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Heritage Crafts

Anita Rani is in Norfolk meeting the people keeping some of the UK's vanishing trades alive, including a millwright and a reed cutter.

Anita Rani is in Norfolk meeting the people keeping some of the UK's vanishing trades alive. Her first stop is Horsey Windpump which has been restored to full working glory by Tim Whiting, one of the last millwrights in the country. Next she joins the reed cutters making a living on the Norfolk Broads, where she gets to try her hand at cutting. Then she joins Nigel Ford, a man on a mission to restore all of Norfolk's ancient milestones. Finally, she meets David Wolstenholme who makes cricket bats by hand, a skill that's listed by the Heritage Crafts Association as being critically endangered, before she takes her place at the crease to put the bat to the test.

56 minutes

Last on

Tue 1 May 2018 02:05

Horsey Windpump

Horsey Windpump

Anita visits an iconic Norfolk Broads landmark to see how an ambitious restoration project is bringing the Grade II* listed building back to life. 

The Horsey Windpump stood still and silent for 75 years after being struck by lightning in 1943. 

But repairs carried out by millwright Tim Whiting will see it fully operational again – a true labour of love that will be complete by the end of the summer…

Reed Cutters

Reed Cutters

Anita finds out how the ancient skill of reed-cutting on the Norfolk Broads has gone a little more hi-tech thanks to some modern machinery.

Reed has been harvested here for centuries and the look of the landscape has always relied on the skills of the locals who work and live around it.

But, rather than the traditional scythe, Anita gets her hands on ‘The Beast’ – a massive 'lawnmower' designed to chop down the reeds. But can she keep it on the straight and narrow?

Weather Vanes

Weather Vanes

Weather vanes on buildings have been recorded as far back as the ancient Greeks – and this historic metal-working craft is still alive and well in the UK. 

Matt Baker is off to Herefordshire to see weather vanes being made today that can rival any that have ever been produced. 

And Matt makes his own traditional miniature English weather cock by hammering, chiselling and shaping a flat piece of copper into a detailed 'masterpiece'.

Longbows

Longbows
Steve Brown swaps wildlife for archery as he heads into the woods near Chelmsford in Essex for a masterclass in medieval long bow-making. 
His tutor, Tom Mareschall, has been creating longbows for more than 50 years and shows Steve how to turn a piece of Yew into a longbow. 
Steve then joins blacksmith Rick Sherwood in the forge as they produce an arrow head, before learning to shoot his longbow like the archers of old. 
But will Steve be able to hit the target in a medieval style archery competition?

Oak Bark Tannery

Oak Bark Tannery

Helen Skelton’s in Devon discovering the ancient process behind many of our belts, bags and boots.

Helen visits the last traditional oak bark tannery in Britain to discover how they turn raw cow hide into premium grade leather. 

Helen meets Andrew Parr to examine the whole process from scraping off the hair, soaking it in oak bark vats to finally finishing and grading.

Along the way Helen meets John Hagger a master leather worker who uses the leather to produce fine hand-crafted goods.

Vellum

Vellum

Animal skin isn’t just used for leather accessories, clothes and footwear but, for thousands of years, calf skin has been used as high-quality parchment to write and draw on.

Anita travels to Buckinghamshire to chat with Paul Wright the only vellum manufacturer in the UK.

Anita discusses the whole process from selecting the right calf skin all the way to treating and removing layers.

Anita also meets Gael Sellwood, a renowned botanical artist, who talks about the reasons why she uses vellum.

Bodge Job

Bodge Job

Matt finds out how to do a real ‘bodge’ job – but while ‘bodging’ may conjure up images of a bad or half-done job this is actually the work of a skilled craftsman making chair legs and braces.

In the heart of Sherwood Forest, traditional bodger Bryan Eskriett shows his skills in the ancient practice of woodturning using unseasoned wood and traditional tools.


Milestone Man

Milestone Man

We all like to treasure the milestones in our lives, but retired window cleaner Nigel Ford goes a step further: he’s restored scores of the real roadside markers.

In 2010, Nigel decided to repair a local milestone and, since then, he’s been instrumental in restoring about 150 of them across Norfolk.

For Nigel, these markers are a link to our past – and even a thing of beauty in itself. He ropes in Anita to help restore one 200-year-old milestone damaged by a modern-day flail cutter.

Cricket Bats

Cricket Bats

David Wolstenholme has a heritage skill that lies right at the heart of British culture, one that is now so rare it’s on the endangered crafts list.

He’s one of only about 20 people in the UK to make cricket bats by hand – a skill he has spent the past 17 years refining using English willow.

Anita takes a turn at this precise skill – and puts her work to the test facing a few bowls on the cricket pitch…watch your heads!

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Anita Rani
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

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