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Toma ward (narrates):
In the United States
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an eerie relic festers in
the back woods of Arkansas.
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There's colourful cartoons
that are slowly fading.
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00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,616
It's almost like you can
hear the children laughing
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from like 20 years ago.
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In the middle east
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an ancient bastion
shrouded in myth.
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It's only very recently
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that we've been able to unveil
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some of the mystery
behind this place.
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The closer you look
in to those inscriptions
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the more detailed
knowledge we gain.
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A sinister collection
of buildings
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in the Albanian mountains.
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But something's
not quite right here,
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this doesn't look
like a cared for space.
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There are iron bars on the
window, the, the paint is all drab.
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And in the heart of england
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a subterranean labyrinth
hiding a dark purpose.
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Part of it's been painted white,
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part of it's been
left bare brown rock.
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There has to be some
significance to this.
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There's even an area that
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00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,440
it was designed for people
to sleep like a dormitory,
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it's like they were preparing
for the end of the world.
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Decaying relics.
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Ruins of lost worlds.
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Sites haunted by the past.
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Their secrets waiting
to be revealed.
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In Arkansas
densely forested hills
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hide an unexpected rural haven.
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The ozarks
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are america's forgotten
mountain range.
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It's a beautiful idyllic area
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that most people are
barely aware exists.
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In the middle of that
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we come across this
strange little outpost.
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This place is gorgeous.
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You've got creeks and streams,
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there's a forest, woodlands.
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So, it's hard to get a handle
on what this place really was.
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00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,720
At first it appears to be
some kind of ghost town
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but amid the tranquil beauty
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more dilapidated structures
hint at this site's true nature.
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You've got broken
scaffolds, metal frames,
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offices with papers
strewn all about the place.
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Buildings over grown with weeds.
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You can just tell how busy
this place would have been.
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This place is vast,
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there are space for
a lot of people here,
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00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,960
there's even a
little train line.
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The railroad track weaves
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a course around this
400 acre complex.
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There's definitely
a certain amount
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of make believe
to this whole site.
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Why is this place abandoned?
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Because outside of it
it looks like paradise.
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A parched slide
and forlorn water mill
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are some of the reminders
of the sites lively past.
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But it seems any
success was short lived.
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This is dog patch usa,
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once one of the nation's
most unusual theme parks.
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You know that back in it's day
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it would have been
a noisy place to be,
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kids full of excitement
queueing up
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desperate to get inside.
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But now that's all gone.
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Eddy sisson helps to look after
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what's left of this once
bustling amusement park.
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Ever since he first
came to dog patch
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he's been fascinated
by it's history.
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This part of the site is
where you would buy tickets
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and purchase memorabilia,
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it would be your first
place you would go to.
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For the people who
came here at its peak,
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the next stage in their journey
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was a magical descent
in to an imaginary world.
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So, after you buy your ticket
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you would hop on this tram
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and you could see
everything that awaited you.
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But what was so entertaining
about this far away funfair.
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This site has a theme
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and that's the key
to understanding
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what this place was
about and why it was here.
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Dog patch is an amusement park
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like no other in
america before or since.
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It's a theme park so in one
sense it's like Disneyland
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but there were a
few major differences,
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instead of mice,
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fantasy castles and big rides,
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you had hillbillies,
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a few arcades and
a lake full of trout.
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It's doors first
opened to the public
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on 18th of may 1968.
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In the heyday of the park
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there would be just
tonnes of people,
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kids going back and forth
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and people eating,
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people buying tickets,
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people browsing at the
dog patch memorabilia.
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There were just you know,
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maybe 800 people in
this building at one time.
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But why were people
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so keen to come visit these
log cabins in the woods?
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The story of how it came
to be dates back 3 decades
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before the first visitors came.
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It's sort of a landmark
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to a massive cultural
shift in america.
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This park was culturally related
to one specific time period.
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It reflected an america
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in which people were
moving from the agricultural
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and the countryside's
in to the cities.
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The park took inspiration
from an unexpected source.
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A cartoon strip
known as lil abner
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which made fun of that change.
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Today it's hard to remember
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or to even imagine
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how influential newspaper
comic strips were
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in the mid 20th century.
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Lil abner was one of the
most popular comic strips
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and it's creator al capp
was a huge celebrity.
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He used to go on
the tonight show,
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he was friends with presidents.
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Lil abner was set
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in the fictional appalachian
village of dog patch.
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It was an over the top portrayal
of rural folk living in the region.
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Of course al capp's vision
of life in the appalachians
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was a very demeaning
hillbilly stereotype
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but it was also one that
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people kind of
loved and embraced.
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So, when they heard that
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there was a theme
park based on dog patch
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that was very appealing
to a lot of people.
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00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:30,400
At its height,
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00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,640
the cultural phenomenon
attracted a readership
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of over 60 million people.
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It wasn't so much
about the rides,
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it was more about the setting
and the atmosphere it provided.
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This is a slightly different take
on your average theme park.
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For many visitors this
was a chance to be
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a part of a world they
had grown up consuming.
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From catching a
fish in the trout pond
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and having it cooked
in the parks restaurant.
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00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:02,240
To watching artisans
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00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,520
producing traditional
crafts in the cabins.
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00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,280
Guests were transported
in to al capp's imagination.
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It looked just like the
dog patch in the comic,
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there was a waterfall,
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some scruffy hills,
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there were even a few caves
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where you could imagine
maybe somebody was off
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brewing up some moonshine.
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There was a waterfall,
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a trout farm, there
was camp grounds.
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One of the largest structures
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that remains here is
the old tower standing tall
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with the long
slide flowing down.
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We've all been to
fairgrounds as a kid you know,
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this is exactly what you
want, fun and games.
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In its first year,
300,000 people
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came to enjoy the
hillbilly theme park.
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When it opened it
opened to great success.
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It made a lot of money, it
was a very popular theme park.
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00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,120
Lil abner the brand
was going really well,
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there was plans to open a
chain of themed restaurants
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00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,840
and there was a TV
show in the pipeline too.
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What may seem a strange
premise for an amusement park today
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somehow worked...
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But dog patch was about to go on
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an economic
rollercoaster all of its own.
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By the 70s things were changing,
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00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:33,360
there was the energy crisis,
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00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,520
the price of gas went sky high,
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00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:37,440
the economy was
really struggling,
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00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,240
unemployment was
high, inflation was high,
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people weren't as inclined
to take long road trips.
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As profits plummeted the
park was put up for sale.
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The new proprietors believed
they could turn it's fortunes around
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00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,960
but the odds were
stacked against them.
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00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:57,560
In the '80s the park was sold
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00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,880
and purchased by a
company that specialises
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in building and
branding theme parks.
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00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,560
The new owners
really thought big,
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00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,240
they put in bigger rides,
they put in a music venue.
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00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:11,640
At first it seemed that
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00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:13,840
dog patch's prospects
had been revived.
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00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,600
So, it's pretty insane that
3 dog knight, Tina Turner,
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00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,600
Dolly Parton, all
performed on this stage.
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00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:25,120
The Dukes of hazard
people they got them to come
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00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,360
and sign autographs and
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00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,000
you know that
wasn't a normal thing
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in Arkansas to have
people come you know,
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00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:33,200
huge Hollywood stars.
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The parks owners even
attempted to install a ski resort
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to make this a year
round destination
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but as the 1980s wore on,
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no matter how hard they
tried to attract new visitors
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00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,400
there was one
overriding problem.
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00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,640
Al capp retired from
making the comic character
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00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:58,720
lil abner in 1977.
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00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,520
So, within a few years
you don't have children
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00:11:02,560 --> 00:11:04,440
growing up on lil abner anymore,
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00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,480
they're not clambering to
their parents to go to dog patch
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00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,800
because they've never
heard of dog patch.
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00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,080
A brand like Disney spends
millions of dollars a year
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00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,200
reminding everybody about
those iconic characters.
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00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,680
You know originally dog
patch was over 800 acres
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00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,480
which was larger than
Disney world when it started.
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00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,080
Disney land has become
huge, trumping everything.
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00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,080
Unable to adapt and keep
pace with the changing times
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00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,440
the park fell in to bankruptcy.
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00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,160
And in 1993 it's gates
finally slammed shut.
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00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,480
It's sort of sad to
walk this ground today
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00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,680
because the basic
idea wasn't a bad one,
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00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:49,560
a lot of people love the idea
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00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,520
of being in the
heartland of america,
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00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:53,240
being in a rustic setting,
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00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,760
celebrating some of the
traditions of rural life or country life.
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00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,000
Dog patch maybe gone forever
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00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,880
but the area's natural beauty
could one day bring back the crowds.
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00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,920
Recently the derelict site has
been bought by new owners.
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00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:19,080
With the hope of making
use of its fish filled lakes.
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00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,840
This feature is
the key to all of it,
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00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:25,840
if you can attract
people here to fish then
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00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,240
that's the starting point,
the idea can grow from there.
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00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,760
Maybe there is life
left in this place yet.
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00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:39,920
Near the city of Birmingham
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00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,240
a quiet wilderness is hidden
away from prying eyes.
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00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,080
This place is
rural, it's remote,
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00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,280
it seems as if there's
not a lot happening here.
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00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,160
That's exactly what
you're supposed to think.
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00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,880
There's this mysterious door
in the middle of the woods,
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00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:58,960
you start to wonder
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00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,400
if there's another
world behind that door.
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00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,680
And in a way there is.
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00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,560
This complex has
endless tunnels,
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00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:10,240
some of them interconnect,
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00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:11,720
some of them dead end,
239
00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,240
they also vary
considerably in size.
240
00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,800
It's like a massive
underground labyrinth,
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00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,640
dropping a trail of breadcrumbs
242
00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:22,720
is not going to help you find
your way out of this place.
243
00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,960
But distinctive features soon
emerge from the darkness.
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00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:30,800
There seems to be two
halves to this tunnel network,
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00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,840
part of it's been painted white,
246
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,840
part of it's been
left bare brown rock.
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00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,960
There has to be some
significance to this.
248
00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,720
In the lighter tunnels it
gets a little more civilised.
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00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:42,880
There are office cubicles
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00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,160
that have machinery
stashed away in them.
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00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,120
There's a kitchen area,
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00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,040
there's even an area that
it was designed for people
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00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,000
to sleep like a dormitory.
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00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,920
It's like they were preparing
for the end of the world.
255
00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,560
With enough space
to house hundreds
256
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,320
if not thousands of people
257
00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,800
what was this place built for
258
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,320
and why plan to live
down here in the dark?
259
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,240
For any lone visitor
260
00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,040
these cold empty halls
261
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,520
make for an unwelcoming
scene even the owner,
262
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,080
sid Robinson still finds the
experience disconcerting.
263
00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,600
I find the place
it's very eerie,
264
00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,120
such a vast space of darkness
265
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,840
especially if you just,
you're there with the torch
266
00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:38,880
and it has this presence
267
00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:40,160
I can't put my finger on it
268
00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,120
but yeah it's not comfortable.
269
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,400
But the sense of
unease is nothing new.
270
00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:47,680
Working down here
271
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,080
especially during
the excavation stages
272
00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:51,880
I know from having
interviewed people,
273
00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:53,520
spoke to men who worked here
274
00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:54,960
they said it was horrific
275
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,040
and it was the
most scariest time,
276
00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,440
they would take a week
or two to get used to the,
277
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,640
the pitch black and the noises.
278
00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,720
Originally built and paid
for by the British government
279
00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,360
it was then turned over
to a private company,
280
00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,680
rover for use as factory space.
281
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,320
In the early 20th century rover
employed thousands of people
282
00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,640
and they built some
pretty famous vehicles
283
00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,240
like the rover 10,
284
00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,400
the meteor and the light 6.
285
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,440
Rover made most of the cars
they manufactured in house,
286
00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,240
they made the chassis,
the engine, even the wheels
287
00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,016
and in doing so they
established themselves
288
00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,640
as a trusted British
automobile manufacturer.
289
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,640
But why would they put
a factory underground.
290
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,760
Rover may have been
a car manufacturer
291
00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,840
but they weren't making
automobiles down here.
292
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,320
This was a shadow factory.
293
00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,760
Known as Drake low tunnels,
294
00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,440
this was once a secret
facility designed to keep britain
295
00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,400
in the fight against the Nazi's.
296
00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,520
Now, Germany didn't
really have the capacity
297
00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,016
at least at the beginning
of world war two
298
00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,320
to mount a sea borne
invasion of britain
299
00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:13,400
but a necessary precursor
was control of the skies.
300
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:17,920
After the first world war
301
00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,400
the government had
seized the initiative
302
00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,720
and began preparing
for this looming threat.
303
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,280
Outsourcing is a big
part of their answer.
304
00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:30,920
The air ministry
decided to start
305
00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,400
co-opting car manufacturers
306
00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:35,640
in what they called a
shadow factory scheme.
307
00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,216
The government
approached car companies,
308
00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,000
companies like rover
and they made a deal,
309
00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,200
they would build
the new factories
310
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:44,880
and they could
build cars in them
311
00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,360
but if war ever came
312
00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,960
those factories would get
converted to air craft making.
313
00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,560
In theory it was a good plan,
314
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,640
but sites like this
were only built
315
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080
after a major flaw
in it was realised.
316
00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,960
The first shadow
factories were built
317
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,280
right in the shadow of
existing car factories.
318
00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,080
And this made them
vulnerable to bombing attacks,
319
00:17:08,120 --> 00:17:10,640
Germany just bombed
the hell out of them.
320
00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,680
The fate of the country
was hanging in the balance,
321
00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,840
to find a solution they
had to start digging.
322
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,720
So, in 1942 about
halfway through the war,
323
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:23,360
rover and it's employees
324
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,640
were moved to a
new locale, Drake low.
325
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,320
There was no
caves as such to start
326
00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:34,040
with this is all
totally man made.
327
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:35,600
They had at the
time 2,000 people
328
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,400
working down here,
329
00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:38,880
doing the excavation for them
330
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,760
and creating this like
fabulous underground factory.
331
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:43,216
We don't actually
go down any steps,
332
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,640
it's built straight
in the side of a hill
333
00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:47,800
so it's all on one
level, made a lot easier
334
00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,000
for the trucks carrying
the materials in and out.
335
00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,560
Designed in a
repetitive grid system,
336
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,880
four quarter of a
mile long tunnels
337
00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,280
formed the core of the
underground network.
338
00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,400
With rows of perpendicular
routes cutting through them
339
00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:06,480
in total it offered up
340
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,840
the equivalent of
around 4 football pitches
341
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,040
worth of bomb
proof factory space.
342
00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,040
Rover were producing parts
343
00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:15,800
for the rolls Royce
Merlin engines
344
00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,200
which was the engines
they used in all of the aircraft
345
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:19,800
during the war period
346
00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,400
so it was a very very critical
347
00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,280
and crucial part of the operations
of the war effort at the time.
348
00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,960
With men being sent
out to fight on the front,
349
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,520
new opportunities
opened up at the factory.
350
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:36,576
But where was all the man power
351
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,520
going to come from
to build these engines?
352
00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,480
Where else but the kitchen.
353
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,160
Women literally went from
cutting cloth to make dresses
354
00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,080
to cutting steel
to make bombers.
355
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,360
Across britain numerous
shadow factories
356
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,560
many of which were built
underground made the difference.
357
00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:58,680
The battle of Great
Britain was won
358
00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,200
because they had the
aeroplanes to fight off the Germans.
359
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,880
Without the
products of Drake low
360
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,840
the outcome of world
war two for britain
361
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,600
might have been
very very different.
362
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,600
But there were corners of
Drake low's underground maze
363
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,760
that seemed to
tell a different story.
364
00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:17,720
There are these dormitories
365
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:19,320
and what looks like
366
00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:20,400
broadcasting equipment
367
00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:21,560
which makes no sense
368
00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,760
for a factory producing
aircraft engines.
369
00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,720
Clearly something else
happened here as well.
370
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,480
The use of atomic bombs on Japan
371
00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,800
did more than just end
the second world war,
372
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,920
it set in motion a new
threat to britain's security.
373
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,920
Just 4 years later in 1949
374
00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,000
the Soviets detonated
their first atomic bomb,
375
00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,160
the cold war was underway.
376
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,520
By the 1950s britain is not only
377
00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,200
testing out it's own h bomb,
378
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:56,680
it's making extensive plans
379
00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:57,920
for how to carry on
380
00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,120
with government in
the event of an attack.
381
00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:05,600
As the nuclear age developed
through the 1960s and 70s,
382
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,920
Drake low was called
back in to action,
383
00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:11,680
the bomb proof tunnels
were critical once again.
384
00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,280
Britain created
a new initiative.
385
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,800
Initially called regional
seats of government
386
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,760
and the idea was you
would divide the country
387
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,080
in to 12 districts.
388
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:26,560
The rsgs were designed
389
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,200
as a way for the
British government
390
00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:31,200
to continue to operate in
the event of a nuclear attack.
391
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:33,440
Parliamentary members
392
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,040
would take shelter
at the headquarters
393
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,400
of these different regions
394
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,760
and would be able
to govern there
395
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,080
assuming anyone
actually survived the attack.
396
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:45,560
Drake low was going to house
the headquarters for district 9.
397
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,600
We have the BBC
broadcasting suite
398
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:51,760
so that a regional
government headquarters
399
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:52,920
like this could communicate
400
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,240
with all the other regional
government headquarters
401
00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:56,720
around the country.
402
00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,280
But computers and
communication equipment
403
00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,360
were just the final step.
404
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,240
More importantly the site itself
would need a major overhaul.
405
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,200
When they updated the site
406
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,040
they sealed off part
of the tunnel system
407
00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,560
and then they installed
new ventilation,
408
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,920
air conditioning,
heating system,
409
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,680
they updated the wiring, alarms,
410
00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,080
put blast proof doors
on for the entrances...
411
00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:24,480
The way there.
412
00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,280
Focusing on a smaller
section of the tunnels,
413
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,120
the plan was to make this
area safe from nuclear fallout.
414
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,920
The sand stone rock
might have protected
415
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,040
those inside from a
nearby detonation.
416
00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:42,400
But questions remain
417
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,840
over the likelihood of
survival beyond that.
418
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,776
You know, you'd think
alright it'll be sealed
419
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:49,440
in every little nook and cranny
420
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:54,440
well although they bricked
off the old factory area,
421
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,240
at the end of the main corridor
was the original factory doors
422
00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,480
which were wooden
423
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:01,520
and then they had
two little wooden doors
424
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,640
separating this
bunker from the factory.
425
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,960
So, should the fall out be
426
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,880
sort of making it's way
round through the countryside,
427
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,456
it would quite easily
come through you know,
428
00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:12,840
round the edge of the door frame
429
00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,880
or around through the
ventilation system someway
430
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,456
even though they
got these special filters
431
00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:19,920
to recirculate the air,
432
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,760
by no means was
this place air tight.
433
00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,040
While Drake low was a
vital part of britain's defence
434
00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:28,720
in the second world war,
435
00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,200
the rush to put
something in place quickly
436
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,760
ahead of the next threat,
may not have paid off.
437
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,920
With Drake low you're
trying to do it on the cheap,
438
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,520
it's just obviously
not going to work.
439
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,800
But you know, at least the
tunnels got a new paint job.
440
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,520
Fortunately the site never faced
441
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,720
the ultimate test and
was finally shut down
442
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,040
and sold off in 1994.
443
00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,760
Today parts of Drake low tunnels
444
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,160
have been opened
up to the public.
445
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,000
Offering a glimpse in to
britain's underground efforts
446
00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,880
to protect the country
throughout the 20th century.
447
00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,560
Among the craggy peaks
448
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,640
of the Israeli
occupied golan heights,
449
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,000
an ancient structure keeps
watch over the landscape.
450
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,040
It's formidable,
it sits high above
451
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,280
one of the most
fiercely contested areas
452
00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:32,440
on the face of the earth.
453
00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,200
It's an exceptionally
dramatic setting.
454
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,800
And wherever you look there
seems to be more tunnels,
455
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,040
more corridors and walls
that are extraordinarily thick.
456
00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:50,560
The imposing ruins
spread along the Ridge line
457
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,160
for almost a third of a mile.
458
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,040
Walls have crumbled
459
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,240
but it's just
marvellously intact.
460
00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:03,200
Below ground the
curious maze continues.
461
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:06,736
There's a tunnel
that leads in and out
462
00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,040
through a hidden entrance
463
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:09,960
and then there's this
subterranean area
464
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,360
that looks like
it's been flooded.
465
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,480
Guarding this
geopolitical flash point
466
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,760
the deserted structure
is clearly defensive.
467
00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,960
But who built this
fortress and why?
468
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,680
Stories are told
about this place,
469
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,200
of links to the Bible,
of the tower of babel.
470
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:35,080
This is even today a
place of myth and mystery.
471
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:39,520
It's only very recently
472
00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,640
that we've been able to
unveil some of the mystery
473
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,560
and get to the real
story behind this place.
474
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:52,640
This commanding stronghold
475
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,160
dates back to the end
of the 11th century.
476
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,520
Lior shelef has
long been exploring
477
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,600
this mythical clifftop bastion
478
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:03,960
for many years.
479
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:09,840
When I first came here as a boy
480
00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,840
I was fascinated
by the fortress.
481
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,200
The size of it and all
the mystery around it.
482
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,320
Who built it?
483
00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:19,360
Why did they want
to build it here?
484
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:20,680
Especially here?
485
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,480
This is nimrod fortress.
486
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,960
It's named after the
biblical character nimrod,
487
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,920
who was believed
to have been the king
488
00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,080
who ordered the construction
of the tower of babel,
489
00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:38,120
that extraordinary structure
that stretched from earth
490
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:39,560
right up in to the heavens.
491
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,320
There was a legend
circulating that nimrod
492
00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:47,000
had been bothered
by a mosquito in his ear
493
00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,000
so in an act of regal arrogance
494
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,440
he cut off his own head
495
00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,360
and replaced it with one of gold
496
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,920
and that er, as sort
of divine punishment
497
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:56,080
for this act of arrogance
498
00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:58,640
he'd been buried in the
valley beneath this fortress.
499
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,760
Those who built nimrod
500
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,400
did not take the defence
of this place lightly.
501
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,200
It's huge, you can
see it from everywhere.
502
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,240
The rocks are big,
they're curved big,
503
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:16,640
everything here is big.
504
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,400
It's big because this
is the business card
505
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:20,640
of the people that built it.
506
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,600
They want people from
all around it to see it
507
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,960
and then they wouldn't
dare to come near it.
508
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,520
What's amazing to
see, and interesting,
509
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:41,080
is the amount of effort
that was done in creating
510
00:26:41,120 --> 00:26:43,760
such an accurate spot
511
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,720
for the Archer to stand,
512
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,480
overlooking the exact angle
513
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,280
he needs to watch.
514
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,760
And if you stand
here with your bow,
515
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,080
and you're aiming
to the exact point
516
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,240
you need to see in the valley,
517
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:01,920
it's just breath-taking.
518
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:05,640
Wow.
519
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:12,360
This castle was built
for military effectiveness,
520
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,440
many of the details of
the military architecture
521
00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,680
are incredibly well preserved,
522
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:20,480
there are the multiple layers
within the castle of fortifications
523
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,680
within fortifications
to withstand
524
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,440
repeated waves of attacks.
525
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,560
The forts layout betrays
it's specific purpose.
526
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,040
The fortress is built
as an army base.
527
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,320
You won't find here beds,
you won't find rooms here.
528
00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:40,640
You won't find
quarters, there's nothing.
529
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:42,240
This is an army base
530
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,440
and it's built only
for this purpose.
531
00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:48,280
But who or what
532
00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,480
was this army protecting?
533
00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,040
The strategic significance
534
00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,000
of this nimrod castle is that
535
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,800
it lies on this high
ground, locking access
536
00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,760
from the mediterranean
coast inland to Damascus.
537
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,680
Any invading force
would land at tyre
538
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:07,880
and make their way
through the golan heights
539
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:09,400
before taking Damascus.
540
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,920
They chose to build a
fortress specifically here...
541
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,880
Because it makes sure,
542
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,360
it prevent from anyone
to attack the people
543
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,440
that will go from Damascus
544
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,040
which is about that
way, and the port of tyre.
545
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,000
Damascus was a key seat
546
00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:33,640
in power at the time
547
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,440
and the main road to Damascus
548
00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,640
was a fundamentally
important military highway.
549
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,160
Late in the 11th century
crusading Christian armies
550
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:46,680
came from the west
551
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:48,080
intent on recovering
552
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,840
the so called holy
land from islamic rule.
553
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:54,840
The crusades were a defining
554
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,360
part of the medieval world
and of the medieval mind.
555
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,640
Western Christian
knights rode east
556
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:03,840
partly to contain islamic forces
557
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,440
which were
expanding in the region
558
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,360
but also to retake and
conquer as Christian
559
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,480
all those holy
sites from the Bible.
560
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,640
This whole area
was a battlefield
561
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,360
and you see crusader castles
562
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,120
speckling this region
563
00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:19,520
where the crusaders would create
564
00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,480
these strongholds to defend
and to advance their cause.
565
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,280
So, at the turn of
the 20th century
566
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,400
when western
archaeologists first arrived,
567
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,680
they were quick to assume
that the beautiful fortress
568
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,800
had been built by
their own crusaders.
569
00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:43,560
They assume and
they want to believe
570
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,240
that this is a
crusader's fortress.
571
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,760
Actually, until 1987,
572
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:51,360
history books that were written
573
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:53,200
about this fortress describe it
574
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:54,600
as a crusader's fortress.
575
00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,160
Nearby castles around
the golan heights
576
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,960
seem to confirm
their assumption.
577
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,600
If we look to the east,
578
00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,560
we can see first
of all beaufort,
579
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:11,760
a crusader's fortress
that sits in Lebanon.
580
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,440
Not that far from us, and hunin,
581
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:15,840
another crusader's fortress...
582
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:19,520
And this helps us to understand
583
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,200
why people thought
for so many years
584
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,320
that this fortress is actually
a crusader's fortress.
585
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,960
But details scattered around
586
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,320
the fortress suggest an
altogether different story.
587
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:34,920
The first clue that
588
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,120
we have here in
the north west tower
589
00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,480
is this inscription in
arabic that gave us an idea
590
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,800
why this fortress
wasn't built by crusaders.
591
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,000
This was built by
the islamic forces.
592
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,000
In 1187,
593
00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,200
saladin a brilliant
military strategist
594
00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,320
from modern day Iraq
swept across the region
595
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,880
and conquered many
crusader strongholds.
596
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:02,600
Saladin and his heirs
597
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:04,040
begin building fortifications
598
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,600
to hold back this Christian tide
599
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:10,680
and nimrod is an
islamic designed castle.
600
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,600
This castle was built by
one of saladin's nephews
601
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,960
in anticipation of
yet another battle.
602
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,160
They knew what it took to
succeed in this hostile terrain.
603
00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,520
As hidden features
at this site confirm.
604
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,120
An elaborate water system
605
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,000
kept the fortress well
stocked even under siege...
606
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:35,960
And that wasn't
the only contingency
607
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,520
if the castle was surrounded.
608
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,120
So, this is the secret passage,
609
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,040
an interesting way to
run away from the fortress
610
00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,520
if you need and to
smuggle some things
611
00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,400
if you are under attack.
612
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,720
And they build a secret passage
613
00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:53,880
in a very interesting way.
614
00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,200
It was hidden by a huge bush
615
00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:57,760
and basically no-one can see it
616
00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:58,920
if you didn't want to.
617
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,360
Nimrod fortress
was built to stand up
618
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,400
to the waves of waring crusaders
619
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:06,680
coming from the west.
620
00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,240
But saladin and his dynasty
were looking in the wrong direction.
621
00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:20,280
In the mid 13th century their
defences essentially reversed
622
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,080
to deal with an influx
of mongol invaders
623
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:24,440
from the east.
624
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,680
But after years of
conflict with the crusaders,
625
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,600
nimrod was eventually taken
626
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,880
without a single
stone being thrown,
627
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:34,920
the mongols were so feared
628
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,400
that the occupants surrendered
629
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,360
and were happy to
simply be spared their lives.
630
00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,440
The mongols were soon
driven out of the fortress
631
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,160
and it returned to islamic rule.
632
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,920
When ottoman forces
finally took over in 1517...
633
00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,960
Nimrod was no longer
in a strategic location.
634
00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,080
During the ottoman period,
635
00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,800
one of the towers, a
four storey structure
636
00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:03,080
that was quite luxurious enough
637
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,320
for anybody to have
lived in normally
638
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,080
was converted and
used as a prison.
639
00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:13,120
But the shattered remains that
640
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,160
litter this rocky outcrop
641
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,600
were not the work of
any marauding army.
642
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:21,560
A huge earthquake
that happened here
643
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:23,080
broke a little bit
of the fortress,
644
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,520
but not too much, as we
can see the rocks around us,
645
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:27,160
there's a little bit of ruins.
646
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:30,440
As if prophetic,
647
00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,360
nimrod's fortress was
shaken by an earthquake
648
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,680
just as nimrod's tower was
toppled by the forces of god.
649
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:41,240
Following the earthquake,
650
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,840
nimrod fortress was
finally abandoned
651
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,200
to the elements.
652
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,840
Nimrod fortress has
stood for nearly 1,000 years
653
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,160
overlooking a region that
continues to be contested.
654
00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,000
And the legacy of
its ancient origins
655
00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,080
can still be felt to this day.
656
00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,520
For centuries the
crusades were seen
657
00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,120
as a dusty old subject
658
00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:10,960
but now you can open a newspaper
659
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,160
and read that very
same language,
660
00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,240
crusade, holy war,
661
00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:17,360
jihad, martyrdom,
662
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,280
those ideas that were
current at the time,
663
00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,760
this castle was built
are still relevant today
664
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:24,880
in our modern world.
665
00:34:31,240 --> 00:34:33,720
On a mountain in
northern Albania,
666
00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,440
a complex of buildings
667
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,080
balances precariously
close to the peak.
668
00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:43,920
This place is definitely
out of the way,
669
00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:45,880
it's miles and miles
from the nearest town.
670
00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:49,760
The buildings here
are established,
671
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,360
but the road is anything but.
672
00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,000
It's basically a dirt road
cut through the mountains.
673
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,400
There's little to suggest what
this location was used for.
674
00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:04,440
But at its centre
an austere building
675
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,200
appears to offer up some clues.
676
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:10,480
It's a very unusual place
677
00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,480
to find a building
quite like this.
678
00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:17,040
It looks like your stereotypical
baddies headquarters.
679
00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,720
There's a definite
structure to this place.
680
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,240
This set up isn't
incidental it had a purpose,
681
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,200
there was investment
here and many people
682
00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:31,320
several thousand
feet above sea level.
683
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:35,520
So, what was this sinister
collection of buildings
684
00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:37,800
teetering on an
Albanian mountainside?
685
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,320
Zenel drangu was 24
when he first arrived here.
686
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,416
Zenel (translation): "I
came here and I saw people
687
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,520
"gathered in the terrace
688
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,040
"and I sincerely thought
689
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:57,720
"this looks like a zoo."
690
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:02,960
That was back in 1972
691
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,360
when this place had been
in operation for 4 years.
692
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,200
But what was it built for?
693
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:14,440
When you look a little closer
694
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,240
it's clear that it was
actually a mining operation.
695
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,640
If you've got a massive
mining operation here
696
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,360
it makes sense that
your work force live here.
697
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:26,440
We often think of mines
698
00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,800
as pits sunk deep
into the ground.
699
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:31,520
But here thousands
of feet up in the air
700
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,800
there were resources so rich
701
00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,880
that it was worth
climbing up the mountain
702
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,520
to get to them.
703
00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,400
They were digging for iron,
704
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:42,640
copper, zinc,
705
00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,600
and if they were
lucky a bit of gold too.
706
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,600
Zenel worked here as a miner,
707
00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:53,000
he remembers the
mines vast scale.
708
00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:58,880
Translation: "About
900 of us worked here...
709
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:02,640
"So 3 shifts...
710
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:05,840
"All divided in groups
711
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:07,200
"that would take the ore out."
712
00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:15,560
This was a huge operation,
713
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,000
it would have needed a lot
of manpower to run this place.
714
00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,040
But there are signs that
this was no ordinary mine.
715
00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,120
Something isn't
quite right here.
716
00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:32,160
It's almost like
they didn't care
717
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,800
for the welfare of the
people who lived here,
718
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,040
there's lots of barbed
wire and iron bars.
719
00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,720
Workers like zenel
were not here by choice.
720
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:49,400
This is spac prison,
721
00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:52,560
one of the most notorious
labour camps in Albania.
722
00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,120
Translation: "Here at
the camp inside its core
723
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,360
"where we are now
we had 5 rows of fences
724
00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,920
"and every 10 metres
there were the sentry boxes
725
00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:07,680
"and guard posts
of the soldiers."
726
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,760
This horrifying gulag
727
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,160
dates back to 1968
728
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:19,040
and the notorious reign of
communist leader enver hoxha.
729
00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:21,856
Albania had been
a communist country
730
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:23,480
since the 1940s
731
00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:26,760
but after the death of Stalin,
Albania's leader decided
732
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,720
that the Soviet union
was straying too far
733
00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:31,280
from the core
values of communism
734
00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:34,120
so severed all ties
with the Soviet union
735
00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,720
and with China and
decided to go it alone.
736
00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:39,760
The aim seemed to be
737
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,160
for Albania to become a
shining example of communism
738
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:45,280
whether it's
citizens like it or not.
739
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,240
All criticism of the state
740
00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:51,240
was forbidden and perhaps
741
00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,280
the very worst
example of criticism
742
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,320
was trying to leave
which was strictly illegal.
743
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,600
In 1972,
744
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,120
zenel fell foul of
the brutal regime.
745
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,360
He fled from Albania to
neighbouring yugoslavia
746
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,120
but was soon extradited
back to his homeland.
747
00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:18,160
Translation: "I was sentenced
to 20 years at the age of 24,
748
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,120
"a sentence that I served here."
749
00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:24,720
The regime relied on it
750
00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:27,400
not being questioned
or criticised
751
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:29,920
and if you did you ended up
752
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:34,280
being put away in places
like spac for re-education
753
00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,920
where you were shut
away from public view.
754
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,120
Zenel suffered alongside the
rest of those incarcerated here.
755
00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:50,280
Translation: "The
situation was difficult,
756
00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,440
"conditions were inhumane,
757
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:54,440
"it's that hard in
the mines gallery
758
00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,760
"cause you have
all sorts of gases,
759
00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,680
"smoke and smells,
760
00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:00,960
"almost like that
of rotten bodies.
761
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,320
"It smelled acidic."
762
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:08,120
The facility was effectively
a slave labour camp,
763
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,320
the inmates were forced to work
764
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:12,200
inhumanely long hours
765
00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:14,840
with unrealistically
high productivity quotas
766
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,600
for the mining.
767
00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,280
And the prisoners spartan
768
00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:21,080
living quarters
offered no respite
769
00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:24,880
with up to 54 men
sleeping in each room.
770
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:29,400
The rooms are very
small, almost like cages.
771
00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,520
I mean there's basic living
but this is something else.
772
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,440
Another terrifying
aspect of life
773
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,280
there was that the authorities
offered time off sentences
774
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:42,960
for those who agreed to
spy on their fellow prisoners,
775
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:44,840
so you didn't only
have to watch out
776
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:46,440
for the guards and the warders.
777
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:50,960
Translation: "I said
nothing to my co-workers
778
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:52,080
"because you never know
779
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,240
"what kind of people
you'd run in to,
780
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,400
"somebody could be a good person
781
00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:58,920
"but somebody else
could easily be someone
782
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:00,520
"who would report
you to the command."
783
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:05,560
But these draconian measures
784
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,520
could not break
the prisoners spirit.
785
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,880
On the 21st of may 1973
786
00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,960
the inmates of spac
prison stage a revolt.
787
00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,120
The prisoners had
just had enough,
788
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:22,040
they'd had enough
of being incarcerated
789
00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:24,600
in dreadful conditions
for trivial offences
790
00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:25,880
and they fought back.
791
00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,040
They seized the wardens guns,
792
00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:31,640
they fortified the prison
and they took control.
793
00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,280
The rebellion was
bold and brave,
794
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,800
but it had a fatal flaw.
795
00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:43,320
They were stuck up the
mountain with only one road down.
796
00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,520
Waiting at the bottom
was the state police
797
00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,800
but they didn't need
to storm the prison
798
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,840
and risk their own lives,
799
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:52,560
all they needed to do
800
00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,200
was cut off the
prisons water supply.
801
00:41:57,480 --> 00:41:59,560
The police cut off
the water supply
802
00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:00,920
from the bottom of the valley.
803
00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:03,560
And it was only a matter of time
804
00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:05,240
before the rebellion
was quashed.
805
00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,000
Zenel had just
arrived at the prison
806
00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:10,960
and did not play an active role.
807
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:12,640
But he witnessed the surrender.
808
00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:18,480
Translation: "So, after 3
days they cut the water supply
809
00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,800
"and the food and
they had nowhere to go
810
00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:23,280
"and the prisoners surrendered.
811
00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:26,560
"They handcuffed
all the prisoners,
812
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,560
"in fact 80 of them
813
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,760
"were given additional
25 year prison terms.
814
00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,960
"4 of them were then
executed by firing squad.
815
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,960
"And they showed us their
pictures to stoke more terror."
816
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:44,680
Zenel had to make a decision
817
00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:46,360
about how to
survive in this place.
818
00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:51,736
Translation: "I thought
about my family,
819
00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,080
"that I would not want
to bring any harm to them
820
00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,600
"because if I had
tried to escape
821
00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:58,400
"the way many others had escaped
822
00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:00,120
"they would exile my family.
823
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,600
"In fact they would take
revenge on my family."
824
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,400
Spac continued to operate
825
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:07,600
as a labour camp
826
00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:09,920
until the fall of the
Albanian communist party
827
00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:12,640
in the early 1990s.
828
00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:15,640
Almost 20 years later
a private company
829
00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:17,560
started to mine here once more.
830
00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:25,840
Having suffered
the brutal conditions
831
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,840
of spac prison for 14 years,
832
00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:29,920
zenel now hopes
833
00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:33,080
that it will one day become
a national monument.
834
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:40,280
Translation: "Let's
hope we will one day fix it
835
00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:42,240
"so that visitors
who might come,
836
00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,000
"especially young ones
837
00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:46,160
"would know what this
nation went through."
838
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,160
Captioned by
ai-media ai-media. TV
64846
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