0:00:31 > 0:00:34Britain's landscape is littered with fascinating buildings.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37From follies
0:00:37 > 0:00:40to beach huts
0:00:40 > 0:00:42and ancient ruins.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48On this edition of Countryfile,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52we're going to be celebrating the architecture of our countryside.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57We'll be camped out at one of Britain's
0:00:57 > 0:00:58thousand-odd stately homes.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02What better way to get underneath the skin of this place
0:01:02 > 0:01:07than by becoming a tour guide for the day here at Sudeley Castle?
0:01:07 > 0:01:10There's about 1,000 years worth of history.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12How hard can that possibly be to learn(?)
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And we'll be rummaging around in the archives to look back
0:01:19 > 0:01:22at the most memorable, grand and humble designs
0:01:22 > 0:01:23the teams visited.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Matt's in a Northumberland dwelling
0:01:27 > 0:01:30that kept the locals safe from invasion.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Can you imagine what it would have been like to live here,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36with 300 Armstrongs charging towards you on horseback,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39screaming at you to give them everything that you owned?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Julia's exploring a seaside des res.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- There's the Fog House. - I can see a roof. There she is.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53And John's sampling the Georgian good life.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56You would have spent time looking out over the sea,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00contemplating the beauty of nature and how good life was
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- when you have this amount of money.- Yeah!
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Hello, everybody, and welcome to Sudeley Castle. My name's Nicola.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27I'm going to be your guide for today.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Sudeley Castle sits in the heart of the Cotswolds.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37This site has been passed down through royal hands
0:02:37 > 0:02:41since the Middle Ages, from Richards to Henrys to Edwards.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47The mid-15th century in England, the Wars of the Roses broke out.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I've been told the best way to get to grips
0:02:49 > 0:02:51with this place's rich history
0:02:51 > 0:02:53is to step into the guide's shoes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55..on this site...
0:02:55 > 0:02:58(That's going to be me later. I'd better pay attention.)
0:02:58 > 0:03:01(And I want a name badge while I'm at it!)
0:03:01 > 0:03:03At some point in its history....
0:03:03 > 0:03:06These ruins were once a grand banqueting hall
0:03:06 > 0:03:09built by the Duke of Gloucester in the 1400s.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12This would have been the most important and magnificent room
0:03:12 > 0:03:17in the castle, where all of the monarchs were feted and entertained.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Now, the Duke of Gloucester wasn't always known
0:03:19 > 0:03:21as the Duke of Gloucester.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25He went on to become something a lot grander.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28It was Richard III, "the king in the car park",
0:03:28 > 0:03:31as he's probably going to be well known forever now.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Famous visitors to these grounds include Henry VIII and Elizabeth I,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42but it was these royal connections
0:03:42 > 0:03:45that put the estate in the firing line during the Civil War.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48OK, if you all want to just come and stand around here,
0:03:48 > 0:03:49that would be great.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54Oliver Cromwell's forces ransacked the castle, leaving it in ruins.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59The centrepiece is obviously the bed.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Some of you might have spotted the royal coat of arms
0:04:03 > 0:04:06in the centre there, and that's because the upper portion of the bed,
0:04:06 > 0:04:12including the canopy, formed part of Charles I's campaign bed.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14So everywhere that Charles went during the Civil War,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18this went too on a horse and cart.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20No sleeping bags for him!
0:04:20 > 0:04:25This was actually discovered in a cowshed in the 19th century,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28so he obviously did flee in a bit of a hurry, didn't he?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Is this room used now by anyone?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Yes, believe it or not, this is still in use as a guest bedroom,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37so people do really sleep here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43So there's plenty of history here, then, Nicola.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46There certainly is, Ellie. Over 1,000 years of history here.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49So it's not just history, it's actually quite juicy history,
0:04:49 > 0:04:50isn't it? The good stuff.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Absolutely, yes. We like to keep it real.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Now, I've got my next tour coming up at three o'clock.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- Do you fancy giving it a go?- No!
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I mean, yes, of course I do.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Plenty of homework to be getting on with.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Oh, my word! You're kidding me.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- I've got some reading to do.- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Well, while Richard III was putting the finishing touches
0:05:14 > 0:05:17on this once rather spectacular banqueting hall,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20a little bit further up north in the Scottish Borders,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22the locals were battening down the hatches
0:05:22 > 0:05:25on a fortress of a different kind, as Matt discovered.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I'm in the Northumberland National Park,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37the most northern National Park in England.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40But for all of its beauty,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Northumberland has been the site of endless wars.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Its landscape is scattered with reminders of the bloody battles.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53As evidence of this violent history,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56the area has more castles than any other county in England.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Today, I'm going to find out a little bit more about its turbulent past,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and I'm starting my journey here in the Northumberland National Park,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06in a place called Tarset,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09which is one of the largest parishes in England
0:06:09 > 0:06:13with one of the smallest populations.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14And you don't say!
0:06:14 > 0:06:16There's hardly anybody here.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21For its 125 square miles, there are only 120 households.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It may be peaceful now, but for three centuries,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29this area was a lawless and violent place to live.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Gangs of Scottish and English families called the Border Reivers
0:06:32 > 0:06:35marauded and pillaged in order to survive.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40This was a time of bloodshed, of cruelty, of brutality.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45A fight for survival, and sudden death.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47These neighbours from hell launched bitter feuds
0:06:47 > 0:06:49on each other's territory,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51pinching their livestock, committing murder,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and generally tearing up the neighbourhood.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59These brutes made the cowboys of the Wild West looked like right softies.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03The people here had to work hard to earn a living from the land,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and even harder to ward off attackers.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Rob Young's ancestors lived amongst them.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09How violent was it?
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Yeah, there were a lot of people killed
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and lots of animals taken away. I think the statistics...
0:07:15 > 0:07:19between 1504 and 1603,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22there were something like 1,400 raids recorded.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24When did this become a lovely place to live?
0:07:24 > 0:07:28In 1609, there was a mass hanging of people over in Carlisle,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I think, and that was when the King put the stamp on the area, really.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Things calmed down after that,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35but it's always flared up and there was always trouble.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It was all clan-based, basically, kinship-based,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41so if your kinship ties called you out to do a certain job,
0:07:41 > 0:07:42you had to go.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- My lot, the Youngs, we were just small bit players.- Right.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50But Armstrongs and the Percys and the Dodds,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52the whole range of family names still around here,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- that were kicking lumps off one another.- Charlton?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- Charlton's very... Yeah, Armstrong.- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- All good footballing names as well. - Indeed, yeah!
0:08:00 > 0:08:02It might have something to do with that, you know.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Remnants of the violent border past can still be seen
0:08:06 > 0:08:09in the Northumberland landscape today.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Well, back then, this area was right on the front line.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Can you imagine what it would have been like to live here
0:08:18 > 0:08:22with 300 Armstrongs charging towards you on horseback,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25screaming at you to give them everything that you owned?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Well, I'm sure you'd agree, you'd batten down the hatches
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and you would do on one of these.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31It's called a bastle house,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and Alistair Murray is king of the bastle,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and hopefully he's in.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Alistair?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- How you doing, all right? - Hello, Matt. Nice to see you.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Well, Alistair, I've got to start with the thickness of the walls.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Yeah, the upstairs was actually thinner than downstairs.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- Most of the downstairs was actually in excess of four feet thick.- Right.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Now, the obvious thing with this building, it's all about defence.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It was defending your animals and your family.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And how old is this bastle house that we're in now?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Most of them in this valley were built in the late 1500s
0:09:05 > 0:09:08through probably to about 1625.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Where would the animals be?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Well, the animals would be down on the ground floor.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15The actual farmers would actually live on the first floor,
0:09:15 > 0:09:16and the reason being for that
0:09:16 > 0:09:18that the heat from the animals down below
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- worked like a central heating system.- Where's the windows?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Well, they deliberately didn't put windows in
0:09:23 > 0:09:27because the windows are the weak point. That's a way in.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29You had to reduce the number of places
0:09:29 > 0:09:31where you could actually get into the building.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34'There'd be just one door in the gable end,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'the strongest part of the bastle.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Right, yes. Let's have a look at this, then.- Now, as you can see...
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- It's not very wide.- No, well, the cattle were very small then,
0:09:43 > 0:09:44you see, and so were the people.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47So a smaller door means there's less opportunity to get in.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Exactly. It's much harder to get into a small doorway.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53That's what it's all about, defence.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55One of the defensive systems would have been
0:09:55 > 0:09:57this thing called a quench hole.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- Quench hole?- A quench hole.- OK.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Now, what would happen is, at night-time when they went to bed,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05they would actually take water up there in buckets,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09and if someone tried to set a fire here to burn the door off...
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Because this would have been wood.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15A wooden door in here, oak door, very thick oak door.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17What they would do is, they would pour water in
0:10:17 > 0:10:20from the first floor up above,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and it would come down through here,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24through the quench hole, and put the fire out.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- Clever.- Brilliant piece of defensive engineering.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire was also built for defence.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It's a historical gem, but it's no museum.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The whole castle is lived in by the Dent-Brocklehurst family -
0:10:45 > 0:10:48three generations, including five grandchildren,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51all under one large roof.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So who better to give us the grand tour
0:10:54 > 0:10:57than the lady of the manor herself, Lady Ashcombe?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09We're just coming into the stone drawing room.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Well, this is one of the most interesting rooms in the house.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19What I love about it, first of all, is the view, it's spectacular,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and it's so light and it's a beautiful proportion.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28This is our worst family room. We meet with our friends here.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31We're delighted to have the tour groups come through here.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Sometimes when my grandchildren are here on half term,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37they even join the tour groups.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Lucy and my grandsons have been known to show them
0:11:40 > 0:11:44his bedroom, which is not all that tidy, but I mean, his train set.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47People will see me coming and going through the rooms.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It all feels very reasonably natural and I think, you know,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56most people tolerate us, because they know that we live here.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58This is our home.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Now, if I hear a tour coming,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I usually beat a bit of a hasty retreat.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And if you follow me, I'll show you where I go,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08to my own private sitting room.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16This is where I spend most of my time.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26When the tours come down the staircase, I can hear them,
0:12:26 > 0:12:32particularly because I always hear them laughing, and I wonder,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34"What are they laughing about?"
0:12:34 > 0:12:35And I finally asked the guide,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38"What's so funny when they're coming down the staircase?"
0:12:38 > 0:12:41And of course, it's this big life-size baby elephant,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and the guides say that that gives everybody a big chuckle.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57This is our family kitchen.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03You'll notice that it's filled with family photographs and paintings.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I think it's very cosy.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I think when one lives in a historic house
0:13:09 > 0:13:15and a property that's been around for over 1,000 years,
0:13:15 > 0:13:20one feels an enormous responsibility towards its preservation,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23its...maintaining its integrity,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27but it has to be balanced, for me anyway,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30that it is our family home,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and that really is very important to me.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37It's always nice to have a nosy round someone's house,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40like when Julia travelled to Anglesey last November
0:13:40 > 0:13:44to take a peek behind the doors of a rather more modest abode.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52At Anglesey's western edge lies the Port of Holyhead.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Every year, two million passengers make the crossing
0:13:57 > 0:14:00to and from Ireland. Just a few miles away,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the famous South Stack Lighthouse protects it all.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09But the lighthouse has a noisy younger brother,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11a fog house on the North Stack.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13For decades, it's been privately owned,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16but recently it's come up for sale, and as it happens,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I'm in the market for something unusual and craggy.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I've arranged a viewing with Philippa Jacobs, who owns the house.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- Hiya, Philippa.- Hello, hello. - Hello, hello.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- Suitably miserable weather! - Absolutely!
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And I understand we got a bit of a journey.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35You have, and it's going to be a slippery one for the first bit.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38'It's a 20 minute drive from civilisation to get there,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41'along a track, if that's what you want to call it.'
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- So, how many times do you think you've made this journey?- Hundreds.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Hundreds and hundreds. Because you've been at the fog house for how long?
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Nearly 24 years.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- 24 years! - Yes, so quite a few journeys,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57but I try to limit it these days to about three a week.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- So, 24 years and now you decide it's time to sell?- Well, yes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I mean, it's my age. I don't want to go, obviously.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I mean, I love it here. I've loved every minute of being here.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16- How old are you? I know it's rude to ask.- 73.- 73.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22- This is the most bumpy bit.- OK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Oops! Sorry. - THEY LAUGH
0:15:26 > 0:15:29For me, there's still no sign of the fog house.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Oh, you will see it in a moment.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37This is becoming quite ridiculous!
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Philippa, look at this!
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- There's the fog house. - I can see a roof.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45- There she is.- There she is.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'The signal station was built in the 1850s
0:15:48 > 0:15:52'to send out warning blasts to ships on foggy days.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58'Nowadays, Philippa uses it as a studio for her artwork.'
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Have a cup of tea, yes.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- Oh, lovely.- We need it today.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05So, I'm very impressed with your kitchen.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08You've got everything in it. It's very cosy. I'm loving the Aga.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I can see electricity, so you've got power, you've got water.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Yes. But the water is from the roof. You realise that?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We're not on mains water here.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20- It's rainwater.- It's rainwater.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22But this water is bought water,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26because I didn't want to give you rainwater, because, you know,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28the seagulls defecate on the...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30SHE LAUGHS Eurgh!
0:16:30 > 0:16:33But in the old days of the fog people,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36they drank water from the roof all the time.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41'With great views, period features and privacy guaranteed,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43this three-bed character property is enough
0:16:43 > 0:16:45to make any estate agent drool,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and it's a snip at just under £600,000.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Philippa moved into the living quarters in 1989.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I've lived in Hampshire on a farm for many years,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and my husband became terminally ill, sadly,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and so we moved to the town, and though I didn't have a studio,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08you see, in the town, and so when, sadly, he died,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13I saw this place, an aerial shot of it in the magazine,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16in a property magazine, and came up
0:17:16 > 0:17:17and immediately fell in love with it
0:17:17 > 0:17:19and realised that this was the place.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I was 50 years old at the time,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and I realised that if I didn't do it then,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27I wasn't going to do it in another ten years' time, so go for it.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Continuing my tour, Philippa's taking me to the heart of the house.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36In the cold way! I don't like it too hot in the studio.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- So this is your place of...- Work. - ..work and play and meditation.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46- No, not a place of play. - Not a place of play.- No.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51So you don't consider there to be any play in your artistry?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54There's no play in the art. There is enjoyment, of course.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58You love doing it, but it's a struggle. It's quite a....
0:17:58 > 0:18:00You know, you've got to get up every morning
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and know that you're going to work,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05because a painter, I think, should work as hard as anybody else.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09I can't be in the room and not be drawn to that.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11This one is of....
0:18:11 > 0:18:15This part here is North Stack, is the island,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and this is the race between the island,
0:18:18 > 0:18:19and this is the mainland.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And the sea for me is also about an idea.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26You can't paint a painting unless you've got an idea behind it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28There's no point in painting something,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and the currents of the sea again are about our lives,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34the way we go in this direction, or that.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- Or get pulled in this direction or that.- Yes, exactly.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- And is that where you rest or where you sleep?- That's where I sleep.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46I live in this room. I sleep, work, read, eat,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and the dogs also sleep in here at the same time.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49So you like to sleep with your art?
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I like to sleep with my paintings, yes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Phillipa is leaving her mark on the history of the house,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58like the fog people before her.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02A bank of redundant speakers sit dormant in the fog station.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07Now silent, they're a reminder that this place was built to be heard.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I'm not sure I could live here,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15but of course, it never used to be a choice. It was a lifestyle.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18The man in the picture here is called Derek Lewis,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and he used to be the assistant keeper,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25and he's on his way back for a visit for the first time in 50 years.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I wonder what he'll make of the place now.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Hello, Philippa.- Oh, lovely to meet you, Mr Lewis. Do come in.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Hello. You couldn't have picked a better day for it. Come on in.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Derek, this is a real first for you, isn't it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Because you're in the house as well. That's right.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- You weren't allowed in the house?- No.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Well, first time to be in the house
0:19:44 > 0:19:47was in the little shed at the back here.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52I used to go down to the fog station about 12 o'clock at night,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55down this path, you know, it's very, very...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57The lethal path.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And if it was foggy, then I'd start firing,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04and I'd be firing, say, till eight o'clock in the morning,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and then I'd stop then and I used to go to sleep
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and then the next keeper would take charge then.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- Hard work.- Well, yes, yes.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18And not only that, but you have to have these guns blasting away
0:20:18 > 0:20:19while you're trying to sleep!
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Yeah, not very restful.- No.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- How's your hearing now? - Not very good.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Philippa's nearing the end of her time at North Stack,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and so am I, but before I leave,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34she wants to show me one more painting.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- Oh, yeah!- There it is.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40It's not very artistic, Philippa.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Well, that's what my son said.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I sent him a photograph of it, and he had the audacity to say,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48"You didn't do it very neatly, did you, Mother?"
0:20:49 > 0:20:52'Well, it could catch a passing sailor's eye.'
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Well, I think the people who are looking at this kind of house
0:20:56 > 0:20:57are looking for peace,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01are looking to get away from the scrum of everyday life.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Here I can see the horizon.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I can see the clouds disappearing below the horizon,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11so I know that I'm living on a globe,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and part of a much bigger system.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16But in the town, you don't have that sense
0:21:16 > 0:21:18of this extraordinary place called Earth.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Philippa's fog house is still looking for a new owner.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29But back at Sudeley Castle, I'm off to visit its most famous resident.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33She lies in this beautiful 15th century church.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You've all heard of her -
0:21:39 > 0:21:42divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44She is the one that survived.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Catherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56How was it that Catherine Parr came to be here?
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Well, Henry VIII died at the beginning of 1547,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and only a couple of months later,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Catherine secretly married Thomas Seymour,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and Thomas Seymour was the uncle
0:22:09 > 0:22:13of the new nine-year-old king, Edward VI.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17And Edward granted Sudeley Castle to Thomas Seymour,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and Thomas Seymour decided that he was going to bring Catherine
0:22:20 > 0:22:25to live here, so he had to hastily carry out some building work here
0:22:25 > 0:22:30to accommodate a queen dowager, effectively, and her household.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- So how many people did she come with?- Well, at least 200 people.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- 200!- Yes.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Why was the marriage kept secret?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Well, basically, because Catherine was technically
0:22:42 > 0:22:44still in mourning for Henry VIII.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- A bit too soon.- Exactly, yes. - It wasn't the done thing.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- It wasn't the done thing at all, no. - So was it a great love affair, then?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Is that why they married so quickly?
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Absolutely. There'd been talks of marriage before Henry VIII
0:22:57 > 0:23:00arrived on the scene. Got this original letter here
0:23:00 > 0:23:03that as written by Catherine to Thomas Seymour.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06In this, we really do get a glimpse of Catherine's true feelings
0:23:06 > 0:23:09towards Seymour, because she says here,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13"For as truly as God is God, my mind was fully bent
0:23:13 > 0:23:16"the other time I was at liberty to marry you,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18"before any man I know.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21"Howbeit, God withstood my will most vehemently."
0:23:21 > 0:23:24So there, she's really saying,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27"Before Henry VIII came along, I really wanted to marry you,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31"but God told me I had to do my duty and marry the king."
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Her marriage to Thomas Seymour was short-lived.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Less than 18 months after the wedding,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42she died after giving birth to a daughter, here at Sudeley Castle.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And Thomas Seymour, did he mourn his marriage greatly?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51To be honest, no.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- What a romantic(!)- I know. Exactly.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58He didn't even hang around at Sudeley for the funeral.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00And what about her legacy?
0:24:00 > 0:24:02She was quite exceptional for the time, wasn't she?
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Absolutely. Catherine is highly overlooked
0:24:05 > 0:24:07in a lot of respects, I think.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- She wrote two books, and we've got one of them here.- Wow.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14So this one dates from 1546,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and it's called Prayers Or Meditations,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and it's the first book to be written in English
0:24:20 > 0:24:25by a Queen of England, and it's aimed at the mass market,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- and it quite quickly becomes a bestseller.- Wow.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33And Henry had also written a book in defence of the Catholic Church,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35but that sold zero copies, so...
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- How awkward!- Exactly.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Catherine remains the only English queen
0:24:40 > 0:24:43to be buried on a private estate.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49It's incredible to think the remains of a queen
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I've heard so much about lie right here.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54So while I absorb the atmosphere in the church,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57here's what else is coming up in tonight's programme.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Adam's flirting with his betters.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06He hasn't kissed me yet, so I'm waiting!
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- THEY LAUGH - I can't imagine why not.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I'm having an art lesson in a paper mill.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15- Looks like a magic moment. - There it is.- Oh, that's lovely!
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- Look at that. - Put that to one side...
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And of course, we'll be finding out if spring is in the air,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23with the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27First, though, last summer
0:25:27 > 0:25:30John went on the trail of our current queen,
0:25:30 > 0:25:31visiting the sites that she saw
0:25:31 > 0:25:35on her post-Coronation trip to the Northern Irish coast.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Mile after mile of golden sands, craggy headlands,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49ancient ruins and gorse-topped cliffs.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It's a haven for wildlife and walkers alike,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59with plenty of lovely spots to stop and enjoy the view.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Like Downhill Beach, which stretches for nearly 10 miles,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07making it one of the longest beaches in Europe,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and when the Queen passed by here back in 1953
0:26:10 > 0:26:13on her first official tour of Northern Ireland,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18the Royal Train stopped at Downhill so Her Majesty could have a picnic.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22And as the Queen enjoyed her picnic in the sunshine,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26she must have noticed that temple-like building over there,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28perched high on the cliff.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31But I wonder if anybody told her the fascinating story behind it?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It balances ever closer to the eroding cliffs,
0:26:35 > 0:26:40and was built more than 200 years ago by a remarkable man,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Frederick Augustus Hervey, the Protestant Bishop of Derry.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46He was much admired locally,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50but upset his entire family and the establishment.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52He treated his religious duties very lightly,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54pursuing the finer things in life,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58including the ladies, and building a large art collection.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03He then inherited an enormous sum of money, and an earldom.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05In a very, very short space of time,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08he went from being a humble English clergyman in Suffolk
0:27:08 > 0:27:10to being incredibly wealthy,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Richard Branson-esque levels of wealth.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14So he had as much money as he wanted
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and he could do what he wanted, and what he wanted to do was this.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19And why a temple-like building?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21He'd been on the grand tour in Italy,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23going around admiring architecture and paintings
0:27:23 > 0:27:27and buying quite a lot of it, and he spotted a temple in Tivoli,
0:27:27 > 0:27:28the Temple of Vesta,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and he decided that he wanted a temple,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and he was going to take it down brick by brick
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and bring it back and build it here, but the Pope at the time said no,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- you can't have the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli.- Understandably!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40So he got his architect to copy it
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and this is a close copy of the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45'Named the Mussenden Temple
0:27:45 > 0:27:49'as a memorial to female cousin who died while it was being built,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'it became a dominant feature on the bishop's estate,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54'and was used mainly for entertaining.'
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Wow. This is impressive, isn't it?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Wonderful harp music to greet us as well!
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- Fantastic acoustics. - Very atmospheric, isn't it?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07And how would it have looked in the bishop's day?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10What you're seeing now is the bare brick that would have been
0:28:10 > 0:28:12underneath lovely plasterwork.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15There would have been columns, pillars, bookshelves,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17paintings, fine furnishing.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19It would have been very, very opulent and luxurious.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21So it certainly wasn't a folly,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23it was a building that was put to use?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Yes, you could have come here and read your books
0:28:26 > 0:28:29and enjoyed whatever music was being played.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31You would have spent time looking out over the sea,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33contemplating the beauty of nature
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and how good life was when you had this amount of money.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Yeah!
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Bishop Hervey spent much of his later life travelling around Europe,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43but when he was here at Downhill,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47his guests would have been serenaded much like this.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49This harp looks very familiar.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Well, you obviously take a drink if you've spotted that, because...
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- Little bit of Irish stout now and again.- Indeed, indeed.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58The shape of this harp is very, very typical of this area,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00and what was called the Downhill harp,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04a harp left by one of the harpists who actually used to play here
0:29:04 > 0:29:08ended up in Dublin at quite a famous brewery,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and ended up as the symbol of a certain beverage.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14So that's the harp on the label, is it?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Yes, indeed. Makes you feel quite thirsty looking at it, doesn't it?
0:29:17 > 0:29:19It certainly does.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27The temple stands in splendid isolation just a short distance
0:29:27 > 0:29:31from the grand house that the bishop built for himself,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and from the back here, it looks rather like a fortified castle.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38'But from the front, there's a surprise -
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'it's in the style of a Georgian mansion.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42'Now it's just a shell,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45'and it really is hard to imagine how grand
0:29:45 > 0:29:48'this place used to be in its heyday.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51'Luckily, these university students
0:29:51 > 0:29:54'have been meticulously gathering information
0:29:54 > 0:29:56'about every tiny corner of the house
0:29:56 > 0:30:00'to help us get a better picture of two centuries ago.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02The house has been in ruins for years now.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04The roof was taken off, more's the pity,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06because it's pouring down now.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09This, would you believe, used to be the drawing-room.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13So Peter, how on earth are you and your team restoring this place?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Well, first of all, on a computer.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20The students went out, they did a lot of research, photography,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and they drew sketches, plans, floor plans.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Another one of the students collated all that into...
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Wow, that's really impressive, isn't it?
0:30:28 > 0:30:30..research, which I would then build on the computer.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33So that's the house as it was in the bishop's time.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- That's the house as it was around the 1800s.- What about the inside?
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Well, this shot here is the gallery,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41which is just looking down towards the sea.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43And that's where he kept all his fine paintings?
0:30:43 > 0:30:45All his paintings, statues,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48his whole art collection was housed in there, in fact.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50And he had Titians, I think, and Rembrandts...
0:30:50 > 0:30:52- You name it. - ..Caravaggios...- Everything.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56- And now it's just in ruins. - It's just four walls, really.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03With his keen eye for the arts and for science,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05as well as for the ladies,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Bishop Hervey certainly used his vast wealth
0:31:07 > 0:31:10to enjoy life to the full, but he could never have guessed
0:31:10 > 0:31:15that his extravagant monument would one day serve as a backdrop
0:31:15 > 0:31:18for a queen having a picnic down on the beach.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30Tending to Sudeley Castle gardens is all about preserving their history,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34nowhere more so than in the ruins of Richard III's banqueting hall.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41And when you've got friends in high places, as does Lady Ashcombe,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44you can call in the big guns to sculpt your lawns.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'Like star garden designer Sir Roddy Llewellyn.'
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Sir Roddy, hello.- Hello. - Very nice to meet you.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55So tell me what are your plans for this amazing site?
0:31:55 > 0:31:59Well, now, it's a very romantic place, Sudeley Castle.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02It's got a fantastically rich history,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and one of the most important historical events
0:32:05 > 0:32:06actually took place where we stand.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10This is where Lord Chandos, who owned the place at the time,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13was sitting in his chair, OK?
0:32:13 > 0:32:20And he heard in the background the hooves of Cromwell's troops...
0:32:20 > 0:32:25- Wow.- ..arriving, and so he ran away,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28but he left his cloak on the back of the chair,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- which is represented by this red rose...- Oh, wow!
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- ..which comes out in the summer. - How fabulous!
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Also, this fireplace, we're going to...
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Over here?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43..we're going to bring to life again. We're going to re-enact flames...
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Oh, wow.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47..with nasturtiums and other flowers
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- with a sort of flame red, strong red flowers.- Gosh.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56I'm going to lay this down to look like a rug. Rather fun.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- It's brilliant. - I've never seen it done before.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Gardening's sort of theatre, actually. It should be.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06And we're going to re-enact....
0:33:06 > 0:33:09We're going to bring a lot of theatre back into the place
0:33:09 > 0:33:11to tell its history.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16The oldest and best of all the landscape philosophies
0:33:16 > 0:33:20is the ancient Chinese, who said,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24"A walk around a garden should prove to be an exciting journey."
0:33:24 > 0:33:28And that's exactly what happens when you come here.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30So we'll see some blooms, hopefully, this summer,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32if we get some good weather.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Yes. Gosh, I hope we don't have a summer like last summer.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40I cried for about 12 months.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42It was very expensive on handkerchiefs.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I feel your pain!
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- Please, let's do a sundance, shall we?- Shall we?!
0:33:49 > 0:33:51'I can't imagine a nicer back garden.'
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Well, Adam also got a taste of the good life
0:33:56 > 0:33:58when he put on his Sunday best and went to visit
0:33:58 > 0:34:02the lady of the house in Derbyshire's grand Renishaw Hall.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11This was once a green oasis surrounded by industrial workings.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15There were ironworks and coal mines, and as they closed down,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17it returned to its green glory.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24The hall was built by George Sitwell in the 17th century.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26He'd made his money from the local industry
0:34:26 > 0:34:29as an ironmaster, mining, casting
0:34:29 > 0:34:31and exporting products around the world.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34The hall is open to visitors,
0:34:34 > 0:34:35but it's still very much a family home,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38with all the personal touches and some quirky stuff too.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Take a look at this - someone left their glasses behind in 1969,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43and he's never been back to pick them up.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Renishaw has been owned by the same family
0:34:50 > 0:34:53since it was built nearly 400 years ago.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55The latest owner is Alexandra Sitwell.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02What a remarkable dining room! You could have some parties in here.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Well, we certainly have done.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06We've had some really good parties in here.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08And how long has the family been here?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Well, the family has been here in this current house since 1600,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14but Sitwells have always been wandering around this area,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17and this particular room was the first addition
0:35:17 > 0:35:21to the old house in 1793, and it was built by my ancestor over there,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Sir Sitwell Sitwell, the one on the right.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Wonderful portraits. And these are mainly family members, are they?
0:35:27 > 0:35:29These are all family members, and in fact,
0:35:29 > 0:35:30the boy in pink up there,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Sacheverell, closely related to the Sitwell family,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and he is supposed to haunt the house, and he supposed to
0:35:36 > 0:35:39kiss the ladies with cold, wet kisses from beyond the grave.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Oh, goodness me! Does that worry you?
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Not at all. He hasn't kissed me yet, so I'm waiting.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46THEY LAUGH I can't imagine why!
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Renishaw has quite a literary history.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54It was the setting for DH Lawrence's controversial novel
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Lady Chatterley's Lover.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58It was also home to the Sitwell Trio.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Siblings Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell were prolific writers,
0:36:01 > 0:36:03poets and patrons of the arts.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10So, this is the library,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13where we spend most of our time in the evenings.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17And we've got something like 3,000 books in this room.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20- There are about 25,000 in the whole house.- Goodness!
0:36:20 > 0:36:24On these shelves, these are all first edition books
0:36:24 > 0:36:27by Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28Now, I'm no literary expert,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31but even I've heard of the Sitwell name,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33and they were very important in their time, weren't they?
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Well, they were very avant-garde,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38and they were really leaders of the 20th century movement
0:36:38 > 0:36:41of not only, obviously, literature and poetry,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43but also the arts, so great collectors,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45and they supported the ballet and music,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and they sort of blazed a trail.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Another of Alexandra's ancestors holds a unique British record.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Around a couple of hundred years ago, a Royal Bengal tiger escaped
0:37:02 > 0:37:04from someone's private zoo collection in Sheffield
0:37:04 > 0:37:08and Sitwell Sitwell got together his gardeners and local farmers
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and they set off on horseback with the hounds
0:37:11 > 0:37:12to track it down and kill it.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15It's the only recorded tiger hunt on British soil.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20No tigers in the woods today,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22but head gardener David and his team are in there,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25clearing an invasive rhododendron from the woodland
0:37:25 > 0:37:26to help a spring favourite.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32- Hi.- Hello there.- What are you trying to achieve here, then?
0:37:32 > 0:37:35I'm trying to get back to a native bluebell wood.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37And is that what you've done up this part of the wood?
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Yeah. Over the years, we've steadily cleared down
0:37:39 > 0:37:41through Broxhill Wood to make space
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- for the native bluebells to take over.- Are they quite a good attraction for the visitors?
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Yeah, I mean, it's a beautiful time of year anyway,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49and, yes, they bring people to Renishaw,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- because it's a fantastic wood. - And are they predictable?
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Do you have a certain few weeks that there are in flower?
0:37:55 > 0:37:56Oh, they're a nightmare.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59They're in flower for about three weeks,
0:37:59 > 0:38:00but what three weeks, it can vary.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03So people might get here too early or they might get here too late.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Best to ring in advance. - THEY LAUGH
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And how quickly will the bluebells move into this area?
0:38:09 > 0:38:10Some have survived.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13There's some here that were underneath the rhododendron canopy,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16but they self-seed pretty freely. I'd say about three to four years,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18you won't know it from the rest of it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Chick, chick, chick!
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Wow. Wow.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36I know what you're thinking -
0:38:36 > 0:38:39I'm not cramming for my guiding exams,
0:38:39 > 0:38:40but I can assure you,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43this is all part of the Sudeley Castle experience.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50As well as the 11 family members,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53the estate is also home to 15 rare breeds of pheasant
0:38:53 > 0:38:54from all over Asia.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57Oh, and an eagle owl.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And these two beautiful snowy owls.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09This is Tom Seymour and Catherine Parr, of course.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Gary Cope has trained them,
0:39:12 > 0:39:16much like a hawk or falcon, to come to the glove for food.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- Tom is a bit lazy, you see.- Oh!
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Gary, that's fabulous.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I've had a go at this sort of thing before, but never with owls.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Why have you trained them in this way, to do this?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Well, I haven't trained them, really. They're just conditioned.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37I'm the keeper for the owls, and we had these at six weeks old,
0:39:37 > 0:39:42and they've just got used to me coming in every day and feeding them.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46I think they've basically become partially imprinted on me.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- They look upon me as Mummy.- I see. - So that's what you're hearing.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- They're just food digging. - Wow, what a gem to have them here.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Lucky for the people to come and see them.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Sudeley's proportions are grand, but on Countryfile,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01it's not all about size.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Last spring, Matt travelled to the Suffolk coast
0:40:04 > 0:40:06to see some seaside posh pads,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08with rather more humble dimensions.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10Southwold.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14A pretty special seaside town.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17No "kiss me quick" hats here.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Rather, the refined air you'd expect from somewhere
0:40:19 > 0:40:22that's made its name as an expensive retreat
0:40:22 > 0:40:24for the well-heeled and wealthy.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Sounds delightful, doesn't it? A lovely place to live.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And apparently, there's a right little gem of a property
0:40:32 > 0:40:36just along here. Bags of character, far-reaching views,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and buyers are dying to get hold of it,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42but I've got the details, and I've booked myself
0:40:42 > 0:40:44an appointment with the estate agent.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51So, Aidan, here we are at beach hut 98B.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- That's the one.- £55,000.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56But look where it is!
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Steps up to the town, you're right on the beach,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03the outlook is stunning, and it's Southwold.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05What more do you want for your holiday?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- Yeah, I agree, the location is pretty special.- Oh, yeah.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- Are we allowed to have a look inside?- Indeed.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16Most of the huts are sold with contents. They vary, of course.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Oh, right! That's quite a nice surprise, that.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22- Very spacious.- Do come in.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25It's quite deceiving from the outside.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28They are TARDIS-like. Don't we always hear that?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31But you get the day bed, there's usually a little Calor stove,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- as we've got here. - Where's the nearest loo?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Only about 100 yards in either direction.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40100 yards, I mean, it's nothing, really, is it?
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Right, well, here's you giving me the hard sell, but actually,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46you don't have to, because you've got a waiting list for these things.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48They go so quickly, usually.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Very often they don't even come to the market, in fact,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53because they'll change hands within families,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56family groups, social groups. Lots of people are waiting for them.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59And you'll get this pretty close to the asking price at 55,000?
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Yeah, yeah. Three price bands, really, in the town.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03If you go to the prime location...
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- Don't tell me, there's more. - Oh, there's more.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Right up there, Gun Hill, prime Southwold,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11and they've changed hands for 120,000.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- For a shed this big?! - What a bargain(!)
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Shall I get the contract?
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- Er, not just yet. - HE LAUGHS
0:42:22 > 0:42:23'I might not be sold,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26'but there's no denying the enduring appeal of these huts.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30'For some of Southwold's residents,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32'they've been a lifetime love affair
0:42:32 > 0:42:35'since their very first incarnations.'
0:42:35 > 0:42:37I tell you what, Jack. You were a bonny lad.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39How old were you here?
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Well, I was one. 1919.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- A bit before your time. - A little bit!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49And that was my mother and I
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- in a bathing machine.- Right.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Was that on this beach somewhere, then?
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Yes, it was down near the old pier.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02In the days when the bathing machine
0:43:02 > 0:43:05was taken down to the edge of the sea by a horse.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09These bathing machines were the forerunners of beach huts,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and were designed to protect the modesty of changing swimmers.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16But as more relaxed attitudes brought in mixed bathing,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19they began to be used for shelter and storage instead.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Eventually, they disappeared from the shoreline altogether,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27evolving into the static huts on the promenade that we know today.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32They haven't really changed that much, have they?
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Is that part of the magic for you, then, how basic they are?
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Yes, I think it's...
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Well, it's just part of Southwold.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44There's a lot of hassle and a lot of expense
0:43:44 > 0:43:47in connection with a beach hut nowadays,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49but once you get in that hut,
0:43:49 > 0:43:53when the sun is shining from the east into the hut,
0:43:53 > 0:43:54you enter another world.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58'Back in 1919, when Jack first visited Southwold,
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'there were only a handful of beach huts here.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04'It's a testament to their timeless charm that today
0:44:04 > 0:44:06'there are 300 of them, and counting.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08'And with summer fast approaching,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10'proud owners like Ken Waters
0:44:10 > 0:44:13'are busy preparing for a season in the sun.'
0:44:14 > 0:44:17- Now then, Ken, how you doing? - Hi. Fine, thank you.- You well?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19- Yes, indeed, thank you.- What a bonny beach hut you've got here.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21It's lovely, yeah.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23We've enjoyed this hut for many, many years.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Is this annual maintenance, then? Because, obviously...
0:44:26 > 0:44:29About every other year. It's pretty harsh.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31There were quite a few lost a few years ago.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33We had a big storm, which came up
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and swept about 12 of them away totally.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37Some of them landed up in Dunwich.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40- Did they really? - But otherwise in bits.
0:44:40 > 0:44:41But we were lucky.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42So here we are, we're painting this white
0:44:42 > 0:44:46- and you've got some black wood stain as well.- Yes, that's right.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47Are you restricted with the colours?
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- Are there any guidelines from the council?- Not really.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Some people have them candy striped,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56and some people have them just in pastel colours.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Little children come along and they shout out all the names
0:44:58 > 0:45:01as they come along, which is also very nice.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- And what's the name of yours? - It's called Watershed.- OK.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Which was...my name being Waters, and it is a shed.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12And so, hearing these ridiculous prices these days,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15- are you tempted to sell? - Not a chance. No, no.- Not a chance.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18- I think the children wouldn't forgive me.- Yeah.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20So she's part of the family, then?
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Yes, I think that's right, yes, yes.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25It would be desperate times if we ever had to sell this.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28'I might not have been tempted into buying my own beach hut,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31'but I've certainly bought into the simple pleasures
0:45:31 > 0:45:33'that owning one can bring.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37'Beautiful views, and your own piece of the great British seaside.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39'What could be better?'
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste, Harry, Dick, John, Harry III...
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Well, it's nearly time for me to step up to the plate
0:45:51 > 0:45:53as Sudeley tour guide, and I have to say,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55I'm really nervous.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58So while I do all this last-minute cramming,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01let's find out what the weather has in store for the week ahead.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste...
0:46:04 > 0:46:06How does this help you remember anything? Who's Ned the Lad?
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Who's Bessie?
0:49:12 > 0:49:15This week's Countryfile is celebrating
0:49:15 > 0:49:18our countryside's fascinating architecture.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21I've been set the challenge of leading a tour group
0:49:21 > 0:49:26here at Sudeley Castle, and there's no delaying it any longer.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30Just time, though, for one last-minute transformation.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33There you go.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37Not quite standard Countryfile uniform, but it'll do, I think.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39- Hi, Ellie.- Hello.- Looking great.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- I've got your badge here for you. - Oh, look at that!
0:49:42 > 0:49:44You're now officially a guide.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47- Novice guide. - Yeah. How are you feeling?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49- Terrified, actually.- You'll be fine.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51- I'm dreading it, honestly. - Just stick to the facts.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Don't embellish anything, and if you don't know the answer,
0:49:55 > 0:49:57don't be afraid to say, "I'm not sure about that."
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- No making it up? - No making it up.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01That's what novels are for.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03- Top tips all round.- Absolutely.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Oh, I just want to get it over with.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07- Let's crack on.- OK.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11'Well, the crowds are gathering, so as I steady my nerves,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14'there's just time to see me in somewhat calmer days,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16'when I took a trip to an Exmoor mill
0:50:16 > 0:50:18'dealing in flowers, not flour.'
0:50:23 > 0:50:27- Hello!- Do you mind if I pick a few bits and pieces?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34I've come to a local herb farm to gather some ingredients.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38'The natural environment here is providing the materials
0:50:38 > 0:50:42'for a cottage industry making something you'd least expect.'
0:50:42 > 0:50:44This borage is in flower now.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50A bit of rosemary. That should liven things up.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Check out the haul I've got. Not bad, eh?
0:50:58 > 0:51:01'Believe it or not, I'm going to turn these herbs
0:51:01 > 0:51:03'into something we use every day.'
0:51:03 > 0:51:04Paper.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10But this is no ordinary paper you'd write your shopping list on.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13At this old wood mill, Neil Hopkins makes top-quality paper
0:51:13 > 0:51:16using strictly traditional methods.
0:51:16 > 0:51:17- Neil, how you doing?- Hello, Ellie.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19I brought the ingredients you suggested.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21I heard you were bringing something.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Can you really do something with that and turn it into paper?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- We certainly can. Very lovely smelling herbs.- Yeah.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Well, I've also got this, but I'm very unsure about this -
0:51:29 > 0:51:30a pair of jeans.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34This is actually a very good ingredient to put into paper.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38It will make a lovely sheet of blue watercolour paper
0:51:38 > 0:51:41that a watercolourist would be so happy to work on.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49'First, we pick the florets and pretty leaves from the herbs.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54'Then, in a matter of seconds,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58'these unloved denims have been torn and cut into pieces.'
0:51:58 > 0:52:00There goes my pair of jeans.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05The jeans are shredded in the rag breaker
0:52:05 > 0:52:06and turned into a jean soup,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10which is added to a mix of cotton, linen and water.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Whoa! A grey, mushy pulp.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16The next job is the hard bit, which I think you ought to do, don't you?
0:52:16 > 0:52:18We've got to mix it round.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20- With this oar? - Yes, just an old canoe paddle.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22So the paper that we're going to produce now,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26how does that differ from the paper that most people ordinarily use?
0:52:26 > 0:52:30We make a lot of papers for artists, and if they're selling paintings,
0:52:30 > 0:52:33some of them do sell paintings, they're very valuable.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Over time, if you make them on wood pulp,
0:52:35 > 0:52:37they will actually self-destruct,
0:52:37 > 0:52:43- so we make a paper that's archival, and it will last 2,000 years.- Oh, OK.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45- So what's next?- Next is...
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- ..those lovely flowers and herbs jealous morning.- Oh, yes.
0:52:48 > 0:52:49So what do we do with these?
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Just sprinkle a few over the top
0:52:51 > 0:52:53where we're going to make the sheet in a moment.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56So this is kind of artistic merit in the paper, isn't it?
0:52:56 > 0:52:59It doesn't change the construction of the paper, particularly?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01No, it doesn't. You could have an interesting effect
0:53:01 > 0:53:04that some painter might want to work upon.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06- Have I put too many in?- Yeah, that's about right, actually.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- There's quite a few.- OK.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10The next thing is making the paper, and to make the paper,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12you need one of these.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16It's a papermaking mould, and it's just a mesh. It's a sieve.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Dip it underneath those flowers
0:53:18 > 0:53:20and then just bring it up in a smooth action.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- OK, yeah.- That's it. Now get it straight and bring it up.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26- It's pretty heavy, isn't it?- It's heavier than you think, isn't it?
0:53:26 > 0:53:27Really heavy, actually.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31And then we need to move over here, because this table is a vacuum table,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33and it will suck the water out of there.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42- This is like a magic moment. - There it is.- Oh, that's lovely!
0:53:42 > 0:53:43- Look at that.- Put that to one side.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46It's really rather attractive already.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52'This is the last commercial hand paper mill in the country,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54'so Neil's keeping a tradition alive.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59'The paper is still too damp to handle,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02'so most of the remaining water is pressed out of it.'
0:54:16 > 0:54:19I'm looking forward to seeing this. The moment of truth.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- Lift the blanket.- A-ha!
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Oh, well, that's lovely, isn't it? Gosh, how pretty.
0:54:25 > 0:54:26Can you touch it yet?
0:54:26 > 0:54:29You can, and I think if you flip that sheet over,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33I think you'll get a nice surprise when you see the other side.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Oh, yeah, isn't that pretty, all the flowers coming through?
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Oh, that's delightful.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44'Artist Jennie Hale's been using Neil's paper for many years.'
0:54:46 > 0:54:49- Hi, Jennie.- Oh, hi.- Mind if I join you?- Yeah, do, do.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50- Have a seat.- What are you painting?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53- Primroses.- Oh, yes. What a good spot for it, too.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Oh, it's fantastic, isn't it? Beautiful with a stream beside it.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00- And that's Neil's paper. - And what about Neil's paper?
0:55:00 > 0:55:02How is that for you as an artist?
0:55:02 > 0:55:04It really makes the colours stand out.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07The way he makes it makes the colours really sparkle.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10It's just beautiful paper to work on.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12- These pictures are gorgeous. - Thank you, thank you.
0:55:26 > 0:55:31'At Sudeley Castle, it's time to face the troops. Here goes.'
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Hello, everybody, and welcome to Sudeley Castle
0:55:38 > 0:55:40on this fine, spring weather day.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43So, shall we head off?
0:55:43 > 0:55:44Really scared!
0:55:47 > 0:55:52So, Sudeley Castle was a stronghold during the Civil War.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Lord Chandos, who owned the place at the time,
0:55:56 > 0:55:58decided to side with the king.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Turns out that was a bad move, because before long,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05Oliver Cromwell's men became...
0:56:05 > 0:56:07galloping, ransacking castles.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09They could hear them up the drive,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12shouts and screams and dogs and women screaming.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Yeah. Ellie, remember what I said about not embellishing.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16Not sure about that bit.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19If you imagine that bit, that might have happened.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22'Oops! Not off to the best of starts.'
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Another nice feature about the stone being exposed
0:56:28 > 0:56:32is that there are some masons' marks just above the doorway over there.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36Masons would leave their own mark as a way of...
0:56:37 > 0:56:41- (So that their employer would know how much to pay them.- That's it.)
0:56:41 > 0:56:43..as a way of invoicing their employer,
0:56:43 > 0:56:45so they knew how much to pay them.
0:56:48 > 0:56:5027 varieties of flower.
0:56:53 > 0:56:5717th century pornography. Shall we move on?
0:57:01 > 0:57:03So what would have happened if I was the butler
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and this was a table with fine diners eating is,
0:57:06 > 0:57:08I could have stood discreetly here,
0:57:08 > 0:57:11and without being rude and peering over shoulders
0:57:11 > 0:57:13to see what was going on on plates,
0:57:13 > 0:57:16I could have checked in the mirror to see whether they'd finished
0:57:16 > 0:57:19their meal and knew that it was time to have the table cleared.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24I'm really glad that's over, Nicola!
0:57:24 > 0:57:27Oh, Ellie. I thought you did a really fantastic job. Thank you so much.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29You're very kind. Your job is safe forever and ever,
0:57:29 > 0:57:30as far as I'm concerned.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33- Are you sure?- Yeah. I'll keep this as a memento, though.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35- Yes, please do. - Thank you very much.
0:57:35 > 0:57:36Well, thankfully for me, that's it
0:57:36 > 0:57:38for this special edition of Countryfile,
0:57:38 > 0:57:41and next week I'll be at Newmarket, the home of racing,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43to get a sneak peek behind the scenes.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45And John will be finding out about John Clare,
0:57:45 > 0:57:48England's first green poet.
0:57:48 > 0:57:49See you then. Bye-bye.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd