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