0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're travelling across the UK on a mission.
0:00:05 > 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.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25We're scouring town and country in search of the nation's unsung heroes
0:00:25 > 0:00:29determined not to let our heritage become a thing of the past.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34Today we get to grips with leather in Britain's last oak tannery.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Push!
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And we meet the people working to keep our boat-building heritage afloat.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43On this journey, we uncover the hidden treasures of our country -
0:00:43 > 0:00:46treasures that are certainly worth fighting for.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50And meeting heritage heroes saving Britain at risk.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05- Look, Jules, there's blue over there.- That, John, is the sea!
0:01:05 > 0:01:07THEY LAUGH
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Is it really?
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Yeah, and all this green stuff...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- That's the land! - That's the land, yeah!
0:01:13 > 0:01:18On this journey we travel pier to pier to explore the south-west of England.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22We started in Dorset and head through Somerset and Devon
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and finally end up at the western tip of England in Cornwall.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Today, Devon and Dorset don't disappoint.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36On the trail for skills with humble origins,
0:01:36 > 0:01:41we meet the communities and champions keeping our heritage alive.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45So, Jules, we're crossing yet another border now,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47heading into Devon.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Yes, we are. To a tannery.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Now, I suppose that you know that a tannery is not a place
0:01:52 > 0:01:54where you go to get an artificial suntan?
0:01:54 > 0:01:55Oh, not indeed.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00- No, they're a very ancient form of industry, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I saw one in Morocco, in Marrakesh, last year in fact...
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Bragging about his foreign holidays again!
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Well, I don't think anything had changed there for centuries.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It was a filthy, quite dangerous place to work.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- And very smelly, I'm told. - Incredibly smell, you have no idea!
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I'm told that they're so smelly that the rats don't go in there.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23That wouldn't surprise me!
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- And we are going in one! - Oh, happy days!
0:02:30 > 0:02:33There's been a tannery on this site in Colyton since Roman times.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Although it's been re-built over the years,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40the basic processes of tanning cattle hides hasn't changed.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Tanneries like this were once commonplace up and down the country.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48They worked constantly to keep up with the never-ending need
0:02:48 > 0:02:51for leather shoes, bags, bridles and saddles.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'This place is now the last oak bark tannery in Britain...'
0:02:56 > 0:02:59You can certainly smell it, can't you?!
0:02:59 > 0:03:03'and it's been in Andrew Parr's family since 1864.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07'The majority of the hides produced here are exported abroad
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'for the luxury leather market.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12'A lot of us wear leather but maybe aren't familiar
0:03:12 > 0:03:16'with the processes involved, some of which are a bit gruesome.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18'This is not for the faint-hearted!'
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- So, where are we here, Andrew? - This is the lime yard.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25This is where the hides start and they gets soaked in water and lime
0:03:25 > 0:03:28for a fortnight and that will loosen the hair by the roots
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and then they're be ready for de-hairing.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- So it's literally just shaving off. - It's not quite shaving
0:03:33 > 0:03:36because it's a blunt blade so the hair comes out by the roots.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38So you're not cutting it off like shaving,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41you're taking the hair out with the roots and all.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It's properly fleshy, this, isn't it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I mean, it's like a huge piece of bacon.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Yeah, this is the hair side, the good side and on the other side,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52you've got some fat left on and that's the inside of the hide.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- It's pretty gruesome, isn't it?! - What will it be used for eventually?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58We're doing two types of leather.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Shoe leather, soling leather, stiffener leathers,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03insole leathers, or equestrian leathers
0:04:03 > 0:04:06which will be bridle butts, stirrup butts, harness bags.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Well, just watching these guys working here,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12how much has this changed over the centuries?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14This is exactly how it would be centuries ago.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Probably back to the Iron Age? - The trouble is nobody knows when tanning started
0:04:18 > 0:04:21because it's always been there. There's no history of it
0:04:21 > 0:04:25because I don't think they could write when it started.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- This really hasn't changed at all, has it?- No.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31What do you call this? Has this got some nice ancient name?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Well, I call it a scudder.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38A scudder! How about that?! That is a scudder!
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Well, clearly a lot more scudding to do here.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45What's the next stage of the process, Andrew?
0:04:45 > 0:04:50Once he's finished scudding, we put them in water to get the lime out of the surfaces.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- Then it's ready for the tan yard, which is where we're going now. - Right. This way?
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Yes. The tan yard.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Right, so this is the tan yard. Just be careful as you come in.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02The tan yard?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Yeah. It's full of pits. - It doesn't look much like a yard.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08There's 70 pits here to fall in, so just follow me.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Every town in the country would have have had a tannery, wouldn't they?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- I think Colyton had two. - This is the very last one...
0:05:14 > 0:05:17The last oak bark tannery of this sort, yeah.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20It's a proper pit tannage so it's divided up into these pits.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- So there's a hide hanging from each of these poles?- That's right.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28These are on suspenders at the moment so the leather of these hides
0:05:28 > 0:05:32is suspended from these sticks for the first three months
0:05:32 > 0:05:36and then moved up from pit to pit for the first three months.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38What's that solution there?
0:05:38 > 0:05:43That's the tan liquor. That's water and oak bark tan.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45So it's liquid oak, effectively?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It's liquid tan because actually, we only want the tan out of the bark.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53You don't get a lot of tan out of the wood, it comes out of the bark.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58So we've soaked the tan out and left the bark and the oak behind.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03Once the leather has been through its various tanning processes,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05any marks must be removed.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Cod oil is then added, which helps make the leather more supple.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Gary and Liam do about 100 of these a day!
0:06:12 > 0:06:16It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Can I join you guys?
0:06:17 > 0:06:21I'm all kitted out and Andrew says you've got a job for me.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24We have, yes. You can join in.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- Can I take over from you, Liam. Have a quick break?- OK.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- What are we doing here? - You get all the creases out.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Get it all nice and level and flat.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Do you get young people... I mean, Liam looks pretty young to me,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45but are there other young people coming on to keep it going?
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Well, at the moment the older ones are,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but there is a few young ones coming into it now.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Cod oil now?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Cod oil, please.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Yuck!
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Is that about right, do you reckon?
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Yeah, that's fine.
0:07:05 > 0:07:12- Right.- Yeah, we carry it and put it on nails to hang up and dry out.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14And how long will it stay up there?
0:07:14 > 0:07:17That will stay up until next week.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- Have I got the job? - That's brilliant, yes!
0:07:21 > 0:07:27- That's right, there's a nail on that side.- I got that.- That's it.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I feel a bit guilty, doing Liam out of a job!
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I think I'll let him take over again.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Good to see you.- Yeah!- Cheers.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40A cod oil handshake in a rubber glove, how about that?!
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The process is then finished by Doug,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46who puts the leather through a roller.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49MACHINERY CLATTERS Doug! Doug!
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Hello!
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Turn the machine off!
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I am in a minute, I've got to wait.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's quite a violent-looking machine,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01but it's all about pressing down on the leather.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But what does it do? Does it make it stronger?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Does it tighten the leather at all, or just make it easier to work
0:08:07 > 0:08:09when it's shipped off to the...
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Well, I don't know to be honest.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- They just sent you up here to roll and you said, "OK."- Yeah.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16JULES LAUGHS
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Can I have a go?- Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Is it safe to have a go?- Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25You just feed it in?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Yeah, just so much at a time.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Yeah.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- Shall we pull it out?- Yeah.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Turn it off a second. Let's have a feel of this.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42With a little bit of rolling,
0:08:42 > 0:08:47- suddenly that had been transformed, hasn't it?- That's right.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Do you mind if I borrow this
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and take it off to show John to see the finished product?
0:08:52 > 0:08:57I'm going to leave you rolling...for another 20 years!
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Yeah!- Cheers, mate! Lovely, look at that!
0:09:01 > 0:09:0618 months in the curing, 18 months growing to be a full-sized animal.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08So, three years for a bit of leather.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- Ah! Mr Craven!- Mr Hudson!
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- What's this then? A tea break? - You need one, it's hard work!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- Well, I have to say, you look the part.- I feel it, yeah!
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- I bet you were glad of this. Was it a very messy business? - It was indeed, making those!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Well, I've just seen the final but of the process
0:09:28 > 0:09:32where the hides get rolled, with Doug, with an amazing machine.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- Do you know why he rolls them? - Did you not ask him?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I did, but he doesn't know either! But he's been doing it for 20 years!
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- But just feel that.- Yeah, make it nice and flat when you roll them.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Isn't that wonderful? You wouldn't get that just from a machine.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49No, let's hope modern technology doesn't ring the final death knell
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- for a place like this. - Keep buying decent shoes, John!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- Have you got that, then? - I've kind of borrowed it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- I'll give you a tanner for it.- Yeah!
0:09:58 > 0:10:02It's a relief to breath fresh air back the open road!
0:10:02 > 0:10:07We're making our way east through Weymouth, to Osmington.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10One of the striking things in the landscape
0:10:10 > 0:10:15around this part of the world, are the carvings on the hillsides, the horses.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20It's brilliant. When you've got a landscape that underneath the turf is full of chalk.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Lift the turf and you've suddenly got a fantastic, artist's material.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26You can make any shape, any form you like.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29We tend to think they're prehistoric and mysterious,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33but some of them are far later than that. Relatively modern, you know.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Napoleonic... I'm thinking of the Great Horse with George III on it.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Yeah, and this one has seen much better days, I'm told.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43There are bits missing.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- Like the King's arms. - Poor old George, yes!
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Standing 100 metres tall on a hillside near Weymouth
0:10:52 > 0:10:56is one of the most impressive monuments created for a British monarch.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59The White Horse at Osmington is a monument to King George III.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02During his reign in the 18th and 19th centuries,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Weymouth became one of his favourite holiday destinations.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09So enamoured were the townsfolk with him,
0:11:09 > 0:11:15that in 1808 it took an estimated 100 men three months to create this proud monument.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20What was once a great homage to a much-loved King,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24was becoming a blot on the landscape, until local man Geoff Codd
0:11:24 > 0:11:26was spurred into doing something about it.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32One day my wife and I were driving up the hill
0:11:32 > 0:11:39and she happened to say to me, "Isn't that White Horse looking awful?"
0:11:39 > 0:11:42We were highly conscious that over the 200 years plus
0:11:42 > 0:11:48since it's been up there, it's been slowly deteriorating
0:11:48 > 0:11:52and we looked at it and thought, "Oh, my God, this isn't what we want the world to see."
0:11:52 > 0:11:57So we got a group together, which comprised people from Dorset County Council
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and our community and various experts.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06We set about removing 160 tonnes of stone, off the monument,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10which had been inadvertently put there, 20 or 30 years ago.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17Dorset Countryside Ranger Nick Tarrier has been working with other volunteers
0:12:17 > 0:12:19to get the King, and his horse, back in shape.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27It's quite hard labour. I don't think it's any different from when it was first made.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31With the gradient of the slope, you can't get any machinery on the hill.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Trucks you can barely get near.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37So it's mattocks, pick-axes, buckets, spades,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39and bags to haul the chalk off.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46The second task was trying to decide how we'd get the outline.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Having been changed so much over the years, what the original outline was.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55To ensure the most accurate restoration job is carried out,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59recorded images of the horse, in its past form, have been collated.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05With the use of GPS technology, they've been able to plot the original outline of the monument.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09We feel very passionate about it
0:13:09 > 0:13:11because it's a part of our heritage.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14National heritage, it's not just ours.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's about one of our kings, who was famous
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and, hopefully, this will become famous too.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34We're headed west, 30 miles along Dorset's famous Jurassic Coast
0:13:34 > 0:13:37to the pretty little town of Lyme Regis.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43The Jurassic Coast itself, John, we're talking 180 million years ago.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Did you report on the creation of the Jurassic Coast on Newsround
0:13:46 > 0:13:49180 million years ago?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It feels like it, sometimes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54We're descending now into Lyme Regis.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55It's gorgeous, isn't it?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- A beautiful old town.- Yeah.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02It's one of those nice ones, it hasn't been swamped with candy floss and fruit machines.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It's a nice, pretty, coastal town.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I guess, as it was, back in the Victorian day.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09- It's busy, isn't it? - Yeah, look at it.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Lyme Bay, like most coastal areas, has a proud fishing tradition.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19In the mid-1800s, the mackerel fishing industry was king,
0:14:19 > 0:14:24with over 100 small boats trawling these rich coastal waters for the catch of the day.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28The vessels used were called Lerrets
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and were often built by the men who fished from them.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36This sturdy boat also doubled as a lifeboat, saving hundreds of people over the years,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and giving it a firm place in the area's maritime history.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46Determined not to see this part of Lyme Bay's heritage lost,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Gail McGarvey took it upon herself to build the first lerret in 40 years.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Littlesea.- Yeah.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Lovely little boat, isn't it? Hello, Gail.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00- Morning.- Gail, how are you? Nice to see you.- Nice to see you.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- Well, thank you very much! - This is a local boat, is it?
0:15:05 > 0:15:10It's wholly pertinent to Chesil Beach, which stretches behind us to Portland.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13How much at risk is the lerret?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Well, the mother boat stands over on the shore - she's 1923
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and she's one of a few remaining seaworthy boats.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24There's just a handful left, and so it seemed imperative
0:15:24 > 0:15:27to capture the lines of the mother boat and create a daughter boat.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- But you didn't have a plan? - No, no formal plan, built by eye,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34so you are using the mother boat as your guiding force.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37"By eye" means if it looks right, it is right?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Your eye is a fantastic thing - it shouts out at you
0:15:41 > 0:15:45if there's something that's unfair, as we call it in boat building!
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Not sweet on the eye!
0:15:47 > 0:15:49And lots and lots of rivets.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- Yes, yes!- I tell you what, though, John, have a sniff.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I used to live on a boat - it's got this lovely smell of varnish,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- of sea water.- I don't often sniff boats!- I love the smell of a boat!
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- You know what I'm talking about! - Many people sniff boats.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09It's lovely, it's just got this lovely, timeless sense about it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13It's definitely a sensual thing, I think, boat building,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and people's draw to boats.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Had you got a lot of DIY practical experience before you got
0:16:20 > 0:16:22interested in boat building itself?
0:16:22 > 0:16:25No, I had no formal woodworking skills at all.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30I'd lived on boats and I just had this strong feeling
0:16:30 > 0:16:33that I wanted to make them the core focus of my life.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It's been a fantastic process.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41We've been able to preserve the art of boat building by eye, but also preserve this particular vessel
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and give it life into a new generation.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47It was here at the Boat Building School in Lyme Regis
0:16:47 > 0:16:51that Gail learned her craft. Up and running for 13 years,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54it's one of only two independent colleges
0:16:54 > 0:16:59where traditional boat-building skills are taught on full-time courses.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Students are self-funded, and range greatly in age and background,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06but all share a passion for boat building.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Running the school is principal Yvonne Green.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Everybody's busy building boats. What happens to them when they're finished?
0:17:12 > 0:17:16The boats are owned by individual students who pay for the materials
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and they take them away at the end of the course.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Some of them talk about selling them - I have to say,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26it's very rare they can bring themselves to get rid of them.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28The other thing they do is they use the boats as a CV,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31so they put the boat on a trailer, go and see the yard
0:17:31 > 0:17:35they want to work for and they can say, "This is what I've produced."
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- Pretty impressive CV. - Very impressive, yeah.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'Jackson is one of the youngest students here at the school.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47'Like Gail, he is building a very traditional fishing boat.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Already you can see she's got some graceful lines - what kind of boat will it be?
0:17:51 > 0:17:53It's a pilchard fishing boat,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57traditional Cornish one from the 19th and 20th century.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Is this going to go to work? - This will be a working boat, yeah.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04That must be quite nice to be working on something that you know won't be in a museum.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06No, it's going to be working.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10We talk about a learning curve, but nothing's straight on these.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- Nothing's straightforward. - Nothing's easy at all.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- And you're clearly loving it? - Yeah. No regrets.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- Will you go on and become a boat builder? - I hope to travel the world -
0:18:19 > 0:18:22there's a lot of work in New Zealand, Australia, so...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Touch wood, that's what I'll do!
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Well, there's plenty of it to touch! Best of luck.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Back out on the shore,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34it's time to launch Gail's lerret in the traditional style.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- This is hard work, isn't it? - HE GROANS
0:18:43 > 0:18:45I feel a bit underdressed, really.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59We thought we'd turn out proper. When we first launched the boat
0:18:59 > 0:19:02in 2010, we wanted to, in a way,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06echo boat-building launches of the past where people
0:19:06 > 0:19:09took enormous pride in the boat that had been built.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- And got dressed up for the occasion? - Yes, exactly, in their Sunday best!
0:19:13 > 0:19:18The foreman of the yard would always wear a bowler hat.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22On that day, I presented Roy, who was mentor for the build...
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- He's got the hat on! - So he has his bowler hat.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29We've got four oarspeople.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35Jeff will be here in the stern with you acting as cox and I'll be in the bow.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- What's this for? - LAUGHTER
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Push!
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Hey, it works!- It works!
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- Hey, thank you very much!- Goodbye.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18It's quite easy to row, isn't it?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Yeah. This is the way to do it.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Why are these oars so wide, Gail?
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- So you can leave an oar like that? - Yeah.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34John, keep rowing!
0:20:34 > 0:20:39No, I'm talking to Gail about the oar. Right, OK.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- Sorry about that...- Sorry, yes.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53We're all completely out of synch now! Where were we?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Gail, it must feel like a real sense of achievement
0:20:57 > 0:21:02- to have built this boat and see it in action once again. - It's fantastic.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05To think that we managed to preserve the line of the Lerret
0:21:05 > 0:21:10is a great thought. When you're building the boat,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15you see her grow and grow, but when she comes out onto the water
0:21:15 > 0:21:17then she really has her full life.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22She just becomes her own creature.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Well done, Gail, for reviving this wonderful little boat.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30- I think we're ready for the Atlantic now.- Yes.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- OK, guys? - I think France is that way!
0:21:34 > 0:21:37'What a fantastic treat to sail in a fishing boat
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'with a history that goes back centuries.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'Did anybody bring a rod?
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Ever onwards and it's back towards Weymouth, an hour east of here.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55All along the coast, there are lots of forts and castles
0:21:55 > 0:21:59and watch towers. A lot of them, I think, Henry VIII built them up?
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Henry VIII was a great fort builder and he built some fantastic
0:22:03 > 0:22:07surviving examples, but every generation has left their mark
0:22:07 > 0:22:10when it comes to the defence of the country.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Like the abbeys that Henry VIII knocked about a bit,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17quite a few of his castles now are in a pretty bad state of repair.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Well, I guess what comes around comes around, really!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22And there's one not far from here.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Sandsfoot Castle is a mile along the coast from Weymouth.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34It was built by Henry VIII in 1539 as one of the many defences
0:22:34 > 0:22:38aimed at deterring the French and Spanish from invading.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41However, decades ago, this crumbling structure was condemned
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and has since been closed to the public.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53David Carter has been working closely with the local authority
0:22:53 > 0:22:57for the last 15 years. Having raised £300,000,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02the public will be able to enjoy its faded glory once again.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05This castle is a unique piece of English history
0:23:05 > 0:23:08that served its country very well until it fell into disrepair.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12I'm really passionate about this building. It's an ancient monument.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Of all the Henrician castles, there's only one like this.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18It's a reminder for people of their past,
0:23:18 > 0:23:23the importance of the area and the significance of this piece of coastline.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'Parks Development Officer Lucy White has been involved
0:23:27 > 0:23:32'in the project since the start and she's keen to make it a hands-on history venue.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:36We want to give the castle back to the people of Weymouth
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and Portland, and give them an opportunity
0:23:39 > 0:23:43to go inside the castle and see what's in here, feel the walls,
0:23:43 > 0:23:48really get involved in what was there, see the open fireplace,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51just so they can get back in touch with the history of the castle.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55And they've not been able to do that for generations now.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59What a magnificent backdrop this will be for theatre.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The amphitheatre will also lend itself to actually having some musical events here.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09But to preserve this castle from falling into the sea
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and giving it back to the public is money well spent.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Now we're heading 10 miles north into the beautiful Dorset countryside
0:24:22 > 0:24:25to the old market town of Dorchester.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29We're going to look at a youth club project now.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It's the Dorset Youth Association,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34which seems to be doing some very interesting work.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And helping to preserve quite a lot of the area's history
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and heritage and really getting youngsters involved in understanding
0:24:41 > 0:24:45what their past is all about and how that fits into the national story.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The Dorset Youth Association has been running since the '40s
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and has 70 groups across the county.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Its mission has always been to improve
0:24:54 > 0:24:57the quality of life for young people in the area.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Recently there's been increasing demand for them
0:25:00 > 0:25:02to support young people with additional needs.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Having just won Heritage funding, the group is delving
0:25:08 > 0:25:11into the local archives and is chatting to original youth group members.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The idea - to build a timeline of Dorset history.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21Another bright idea they've had is to utilise current GPS technology.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26Led by excitable historian Alistair Chisolm, they're plotting out a history-themed treasure hunt,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28which can be followed using a smart phone.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Small boxes will be found along the way with clues to the area's history.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38- This looks like the group I'm looking for. Alistair?- Absolutely.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40- Jules!- Nice to see you. - Nice to see you indeed.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Have I arrived at a crucial moment? - Absolutely, the perfect moment.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49We were just discussing the peace and tranquillity of the water meadows,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53but now we have something rather grisly and gruesome!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55What does it say above the door?
0:25:57 > 0:26:02- Hangman's Cottage. Oh, I'm scared already!- You've given me the fear!
0:26:02 > 0:26:07- Absolutely, I can see those knees are shaking.- Look at those!- Look!
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- This is a bit of Dorset where history really comes alive. - Absolutely.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16One of the places that people were hanged is just along the river where we were walking.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20You're going to do a trail - what sort of things do you think
0:26:20 > 0:26:25we could put inside the little box that's going to be for the...?
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- Rope?- What a good idea - a miniature rope with that noose at the end.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- Yeah, that'd be good.- Now what's the idea behind the boxes?
0:26:34 > 0:26:40- Well, it's a modern thing, what's it called?- GPS.- GPS?
0:26:40 > 0:26:45GPS, and then you can locate the box and find out a bit about the story of the place you're looking at.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50- Where next?- The Town House? - The town house?! Right, lead on. Show us where it is.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Excellent idea. This-a-way.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59'This historic treasure hunt would not be complete without a visit to the Roman Town House.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01'It's an extremely well preserved building,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'housing incredible mosaics dating back to the early 4th century,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07'offering us a glimpse into Roman life.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'Local student Jack has been volunteering with the group
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'for a couple of years and is passionate about the area's heritage.'
0:27:14 > 0:27:18How big a role do you think you can play with initiatives like this?
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Oh, yeah, you've got to get young people involved early.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27While it's still interesting, because when you get to 17, 18,
0:27:27 > 0:27:32people aren't interested in history - they have their own paths to follow.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37If you get them involved with it, like the youth group, early,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42you learn about it casually and it doesn't seem almost as if you're learning it.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46So you're saying we should introduce people to history by stealth?
0:27:46 > 0:27:47It makes sense, doesn't it,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51because everyone hates sitting in a classroom at some point
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and this is a much better way of learning about it.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00'I love to see young people who are so enthusiastic about their local history getting involved
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'with a great new scheme like this.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'What a day it's been.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11'The tannery was fascinating, though I can still smell it on my clothes.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'And I really enjoyed being out on Gail's boat.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17'What a great piece of living history that was.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'Next time we'll meet an enthusiastic bunch
0:28:20 > 0:28:24'determined to breathe life back into a great historic house.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30'And sample the good life with a couple who are getting back to basics.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd