market.
0:20:17 > 0:20:2192-year-old Rene Stacey is the only surviving founder member
0:20:21 > 0:20:25of the Hitchin Nomads, Harold Briercliffe's cycling club.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31She remembers making the most of bicycle holidays with her fellow members.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33We cycled from 9:30 in the morning.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37We used to get home about eight, nine o'clock at night.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42Apart from our lunches, we'd cycled all day. We loved bikes.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45We loved the scenery to get there.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47No looking out of coach windows.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48No looking out of train windows.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51All in our legs. Lovely mileage.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56With a bike, you could get down little narrow tracks that cars couldn't get to.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59So you were privileged, in a way.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Harold's route leaves the Heddon Valley, goes up to the village of
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Trentishoe and then a few miles westwards down into Combe Martin.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20"Combe Martin is a straggling village situated in the bottom of a valley,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23"and has a fair amount of accommodation for cyclists".
0:21:23 > 0:21:26And that's all Harold had to say on the matter.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31But in fact, Combe Martin is a place well worth exploring further.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34There are hidden depths and buried treasure in those rocks,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37but you need more than a bucket and spade to uncover them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Mick Warburton is the captain of this historic mine,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and he's responsible for uncovering the secrets of these hills.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49When did you first discover what was underneath the ground here?
0:21:49 > 0:21:55It was about 20 years ago that we first came here and started to do some rough archaeology.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59We started to realise what a cracking site this was.
0:21:59 > 0:22:07The old miners knew, when you had this stone, and if it was close to limestone -
0:22:07 > 0:22:11which nearly all of those woods over the opposite side of the valley were all limestone quarries -
0:22:11 > 0:22:19where limestone and Leicester slates and sandstones were close, there was a good chance of getting silver lead.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25And so, for more than 600 years, Combe Martin was mined for its high-quality silver ore,
0:22:25 > 0:22:30a source of riches for the Plantagenet kings of the 14th and 15th centuries.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The mines here were run by the king
0:22:33 > 0:22:35for his own profit.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39It has been said that the battles of Cressier, Poitiers
0:22:39 > 0:22:43and even Agincourt have been won in the shafts of Combe Martin.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47So Combe Martin supplied the silver that gave the Crown revenue.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51So when they say the landscape is rich, they really mean it?
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Yeah. This is pretty much the richest silver mine that the king had in Great Britain.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00The medieval miners at Combe Martin worked at the cutting edge of
0:23:00 > 0:23:04their profession, mining silver ore at astonishing depths.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09It wasn't until steam-powered pumps came in in the 19th century
0:23:09 > 0:23:13that modern miners could uncover the original workings.
0:23:13 > 0:23:20When you're underground and you find something, and you've found something out,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23you've realised the way that people have worked here in the past.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25That's very important to us.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Perhaps the most important stage in the prospecting process
0:23:29 > 0:23:32is to separate the silver from the lead ore.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36For this, the mine captain used a tool called a vanning shovel.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38What you do is, you put
0:23:38 > 0:23:40a little bit of the specimen on the shovel.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44You wash all the mud out of the sample.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49You pick a bit of water up like this and push it forwards and backwards like that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52See what's happening immediately.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- Yeah.- See the very dark... band at the top?- Yes.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Silver ore sticks to the shovel, and the light stuff washes off.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Should I be calling you captain?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Well, it's an honorary position, isn't it,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11because I'm not paid and none of the volunteers are paid.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16But years ago, a mine captain would have been the equivalent of a mine manager today.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21But you didn't have to pass any GCSEs, you just had to know what you were doing.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- Thank you, captain. - Thank you, Clare.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Where are you off now?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I am now off to Ilfracombe.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Oh, Ilfracombe.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36- I'm going to take it steady. - Bye-bye.- See you.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Mick and his team have a deep and genuine respect
0:24:39 > 0:24:42for the methods of their ancestors, and are determined to preserve them.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47This area has been mined for centuries, and yet the landscape remains
0:24:47 > 0:24:50resolutely rugged and untouched, as if to say that
0:24:50 > 0:24:55the riches of the earth are here, but only if you're prepared to put in the work.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58And Harold's Devon tour certainly takes legwork.
0:24:58 > 0:25:05From Combe Martin, his route winds between the hills and the sea, through the bay of Hele,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and climbs up briefly before dropping back down into Ilfracombe.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14"Ilfracombe is the largest and most sophisticated resort
0:25:14 > 0:25:18"on the north coast of Devon, lying in a charming and hilly countryside".
0:25:18 > 0:25:23I started my journey in Lynmouth and I'm finishing it here at Ilfracombe,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26at this ancient harbour,
0:25:26 > 0:25:32that provides a safe port in a stormy Bristol channel.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Gosh. Great colour here.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40Suddenly you come into the sunshine, and everything is bright and alert.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Even the houses, it looks like a Neopolitan cake!
0:25:45 > 0:25:48As I reach the end of my journey, I run into a pair of cyclists who
0:25:48 > 0:25:55are setting off on theirs - a 102-mile ride coast to coast from Ilfracombe to Plymouth.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00Now, there's some superstition, or some ritual you have to go through before you set off.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05- Explain what that is? - I believe you have to put your front wheel in the water here,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10and then when we get to Plymouth at that end, we'll find somewhere to put our front wheel in the water there.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- CHEERING AND CLAPPING - See you in Plymouth!- Good luck!
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Ilfracombe has always made use of its sheltered setting.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29The natural harbour here has given the town an importance beyond its size.
0:26:29 > 0:26:36In the book, Harold says that this place was a busier or bigger port in the 14th century than Liverpool.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Is that true?
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Strategically, Ilfracombe was very important.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45It's much closer to the open Atlantic than Liverpool was, or is.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49So you could get ships away from Ilfracombe and get them to sea
0:26:49 > 0:26:54to fight whoever was trying to attack our shores much quicker.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56What about Ilfracombe as a town?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58- Is it thriving? - We've had a rocky ride,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02but Ilfracombe is on the up again.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05There are regeneration and development plans here,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and the place is starting to buzz again.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11I guess if you live here, you look around and think, "We've got a lot of water, a lot of wind.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13"How can we make it work?"
0:27:13 > 0:27:17It's the second highest rise and fall of tide in the world.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19We need to harness that 30ft rise and fall.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22The technology to do that is not quite there.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The horizontal movement of tide is there with waves,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29but we're looking very much at the vertical movement of tide.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33When the technology gets there, we'll be first in line, I'm sure.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36That's it, because you've got the natural resources.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Almost as important, if not more so is, you've got the attitude. You want to do something.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46Absolutely. There's no cavalry coming over the hill at Ilfracombe. You've got to do it yourself.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48That brings that community spirit.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And over the course of this magnificent 20 mile journey,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I've discovered just how important that community spirit is
0:27:55 > 0:27:58in harnessing the area's natural attributes
0:27:58 > 0:28:03and using them to the locals' advantage.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09It is a stunning countryside, but you can also see the power of nature.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12We've seen it from Lynmouth and the floods to the Cliff Railway,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15the Hydro-Electric power station,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20the silver mines at Combe Martin, where you really use everything that's given around you.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25You look out here to the Bristol Channel, and it looks pretty choppy out there.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30And yet there are still people going out in a rowboat, saying, "Yeah, we can do this.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32"We can push against the tide".
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:52 > 0:28:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk