0:00:02 > 0:00:09Here in Shropshire is a farm frozen in time, lost in Victorian rural England.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Last year, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn
0:00:14 > 0:00:18brought it back to life, as it would've been in the 1880s.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26Under the watchful eye of their landlord, Thomas Acton, they enjoyed many successes...
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Cute and cuddly!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30..and tasted failures.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35It's the first time sowing the crop myself and then, come the big day, he's lame.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41As their time on the farm ended, it was a year that none of them would ever forget.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Now they're returning to the farm...
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- Come in!- ..to celebrate a Victorian Christmas...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Pangs of expectation.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Pangs of expectation!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55..on a grand scale.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01They'll learn new skills...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Oh, good grief!
0:01:03 > 0:01:09..and be tested to the limit as they return once more to life on the Victorian Farm.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- Don't spoil it!- OK!
0:01:11 > 0:01:17So here's to hard-working Victorian farmers. Cheers.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Before the Christmas festivities begin, the team must get the farm ready for winter.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34That means bringing in new livestock...
0:01:34 > 0:01:38- What are you looking for? - Just to see if he's got his manly bits about him.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42..stockpiling food for themselves...
0:01:42 > 0:01:44If you don't put your back into it,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46you really notice the difference.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49..and the animals.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I think we're going to get a really good crop off of this.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55But farmers are always at the mercy of the weather.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It's been a year since the team left the Victorian farm.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11They have an appointment with the estate's owner Mr Acton,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and his son Rupert is on his way to take them there.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18- Rupert's picking us up, isn't he? - I believe so. What time did he say?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21He said... I think it's three o'clock.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- Glad to be back? - It's weird, isn't it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- It is a bit strange. - It is a bit strange coming back.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Looking forward to seeing Mr Acton again, though.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Catching up with the affairs of the farm, see what's happened over the last year.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Hello! What a welcome!
0:02:42 > 0:02:43Has it been a busy year while we've been gone?
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It certainly has, yes...
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Rupert's got big plans for the team.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I would like you to recreate a Victorian Christmas at Acton Scott.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Right.- What, for the whole estate?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Yes.- Oh, my giddy aunt!
0:02:57 > 0:03:03'When Rupert said that we're to do Christmas for everybody,'
0:03:03 > 0:03:05there's a bit of me that's a bit daunted, I suppose,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09but I'm also quite excited about it because I do like entertaining.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I like putting on a big spread.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16So this Christmas feast you want us to lay on - what sort of scale are we talking about?
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I would think in the order of 30-40 individuals.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23For me personally, Christmas is about coming together.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's going to be about uniting a community.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The Victorians did invent Christmas.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30They made it what it is today.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34They brought us Christmas cards, paper decorations, crackers, and of course Christmas trees.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39I'm sure I've seen some amazing large-scale decorations in the book...
0:03:39 > 0:03:44As far as this Victorian Christmas is concerned, well, I remain to be convinced. I'm a bit of a Scrooge.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I really can't stand the sort of modern commercial Christmas,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and in many ways I blame the Victorians for that.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52There's the hall.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Looking forward to seeing Mr Acton.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Welcome.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Ah, Mr Acton, good to see you again.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Are you well?- Yes, thank you. - Jolly good.- Hello, Peter.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Hello, Mr Acton. Pleasure to see you.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- Hello!- That's a good firm handshake.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Well, it's certainly good to be back, Mr Acton.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21Yes. Well, we're just coming to the busy time of year and I'm very glad to have you.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Jolly good.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Christmas may be a few months away, but preparations must start well in advance.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I'm sure you'll be more than capable of doing it.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37To get through the winter, the Victorian farmer needed a good stock of hay to feed his animals.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45The survival of his farm depended on it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Well, now,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49this is the first task. Right.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55This is a meadow which has grass and clover, and we want to have it made
0:04:55 > 0:04:59into hay for next winter's animals to live on. Right.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04So the hay harvest is going to be our first big job? It is.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Big job is the operative word there.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13Hay is made from a combination of grasses, which are cut and then dried in the field.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15A good crop will depend on the weather.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20And the main thing we want to avoid is rainfall.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Last year, the hay crop was destroyed by rain.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It was the major failure of their twelve months on the farm.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32Um, I think I'm slightly daunted by the prospect again this year.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Naturally. Well, you can't dictate the weather but,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41when it's right, you must get on with it as quickly as you can.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47They only have a few weeks if the hay is to be harvested in its prime.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The team's base for their year was a labourer's cottage
0:05:54 > 0:06:01which they restored from scratch, but since their departure, Rupert has been making changes to it.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- Brings the light in, doesn't it? - Oh, where's my garden gone? - Ah, yes, I'm sorry.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07I've actually seeded your...
0:06:07 > 0:06:13- garden to grass, but there is some compensation over here. - All that work!
0:06:13 > 0:06:18I've actually made you a new garden in this position,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20but it needs a bit of work.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Yes.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27I thought perhaps you could plant some vegetables for the Christmas celebrations.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Oh, right. Yeah.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35But the real surprise is that Rupert's added a whole new room to the cottage.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Gracious! Ooh!
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Lovely brand-new copper.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Yes, well, I know how much you love doing laundry,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51so
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I built you your very own copper.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Coppers were used to heat water for many household tasks.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This one can hold about 15 gallons.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07Oh, it's lovely. Great big brick box in the fireplace.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Oh, it's so clean! Has there not been a fire in it?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13It's never been used yet so you'll be the first one to use it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18Ooh! Everybody thinks they're just for laundry, but they're really useful cooking vessels, especially
0:07:18 > 0:07:22when you've got to do great big puddings and things, you know, big boil-in-the-bags, and
0:07:22 > 0:07:23actually Christmas pudding.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- Seeing as I've got to do for all those people, that'll be perfect, won't it?- Yes.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Go and have a look at Clumper?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Yes. Hello, fella.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33How are you?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Long time no see, eh?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Clumper was the team's shire horse.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Last year, he went lame.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45He's lovely and smart.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Although he made a full recovery, it's crucial he stays fit.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Now, the question is, are we going to be able to get him out and do some work with him?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- See if we can remember how to tack him up.- Yes.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The shire-horse's tack was perfected in the Victorian period.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It evolved from what was used on oxen in earlier centuries.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I think he's lost a bit of weight, unlike us.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11A horse like Clumper can pull around one and a half tons.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16- Now, this was always the difficult thing for Clumper.- Yeah.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Cos he never used to like this bit in his mouth. Stand still, stand there.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- That's it.- There we go.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27That's a tough one, isn't it?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30The trick that myself and Alex were taught -
0:08:30 > 0:08:32put the thumbs right in the corner of the mouth where there are
0:08:32 > 0:08:37no teeth and that makes them bite...move their teeth open.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42He's a powerful horse, even if he was a bit lame last year.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Good to be back, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51The boys want to see how well he's recovered by using him to pull a cart in their old farmyard.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Ah, I can see a little pair of ears in the pigsty.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Yeah. It's good to see them being used, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And here's the Thomas Corbett tip cart.
0:09:00 > 0:09:06Are you all right with the first complicated manoeuvre of the afternoon, Peter?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Back.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10Back.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- Whoa.- This really is the toughest job, really.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Back, Clumper.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Back.- Good lad, good lad.- Back.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- Good lad.- Whoa. Good boy... Ooh!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Steady, steady, steady.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36That's all right. Steady.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42The tip cart's loaded with manure for use in the new vegetable garden.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Steady.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Good boy.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51As they set off, all eyes are on Clumper's hind legs.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59There's no signs of stiffness there, so it looks like he's made a full recovery. Good boy.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05- How's he feeling? All right? - He's looking good. We might be able to use him for our hay harvest.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Wow, look at that.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Our cottage! Doesn't it look smart?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Back.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- Good lad. That's brilliant, that's perfect. Spot on.- Stand.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23That saved us a lot of shovelling.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Yeah. Shame you can't tip it INTO the cart.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29This should keep...
0:10:29 > 0:10:30Ruth happy.
0:10:36 > 0:10:44I thought the first thing I'd do with my lovely new copper is make some soap to do the cleaning.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49Making your own soap at home is something that people have been doing for generations, and
0:10:49 > 0:10:54there are, in the Victorian period, still any number of soap recipes in ordinary household manuals.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58All soap, wherever you buy it from, or wherever you make it, is just a
0:10:58 > 0:11:04fat and an alkali mixed together, in essence.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09The alkali releases the acids in fat, reacts with them, and forms soap.
0:11:09 > 0:11:15It could be any sort of fat, so I'm just using some rather old
0:11:15 > 0:11:18beef fat that I managed to cadge off the butchers.
0:11:18 > 0:11:25So I'm starting off by popping it in the copper and letting it all boil down into a liquid, basically.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27That's going to take quite a while.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32The alkali Ruth's using is caustic soda.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34So I'm going to add my caustic soda
0:11:34 > 0:11:37into the water. You have to be really careful when you do this cos
0:11:37 > 0:11:45an exothermic reaction will occur, which means it'll sort of boil all by itself chemically. It's great.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Something quite violent is beginning to happen in there. Oh, gosh, it is!
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Well, there's a nice selection of bits and pieces over here.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11Now they've seen Clumper in action, the boys must inspect the hay-making equipment.
0:12:11 > 0:12:20They've dug out their trusty farming bible, Henry Stephens' Book of the Farm, for advice on what to use.
0:12:20 > 0:12:27Throughout the 19th century, thousands of workers flocked from the countryside to the cities.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32As part of this upheaval, much farm work became mechanised.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36That one here, in the Book of the Farm, and this kicks it up.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Alex and Peter will be relying on this labour-saving machinery.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And there's one piece of kit they'll need more than any other.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47This is the daddy-o.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53- This is the thing that is really going to save us some labour, isn't it?- Bamfords hay loader.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56What a wonderful piece of kit.
0:12:56 > 0:13:03The hay loader scoops up the hay and lifts it onto a horse-drawn wagon, or dray.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08Traditionally, you'd have a whole army of villagers pitching the hay
0:13:08 > 0:13:12up onto the dray with pitchforks but, in the late 19th century, there was a shortage of labour,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16so these kind of devices really were a bit of a godsend.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- Right, so we'll get this out, shall we?- Yes, let's give it a try. Shall we go together?- Yeah.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26- I'm clear at the moment. Just let me...- Stop, stop, stop.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I mean, that's heavy. That's got to be heavy!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Here it comes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Have I got clearance up there yet?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48The Bamfords hay loader weighs nearly a quarter of a ton.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53OK, I'm going to need you up here to put this down.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08PANTING
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Welcome back to the Victorian Farm. - Yeah!
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It smells soapy.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It certainly no longer smells of fat.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I'm just going to pop a little handful of common salt in.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Don't need a lot.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Give it a good stir. Ooh!
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Yes, look, something's happening immediately.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29There it is.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31There's a solid forming.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34That solid is soap.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This is my hard soap, quite caustic and tough, so it's good for doing
0:14:42 > 0:14:46really filthy, dirty jobs where you need something super-powerful.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51This is going to be super-hard soap.
0:14:51 > 0:14:58I can tell by the very white graininess as I push it into the mould. It'll set rock solid.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02The soap takes around four hours to set.
0:15:02 > 0:15:09So I'm just giving this chamber pot a really good go with a more caustic soap,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10and it's...
0:15:10 > 0:15:12brilliant for this sort of job.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Alex and Peter are struggling to get the hay loader working.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Underneath's a big... Complicated piece of kit, this.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24That chain's tight but it's on.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Is that going to be too tight to give it a try now, do you think?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- Er...who knows? - Shall we give it a go?
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Yeah, let's give it a go.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Let's go.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Yeah. And there we go.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Excellent. So we're the dray, this is attached to the dray being pulled by the horse.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The dray is the cart that we're loading the hay onto.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- Yeah.- And this machine is driving these spikes which will be lifting
0:15:51 > 0:15:55the hay up this elevator, lifting it right to the top - whoa!
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- ..over the top...- Onto the dray.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02..onto the dray and, hopefully, that's going to save us
0:16:02 > 0:16:04an inordinate amount of work in the field.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07It's ready to go.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Right, do you want to put this back in, and I'll go and check the other bits of kit.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23While things are still quiet, I thought I might get on with a couple of preparations.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I'm going to get started on the mincemeat for Christmas.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32It's one of those things that, the further in advance you make it, the better it tastes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:41Ruth is using a recipe from the 1850s containing lemons, apples, raisins, currants and candied peel.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46If you go back to the medieval period, and you look for mince or shred pies, you'll find that
0:16:46 > 0:16:50they're mostly meat and then they're just sweetened and flavoured with a
0:16:50 > 0:16:57little bit of raisin and a little bit of spice, which were fearfully expensive ingredients at the time.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And, of course, over time,
0:16:59 > 0:17:04as these expensive imported ingredients begin to drop in price, people put more and more in,
0:17:04 > 0:17:11and gradually the meat content goes down and the sweet content starts to rise.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18In the 19th century, for many people, that meat element just falls away completely.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24The only thing, however, that sort of harks back and tells you where it came from is the suet,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and modern mincemeat does mostly still contain suet.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And suet, of course, is fat from a cow.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34In particular, this is a piece of what sometimes gets called
0:17:34 > 0:17:39a cod lie, which means the fat which hangs near a cow's cods.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Cods is another word for genitalia.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47And finally, the last ingredient - brandy.
0:17:47 > 0:17:55The mincemeat will be stored in jars to absorb the liquid, becoming sweet and juicy over the coming weeks.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01It should be really delicious and make the most wonderful mince pies for Christmas.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07A week into their return, it's time for a catch-up.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You look like a man who needs a top-up there, Peter.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Thank you very much.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Go on, then, get that down your neck.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21- So what state is all the hay in? - It doesn't look too bad.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26The grass is coming through and, give it a couple of weeks, it'll, I'm sure, be ready to cut.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29But it's largely going to be a case of keeping an eye on the weather.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- Yeah.- What a familiar story!
0:18:31 > 0:18:36Every time we talk about making hay, a sort of dark cloud comes over, as if to say, "Don't even try it!"
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- Yes.- So, Ruth, what do you think of the cottage, then?
0:18:39 > 0:18:45It's so posh, isn't it, in comparison to what it was when we were here last.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's good to be back.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- Good to see you again.- Cheers. - Cheers.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55That's good old Acton cider.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57You can feel it going down.
0:19:06 > 0:19:13With a few weeks to go before the hay is ready to cut, there are plenty of other jobs to do.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17The estate's flock of Shropshire sheep needs a new ram,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and the run-up to winter is the perfect moment to choose one.
0:19:25 > 0:19:31The ram can then be introduced to his ewes in time to produce lambs for spring.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Where better to find a top-class animal
0:19:34 > 0:19:39than at the Royal Agricultural Society of England's annual show?
0:19:39 > 0:19:44The show was started by the Victorians in 1839.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Today, it's held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Dr John Wilson is the society's librarian.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56You know on the farm yourself... The whole thing about
0:19:56 > 0:20:00the society and about the shows was this achievement of excellence -
0:20:00 > 0:20:06the finest livestock, but also the best type of farming.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10It was very competitive.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12It was a great distinction to have a prize,
0:20:12 > 0:20:18not only to the owner of an estate or the owner of a farm, but for the stockman, the workers and so on.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23Don't forget, Britain at that time was the stock farm of the world.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28The Victorians were masters of animal breeding, and their skills
0:20:28 > 0:20:33were amongst the most celebrated and highly prized in agriculture.
0:20:33 > 0:20:42Selecting the right ram could determine the quality of a farmer's flock, and his profits, for years.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Peter's called in an old friend, Richard Spencer, to help.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Richard has five decades' experience of sheep farming.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55I've been tasked to come and purchase a ram for our flock.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- Ah.- So I've called on you for a bit of advice, if I may.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Responsibility big.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Big, yes.- OK. You've come to the right place. There are quite a few different breeds.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08You've got some really good examples of different breeds and, when we've looked,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12- you make your decision.- Fantastic. - You make the decision, you're spending the money.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18Richard's lined up four Victorian breeds for Peter to choose from.
0:21:18 > 0:21:24We've got two Hampshires, two Shropshires, two Wensleydales and two Oxfords.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27The Oxfords are the first in line.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- So what exactly am I feeling for here?- Well, what you are you wanting these sheep for?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32You want these sheep for the meat.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34You put your hand there - the gigot.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38That's your Sunday roast, new potatoes, garden peas.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Imagine carving a slice off that. Mint sauce - beautiful.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44These are totally different.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47These are a long-wool breed. Wensleydales. These will milk their socks off.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50With more milk, do you get a better quality of lamb?
0:21:50 > 0:21:54You may well get a faster-growing lamb because he's among the Shropshires.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58The Shropshires will provide the base and he's just put something different in there.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Would you be looking for anything on the face of the sheep?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04If you're looking to buy a ram, you want something that's masculine.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09You don't want a weak, pathetic, effeminate face. That's all right in the right place, but not in a ram.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13A ram's got to be macho, in control, ready to go,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16to take on a flock of ewes, and you want a ram with an aggressive face.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19All these rams have got it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Next, they move onto the Shropshires, the only breed of ram Peter has any experience with.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27What's the ram there for?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Well, it's there to progress my flock.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Exactly. To breed.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38What does he breed with? His wedding tackle, and there must be two of them, hanging level. Beautiful.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41But you've got to make this decision. I don't envy you.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45So basically I've got to picture the offspring from this and my flock.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50- Absolutely.- That's a very, very difficult choice to make. - That is what breeding is all about.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Back at the farm, with the hay field growing fast, Alex is busy preparing for the harvest.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Hello, Ian.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07He's come to see Acton Scott's resident woodworker, Ian Wall.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13Ian, we've got a hay harvest imminent, and one of the tools we're in desperate need of is a hay rake.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Apparently, you're the man to show me how to make one.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17I can do that.
0:23:17 > 0:23:25The hay rake is an essential tool for gathering the crop in the field. It's made from an ash log.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- The idea is, you're going to split that with an axe and a mallet.- OK.
0:23:29 > 0:23:35- Place the axe in the centre and smack it with this.- OK.- Stand there.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39And how many blows do you think this is going to take?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I think you'll probably do it in about ten.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44One, two, three...
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- It's a bit like a fairground game, isn't it?- It is.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Six, seven...
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Come on, go for it! Right, one more.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- Oh!- It's in.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Right, OK.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- You've failed there, Alex. - I've failed?
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Well, it's not split.- It's still splitting, though, I can hear it.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Oops.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I've got the axe stuck.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- Keep going, keep going. Move...- There we are.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I'll hold the axe. I'd hate to see that blunted on your leg.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22- There we are.- You're now looking at something that no-one in the world has seen before.- What?
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- The inside of this tree.- Right.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30- Fantastic.- This is the original sapling that was grown,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31the very heart wood.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Right.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40The wood is shaved into a rectangular shape in order to make the head of the rake.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46- This is the vice where we're going to drill the holes.- We've got the rake head here.- Tip it forward.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Forward a bit more, a bit more, a bit more... Stop!
0:24:49 > 0:24:52So the trick is here, keeping them all in good alignment
0:24:52 > 0:24:57because you don't want your rake ending up buck-toothed.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Next come the teeth.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05We're going to knock this bit of wood onto this metal bar which is hollow
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and, as we knock it, it'll come through and out the other side.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12OK? So there you go. Your first tine.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Right, OK.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Woodworkers like Ian were common in much of the Victorian countryside,
0:25:17 > 0:25:24but despite being highly skilled, they were called bodgers, and the work they did was known as bodging.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Ian has a theory about this.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31A bodger - he worked with green wood.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34He would make the legs and spindles for chairs and,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37because it was green, they then needed to dry out.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42And one theory is, when you made the holes in the seat, the round hole,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45you go to put the leg in, and the leg had dried out.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51As it dries, it shrinks and it doesn't quite fit, so you could say that was a bodged job.
0:25:51 > 0:25:58But it wasn't the bodger's fault, it's Mother Nature's fault.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Finally, the teeth have to be banged into the rake head.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05That's it, you're through.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Here we go. The moment of truth awaits.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13OK. So here we are.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Look down the line.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Ooh... What are you thinking?
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I can see one out from here!
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Well, one or two are drunk.- That's not as bad as I thought, actually.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Could be better.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Well, that's smashing, Ian, it really is.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31That's a work of art, the finished product.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33You should be proud of that.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Right, Pete, you've seen them, you've looked at all the attributes.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's now up to you to make the decision. Go for it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It's a tough decision. Very tough decision.
0:26:43 > 0:26:49I am quite drawn to the first Oxford we looked at, purely because of the shape of the rump.
0:26:49 > 0:26:56- I can understand that.- However, I think Mr Acton did say it can be any ram as long as it's a Shropshire.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- As long as it's a Shropshire? - Yeah, I think he wants to keep the breed pure.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03OK, so you've now got to go for one of two.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06This one is slightly broader in the back, I'd say.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Yeah, I wouldn't disagree.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Probably, for that reason, I'd be inclined to go for this one.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23It's not only livestock the team must bring in before the cold weather.
0:27:23 > 0:27:31Bread was a staple of the farmer's diet, so flour was crucial for winter stores.
0:27:31 > 0:27:37Ruth and Alex are going to make wheat into flour the traditional Victorian way.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42- Ah, now, that's a sight. - Look at that.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- I bet you're glad to see it, carrying that lot.- Yes, I am.
0:27:46 > 0:27:52In the mid-19th century, England had around 10,000 working windmills.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Only 50 or so are operating today.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Wilton windmill in Wiltshire was built in 1821.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07The first job is to get its sails turning.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Each one is 32 feet high.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16Volunteer Steve Chidgey has been trained to climb them.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It must be pretty nerve-racking up there, is it, Steve?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Yes, it is when you get to the top.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- How did you feel the first time you did this?- Er, terrified.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I couldn't stop my feet from shaking!
0:28:28 > 0:28:34Mills were usually worked by just one miller, helped by his wife or an apprentice.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Just pull it snug
0:28:36 > 0:28:38and she's ready to go.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Mike Clark has been a miller for 15 years.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Up she goes.
0:28:45 > 0:28:52They're going up to the...fourth floor, so we wait for three lots of bangs...
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Right.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- One... Creak, creak... - It's not a rush job.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02- BOTH:- Second one.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09When we hear the third one, I just let go...
0:29:10 > 0:29:15- and the sack will come down and sit on the closed trap doors. - Oh, that's cunning, isn't it?
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Four flights up,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21the wheat grain is funnelled down again for the grinding to begin.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Brake off, please!
0:29:25 > 0:29:26OFF!
0:29:29 > 0:29:31RASPING SQUEAK
0:29:31 > 0:29:34So that was...? What was that, then?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Oh, that's taking the brake off.
0:29:36 > 0:29:37SHE CHUCKLES
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Excellent. Do we go inside now?
0:29:43 > 0:29:46I would think so, yeah. We can start the milling.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Come on, rammy.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53The new Shropshire ram has arrived on the farm.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56What do you think of Acton Scott, then?
0:29:56 > 0:30:00We've got the fields down here, this is the hall.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02It's going to be your new home. RAM BLEATS
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Mmm, I know.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Don't let me down. Hi, Merle, how are you?
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Hi, Peter.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- I've got a ram here. - I'll open the gate.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Merle Wilson is in charge of the home farm's livestock.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18It's up to her to decide whether Peter's made the right choice.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20What are you looking for?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Just to see if he's got his manly bits about him.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- Oh, fair enough.- There's no good having a ram that can't do the job.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29- True.- This one's got both of them.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31That's fine.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35I'm just going to look at his mouth to see that he's got his teeth.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39We're just looking to see that they lie nicely against the top...
0:30:39 > 0:30:41- Top gum there.- ..gum.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Sheep only have front teeth in the bottom of their mouths.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51This may make it easier for them to grab the grass with their tongues.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55All species of ruminant, including cattle, antelope and giraffe
0:30:55 > 0:30:57lack these top front teeth.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Yeah, it's these two big teeth here.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Never look a gift horse in the mouth, but if you're paying
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- through the nose for your sheep, check its teeth.- That's right.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08What do you think of him, anyway?
0:31:08 > 0:31:12He's quiet and that's very important because some rams can be very nasty.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Mr Acton will be very pleased.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Well, he's all yours.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Tuppy.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Good boy.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27So what's happening here?
0:31:27 > 0:31:30These are the millstones.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34The bin up there that we tip the wheat in, comes down this chute
0:31:34 > 0:31:39and feeds this hopper. This hopper is open at the bottom
0:31:39 > 0:31:42to this shoe. This shoe shakes the wheat
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and this little metal four-prong thing,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48you see - it's called a damsel,
0:31:48 > 0:31:53and that damsel meters the wheat into the eye of the stone.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Why is it called a damsel, then?
0:31:56 > 0:31:58That's a good question! THEY CHUCKLE
0:31:58 > 0:32:01It's because it chatters away all day.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Chatters away all day, like a damsel.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05But we're not allowed to say that.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Each of the millstones weighs three quarters of a ton.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16They can move at 120 revs a minute, two turns a second,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19but it's all dependent on the strength of the wind.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Look how quickly that's dropped away again.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25That little gust of wind and just straight back down.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28We might grind to a halt!
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- Right. So that's the origin of the expression?- That is.
0:32:32 > 0:32:38So when something grinds to a halt, it's simply because there's not enough wind and everything stops.
0:32:38 > 0:32:39That's right.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- Can we go and see where the flour comes out?- Next floor down.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- Well, it seems like it's totally ground to a halt now, doesn't it? - I'm afraid it has.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- It's such a funny day.- It is. - Let's have a look at this flour
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- Let's feel a bit. - What do you think, Ruth?
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- We've got a quite coarse grind, haven't we?- Right.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Can you alter the size of the grind so you get finer or coarser...?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Oh, indeed. The grindstones are just up here
0:33:08 > 0:33:12and this screw here controls the gap between the stones.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Right.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18And when she's turning, you catch what's coming down the spout,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21put it between your finger and thumb, and by "rule of thumb"...
0:33:21 > 0:33:23- Rule of thumb.- Oh...!
0:33:23 > 0:33:28..if it's a little coarse, just a twitch on this makes all the difference.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32It's a really sort of organic thing, this, isn't it?
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Everything by touch and by smell and by feel.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38It's all the senses used to run the mill.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Being at the mercy of the elements,
0:33:51 > 0:33:57the Victorian farmer needed skilled judgment to know when best to sow and harvest his crops.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02With the hay meadow in its prime, Peter's decided to seek some advice.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- The swallows are fairly low.- Yes.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Mr Acton has lived on the estate all his life
0:34:09 > 0:34:11and knows its climate intimately.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14The Victorian farmer wouldn't have had access to a weather forecast,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18so how are we going to tell what the weather's going to be like when we come to make hay?
0:34:18 > 0:34:24- Well, he has to do the best he can with predicting from the signs that he sees.- Right.
0:34:24 > 0:34:32Such as these swallows which are feeding on insects, and they're flying very low.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- That means that the air is moist. - Right.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39If it was drier, the insects would go up and so would the swallows.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44Then we can look at the clouds and we can deduce a certain amount from that.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47One over there which is becoming a cumulonimbus.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51- That's not good.- No, that can drop heavy amounts of rain.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57For over 50 years, the Acton family has kept a record of rainfall on the estate.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01It's a crucial tool for the farmer to work out
0:35:01 > 0:35:04how much moisture has fallen on his crop.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Now, yesterday, there was quite a storm, so we decide
0:35:07 > 0:35:10how much it was in terms of inches
0:35:10 > 0:35:13by putting it into that measuring glass.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19And we read it.
0:35:20 > 0:35:220.29.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27Now, an inch of rain is 100 tons to every acre.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31So working down from that, how would you calculate it?
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Around about the 25 tons per acre mark...
0:35:35 > 0:35:37- Yes.- ..if it's 0.29 inches.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- That's a lot of rain.- Yes.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44You don't want that falling on your hay if you can possibly avoid it.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52While the hay meadow dries, preparations for Christmas continue.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57Christmas was given a complete make-over by the Victorians.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02To find out more, Peter's come to meet toymaker Jeff Nunnery.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- Hi, Jeff, how are you?- Hi, Peter. Good to see you. - Pleasure to meet you.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12I love these wooden toys. Really takes me back to my childhood. I grew up in Germany
0:36:12 > 0:36:16and, even today, it's awash with wooden toys.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21The Victorian age saw the birth of the toy industry
0:36:21 > 0:36:25and, since then, toys and Christmas have become inextricably linked.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32So who would be the customers in the Victorian period for these kind of toys?
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Well, I think there'd probably be two groups.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Obviously, the people with the most money
0:36:38 > 0:36:43would get these toys which are panelled doors for dolls' houses.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46These obviously take a lot of work, a lot of time.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48These are the windows for the doll's house.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51So they were very expensive.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52Anyone with...
0:36:52 > 0:36:56less income had the hoop and ball sort of toy
0:36:56 > 0:36:58which was fairly simply made -
0:36:58 > 0:37:01less work, less time, less expensive.
0:37:01 > 0:37:07Even the cheapest toys, though, were out of reach of the working classes.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12It was in the Victorian period that the idea of giving gifts really took off,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16as did many Christmas traditions, and one of these is Father Christmas.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Even in the Victorian period, his identity hadn't yet been sealed.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24You could still see him in a number of guises, a number of different robes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26But the image we all know and love today
0:37:26 > 0:37:32didn't come about until the 1930s, when Coca Cola had a gentleman dressed in a large red suit,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36white beard, very, very jolly, advertising their product.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41I'm hoping to pick up something that the kids at Acton Scott are going to enjoy.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- Uh-huh.- So I'll be taking a couple away if I may?
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Yes, no problem.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54For the Victorian farmer, work didn't stop for Christmas,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58and it was crucial to have a good store of animal feed for the winter.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03The weather's set fair for the next few days
0:38:03 > 0:38:06so it's time to make hay while the sun shines.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15Expert local horseman, Brian Davis, has come to help out.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Brian has brought along his highly trained pair of shires.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- Take it away.- Whoa.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30And we're off. Here we go.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38The boys' job is to gather the cut grass into rows.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42This is perfect, this is good. It's actually quite thick.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45I think we're going to get a really good crop off of this.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49- And you won't believe it, but the sun's come out as well.- Yeah!
0:38:54 > 0:38:59- How's your hay rake doing?- Well, it's doing very well actually, and I'll tell you why it is.- Yeah?
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Because Mr Acton gave me a really hot tip on how to use it.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Normally, you're out in the garden, you're raking leaves like this.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10- Yeah.- OK? But that's bad for the tines, you'll snap the tines.- Right.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13You're supposed to use it like this, OK?
0:39:13 > 0:39:17I'm really getting under it, just pulling it up and out...
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Yes, very nice. - Yeah, thank you, Peter.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Less chitchat, more work!
0:39:29 > 0:39:32This is only the first stage of hay-making.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36Once cut, the grass needs to dry out in the field.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48But as the day goes on, the colour of the sky doesn't bode well.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53What do you think of that, Peter?
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Don't think it looks good.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57See that? That's cumulonimbus right at the back.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01If it rains, we'll just deal with it.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03It's all we can do. We've cut it now.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05It's a lot further than we got last year.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- Oh, gosh.- It's heavy.- I know.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24In the dairy, Ruth and her daughter Eve are preparing for the hay harvest celebrations.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28We're making butter so, first of all, the cream goes in.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30This is a great thing, this Victorian churn.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34It's just a barrel, really, on a hinge so that it spins round.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40OK, you're the youthful muscle of this operation
0:40:40 > 0:40:42so go for it.
0:40:42 > 0:40:43Be strong.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51What's happening inside the churn is that all the cream's being agitated and bashed around
0:40:51 > 0:40:56and it's making the little globules of fat bump into each other. When they bump into each other,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59they stick together. They're joining up, getting bigger and bigger.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01It's like planet formation or something.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And eventually we will find that we've all the fats in one lump
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and we'll have a complete separation -
0:41:06 > 0:41:08a solid fat and a liquidy buttermilk.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12So what we're listening out for
0:41:12 > 0:41:15is the moment that the butter comes -
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and that's the technical term.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22You'll hear this sort of wet splash
0:41:22 > 0:41:26because it's now separated into solid and liquid.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28And change.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Oh, that feels different.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32And sounds, I think...
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- Can you hear?- Yes.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36SPLOSHING
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- It's sploshing!- Yay!- Yay!
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Butter come!
0:41:42 > 0:41:45OK?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48So that's our butter and our buttermilk.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51The next stage is to remove the buttermilk.
0:41:51 > 0:41:57It's squeezed out using a 19th-century invention called a butter worker.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Oh, you can hear that buttermilk coming out.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Yeah, definitely.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03This ensures the butter isn't touched
0:42:03 > 0:42:06by the dairy maid's hands, which could melt it.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12In fact, the most prized quality a dairy maid could have was cold hands,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15but that wasn't all they were known for.
0:42:15 > 0:42:21Dairy maids were considered to be, um, well, a bit sexually alluring, actually.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Dairy maids have to be very clean. You have to keep the spaces around you scrupulously clean,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28you have to keep your clothes scrupulously clean,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32and gentlemen used to have fantasies about them. You see that in all the literature, as well.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36If you read things like Tess of the d'Urbervilles, you know?
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Tess works as a dairy maid.
0:42:38 > 0:42:45She's clean, pure, sweet, beautiful and, of course, has her reputation destroyed.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47So you watch your step, young lady!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- Cheers, Mum(!) - You see anybody posh...
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- Run a mile.- ..run a mile, cover yourself with dirt. Don't let them know you do dairying.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55SHE CHORTLES
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Why do mothers have to be so embarrassing?!
0:43:03 > 0:43:07That'll be great for the hay harvest. I hope the boys like them.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Steady does it.
0:43:10 > 0:43:16The rain is holding off, so Alex and Peter are getting on with the next stage of hay-making -
0:43:16 > 0:43:19drying the cut grass to turn it into hay.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22This process is called tedding.
0:43:22 > 0:43:28The boys are keen to try it because it's featured in Henry Stephens' Book of the Farm.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Good boy. Looking good, isn't it?
0:43:30 > 0:43:33- Let's see what this beauty can do. - Yeah.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41Now, the thing is it's quite controversial this, because a lot of the people round here
0:43:41 > 0:43:45have said the old way of making hay is to cut the grass and let the sun do the work for the first
0:43:45 > 0:43:50two or three days, so it dries to top of the grass and it makes it that much lighter to work with.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54But, of course, Stephens here is recommending a new
0:43:54 > 0:43:56and innovative way of making hay.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59And the idea is that, with its spikes there, its tines,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03it goes round the field, just picking the freshly mown grass
0:44:03 > 0:44:05up into the air and starts drying it out.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10We just need to set these spikes so they're going to touch the ground.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15There we go. That's now pretty dangerous.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19- Are you excited? - I'm slightly nervous, to be honest.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Well, this is it, Alex.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23- We're making hay.- Let's make hay.
0:44:25 > 0:44:30Like Alex and Peter, Clumper's never used this equipment before.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31Steady, Clumper!
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Steady, boy. Steady!
0:44:35 > 0:44:37Good lad.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Steady, steady, steady.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Steady! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa whoa whoa!
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Whoa! Just stand there.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Something is clearly bothering him.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Is that particularly...?
0:44:52 > 0:44:55- It's coming over the top. - Yes, it's coming over the top and hitting him on the...
0:44:55 > 0:44:58On his backside. That might be the problem. It might well be.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- Shall I change the gears round?- Yeah.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Right, that's now going to kick it over the top.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12Ah, that's more like it.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18With the grass no longer falling on him, Clumper's much happier.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Now, that...
0:45:25 > 0:45:28is just great to see.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32If he can keep his cool, and I can keep my cool,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34we will be making hay.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37It's already drying out quite a bit.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45There's still a hell of a lot to do, but
0:45:47 > 0:45:49we really are getting there.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50Steady, boy. That's it.
0:45:57 > 0:46:02After a week, the hay is turning golden in the field.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10Now it needs raking so that it can be lifted easily onto the wagon.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17This is a side-delivery rake which effectively combs all the hay into long rows.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21It's a fantastic piece of kit.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24So dare I say it seems as if we have a hay crop?
0:46:24 > 0:46:27Success at last within our grasp.
0:46:55 > 0:47:00But before they can bring the hay in, the weather takes a turn for the worse.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07For several days, the crop is battered by rain.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Once you've cut the hay, you're committed to making hay,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16and you can control pretty much every element except the weather, and it's raining.
0:47:16 > 0:47:22It's raining hard and, if this keeps up, it'll be a failure
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and it'll be deja vu, basically.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30We've come this far but, with this rain, it could now just all be lost at the last minute.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33It'll just rot in the field.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35This is awful.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36This is truly awful.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44With no hope of working outside, Ruth gets on with an indoor job -
0:47:44 > 0:47:48turning the freshly ground flour into bread.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Traditional brick ovens like this one
0:47:51 > 0:47:57go back for centuries and centuries, and right into the Victorian period were the best for baking bread.
0:47:57 > 0:48:04What I'm trying to do is make a fire inside that will heat the bricks.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08It's not the fire, it's the hot bricks that cook the bread.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15Victorian farms generally had good supplies of fuel, but most non-farmers
0:48:15 > 0:48:18could ill afford the firewood or coal,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21so bought their bread from a baker.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23When we went to the windmill,
0:48:23 > 0:48:28they ground the flour nicely for us cos all the bran is still in there,
0:48:28 > 0:48:33and although it's very good fibre through your system, if you have a lot of it in the bread,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36you get a very heavy bread that's really quite chewy,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41and Victorians were looking for a much lighter loaf where they could possibly get it.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46So I want to take some of the bran out.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49This process is called bolting. It removes some
0:48:49 > 0:48:54but not all of the bran, leaving behind a creamy-coloured flour.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59But in the 19th century, new technology meant that all of the bran
0:48:59 > 0:49:03was taken out at the start of the milling process.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06What you get out the other end is pure ground starch.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10This began to cause problems. With so many people living on bread,
0:49:10 > 0:49:12bread, bread, bread and potatoes, bread,
0:49:12 > 0:49:17if you got a bread that is less nutritious, even though it's bulky,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19you have people having problems with their diet.
0:49:19 > 0:49:25In fact, it became so much of a problem that eventually they had to introduce legislation
0:49:25 > 0:49:30to put nutrients back into flour for bread-making.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Next, yeast, water and salt are added.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39It's starting to come together now into a mass.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Now comes the really fun bit. I get to knead it.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Now, the longer and more vigorously I knead this,
0:49:49 > 0:49:54the more chance we have of a light, fluffy bread.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Like every other job, this is hard work!
0:50:01 > 0:50:03And it's one of those jobs that,
0:50:03 > 0:50:06if you don't put your back into it,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09you really notice the difference with the finished product.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13After four hours, the dough has risen.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15I've got to knock it back...
0:50:15 > 0:50:19and then start shaping my dough.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23So the traditional shape for bread made at home
0:50:23 > 0:50:27in your own bread oven was the cottage loaf,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29so that's what I shall do.
0:50:29 > 0:50:34Now I'm going to rake out the oven. This bit's always a bit frantic.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38The fire's died down it's nice and hot.
0:50:38 > 0:50:44I've got to get all this ash out quickly and the bread in before it starts to cool too much.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Always a dangerous moment
0:50:47 > 0:50:51cos you're raking burning ashes out on top of your feet.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55There we go.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57Breads go in.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Traditionally, ovens like these would hold 12 loaves,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03with perhaps a 13th to make a baker's dozen.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05I'll leave that for 45 minutes to cook.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21At last, the sun is out.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26The hay has survived the downpours.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Alex has lent Ruth his hand-made rake
0:51:30 > 0:51:34and it's time to bring out the loader.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36It looks good.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38Giddy up! Come on!
0:51:44 > 0:51:48We're supposed to work whilst it's doing this.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Here it comes!
0:51:56 > 0:51:58OK.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00Whoa!
0:52:04 > 0:52:09It's... This is going to be extremely hard work.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It's coming through my legs now!
0:52:13 > 0:52:15That's novel.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Wey!
0:52:21 > 0:52:25We're trying to build... It's like a wall of hay along one side and a wall along the other
0:52:25 > 0:52:31and all the time just trampling it down, packing it down, so that we can get as much on here as possible.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34- Are these bits for me to rake up? - Yeah, that's the idea, Ruth.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Well, you've got to have a job, Ruth, or you'd be in the workhouse.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41- Was that your leg?- Very, very close!
0:52:45 > 0:52:49- Sorry!- Oh, no!
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Who had money on the hay rake breaking?
0:52:51 > 0:52:56- Not me. You'll just have to get on your hands and knees now, Ruth. - Oh, God!
0:52:56 > 0:52:59HORSE HANDLER: Giddy up. Come on.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06- It's like canoeing. - Good going, Peter.
0:53:12 > 0:53:13This machine is brilliant!
0:53:13 > 0:53:17Absolutely brilliant, and I've only stabbed Alex once with the pitchfork.
0:53:24 > 0:53:30Despite the fact that they helped save labour, hay-loaders weren't popular in Victorian Britain,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34and Peter and Alex are discovering are discovering a possible explanation.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37So this is in fact one of the reasons why this thing didn't take on!
0:53:37 > 0:53:44Because you can't do this whilst you're standing... whilst it's moving.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Is that the dray there?
0:53:46 > 0:53:48OK.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50It's all right, I'm good, I'm good.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Oh, Peter, no!
0:53:54 > 0:53:55That is hay-making done.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08The final job is to store the crop in the hay loft,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12ready to feed the animals throughout the coming winter.
0:54:13 > 0:54:18Their first major task in the run-up to Christmas is complete.
0:54:18 > 0:54:25It's an absolute joy to find myself almost immersed in hay
0:54:25 > 0:54:28cos I really didn't think I'd see the day.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- Tell you what, Alex.- Yeah? - I need a beer.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39After all the work and worry, a triumphant hay harvest calls for a party.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43# Now turns as the sun was shining bright
0:54:43 > 0:54:46# In the high days of the year Down in yonder... #
0:54:46 > 0:54:51Folk musician John Kirkpatrick has come to celebrate with the team.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53# ..See how the little fishes
0:54:53 > 0:54:57# How they do sport and play
0:54:57 > 0:54:58# Causing many a lad
0:54:58 > 0:55:03# And many a lass to go there a-making hay Causing many a lad... #
0:55:03 > 0:55:09He's chosen one of the few hay-making songs with a wholesome theme.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11Most are much racier in tone.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Corn harvest and hay harvest
0:55:15 > 0:55:19were the biggest times of the year where everyone'd muck together,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23and so you'd spend all day with people of the opposite sex, and so a lot of these songs deal with
0:55:23 > 0:55:28sort of running round the back of the haycocks and having a bit of a frolic in the hay,
0:55:28 > 0:55:33and guaranteed a different harvest of a different kind in a few months!
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Maybe this is why they introduced machines to get rid of the labour force.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39Yes, that's why they had to invent machinery!
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Here we go.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44It's time for the homemade bread and butter.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50That butter's nice...
0:55:50 > 0:55:53and that bread... Yeah, it's got something to it.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57It's absolutely delicious, isn't it?
0:55:57 > 0:56:03But does the hay meet Mr Acton's exacting standards?
0:56:03 > 0:56:07- Hello, Mr Acton.- Hello, Mr Acton. - Ah, well, Alex, Peter,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11- is this a sample?- This is a sample, yes, for your inspection.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16Yes, not bad at all.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Can you tell a lot from the smell of hay, then?
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Oh, yes, you can, yes.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Yes, it needs to smell sweet.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28If it smells musty, that means...
0:56:28 > 0:56:32spores of mould and that's not good for the animals.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Right.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38- Yes, each time I smell it, it smells better.- That's a good sign.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43I think the animals will relish it during the winter.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45OK, folks, we're going to do Sir Roger de Coverly,
0:56:45 > 0:56:48a lovely old English country dance that's been done for hundreds of years
0:56:48 > 0:56:53and, in Scotland, this dance is called the Haymaker's Jig, so it's very appropriate.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55It's mentioned in A Christmas Carol
0:56:55 > 0:56:59as one of the classic dances for Christmas so it'll get you in the mood for Christmas.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02And right and turn.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05And the other way.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07Left!
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Keep swinging.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Keep swinging.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Both hands.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20Back to back.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27We now have a hay loft brimming with freshly mown hay so...
0:57:27 > 0:57:31- All done and dusted. One weight off our minds.- JOHN: Two hands!
0:57:31 > 0:57:34- Yeah, that hay's going to last the cattle over the winter.- Yeah.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38- Congratulations. - Congratulations.- JOHN: Back to back!
0:57:38 > 0:57:40Roll on Christmas, eh?
0:57:40 > 0:57:41Yeah, cheers.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43- Bah, humbug.- JOHN: Down the middle.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49Next time on Victorian Farm,
0:57:49 > 0:57:54Christmas approaches, thoughts turn to presents, treats,
0:57:54 > 0:57:57and staving off the cold.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03There are 10,000 bricks to be made.
0:58:03 > 0:58:04Oh, it's tough,
0:58:04 > 0:58:06It is so tough.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10And a blacksmith's forge to get up and running.
0:58:13 > 0:58:18Inject some Victorian magic into your Christmas as Alex, Peter and Ruth
0:58:18 > 0:58:23show you how to make gifts, food, decorations and more.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Go to:
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:58:49 > 0:58:52E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk