0:00:01 > 0:00:04We're travelling across the UK on a mission.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08All over the country our heritage is at risk.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Ancient buildings and monuments are under threat of demolition.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Valuable arts and crafts are on the brink of extinction.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And our rich industrial heritage is disappearing fast.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22We're scouring town and country
0:00:22 > 0:00:25in search of the nation's unsung heroes determined
0:00:25 > 0:00:28not to let our heritage become a thing of the past.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Today we meet a unique group of fishermen
0:00:32 > 0:00:34working their ancestral waters.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35And a community breathing life
0:00:35 > 0:00:38back into a building in the heart of their town.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42On this journey we're uncovering the hidden treasures of our country,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45treasures that are certainly worth fighting for.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49And meeting Heritage Heroes saving Britain at risk.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Welcome to one of my top ten favourite views
0:01:02 > 0:01:04in the whole of the UK, Jules - the River Wye valley
0:01:04 > 0:01:06from the top of Symonds Yat Rock.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Absolutely gorgeous. This is a very timeless place.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14What better illustration of the border between England and Wales than the Wye? It's wonderful.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16And over there, our first destination -
0:01:16 > 0:01:17the Forest of Dean.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23We started at the top of the English-Welsh border.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27We've since driven south through Cheshire, Shropshire and Powys,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31and today we'll reach journey's end at the Bristol Channel.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Our trip takes us on a loop through the ancient Forest of Dean
0:01:37 > 0:01:41and the Welsh valleys. We'll be digging deep
0:01:41 > 0:01:43to discover this area's rich heritage
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and the people working hard to preserve it.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It is a funny old place, John, the Forest of Dean.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Yeah. I always think of it as a place of mystery.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- All these dark trees.- You're right. It's a lost world, really.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56This buffer between Wales and England,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and lots of great folklore here, of course. Lots of fantastic stories.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Famous for its trees on the surface, but underground,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08- for its mining.- Well, the mining heritage is extraordinary,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11but you drive through now, you'd never know,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13would you? There's not much to reveal that past.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16No. Freeminers, they call themselves, don't they?
0:02:16 > 0:02:17Not one? Or two?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20No, F-R-double-E miners.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Three miners. Freeminers.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Britain's mining history stretches right across the nation.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33In the ancient Forest of Dean, rich in myth and legend,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36that history goes back to Norman times.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41In the 12th century, local miners were granted privileges
0:02:41 > 0:02:43after supporting King Edward I
0:02:43 > 0:02:46during the Scottish War of Independence.
0:02:46 > 0:02:52A royal decree allowed them to mine coal anywhere in the Forest of Dean,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56as long as they were born within it or its outlying land.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00It's an area known as the Hundred of St Briavels.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03However, by the 1800s, the demand for coal had increased
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and the crown brought in a small rent.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It was collected by a Gaveller,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11a position which still exists today.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Richard Davies of the Forestry Commission is
0:03:15 > 0:03:17the current Deputy Gaveller.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And how did the whole thing of Freeminers come about?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Well, round about 1300,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Edward I was trying to recapture Berwick-on-Tweed,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and it's alleged he got the help of miners from the Forest of Dean
0:03:31 > 0:03:34to help him burrow under the walls and get in.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Ah! A great way of slighting a castle, of course,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38was to undermine it.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And as a reward for that,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46they were given the right to mine coal freely in the forest.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49To be a Freeminer, you must be over 21
0:03:49 > 0:03:55and born and live within the Hundred of St Briavels,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- and you must have worked for a year and a day.- A year and a day.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So I think there's a determination for it to continue.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Especially amongst, let's hope, the pregnant ladies of the Hundred.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07Well, very much so.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09THEY LAUGH
0:04:09 > 0:04:11So it's a question of encouragement,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- and that's what we're determined to continue.- Yeah.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20At one stage, up to 10,000 people worked down many of the mines
0:04:20 > 0:04:24in the area. Today, only seven small working mines remain.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Hopewell Colliery, owned and run by Freeminer Robin Morgan,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32is one of the last mines open in this part of the world.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Robin comes from a family of miners
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and started work at the age of 13.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41For the last 14 years, he's tried to run the mine
0:04:41 > 0:04:45as a visitor attraction, but due to cash flow problems,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49he's now having to mine again to make ends meet.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Robin! Hi. How are you? - Hello, sir. How are you?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Not too bad, thank you.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Extraordinary. It's not just a tourist attraction.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00You're working this for real.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Yes, I've just reopened this back up.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I shut it down 14 years ago to open up a tourist attraction,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and then I found I wasn't getting enough visitors,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10so it meant I had to reopen this mine again,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and it's taken 18 months to reopen, cos I've done it all by myself.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Yeah.- And how long have you been mining for, Robin?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19The first mine I ever went down,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I was 13 years of age. My two brothers were Freeminers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25They're both dead now, they were older than me.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27And they used to drop me down a shaft 100 foot deep
0:05:27 > 0:05:30in a 40-gallon drum with two hooks on the side on a hand winch.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32That's trust, isn't it?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Well... - You learnt the hard way.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36That is correct. And I thought straightaway
0:05:36 > 0:05:38as I was going down that shaft,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41"This is brilliant. This is better than going to school."
0:05:41 > 0:05:43But looking back, I might have made a mistake.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48I'm still here now, and I'm 76 years of age, and I'm still here now.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- What I'm trying to do is, trying to keep it alive.- Yeah.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53There's so many people in the Forest of Dean today
0:05:53 > 0:05:56that have never seen a coal fire, let alone a coal mine.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And to take them down into these workings here,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00some of them go back 200 years,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and they can't believe in those days
0:06:02 > 0:06:06little children worked underground, their mothers worked underground.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Any chance of us having a look down there?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11We'll give you some tourist business.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14That is what I can do, John, yeah.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20We're going to do some proper digging, I hope.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- OK?- There we are. Yeah. I'm ready to go. The real thing.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Yeah. Yeah.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Pull it right up.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It's about 32 inch, that waist.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35# Hey-ho, hey-ho... #
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Pretty steep, going down.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It gets a bit eerie when you get on down.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It's certainly getting lower, Robin, isn't it?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Yes. Where you've got to go presently, it's a lot lower still.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Really?- This is extraordinary, isn't it? How deep are we here?
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Somewhere around 200 foot.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So where's Jules going to do his mining, then?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- If he can get up in there... - I wish I hadn't had breakfast now.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02It's still not wide enough to get John up there.
0:07:02 > 0:07:02THEY LAUGH
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Do you mind?!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07This seam averages about two foot six, actually.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I see a pickaxe, a shovel, and a sledgehammer.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- There is a sledgehammer, yeah. - Off you go.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Right, come on, then. How do we get up there?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- Let's put the ladder up for you. - Oh, look, I'm spoilt now. A ladder.
0:07:16 > 0:07:22Right then, Robin. A real taste of days gone by, this.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- That's correct, yeah.- Best of luck.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- Is that original? - No, definitely not!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Oh, hello! Look at that! It must be original.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- You've broken the ladder! - Step on the next one.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- Can you try that one?- Keep right on the bloody side, as well.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Oh, well.- That one's gone!
0:07:37 > 0:07:39THEY LAUGH
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I think we haven't got off to the best start ever.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Right, then. Grab hold of there and we'll give you a help up.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47One, two, three...
0:07:49 > 0:07:51OK, I'm up. There you are.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Now, notwithstanding the ladder, how good are these props?
0:07:55 > 0:07:57- They're very good, actually. - Are you sure?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The fact that they're that good, they're holding nothing up!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03In terms of the... visitor experience,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07- you're not going to get everybody up here, are you?- Definitely not.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But it does give you a real sense of what this is all about.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Not one for the claustrophobic, I have to say.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19So it's like working down... while you lie down, isn't it?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's pretty... it's quite tough, actually.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It's tougher than it looks. It looks like it's going to break off
0:08:26 > 0:08:28in an easier fashion.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30It's very hard, actually.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32So you can see what those old men 200 years ago,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- the kind of work they done. - 12 hours on the trot, doing this?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Yeah. There was no machinery whatsoever back in those days.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40It was all done by hand.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Not just men, but young children.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Young children, the women, they all used to work underground.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50- Every pick is moving something that hasn't been moved for millions of years.- That's correct.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I was going to ask you how much you think I've made.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- You've got 12 hours to go yet, Jules. - Yeah, great(!)
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Well, there's a great danger that I might become
0:09:00 > 0:09:02a permanent exhibit here, John.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04You're doing very well, Jules.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I guess every miner had their own sort of signature
0:09:07 > 0:09:09in the way that they used their tools?
0:09:09 > 0:09:10Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Guys? Robin? John?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Well, having dug myself out,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I was never so happy to see daylight.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25What a great experience for you there, Jules. But the sad fact is
0:09:25 > 0:09:28that mining in the Forest of Dean isn't just at risk,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- it's virtually dead, isn't it? - All but, let's face it.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33And though you can't help but be enthused
0:09:33 > 0:09:35by Robin's infectious passion for mining
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and the Forest, and for the legacy he's trying to keep going here,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41one man isn't going to keep it alive.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44No. He needs some sort of smart business guru to come in
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and show him how to sell the place.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I think that's what it needs, marketing.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51We've seen lesser sites with less to offer full of people,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53and here we are. It's empty except for you and me.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Absolutely.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Ever onwards, and it's back into Wales,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02to the stunning scenery of Monmouthshire.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Well, one thing, Jules, that we've seen no shortage of on this trip
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- is monuments.- I love monuments.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It's amazing, the stories they can tell, both of local interest
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- and national importance. - There's one round here, apparently,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18a naval memorial, would you believe?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- We're near Monmouth, 30 miles from the sea.- I was going to say.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- Are you sure about that? Is it on the map?- Absolutely!
0:10:24 > 0:10:26A naval memorial. It's here.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Well, that's got a story to tell, hasn't it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Well, John is absolutely right.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Monmouthshire in the Wye valley does has an important naval connection,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39because the majority of oak for Nelson's fleet was sourced here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42800 feet above Monmouth itself, on the Kymin Hill,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46lies a monument celebrating the victories of the Royal Navy.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Between the 17th and 20th centuries,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Britain had the most powerful navy in the world,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54and it played a key role in establishing the empire.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Sadly, due to neglect and its exposed position,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00the memorial is desperately in need of restoration.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04National Trust Property Manager Philip Park
0:11:04 > 0:11:07is currently heading up the project to restore it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Morning.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So, the temple here was built in 1802.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It was after the Battle of the Nile,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and it was built in a fit of jingoistic fervour, really.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24A great "huzzah!" for the British Navy,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and for Nelson. People were so enamoured with
0:11:27 > 0:11:29what Nelson had been achieving
0:11:29 > 0:11:33that they wanted to mark it in some way, and this is what they built.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37So as far as we know, this is the only monument anywhere in the world
0:11:37 > 0:11:40which celebrates an entire navy.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The colours relate to the squadrons
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and each of those roundels
0:11:45 > 0:11:48remembers a different admiral,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and the dates relate to a particular event in that admiral's career.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The main problem with the structure is that
0:11:55 > 0:12:00water is still managing to seep in through the roof.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05The existing Britannia is fibreglass and full of sand,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and somebody's nicked her trident.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12So we are hoping that we will have enough money in the project
0:12:12 > 0:12:15to have a new Britannia carved out of stone
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and with the trident back in her hand again.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And also turned round, because it's believed that
0:12:22 > 0:12:24she's facing the wrong way at the moment.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29These buildings, these places, they tell us about who we were.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32They tell us about our history. Collectively,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35we're handing this on to the next generation,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37and that must be a good thing, mustn't it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39I'm sure that's the right thing to do.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46From high on a hill to down in the valleys,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51we're headed 20 miles south to the former mining town of Newbridge.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- Well, the map's starting to look a bit battered.- I know!
0:12:58 > 0:13:01It's got us here now to the valleys of South Wales.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I've got a lot of fondness for this part of the country, actually.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06There's a terrific sense of community,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10even though they've struggled over the last two or three decades
0:13:10 > 0:13:11since the collapse of mining.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Ever since mining stopped, yeah.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I mean, during the heydays of mining,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19they had miners' halls, didn't they?
0:13:19 > 0:13:22And they had choirs and the banners...
0:13:22 > 0:13:26And the institutes, of course, which were pivotal.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And we've been told that we should head to a place called Newbridge,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34because something interesting is happening there
0:13:34 > 0:13:36with the old miners' institute.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The Newbridge Memorial Hall was built as an addition
0:13:41 > 0:13:44to the local Miners' Institute in 1925,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48to commemorate locals who fell in the First World War.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53With the largest ballroom in South Wales
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and a stunning Art Deco theatre,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58this place was a hive of activity fondly called the Memo.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00The venue for sports clubs,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04local bands and legendary dances,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06the Memo was the place to be.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08But the closure of mines in the mid-'80s
0:14:08 > 0:14:11saw the decline of the Memo
0:14:11 > 0:14:13as people sought entertainment elsewhere.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18By 2003 the building was in a real state of dilapidation, and there were discussions
0:14:18 > 0:14:21about whether to demolish or redevelop it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22It was at this point
0:14:22 > 0:14:26retired blacksmith Howard Stone set up a restoration project
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and began to encourage local groups to use the space.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Seven years on, Howard's endless applications
0:14:32 > 0:14:37for funding have raised a staggering £5.8 million.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This, gentlemen, is what has become known as The Jewel in the Valleys.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Wow!
0:14:44 > 0:14:45How about this! This is great.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47What a place. This is amazing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49A huge cinema with a balcony...
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- All the old chairs up there. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You've been coming for years, Howard. What's this place like
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- when it's packed to the ceiling? - Fantastic.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59My first recollections are probably when my big sister
0:14:59 > 0:15:01brought me to see a film.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Give us a date, go on.- 1946? - Yeah, OK.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09I was a six-year-old. And then, of course, I met my wife here
0:15:09 > 0:15:11in the ballroom downstairs in my teens.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16And is the plan now to restore the cinema and have shows here again?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19What we'll have is a multi-use space, so you can put concerts on,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21you can put shows on.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24We will hopefully have the digital capability
0:15:24 > 0:15:27of bringing in live shows from overseas.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- Will you be able to get enough people to make it worthwhile?- Absolutely.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33There's already more people using this building
0:15:33 > 0:15:35than in its previous history.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It isn't just to serve the community of Newbridge.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41This building will serve the communities of the whole of south-east Wales.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44There isn't another building in this area to compete with it.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46How long's it going to take you?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Well, this place should be up and running
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and ready for reopening in April of 2014.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54We'll be back!
0:15:54 > 0:16:00A fund was set up in 1902 to pay for the memorial hall.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02An estimated 3,000 miners
0:16:02 > 0:16:05contributed a penny a week from their wages for their palace.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Our aim is to return it to,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10not just to the children of the future,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12but there's a whole generation already
0:16:12 > 0:16:15who have never enjoyed the benefits of this place.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16This, I just felt so, I suppose,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20passionate about when there was a threat to demolish something
0:16:20 > 0:16:23that is, after all, a living memorial,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and you cannot allow that to happen. You just can't.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Built for purpose, the institute and the memorial hall
0:16:32 > 0:16:35served its community, and still does so today.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Taking advantage of the massive ballroom,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43the tea dancers meet here once a week. It's a chance
0:16:43 > 0:16:46to catch up, enjoy a refreshment, and of course,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48waltz the hours away.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Hello, ladies and gentlemen. How are we this morning?
0:16:52 > 0:16:53All right, thank you.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54Exhausted yet?
0:16:54 > 0:16:55- Not yet!- No, no.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58What are your memories of this place, then?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00My sister and I would sit on the wall and watch them
0:17:00 > 0:17:03come in through the windows. Watch them dancing.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07And we used to admire their dresses and their dance shoes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And, "Oh, I'm going to do that when I'm older!"
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- And you have done. - And I'm older now, yeah!
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I'm just going to move on a bit now.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Hello, everybody. Can I sort of shimmy in here?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Yes. By all means!
0:17:23 > 0:17:25So, these dances.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28How important do you reckon they are to the community here?
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Oh, I think dancing's a wonderful thing.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And I think that more people should try it.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35ORGAN DROWNS SPEECH
0:17:35 > 0:17:39The music's playing again. Tea break over, girls and boys.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42May I...may I? Can I steal your partner?
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Of course.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Marguerite. Thank you.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54So, Marguerite.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Do you come here often?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Once a week at the moment.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59- Once a week?- Yes.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02And have you been a dancer all your life?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Since I was 17.- Ah, yes.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Yes, I must say, you do follow very well.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Let me swing you round.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16Ooh!
0:18:16 > 0:18:18SHE LAUGHS
0:18:25 > 0:18:28So, Fred Astaire, how was it?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I don't think I'll need to buy a pair of dancing pumps, somehow.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32I heard you did rather well!
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I don't know about that. But what a place this is, isn't it?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I love this one, I have to say.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40It was built by the community for the community,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and it's still going to remain at the heart of this community
0:18:43 > 0:18:46over 100 years since the first element was constructed.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48And just think, back in those days,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52these miners not earning very much were prepared to pay a penny a week
0:18:52 > 0:18:54from their wages for this palace to be built.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Well, they had a vision, John. I think that's the point.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00A viable vision, and it's viable once again. £6 million later,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03in two or three years' time, this will be something to revisit.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07I think it's one of the most hopeful projects we've seen, isn't it?
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Yeah, without a doubt.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17With a spring in our step,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20we're driving an hour back across the Bristol Chanel
0:19:20 > 0:19:23to Berkeley in Gloucestershire.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27What I love about many of the little places we go through, John,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31is this sense of local history that comes together in the local museum.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Absolutely. All kinds of things
0:19:33 > 0:19:35you'd never expect to find or know about.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39You can figure out the story of the world through local museums.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Of course, they have a lot of problems, don't they,
0:19:41 > 0:19:42getting funding?
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- The big museums have enough problems, let alone the little ones.- Yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47But they do have a lot of problems.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Nestled in the heart of the countryside
0:19:50 > 0:19:52lies a little-known house which holds
0:19:52 > 0:19:56some of the country's most important medical artefacts.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Here at The Chantry, eminent English scientist
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Edward Jenner pioneered the vaccine for smallpox,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06an ancient disease which swept across continents killing
0:20:06 > 0:20:08hundreds of thousands of people.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10With his vaccine, Jenner is believed
0:20:10 > 0:20:13to have saved more lives than anyone else in history.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19His home is open to the public as a museum,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20offering a glimpse of his life's work.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25Dedicated volunteers like Karen are preserving Jenner's memory.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29The work Jenner did was amazing.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31He saved the world, literally,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and he seems to have been forgotten.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He is one of Gloucestershire's heroes, and I don't think
0:20:36 > 0:20:39even Gloucestershire appreciate him as they should.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42And it's vital that this work isn't forgotten
0:20:42 > 0:20:43and is brought to the fore.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Unfortunately, the museum's trustees are struggling
0:20:46 > 0:20:50to raise the £2.2 million needed to restore it
0:20:50 > 0:20:52to its previous splendour.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Assistant director Joanne has the challenge of co-ordinating
0:20:55 > 0:20:58the running of the house while trying to juggle
0:20:58 > 0:21:00an ever-increasing list of repairs.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Unfortunately, our museum is at risk.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06It's very difficult to keep a building of this size and this age
0:21:06 > 0:21:10running and looked after in the way that it needs to be.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11The areas that are really important
0:21:11 > 0:21:14for us to look after at the moment are the windows.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17This bay window at the bottom was actually added by Jenner himself.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21They're in a very bad state, a very poor state.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23You can also see we've got peeling paint,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25We've recently had problems in the roof section as well.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27We've been warned that in a few years
0:21:27 > 0:21:30we may have to look at getting some of the roof fixed.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Continual work that must be done all the time to keep the house together.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36The danger for the future is that we know,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40probably within the next five years if things don't improve,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43we would have to make a decision to start cutting back
0:21:43 > 0:21:45some of our education work, our visitor work,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50some of our outreach work, and just almost mothball the house.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52To not have this here,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54to not be teaching people about what he did
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and how important he is,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59would just be a loss to British history, I think.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03But I think for us, the best medicine will be fresh air.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06On now to the biggest river in the UK, the Severn.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Our last stop of the day.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10That needle is looking seriously low.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- The light's on, John.- Yes.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Will we make it in time?
0:22:14 > 0:22:15It means only one thing.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17- Panic! - THEY LAUGH
0:22:17 > 0:22:18There's drama tonight!
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Will John and Jules make it to the petrol station in time?
0:22:23 > 0:22:25- Will they have sweets there?- Yes.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Will they have to push their vehicle for miles through a jungle?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Well, a forest.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Well, we may just make it, folks.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Now, I have noticed, John, on our little journey,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39you do have a penchant for fish.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I do like fish, that's true, Jules. You don't, do you, really?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45I'm not a great fan, but how do you feel about fishing?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48What sort of fishing? Do you mean big-time shoaler fishing,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50or rod and line fishing, or what?
0:22:50 > 0:22:52- What about salmon fishing? - Salmon fishing, yeah.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Well, here we are on the banks of the River Severn,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57almost at the end of our journey, but not quite.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- Right.- Let's go fishing.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Lave net fishing is a centuries-old technique
0:23:04 > 0:23:07used to catch salmon in rivers and estuaries.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09The skills involved have been handed down
0:23:09 > 0:23:11through generations of fisherman.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Martin is one of only eight left in the last lave fishery in Wales.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Martin has been fishing down here on the Severn
0:23:19 > 0:23:21since he was 10 years old.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Determined to keep these heritage skills alive,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27he helps promote the fishery as a tourist attraction.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Now, let's just be clear. This is a lave net?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- Yes.- Just open it up for us, just so we know what we're talking about
0:23:34 > 0:23:35and how you do this.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I don't think I've ever seen one of these before.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Well, they've been recorded as being used on the Severn estuary
0:23:42 > 0:23:47in J Geraint Jenkins' book Nets And Coracles in the mid-1600s.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51It's an ancient method of fishing for salmon, and it's made
0:23:51 > 0:23:55from what grows around the estuary.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56- Ash for the rock staff.- Yeah.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- Willow for the rimes.- Yeah.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02And pine for the headboard.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Do you wait for the fish to swim into it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08What the lave net fisherman does is stands in a traditional spot,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10and these spots have names,
0:24:10 > 0:24:15such as Monkey Tump, Lighthouse Vear, The Grandstand, The Hole.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And the fisherman will stand in one of these spots,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21he will select that spot according to the wind strength,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24the wind direction and the height of the tide.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26When the fisherman drops his net into the tide,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29running at five or six knots, believe you me,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32he's really got to lean into the net, put his foot behind the rock,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and then he places his hand into the mesh.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- His fingers into the mesh.- Yeah.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42So the whole net then becomes like a spider's web.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Anything touches that net, the fisherman can feel,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46so if he feels something touching that,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49he picks the headline up, puts the rock staff down,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and the salmon hopefully rolls into the back of the net.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53That's brilliant!
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Now, just to be clear, Martin,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58we are not in the fishing season at the moment,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00so we won't actually see you fishing today.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02How long does the season last and when is it?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05In 1999, the season was short
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and it starts now on June 1st to August 31st.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13So we've got a three month season for this lave net fishery.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16What has happened over the years,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18the traditional fisheries on the Severn estuary
0:25:18 > 0:25:20have been closed down one by one,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and then we felt that we were under threat of closure as well.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And what we've done, we've taken a very proactive attitude to this
0:25:28 > 0:25:32to try and keep these hundreds of years of heritage
0:25:32 > 0:25:34by fighting to keep the fishery going
0:25:34 > 0:25:37by promoting it as a tourism and heritage site,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and inviting people down to watch.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42It'd be heartbreaking to see you have to give this up.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44It's clearly in your blood.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46You're part of this estuary and its history.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That's right. It's a privilege to be down here
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and to actually be able to fish here. You know,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53I couldn't ask for anything more, really.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- It's been a pleasure, mate. - Oh, thank you, Jules.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57- Best of luck.- And you.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Each fisherman must be skilled
0:26:00 > 0:26:03in making their own nets, another tradition they're keen to pass on.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Why all this sort of craftsmanship going on around here?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13We're trying to keep the traditions of our forefathers alive.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14You know? Bob's father fished,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17my great-grandfather fished,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21they used lave nets to catch salmon in this river for hundreds of years.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23And we're determined to keep it going.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26So this is the latest net you're making, Bob, is it?
0:26:26 > 0:26:32Yes. What we use is this, that we call the needle...
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Yeah.- And this is the wand.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38You go into your next empty mesh,
0:26:38 > 0:26:39you pull that down to the wand,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42you get your thumb to the top of there,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44and round the back of there,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46through there...
0:26:48 > 0:26:50..pull it tight, don't let it slip.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Over to you, then, John, I think, if you want to have a go.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- So, those two?- That's right.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- Back around.- Over there. - Don't close your loop.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00And then under there?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04And then, through...
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- Round there. - Like that?- Yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09And how long have you been salmon fishing?
0:27:09 > 0:27:10About 65 years.
0:27:10 > 0:27:1465...! How many salmon have you caught in that time, do you reckon?
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Oh, I wouldn't know. I've never kept a record.- Have you not?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Pull it tight. Hey presto, we've got it.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- And that's it, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- Very good.- I'm a lave netter!- Yeah.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26THEY LAUGH
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Seeing them work so hard to keep these old skills alive
0:27:30 > 0:27:32is another great example of
0:27:32 > 0:27:36just how diverse our heritage is in this country.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Well, we've made it. Here we are on the Severn,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and we started off on the Mersey.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44And all those lovely counties and people and places along the way.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46A fantastic trip down the border.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And all the things that are being done
0:27:48 > 0:27:50to try and stop heritage at risk, eh?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- The question is, John - where next? - Oh, yeah.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Let's get the map, shall we? - Let's go that way.- Yeah.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59What a journey we've had.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02One of my favourites has to be
0:28:02 > 0:28:04meeting Caroline who inherited
0:28:04 > 0:28:07that amazing country house, Stokesay Court.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13A real highlight for me was coming across Richard at the Work House, who made those beautiful instruments.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16And what about Tony, the last travelling brickmaker?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18I loved getting a chance to get really hands on.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20It's satisfying, isn't it?
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Next time we'll start a whole new journey
0:28:22 > 0:28:24in the South West of the country,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26where I'll be spinning a yarn.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30And I'll be taking part in some carnival madness.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd