0:00:02 > 0:00:05Want to know about British history? You'd better get your hands dirty!
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Don't bury your head in a guidebook, ask a brickie!
0:00:08 > 0:00:10A chippie...
0:00:10 > 0:00:11or a roofer.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16Ever since I were a boy, I've had a passion for our past, so...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I'm going to apprentice meself
0:00:18 > 0:00:21to the oldest masonry company in the country.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Mastering their crafts and scraping away the secrets
0:00:24 > 0:00:27of Blighty's poshest piles.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30From castles to cathedrals,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32music halls to mansions,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34palaces to public schools.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36These aren't just buildings,
0:00:36 > 0:00:41they're keys to opening up our past and bring it back to life.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Today I'm in Pontefract, West Yorkshire,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08helping to safeguard an ancient relic that's been through the wars,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11literally, for the past thousand years.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Pontefract Castle.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'll be doing some long overdue gardening...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20This place hasn't been weeded since the Civil War.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24- Nobody has been down here since the 17th century?- No, nobody.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27..finding out the answers to some difficult questions...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30What was the point of things like being hung, drawn and quartered?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33..and going into battle with the Roundheads and Cavaliers.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35To war!
0:01:35 > 0:01:38You scoundrel! A pox on your King!
0:01:42 > 0:01:47This is one of West Yorkshire's most historic towns - Pontefract.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Meaning "Broken Bridge".
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's known for its racecourse and its liquorice,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55the so-called Pontefract cakes.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And it's home to this broken castle.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04One of the most important in the British Isles.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08In fact, the castle dates back to the time of William the Conqueror.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11After he won the Battle of Hastings in 1066,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13he set about securing what he considers to be
0:02:13 > 0:02:18the rebellious north, by building castles all over the place.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23In its heyday, Pontefract Castle stood five storeys high
0:02:23 > 0:02:25on top of a rocky outcrop,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27so it would have looked even more imposing.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It was also whitewashed to glow in the sun.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Oooh, it's very Lord Of The Rings!
0:02:35 > 0:02:40The castle and its defences were added to throughout the centuries,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and Pontefract ended up with as many as eight large turrets,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45housing hundreds of people.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It was known as the key to the north for almost 600 years
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and was one of the strongest fortresses in the country,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54built to safeguard the King's interests.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57But, sadly, today it's a shadow of its former self.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Today, it's undergoing a huge restoration project,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06which will include a new visitor centre
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and restoring what's left of the old walls.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12The castle has been on the English Heritage At Risk register
0:03:12 > 0:03:15since 1998, so these works are long overdue.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Pontefract was the last royalist stronghold in the English Civil War.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27I mean, it's hosted Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Charles I.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31It also boasts one of history's most feared dungeons.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Deep beneath the castle remains lie a grim network of tunnels.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Being imprisoned here was a living nightmare,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but building the dungeon was also tortuous.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Workers had to hack it out of the bedrock, 35 feet below the ground.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Before meeting the current builders, I've an appointment
0:03:50 > 0:03:52with Ian Downes, from the local council,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54who's going to give me a quick history lesson.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- Hello, Ian, Dave.- Hello!
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Wow, this is incredible.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02In British history, how important is Pontefract Castle?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Well, Edward I called it the "Key to the North".
0:04:05 > 0:04:08But it's been involved in all kinds of major political events
0:04:08 > 0:04:10over the centuries.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It really has been the place in the north of England to keep your valuable prisoners.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Who's been locked up here?- Well, all sorts of people over the years.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Richard II was kept at Pontefract Castle,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and died here in 1399.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Did he die quite an unusual death? - He did.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26He supposedly starved to death,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28because you can't murder a king, it would be regicide.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They starved him to death instead.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- Just outside, above the bakehouse.- No!
0:04:33 > 0:04:35So imagine that smell each morning.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- Technically, they didn't murder him. Yeah.- That's the idea.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Good grief! I mean, Henry VIII had a link here, too, didn't he?
0:04:42 > 0:04:44He does. On his tour of the north,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47he came to Pontefract Castle with one of his wives, Katherine Howard.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51It was whilst they were staying here that she was caught for the first time with Thomas Culpeper.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54And so they both lost their heads.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It is amazing. It's only when you hear tales like this, with the monarchy,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02that you realise Pontefract Castle's importance in British history,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- which is why it's worth conserving. - Absolutely.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's played a pivotal role in history.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10It's one of the last Royalist strongholds to fall in the Civil War.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14The English Civil War began in 1642,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17as a series of armed conflicts between Parliamentarians,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21headed by Oliver Cromwell, and the Royalists, supporting
0:05:21 > 0:05:25King Charles I, otherwise known as the Roundheads and Cavaliers.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Parliament wanted more power and was angry at just being convened
0:05:29 > 0:05:32whenever King Charles I wanted money.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37The bloody battles of the Civil War lasted nine years, until 1651.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41By which time, Charles I had lost his head
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and Oliver Cromwell ruled the land.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The end result was that no English monarch can rule
0:05:47 > 0:05:51without Parliament's consent, which is still the case today.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It's a real piece of the castle's history we've got on the walls here.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Because these names - Robert Pryor and Robert Greathed -
0:05:59 > 0:06:02relate to the prisoners actually kept down here in the Civil War.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Would these have been Parliamentarians?
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Yeah, that's right.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10They were kept down here during the third siege of Pontefract Castle.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Good grief! The history of Pontefract is so rich, isn't it?
0:06:14 > 0:06:15It is, yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And right now it's all around us.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Yes, literally written in the walls. - Yep.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Construction firm William Anelay are working hard
0:06:28 > 0:06:30to bring this incredible ruin back to life.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Site manager Andy Gravil, tells me more.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- How do, Andy.- Hi, Dave. Pleased to meet you.- Pleased to meet you too.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41This is a rather unique building site, isn't it?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Yeah, it's a remarkable, unique building site.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Yeah, is this what they would call a scheduled national monument?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49It is, Dave, that's correct.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52That means it has the same status as Stonehenge.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56So it kind of almost goes beyond your regular building regulations.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It's very intricate building regulations here.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Some of the other buildings that we visit need a new roof or
0:07:01 > 0:07:05a new gargoyle or it needs bits and pieces replacing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07But that's not the way you go about this place, is it?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- You're not actually really building much, are you?- No, no.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12The aim is to consolidate the ruins.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15The areas that aren't safe are fenced off,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19but we're down to make them safe and open some up to the public.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Each area has been identified - the royal apartments,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26the kitchens, the sally port, and we've a certain amount of work to do
0:07:26 > 0:07:29to each one, so it's all split up into sections.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- Shall we go and have a look? - Yeah, let's go for a wander.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37As well as restoring the castle,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40nine highly skilled craftsmen will be building
0:07:40 > 0:07:43a new visitors centre and restoring an old Victorian barn,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47with 300 square metres of handmade wooden tiles.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Works will take 18 months and are budgeted at £3.6 million.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00After centuries of being left to rack and ruin,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04it's high time what's left is saved for future generations,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06starting with the castle walls themselves.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Loose stones are falling out left, right and centre.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Oh, it's a health and safety nightmare!
0:08:11 > 0:08:15So this is a repair that we've got to sort out and make safe.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18What's all that? It looks like tiles put in.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Yeah, this is from the Victorian era,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- and that's how they repaired and did stone repairs.- Really?- Yeah.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It's a bit cheap and nasty - you won't get that with your lads!
0:08:26 > 0:08:28No, no, we've got to do the proper stone repairs.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32But we've still got to keep that intact because it's part of the history of the castle.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36We're going to take these out, re-use what we can.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38What we can't use, we'll get new ones cut...
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- Right- ..and puts new ones back in.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Would you ever go beyond, say, the height of the existing walls?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Would you ever try to kind of improve a little bit what's left?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50No, we have to stop there
0:08:50 > 0:08:52and just repair what's here and not go any higher.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Right, so really, this is proper restoration of what's there,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- not a flight of fancy. - No, it isn't, no.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- So there'll be no roof going on! - No, not on this one!
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Oh, right!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08HE GRUNTS
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Oh, look how easy that came out.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13There must be thousands of stones like that all over the castle.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17And if summat like that came out and fell on a child,
0:09:17 > 0:09:18it would be unthinkable.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Yeah, and it is open to the public all the time,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24so we do have to make sure it's safe for them.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26So, really, if you don't restore it,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28then the castle will have to be shut down.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Yeah. It'll just be a ruin and get lost for ever.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33That's why the restoration is important.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- Yeah, that's why we're here.- Yeah.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Safety at all times.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41But safeguarding the castle's future is much more complex than
0:09:41 > 0:09:45just stopping the walls doing a Jericho and coming tumbling down.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46What's going on here, Andy?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Well, this is a test piece of the works that we've got to do
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- all around the castle.- Right.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54New stonework to go in where needed,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58re-pointing works and then the soft-top consolidation on top.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's almost like a sample piece of all the various techniques.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03That's what we've got to achieve all around.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06And then, when it's all like that, it's going to be safe.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- Yeah, safe, clean, secure. - Another 1,000 years.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Hopefully. I'll not be around.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16- I don't know. There'll be part of you in this, Andy, I'm sure.- Yeah.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Sometimes, before you can get to the building itself,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23you have to clear the undergrowth. Time for some extreme gardening.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28- What's going on here, Andy?- Well, we've got Chris down here.- Chris.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30That's Chris making his way down to the sally port.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35- What is a sally port? - It's the castle's emergency exit.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38That makes sense because if the castle's under siege, everybody's
0:10:38 > 0:10:41going up the hill, you want your secret way so you can escape.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- Yeah, out of the back door.- Gosh.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Have you any idea when the last time it was that this was weeded?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49This place hasn't been weeded since the Civil War.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54- So nobody has been down here since the 17th century?- No, nobody.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Cor, blimey, Chris, keep your eyes open,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58you don't know what you'll find.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03- Is this what you would regard as a rotten job, Chris?- No, I like it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- Do you?- It keeps me fit.- Not half.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10You'll work off your Yorkshire puddings.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Cheers.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13And when the restoration's completed,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15will the public be able to come down here?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Yeah, eventually we're having a walkway coming in from over there.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- Right.- Raised platform and then it's down a spiral staircase
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and out through the sally port.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Fantastic. So really this is just your basic ground clearance.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Yeah, this is just weeding.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Come on, Chris, I'll give you a spell.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35If I end up looking like you, it'll be worth it. Hold on.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37You'll rip your nipples off.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48So, Andy, this wall around here, how old will that be?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Roughly this wall would be about 800 years old, behind you.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55That's extraordinary, isn't it? Really.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- When you think what's gone on since then.- If only walls could talk.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00Aye.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Fortunately there are plenty of re-enactors on hand
0:12:10 > 0:12:12keen to play dress-up and bring this exciting period
0:12:12 > 0:12:14of British history back to life.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Oh, and they do love to get into character.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Ah, what do we have here, gentlemen?
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- PLUMMY ACCENT:- Greetings, sir, welcome to our camp.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And what are you doing here at Pontefract Castle?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29We're here for the siege, of course, have not you heard?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- No.- There's going to be a great siege at the castle indeed.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The brave and powerful and wonderful Royalists are camped
0:12:35 > 0:12:39inside the castle, and the pitiful, traitorous scum, calling themselves
0:12:39 > 0:12:42the Parliamentarians, are coming to attack us.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44So, gentlemen, who are you?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Well, I'm very glad you asked me that, Dave.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- NORMAL VOICE:- A-hem. I'll stop talking in that ridiculous voice.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Hello, yes, Nathaniel, also known as Dave.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I'm part of a group called Histrionics, the fantastic gentlemen
0:12:56 > 0:12:59to this side of me here are part of the English Civil War Society.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02What is it about this particular period, the English Civil War,
0:13:02 > 0:13:03that fascinates you all?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07So many of the battle sites, you're still able to go and see them.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The castles, like Pontefract, although a ruin, are still here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13You can really feel the ambience of the time, you can really get
0:13:13 > 0:13:16involved in pretending to be a pikeman or a musketeer.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18There are so many people doing it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- It's like a family more than it is a hobby.- Yes.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23So, gents, it must gladden your hearts to see the work that's
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- being done here, given your interest in the period.- Very much so.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I'd love to see more re-enactment events
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- and really bring the place back to life.- Yeah.- It's so rich in history,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36not only from this period, but so many other periods as well
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that are associated with rebellion and revolt and this is really
0:13:39 > 0:13:42kind of the icing on the cake. To be able to come back here
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and do something that visitors can see en masse will be a wonder.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48En masse might be a slight exaggeration,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51but these four warriors will be attempting to recreate
0:13:51 > 0:13:54one of the castle's key sieges a bit later on.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Life during the Civil War was certainly tough,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01especially if you got onto the wrong side of the law.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I'm headed a few miles north to York
0:14:03 > 0:14:06to experience justice, 17th-century style.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Back then, most village greens had stocks and whipping posts and
0:14:10 > 0:14:14you could be hung for the simple crime of stealing a loaf of bread.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And once found guilty, you don't just get an ASBO,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24a whole host of punishments await you.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Look away now if you've got a weak stomach.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Say hello to the tongue tearer.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34What we do, place the tongs onto the fire until it's white hot.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- Dave...- Aye.- ..stick out your tongue.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40What we do, we attach the tongs onto the muscle, then it's...
0:14:40 > 0:14:42once, twice, three times, yank!
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Removing the muscle and making a nice mess over my nice, clean floor.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47Ooh, isn't he scary?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- I always save the best till last. - Smashing.- Dave...
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Aye?- ..stand up.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56I can't, I've got my manacles.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03This is the chappy chopper.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- You've got the size right. - Definitely haven't.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10- What we do is put your little fella in here and chop him off!- Oh, dear.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15As for you, little Dave, these would have been more appropriate.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17HE LAUGHS
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Now I'm sick and tired of looking at your disgusting face.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25You're going to get in my cage and I'm going to deal with you later.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Get in there, now! In you go.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29I think you've got an attitude problem
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and I want to speak to me lawyer.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Unfortunately, my lawyer's at lunch but my trusty Civil War expert,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39David Cooper, is on hand to shed some light on my sticky situation.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40- Hello, David.- Mr Myers.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42That's a relief. Thank goodness.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45You know, I mean, torture wasn't a laughing matter.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Did this sort of thing go on in the Civil War?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It did quite a lot and you're getting off very,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- very lightly in receiving some mild treatment here.- Really?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- Absolutely, yes. - What was the purpose of torture?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Well, they might torture you to get the names of your accomplices
0:15:57 > 0:16:01out of you to see if you're part of a gang or indeed just to punish you
0:16:01 > 0:16:04for the very, very high crime of high treason.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Was torture sanctioned by the government?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09It was. Even in medieval times, the case that
0:16:09 > 0:16:13no confession obtained under torture would really be legally allowed
0:16:13 > 0:16:15but that didn't stop people doing it off the books anyway.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18And certainly during Pontefract at the time of
0:16:18 > 0:16:21the English Civil Wars, there were a whole range of horrible things
0:16:21 > 0:16:23done to people that were essentially kept out of the records.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24Good grief.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27A lot of the buildings that we're working on, we're building
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and restoring, they have got quite a dark underbelly, really.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33There is. They may look very, very beautiful and very picturesque
0:16:33 > 0:16:35upon the surface, but once you begin
0:16:35 > 0:16:36to scratch beneath into the dungeons,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38into the bowels of those castles,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40you begin to find an all too darker history.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41I mean, what was the point
0:16:41 > 0:16:44in things like being hung, drawn and quartered?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Because obviously once you were hung, surely you were dead.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Well, actually, no, it's almost like a shaming ritual.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53You would be dragged to your place of execution behind a horse,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56then you will be hung until almost the point of death...
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And then be cut into four parts and taken to the four corners
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- of the earth, really.- Absolutely.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05That particular last one was a very popular form of execution
0:17:05 > 0:17:07given out to those people who had rebelled against
0:17:07 > 0:17:10King Charles I during the English Civil War.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12These surely were dark times, weren't they?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14They were truly hideous.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Call me old-fashioned, but I think I'll just take the easy way out.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Gah!
0:17:25 > 0:17:28You might think that Pontefract Castle ended up a ruin
0:17:28 > 0:17:30due to being the scene of many a major battle,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33but the story is much more interesting than that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Being known as the key to the North just invited trouble,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42and every time someone tried to take the castle by force, the townsfolk
0:17:42 > 0:17:45would also suffer and, to be frank, they were sick to the teeth of it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51And that's the type of thing that they had to face every day.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Not huge cannonballs,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but these cannonballs would do some serious damage.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And there were reports of all sorts of incidents in town.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02One poor lad was delivering beer.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04He had a flagon of beer to deliver,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09walking across the street and one of these took off his leg completely.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11But he didn't fall over.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17He managed to hop to a doorway and deliver the flagon of beer intact.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22So, after three sieges, the townfolk of Pontefract were,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24to put it mildly, brassed off.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26They'd had enough.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29They had the Royalists encamped at the castle
0:18:29 > 0:18:31making raids and taking goods.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35They'd had the Parliamentarians eating and drinking them
0:18:35 > 0:18:38out of house and home and they petitioned parliament
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and said to parliament, "It's the castle.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43"We don't want the castle any more."
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Parliament gave in to their demands and ordered that the castle
0:18:48 > 0:18:51be systematically demolished.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56So Pontefract Castle was never, ever taken by force.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00The strongest fortress in the North of England ended its days
0:19:00 > 0:19:04systematically demolished due to the will of Pontefract.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07It truly was democracy in action.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12The castle's stone was pilfered for DIY jobs for centuries.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The good people from Pontefract would go down to the castle,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20fill up their barrows, their carts, etc, and the stone was used
0:19:20 > 0:19:25to repair damage caused by the sieges, to make do and mend.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28And often this was covered over in later years by rendering.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30It's as the rendering drops off,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32that's where we find the castle stone.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36And to this day it can be seen all over town
0:19:36 > 0:19:40in the most unlikely places, from tea rooms to alleyways...
0:19:41 > 0:19:45..boundary walls to car parks.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Today the people of Pontefract are rightly proud of their glorious
0:19:49 > 0:19:53history and the memory of Pontefract Castle isn't being allowed to die.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Amongst the ruins, a new visitor centre is being built
0:19:56 > 0:19:59to bring the place to life for a 21st-century audience.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Crikey, this is a new one. What's happening here?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08These are the new foundations for the visitor extension,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12so that's the old building and this is going to be the new.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- So we've had to put these steel piles in.- Yes.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Because we can't dig mass excavations
0:20:19 > 0:20:21because it's an ancient monument.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25In fact, this place is an archaeologist's dream.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This 17th-century pickaxe recently found nearby was used to dig
0:20:28 > 0:20:32trenches in one of the Civil War sieges and these siege-era coins
0:20:32 > 0:20:35from the 1640s are likely to be all over the place.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39So you can't just turn up and dig a trench because you've got this
0:20:39 > 0:20:43scheduled ancient monument there. Who knows what lies beneath?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So basically it's on these piles of concrete?
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Yeah, yeah, we drive these down till they hit rock,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51then we fill them with concrete.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- So basically your building's sat on stilts.- Yes.- Yes.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55That's fantastic,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- without doing too much damage to the groundwork underneath.- That's it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- How far will that be down?- Eight to ten metres generally.- That's a...
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- A fair depth. - ..a fair old depth, isn't it?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08You do things to last, you lads, don't you?
0:21:08 > 0:21:09I hope so.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Right, shall we fire it up? - Let's go.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20In total, eight piles will need to be sunk into the ground
0:21:20 > 0:21:23for the foundations of the building to stand on,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and thank goodness we're not still in the 11th century.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29These days, machines can do all the hard work.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Crikey.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's amazing to think, with compressed air,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35you can drive that all the way down into the bedrock, isn't it?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- I know, it's amazing.- Fantastic.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And then, of course, when you've got it down so far,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- welding the section of pipe on... - That's it.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46And so it goes on till you hit the bedrock. Clever stuff.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48You're going to have a go at the welding.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Aye, yes, I haven't done it for years. I was never good.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Each pile is made up of 1.5-metre sections
0:21:55 > 0:21:57which need to be welded together.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04- I feel like Darth Vader. - Don't hold it on too long.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I can't see anything.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10That'll do, mate.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- Marks out of ten, Matt? - I'll give you a five...
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- for effort. - THEY LAUGH
0:22:18 > 0:22:21This isn't as easy as it looks.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Keep your hands steady, if you can.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Right, that's enough.- Yeah? - That's a bit better. That's thicker.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- Yeah, done with it? - That's a lot better, that.- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- You've burned a hole in it.- Eh?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- You've burned a hole in it. Do you see the hole there?- Yes.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- There.- That's not a good thing, is it?- No.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- That lets water in.- Right. Can you patch that?
0:22:40 > 0:22:41I'll patch it, yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Time to let the experts take over. I'll just stick to me cooking.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Just look.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Matt's...
0:22:54 > 0:22:56..mine. I surrender.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01We need to crack on as we've got cement waiting.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And while Matt pours it in to secure the foundations,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I want to find out a bit more about the new building.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09What's the visitor centre going to look like?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Is it going to look old-fashioned or...?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14No, it will be a glazed extension with timber cladding on it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Are you going to pull that old shed down?
0:23:17 > 0:23:20No, Dave. We're not pulling the old shed down, we're restoring it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22What's so special about that, Andy?
0:23:22 > 0:23:26It's an Arts and Crafts building from the Victorian times.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Right, right. Nothing's ever simple, is it?
0:23:29 > 0:23:30No, not in this job.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The original Arts and Crafts barn dates from the 1880s
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and was initially built to store equipment to maintain the castle.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It's had many uses over the years, from a tea room to a boxing arena,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45a blacksmith's workshop and even a temporary morgue during
0:23:45 > 0:23:49World War II after a Halifax bomber crashed near the castle.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52At the moment, the castle only gets 40,000 visitors a year
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and the council hope that this new visitor centre
0:23:55 > 0:23:56will see the numbers rocket.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59So you've got the restored Arts and Crafts barn,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03the glass to indicate the transition, and the modern building,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05which will be on these wonderful foundations.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08I bet these foundations will be here longer than the castle.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- Well, the castle will give it a run for its money.- Aye, aye.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17- I love your funnel. It's a cut-down traffic cone.- It is, yes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- It makes sense.- It does, doesn't it? - Yup.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22So that pipe, that's going down eight to ten metres,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25is now being filled, it's quite a coarse concrete, isn't it?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- It is, yes.- When that sets, it's going to be there forever.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- It is, yeah. - Just a solid rod of concrete.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- You can build anything on that. - You can.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Now we've got the concrete in, we need to put the steel reinforcing
0:24:38 > 0:24:42down the centre of the pile, so if you'd like to grab one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Right, so this way,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46so the concrete will grab around the bar and it will never shatter.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Yeah, it's reinforcement to keep strengthening it up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51This is like making a cake, you know.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54You know, you're doing a wedding cake...
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Job done.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- I can do that. It's easy, that. Better than welding.- Piece of cake.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06The less said about me welding, the better.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I'm far more at home doing me Bob the Builder with the wheelbarrow.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Make it a light load, eh?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Champion.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- Come on, Dave.- Come on. - SQUEAKING
0:25:21 > 0:25:24I don't know if it's that barrow squeaking or me knees!
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Right.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Righto, you lot, on a scale of butchness, at the moment, I'm 11.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Pontefract Castle really has seen it all. Been there and done that.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48So I think it's only fair to recreate its historical high points
0:25:48 > 0:25:51for those of us who weren't there the first time around.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Of course, there would have been hundreds of soldiers
0:25:54 > 0:25:56battling it out back in the 1640s.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Sadly, we've only got four, and me in a very silly King Charles wig.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
0:26:03 > 0:26:09welcome to the siege of Pontefract Castle. It's 1645, it's the big one.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11In the blue corner, we have the Roundheads,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14otherwise known as Obadiah and Bill.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18In the red corner, we have the Royalists, Nathaniel and Martin.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21You're not going to see it again. Lap it up while it's here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I know there's only four of us, but we'll do our best, all right?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Gentlemen...
0:26:27 > 0:26:29To war!
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Oh! Obadiah's let rip.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Martin looks confused and dazed, I think the shot's took his head off.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Obadiah's reloading.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40You scoundrel! A pox on your king.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Billy has squared up to Nathaniel.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Nathaniel is doing all the talking, really, but, you know,
0:26:45 > 0:26:46that was a Cavalier for you.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Oh, no, they've made commitments, swords have clashed, that's it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I know your sort, I know your style and I fear you not.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Obadiah's reloaded. Big boy, big gun. Here we go.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Oh, boom!
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Martin is going to try and take on Obadiah while he's reloading.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06This is an interesting tactic.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09He nearly lost his hat then, but maybe he's going to lose his head.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Obadiah fights back with the butt of the gun, he's not loaded.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Oh, oh, dear. Oh, no.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Obadiah's down. Oh, dear, right through the kidneys.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It was a really, really, really nice defence from Obadiah
0:27:20 > 0:27:22but, Martin, that's one to you.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26The Civil War is reaching its climax.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31A blow across the jaw, he's down, he's down, he's going in.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Oh, straight through his stomach.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The Royalists lost.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Charles I lost his head and Oliver Cromwell ran the show.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Well, that was until 1660 till the Restoration,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47when his son, Charles II, took the throne again.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51There might not be much left of Pontefract Castle,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53but its historical legacy is well worth maintaining
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and that is why this site matters so much.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Next week, I'm in Sunderland in the north-east of England
0:28:05 > 0:28:10helping to restore this iconic superstructure, Roker Lighthouse.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- Welcome to the best view in town. - You can see for miles.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I take time out for a spot of fishing with the locals.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- It's pulling.- Mackerel.- Belter.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25I get my hands on a monster machine down at the docks.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29As big boys' toys go, this has to be the biggest I've ever played with.