Great British Railway Journeys Ep 17/20
Michael Portillo’s first stop on the second leg of his final journey, from Buxton to London, is Cromford. Bradshaw, the man whose railway guides changed the face of travel in the UK, mentions that Arkwright built his first cotton mill here, and Arkwright went on to develop the modern factory system in his Cromford mills which were copied all over the country.
Michael meets Ian Maclean, the Managing Director of knitwear manufacturer John Smedley’s and a descendant of the original Smedley family. John Smedley went into business with Arkwright’s finance director, and Smedley’s is now the oldest working factory in the world. The foundations of the factory’s success were laid in the mid 19th century when the local railways reached Derbyshire.
Travelling on to Derby, Michael takes a walk through Britain’s first public park, the Derby Arboretum, with tree specialist Jonathan Oakes. The park was built by a local wealthy benefactor, Joseph Strutt, who made his fortune in Derby’s silk mills. Michael spends the night in one of the first luxury hotels built by the railways, the Midland Hotel in Derby, noteworthy because Bradshaw spends several paragraphs praising the lady manager, a Mrs Chatfield.
His final stop is in Burton-on-Trent, the home of Britain’s brewing industry. Here Michael goes to Burton Bridge Breweries, the largest independent brewers in town. In the 19th century, the railways transformed Burton into the brewing capital of the world; the town even had its own rail network connecting up the breweries. As he makes beer, Michael discovers why Burton’s ale is said to be some of the best-tasting in the world.
2 Responses to “Great British Railway Journeys Ep 17/20”
Comment from fred
Time January 27, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I don’t think so – and there seem to be no reprints either – gap in the market??
Comment from Lesley Baxter
Time January 27, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Please can you tell me if Bradshaws book is still in print?
thank you