How The Victorians Built Britain

Michael Buerk jumps on board an original locomotive to discover the effect that the burgeoning rail network had on Victorian Britain.He explores the role that a former coal track played in the development of the national railway, investigates Isambard Kingdom Brunel's bid to secure Bristol's future and delves into the history of the creation of the fastest engine in the world.

When Queen Victoria came to the throne, ships were the arteries of the British Empire. They made Great Britain the greatest trading nation on earth. As their dependence on dominating the oceans increased, the Victorians built the most technologically advanced ships in the world. Warships such as HMS Warrior and the luxury steamer SS Great Britain ensured that the nation ruled the wave.

Michael discovers how the bridges of the Victorian era connected Britain. When Victoria came to the throne, the industrial revolution had begun and the technology that stemmed from it transformed the nation. Michael visits the magnificent Ironbridge, still standing and in use today. He then travels to Bristol and sees the Clifton Suspension Bridge, uncovering a secret construction masterpiece.

It wasn't just in the areas of technology and industry that the Victorian era changed Great Britain. In Blackpool, Michael Buerk discovers how visits to the seaside were transformed from a perk purely for the wealthy, to a British institution enjoyed by all. He also learns how rivalry between two showbiz giants resulted in some of the nation 's most glorious architecture.

As the industrial revolution began, and Britain moved into the Victorian era, disease was rife. The mildest ailment could prove to be a death sentence and the cure could often be as deadly as the illness. But Michael Buerk discovers how bold Victorian health experiments and great cathedrals dedicated to medicine transformed Britain and revolutionized the medical world.

Before the Victorian era, crime was rife, the legal process was arcane, and punishments could be brutal, unfair and inhumane. But, as Michael Buerk discovers, the Victorians instituted a revolution in law and order. Among their innovations was the creation the first modern police force. They also focused on the building of large prisons, many of which Great Britain still relies on today.

One major issue faced by many living through the Victorian era was sanitation. But as scientific knowledge developed, the link between unsanitary conditions and disease was made. Michael Buerk discovers how Britain's first 'super sewer' cleaned up the capital and inspired a freshwater revolution that would change the lives of millions. His journey starts in the cesspits of Victorian high society.

While the Victorian era saw huge advances in technology and industry, many other aspects of British society were changing. Michael Buerk discovers how the Victorians took on the world of exploration and adventure, bringing it home to Britain for everyone to share. His voyage of discovery begins by coming face-to-face with a dinosaur who changed the course of science at the Natural History Museum.