0:00:00 > 0:00:04We're travelling across the UK on a mission.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06All over the country our heritage is at risk.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Ancient buildings and monuments are under threat of demolition.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15Valuable arts and crafts are on the brink of extinction
0:00:15 > 0:00:19and our rich industrial heritage is disappearing fast.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24We're scouring town and country in search of the nation's unsung heroes
0:00:24 > 0:00:28determined not to let our heritage become a thing of the past.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today we meet the locals starting a new chapter
0:00:31 > 0:00:33in the life of a Victorian workhouse.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Oh, no! Oh, no!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40And learn tricks of the trade
0:00:40 > 0:00:43from one of the last travelling brick makers in the country.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49On this journey we're uncovering the hidden treasures of our country.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Treasures that are certainly worth fighting for.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55And meeting heritage heroes saving Britain at risk.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14- Here we go, Jules, another day. - Another day, another journey, John.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17As you know, I slept in a bit this morning.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Dressed rather quickly
0:01:18 > 0:01:21and I'm not quite sure about the purple and the orange.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25- What do you think?- I think you've dressed with your eyes shut!
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- Clashes a bit so please forgive me for the rest of the day. - I'll let you off.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34We're on the road travelling north to south
0:01:34 > 0:01:37along the Welsh-English border.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40We'll be stopping off in Cheshire, Powys and Shropshire
0:01:40 > 0:01:45before finishing our journey at the Bristol Channel in South Wales.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50On this leg we're taking in the peaks and the plains
0:01:50 > 0:01:53of South Cheshire and Mid Wales and exploring this area's heritage
0:01:53 > 0:01:56that's in danger of being lost forever.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Cheshire is a very fine county, famous for being the home
0:02:01 > 0:02:05of some very expensive footballers amongst other things.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06Indeed so, yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Cheshire cheese.- Cheshire cheese?
0:02:10 > 0:02:16- Apparently Cheshire cheese was once as famous as Cheddar cheese.- Really?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- And then overtaken by...?- Cheddar is now made all over the world.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- But they still must make Cheshire cheese?- Yes.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Cheshire is more made in Cheshire, I think.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29It has a very special flavour of its own, it's rather nice.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The lush green pastures of the Cheshire Plain
0:02:35 > 0:02:37are perfect for dairy farming.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Cheshire cheese was once the most popular cheese in Britain
0:02:40 > 0:02:45with sales peaking at around 40,000 tonnes in 1960.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52But a rise in mass produced pre-packaged cheeses meant
0:02:52 > 0:02:55the decline of traditional cloth-bound Cheshire.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57From a peak of over 200 producers,
0:02:57 > 0:03:02there's now only a handful making Cheshire following traditional methods.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06The Appleby family began producing Cheshire cheese
0:03:06 > 0:03:09on their Hawkstone Abbey farm in 1952.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Edward Appleby is keen to see the business his mother started
0:03:13 > 0:03:15continue its fight for survival.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20We had cheese, cheese, cheese and we got to the stage
0:03:20 > 0:03:22we didn't want to hear the word any more.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Yeah, I can imagine.- But next thing you've got children
0:03:26 > 0:03:29so you've got to make more money to keep families...
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Make more cheese? - Make more cheese.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36What is it about this area, the grass here, that really sets it apart,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41that gives the milk its unique flavour, that sets Cheshire cheese apart?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It's the salt underneath the Cheshire Plain
0:03:43 > 0:03:47which gives it the basic flavours and the minerals the cows need
0:03:47 > 0:03:51to produce the milk that we need.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55If we go, the taste of real Cheshire cheese is gone.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00I mean, the methods we are using are still the same
0:04:00 > 0:04:02as the turn of the century.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06It will be sad, something, another thing the country loses.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08We've lost enough.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11If I can encourage, if Christine can encourage,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16our children to carry it on, great, it'll be great.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Paul, so this is where it all starts then?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Yes, the milk comes in in the morning at about 7.30am...
0:04:25 > 0:04:30'Edward's son, Paul, is the third generation of Applebys
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'and together with head cheese maker, Gary,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36'they produce 200 kilos of Cheshire every week.'
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I remember, I don't remember, but I've been told that
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I was pushed in here many a day in my pram
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and my grandmother was left to guard me.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51Grandma's way of keeping me quiet was to put a bit of curd in my mouth
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and that taste has been with me. It will remain with me.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59After adding starter culture and rennet
0:04:59 > 0:05:02the milk is stirred in 15 minute intervals,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06the whey drained off and the curd put into calico-lined moulds.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The filled moulds are then taken to the press room
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and left overnight in these traditional screw presses.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16The presses look fantastic.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20These are quite ancient pieces of equipment.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Yes, mainly from about 20-25 miles around the area,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26but long gone now, over 100 years old.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But they've all got different names, Whitchurch, I can see Nantwich.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Ellesmere. They're from the local area.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35All these places are closed, long gone.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40We try and stick to the traditional. Most people use a gang press.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- But we like the feel of these... - Bit of elbow grease!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45..and a bit of elbow grease.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51'Today they've been kind enough to let me help them out with the next stage in the process.'
0:05:51 > 0:05:53It's quite a weight, isn't it?
0:05:53 > 0:05:58- So trim it first and then... - Trim it first, nice and flat.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Gently. Turn it around and get the rest that's sticking up.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- And how many of these are you doing a day?- 50.- 50?- Yeah.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'It's then carefully sealed.'
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I've done a lot of things but I've never ironed cheese.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'And then bound in calico cloth with an edible paste.'
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Stand over it, you have to stand completely over it and pull and roll.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23You make this look very easy.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I bet you'll be able to pick that one out on the shelf in eight weeks time.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It'll be the one with the wrinkles in it! Brilliant!
0:06:30 > 0:06:36'Finally the cheese is moved to the storeroom where it matures over eight to ten weeks.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:42'Mum, Christine, knows exactly how the cheese should look
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'and taste before it goes to market.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:48What we do, we take the cheese iron
0:06:48 > 0:06:52and I'm going to bore a nice deep bore into the cheese.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Right through the centre.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We get to the centre of the cheese and get a good bore.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- We're just pulling that out. - Look at that colour.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02That's a great-looking cheese.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07'And the proof of the pudding is, as always, in the tasting.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:09That's so creamy. Isn't it?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's very gentle.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14But very distinctive.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17It's just lovely...
0:07:18 > 0:07:21..eating and tasting something that's so good,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25that's based on a process I've followed from beginning to end.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It's absolutely wonderful.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30The process hasn't changed in hundreds of years.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33No, you can see now why we want to stick to our guns
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and what real food is.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's been a joy to see one family's dedication to preserving
0:07:41 > 0:07:44an age-old traditional product and I for one hope
0:07:44 > 0:07:49that the taste of real Cheshire is around for years to come.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- Delicious, guys, best of luck for the future.- Thank you.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59We're making our way towards the Welsh border.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04This is lovely countryside round here, Jules,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06but actually it's what you might call bog standard.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Bog standard? Is this one of your jokes, John?
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- Well, there's a lot peat bog around here.- Well, indeed.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Well, this whole Cheshire, Shropshire area is named for it.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24Peat has been used for centuries, hasn't it, as heating material
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and as a way to make people's gardens look lovely.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31That's causing great problems because it's now become
0:08:31 > 0:08:34a very rare kind of soil, hasn't it?
0:08:34 > 0:08:37You think about how long it takes to get created and formed,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39you're talking thousands of years.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47For many generations the peat bogs of Fenns and Whixall Moss
0:08:47 > 0:08:50were worked by people who made a living cutting and selling the peat
0:08:50 > 0:08:52as garden compost and fuel.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Today there are still signs of the prehistoric forest
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that once stood here, and with the heavy industry
0:08:59 > 0:09:03of commercial peat cutting long gone, the Moss is now a nature reserve.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Dr Joan Daniels has been working on the site for the past 20 years
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and she is keen to see the peat bog thrive once more
0:09:13 > 0:09:17as a habitat for rare plant and wildlife species.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20We're sitting here on Whixall Moss,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23part of Britain's third-largest raised bog,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and it's an area where over the last 10,000 years
0:09:26 > 0:09:32bog moss has acidified the water and allowed all the plant remains
0:09:32 > 0:09:34to build up as peat.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38We've got underneath us about four metres of peat here
0:09:38 > 0:09:41which has built up and up above the surrounding water table
0:09:41 > 0:09:45to make a great big dome, a big raised bog.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Joan heads up a group of 30 volunteers who work to clear away
0:09:51 > 0:09:53the dry land plants and bring about a new peat bog.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Absolutely love it here, it's a fantastic site.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's a thousand hectares of almost wilderness.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02It's such a unique place.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I'd like to stay here for a long time to come
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and help see the site develop over time.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's a long-term restoration project, we're in the early days.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13It's a site that's taken 12,000 years to form
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and we've been restoring it for about 20 years
0:10:16 > 0:10:18so it's a drop in the ocean time-wise.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24What we're sitting on is an irreplaceable record of the past.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29The peat contains a story book of our past landscapes,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32right back to our last glaciation.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I hope that people will continue to be able to come to the bog
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and to enjoy it because then they'll realise
0:10:40 > 0:10:43why it's so important to conserve Britain's peat bogs.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53We're border hopping our way South and crossing once again into Wales.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Keep going on up here, John, to Llanfyllin.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05- Llan... Two sets of double Ls? - Two sets of double Ls. Llanfyllin.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09This is the site of one of the 54 workhouses that were in Wales.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Wow.- It's quite an interesting one.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15It's a sprawling building from the pictures I've seen.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18No Oliver still there saying, "Some more gruel please, sir."
0:11:18 > 0:11:21No, I don't think so, but isn't that the classic image?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It is. A Dickensian image of Britain.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28But in a way I suppose they were the beginnings of the Welfare State,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31albeit in a fairly crude, brutal form.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I think it was the first time, yes, that responsibility had been taken
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- for poor people.- Yeah.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Here at Llanfyllin they are using it as a focus for little businesses.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- It's still got a life then? - It's still has got very much a life.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It'll be interesting to see what they're doing with it.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- Would you like another sweet, John?- Yes, please.- More, sir.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- Oh, more. Yes, please, sir! - There you go.- Thank you.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Llanfyllin Workhouse was established under the 1834 Poor Law.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The law forced all parishes to take greater responsibility
0:12:06 > 0:12:09for their local needy and destitute.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Conditions were grim and for many unfortunate people
0:12:13 > 0:12:17the workhouse was a constant threat and the ultimate disgrace.
0:12:19 > 0:12:26In 1841, of 133 inmates, 87 were children and 11 were single mothers.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31The Poor Law system ended in the 1930s and the workhouse
0:12:31 > 0:12:35went through various uses before becoming empty and derelict.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Today a group of locals have formed a trust to save it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44The building that was once feared by so many
0:12:44 > 0:12:48has now become a well-loved gathering place for businesses
0:12:48 > 0:12:50specialising in arts and crafts.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- Slow. Side entrance ahead. - There we go.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00There's a bit of a jamboree on!
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Must be an event of some kind.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08Hello!
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- I'll just pop you down on the field here.- Yeah, OK.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17How about that? A music event. Brilliant.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- I wasn't expecting that.- No. I hope you've brought your dancing shoes.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Let's find out what's happening.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Hello, Ian. Nice to see you. I'm Jules. How are you?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Where's John? Here he comes. There he is.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Here I am.- Good morning, John. - What's going on here?
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- This looks very colourful.- We have a small event to raise some money
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- to see if we can renovate the building.- What kind of event?
0:13:47 > 0:13:52It's music event. We've got some live bands and some DJs.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- It's your own mini-festival.- A mini-festival.- Fun in the workhouse!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- Exactly.- Clearly fund-raising is what it's about for you.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03We've got little money and we need to pay the mortgage.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04What's your role in this?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I'm a trustee for the building and the town mayor.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12- You're the mayor.- I'm the mayor. - You've got your high-vis, but where's your chain?
0:14:12 > 0:14:16I should have worn the chain but it's too valuable to wear to an event like this.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- Have we got time to look round before we start discoing? - The first band's on at about 2pm.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23There are several workshops of great interest.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I'm sure you'll have a wander round and see what's going on.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Yeah, we'll have a look. - See you later.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33There are now 14 workshops here
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and businesses range from dog grooming to furniture making.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40They all pay vital rent that helps cover the cost
0:14:40 > 0:14:43of the trust's monthly mortgage repayments.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- This is... - What do you make of this?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47This is handy. We could do with one of these
0:14:47 > 0:14:51- and tow it behind the truck.- Pop in and have a cup of tea now and again.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Is it Steve?- Yeah, hello.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57'Craftsman Steve Winder has recently moved in to a workshop space
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'big enough for his latest commission.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:04It's a 1930s circus live-in van.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Where is this destined for, now you've nearly finished it?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10It's on its way to the Scottish Borders
0:15:10 > 0:15:13to an equestrian circus troop.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So it's actually going to fulfil its role?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18It's a commissioned work for them.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22How did you find out about the workhouse as a venue for a workshop?
0:15:22 > 0:15:27It was purely by chance. When the idea for this was mooted,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30when the commission was being discussed,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33having a space to make it in was quite important.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Somebody suggested I look at the old boiler room,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and that's exactly what it was, the old boiler room.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43So this new interpretation of a circus wagon brought you here.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- Yes, yes, it did.- All the very best, Steve, good to see you.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- Nice to meet you as well. - Bye.- Thank you.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Why does this courtyard arrangement emanate from that central hub, John?
0:16:01 > 0:16:05They obviously spent a lot of money in those days
0:16:05 > 0:16:07building this social housing.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Yeah, no. It's a solid-looking structure.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13They did spend a lot.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18In 1837 the workhouse cost just over £7,000 to build
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and contained four courtyards keeping men, women, boys and girls separate.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27'Richard Stephenson runs his business from a workshop
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'just off the former men's courtyard.'
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Sounds like a harp, John.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- So it is.- What a noise! - What a beautiful sound.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Is that a Welsh harp?
0:16:38 > 0:16:43It is indeed, made in Wales, not very far from here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- Are you repairing it? - I'm fettling it, tuning it up
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and giving her a once-over, basically. An MOT.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56- I take it you make musical instruments?- I do indeed, yes.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58This was one's been made of yew.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02- That's a lovely colour. - It's a soft wood.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04It's phenomenally hard to work, this stuff.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06You couldn't put a plane into it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I had to be sanding and sanding.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- How do you get the polish then? - This is a lacquer.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17It's actually a yacht lacquer, a yacht varnish which is very good.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It's all natural ingredients, resins and gums within it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- That's gorgeous.- This is my one, basically, and this is one I play.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Oh, no! Oh, no!
0:17:30 > 0:17:31TUNELESS PLAYING
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- How about that then? - Not bad, guys. Not bad, not bad.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Obviously a lot of keen people working here
0:17:40 > 0:17:42but just how much is it still at risk, this place?
0:17:42 > 0:17:46We're nearly breaking even with what we do.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49A few events help pay the bills and stuff
0:17:49 > 0:17:53and the insurances and what-not. We're slowly getting there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58The bank's going to give us the time we need to develop this project.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00As you can see, it's a massive project.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02- Good to see you, bye.- Thanks, guys.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The trust's next step is to develop a workhouse history centre
0:18:07 > 0:18:10where the lives of those who lived and worked within its walls
0:18:10 > 0:18:11will be remembered.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16Linda Sterry's great-great-grandmother was born in the workhouse
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and she's keen to see one of the wings restored as it once was.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22This is an extraordinary document.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26It's a birth certificate you've dug out from the archives
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and tells us your great-great-grandmother was born here.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- She was, yes. - What was her name?- Harriet Perkin.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36How much research have you been able to do on her life here
0:18:36 > 0:18:38and how her family subsequently developed?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I've done a lot of research and found that Harriet
0:18:41 > 0:18:45was connected with the workhouse for quite a long period of time.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48What does it mean to you walking round here
0:18:48 > 0:18:50knowing your ancestors were born here?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53From a personal perspective, coming here,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57it really is a tangible link with my ancestors.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I can look at walls and buildings and windows
0:19:00 > 0:19:02they may have looked out of.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05You feel you're walking in their footsteps.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09You can feel the place, it's wonderful, I love coming here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12What's your view on the future of this place?
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I think it's very important the building is preserved.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22I think the educational value of this place cannot be overstated.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- Well, John, the festival's kicked off.- Sounds like it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38Hear all that. Isn't it funny, from a place that was once so torturous
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and so unhappy, there's all this fun and activity going on.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Absolutely. The whole mood of the place has changed.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48A lot of like-minded people all working together.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- It would be a tragedy if it had to close.- I would say so.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They are clearly well on the way to get it up and running.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Shall we join the party?- Yeah. There's a bar as well.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59- Who's driving?- You are!
0:20:01 > 0:20:04'The workhouse may remind us of a difficult past
0:20:04 > 0:20:09'but the volunteers' efforts are giving the building a very positive and new lease of life.'
0:20:09 > 0:20:12CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:20:18 > 0:20:23Our next stop is in Llanymynech, just 10 miles east of Llanfyllin.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Ah, now John, this little village here, Llanymynech,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- is quite interesting according to the map.- Why's that?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33The border between England and Wales
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- runs right down the centre of the road.- Never?
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- Which side is this one? - This is England...- And that's Wales.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43How about that?
0:20:43 > 0:20:48I suppose in the days then when Wales was dry on a Sunday
0:20:48 > 0:20:52- if there was a pub on this side... - There's probably more on this side!
0:20:52 > 0:20:55There's one there, there's another one there.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00The high street border is not this village's only claim to fame.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The limestone cliffs that dominate the skyline
0:21:03 > 0:21:07tell of a past at the centre of the industrial revolution.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10In the late 19th century, Llanymynech's great Hoffman kiln
0:21:10 > 0:21:12was in full production creating quicklime
0:21:12 > 0:21:17that was used as mortar in the same way as cement is used in building today.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22At 110 metres long, this huge kiln was a series of individual chambers
0:21:22 > 0:21:27arranged around a tunnel that allowed the continuous burning of limestone.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Production ceased in 1914 and today a group of local volunteers
0:21:32 > 0:21:36have worked hard to raise £900,000 to restore the site.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The Hoffman kiln, to my mind, is a little gem.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It's the only one left in this part of the world, in fact in the UK,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47which is complete and has a chimney.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The whole village thought it was worth keeping and restoring.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It probably cost about £2,000 in its day in 1898
0:21:54 > 0:21:55but look at the cost of this now.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59We spent nearly £1 million restoring it, so it gives you some idea.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04It is very important to this area and all the heritage in this area, the quarries, railways and canals.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Volunteers have also built a mini kiln
0:22:06 > 0:22:10so they can demonstrate the technique to local school groups.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I'm going to pour this on the quicklime...
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Here's one going, look. Look at this one!
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Local architect, Tim Ratcliffe, runs limework courses
0:22:24 > 0:22:28for builders and property owners doing restoration work.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The biggest threat to historic buildings at the moment is cement.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Cement mortars are too hard.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40You're using materials that are porous, so the stone, the brick
0:22:40 > 0:22:43that people used to build with historically are relatively soft
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and if you put a hard cement against them,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48which is what people have done for the last 50 years,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51it traps the moisture in the wall, the wall gets damp
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and you have problems with moisture transfer
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and then the brick or stone decays.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59We need to use mortars that are softer
0:22:59 > 0:23:01than the building blocks themselves.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Lime mortars fit that bill.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09Most historic buildings are still standing because they were built with lime.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16We're back in England and travelling east towards Ironbridge,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19just south of Telford in Shropshire.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26We can drive for miles without seeing a house around here,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29but when you do see them, all sorts of different styles.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34You've got all this lovely, natural stone running along the border.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And then brick, of course. Made a big difference, didn't it?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40You can always tell the age of a brick, John,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- the thinner it is, the older it is. - Really?- Yes. There you go.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Presumably, there's a standard size for brick?
0:23:46 > 0:23:50There will be now, like the average house brick with a scoop in it.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54But again, the frog is a relatively new invention.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- The frog?- That's the scoop in the middle of the brick.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- I never knew that.- There you go.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I'm learning a lot on this journey!
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Until the early years of the 19th century
0:24:10 > 0:24:13most materials for building were prepared on site.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17The brick maker would travel between jobs
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and make bricks by hand according to the building's size and shape.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24But when canal and rail networks were set up
0:24:24 > 0:24:26brickworks became permanent structures
0:24:26 > 0:24:30and the days of the travelling brick maker were numbered.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Today, Tony Mugridge is the last one in the country.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36His workshop is housed in the old brickworks
0:24:36 > 0:24:39at the Victorian Town museum in Ironbridge,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44but when there's the need, Tony still travels to make bricks on site.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- Tony.- Oh, hello.- Nice to see you, I'm Jules.- How do you do? Pleased to meet you.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- This is wonderful. Is this an original brickworks?- Yes, it is.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59This building we're in dates from 1851.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- So how about you being a brick maker?- I'm not that old!
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But all this stuff looks that old.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Are these moulds?- Yes, they are. They're small moulds for pavers.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12When I was learning to make bricks 30-odd years ago
0:25:12 > 0:25:16one of the guys who taught me to make bricks
0:25:16 > 0:25:18actually worked in this building in the 1920s.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20But what a site to be attached to.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Why did you come to the Victorian Town?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25The museum's been part of my life, on and off,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27for as long as I've worked.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31It's really nice to come here as a free exhibit for the museum.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35They get this fantastic exhibit and I get to work in this environment.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Show me around, Tony, let's see what you're up to here.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42There are not off-the-shelf components, are they?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- What are we looking at? - What we've got on the floor here,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I've got three jobs here at the moment.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- That's these giant coping bricks. - So these would sit on top of a wall?
0:25:53 > 0:25:56They're for Polesworth Abbey near Tamworth in Staffordshire.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59What kind of date would they be stylistically?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- The originals dated from 1851. - Right, OK.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06What we're doing is replacing 50 that were stolen a few years ago.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09English Heritage have asked me to reproduce them.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Tony's so in demand, he's recently taken on a young trainee
0:26:13 > 0:26:17and today I'm lending a helping hand too.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21- What are we doing?- We're going to have a go at making these bricks,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- These lovely chimney bricks. - These are gorgeous.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- This looks very Tudor to me. - Yes, it is.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32It's very much as you'd see on Hampton Court Palace or anywhere like that. It's a Tudor brick.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36That's the mould in place and we're going to put a bit of clay in.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- This is where you come in.- Yes.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- There we go.- Good luck with your mission. Just push it in.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45And then... Push the sides right in.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49This is where use this fantastic technical piece of equipment.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- Has it got an old name? - It's a piece of wood!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55It's got to be padded in because you're trying to pick up that detail underneath.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- That's quite satisfying isn't it.- You obviously were once a brick maker.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Just go it slowly.- Oh, yes.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Oh, right.- Chuck it over here and Chris will find a home for it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- If you just press it down there. - Just a gentle press?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Push it in hard.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12- And rock it.- Like that? - That's it.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Out it comes.- Straight up?- Yes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- And there's the mark. Yes, go on, do it.- Wey!- Well done.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21This is the moment of truth,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24whether I've got my brick looking as it should do.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Hey! Ha-ha! - It's not bad for a first attempt.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33It's, um... Oh, no, look, there's a great big hole there.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37That's where you hadn't beaten it in properly, but it was your first brick.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39What's going to happen to this now?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I've got to fire the other bricks we've made
0:27:43 > 0:27:46so it'll be in two.. two months' time.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48There you go. My own little contribution
0:27:48 > 0:27:53to keeping the art of stiff mud brick-making alive.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55That's fantastic. Well done, sir.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01It's been a great day on our journey down the Welsh borders.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I've loved getting involved with the festival fund-raising efforts
0:28:05 > 0:28:08at the Llanfyllin Workhouse.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And I enjoyed meeting the last family
0:28:11 > 0:28:14still making Cheshire cheese the old-fashioned way.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Next time, we meet the woman who's taken on the restoration
0:28:20 > 0:28:23of this historic Shropshire mansion single-handedly.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27And I take to the skies to see the work being done to restore
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Britain's hidden historical sites.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd