How We Built Britain
A rich history of human-built environments and architectural marvels.
Episode 1—Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, Series 1
Rebuilding a Chinese bridge, saving a 450-year-old table, and a painting with a secret.
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The Day That Changed the World—Michael Portillo's 200 Years of the Railways, Series 1
Railway enthusiast Michael Portillo leads a landmark journey through 200 years of rail.
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Victorian—Back in Time for the Corner Shop, Series 1
The Arderns' adventure starts behind the counter of a Victorian corner shop.
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The People’s Piazza: A History of Covent Garden
David Olusoga explores the 400-year history of London’s Covent Garden Piazza.
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Secrets of the Lost Mines—Our Lives, Series 8
Two friends with a passion for the past explore the abandoned metal mines of mid Wales.
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Denham to Swindon—Great British Railway Journeys, Series 15
Michael Portillo embarks on a postwar exploration of Britain’s southern counties.
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Oxford—The Hairy Bikers' Pubs That Built Britain
Si visits Brasenose College for a taste of one of their ancient rituals.
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Episode 1—The Years That Changed Modern Scotland, Series 1
Kirsty Wark explores the 1970s and early 1980s, an era of shops, pop, new towns and oil.
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Mighty Cathedrals—Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain
Fred looks at the 11th-century building programme of the Normans.
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Episode 1—The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild, Series 1
Miners tunnel under the hotel while manager Eugene tries to protect guests from the noise.
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Forests—Landscape and Memory
Simon Schama looks at what forests have come to represent in the world of culture.
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Secrets in the Peat
The story of peatlands around the world, from excavation to restoration.
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St Columb’s Hall, Londonderry—If Walls Could Talk, Series 1
Local people share stories and memories of this iconic building in the heart of the city.
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A Passion for Churches
John Betjeman visits various churches in the Diocese of Norwich.
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How They Dug the Victoria Line
The inside story of the construction of the London Underground's Victoria Line. (1969)
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Men of Steam—In View
John Betjeman hears from the railway men who are facing the end of the steam age. (1962)
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Durham Cathedral—Climbing Great Buildings
Dr Jonathan Foyle's journey begins in the north east of England at Durham Cathedral.
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Saxon Gold and Buried Coins—Digging for Britain, Series 12
Including an Anglo-Saxon sword, a Roman sarcophagus and an exquisite coin hoard.
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I Love This Dirty Town
Margaret Drabble investigates the problems of town planning and traffic. (1969)
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The World's Oldest Railway—Our Lives, Series 9
Tanfield in the north east is the world’s oldest railway, and in 2025, it turns 300.
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Arteries of the Empire—What the Romans Did for Us, Series 1
The Romans' ingenious surveying methods that enabled them to build arrow-straight roads.
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The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of a great Scottish landmark, the Forth Road Bridge.
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Episode 4—Back in Time for Birmingham, Series 1
The Sharmas reflect on their time-travelling journey through British Asian history.
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From London to Lancashire—Nairn Across Britain
Writer and journalist Ian Nairn takes a journey to the industrial North. (1972)
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