Mapping the Town

Tin Town

Wednesday 30 August 2006 13:30-14:00 (Radio 4 FM)

Archaeologist Julian Richards explores the hidden history of our towns through the streets and buildings of today.

One hundred years ago, a town was founded in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, to house workers building two massive dams.

Birchinlee housed almost a thousand people and boasted a schoolhouse, a police station, a hairdresser, shops, a community centre and canteen. Today the dams remain, but the town of corrugated iron has gone.

So why did the Derwent Valley Water Board build such an impressive home for the navvies, and was this artificial town a success?

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Mapping the Town

Find a Broadcast

• 4 October 2006
• 27 September 2006
• 20 September 2006
• 13 September 2006
• 6 September 2006
• 30 August 2006
• 23 August 2006
• 14 September 2005