0:00:02 > 0:00:06'Sixty years ago, an extraordinary man called Harold Briercliffe
0:00:06 > 0:00:10'wrote a string of books about his great passion, cycling.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15'Now largely forgotten, these overlooked gems were the culmination of a lifelong journey.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20'His destination? The whole of Britain. On two wheels.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25'Over half a century later, armed with one of his trusty cycling touring guides,
0:00:25 > 0:00:31'and riding Harold's very own bicycle, a Dawes Super Galaxy - the touring cycle of its day -
0:00:31 > 0:00:37'I'm re-tracing his tracks in search of the glorious landscape he loved.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40'I'm going in search of Britain by Bike.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Welcome to the Isle of Wight!
0:01:07 > 0:01:11This is the Isle of Wight, just a few miles off the south coast of England.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14It only takes 35 minutes to make that crossing from Portsmouth
0:01:14 > 0:01:18but you arrive here and you're transported into another land.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23It really does feel as if that little stretch of water takes you somewhere completely different.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Here, they simply call this place "The Island".
0:01:26 > 0:01:31For centuries, writers, artists and revolutionary thinkers have been coming here to escape.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37In the late 1940s, among them was fanatical cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43He loved this place and described it as beautiful and unique.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48'Harold had his roots in Rochdale, but once he hopped on his saddle,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51'he was always ready for new experiences.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- MALE ROCHDALE ACCENT:- "Novelty is the keynote of a cycling holiday in the Isle of Wight.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00"Nowhere so near London can give such a changed atmosphere.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03"The short journey across the Solent has a magical effect.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05"Wight is another land.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10"Distinct, fascinating and, on acquaintance, lovable."
0:02:10 > 0:02:15'A firm favourite with the Victorians, who described it as a "pleasure island".
0:02:15 > 0:02:20'The Isle of Wight has been a source of intellectual inspiration for its visitors for many years,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22'from curing a tricky case of writer's block
0:02:22 > 0:02:27'to providing a welcome respite from the bustle and grime of city life.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30'The island has also had an important part to play in preventing
0:02:30 > 0:02:35'more than one potential invasion, and I don't mean by cyclists!
0:02:35 > 0:02:38'I'll be following sections of Harold's suggested route
0:02:38 > 0:02:41'along the south coast of the island, beginning at Shanklin
0:02:41 > 0:02:44'and ending at Tennyson Down at the western tip.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50'It's an inspiring ride, through dramatic coastlines and atmospheric countryside.
0:02:52 > 0:02:59'But before I can begin my journey by bike, I need to take advantage of a different form of transport.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10'This rather special train, which has also made its escape from the mainland, is taking me to Shanklin.
0:03:10 > 0:03:17'Using Harold's Touring Guide from 1948, I can now start my journey across Cycle Island.'
0:03:19 > 0:03:23That was fun and it's quick - actually the quickest way
0:03:23 > 0:03:27to get from Ryde on the northeast coast down to Shanklin on the south.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32That's a 1930s northern line tube train and they've restored it,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and it's a bit of a tourist attraction but it serves a good purpose.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Harold said of the railway system, "It's a delightful relic of another
0:03:39 > 0:03:43"day, although quite adequate for its purposes and efficiently run."
0:03:43 > 0:03:49So efficiently run that, in fact, this railway service is the most punctual in the whole country.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55"The descent into Shanklin is suburbanised but interesting.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00"The traveller will be reminded of a vague similarity between this southern part of the Isle of Wight
0:04:00 > 0:04:05"and the modern towns on the corniche routes of the south of France."
0:04:05 > 0:04:10It's a funny contrast because this place is familiar, everything's in English they drive on the left,
0:04:10 > 0:04:16obviously it's sterling and all of that, and largely British holiday makers, and yet it's so different.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Harold says in the book, you couldn't travel
0:04:18 > 0:04:22such a short distance from London and get such a contrast.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27And clearly in Victorian times it was massively popular, not just for people to come here to unwind
0:04:27 > 0:04:32and shut their brains down, but to come here and think great thoughts and write great works.
0:04:32 > 0:04:39Because in the 1850s, Charles Darwin came here to Shanklin and stayed over there, at Norfolk House.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43He spent 18 months here, writing On The Origin Of Species, so although it was the exotic
0:04:43 > 0:04:49wildlife of the Galapagos Islands that inspired the thought process behind the theory of evolution,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54it was here, on the Isle of Wight, that he found the discipline to actually write the thing.
0:04:54 > 0:05:00'Charles Darwin wasn't the only one to seek out the island as a retreat from the busy outside world.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05'Queen Victoria set up a country residence here, at Osborne House.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'Where the Royals led, the great and the good followed.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11'The island became a British Riviera.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16'Alfred, Lord Tennyson set up an artistic and intellectual circle here, welcoming guests
0:05:16 > 0:05:22'such as Lewis Carroll, and the photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, who made her home on the island.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29'And although the Victorians had a major impact on its character,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32'they were keen to preserve that magical quality of "otherness"
0:05:32 > 0:05:37'that Harold mentions and that I'm experiencing today.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'Leaving behind the beach and bathers at Shanklin, I'm heading
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'down the coast, passing through Bonchurch on my way to Winterbourne.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'I've come here to visit a house where one of the greatest
0:05:49 > 0:05:52'Victorian novelists sought inspiration.'
0:05:52 > 0:05:57Wow! Oh, gorgeous smell of lavender!
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Now, this place is a hidden gem
0:06:02 > 0:06:03because it's called
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Winterbourne Country House, it's now a five-star guest house.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11But it was, I suppose, discovered by Charles Dickens who was writing
0:06:11 > 0:06:14David Copperfield in London and he was a bit bogged down.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18He'd written the first four chapters and then got stuck on the fifth chapter.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22He thought, "I need a break, I need to go somewhere I'm going to get fresh air
0:06:22 > 0:06:26"and a sense of perspective," so he came here and found this place.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- Hello.- Hi.- Hi, I'm Clare. - Andy. Nice to meet you.- I'm Andrew.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Andy, and Andrew. Easy to remember.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37When did Dickens come here?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- What year?- It was 1849.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45He was here in the summer for three months so he rented it off Reverend White as a getaway.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50And, Andrew, is there any evidence of what he thought of the place?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Yes, we've got the letter, or the transcript from London, on the stairs here.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Erm, when he was writing back to Kate, his wife.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- Can I see that?- You certainly can. - Great.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03This is Dickens' own handwriting?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Yes, that's his handwriting and there's a transcript there.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09"My dear Kate, I have not a moment.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11"Just got back and the post going out.
0:07:11 > 0:07:17"I've taken the most delightful and beautiful house belonging to White at Bonchurch.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22"Cool, airy, private bathing, everything delicious.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26"I think it is the prettiest place I ever saw in my life.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30"If I don't get back before John goes to bed, tell him to leave the iron gate open."
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I love all these domestic details.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37"The man with the postbag is swearing in the passage.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39"Ever affectionately, CD."
0:07:39 > 0:07:43There we are, this is the Copperfield suite.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Look at that view.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Is this the desk where he sat?
0:07:47 > 0:07:52This is where we reckon he actually wrote Copperfield, got the inspiration.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Gosh, I want to sit at the desk,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and just keep glancing sideways.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Oh, it's fabulous.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06His routine was, in the morning he wouldn't leave his room until 2pm.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11He'd do his writing, he shut himself away from the family, and then after 2pm he'd join the family.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15So from first thing in the morning until 2 o'clock, it was solid writing.
0:08:15 > 0:08:22Do you get Dickens enthusiasts who want to come and stay in this room?
0:08:22 > 0:08:28Yes, we get quite a few. They just want to stay where he stayed and just experience the Dickens effect really.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It makes you want to grab a pen and oh!
0:08:31 > 0:08:39I think it's something to do with the contrast between the manicured garden, which is beautiful,
0:08:39 > 0:08:45the lovely mown lawn and the flowers in full bloom, and then the sea.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51It's not a particularly wild day today but equally it's not calm either. It's all of that movement.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55You almost need to see movement, don't you, to keep your mind moving.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I can see why this would work.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Thank you so much for letting me invade.- A pleasure.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's been really nice to meet you, Andy. Thank you, Andrew.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Where do you reckon I should go?
0:09:07 > 0:09:11St Boniface Down, where Charles Dickens used to take his walk every day.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Can I cycle it?- Of course. - Certainly can.- Is it uphill?
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Of course.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- Thanks!- Good luck!
0:09:18 > 0:09:23This isn't going to be my finest hour, I can tell you that.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25All the gear and no idea!
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I'm never going to get up here! Ah!
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Ah!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- LAUGHTER - That's about as far as I can get.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46LAUGHTER
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I can't change gear on the gravel though.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50This is the answer.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51LAUGHTER
0:09:59 > 0:10:03This is a tough old climb, but it's worth the effort because
0:10:03 > 0:10:07this is the highest point on the island and you can actually see,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12well, when the cloud lifts, you can see from one side to the other.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19That's when you get that real sense of being on an island.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28At least when you're riding them, they do all the work.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31It makes a big difference.
0:10:33 > 0:10:40'Although Harold Briercliffe enjoyed both the wonderful cycling and the splendid views up here,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42'there was one blot on the landscape,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'some mysterious structures high above the town of Ventnor.'
0:10:50 > 0:10:53"The huge hill to the south is called St Boniface Down,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57"787ft above sea level, on which the most prominent
0:10:57 > 0:11:02"modern erections are radar masts, nowadays an ugly disfigurement."
0:11:04 > 0:11:10'Part of the Chain Home radar system, a top secret installation built to defend the British coast
0:11:10 > 0:11:16'during the Second World War, the masts were reminders of that very recent and brutal conflict.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20'Local historian Simon Perry is here to tell me more.'
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Hello, how was the hill?
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Just about all right, when I got it in a low enough gear.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Harold Briercliffe, who wrote the guide to the Isle of Wight,
0:11:32 > 0:11:37he came up here and he was pretty damning actually about that.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Oh, that, yes, there were bigger ones actually.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46There were eight built, originally. Four were metal ones, steel,
0:11:46 > 0:11:51- 350ft tall, which is roughly half the height of the dams again.- Gosh.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54And then another four wooden ones which were the receivers.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The steel ones were the transmitters and the four wooden ones,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00which were about 240ft tall, were the receivers.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So they would have been a blot on the landscape.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08Massive. I don't know how tall that is, probably a couple of hundred feet maybe, at most, so even bigger.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10But massive structures as well.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15Some people have said that, without radar, the war would have been lost pretty much instantly.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Did that attract a bit more attention, in terms of bombs
0:12:18 > 0:12:21being dropped here than it might otherwise have done?
0:12:21 > 0:12:26Yes, I think the Germans suddenly went, "Ah, that's what those big things are up there!"
0:12:26 > 0:12:30And then made it their mission, over August, to try and destroy them,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32and they were successful in knocking them down.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34But the town suffered quite substantial damage.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38About 120 houses were completely destroyed or beyond repair.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43Yes, it's quite a price, but worthwhile obviously.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47'Destroyed five times by the Luftwaffe,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52'the radar station was rebuilt and remained vital for wartime defences.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58'Today's masts have a far less sinister purpose - they're mobile phone and communications masts,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01'keeping the island in touch with the outside world.'
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Are you ready for a ride?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06I'm ready, definitely. I'll try and keep up with you.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Race you to the bottom, then.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So when did Ventnor really pick up and become
0:13:12 > 0:13:15a big tourist destination?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Yeah, the Victorian period just completely exploded.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23There was an article written about how lovely it was to live down there,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and people just went crazy for the place.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It was the micro-climate.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33They were saying at that point, five or six degrees warmer than the rest of the UK.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Really?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38So even in the winter, people were finding it a lovely place to be.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42And a very different environment here, because presumably people
0:13:42 > 0:13:46don't lock their cars, they don't necessarily lock their doors.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49No, it's a very trusting place and everyone looks out for each other.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55"The club man who doesn't mind steep hills and who seeks a centre which has a fine site,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00"together with all the normal seaside attractions, would probably find that Ventnor
0:14:00 > 0:14:03"makes the best seaside halt for a few days.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07"The resort was once almost exclusive, but nowadays it is
0:14:07 > 0:14:12"a go-ahead place, with plenty of accommodation, shops and cinemas."
0:14:13 > 0:14:18'Harold visited Ventnor immediately after the war, and there's just a hint of criticism in that word
0:14:18 > 0:14:24'"exclusive", as if he's suggesting that where pre-war Ventnor was rather snobbish,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29'now it's a place that can't afford to turn up its nose at the paying guest.
0:14:30 > 0:14:36'The late 1940s was a boom time for cycling, which offered cheap transport
0:14:36 > 0:14:42'at a time when petrol was still rationed, and gave ordinary people the freedom to travel.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47'Rene Stacey, now 92 years old, is the last surviving founder member
0:14:47 > 0:14:51'of the Hitchin Nomads, Harold Briercliffe's cycling club.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'In her younger days, she was a keen touring cyclist.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Nobody had ever been abroad in those days, only the very posh.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05We decided to have a cheap holiday at the Isle of Wight.
0:15:05 > 0:15:12So we hired, for I think it was maybe half a crown or something like that,
0:15:12 > 0:15:18a Boy Scouts' bell tent. Two or three days before we were due to go off on our bike
0:15:18 > 0:15:22we sent it down by rail to Wootton Creek on the Isle of Wight.
0:15:22 > 0:15:30We had a wonderful week and it cost us about 10 shillings each for the hire of everything.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Coming back, none of us had Mum's good cooking all the week,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40so a few of us, including me, got what we call "the bonk".
0:15:40 > 0:15:44That's when you're worn out at cycling, you're nearly dead,
0:15:44 > 0:15:50so we had to camp in a ditch halfway home, at night.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56We didn't get home until the Sunday evening, instead of Saturday evening!
0:15:57 > 0:16:02'In his touring guide, Harold Briercliffe is thoroughly appreciative of the efforts
0:16:02 > 0:16:08'the post-war Isle of Wight makes to welcome "oveners" - the island name for those from the mainland.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12'But, although Harold recommends Ventnor's "go-ahead" attitude,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17'he still hopes it will retain the charm of a bygone era.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:20"Because there are very few sites for new buildings available
0:16:20 > 0:16:23"in the town proper, it wears a late Victorian look.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26"A dignified, even refined appearance."
0:16:26 > 0:16:31"In a word, it's a museum piece which has kept the atmosphere of
0:16:31 > 0:16:36"the days of its creation, and for that deserves preservation further."
0:16:41 > 0:16:45I don't think it looks like it's faded or crumbling, in fact I think
0:16:45 > 0:16:49it's sort of rediscovered itself and people have rediscovered it.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53After the '70s, '80s boom of package holidays and everyone going away
0:16:53 > 0:16:57from holidaying on the Isle of Wight, they've come back again.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59It feels sort of reborn.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'My journey continues out of Ventnor towards Niton, along the Undercliff,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11'which runs down the southern edge of the island
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'and was formed when an upper strata of chalk slipped over a band
0:17:14 > 0:17:19'of softer clay, creating a tumbling landscape full of lush vegetation.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23'In Harold's day, the abundant greenery and clean air was something
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'of a break from the soot-clogged streets of the mainland.'
0:17:26 > 0:17:30"The influence of the sea and a reputation for mildness
0:17:30 > 0:17:35"and sunniness makes the Isle of Wight a favourite out-of-season touring ground for cyclists."
0:17:38 > 0:17:42'Victorian physicians recommended the healthy climate, and that's another
0:17:42 > 0:17:46'reason why Darwin and other great thinkers were drawn to the island.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'Karl Marx was sent here by his doctor three times!
0:17:51 > 0:17:54'My next stop is prompted by Harold.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'He describes the Buddle Inn as "a sophisticated roadhouse",
0:17:58 > 0:18:03'and it turns out that barmaid Tracy is even familiar with Harold's guide.'
0:18:03 > 0:18:08- I read that book when I was in Cornwall visiting some friends of mine.- Did you?!
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I haven't met anybody who has even seen the book or known what it is.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It's really old. It was just on a friend's shelf and I picked it up
0:18:14 > 0:18:19and I read it when I was visiting them and it's really rare to see it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Are you a local?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Yes, born and bred, unbelievably.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27About five or six generations.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33And is there something different about being a proper islander? Does it give you an added aura?
0:18:33 > 0:18:37I think living on an island does make you slightly more different.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39In what sense?
0:18:39 > 0:18:43When I was younger you're more in touch with nature.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48I noticed that moss was growing on certain sides of the trees because you notice things like that here.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50The wind prevails in different directions
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and other people don't tend to pick up on that kind of thing.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00By the time you become a teenager I think most people are like, "I really need to move."
0:19:00 > 0:19:04I worked away for 10 years but I always knew I would come back.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08When you come across on the ferry, do you feel that lurch, that kind of...?
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Relief? Yeah. It's fabulous if you time it right. It might be night time,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16the sun setting and if it's winter the boat's like that.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20It's part of the journey. You arrive in the Yarmouth and it's so quaint.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Once you're grounded, along the Military Road, home and it's lovely.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28You read this book and Harold makes it clear it's a very cycle-friendly island.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31If anything it's become more so.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Definitely. There's just one major hill through the middle of the island
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The Downs, and then you step off the main road
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and the whole island is full of tiny little bridle paths
0:19:41 > 0:19:45and country lanes. For cycling, it's absolutely wonderful.
0:19:48 > 0:19:55What a fabulous place to stop for a bit of rest and refreshment and great to meet a bona fide local.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07'The Military Road runs east-west, from Chale to Freshwater.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'Unlike the rest of the island the road is busy
0:20:10 > 0:20:15'with fast flowing traffic, and not as much fun for a cyclist.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20'Due to its position in the English Channel, the Isle of Wight
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'has always been the first line of defence for southern Britain.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29'This coastline has been under attack for centuries and it still is today.'
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Well, there's nothing like going to meet someone in a car park...
0:20:33 > 0:20:35that's falling away! How you doing?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Welcome to the windy Isle of Wight today.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42The coastline is so dramatic, but also so fragile.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45So fragile indeed. Every year a bit slips away.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You can see the earth behind us here is very brown.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50You can see where it has fallen away this winter.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52The Tarmac we're standing on is quite unstable.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54You can see generations of the car park.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57One generation of Tarmac here, the next generation out and in the past,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00another one. Gradually the whole car park is eroding back,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03like the whole southern coast of the island.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Tell me about the military history of this island.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I was cycling along that very long, straight road.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Military Road was put in, specifically, so the troops could get
0:21:13 > 0:21:17from one point on the southern coast to another point very quickly.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20We've got great beaches here, so very easy for troops to land.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24For that reason, people have always looked at the Isle of Wight,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26if trying to invade, as a place to get a beachhead.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28if from the mainland, that it must be protected.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31You're always hearing that the last invasion was 1066.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Arrow through the eye, and all those tricks.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The real last invasion actually came here in 1545.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Again it was our neighbours the French.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44One of the naval battles happened in the Solent and that's where the Mary Rose went down.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Everybody knows the story of the Mary Rose.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49What they don't know is that the French invaded and they got on to the Isle of Wight.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53They ransacked along the coast, but eventually, being British,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56we managed to push them back and they went back across the water.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Fortunately during each of the wars, or even when there's a threat of war,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02the island's been heavily fortified.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05That has left us with a lot of wonderful sites,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10a lot of visitor attractions to see, but also a feeling of independence for the people on the island.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We can't necessarily rely on the mainland to come to our defence all the time.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18If there's a problem, we have got to be well prepared to stick it out.
0:22:20 > 0:22:27'The island's history, geography and outlook all point to it being, as Harold described, "another land".
0:22:27 > 0:22:34'And it's that sense of otherness that makes this place so compelling for "oveners" like me.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38'The final leg of my tour of the Isle of Wight takes me to the Western end
0:22:38 > 0:22:43'of the Military Road and up to the magnificent chalk cliffs above the village of Freshwater.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'This area is called Tennyson Down, named after the great Victorian poet,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'who sought tranquillity and inspiration here.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57'For 40 years he lived at nearby Farringford House.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02'It's now a five-star hotel, and I'm on my way there to catch up with an old friend,
0:23:02 > 0:23:09'Elizabeth Hutchings, a lifelong adventurous cyclist and also an expert on Tennyson.'
0:23:09 > 0:23:13There's somebody I have been excited about meeting ever since I realised
0:23:13 > 0:23:19I was coming back to the Isle of Wight. A few years ago I went walking here, on Tennyson Down,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- with a woman called Elizabeth Hutchings and here she is.- And here is the stick.- How are you?
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- That's the one.- The same stick. - Yes.- Chung! Chung! Chung!
0:23:27 > 0:23:32- And how are you?- I'm fine.- Yes? - I'm fine. Welcome, this is absolutely wonderful.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Are you still swimming every day?
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Only four times a week.- Right. - Only four times a week.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- I got your book. Thank you. Thank you for your letter.- Good. - And this is Farringford House?
0:23:41 > 0:23:46This is Farringford House, which was Tennyson's home from 1853.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51When he wrote the poem Maud he was actually able to buy it.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Let's have a look inside.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- I'm not sure, did I come here before?- No.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58'Elizabeth came to the Isle of Wight during the war and lived here
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'with her husband, Richard, for more than 30 years.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06'Both keen cyclists they travelled the world together by bike.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:12I remember you saying to me about Richard, and it has lived with me ever since, you said he would say
0:24:12 > 0:24:17to me, "Let's do such and such..." and it would be some madcap idea. "...It might be an adventure."
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It might be an adventure, there might be something interesting.
0:24:21 > 0:24:28There always was. Our whole 42 years of life was not lying on the beach, but going to somewhere interesting.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- With your bicycle. - With our bicycles.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Were they comfortable?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Oh, wonderful. We had panniers and a tent and a billycan.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40'Around the time Harold wrote his guide to the island, Richard and Elizabeth
0:24:40 > 0:24:45'were cycling all the way to New Zealand. Elizabeth kept a diary of their progress.'
0:24:45 > 0:24:50- It took us eight-and-a-half months to get there. That's the very first day. - You've very good handwriting.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It says nought, nought, nought, nought.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55And then each day it says how many miles we went.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58"Distance the day before. Nought."
0:24:58 > 0:25:01How many miles did you do in the end?
0:25:01 > 0:25:07I suppose we did about 4,000 in the end because obviously we didn't cycle across the Channel.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17'Tennyson and his wife Emily moved to Farringford shortly after he was appointed poet laureate.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22'His walks around Freshwater inspired him to write some of his most memorable poetry,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'including Maud and Idylls of the King as well as Crossing the Bar
0:25:26 > 0:25:29'which follows the journey across the Solent.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34'This was a place where ideas and creativity could flourish.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38'With Tennyson as host, Farringford became a focal point.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41'Charles Darwin, photographer Julia Margaret Cameron
0:25:41 > 0:25:47'and even the Italian revolutionary Garibaldi all visited.'
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Was Tennyson a disciplined writer?
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- Would he sit for hours in that house and make sure...? - No, I don't think he did.
0:25:53 > 0:25:59Most of his poetry was written outside, walking on the Downs or in his mind.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05- So he was quite quick?- Then obviously he would then have to come in and write it down.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09What always amazes me if you read the list of his visitors
0:26:09 > 0:26:13how he ever had time to write any poetry.
0:26:13 > 0:26:19Of course, at the moment there is this great controversy going on as to where he wrote Crossing the Bar.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23We know it was here. We've got documentary evidence
0:26:23 > 0:26:27that he wrote it on a piece of paper coming from Lymington to Yarmouth.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32It has been quite a journey because I've seen the house that Dickens stayed in,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35to write part of David Copperfield, beautifully restored.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40The place where Darwin stayed in Shanklin which is now an inn.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45And obviously Tennyson's house, which is now a very smart hotel.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48You do think that the island must have something special.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's got something in the air.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I think it has. It must have, mustn't it? Yes.
0:26:53 > 0:26:59We're surrounded by the sea, of course. And let's face it, islands are special, aren't they?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Lovely to see you. Really lovely.
0:27:01 > 0:27:08And my sister says I have got to tell you that your outfits, she
0:27:08 > 0:27:11always watches, she always comments on them and says they're wonderful.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Do you know what? She might not think the same of this outfit and this hat.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Oh, she would. No, she might not.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19THEY CHUCKLE
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I'm going to head off and take the ferry now.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I'll read some Tennyson on the way. I'd better read Crossing the Bar.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Yes, you must read Crossing the Bar where he actually wrote it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Yes, quite. Lovely to see you. Bye-bye.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Lovely to see you again.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46This is the crossing from Yarmouth to Lymington that everybody says is the prettiest.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It was on this crossing that Tennyson wrote Crossing the Bar,
0:27:49 > 0:27:54the poem he said should always be the book end to any collection of Tennyson poems.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Just the short journey
0:27:58 > 0:28:00away from the mainland
0:28:00 > 0:28:03gives it such a special feel.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09It's definitely got a magical quality, the island.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16"Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20"And may there be no moaning of the bar when I put out to sea.
0:28:20 > 0:28:27"But such a tide is moving, seems asleep, too full for sound and foam.
0:28:27 > 0:28:33"When that which drew from out the boundless deep turns again home."
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:53 > 0:28:56E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk