0:00:02 > 0:00:05Want to know about British history? You'd better get your hands dirty.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Don't bury your head in a guidebook.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Ask a brickie.
0:00:09 > 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 to the oldest
0:00:18 > 0:00:21masonry 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 > 0:00:35palaces to public schools.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37These aren't just buildings,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41they're keys to opening up our past and bringing it back to life.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Today, I am in Wakefield, West Yorkshire,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10helping to restore their spectacular Grade I listed cathedral.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19I get the chance to unravel a piece of the cathedral's past
0:01:19 > 0:01:21when a time capsule is discovered.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27This is an incredible feeling.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I'll be discovering the link between this...
0:01:30 > 0:01:33SHEEP BAAS
0:01:33 > 0:01:34..and the cathedral.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39And uncover what really lies beneath the floor.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Whoa!
0:01:41 > 0:01:43It's really quite spooky.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53In medieval times, Wakefield was known as the Merry City.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56But these days, it's still got plenty to be cheerful about.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It boasts one of the world's oldest rugby league teams,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03a navigable river and Yorkshire's tallest spire, sprouting a colossal
0:02:03 > 0:02:0875 metres above today's magnificent building, Wakefield Cathedral.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16There's been a place of worship on this site since medieval times.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Over hundreds of years, the building has grown and grown,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22finally becoming a cathedral in 1888.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Everyone's had a go at renovating this West Yorkshire colossus.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29The Normans, the Tudors, the Victorians and now,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Lord have mercy on it, it's my go!
0:02:35 > 0:02:39The exact date this amazing cathedral stems back to is unknown.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43But it is thought that there was probably a church on this site
0:02:43 > 0:02:46as far back as Anglo-Saxon times.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50What's quite special about Wakefield Cathedral
0:02:50 > 0:02:52is its fascinating carvings,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54wonderful collection of stained glass
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and its impressive size.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Covering an area of around 10,000 square feet,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03it draws visitors from near and far.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Today, it's in the midst of £1.6 million renovation which will
0:03:09 > 0:03:11last just under 12 months.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Before meeting the builders, Jonathan Greener,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18the dean of this stunning cathedral, is going
0:03:18 > 0:03:21to enlighten me on this architectural masterpiece.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- Hello, Jonathan.- Hello, nice to see you.- Nice to meet you.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- Welcome to Wakefield.- Thank you. Have I got the right place?
0:03:27 > 0:03:29You know, I thought I was coming to a building site.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Well, this bit is the bit we did earlier.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Three years ago, we renewed the nave.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35This cost 3.3 million.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Right.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Many of the cathedral's features were in danger of collapse
0:03:40 > 0:03:44and desperately needed dragging into the 21st century.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Here we are in the heart of West Yorkshire, grimy,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53because of coal mining for so long, so the walls were black.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- If you look on the wall up there... - Right.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Just over here, you can see there's a black stone on the wall...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Oh, gosh, yes.- ..which is the bit we left uncleaned
0:04:00 > 0:04:02just as a reference.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- It was all that colour?- It was that colour, so it was very dark.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And of course, originally, it would have been this colour,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- this wonderful honey colour. - Absolutely.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11There's a column over there that was 11th century,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13but most of it's about 1450.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And what we've done is to uncover its sort of medieval glory.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19It's going to take the cathedral, you know,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- into a vibrant living place for the next thousand years.- Absolutely.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25So, is there much more work to be done?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Well, that screen is halfway down the cathedral.- Really?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And then there's another half which is being done at the moment
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- which, I think, part of what you're here to see.- Fantastic.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- That's the building site. - That's the building site.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50This enormous restoration project requires...
0:05:06 > 0:05:08The next stage of the renovation is to
0:05:08 > 0:05:11concentrate on the rear of the cathedral.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15And it's in the hands of the skilled builders from William Anelay
0:05:15 > 0:05:19with foreman John Hutton presiding over every move.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- There is a lot going on here, John. - Yeah, yeah, there's a lot to do.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- A lot to do, mate, yeah. - Is that new?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- No, that's existing masonry that's been cleaned.- Gosh, yes.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30A lot of those pinnacles are loose.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We're having to do some repair works to them.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- So all this was that colour. - How do you clean it?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36It's a machine
0:05:36 > 0:05:38that sucks the dirt and the stain back out.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46But once in a while, builders can come across poor workmanship
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and end up having to unpick someone else's work.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51What's been going on here?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53These walls here, they've been pointed,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56some, possibly, 50 years ago in sand or cement, and it's so hard,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- we can't get the sand or cement out without damaging the stone.- Right.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Which is a real shame.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So basically, these days, though, that wouldn't be allowed, would it?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05No, you wouldn't be allowed to do that now
0:06:05 > 0:06:07in restoration on a listed building.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Part of the renovation includes installing a new floor
0:06:11 > 0:06:14in the main aisle as it was very uneven.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17But in digging up the floor, they unearthed a small problem
0:06:17 > 0:06:20when they unexpectedly came across a few coffins.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25So as you can see, we are quite a bit lower than everywhere else.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Found quite a lot of burials in this area.- Right.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30We found a number of coffins, quite a lot of bones.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32So what do you do when you find a body?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Do you have it interred elsewhere or...?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36That would depend upon what you're doing, really,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38whether it's in the way of what you're doing or...
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The hole in the ground, which is sort of barriered off down there,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44there are definitely two lead coffins in there, possibly more.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46So our structural engineer is looking at that as we speak.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48About the detail of how to get over that,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51because, obviously, you've got a hole in the ground.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Those coffins had nameplates on them as well.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56And the archaeologists have recorded who they are.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And they've got records of who they who are in there as well.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02And while the engineer investigates what to do,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06archaeologist Ashley Jones has the fantastic job of getting
0:07:06 > 0:07:10hands on with this historic building's past by
0:07:10 > 0:07:12investigating what the builders found beneath the floor.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17This must be like opening a box of chocolates for an archaeologist.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18It is, it's amazing.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It's really good getting to work in a building like this.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Have you found anything interesting?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- We've gone down about half a metre...- Yes?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27And obviously, we're in a church so we find lots of bones.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Would these have been poor people who couldn't afford to be
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- buried in the graveyard? - No, not at all.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35We're really close to the high altar where this would have been
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- a very high status position to be buried in.- Right.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39It's a building job.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42You need to have an archaeologist on site to make sure this stuff
0:07:42 > 0:07:43is protected properly.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45But, you know, there's a moral side as well
0:07:45 > 0:07:47because I suppose what you are finding is people's relatives.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Absolutely, yes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51These are the ancestors of people living in Wakefield today,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53so they deserve to be treated with respect, yeah.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55It's quite spooky, really.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The builders also came across a Victorian coffin,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and I want to take a closer look.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Whoa!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09It's really quite spooky.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- Yes, so...- Can you work out who it is from that plate?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I'm afraid we can't. It's very difficult to read.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20- It seems to say Mr J, I don't know what comes after that.- Right.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And it's got the date, 1843, on it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So it's quite late compared to some of the other burials we've had.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28So the wood's rotted away, you've got the lead lining.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Yes, it's a lead coffin with a wooden lid
0:08:31 > 0:08:32- laid on the top of it...- Right.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- ..and there would have been cloth as well.- Gosh.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- So will this be left here, be reinterred?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40They're going to cover it over with slabs and sand
0:08:40 > 0:08:41and then they're going to
0:08:41 > 0:08:44build from above the level of this coffin.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So that's good to know, that this Wakefield person'll stay
0:08:47 > 0:08:48where they were intended to be put.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Yeah, they've paid to be put here and they're going to remain here.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Oh, good on you, Ashley.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- What's next?- Well, we've excavated.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I think we need to fill in the holes.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Yes?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05All these discoveries of coffins have left a few
0:09:05 > 0:09:09holes in the floor, which means only one thing - they need filling in.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13And it's not long before I'm getting my hands dirty.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Oh, this is great, now I feel like a proper builder.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21The holes are filled in with limecrete,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24a form of concrete which lets moisture through
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and allows the floor to breathe so you don't get damp.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32I think you've done this before.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37Many moons ago, but not with limecrete. So what do we do now?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Just flatten it off with a shovel and then we'll tamp it down.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Ah, right, the bonker.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45You know, it's nice to think, in my own small way,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48that I've made some input into this historic building.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Yeah, it'll be there for ever, that will.- Right.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I'd better go and get another wagonload then, hadn't I?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56No rest for the wicked.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Ah, morning, Your Worship.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It looks like cheap labour to me, which I approve of, really.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Oh, I might be rubbish, but I'm not cheap.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Here's one of the things that they found during this dig.- Really?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11We're not quite sure what's in here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It looks as though it might be a time capsule of some sort.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17There's a piece of paper in a little glass vessel.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- We wondered if you fancied opening it for us?- Are you sure?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Ashley, how old do you think this is?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I'm not really sure. It might be Victorian.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Looks like some Victorian vanity box, doesn't it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- I think we'd better open it and find out.- Oh, gosh.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33This time capsule was unearthed
0:10:33 > 0:10:37when the builders were digging the floor up in the south aisle.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- There we are.- Look, here it comes.- Oh, gosh.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43This is an incredible feeling.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49READS: 'The verger at that time was Fred Blackburn, 1931.' Wow, wow.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Look at this! - 'These flag stones were laid
0:10:51 > 0:10:56'on the 12th of August, 1934, by this team.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59'J Young, R Petty, labourer, C Turner, labourer,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01'A Terry, labourer.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05'The firm was G Brooke and Sons, Wakefield.'
0:11:05 > 0:11:07That's marvellous!
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I think we should put that safe somewhere in the cathedral.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Absolutely.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15It's another piece of history. You guys have got a great job.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- I'm really pleased about that.- Yeah.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Well, that's a first for me.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Opening a time capsule that's over 80 years old. I'm chuffed.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But this fantastic time capsule isn't the only thing
0:11:31 > 0:11:32I've got my hands on.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Above the altar in this striking cathedral
0:11:36 > 0:11:40is the beautiful choir, the area where the choir and the clergy sit.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44It's elaborately decorated with pinnacles, which are very fine
0:11:44 > 0:11:49ornamental carvings of stone which embellish the church inside and out.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Dating from 1911, over the years they've broken off,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and it's the job of stonemason Matt to help bring them
0:11:58 > 0:12:01back to their original splendour.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- As you can see, it's in disrepair. - Gosh.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The process what I go through is getting all the little pieces,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- bits and pieces, putting them back together like a jigsaw.- Yeah.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- And then pinning them using threaded bar and resin.- Right.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20If you want, you can pull this one out.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23These small, intricate pieces which make up the pinnacles
0:12:23 > 0:12:25are held together by pins.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And part of Matt's restoration of them
0:12:27 > 0:12:32involves replacing the tiny pins with a stronger, tougher version.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Is this a new pin or an old pin? - It's an old pin.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It's phosphorus bronze.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So it would be the same principle as you're doing, really?
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- Yes, as you can see, it's really small.- It is, isn't it?
0:12:43 > 0:12:44There's nothing to it.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And our modern-day one is going to be twice as long.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So I'll put that in and then glue it in.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53As you can see, because it's just a piece of bronze,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58it hasn't got a grip to hold the mortar,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01whereas the new ones, we have threaded bar, so it clings on.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Holds the glue, yeah.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07And like all good demonstrations, here's one he prepared earlier.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Pop one on, shall we? - Oh, ay, we'll do our best.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- So do we need to glue that in or...?- Yes. It's a poxy resin.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- What happens if I drop it? - You'll not drop it. I'm confident.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22This one goes on this first one here.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25It'll sit like that.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31- With the glue in both sides and a little bit of mortar.- Yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33How much restoration have you had to do on this piece?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35On this piece, I haven't had to do any, it was just loose,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37it was like a wobbly tooth.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Right then, time to attach this piece of art to the choir.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43But I've only got one shot.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I have to place some of the adhesive onto the main
0:13:45 > 0:13:50structure and some to the end of the pinnacle that I am attaching
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and scrape off the excess.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I tell you what, Matt, I've iced a few cakes,
0:13:55 > 0:13:56but never as delicate as this.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58You'd be great, though, wouldn't you?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01You could make wedding cakes and everything if things got hard.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Right, and we're going to put a little bit of lime mortar...
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Which, of course, is the correct mortar to use.- Yeah.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11We place some mortar onto the main structure of the choir,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15but skill is the key as we only have about ten minutes until the
0:14:15 > 0:14:20mortar goes off and we have to make sure that the pinnacle is in line.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25- All right, so if you want to pop that on?- Ahem. Right, which way?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- That's the front.- That's the front. - Yeah.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- That's perfect.- It's perpendicular now. It's so intricate, isn't it?
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's so elaborate.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The more you look, though, I can see there's bits missing.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Hopefully, I'm going to be able to fix 90%, maybe 95% of them.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I tell you what, we're going to have to be less clumsy in the future.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46- Yeah.- Especially with that bit.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48THEY LAUGH
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- That will be on for ever, that bit will do.- Brilliant.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51'Let's hope so!'
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Having a magnificent cathedral really does showcase
0:14:59 > 0:15:03the prosperity this area must have experienced over the years.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07But it was the Tudor period that was the golden era
0:15:07 > 0:15:09for Wakefield as a whole.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16The Tudors ruled England and Wales from 1485 to 1603.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20It was an era of great naval innovation,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23cultural renaissance and brutality.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Tudor landmarks are all over England,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31from Hampton Court to the Chapel of Kings College Cambridge.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Towns like Wakefield were also thriving,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and their money came from the wool trade.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40The wealthy wool merchants
0:15:40 > 0:15:43would have spent their cash on spectacular houses which,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47in the Tudor period, would have lined the streets of Wakefield.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Houses in Tudor times had a highly distinctive look,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55with their white painted walls and black wooden frames,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59a look that you can see in many mock Tudor suburbs to this day.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Sadly, most of Tudor Wakefield has gone now, but here's a little
0:16:05 > 0:16:08reminder of the past, little being the operative word.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13The Cow Shed is Grade II listed
0:16:13 > 0:16:18and one of the last remaining Tudor buildings in Wakefield.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Historian John Whitaker
0:16:20 > 0:16:23fills me in on why this building is so important.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26This must have been the home of a very, very wealthy person.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- Oh, absolutely.- So was there a lot of money in Wakefield, then?
0:16:29 > 0:16:30There was.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Lots of places traded with the monasteries, so merchants were
0:16:32 > 0:16:36coming to places like Wakefield, good links, and the ability
0:16:36 > 0:16:39to make a lot of money buying the raw wool, selling it off.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45This is one of only two ceilings of its type to
0:16:45 > 0:16:46survive in the whole of Yorkshire.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Ceilings were the height of wealth and status, really,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55in the Tudor period. There's lots to look at.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58The crown above it, you can see, as well as the date, 1596,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- when it was put together. - It tells it all, doesn't it?
0:17:01 > 0:17:02- And the mermaids and dragons.- Yes.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05What's interesting is across West Yorkshire,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07the ceilings that have survived, tell us that it
0:17:07 > 0:17:10was one particular set of craftsmen that were making
0:17:10 > 0:17:14a lot of the same sorts of ceilings, the same motifs on them.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I mean, what happened to all the Tudor buildings in Wakefield?
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Well, sadly, they've been a victim
0:17:18 > 0:17:21of the post-war changes to Wakefield,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23the cityscape changed completely.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24Many new buildings were put up.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But many of them were in pretty poor state of repair.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So they weren't really habitable, so they came down.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32And, you know, we've lost something very rich
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and something unique to Wakefield as well.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39The fleur-de-lis has been a historic symbol of Wakefield
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and on its coat of arms for over 600 years.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45So I've got something with the fleur-de-lis on to show you here.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50It's made of lead. This is a wool weight.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- Would been part of the wool trade in Wakefield.- Right.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54It made sure that everyone got a fair price for it,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58so it's like you get today, it's a standardised weight.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Weights and measures,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02I bet there was a few shavings of lead came off the bottom.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03I would imagine so, yeah.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05COCK CROWS
0:18:08 > 0:18:11The thriving wool trade of Wakefield has long gone.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14While woolly jumpers might not be as crucial to the town's wellbeing
0:18:14 > 0:18:18as they once were, local resident Victoria Leach
0:18:18 > 0:18:21is determined not to let it die out completely.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So you are keeping this great Wakefield tradition alive.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- Yes, resurrecting it, yes.- Yes.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And this is your proper Wakefield wool.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- It is. This is off our sheep, yes. - Looks like cotton wool.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- Yeah, it's very soft, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Smell it too.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- Poo.- Smells of sheep.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Smells like those arran sweaters my granny used to knit us.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45- You know?- Yeah.
0:18:47 > 0:18:54Victoria's flock is made up of 20 ewes, 22 lambs and two rams.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59- You're the last wool producer in Wakefield.- Yes, I believe I am, yes.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02So which ones are the best for wool?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Well, I believe in the Mashams.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- They're beautiful. And this... - The pearl one?- Yes.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Is the wool very special?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- What's the quality like? - It is very special.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15As the years have gone by, I'm going to try and improve the texture
0:19:15 > 0:19:16and quality of the wool.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19You see, I always thought sheep were aloof and a bit stupid.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- But yours seem to be quite kind of attentive and friendly.- They are.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- There's some friendly lovelies.- I think they're very intelligent.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30I can't help but notice, though, you haven't got a sheepdog.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- No, we haven't.- How do you kind of corral them, you know?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- It's a bit tricky.- Do you whistle?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- Food is always a good incentive. - Yes.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41We train them over time, really, that when they see a bag
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and we are carrying a bag that they'll follow us.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So the sheep can recognise the bag?
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Not only the bag, that's a dead giveaway,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50they know there's food in that, they recognise that.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But they also recognise people's individual faces as well.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Well, time for me to put it to the test.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Right, for the purpose of this experiment,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I'm cunningly disguised as a Yorkshire sheep farmer. Ee by gum!
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And what I've got, you see, is,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I've got a sack full of sheep feed on my back.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Now, they can't smell it. It's odourless, I believe.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14But I should be able to act as a human sheep dog by the
0:20:14 > 0:20:16simple recognition of this sack on my back.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Will it work? HE WHISTLES
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Look what I've got, sheep! Follow me.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Here! Come here, sheepy.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Ohh!
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Yay!
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Meh! Come on!
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- You don't need a dog, do you? - No, not at all.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- SHEEP:- Nah.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44What do you mean, nah? Come on.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47LAUGHS: Get off, you!
0:20:47 > 0:20:49So what do you think, Victoria?
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Do you think I have a future as a human sheep dog?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- You certainly have, yes. They seemed to follow you, didn't they?- They do.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I'll take that as a compliment from a Yorkshire lass.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01HE LAUGHS
0:21:01 > 0:21:02'But I have to say,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06'being a human sheep dog isn't as easy as it looks.'
0:21:07 > 0:21:10SHEEP BAAS
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Back at the cathedral, work on the restoration is well underway.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And foreman John Hutton is trying to bring some ledger stones to life.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26These are the old ledger stones which were
0:21:26 > 0:21:29laid in the floor in the north and south aisle.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31They're not usable graves any more
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and they've been used as paving.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Other than that, they would probably just
0:21:36 > 0:21:38have been smashed up, I suppose.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Ledger stones are the flat stones placed over a grave inside a church.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Being part of the floor, they have been vulnerable to wear and tear.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The plan is to restore these ledger stones
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and use them as paving for the cathedral's north aisle.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Salvaging old-age stoneware isn't always easy.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02However, being a skilled craftsman,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04he knows all the tricks of his trade.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07We're steam cleaning them.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09The steam clean obviously heats the water,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13boils up to 150 degrees, and it uses the steam to clean it rather than
0:22:13 > 0:22:17a pressure washer which would attack the surface and damage the surface.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21And it's not long before Wakefield's canon, Tony Macpherson,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23pops in to see how John is progressing.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Morning, Tony.- Morning, John, how's it going?- Very good, thanks.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- It's cleaning up quite well, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35It's really amazing to see how it takes it off
0:22:35 > 0:22:37just in one movement.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39290 years old, that one.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Looks like an excerpt from Jane Austen, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:49- 88!- 88, my word, that's a good innings.- It's a good age for 1756.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53The amazing thing is that we sort of assumed that many of these
0:22:53 > 0:22:56were Victorian because we couldn't see the inscriptions.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01But actually, this one is 1724 fifths it seems like.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03They just couldn't make their mind up.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I suppose the Victorians put these down
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- when they did the restoration in 1870.- Apparently so.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And we're putting them down again,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14so we'll have one aisle that reflects the history
0:23:14 > 0:23:16and tradition of the cathedral
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and the other isle which will be the more modern...
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- That's right, yeah.- That's great. Something from every generation.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26And as John HUTTON makes a closer inspection,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28one of the names on the ledger stone
0:23:28 > 0:23:29is a bit close to home.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35And we've got to find out whether it was 1724 or 1725.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37We have, yeah, we'll have to look at the records for...
0:23:37 > 0:23:43- John Hudson?- Hudson? It's not John Hutton, is it?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- It's not John Hutton of Wakefield? - John Hudson of Wakefield.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46Died this life...
0:23:46 > 0:23:49You thought for a minute you were walking on your own grave,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- didn't you?- I did, actually, yeah. Just for a second I thought, "Hey."
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Wouldn't that have been a strange coincidence, that, eh?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59But it's not just been the main cathedral where alterations
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and restorations are taking place.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08The builders are also busy underground.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Beneath the floor of the cathedral is an Edwardian crypt, which
0:24:13 > 0:24:16they've been renovating so it's a welcoming place that can be
0:24:16 > 0:24:18opened to the public.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Right, Dave, this is the crypt.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Crypts aren't normally known for being the jolliest of places.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26So what are you going to do with this?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- We are going to clean up the walls. - Yes.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The floor's being cleaned and there's some replacement flooring.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- Yeah.- And wherever you see the damage to the walls with damp,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35we're going to cut the mortar joints out,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37it's what they call descale the walls.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39I could see the front's falling off the stones, isn't it?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41It is, it's what's called delamination.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42This is a retaining wall,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- the moisture comes to the back of the wall.- Yeah.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47And obviously working its way to the front and it's forcing,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50basically, turning the stone to a crumble to the face.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51It is, isn't it?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53So, basically, what we do is we chip the face back to a solid state.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- Right.- So it doesn't crumble any more.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57So what's first on the agenda?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59First on the agenda, Dave, is we're going to start
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- and cut out some mortar joints... - Right.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04..down here and then we're going to follow by a bit of descaling.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'I think it might get a bit messy,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10'but I'm left in Danny's capable hands.'
0:25:13 > 0:25:15What I'll do is I'll start you off.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17We'll put it on the joint.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22'Danny's cutting out the old mortar joints
0:25:22 > 0:25:24'so that the walls can be repointed
0:25:24 > 0:25:27with a more traditional lime mortar.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- You might want to start on this one here.- Right.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44'I'm just getting into my stride,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48'but now I've hit some slate sticking out of the mortar.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Yeah, you might have just caught a little bit of slate.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53If it's a bit proud, we have to chisel it back a little bit.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56We've got to suppose the slate's going to be waterproof, isn't it?
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Yes, yes.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Right.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- It leaves a lovely finish, a lovely straight edge on it.- Ay.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Which you don't obviously get with a hammer and chisel.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Not with me you don't, no. Quality.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- Hey, you've done a lovely job there. - Thank you very much, thank you.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22That's a metre. There's only another 3,000 to go. See ya!
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- See you later. - 'Think I'll quit while I'm ahead.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:29The cathedral's renovations may not be finished,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32but that shouldn't mean we can't celebrate.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It isn't just a place of quiet reflection and prayer.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It's also a place of revelry and jubilation.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44One of the main aims in the restoration of this cathedral
0:26:44 > 0:26:47was to inject the buzz of 21st-century life,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and you could do a lot worse than this local group.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54# My house in Budapest
0:26:54 > 0:26:57# My, my hidden treasure chest
0:26:57 > 0:26:58# Golden grand piano
0:26:58 > 0:27:00# My beautiful Castillo
0:27:00 > 0:27:01# You
0:27:01 > 0:27:03# Ooh, you
0:27:03 > 0:27:04# Ooh, I'd leave it all
0:27:06 > 0:27:07# Give me one good reason
0:27:07 > 0:27:11# Why I should never make a change
0:27:13 > 0:27:15# Baby, if you hold me
0:27:15 > 0:27:18# Then all of this will go away
0:27:20 > 0:27:22# Ooh, you
0:27:22 > 0:27:24# Ooh, I'd leave it all
0:27:26 > 0:27:28# Ooh, you
0:27:28 > 0:27:30# Ooh, I'd leave it all... #
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Wakefield Cathedral's a holy hodgepodge of different time zones,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39from Saxon to Victorian.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Now it's time for 21st-century men and women to make their voices
0:27:42 > 0:27:45heard, and from where I'm sitting, it's pretty loud.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53'Next time, I'm on Dartmoor in Devon, helping to restore this
0:27:53 > 0:27:58'fascinating 20th-century building, the spectacular Castle Drogo.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Fierce, isn't it?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'This castle roof could take a Wembley Stadium.'
0:28:03 > 0:28:04If you was to flatten everything out,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07it's roughly two football pitches in size.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10'I travel back in rustic time.'
0:28:10 > 0:28:11This is incredible.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'And it doesn't smell too good.'
0:28:13 > 0:28:16It's like the inside of David Bellamy's beard, isn't it?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18THEY LAUGH