- 6 hours ago
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00:01I'm back on the road exploring more of our magnificent country.
00:06The scale of it and the size of it. Stunning.
00:11As ever I'm joined by my trusty camper, named after one of my favourite people, Helen Mirren.
00:17Hello boss, breathe in. Whoop, there we are.
00:20We're off to amazing spots.
00:22Oh my goodness, this place is beautiful.
00:26Enjoying local pastimes.
00:27That feels so much better now.
00:31I mean, someone's got to keep standards up.
00:34Hunting out quirky customs.
00:36Look at the scene of the alligator, who knew that was going to happen?
00:39It's like being pulled by a horse.
00:41You got it? Brilliant.
00:45And meeting great people.
00:47Oh, steady arm.
00:49You're so good at that!
00:51It's a feast for the eyes.
00:53Stunning, it's really beautiful here.
00:55Ears!
00:59And all the senses.
01:01I actually want to start crying.
01:03We live in a land full of wonder.
01:06Hiya! Hello!
01:08So come along on my grand day out.
01:11This time I'm revelling in all the stunning homes and gardens I've been lucky enough to visit on my grand days out.
01:29It's absolutely tiny.
01:30And I'm taking Helen on a brand new excursion to a stately royal treasure.
01:36I've never been heckled by a clock before.
01:39There's a Kalman's Biggest Hits.
01:41This is real Indiana Jones stuff.
01:44As I recall some of our fabulous forays across the British Isles.
01:47That's just spectacular.
01:48Today, me and my trusty steeds are in Ayrshire, just outside the town of Cumnock at Dumfries House.
02:03This exquisite Palladian manor was built in 1759 and is now owned by the King's Foundation and open to the public.
02:11Now, I don't know if it's my love of Agatha Christie mysteries that causes this, but I love an old country house.
02:19And me and Helen have visited some crackers on our adventures.
02:23I want to show you this one though, because it's a gem.
02:28The manor is home to an unrivalled selection of priceless antiques,
02:32which in recent years were very nearly sold off to the highest bidder were it not for an 11th hour rescue.
02:37Head tour guide Alex knows the collection inside and out.
02:42Alex, it's so nice to be at Dumfries House. It was sort of saved, wasn't it?
02:48Well, we go back to maybe 2005.
02:51The house latterly was in the hands of the Butte family and they were about to sell everything that you see in the house.
02:57So lock stock, everything.
02:58Yeah, it was only three weeks before the Christie's auction was due to happen that his majesty heard about the potential disaster.
03:07King Charles saved the house and its contents, including dozens of pieces of 18th century furniture crafted by Thomas Chippendale, Britain's most celebrated furniture maker, whose works now sell for truly eye-watering sums.
03:21Is this a Chippendale here?
03:23This is a Chippendale bookcase.
03:25Okay. She takes her hand away from the Chippendale bookcase. Aha.
03:30This intricately carved and glazed piece is unique and dated May 1759.
03:36What was it though, that made Chippendale such an important cabinet maker?
03:41He was the first cabinet maker in Britain to publish a catalogue of his designs and that was called the gentleman and cabinet makers director and it was a master stroke.
03:53He wanted them to flick through and select things which he would make and supply.
03:56Like an IKEA catalogue.
03:57Exactly.
03:58Yes.
04:00He encouraged other cabinet makers to copy his design and that made him more famous.
04:05Very clever. Very clever.
04:06Very clever piece of marketing.
04:07Unbelievably, 10% of all the world's Chippendales are in this very building.
04:13Is there a reason as to why so many Chippendales are in this house and the fact they survived?
04:18Because obviously a lot of Chippendales wouldn't have survived.
04:21Well, the house was commissioned by the 5th Earl of Dumfries.
04:24Okay.
04:25His wife had died and he desperately wanted an heir to pass everything on to.
04:30And to get an heir, he had to have a second wife.
04:33He furnished the house as lavishly as he could.
04:37Look at my Chippendales.
04:38Exactly.
04:39Yeah.
04:40How much is this worth in today's money?
04:42In the Christie's catalogue for the auction, which didn't happen, they gave it an estimate of £2-4 million.
04:49I've had it on good authority that it should have made round about £25 million.
04:54It's quite a lot to be standing next to something that's worth such a lot of money, but is also so important.
05:00The precision with which Chippendales made this is incredible.
05:05And yours truly is testing out the master craftsmanship.
05:09That means this is still in mint condition, two and a half centuries after it was built.
05:15Gently does it, Susan.
05:17It's £30 million.
05:19Gently lift this handle up.
05:22Now, before you pull the drawer out, remember that it's 260 years old and listen.
05:27Because it doesn't stick or jam.
05:30It's an incredibly fine piece.
05:32And just pull the drawer open.
05:34Keep going.
05:35Keep going.
05:36Keep going.
05:37Well, it certainly puts a flat pack wardrobe to shame.
05:40And what you've got there is the Christie's swing tag there.
05:44Yeah.
05:4512th July 07.
05:46That was lot 40.
05:48That's how close we came to losing absolutely everything.
05:51Since being saved and open to the public, the Chippendale collection has drawn people here from far and wide.
05:58It's one of those things, it's an iconic name you hear about your entire life, but I've never actually stood next to one.
06:05Well, having said that at the time, may have been the most valuable item of furniture in the world, it wasn't the piece that he paid most for.
06:14Right.
06:15But the key piece to attract the new wife was a Chippendale bed.
06:19A bed where the magic happens.
06:21You should not leave this house without seeing the blue bed.
06:24Thank you so much.
06:25Pleasure.
06:26For talking to me and for letting me go anywhere near a valuable piece of furniture.
06:32The boudoir awaits.
06:39Oh, my.
06:41Well, if you are trying to attract a lady into your life, I mean, that really would do it, wouldn't it?
06:48Beautiful, quite simple.
06:49I don't know what I thought a Chippendale would be like, but it's actually simpler than I expected.
06:54She said, looking at the top, but it's all frou-frou.
06:57My goodness.
06:58That, one of a kind, bed, now worth millions.
07:07Such amazing grandeur is fabulous, but the best things come in small packages, which reminds me of a particularly calm and sized one near Conway Castle on the North Wales coast.
07:22The sign says, the smallest house in Great Britain.
07:27Now, as someone of a slightly shorter stature, I would like to see what an appropriately sized house would be for me and my whole family.
07:35There's been a teensy-weensy house here for over 400 years.
07:41At six foot wide and ten foot tall with only two rooms, it's perfectly pint sized.
07:48Hi there.
07:49Hiya.
07:50How are you doing?
07:51I'm fine.
07:52The smallest house in Great Britain.
07:53That's right, yeah.
07:54You'll fit into the door.
07:55Sorry.
07:56Usually, she has to tell people to duck.
08:01I do.
08:02I'm absolutely fine.
08:03Excuse me.
08:08I mean, it really is small.
08:11It's absolutely tiny, because this is the ground floor of the property.
08:18Amazingly, this was home to a succession of people until it was declared unfit for habitation in 1900.
08:25Must have been super cosy.
08:28So this is it here.
08:29You'd sit by the range.
08:31I suspect that upstairs may be the sleeping quarters.
08:34But I think it's, it's bijou.
08:37That's what an estate agent would say.
08:38It's a bijou apartment house.
08:41Duplex.
08:42I love it.
08:45I'm going up.
08:48Hello.
08:51You wouldn't want to do this after a few drinks, would you?
08:54Hang on a second.
08:56For goodness sakes.
09:00Reminds me of a childhood bunk bed.
09:03So, this is the bedroom.
09:06Now, I'm four foot eleven, but the fisherman who last lived here was reportedly six foot three.
09:12Presumably with a permanent bump on his head.
09:14There's a wee window here.
09:15Flaming heck.
09:16Just check out the view.
09:17Hello.
09:18Hello.
09:19Just some very bemused passers-by.
09:20I mean, it's really charming.
09:21And it's very, very, very small.
09:22Amazingly, the house is still owned by the family of that fisherman, who saved the house from demolition, and ensured its place in the book of records and in history.
09:31I'm going to exit now in as dignified a way as I possibly can. Excuse me.
09:49Wish me luck.
09:50Graceful as ever, obviously.
09:51I don't need to go to the gym after that. The world's smallest house. It's also the world's most athletic house, it would seem. Gorgeous, though.
10:08I'm sweating. Helen, I'm coming for you.
10:13After all, she's my own tiny home on wheels.
10:19Coming up, I get hands-on with some more of His Majesty's treasure.
10:23I'm either a snooker referee or a magician.
10:26And remember a time I was judged by history.
10:29Have I got a tiny head?
10:38I adore travelling around exploring Britain's most incredible houses and gardens.
10:47Some gorgeous little Tudor houses around here. It's just what you would expect.
10:50I'm looking back at some of the brilliant grand days out I've had with my wonderful little camper van, Helen.
10:56She's got her own map holder, which is quite good.
10:59And having a brand new mini excursion to King Charles' Ayrshire Manor, Dumfries House.
11:03Even on my holidays, I'm a stickler for timekeeping, so we're better to visit than a home with literally dozens of clocks.
11:11And with my own little TARDIS safely outside, I'm meeting Alison, the estate's doctor of time.
11:17Alison, I heard you do clock tours. I've never been on a clock tour. Tell me about it.
11:23Well, the clock tours focus, obviously, on the 38 clocks that we have in the house.
11:2938? Is there a reason why there's so many clocks?
11:32There is. It's because His Majesty the King is very fond of clocks, and he thinks that they give the house a heartbeat.
11:39They give it warmth. This house really does have a very strong heartbeat.
11:44And in fact, we are just waiting for 12 o'clock.
11:48This is fascinating. It's like live broadcasting or something at the Olympics.
11:51At 12 o'clock, the clocks will chime.
11:54In the great entrance hall alone, proudly stand no fewer than eight antique long case clocks.
11:59And this is a particularly intriguing one.
12:02This one here, he's a local boy. He comes from Cumnock, so he's just along the road.
12:07And he dates to about 1877.
12:11And this one has actually got Robert Burns, To a Mouse, an illustration of To a Mouse.
12:17It has, isn't it? Yeah.
12:19Robert Burns, Scotland's most famous poet, wrote To a Mouse in 1785.
12:24Which details the surprising encounter between a man and a mouse.
12:30Not as surprising as this, though.
12:33This actually is...
12:39This... I mean...
12:41This is this beautiful one.
12:44Yes, it is, yeah.
12:45Beautiful tone to it.
12:46Yeah, this one actually is a really nice one.
12:49It's a beautiful sound.
12:50It is. It's lovely. It's lovely to be in here at 12 o'clock. It really is.
12:53It always puts a smile on my face.
12:54What I'm really loving as well, just behind you, I can see...
12:57Sorry, this one.
12:58I've never been heckled by a clock before.
13:01Oh!
13:02There goes more!
13:03There's more!
13:04What's really interesting, though, is you're saying he.
13:09They're all men to me.
13:11Right!
13:12And every single one of them has got a completely different personality.
13:15Are some of them more difficult?
13:16Oh, definitely.
13:17Some of them are a bit more unreliable.
13:18Oh, absolutely.
13:19This one here, he's actually just, you know, he's just the strong silent type.
13:22That's like the heath, it's like the Heathcliff.
13:24Yeah.
13:25Of clock, the clock whirls.
13:26Yes.
13:27Yes.
13:28All the clocks are bound once a week, and I'm getting to help out.
13:31After my Chippendale experience, I'm prepared.
13:34Got my white gloves on.
13:37I'm either a snooker referee or a magician.
13:39Who knows?
13:40Excellent.
13:42Oh, it's even more beautiful, actually, than you can see it.
13:45It is.
13:46Right, before we do anything, because this is serious business,
13:49let me just check.
13:50So what you've got there, that is obviously the hour hand.
13:54Yep.
13:55Minute hand.
13:56Yep.
13:57Seconds.
13:58What's this one here?
13:59Date.
14:00The date?
14:01Yep.
14:02So 19th century, at that point they're wanting to know the date and the time.
14:04Yeah.
14:05Goodness me.
14:06I'm now sweating, because I'm winding a very, very, very important 19th century clock.
14:11Alison's giving me the key to the king's clock after all.
14:15No pressure, Kalman.
14:19Like that?
14:20Yep.
14:22Is it moving, Alison?
14:23I can't see I'm too short.
14:24It is moving.
14:25Yep.
14:26The aim is to wind the weight back up.
14:28Well, I see it.
14:29I see it.
14:30But not too far.
14:32Just a couple of inches and I would leave it there.
14:34There?
14:35Yeah.
14:36You don't wind it right up to the top.
14:37That's super.
14:38Well done.
14:39Thanks.
14:40How long does it take you to wind all of the clocks in the house?
14:45Just over two hours.
14:46That's a really gorgeous thing, because these days, whilst the convenience is wonderful of
14:52just having a clock that Bluetooth to this and that, there's something really nice about
14:57having to go, no, please don't be difficult.
15:00I'm going to wind you and I'm like, please, come on.
15:02That is, I think, so beautiful.
15:04But the fact that after hundreds of years, some of these are still going, still telling
15:07times, still chiming so beautifully, is gorgeous, isn't it?
15:11Thank you, Alison, for talking to me.
15:12You're very welcome.
15:13I'll see you later and thank you very much indeed.
15:15You be, sweetie.
15:16You'll be delighted.
15:18Speaking of mechanical characters, of course, I've got one of my own.
15:25Helen and I have had some great times together and she's very versatile.
15:29She's good for bird watching.
15:32OK, I mean, that's not working, is it?
15:34Where's she going?
15:38For gardening.
15:40I thought what would be really nice was to brighten Helen up a little bit with some daffodils.
15:45So I'm just finishing planting them now for cosy times.
15:50King of diamonds.
15:55For those times I'm feeling intrepid.
15:57I may have overprepared.
15:59Do I need this?
16:01That's quite big, no.
16:02Walking poles.
16:03Necessary?
16:04No.
16:05Professional energy things.
16:07Snacks, fine.
16:09She doesn't ask for much.
16:11I've got a wee seat for her.
16:13Helen.
16:14No matter how else I travel.
16:15Wonderful way to see the countryside.
16:16What a treat!
16:17Helen is always the best.
16:18Our grand days out take us all over and often to homes with fascinating histories.
16:19One such trip took us to North Yorkshire.
16:20Ripley Castle.
16:21One such trip took us to North Yorkshire.
16:22Ripley Castle.
16:23Ripley Castle.
16:24Ripley Castle.
16:25No matter how else I travel.
16:26No matter how else I travel.
16:27Wonderful way to see the countryside.
16:28What a treat!
16:29Helen is always the best.
16:31Our grand days out take us all over and often to homes with fascinating histories.
16:45One such trip took us to North Yorkshire.
16:48Ripley Castle sits only 20 miles northwest of Marston Moor, where Oliver Cromwell's roundheads inflicted a landmark defeat on King Charles I's Cavaliers during the English Civil War.
17:01Hello.
17:02Hi.
17:03Would it be okay to maybe get a wee private tour of the council?
17:05We'd love to show you round.
17:06Yes?
17:07Yeah.
17:08He knows the real history.
17:09I'll make the rest up.
17:10That's exactly what I want.
17:11Hers is far more entertaining.
17:12Oh, this is going to be great.
17:13I'll follow you.
17:14This is wonderful.
17:16My tour guides today are Lady Emma and Sir Thomas Ingleby, whose family have lived on this site for 28 generations, going back to the 14th century.
17:25They've never moved house.
17:27Unsurprisingly, they've gathered quite a few bits and bobs over the years.
17:31This is an absolutely outstanding room.
17:34Very much like my dining room.
17:39Many of the castle's treasures date back to the Civil War itself.
17:44This would be the best ever episode of Cash in the Attic.
17:48What's in front of us for a start?
17:50It's actually a collection of armoury and guns, including a Royal Greenwich set of armour.
17:56It's quite, looks like it's got quite a big head.
17:58We could try this out, you know.
17:59We could try this out, you know.
18:04Give it here.
18:05We've all, I mean, there's many a man's had this one.
18:07Take the sides off.
18:08Take the sides off.
18:09That's probably the best.
18:10Shall I try that one?
18:11This is a spin-off show called Susan Tries On Helmets.
18:15So this is a Cromwellian...
18:17Cromwellian Roundheads Helmet.
18:19Known as the Lob...
18:20Excellent!
18:21Oh!
18:22I think you've got Ascot covered next year.
18:24I think there's a small problem.
18:28Why?
18:29Have I got a tiny head?
18:30They were called roundheads.
18:31They must have had big roundheads.
18:33They would wear a little one in the skull cap on top of the cushion.
18:36Oh, I see. I was thinking.
18:40The Inglebys may have been on the Royalist side in the Civil War,
18:44but that didn't stop them getting a visit from a certain Oliver Cromwell.
18:49Sir William Ingleby had a sister called Jane,
18:52and it's alleged that William went to fight in the Battle of Marston Moor,
18:57and when they lost, they came back here.
19:00Cromwell arrived, and she had two pistols,
19:03and she would not allow him entry,
19:05and she held him at gunpoint in the library at the bottom of this tower.
19:11What an incredible story.
19:14Trooper Jane.
19:15Trooper Jane?
19:16That's what she was known as.
19:17She sounds amazing.
19:18We do, in fact, have a portrait of a Cromwell, but it's always on the darkest wall.
19:22That is literally shade, isn't it?
19:24That's literally shade.
19:25Literally shoved him in the shade, just in case.
19:27That's literally shade.
19:28We'd better not destroy him completely.
19:29No.
19:30The library that Trooper Jane held Cromwell captive in, is it still here?
19:35It's the lower room of this tower.
19:37Would it be okay if I went and had a look before I try on any other armour?
19:41Yes.
19:42Yeah, I think it's a search.
19:43I think it's a full body search.
19:44I just feel like something's going to go.
19:45Full body search?
19:46Before I go?
19:47No, not at all.
19:48Yes.
19:49Right.
19:50Let's go to the library.
19:51It's lovely to hear that Yorkshire spirit was alive and well back in the 17th century.
19:56So, this is Cromwell on the shadiest wall, I was told.
20:02And this, so this is Jane holding Cromwell captive and it's over there.
20:14It is one of the most exciting and vibrant places I have ever been, with an incredible history and a woman with two pistols.
20:23That is a story that I will never forget.
20:32More than 300 miles south of Ripley Castle lies a historic village that's around a thousand years old and is also a fond memory.
20:40Clovelly is a fascinating place set in a private estate in Devon.
20:45There are no holiday homes and if you want to live here, you have to apply.
20:49Hi there.
20:53Hello.
20:54I'm sorry to bother you.
20:55I'm Susan.
20:56I'm Neil, no trouble.
20:57Nice to meet you.
20:58And yourself.
20:59This isn't Clovelly is it?
21:00No, this is Clovelly Court Gardens.
21:02You're close.
21:03Of course.
21:04How did you get there?
21:05Do you have no cars in Clovelly?
21:06Not in Clovelly itself, no.
21:09Turns out Neil Coldrick is head gardener here, growing fruit and veg for all the locals.
21:14And he can arrange for me to get closer into the village on a special road from these stunning gardens.
21:20This is pretty magical.
21:21This is like a fairytale garden.
21:23It is pretty special.
21:24It's mainly vegetable production for the village and for the hotel down there.
21:29So the stuff that's grown here is used in the village and it's down there.
21:33Yep.
21:34The Honourable John Rouse, owner of the estate, is kindly giving me a lift to the village and I can't turn up empty-handed.
21:41Hi John.
21:42Hi Susan.
21:43Thanks for giving me a lift.
21:47Once I've dropped off my offering at the local hotel, I can explore this beautiful place.
21:55For most of its history, Clovelly has been a fishing village.
21:59Once owned by William the Conqueror, its houses cling dramatically to a huge 400-foot cliff.
22:06Tell me, John, about some of the practical difficulties of living here.
22:11Because it's quite steep.
22:14Your weekly groceries, you have to carry them all down either by hand or in a small sledge.
22:19And you have somebody at the front and somebody at the back to restrain it.
22:24Oh my goodness!
22:26Clovelly's timeless beauty is a magnet for day-trippers who pay an entrance fee to protect against wear and tear.
22:33But clearly the locals enjoy this lovely landscape too.
22:36There's a man.
22:37Is he going swimming?
22:38There's a man going swimming.
22:39He's going to do a dive.
22:40There's a man going swimming.
22:41I was just having a bell.
22:43I wasn't going to look.
22:44I think he's drawing quite a crowd.
22:45Right, hold on.
22:46Hold on.
22:47Wait for me.
22:48Wait for me, handsome man.
22:49Wait for me, handsome man.
22:51Right.
22:52Oh.
22:53He's fine.
22:54He's fine.
22:55He's fine.
22:56Well done.
22:57That was great.
22:58What's your name?
22:59Alex.
23:00Alex.
23:01That was great, Alex.
23:02Do you do that a lot?
23:03Every day.
23:04Every day.
23:05Well, I'd hate to show you up, Alex.
23:06I'll just leave you to it.
23:08Of course, rock diving is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
23:15I'll just leave that to the regulars and join the others braving the hill.
23:19Whew.
23:20That bit of a workout for the glutes.
23:23And at every turn there's something wondrous to behold.
23:29Oh, my goodness.
23:30The wooden carvings were put on by John's aunt after a trip to Germany in 1910.
23:41It's eccentric.
23:42It's beautiful.
23:43And I absolutely love it.
23:45And...
23:46And the views from the hill are just as rewarding.
23:50I mean, you know, that's just spectacular.
24:00Clovelly just oozes charm.
24:07Coming up, I get schooled in horticulture.
24:10Focus.
24:11Melissa knows me well already.
24:13And remember when I was picked to work in a jungle.
24:16After seeing these gardens, I've got a lot of work to do, Cindy.
24:19I'm remembering some of our grand days out at fabulous homes and gardens.
24:34Campervan wave.
24:35Nothing.
24:36Grumpy.
24:37And having an all-new adventure in Ayrshire, where I'm exploring Dumfries House.
24:43The manor is run by the King's Foundation and set in a regal 2,000-acre estate.
24:48Plenty of room to indulge in a passion of mine.
24:53I'm a late in life very enthusiastic gardener.
24:57I don't know the technical terms for anything, but I know what I love.
25:01And I love this place.
25:04It is gorgeous.
25:06Now, somewhere this gorgeous must have someone in it who knows what they're talking about about gardens.
25:11And I am going to find them.
25:14Nowadays, the five-acre walled garden is a veg grower's dream, but was a derelict dumping ground before being renovated and opened by Queen Elizabeth in 2014.
25:26Melissa is the estate's head of horticulture.
25:30Hi, Melissa.
25:31How are you doing?
25:32Nice to meet you.
25:33I do, too.
25:34This is an absolutely stunning place.
25:36I've got a walled garden.
25:37It's not as big as this, and I love it.
25:41This is a big area.
25:42How do you start planning what you're going to actually do with it?
25:46It's sort of based on the historic layout.
25:48Right.
25:49The period that this was in, there wasn't, you know, the shops that we could just nip out to.
25:53This was where you came for your food, so it was really, really important.
25:56So a lot of it was put down to vegetables.
25:58Nothing tastes better than something that you pick there and you cook there.
26:03I mean, they are absolutely superb.
26:05And the view from up there, what is that building up there, by the way?
26:08Because it's quite spectacular.
26:09That is the Belvedere.
26:10The Belvedere.
26:11I wasn't expecting that.
26:14So it's at the highest point in the garden.
26:17So a Belvedere is a place with a great view.
26:20So His Majesty designed that himself and some of the building students helped actually work on it and build it, which is fantastic.
26:27It's a beautiful thing.
26:28Education is the cornerstone for the whole King's Foundation.
26:31We try and grow an A to Z of all the different fruit and vegetables.
26:35Obviously, we've got glass houses as well that we can grow all sorts of things, some tomatoes, grapes, aubergine.
26:42Would you mind showing me?
26:43Because I've got a few questions about vegetables.
26:45I love growing vegetables.
26:47So can we go over to there and you can answer all my questions?
26:50Melissa is treating me to the jewel in the crown of the organic garden, its grand glass house.
26:56Melissa, this is like a dream, having a huge growing area like this.
27:06It's just beautiful.
27:07But it's also having the space and having these kind of planting benches and everything.
27:12It's just, aw, this is like my dream.
27:15But what have you got here?
27:17Lettuce, yeah?
27:18We've got some lettuce here, yes.
27:19They're great crops, aren't they?
27:21You can actually grow it on your windowsill all year round.
27:23We don't want to plant these out because they are tender.
27:25But these are going out into the kitchen garden, okay?
27:28So, the roots are coming through the base here.
27:31They are now ready.
27:32So, what I do first is to pop them out into a little tray and see the roots, aren't they just gorgeous?
27:39She's using a dibber to make a space for each little plant.
27:43It's great to learn from a professional.
27:45I love a dibber.
27:47I've got my granny's old wooden dibber.
27:49So, focus.
27:50That size shape.
27:51Melissa knows me well already.
27:53Pop it in like that and then what we want to do is push it down and then just cover.
27:58Now it's my turn.
28:00I think the hole needs to be a little bit bigger, Melissa, that's why.
28:05And it's not that I wasn't paying attention.
28:07Nice and firm.
28:08Nice and firm.
28:09Hopefully my planting skills will pass muster.
28:12There's a tug test that we do.
28:14So, if I can tug the plant and it doesn't come out, you have succeeded.
28:18So, let's just do a little tug.
28:19Oh, look at that!
28:21I mean, a shaky start, not perfect, but then...
28:26Oh, look at that.
28:27Look at that.
28:28Look at what's happened there.
28:31It'll only be another week or two until these little lettuces will be off to the kitchen garden.
28:38Once those roots hit the bottom, then they're ready to go out.
28:41Melissa, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much.
28:44My pleasure.
28:45And they will be fine.
28:46I will label them and eat them myself.
28:50I'm going to get out of here now, though.
28:53Thank you very much indeed, Melissa. I'll see you soon.
28:55My pleasure.
28:56Fit for the king, you might say.
29:02Great British gardens come in all shapes and sizes, and Helen and I happened upon a particularly unusual one on a trip to Cornwall.
29:09When we eventually got there, that is.
29:12Changing gears in Helen Mirren is the smoothest operation in the world. Excuse me.
29:16There we are!
29:18My hard-working companion has taken me to the UK's only outdoor jungle at the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
29:27What I really want just now is some giant lily pads for me to jump over.
29:33I'm looking for Cindy Madison, who grew up nearby and knows every inch of this paradise.
29:40Cindy, it's lovely to meet you. I heard you were the jungle supervisor. It's an incredible job title.
29:45It's a gorgeous job title. I've got a team of three guys, and we look after the jungle, basically.
29:52So is there something about where it is that means that these particular plants grow better here?
29:57Yeah, it's a bit of a microclimate. It's got four small legs, which creates that nice sort of semi-moist atmosphere.
30:04The tree ferns love it. They set seed everywhere, and it gets the sun and the warmth, so it's quite rampant.
30:12I'm looking here at these ferns, and you can see the light from the water reflected, and it is the most beautiful thing.
30:21It's a natural light show.
30:23I feel bad coming to such a wonderful place and not helping you. Is there something I can help you with, Cindy?
30:27There's loads to do. We're just taking this back a little bit, the old bamboo.
30:30Bamboo.
30:31I've got a pair of floppers here.
30:32Not sure anyone's trusted me with a pair of loppers before.
30:37A pair of loppers and I'm on it.
30:39So I take it this is kind of like, it's an ongoing job, isn't it?
30:42Never ending.
30:43Never ending.
30:44Never ending.
30:45Have you got a big garden?
30:47No, I've not got a big garden.
30:48And I tell you something, after seeing these gardens, I've got a lot of work to do, Cindy.
30:53That's a garden for you though, isn't it?
30:55Oh, I'm like Monty Dawn.
30:57You are.
30:58More like Monty Dawn.
30:59You're welcome to stay all day.
31:02Yeah.
31:03I'm loving it.
31:04I have to go.
31:05I don't want to get lost.
31:06So which way should I go?
31:07I'd go back across the pond.
31:09Yeah.
31:10Down the boardwalk.
31:11Keep going.
31:12And to get out, you can't miss it because there's a bridge down there.
31:14There's a bridge.
31:15OK.
31:16So that's the bridge.
31:17OK.
31:18Watch this.
31:19This is going to be the most dignified exit ever.
31:21Thanks, Cindy.
31:23You're welcome.
31:27The lost gardens have been full of brilliant surprises.
31:34And the way out is no exception.
31:44No one told me it was a rope bridge.
31:46Oh, it's bouncy.
31:47It's quite bouncy.
31:48I can do it.
31:49I can do it.
31:50I can do it.
31:51See?
31:52This.
31:53This is real Indiana Jones stuff.
31:55I can do it.
31:56I can do it.
31:57I can do it.
31:58I can do it.
31:59I can do it.
32:00See?
32:02This.
32:04This is real Indiana Jones stuff.
32:18Me and Helen have visited some amazing gardens and they often get my imagination going,
32:24Whether that's to much-loved films...
32:27..or to daring pursuits...
32:31Draw the sword to the sky, down to the face.
32:34Down to the face.
32:35Lovely, swish away, good work.
32:38The great outdoors have always been a feast of fantasy on my journeys.
32:42Perhaps in the footsteps of a TV great...
32:46I do love a telly detective.
32:54Oh no, I'd recognise the distinctive outline of Helen anywhere.
33:03There's been a kidnapping.
33:05But don't worry, because I am Inspector Morse.
33:10Ish.
33:12There's always time for fun on a grand day out.
33:15My adventures are a fantastic chance to let my imagination run wild.
33:25And on a certain visit to the Lake District, it was very hard not to.
33:29Because it was quite spooky.
33:31Welcome to Monkster Castle.
33:32Peter Frost Pennington was my host for the evening.
33:35It's been the home of my wife's family for over 800 years.
33:38It's a very, very welcoming place and a very friendly place.
33:41But after dark, it does get a little bit creepy.
33:45Allegedly, the spirit of Tom Skelton,
33:47a jester who's thought to have inspired the fool in King Lear,
33:51is one of the castle's ghosts.
33:53Why is he still here?
33:55Did something happen to him?
33:56You didn't want to get the wrong side of Tom.
33:58And there is a story about a young carpenter
34:00who was putting it about that he was the boyfriend
34:03of the daughter of the house.
34:05And she was engaged to the next toft down the road.
34:08Tom lured the carpenter to the tapestry room,
34:12plied him with strong drink,
34:13and Tom chopped the carpenter's head off.
34:15Wow.
34:16Jester and assassin.
34:18I've always wanted to sleep in a haunted castle.
34:22I'm just not sure.
34:23It's this one.
34:24Lovely little old farmhouse bed.
34:29It's the fireplace that's...
34:31The fireplace is...
34:32That's...
34:32Mm-hmm.
34:34And if you come in close and see there,
34:37you see there's the devil's heads there,
34:40which is a bit strange,
34:40considering this is a kid's bedroom.
34:49Thank you very much, Peter.
34:52I think we just found the carpenter's head.
34:55Just what I needed before bedtime.
35:02Sometimes people think that ghosts,
35:05you're cold,
35:06but they can also affect you the other way.
35:08I literally...
35:09I'm hot.
35:11Like, I've got hot ears.
35:12Like, my ears are...
35:15really warm.
35:17Which now I'm thinking,
35:19after just saying...
35:20wee dry mouth as well.
35:22I think that's the fear.
35:24After saying I was feeling nothing,
35:26I'm actually feeling quite a lot.
35:29Time for a good night's sleep.
35:32Or maybe not.
35:33It's very, very dark.
35:45That's how dark it is in here.
35:47This is horrible.
35:53No.
35:55No.
35:59Do you know why I'm doing this?
36:00Why do people do that when they're frightened?
36:02As if their duvet's going to help them.
36:03Maybe a few moments with the lights on
36:06will help calm me down.
36:09Oh, my God.
36:14I didn't even move,
36:18and the bed made a noise.
36:20What time is it?
36:21Oh, it's time to get up and go for breakfast.
36:23OK, then.
36:24Cheerio.
36:25Goodbye, everybody.
36:28You know what?
36:29I was missing Helen anyway.
36:36Coming up,
36:37I get lost.
36:39Like, left or right,
36:40left or right,
36:40left or right,
36:41left.
36:42And fall in love with one of the most romantic homes on earth.
36:46I'm going to go for a wander.
36:47One of my favourite things to do on Grand Days Out
36:59is to have my senses stimulated by the great outdoors.
37:03And at Dumfries House in Ayrshire,
37:05there's a mind-bending attraction
37:06I can't wait to get stuck into.
37:09There is no better way to end a wonderful day out
37:13than with a maze.
37:14I love a maze.
37:15Always have, always will.
37:17There is, of course,
37:18a way of solving any maze.
37:20But it's a trade secret
37:21and I can't tell you.
37:22So we'll just do it the old-fashioned way.
37:25Shall we get lost?
37:27You're very welcome.
37:28Let's get lost.
37:29With paths stretching for more than half a mile,
37:32I'd best get a wriggle on
37:33or I'll still be here
37:34when they shut up shop for the day.
37:36Right, left or right,
37:37left or right,
37:38left or right,
37:39left.
37:43This is actually quite a new addition
37:44to House and Gardens, this maze.
37:46Opened in 2016,
37:49the elaborate puzzle
37:49was the idea of King Charles,
37:51who loved playing in the maze
37:53at Sandringham as a boy.
37:55I could do with some help
37:55navigating this one.
37:57This is fine.
37:58This is fine.
37:59This is absolutely fine.
38:05I mean, it's a simple thing, isn't it?
38:07It's just a maze.
38:09I must have forgotten my own secret.
38:15I should have brought snacks.
38:17I should have brought snacks.
38:21Town, town, town.
38:22There's a town, there's a town,
38:23there's a town, there's a town.
38:23At the heart of the maze
38:27is a Japanese pagoda.
38:29Come on, Calman,
38:29you can do this.
38:33Did it.
38:35Did it.
38:36Yeah.
38:38A couple hours.
38:39Joking.
38:40Took me longer than I thought, though.
38:42Worth it, though.
38:43Solving a puzzle a day
38:45makes the world
38:47a better place.
38:49Right.
38:50Now to try and find
38:51my way out of here.
38:56And sometime later.
38:59Don't worry, Helena,
39:00I made it back.
39:01And I think you're
39:02amazing.
39:08I've been to so many
39:09fabulous homes and gardens
39:11across the country,
39:12but one in Stratford-upon-Avon
39:13stands out
39:14as both historically important
39:16and sumptuously gorgeous.
39:21This beautiful spot
39:23is Anne Hathaway's cottage.
39:25Anne Hathaway was, of course,
39:26Shakespeare's wife
39:27who's said to have inspired
39:28some of his
39:29most romantic
39:30writings.
39:32So, I'm going to go
39:33for a wander.
39:37Anne lived in this
39:38picture-perfect
39:3915th-century cottage
39:40until the late 1500s
39:42when she married
39:43Shakespeare.
39:44And rumour has it
39:45that young William
39:46used to visit her here
39:47when they were courting.
39:51But it's the
39:52quintessentially English
39:53cottage exterior
39:54that appears on products
39:56sold all over the world
39:57that draws people
39:59to visit.
40:02Hi, Bertie.
40:03Hi.
40:04Bertie Smith is
40:05responsible for keeping
40:06the outside-looking
40:07chocolate box
40:08perfect all year round.
40:12You know, if you get
40:13like a tin of biscuits
40:15with a picture postcard
40:18English cottage on it,
40:19this is pretty much it,
40:20isn't it?
40:20It's literally
40:21the postcards
40:23you see everywhere.
40:24This is almost
40:25the image of England
40:26in some ways.
40:27Because we all live
40:27in cottages like this,
40:28don't we?
40:29If only.
40:29If only.
40:31But this garden
40:32isn't what it would have been like
40:33when Anne Hathaway
40:34and William Shakespeare
40:35were here, is it?
40:36It's not how it would have been.
40:37No, it would have been
40:38more of a mud bath
40:39than anything.
40:40It was actually commissioned
40:41like early 1900s
40:43by quite a famous
40:44lady horticulturalist
40:45called Ellen Wilmot.
40:46And it was to bring
40:48the romance to the site.
40:50In the 1920s,
40:52Ellen turned what was
40:53once a farmyard
40:54into a very special space.
40:58What are the elements
41:00that you think
41:00makes this garden romantic?
41:03It's the drama of it,
41:04isn't it?
41:04Oh, it is the drama.
41:05And it's almost like,
41:07I suppose,
41:07harking to Shakespeare.
41:09It's like a performance
41:10in the garden, essentially.
41:11And so you've got things
41:13that, you know,
41:14are almost six foot
41:15or taller in some cases.
41:16Or you've got really
41:17sort of smaller things
41:19to have a look at.
41:20I love the wildness of it,
41:21I have to say.
41:22I think that's
41:23what's quite romantic about it.
41:24Do you get a lot
41:25of proposals here?
41:26Yeah, quite a few, actually.
41:27Yeah.
41:28The proposals tend to happen
41:29in the seat
41:31just over there.
41:32Right.
41:32It's basically like a love seat,
41:34so it's almost made
41:35for proposals.
41:38I'm just on my own,
41:39but...
41:40Oh, well.
41:44Inspired by Shakespeare's play
41:45The Merchant of Venice,
41:47this moon-shaped,
41:48woven willow seat
41:49is a modern addition
41:51to the garden.
41:52I may not have anyone
41:53to share it with,
41:54but it's made me
41:55all sentimental.
41:56I said the cottage
41:59was picture-postcard perfect,
42:01and it is.
42:02And I'm going to write
42:03a postcard, I think,
42:04to my English teacher,
42:05who was the one
42:06who introduced me
42:06to Shakespeare.
42:07Still in touch with her,
42:08actually.
42:09So 30 years later,
42:10I'm going to thank her.
42:11So to Mrs. K,
42:14thanks so much
42:17for making me
42:20love Shakespeare.
42:25You'll never forget
42:26my Lady Macbeth.
42:30No one will ever forget
42:32my Lady Macbeth.
42:34Love,
42:36Susan.
42:37I've had a lovely time
42:43remembering some
42:44of the amazing
42:45grand days out
42:46Helen and I
42:47have experienced.
42:49I love exploring
42:49beautiful homes
42:50and gardens
42:51all over the country,
42:52and I'm already
42:53looking forward
42:54to my next
42:55grand day out.
43:07and I'll see you
43:21next time.
43:21Bye.
43:21Bye.
43:22Bye.
43:22Bye.
43:22Bye.
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