Original subtitles

(winds blowing)

(inspiring music)

- Our journey begins

on the outskirts of London, at Hampton Court.

One of the few remaining palaces

of the Tudor king, Henry VIII.

Following the River Thames,

we head to the town of Henley,

whose rowing tradition has given rise

to numerous Olympic champions.

Amongst the lush hills of Oxfordshire,

is one of the most famous prehistorical

hill figures in Britain.

The Uffington White Horse.

We head on to the Caen Hill Locks,

a masterpiece of 19th century canal engineering,

before arriving at the historic city of Bath,

whose hot springs became a major draw

for English aristocracy in the 18th century.

And our journey comes to a close

at one of the finest examples

of English baroque architecture still standing, Dyrham Park.

(lighthearted music)

Lying on the outskirts of London along the River Thames

is one of the grandest palaces in Britain.

Hampton Court.

It was originally built in 1514, for Cardinal Wolsey,

close friend and chief advisor to Henry VIII.

But he was to fall out of favor with the English monarch

when Rome denied the King's request for a divorce.

Resigned to his fate, Wolsey gifted Hampton Court to Henry

who expanded the property to accommodate

his vast royal court.

Most of the structures built by Wolsey remain unchanged,

including the inner gatehouse and clock tower.

Once he took over ownership,

Henry VIII added the Great Hall where he dined in state.

Later in the 17th century,

under the reign of William and Mary,

Hampton Court underwent a massive expansion,

designed by the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren.

The idea was to create a palace to rival

Versailles in France.

And the surrounding grounds were to complement

the grandeur of the palace.

The dominant feature is the canal,

known as Long Water, which leads to the semicircular

Great Fountain Garden.

This hedge maze planted in the 1690s

is the oldest surviving maze garden in the UK.

These sunken pond gardens once held freshwater fish

before Queen Mary filled them in

to display her exotic flowers.

(grand classical music)

The Privy Garden, once a private retreat for William III,

lies in the south side, and was recently reconstructed

to its original 1702 design.

The symmetrical patterns incorporate the original plants,

marble sculptures, and a wrought iron fence.

(classical music)

(catchy music)

Our journey takes us on to what was once

a transport base for the Royal Air Force,

at Heathrow International Airport.

Now the site for the third busiest airport in the world,

the hamlet of Heathrow was a haunt

for the historic highwaymen of Hounslow Heath

before aviators began landing on this suitable stretch

of flat land in the early 1900s.

(catchy music)

Located in West London,

the first airfield at Heathrow

was operational by 1930.

The military began its expansion in 1944,

but it turned to civil aviation

at the end of World War II.

Today, it services over 90 airlines,

which utilize two east-west running runways

to transport passengers to 170 destinations worldwide.

From the UK's busiest airport,

we move along to its busiest road, the M25.

A 188 kilometer orbital motorway

that encircles Greater London.

North of Heathrow Airport,

the M25 forms a four stack junction with the M4.

This intersection is unusual in that

it's bisected by a railway line

that passes beneath the elevations.

We continue westward into Berkshire countryside

and Cliveden House, now a luxury hotel

set 40 meters above the banks of the River Thames.

(lighthearted classical music)

This Japanese inspired water garden

welcomes guests down a long avenue

dotted with lime trees to the main house.

It was previously the residence of countesses,

dukes, a Prince of Wales, and Viscountess Nancy Astor,

who was the first woman to sit

as a member of Parliament in 1919.

Cliveden, however, is best known

for the part it played in one of the biggest scandals

in British political history.

Because it was here, in the early 1960s,

that the Secretary of State for war, John Profumo,

met a woman with whom he had an affair,

not realizing that she was also the mistress

of an alleged Russian spy.

The Profumo Scandal, as it became to be known,

led not only to the politician's resignation,

but also the eventual downfall of the government.

The Thames is as enjoyable from the air

as it is by boat,

especially for rowing enthusiasts.

And very few places in Britain

can rival the area we're approaching

in its contribution to the sport.

(catchy calming music)

Following these rowers along the Thames

as it courses through the lush Oxfordshire countryside,

we gently make our way to the 12th century market town

of Henley.

Due to an ideal stretch of the river,

this place became a renown center for rowing

with the annual Henley Royal Regatta

staged each summer.

Members from the town's prestigious Leander Club

have won more Olympic gold medals

than rowers from any other single club in the world.

Henley's long history is reflected in its architecture,

ranging from its town hall built in 1901,

to a pub that dates back to 1325.

(calming music)

Further along the Thames in Oxfordshire,

is the riverside manor of Mapledurham.

The Tudor home was owned by Sir Michael Blount,

a 16th century tax collector,

and it has remained his family for over 400 years.

(lighthearted music)

Mapledurham's red brick and tall chimneys

are typical of the grand country houses built

during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

The estate includes this 15th century water mill,

which continues to produce stone ground flour

to this day.

(lighthearted music)

The present appearance of the mansion

is due to restorations completed in the 1830s,

including the rearranging of the chimneys

and the addition of a neo-Tudor porch.

(lighthearted music)

Weaving through the hills of Oxfordshire,

we arrive at an extraordinary ancient monument

that is without doubt, best viewed from the air.

The Uffington White Horse.

(mysterious music)

Dating back to the late Bronze Age,

the figure is formed from deep trenches

filled with crushed white chalk.

It's thought to be the oldest hill figure in Britain,

and stretches 114 meters,

giving it the appearance of leaping across the valley.

Theories of its meaning range from a religious symbol

of a Celtic goddess,

to a memorial to the slaying of a dragon by Saint George,

the patron saint of England.

Regardless, the White Horse is a true gem

of Britain's historic past.

Another ancient legacy is the Ridgeway,

the oldest continuously used road in Europe.

The bridleway dates back 5,000 years,

and possibly even existed

when England was joined to the continent.

In ages past, as well as being a high road,

it was also a defensive barrier.

A series of ringed forts, such as Uffington Castle,

were constructed during the Bronze Age.

Today, the Ridgeway is a 140 kilometer national trail

enjoyed by hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.

Nestled in this picturesque valley in the Berkshire Downs,

is Ashdown Park.

(calming classical music)

With its doll's house looks,

this Dutch style home was built in 1662

by the first Earl of Craven, for his love,

Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Unfortunately, she died before construction began.

Ashdown's design was an imitation

of Sir Roger Pratt's new style of English home

with large windows, dormers,

and a roof balustrade and cupola.

The house was requisitioned by the army during World War II,

and left in a terrible state

before the National Trust took over in 1956.

Ashdown was leased out soon after,

and it was the tenants who took on the task of restoration.

Pete Townsend of rock band "The Who"

is the current leaseholder.

Our journey now takes us 14 kilometers west

to the Swindon Railway Village.

A reminder of life in the 19th century.

The great Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel,

chose this place as the center for repair and maintenance

for the locomotives of his Great Western Railway.

The Swindon Works, as it was called,

began operations out of a repair shed in 1843.

But before long, they were making their own locomotives,

carriages, and wagons.

It helped transform this town

into a major manufacturing center

of industrialized Britain.

To accommodate the workers,

the railway company constructed a model village

in two blocks of four parallel streets.

There was also a hospital, and a health center.

Deductions from workers' pay

were entered into a fund for medical treatment,

providing an early blueprint

for Britain's National Health Service.

By the start of the 20th century,

the Works employed three quarters of the town.

However, the nationalization of the railways in 1948

would symbolize the beginning of the end.

New buildings ceased in 1965,

and the Swindon Works finally closed in 1986.

Back towards the Ridgeway

are the remains of an ancient hill fort.

Liddington Castle.

Its occupation is estimated between

the seventh to fifth centuries, B.C.

The fort is constructed of an oval bank

of timber and earth, fronted by a ditch,

with chalk used to reinforce the ramparts.

The castle is the highest point in the borough of Swindon,

and a visible landmark to the millions

who drive past on the M4 to its south.

But it's not the only one in these parts.

Barbury Castle is one of the most admired

of the Ridgeway hill forts,

not only for its commanding views of the Cotswolds,

but also for its undisturbed chalky grassland.

Barbury is shaped by a broadly elliptical double rampart

which remains quite steep

after two and a half thousand years of erosion.

(dramatic music)

Despite its origins,

the fort was occupied during World War II

and used as an anti-aircraft base.

As a consequence,

the troops uncovered archeological remains

that led to most of what is known about the castle today.

(dramatic music)

From fortifications to something built

for more ceremonial purposes, the Avebury Ring.

Constructed around 2600 B.C.,

this monument is approximately 420 meters in diameter.

That's four times bigger than similar sites

from that period.

The outer stone circle is the largest in Britain,

originally having 98 standing stones,

some weighing more than 40 tons.

There were two inner circles

towards the center of the ring,

as well as stone lined avenues that led to it.

Overall, an estimated 400 boulders

comprised the monument.

Archeologist Alexander Keiller re-erected

many of the stones in the 1930s,

and Avebury is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At 40 meters high and 167 meters across,

Silbury Hill is amongst the largest

manmade mounds in the world.

Archeologists reckon it was constructed

almost 5,000 years ago,

and required 18 million man hours to build it.

What remains a mystery

is that nothing has been found inside it

to give a clue as to what the hill was used for.

(dramatic music)

Yet another World Heritage Site in this region

is West Kennet Long Barrow.

A Neolithic tomb situated on a prominent chalk ridge.

West Kennet stretches 100 meters,

and rises over two and half meters high

with a semi-circular row of large stones

flanking the entrance.

Construction began around 3600 B.C.,

requiring over 15,000 man hours.

It was sealed and ceased to be used by 2500 B.C,

around the same time that construction began on Avebury,

hinting at a change in ritual and belief.

Excavations revealed that 50 people of various ages

were buried here.

Most likely, the ruling elite from Avebury.

We continue west into the neighboring county of Wiltshire,

and to the magnificent Bowood House and Gardens.

This Georgian home was first constructed in 1725,

and has been in the residences of the marquises of Lansdowne

for eight generations.

But it's the park and gardens

that are the true draw of Bowood.

Designed by the celebrated

landscape architect Capability Brown,

it's considered to be one of his finest achievements.

This charming cottage and several other buildings

sit by the lakeside.

Brown first placed this doric temple in the gardens

adjacent to the main house,

but it was moved to this small bluff

overlooking the water in the 19th century.

With over eight square kilometers

of gardens and wilderness,

there are many hidden gems to be found,

such as this cascade fed by the lake.

But the most famous find at Bowood

took place in a laboratory in the house itself,

with Dr. Joseph Priestley's discovery of oxygen in 1774.

This may appear as an ordinary scene

of a boat's passage along a waterway,

yet this lock is one part of a marvelous innovation

of the canal era.

The steepness of Caen Hill in Wiltshire

was a serious test for the Kennet and Avon Canal's designer,

John Rennie, who devised this series of 29 locks

that rise 72 meters over the course

of little over three kilometers.

The Caen Hill locks were the last portion

of the Kennet and Avon to be built,

completed in 1810.

The steep hill required the sections

between these 16 locks

to be shorter than normal.

Rennie created these unusually large side ponds

to replenish the water in each lock after use.

This innovation was to be crucial to trade,

providing a reliable waterway

between London and Bristol.

A few kilometers away is Snail's Meadow,

home to Lacock Abbey.

It was founded as a nunnery in 1232,

during the reign of Henry III.

Centuries later, it was sold, and in 1539,

it was converted into a house.

Although the new owner demolished the church,

few alterations were made to the monastic buildings

such as these cloisters below the living quarters.

Today, the house is mostly associated

with owner William Henry Fox Talbot,

the photographer who created the first negative in 1835,

and there is now a museum here

dedicated to his pioneering work.

The neighboring village of Lacock

was part of the abbey's legacy.

Its market developed a thriving wool industry

throughout the Middle Ages.

Today, both village and abbey

are owned by the National Trust.

Most of the surviving houses

are from the 18th century or earlier.

Lacock has made several appearances on TV and film,

from the BBC series Pride and Prejudice

to several of the Harry Potter films.

Our next stop is this 15th century manor house

built by a member of the landed gentry,

who made his fortune as a clothier.

Except for the partial remains

of a moat that surrounded the estate,

Great Chalfield Manor very closely

resembles its appearance in the 1470s.

The original south and east wings were demolished,

but under ownership of the Fuller family,

architect Sir Harold Brakspear

was commissioned to rebuild the home in the early 1900s

using drawings from an old survey.

As delightful as the house itself

is the arts and crafts garden

that was also introduced in the 1900s.

(lighthearted music)

The city of Bath marks the final leg of our journey.

A place of stunning architecture, and hot springs.

Heated water from deep in the earth's crust

rises up through gaps and cracks

as geothermal springs.

Not surprisingly, Bath was established

as a spa town by the Romans

shortly after their arrival in Britain in 40 A.D.

But it wouldn't be until the 18th century

that its waters gained popularity once more.

This time, for the rich as well as royalty.

Exemplary Georgian architecture sprang up,

built from the honey colored Bath stone

that still decorates the city today.

In 1987, it was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On a hill overlooking Bath

is the striking Palladian mansion built for Ralph Allen,

one of the city's pioneers.

(lighthearted music)

This square of Georgian houses known as Queen Square

was the first major project

of the city's architect, John Wood, the Elder,

who hoped to restore Bath

to the glory of its Roman origins.

Inspired by the Colosseum,

Wood designed these curved residencies called the Circus,

as part of his grand Palladian landscape for the city

which were finished by his son, John Wood, the Younger.

(lighthearted music)

Viewed from the air, the Circus, along with Queen Square

and the adjoining Gay Street,

outline a masonic key shape.

Wood, the Younger, turned his attention

to his own masterpiece, the Royal Crescent.

This front is a curved stone facade with 114 columns

that are 14 meters tall.

Sections of the facade were sold to buyers

who employed their own architects

whilst retaining the uniform and symmetrical front.

Though, perhaps not quite as striking,

Landsdowne Hill nevertheless has its own elegant terraces,

including the concentric Cavendish and Somerset crescents.

Landsdowne forms 20 residences each with four floors

and a basement intended as servant's quarters.

It took around 50 years for the architects

to realize their vision,

and today Bath stands as one of the best examples

of an 18th century city.

(lighthearted music)

We've come to the last stop on our journey,

in South Gloucestershire,

about 13 kilometers north of Bath,

to look at a superb example

of an English baroque house, Dyrham Park.

Set in over a square kilometer of ancient parkland,

visitors can enjoy the pleasure

of spotting free roaming deer.

(lighthearted music)

The house was commissioned by William Blathwayt,

who was Secretary of War under William III.

Dyrham Park, which remained in the family

until the 1950s,

is now run by the National Trust

who preserve this beautiful garden parkland

for all to enjoy.

It's a fine place to end this journey.

(lighthearted music)

(dramatic violin music)