Great British Railway Journeys (2010) s04e11 Episode Script

In 1840, one man transformed travel In the British Isles.
His name was George Bradshaw and his railway guides Inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
Stop by stop, he told them where to travel, what to see and where to stay.
Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys across the length and breadth of these Isles to see what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
I've embarked on a new railway journey to rural and coastal Scotland.
At the beginning of the 19th century, much of this country was remote wilderness which rarely attracted outside visitors but in Queen Victoria's reign, with the railways, the landscape was opened up, linking communities, developing industries and providing secure and affordable routes for travellers to reach even the most northerly parts of her kingdom.
The first leg of this journey meets a Scottish hero There's a cult of Wallace going around.
He's an iconic figure.
He has been ever since his death and martyrdom in 1305.
continues with a bang and ends In tragedy.
The whole train descended into the water.
The whole train descended.
Everybody was killed.
The photographs show that really large bits of cast iron were bent and twisted.
The impact must have been ferocious.
Using my 1880s "Bradshaw's", my journey starts In Stirling, heads north to Perthshire, on to the granite city of Aberdeen and then west, through Inverness-shire to the famous lochs of the Highlands before reaching Its end at John o'Groats.
Today's leg begins In Stirling at the heart Scottish history, heads to the fair city of Perth, then on to Dunkeld and Birnam, ending at Invergowrie on the banks of the River Tay.
For this Scottish journey, I'm using an 1880s version of my Bradshaw's Guide, I'm now heading across the lowlands of Scotland towards Stirling, which my Bradshaw's tells me was the ancient seat of the Scottish kings and capital of Stirlingshire, situated on a beautiful part of the Forth, about halfway between Edinburgh and Perth.
On a rock above the town rises the Castle of Stirling, so celebrated in Scottish history.
And I want to find out why it played such a pivotal role.
In the 19th century, trade, particularly In agriculture, provided Stirling with an Injection of wealth.
An economic boom strengthened with the arrival of the railways In 1848.
Although Stirling Is the smallest city In Scotland, Its castle has a big history.
From medieval times until Bonnie Prince Charlle's failed siege In the 18th century, It's been the focus of military campaigns.
I'm hoping that castle steward, Alan Clater, can tell me why.
- Alan, hello.
- Nice to meet you.
My Bradshaw's says that Stirling is a key to the Highlands and in an important position frequently contested.
Why was it so very, very key? The town of Stirling is located right in the heart of Scotland, slap bang in the middle of the country.
It's because of its location that they built a castle, a fortress, high up here on this volcanic rock, a strategic position second to none.
In Bradshaw's day, the romanticised version of history In Sir Walter Scott's novels was a very popular read and the railways brought tourists keen to visit where the action In the books had occurred.
During the wars of Independence, the castle passed between English and Scottish control many times, and most of Its conquerors added to Its fortifications, from which you feel as though you are looking out over Scottish history.
Six major battles have been fought around these walls.
The Battle of Stirling Bridge, the Battle of Bannockburn, the Battle of Sauchieburn, two battles at Falkirk and the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715.
How many of those battles were between the English and the Scottish? Three of them during the wars of independence, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Bannockburn and the first Battle of Falkirk.
Around the year 1500, James IV of Scotland built this Impressive forework around the castle entrance.
The palace sits 250ft above the plain, giving panoramic views of the surrounding terrain.
In the middle of the valley, there's a very prominent tower.
What is that? That's the National Wallace Monument.
This was erected in 1869 to commemorate Wallace's great victory over the English at Stirling Bridge.
I couldn't come to Stirling without visiting that.
No, you must.
The strategic Importance of Stirling In medieval history Is reflected In the key battles that were fought In and around the city.
Today, even from far off, the Wallace Monument Is an Impressive tribute to one of Scotland's favourite sons and his victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
My Bradshaw's tells me about one and a half miles up the river is the site where Kildean Bridge stood, a place where William Wallace defeated the English in 1297.
The Wallace Memorial is a high tower on Abbey Craig, a rock 560ft high and it's Victorian, so it wasn't just with Mel Gibson and the movie Braveheart that William Wallace was first commemorated.
There are 246 steps to the top, which is a way of ensuring that only hearts beating with Scottish pride will make it.
Pride that I'm sure historian Scott McMaster has In abundance.
- Scott.
- Hi.
It's worth the climb, isn't it? It certainly is for the view, that's for sure.
Now, it intrigues me.
This is a Victorian monument.
Was the Victorian era an age of Scottish nationalism, Scottish sentiment? There was an element of that, but what you have to remember is there's a cult of Wallace going around.
He's an iconic figure.
He has been ever since his death and martyrdom in 1305.
How was it that it was built at Stirling? The most important thing is that this is the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
This is where Wallace's forces came and camped here, waiting on the English to cross the Stirling Bridge and this is where his victory was.
How important was his victory over King Edward I? It was the first time in the medieval period, where a feudal host had been decimated by basically a common army, an inexperienced army.
Wallace then went on to become Guardian of Scotland and then he began to free Scotland to a certain degree, until 1298, when Edward decimated him at the Battle of Falkirk.
He's caught just outside Glasgow, taken down to London, put on a show trial and basically executed in the most horrific manner.
He's hung, drawn and quartered.
William Wallace has been celebrated by Hollywood in the modern age with the movie Braveheart.
Of course, yeah.
There's a lot of artistic licence added to that, but what the film did do, in terms of this monument, it's doubled visitor numbers and it made the monument itself, instead of being open in a seasonal operation in the '90s, it now opens almost 363 days a year.
How did the Victorians get organised to build it? It was done by public subscription.
Scots, patriots, ex-pats in Australia, in America having their Burns evenings and suppers and raising money and sending it across.
It's reported that when the foundation stone was laid In 1861, local trains couldn't cope with the throng of visitors from across Britain.
I wonder whether Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" film has encouraged tourists to visit from further afield.
I assumed you were Scottish but you don't sound it.
Where are you from? - We're from Germany.
- From Germany? Wearing Kilts? Yes, we bought it in Germany for the visit here in Scotland.
Is that because you have Scottish backgrounds, Scottish family? No, first we saw the film Braveheart and we saw the Highlands and we saw the monument.
So we come here to see it with our own eyes.
And did you enjoy the monument? - Yes.
- It's very beautiful.
Beautiful view of Stirling and it's something proud.
Having enjoyed that lesson In Scottish history, I'm resuming my railway journey, moving northeast from the central battlefields.
This train will take me to Perth, which my Bradshaw's tells me is the capital of Perthshire, a parliamentary borough, an army brigade depot and a port to which small craft come up by the Firth of Tay.
It tells me that there's salmon fishing in the river, with a fish culture at Stormontfield.
In Scotland, wherever there's moving water, you can bet that someone will be casting a fly.
As the first spot over which the mighty Tay could be bridged, Perth was founded by Scottish King David In the early 12th century.
In the 19th century, the town was known for two very Scottish products: Whisky and salmon.
And the coming of the railways In 1848 saw them both flourish.
Urban Britain needed food on Its plate and when salmon could reach the slabs of London's Billingsgate fish market within hours of leaving Scottish waters, Perth's fishing Industry exploded.
Landlords cashed In by leasing their stretch of the salmon-filled Tay to commercial fishermen who laid vast nets to maximise their catch.
I'm visiting the oldest salmon fishery on the planet, owned by David Clark.
- Hello, David.
- Hello.
Very good to see you.
What a fantastic day.
What a beautiful place.
It's grand.
How long have they been fishing salmon on the Tay? In the 11th century, the first charters were given to the monks along the river and that continued right up to the dissolution of the monasteries.
Did the Victorians take it another stage? Well, they overfished, basically.
I think at one time there was probably a net in the river every quarter of a mile, so it was almost impossible for fish to get by.
Far too many.
Nobody had any responsibility for maintaining the stocks.
If you think about it, everyone was in competition with everybody else.
And there was no reason for them to preserve the stocks so obviously fish stock would have declined.
Foreseeing the problem of dwindling salmon stocks, In 1899 local naturalist and fisherman PD Malloch persuaded the landed gentry that It was foolish to overfish.
They gave him the financial backing to buy up long leases covering many miles of the Tay, so that he could control fishing and begin to tag Tay salmon to keep track of their numbers and to learn about their life cycle.
Malloch tagged a thousand salmon and was able to prove for the first time that salmon did return to their river of birth.
It had been conjecture before.
He actually proved it.
The river Is no longer Industrially fished, but the fly fishermen who pay a pretty penny for the privilege expect a sporting chance of a decent catch and salmon conservation Is as Important as ever.
But even using nets to catch and tag fish for scientific purposes before returning them requires patience bordering on stoicism.
So, no sign of anything yet? No, but there's some rippling ripples there.
They could be right on the beach before you realise there's a fish in there.
Look at those swirls, you'd think there was a fish there.
Hard luck, boys.
Sorry.
An empty net.
That's a sadness, but you don't mind coming down to the river even if the net is empty.
No, exactly.
You're very welcome to come back and try any time with us.
Thank you.
Pursuing my 19th-century-inspired railway journeys, just occasionally I witness a scene that could be lifted directly from Victorian times.
Today watching those men handling nets with skills that are passed through the generations gave me a special insight and a moment of tranquillity that I shall savour.
I've been studying my Bradshaw's Guide for a hotel to spend the night, while I'm here in Perth and on a day when I've been thinking about kings and queens, this one has a suitably monarchical name.
The Royal George.
And I'm excited to be booked In, because although It surprises me, Queen Victoria herself once rested her head here at The Royal George.
- Hello.
- Good evening, sir.
She would normally have stayed in Scone Palace, probably, with Lord Mansfield, but he happened to be in London.
The housekeeper here was given one hour's notice that the Queen was going to stay.
Do you have any memento of that? Yes, indeed we have the royal warrant that she presented to the hotel.
It's hanging on the wall.
That I have to see.
Would you show me? - Most certainly.
- Thank you.
Here we are then, one royal warrant.
Well, well! It's hardly pocket sized is it? That's superb.
What's it made of? - Hand-carved solid oak.
- Really? So, when I stay here tonight, I shall think of myself as staying in an unofficial palace.
Without a doubt, you're quite correct.
Porridge.
I love it and nowadays, it's not confined to Scotland.
I've had it Beijing and Texas.
The great thing is, every time it's a surprise.
You can make it with water or milk or cream, it can be smooth or it can be gritty, but because my mother's Scottish, the great thing is how you flavour it.
Not for me, sugar.
Salt.
Mm.
That's the way.
In 1842, Queen Victoria made her first visit north of the border and loved It, so much so that she bought what she called her dear paradise In the Highlands, Balmoral.
Today I'm joining a gathering that benefited greatly from her newfound penchant for all things Scottish.
My first destination of the day is Dunkeld, which my Bradshaw's tells me is "most charmingly situated on the margin of the River Tay and forms part of the path into the Highlands.
" It's been aptly designated the Eden of the North.
It was the abode of the Culdees in 570 and the capital of ancient Caledonia.
Nowadays, Dunkeld shares its railway station with Birnam.
I'm alighting there for a competitive event which is decidedly Caledonian and which has been celebrated annually since Victorian times.
Birnam and Dunkeld are set on opposite sides of the River Tay.
Dunkeld held the first Highland Games In the 1820s, but In 1864, the event moved to Birnam, where It's been held ever since.
Highland dancing, piping, cycling, track and heavyweight prizes are all up for grabs.
Present arms! Now that we've had the pipes and the drums and the firing of the cannon, our senses have been titillated and the games can begin.
The Highland Games, though centuries old, suffered an enforced hiatus.
Jane Anderson, an archivist at nearby Blair Castle, knows more.
Jane, the Highland Games are a wonderful afternoon's fun.
What was the origin of them? They would have originally been much more informal than this, but showing the same types of skills, strength, accuracy, all the things that would have been needed to show what a good servant you would be of a clansman.
And have those sorts of games continued ever since? There would be quite a gap, due to the risings of the people in Scotland who supported King James and then all Highland culture was stamped on by the national government.
They were very worried about the risings, they wanted to put an end to that, so tartan was forbidden, weapons were forbidden, bagpipes were forbidden.
So, a big gap.
And then they've kind of come back to being greatly popular in the middle 19th century, is that right? Yes, around about the 1820s, which was when the visit of George IV was.
And Queen Victoria then visited Scotland and things Highland became fashionable, the thing to attend and come and see.
It's an extraordinary change that, from being suppressed to being fashionable, in a short period of time.
It was.
Well, I came here by train today.
Did the railways play a part in the games? Yes, the railway arrived here in 1856 and people came by train from many miles away.
Extra trains came and just like you today, they could appreciate these feats of strength and skill.
Excuse me interrupting.
- Hello, Michael.
Welcome.
- Thank you so much.
I did not expect to see an armed man here.
You've got a rifle, a bayonet.
Are you expecting trouble today? No, I don't think so.
We are actually the Atholl Highlanders, the Duke of Atholl's private army.
I didn't know there were private armies in the UK today.
We are actually the last private army, official private army, in Europe and we're based up at Blair Castle, 20 miles north of here.
So, what's the history? Well, Queen Victoria visited this area in the 1840s and the men of Atholl provided a bodyguard for her.
Did you do a good job? We must have done because the following year, she arranged for colours to be presented to us and that to this day gives us a right to bear arms.
A pleasure to see you.
Like Queen Victoria, I'm very impressed by this fine body of men that I've seen here today.
Thank you very much.
Bye.
Three, two, one.
This is unbelievable.
This is the haggis-eating competition.
They try to gobble down a haggis as quickly as they possibly can, then each contestant has to keep it down for 40 seconds in order to win.
Haggis-eating may be an admirable skill, but for me one event evokes the Highland Games.
It utilises the trunk of a pine tree, weighing up to 80 kilos and nearly six metres long.
It's tossing the caber, today judged by Alec Webster.
He's picking it up.
Which is a job in itself, isn't it? Up it goes, he's got hold of it.
- Now if we run behind him - Right.
If we go behind him There it goes, it's gone over.
How are you going to judge that? He's gone to this side.
That would be about five past 12.
So if he'd done it perfectly, it would've landed 12 o'clock.
That would have been dead ahead of us.
That would be perfect? That would be perfect.
The winner, then, is not the person who's tossed the caber the furthest.
The winner is the person who's done it the most perfectly.
Most perfectly, that's right.
Continuing my Scottish adventure, I'm heading back to Perth Station to push east.
I shall leave this train at Invergowrie, from where on a clear day, I will have a good view of the Tay Rail Bridge.
My Bradshaw's writes about the bridge's predecessor.
"This immense viaduct, as constructed by Sir Thomas Bouch, 3,450 yards long on 85 spans, was begun in 1870, opened in 1877 and cost £300,000.
" "On Sunday evening, 28th December, 1879, at about 7:15, in a storm of wind, the middle spans, where they were the widest and at the greatest height above the water, 130ft, were swept away, with a train of carriages just passing over and of 70 to 80 persons, all perished.
" The Tay Bridge disaster is one of those epic catastrophes that is remembered from century to century.
Historian, Professor Charles McKean, has studied the disaster.
Charles, hello.
I suppose this blustery weather is not bad for considering the Tay Bridge disaster, and it's a great view from here.
It is tremendous.
But this is two miles wide.
We would be much better to get out there by boat so we could see it close up.
Very good, let's do that.
The bridge was built by the North British Railway Company, which was In fierce competition with the Caledonian Railway company for rail traffic running between London and Aberdeen.
Finished In 1877, the Tay crossing was the longest railway bridge In the world.
However, the engineers had failed to notice a damaged girder, the result of corner cutting during construction and which had caused season ticket holders to demand refunds because their carriages were bouncing.
In 1879, disaster struck one unlucky train.
All 75 passengers lost their lives.
What was it that happened on that night? One of the carriages that was empty jumped off the track.
There was a gale, not a very big gale, and it blew that carriage against the side of the bridge.
The iron fractured and down it went.
Everybody was killed.
Photographs show that really large bits of cast iron were bent and twisted.
The impact must have been ferocious.
Is it unique in being the only railway disaster in Britain in which everybody has perished? I think so and it caused huge shock at the time because the Victorians believed in technology, it was their bag.
In our time it would be comparable to a jumbo jet coming out of the sky.
And who was it who got the blame? I think the inquiry was fixed.
The chairman had been briefed by the Board of Trade.
They wanted to get back at the engineers.
He blamed the engineer, Sir Thomas Bouch.
They say he died of a broken heart.
Do you buy that? Not in the slightest! He was convinced it was nothing to do with him and by the time he died, all the evidence showed he was right.
In typical Victorian fashion, engineers soon set about building a structure that would restore confidence In the railways and In 1887, a new double-track bridge was opened.
Construction Involved 25,000 tons of Iron, 70,000 tons of concrete, ten million bricks and three million rivets.
The Caledonian Railway, whose trains from London to Aberdeen ran up the west coast, was now vulnerable to Its competitor, North British, which ran Its trains up the east coast.
It planned to scupper Its rival.
So, once the North British has got a bridge across the Tay, it now has the advantage over running trains up the main line.
It has the advantage, but for the last 24 miles into Aberdeen, they're on Caledonian rail and there's a junction and it's run by Caledonian signalmen, so every time they see a North British express, the Caledonian signalmen put it to red and effectively, it's dirty tricks.
And it's in response to that the North British thinks they've got to expose this to the public gaze, and the best way to do this is by a railway race.
And they run a train from King's Cross to Aberdeen and it takes 13 hours.
That's down from 18 hours.
Really? They get five hours off the total? Five hours and the west coast line realise they're losing the business, that dirty tricks isn't winning them any favours, so they retaliate almost immediately and during June, July and August, 1895, there's a sort of railway Olympiad and people get really burned up about it, all the newspapers get going.
And it climaxes on the 23rd of August.
You have the west coast leaving Euston at 8pm, the North British, east coast, leaving King's Cross at 8pm and they're roaring up.
At this time there are people in York Railway Station, cheering them through at 3am, and then they arrive at Montrose.
North Bridge is about four minutes ahead and, as usual, the Caledonian inspector stops the North British and allows the west coast line to win.
But the North British has filled its train with newspaper men.
And that's what they wanted to do.
They saw this and worldwide, throughout the empire, the dirty tricks of the Caledonian Railways is exposed to full gaze.
And ultimately, the west coast line won the railway race, but the North British won the commercial war.
And indeed the propaganda battle, which I know from my experience is one of the most important to win.
Exactly they had it down to a tee.
The 19th-century railway boom opened swathes of Scotland to leisure travellers for the first time.
And it spurred the development of Scottish industries, but the hell-for-leather competition between different railway companies was accompanied by catastrophe.
Sometimes even brilliant Victorian engineers had to stop to think again.
On the next leg of this journey, I learn how Queen Victoria used track-side trees to screen her from her subjects.
They were planted at Queen Victoria's request, because when she was going to Balmoral, the royal train would stop here for her breakfast.
She didn't like the locals seeing her eating.
I lend an ear to the history of a textile mill.
Everybody in the factory went deaf, eventually.
- Oh, yes.
- Awful.
And I'll go out with a bang In Aberdeenshire.
Lord! Look at that! It has changed the shape of the quarry.