0:00:02 > 0:00:05Want to know about British history? You better get your hands dirty.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Don't bury your head in a guidebook.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Ask a brickie.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10A chippy.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Or a roofer.
0:00:12 > 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 myself
0:00:18 > 0:00:21to the oldest masonry company in the country,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23mastering their crafts
0:00:23 > 0:00:27and scraping away the secrets of Blighty's poshest piles -
0:00:27 > 0:00:29from castles to cathedrals,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31music halls to mansions,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34palaces to public schools.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37These aren't just buildings,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40they're keys to opening up our past and bringing it back to life.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today, I'm in Stockport, Greater Manchester,
0:01:06 > 0:01:11helping to restore one of its oldest and most stunning manor houses.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Bramall Hall.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19I'll be unravelling some secret medieval cartoons...
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Ride a cock...- BOTH:- ..horse to Banbury Cross.- Yeah, exactly.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24..get to grips with a bit of woodwork...
0:01:24 > 0:01:26I'd turn the chisel the other way round.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28HE CHUCKLES
0:01:28 > 0:01:32..and discover the area was famous for its luxurious hats.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- I thought it was wool for felt. - Stockport's fur, much higher class.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Really? That's a posh hat.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44They say all roads lead to Rome,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48but several Roman roads lead to Stockport.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55When it became a town in the 13th century, Stockport became
0:01:55 > 0:02:00famous for weaving, for hat making and posh suburbs like Bramhall.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It's as full of mystery as history.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Bramall Hall is one of Greater Manchester's grandest
0:02:11 > 0:02:12Tudor buildings,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16with the oldest part dating back to the 14th century.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Over the years, this spectacular house has only ever had
0:02:21 > 0:02:22a few careful owners...
0:02:24 > 0:02:30..with one family, the Davenports, residing here for around 500 years.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37But in 1935, it was sold to the local authority
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and is now in the hands of Stockport Council.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Today, this beautiful stately home is a museum
0:02:44 > 0:02:47with its 70 acres of landscaped parkland, lakes
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and woodland open to the public.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's in the middle of an 18-month renovation project
0:02:56 > 0:02:59with the skilled builders from William Anelay
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and the contract manager Marcus Walker at the helm.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07- How do, Marcus? You all right?- Yeah, good, and yourself?- Aye, champion.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Does it just come in black and white or does it come in other colours?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12No, this has been painted. It's an oak timber-framed building
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- that's been painted. - That's incredible.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Have you got a lot of work going on here?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19On the hall, we've got stained glass windows being taken out now.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I know it's nearly 1,000 years old, so I can imagine over that time,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25you know, you're not going to be the first people to have a go
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- at fixing it, are you? - No, definitely not. No.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30We're replacing some of the glass cos it's distorted over the years.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32What are those lads doing up there?
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Carefully taking the glazing out now to send away,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38back to the workshop to be re-leaded and re-glazed.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- It's a big site, innit?- It is.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42It is a big site, but it's an interesting site.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47This fantastic restoration
0:03:47 > 0:03:49requires eight tonnes of mortar,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52around 4,000 handmade clay bricks
0:03:52 > 0:03:53and three brickies.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59By the end of the project,
0:03:59 > 0:04:00the builders would have redecorated
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and rewired part of the hall
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and installed a lift for access.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Alison Farthing, a local expert from Stockport Council, gives me
0:04:12 > 0:04:16insight as to why this magnificent building is such a delight.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It's rather wonderful, isn't it? Who used to live here, Alison?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Well, the Davenport family had it
0:04:23 > 0:04:25for about 500 years,
0:04:25 > 0:04:30but in 1877, they sold it to a gentleman called Charles Nevill,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and quite a lot of renovations and modernisations of the time
0:04:34 > 0:04:35took place then.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It was actually then sold to the Council.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- It must be the poshest council house I've ever seen.- Indeed.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43What are the Council going to do with the building?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I mean, why are they spending all this money?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It's important to have this as part of our museum collection.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50We, obviously, have people come and visit it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's popular for local people.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The other thing to say is we actually have quite a lot
0:04:54 > 0:04:56of schoolchildren who come and use this
0:04:56 > 0:04:59cos it's part of their history, it's part of their curriculums.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01What sort of works are going on in here?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04You've probably noticed the beautiful windows,
0:05:04 > 0:05:05the leading and the stained glass.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08We've actually got some specialist glazing restorers,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11so they will be removing these panes.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Cos it is gorgeous, isn't it? It is very intricate as well.- It's lovely.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17This is one of my favourite rooms in the hall.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19That's what I love about these buildings,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23they're a wonderful window unto the past, you know?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26They tell the story themselves, and it's great that this building
0:05:26 > 0:05:28is going to be used for the 21st century.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30That's what we want to try and do.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We want to try and bring it back to life.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The main building was closed in 2014 to start work.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And Bramall Hall's spectacular Withdrawing Room
0:05:41 > 0:05:43is the centrepiece of the house.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Wow!- It's impressive, isn't it?
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Yeah, now you're talking. This really is absolutely amazing.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- This is really the heart of the project.- Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55This is where it all began, really.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58This breathtaking room's striking features are being preserved.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03This is probably one of the finest examples of a decorative, ornate
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Venetian plaster ceiling, certainly in the country.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08And what we've been doing is
0:06:08 > 0:06:12we've been taking off the many, many layers of modern paint,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14mending it where they can.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17But it's so unusual to see that amount of light, isn't it?
0:06:17 > 0:06:18And this would have been a room
0:06:18 > 0:06:20where people would have withdrawn to.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It's wonderful.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Well, I can't wait to come back and have a look when it's finished.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Gosh!
0:06:26 > 0:06:27What a time capsule!
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Restoring these exquisite windows in the Withdrawing Room
0:06:32 > 0:06:34is a big project.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Although some of the original leaded glass remains,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42much of it has become tired and broken.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47And it's the job of stained-glass expert Leon Conway to restore them.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51One of the worst windows we found within the building
0:06:51 > 0:06:54is this one. You can see that all the solderings are breaking down.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57It's quite buckling and bowing. And this is one the reasons why
0:06:57 > 0:07:01we're doing this restoration work, to get rid of this kind of thing.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The first stage is all about the preparation.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Leon makes a plan of the original leaded window to replicate
0:07:09 > 0:07:11where the lead was previously
0:07:11 > 0:07:14so later he can build on it like a jigsaw.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Now he can start on the window.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22He discards the lead and keeps as much of the original glass
0:07:22 > 0:07:24as possible.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26We do this by snipping through the lead,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30carefully pull it away from the glass. Snip through.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Pull it out.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36You work through it until you can get each piece out.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37Carefully working through it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39The older the lead, the easier they come apart.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45With the glass out, it's then gently cleaned to remove any old cement.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49If it's damaged, a new piece of coloured glass is cut.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Now he's ready for the next stage - releading.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02A piece of lead is put between each piece of glass and pinned in place.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The whole process of releading hasn't changed
0:08:06 > 0:08:08over hundreds of years.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09It's very similar still now.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13More modern tools, but the basics are still exactly the same.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17When the window has been completely leaded,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19the joints are soldered to bind them together.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's then ready for sealing with a light cement.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Have to go around each, every single piece.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29This will make it watertight.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The cement is left for a few days.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It's then cleaned up and left for a week until the cement is solid.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41With the glass restored, it's put back into place,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43but Leon has got his work cut out.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Another perfect fit.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Just a few hundred more to go and we're all done.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51But, of course, when it comes to the windows,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54restoring the stained glass is only part of the job.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Restoring these old oak frames for the glass to sit in
0:08:58 > 0:09:00is joiner Adam Johnson.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- So, what are you doing?- We're doing repairs to previous repairs.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06What has happened,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09in the past, they've repaired the bottom of the window
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- and it's broken off. - So, as I understand it,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15you'll cut that away and then, with a new piece of oak,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- make a new repair. - Yeah, that's correct, yeah.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20What we'll do is on this now we'll have to chisel it,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24make it into a flat piece of timber, our piece will then go on there
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and we'll mould it to fit. Then glue it and fasten it on.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- So, are you going to let me have a go at chopping out?- Yeah, of course.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- All we have to do...- Yeah.- ..is we are going to chop up in a line.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Up?- Yeah. Like that. - Never down.- Or down.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40It all depends on the grain.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I'd turn the chisel the other way round.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44HE CHUCKLES
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Well, that was a bit embarrassing.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50With my pride dented and my chisel the right way around,
0:09:50 > 0:09:51I can now start.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So, what do you think of a building like this?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's great.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's been built especially well, really.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's not really had many repairs on it in the past
0:10:01 > 0:10:05and what has been done, has been done to a high standard.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07It's just small areas like these that have come away.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10It's so funny.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Taking a chisel to this oak is like trying to chisel away iron.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Yeah, yeah.- It's hard, isn't it? - It's very hard, yeah.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Oak must be strong, it's held this place together for over 700 years.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24It's one of the better timbers to use, definitely.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28There's 500 windows in this place,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31so that's a lot of frames for Adam to work on.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33So, Dave, what were you like at woodworking school?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37What do you think? THEY LAUGH
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I once made... I think my piece de resistance, I made a garden dibber,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44which was very useful living in a brick...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46back-to-back with a back yard.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48No, I've done a bit since...
0:10:49 > 0:10:54..but as I've said, everything I've done, you know, nothing like this.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Nothing with responsibility.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58And in fact, I think I'd better pass the responsibility back
0:10:58 > 0:11:01to the man who knows what he's doing. Well, thank you very much.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- At least I've done a bit.- You have.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I might even keep my shavings for a souvenir.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12This fabulous historic building has many a tale to tell.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16When the Second World War began,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19this stately home was in the hands of the local council,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and resident historian Howard Green throws some light
0:11:22 > 0:11:25onto Bramall Hall's contribution to the war effort.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29On the other side of Manchester,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33a girl's orphanage was evacuated to Bramall Hall.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36They were accommodated locally
0:11:36 > 0:11:37and, as an interim measure,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40they had their lessons here in the hall.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Doubtless, it was all something of an adventure.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48It was certainly a change from their surroundings.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52These children were just a few of the thousands
0:11:52 > 0:11:54that were evacuated throughout the whole of the UK
0:11:54 > 0:11:57to the safety of villages and the countryside.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Industrial cities like Manchester were a major target,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and when German bombers descended on Britain,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08air raid sirens go off to warn of an enemy attack.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Alerted, a city's population would seek cover.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18In Manchester, some would have made their way to Stockport
0:12:18 > 0:12:19to find shelter.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Elaine Topham is Education Officer
0:12:23 > 0:12:26at the Stockport Air Raid Shelter Museum.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The facilities down here really were
0:12:29 > 0:12:32quite unusual for air raid shelters.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35So, as you can see, we've got electric lights
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and we had those during the war years.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41We also had flushing toilets,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and a first aid post and a canteen.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48The safety meant that people came and stayed for the weekend,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and this was nicknamed the Chestergate Hotel.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57The Stockport Chestergate shelter was the largest purpose-built,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59civilian air raid shelter in the UK.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04Made up of a labyrinth of tunnels, it could hold up to 6,500 people.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09People that came down here were rich and poor alike, really.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Some people really liked it down here.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13They loved the camaraderie.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16There's also stories about the tunnels competing
0:13:16 > 0:13:17in their singing.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I mean, singing was a great form of lifting morale
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and spirits during the war.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26And you can imagine, to take your mind off what's going on
0:13:26 > 0:13:29back at your house and let's have a singsong.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31But it wasn't for everyone.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Other people hated it
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and much, much preferred, still, to take the risk under the stairs,
0:13:37 > 0:13:38down in their Anderson shelter,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41maybe the public shelters in the park.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Other cities in the North, such as Liverpool and Bradford,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48took the brunt of Hitler's bombing.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Thankfully, Bramall Hall escaped untouched.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00An old house can hold many secrets often only uncovered when the
0:14:00 > 0:14:02building work begins.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And in the ballroom, it was the secret of medieval cartoons,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08which Professor David Bostwick knows all about.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Hello, David.- Hello.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Major conservation work is being carried out on this
0:14:15 > 0:14:19enchanting room, which is finely decorated with wall paintings
0:14:19 > 0:14:21dating back to the 1500s,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24depicting a range of people and mythical beasts.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28For once, I'm lost for words.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Is this unique in Britain?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Yes, it is. There's nothing else like it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35These elaborate drawings weren't revealed
0:14:35 > 0:14:39during renovation works today but back in the 1880s.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43It's painted in imitation of tapestry
0:14:43 > 0:14:44from the early 16th century.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And yet, it's covered with little figurative scenes
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- like the one behind you there... - Yes.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53..of a man strumming his lute and a lady with a sheet of music.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And they are both dressed in courtly Tudor costume.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Is this purely decorative or does it have a message?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Oh, it always has a message.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So, it's a matter of unravelling that significance.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Over the last ten years,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09David has been studying these incredible medieval drawings.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Do you want to have a look at this figure here?- Yes! The rider.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14The little boy, naked, has got wings
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- with peacock feathers. - So, would that being angel?- No.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20He's a little soul and he is riding a horse
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and it's galloping, but can you see the horse has got
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- the head of a bird, like a cockerel? - Oh, gosh, yes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27It's a cock horse. Ride a...
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- BOTH:- ..cock horse to Banbury Cross.- Yeah, exactly!
0:15:31 > 0:15:33But there is more to these drawings than meets the eye
0:15:33 > 0:15:36with several having a hidden meaning.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Because he's galloping at such a speed,
0:15:38 > 0:15:39making so much air turbulence
0:15:39 > 0:15:43that this bird, up above here, has fallen off its perch.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47To the onlooker, the message was don't be in a hurry.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It is thought that these paintings gave moral guidance and were
0:15:51 > 0:15:55created at a time before people started writing everything down.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00On this wall, you've got scenes of funny music.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- What do you mean funny music?- Well, music you've got to avoid.- Really?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Yeah, yeah. Look at this here beneath this wonderful window.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12And what it shows is a chap, flat on his belly and his arms are
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- out and his legs are out... - He looks not very happy.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17..and he's been flattened by this mummy boar here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Look at the bristles on her back there.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21And then a daddy boar there.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22And they're both squashing him.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26And the idea is he's been listening to the wrong sort of music.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29And so nature has turned it and that's the outcome.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32If you don't follow true order and degree,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35then nature will turn on you.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- Would you call it a moral compass? - Absolutely.- Magical.- Absolutely.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43We've got to keep this one for future generations.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47These paintings could possibly be the only surviving, medieval
0:16:47 > 0:16:50morality drawings and possibly the best preserved,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55but on the opposite wall, the written word seems to take over.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59What are the scrolls up there, David?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Well, whilst you've got this sort of visual morality,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06up here you've got the first evidence of English
0:17:06 > 0:17:11being used in rhyming couplets as written morality.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Right.- And they say things like, that one up there.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17"Slay not thy neighbour by word nor deed,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21"but ever hurry to help him in his need."
0:17:21 > 0:17:24So, before that would they have been in Latin and not necessarily...?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Latin or perhaps in French.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28So, this is really important. It's sort of cutting-edge.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32This is the tail end of the old visual tradition of the Middle Ages
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and this is the start of the written tradition.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- It's a very, very important room. - Exceptionally important.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40There's nothing like it in all England.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43They'll come to us... THEY LAUGH
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Part of the works being carried out at Bramall Hall involve
0:17:46 > 0:17:49conserving these beautiful drawings for years to come.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Contract manager Marcus and his team have their work cut out
0:17:57 > 0:18:00as it's not just the fine restoration of the main house
0:18:00 > 0:18:01that they're working on,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04the outbuildings are being renovated too.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10There's plans for the stables to have a full refurbishment
0:18:10 > 0:18:13with educational rooms, landscaping and a cafe, to boot.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18So, originally, this is an 18th-century shell and it's going to
0:18:18 > 0:18:20be like a modern fit out on the inside?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Yeah, it's an 18th-century stable block for the hall.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24We're bringing it up to the 21st century now.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26New refurbishment right throughout the old stable block.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Right, are you keeping any of the old features,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30any of the old beams or anything?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32As you can see up above, all of the trusses,
0:18:32 > 0:18:33they are the original trusses.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They are all being exposed and they'll be on show
0:18:36 > 0:18:38in the education rooms.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40All right, let's have a look at the rest.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I can see there's a fair amount of work going on here.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So, when you get into it, what were the stables built like?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Was it a bit shoddy cos it was just for horses?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51No, the stable blocks, what we are working in here,
0:18:51 > 0:18:52it's been well-built.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55So, they must've been so wealthy, the Davenports, even, you know,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- they could spend that money on stabling the horses.- Yes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00I think buildings are a great way to look at history.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Sometimes they're far more interesting than books.- Definitely.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Do you know, Marcus, sometimes we are in these buildings
0:19:06 > 0:19:09and your mind wanders and you feel you're going back in time.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12What person in history would you like to go back and be?
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- Probably Henry VIII.- Why?
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Just for the laughter, the banquets, the dancing.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21The six wives?
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- Don't know about that. - DAVE LAUGHS
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Nor me neither, Marcus.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32But the problem with a lot of these old buildings is that walls
0:19:32 > 0:19:36aren't always straight and floors aren't level.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40And there's nothing as tricky as building a curved wall,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42as brickie Chris Sharp is about to show me.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Ow!
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Only kidding.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47'Sorry, I couldn't resist.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52'Chris is repairing the brickwork above the arch.'
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Are these bricks... Are you going to cement them in?
0:19:54 > 0:19:59Just putting them in dry, so we can make sure the arch forms and works.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02For Chris, this is basically a practice run to make sure
0:20:02 > 0:20:05everything fits right before fixing the bricks into place.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Cos the difference between an arch window like this
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- and ordinary window is you've got no lintel, have you?- No.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The structure is made by the bricks keying together,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16that will give you your integral strength.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18The weight on top as well pushes down and holds the arch in place.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21If you get it wrong, the weight on top pushes down,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- your window collapses.- Yeah. - THEY LAUGH
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Once Chris is happy that everything will work,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30he'll start to fix the bricks in with lime cement.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35But when adding the bricks to repair the curve,
0:20:35 > 0:20:36there's a technique to follow.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Tight at the bottom, wide at the top
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and as long as it's not proud of the line, that's it, done.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Obviously, when you say tight at the bottom, wide at the top,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- that's how you get the curvature of your arch.- Yeah.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48- Do you want a go?- Yeah.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Well, I've never rebuilt a curved wall before, but here goes.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55It's not so bad, actually.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Say that again, Chris. THEY LAUGH
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It's not so bad, actually.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Thank you, God, it's happened at last!
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Right, and you just pop it in?
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Tight at the bottom...- Tight at the bottom.- Slack at the top.- Yeah.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Is that all right, Chris? - You're a natural.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I'm made up. Should I do another?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I'm a natural. Who'd have thought it?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Potentially, if this all goes wrong, what would happen?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23If it doesn't key together with the weight on it,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25then there's nothing holding it up.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27And that is not allowed to happen.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31This is getting harder and harder now. I'm at the middle.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Because we've placed the brick on top of a layer of sand,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36it allows you to titivate the brick slightly
0:21:36 > 0:21:38while the mortar is setting.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43We'll line it all up and actually look at it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- Anywhere where it needs slightly moving, we can do.- Right.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Because of the sand that's underneath it,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52it will let you move the brick back and forth till it's perfect.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Is that not perfect?
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- CHUCKLING:- It will be when I've finished.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59DAVE LAUGHS
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Spurn him, spurn him in modesty.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05I thought I was doing all right, like, you know, first attempt.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Yeah, it was very good for your first attempt.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11In the mid-19th century, one family who resided here,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16albeit only for a few short years, helped fashion hat making.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Wakefield Christy was the great-grandson of the founder of
0:22:21 > 0:22:24the famous hat company Christy & Co.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Established nearly 250 years ago,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31it has donned hats for kings and queens,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and for a time, they used Bramall Hall as their base.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Millinery was big news in Stockport
0:22:40 > 0:22:42and learning manager Amanda Phillipson
0:22:42 > 0:22:44from the local Hat Works Museum
0:22:44 > 0:22:47explains what all the fuss was about.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- Would everybody have hats? - Everybody wore hats.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54When you didn't have cars, or you were in an open carriage,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56you didn't want your hair to get windy
0:22:56 > 0:22:59or you didn't want to be cold, so everybody wore a hat.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05From the 18th century, Stockport became a centre of hat making,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07but it really hit its peak in the 19th century
0:23:07 > 0:23:10when the Christys were residing at Bramall Hall.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14But why Stockport?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16There are rivers that converge in Stockport
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and you need water in order to make felt.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22The fields provided the animals for the fur for felt
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and along with the rest of the Industrial Revolution
0:23:24 > 0:23:27that happened in the North, it was really the big place to be.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- I thought it was wool for felt. - Stockport's fur, much higher class.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- Really? That's a posh hat. - A very posh hat.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35What would the hats be made from? What animals?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Well, originally it would have been beavers,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40then it moved on to young boys catching rabbits in fields.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44So the toffs up at Bramall would be wearing Stockport hats?
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Definitely yes.- Right.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50At the start of the hat making process was this Victorian machine.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54This would use water, heat and steam to turn the raw fur
0:23:54 > 0:23:55into a felt hood,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58which would eventually become a hat.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- So, this is the beating heart of the factory.- Absolutely.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05It's what kept everything going.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Do all hats start out as a cone, a felt cone?
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Essentially, yes.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14But to power up all the machines in the factory and to keep them
0:24:14 > 0:24:17operating, a mighty steam engine was needed.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The steam engine, that was the key to it all, wasn't it?
0:24:20 > 0:24:21It was the key to industry
0:24:21 > 0:24:24from when it stopped being a cottage industry,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26it became an international industry,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29which presumably, led to the wealth that enabled the Christys
0:24:29 > 0:24:31to going live at Bramall.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Absolutely, yeah.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Before these powerful machines took over,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37the cottage industry was in full swing,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40using the traditional methods of making felt,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42which I am about to have a go at.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48First of all, if you pull out little pieces the wool from your skein
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- there and lay them all going in the same direction.- Oh, right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The little hooks on the fibres, as they cross each other,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56will start to join themselves together
0:24:56 > 0:24:58when we begin the felting process.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02To make good felt, you need the heat of warm water
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and to apply lots of pressure.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08So, presumably you couldn't make felt with man-made fibres.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- No, you can't. - Cos you haven't got the hooks.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11You haven't got any hooks,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13but you could make it with your hair, if you wanted to.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Oh, I've only got precious little left.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Now, for a good spray of water, which wasn't always used.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Originally, it would've been urine.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27You just need something that reacts against the barbs on the fur
0:25:27 > 0:25:29to make them rough up.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Next, add a bit of pressure by giving it a really good roll.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37The longer you do that for, the better your piece of felt will be.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40If you unroll that now, you should have the makings,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- the start...- I have! - ..of a piece of felt.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Yes. So eventually that felt would go over a former.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48You can see it in my hand.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Yeah, so you would have the block
0:25:50 > 0:25:52for the shape of hat that you wanted and while it was wet,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57you would stretch it over that shape and then leave it to dry.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00But now we get to the hats.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03With over 400 on display,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I can't wait to get my hands on them.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09So, here's a few hats. I'm sure we'll find one that will suit you.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- Oh, I like the look of that one. - You want to try this on?- Yeah.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Ooh. That's me down Ripper Street.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16That gives you a bit of gravitas.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Let's try one of those.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- AS CHURCHILL: We will fight them on the beaches.- That'll suit.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Ha-ha-ha! Just like that.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Maybe not. Everyone likes a bit of sparkle.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29HE WHISTLES
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Never did the Charleston.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- I've got one more for you. - Oh, can't wait.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34It's very impressive,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36but I can't see my face.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41During its heyday,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Bramall Hall would have been the venue for many a grand feast
0:26:44 > 0:26:48and the Davenports would've held banquets that were plentiful
0:26:48 > 0:26:50and fit for a king.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Egremont, Hutel, Silloth, Priddis, serve the ale.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56This fine food needs to be eaten
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and, by goodness, I feel a pavane coming on.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- ALL:- Oh.- I must say, Lady Devonport, you do look wonderful tonight
0:27:01 > 0:27:03with our new pearl necklace.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Oh, I think you, sir, for your kind gift.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Oh, there's plenty more where that came from.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12My lords, ladies and gentlemen,
0:27:12 > 0:27:17would you like to hear number one in the charts in 1599?
0:27:17 > 0:27:18We certainly would.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23HE PLAYS GREENSLEEVES
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Later this year, the restoration of this fine stately home will be
0:27:35 > 0:27:40finished and this cultural delight will be open for all to enjoy.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Well, thank you all for joining us in our humble home.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47We will see you again
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and it's goodbye from the 16th century.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Adieu.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Next time on Harry Builder...
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I'm just a short ferry ride across the Mersey at the seaside
0:28:00 > 0:28:06town of New Brighton visiting the Dome of Home.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07What a cracking view.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I'll be getting stuck in with the restoration work...
0:28:10 > 0:28:12The Zen in the art of pointing.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14..and I'll discover the amazing story
0:28:14 > 0:28:16behind the church's origins.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20He invested the money in the stock market.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23So a priest is playing the stock market during the Depression.