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00:00I'm back on the road exploring more of our magnificent country the scale of it
00:07and the size of it stunning as ever I'm joined by my trusty camper named after
00:14one of my favorite people Helen Mirren hello boss breathing whoops there we are
00:19we're off to amazing spots oh my goodness this place is beautiful enjoying
00:26local pastimes I feel so much better now I mean someone's got to keep standards
00:33up hunting out quirky customs
00:36it's a feast for the eyes stunning it's really beautiful here ears
00:56and all the senses I actually want to start crying we live in a land full of wonder
01:06so come along on my grand day out
01:12this time I'm reveling in all the stunning homes and gardens I've been lucky enough to visit on my
01:27grand days out it's absolutely tiny and I'm taking Helen on a brand new excursion to a stately royal
01:35treasure I've never been heckled by a clock before there's a Kalman's biggest hits this is real Indiana
01:43Jones stuff as I recall some of our fabulous 40s across the British Isles that's just spectacular
01:49today me and my trusty steed are in Ayrshire just outside the town of Cumnock at Dumfries house this
02:04exquisite 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
02:18country house and me and Helen have visited some crackers on our adventures I want to show you this
02:24one though this is a gem the manor is home to an unrivalled selection of priceless antiques which
02:32in recent years were very nearly sold off to the highest bidder were it not for an 11th hour rescue
02:38head tour guide Alex knows the collection inside and out Alex it's so nice to be Dumfries house
02:45it was sort of saved wasn't it well we go back to maybe 2005 the house latterly was in the hands of
02:52the beaut family and they were about to sell everything that you see in the house so lock stock
02:57everything yeah it was only three weeks before the Christie's auction was due to happen that his
03:04majesty heard about the potential disaster King Charles saved the house and its contents including
03:10dozens of pieces of 18th century furniture crafted by Thomas Chippendale Britain's most celebrated
03:17furniture maker whose works now sell for truly eye-watering sums is this a Chippendale here
03:23this is a Chippendale bookcase okay she takes her hand away from the Chippendale bookcase aha this
03:30intricately carved and glazed piece is unique and dated May 1759 what was it though that made Chippendale
03:39such an important cabinet maker he 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
03:51masterstroke he wanted them to flick through and select things which he would make like an IKEA catalogue exactly yes he encouraged other cabinet makers to copy his design and that made him more famous very clever very very clever piece of marketing unbelievably 10% of all the world's Chippendales are in this very building
04:12is there a reason as to why so many Chippendales are in this house and the fact they survived because obviously a lot of Chippendales wouldn't have survived
04:19well the house was commissioned by the fifth Earl of Dumfries okay his wife had died and they desperately wanted an heir to pass everything on to and to get an heir he had to have a second wife he furnished the house as lavishly as he could
04:36look at the Chippendales exactly how much is this worth in today's money in the Christie's catalogue for the auction which didn't happen they gave an estimate of two to four million pounds I've had it on good authority that it should have made round about 25 million pounds it's quite a lot to be standing next to something that's worth such a lot of money but it's also so important the precision with which Chippendale made this is incredible
05:04and yours truly is testing out the master craftsmanship that means this is still in mint condition
05:12two and a half centuries after it was built gently does it Susan
05:17gently lift this handle up now before you pull the drawer out remember that it's 260 years old and listen
05:27because it doesn't stick or jam it's an incredibly fine piece and just pull the drawer open
05:34keep going keep going keep going keep going well it certainly puts a flat pack wardrobe to shame
05:39and what you've got there is the Christie's swing tag there yeah 12th July 07 that was lot 40
05:48that's how close we came to losing absolutely everything since being saved and open to the public
05:54the Chippendale collection has drawn people here from far and wide it's one of those things it's a
06:00iconic name you hear about your entire life but I've never actually stood next to one
06:05having said that at the time may have been the most valuable item of furniture in the world
06:11it wasn't the piece that he paid most for right but the key piece to attract the new wife was a
06:18Chippendale bed a bed where the magic happens you should not leave the size without seeing that the blue
06:24bed thank you so much pleasure for talking to me and for letting me go anywhere near a valuable piece of
06:31furniture the boudoir awaits
06:35oh my well if you are trying to attract a lady into your life I mean that that really would do it
06:47wouldn't it beautiful quite simple I don't know what I thought a Chippendale would be like but it's
06:51actually simpler than I expected she said looking at the top but it's all frou-frou my goodness that
06:59it's one of a kind bed now worth millions
07:05such amazing grandeur is fabulous but the best things come in small packages which reminds me of
07:17a particularly common sized one near Conway Castle on the North Wales coast
07:22the sign says the smallest house in Great Britain now as someone of a slightly shorter stature I would
07:30like to see what an appropriately sized house would be for me and my whole family there's been a teensy
07:37weensy house here for over 400 years at six foot wide and ten foot tall with only two rooms it's
07:45perfectly pint sized hi there hiya how you doing I'm fine the smallest house in Great Britain that's
07:53right yeah you'll fit into the door sorry usually she has to tell people to duck I'm absolutely fine
08:03excuse me I mean it really is oh it's absolutely tiny because this is the ground floor of the property
08:17amazingly this was home to a succession of people until it was declared unfit for habitation in 1900
08:24must have been super cozy so this is it here you'd sit by the range I suspect that upstairs may be the
08:33sleeping quarters but I think it's it's bijou that's what an estate agent would say it's a bijou
08:39apartment house duplex I love it I'm going up oh hello
08:48you wouldn't want to do this after a few drinks would you hang on a second
08:55for goodness sakes reminds me of a childhood bunk bed so so this is the bedroom now I'm four foot
09:07eleven but the fisherman who last lived here was reportedly six foot three presumably with a permanent
09:13bump on his head there's a wee window here flaming heck just check out the view
09:21hello hello just some very bemused passers-by I mean it's really charming and it's very very very
09:33small amazingly the house is still owned by the family of that fisherman who saved the house from
09:39demolition and ensured its place in the book of records and in history I'm going to exit now
09:45in as dignified a way as I possibly can excuse me wish me luck graceful as ever obviously
09:54don't need to go to the gym after that the world's smallest house is also the world's most athletic house
10:06it would seem gorgeous though I could have some sweating Helen I'm coming for you after all she's
10:14my own tiny home on wheels coming up I get hands-on with some more of his majesty's treasure I'm either
10:24a snooker referee or a magician and remember a time I was judged by history have I got a tiny head
10:30I adore traveling around exploring Britain's most incredible houses and gardens some gorgeous little
10:47Tudor houses around here it's just what you would expect I'm looking back at some of the brilliant
10:52grand days out I've had with my wonderful little camper van Helen she's got her own map holder which is
10:57quite good and having a brand new mini excursion to King Charles's 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
11:09dozens of clocks and 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 38 is there a reason
11:31why there's so many clocks there is it's because his majesty the king is very fond of clocks and he
11:36thinks that they give the house a heartbeat they give it warmth this house really does have a very strong
11:43heartbeat and in fact we are just waiting for 12 o'clock this is fascinating it's like live broadcasting or
11:50something at the Olympics at 12 o'clock the clocks will chime in the great entrance hall alone proudly
11:56stands no fewer than eight antique long case clocks and this is a particularly intriguing one this one
12:02here he's a local boy he comes from Cumnak so he's just along the road and he dates to about 1877 and this
12:13one has actually got to Robert Burns to a mouse an illustration yeah Robert Burns Scotland's most
12:21famous poet wrote to a mouse in 1785 which details the surprising encounter between a man and a mouse
12:29not as surprising as this though this actually is I mean this is this beautiful one yes it is yeah
12:45beautiful tones yeah this one actually is a really nice one it's a beautiful sound it is it's lovely it's
12:51lovely to be in here at 12 o'clock it really is it always puts a smile on my face well I'm really
12:55loving as well just behind you I can sorry I've never been heckled by a clock before what's really
13:07interesting though is you're saying he they're all meant to me I'm the every single one of them has
13:13got a completely different personality are some of them more difficult oh this one here is actually
13:20just you know he's just the strong silent type that's like the heat it's like the Heathcliff yeah
13:24of clock the clock world yeah yes all the clocks are wound once a week and I'm getting to help out
13:31after my Chippendale experience I'm prepared got my white gloves on I'm either a snooker referee or a
13:38magician who knows excellent oh it's even more beautiful actually you can see it right before we do
13:47anything because this is serious business let me just check so you've got there that is obviously
13:52the our hands yep minute hands yep seconds what's this one here date the date yeah so 19th century at
14:02that point they're wanting to know the day and the time yeah goodness me I'm no sweating because I'm
14:07winding a very very very important 19th century clock Alison's giving me the key to the king's clock
14:14after all no pressure Kalman like that is it moving Alison I can't see I'm too short it is moving
14:25the aim is to wind the weight back up well I see it I see it but not too far just a couple inches and
14:33I would leave it there there that's super yeah you don't you don't wind it right up to the top
14:37that's super well done thanks how long does it take you to wind all of the clocks in the house just
14:45over two hours that's a really gorgeous thing because these days of most the convenience is
14:51wonderful of just having a clock that Bluetooth to this and that there's something really nice
14:56about having to go no don't please don't be difficult I'm gonna wind you and I please come on that is I
15:03think it's so beautiful but the fact that after hundreds of years some of these are still going
15:06still telling time still chiming so beautifully is gorgeous isn't it thank you Alison for talking
15:12to me I will I'll see you later and thank you very much indeed you'll be sweetie you'll be
15:17delighted speaking of mechanical characters of course I've got one of my own
15:22Helen and I have had some great times together and she's very versatile she's good for birdwatching
15:31okay I mean that's not working is it who's she gone for gardening I thought what would be really
15:41nice was to brighten Helen up a little bit with some daffodils so I'm just finishing planting them
15:48now for cozy times king of diamonds for those times I'm feeling intrepid I may have over prepared
15:58do I need this that's quite big no walking poles necessary no professional energy things snacks fight
16:07she doesn't ask for much I've got we cheat for her Helen no matter how else I travel wonderful
16:22way to see the countryside Helen is always the best
16:37our grand days out take us all over and often to homes with fascinating histories one such trip took
16:46us to North Yorkshire Ripley Castle sits only 20 miles northwest of Marston Moor where Oliver
16:54Cromwell's round heads inflicted a landmark defeat on King Charles the first Cavaliers during the English
16:59Civil War hello hi would it be okay to maybe get a wee private tour we'd love to show you round yes
17:06yeah he knows the real history I'll make the rest up my tour guides today our lady Emma and sir
17:19Thomas Ingleby whose family have lived on this site for 28 generations going back to the 14th century
17:25they've never moved house unsurprisingly they've gathered quite a few bits and bobs over the years
17:31this is an absolutely outstanding room very much like my dining room
17:36many of the castle's treasures date back to the Civil War itself
17:42this would be the best ever episode of cash in the attic
17:46what's in front of us for a start is actually a collection of uh armory and guns including a royal
17:54granite Greenwich set of armor it's quite looks like it's got quite a big head we could try this
17:59out you know um give it here we've all I mean there's many a man's had this one take the sides off
18:08take the sides off that's probably the best should I try that one this is a spin-off show called Susan
18:14and tries on uh helmets so this is a Cromwellian Cromwellian right roundheads helmet known as a
18:20lob excellence oh I think you've got ask it covered next year I think there's a small problem
18:26my have I got a tiny head they were called roundheads they must have had big roundheads
18:33they would wear a little one in the skull cap on top to cushion the top of the head
18:37the Inglebys may have been on the royalist side in the Civil War but that didn't stop them getting
18:45a visit from a certain Oliver Cromwell so William Ingleby had a sister called Jane and uh it's alleged
18:54that William went to fight uh in the battle of Marston Moor and when they lost they came back
18:59here Cromwell arrived and she had two pistols and she would not allow him entry and she held him at
19:06gunpoint in the library um at the bottom of this tower that's what an incredible story Trooper Jane
19:15Trooper Jane that's what she was known as she sounds amazing we do in fact have a portrait of
19:19Cromwell but it's always on the darkest wall that is literally shade isn't it literally shoved him in
19:26the shade just in case we better not destroy him completely no the library that Trooper Jane held
19:33Cromwell captive in is it it's still here it's the lower room of this tower would it be okay if I went
19:38and had a look before I um try on any other arm yeah I think it's a search I think it's a full body
19:43search I just feel like something's gonna go before I go no not at all yes right let's go to the library
19:50it's lovely to hear that Yorkshire spirit was alive and well back in the 17th century so this is
19:58Cromwell on the shadiest wall I was told and this so this is Jane holding Cromwell captive and it's over
20:11there it is one of the most exciting and vibrant places I have ever been with an incredible history
20:20and a woman with two pistols that is a story that I will never forget
20:26more than 300 miles south of Ripley Castle lies a historic village that's around a thousand years
20:37old and is also a fond memory Clovelly is a fascinating place set in a private estate in Devon
20:44there are no holiday homes and if you want to live here you have to apply
20:49hi there hello I'm sorry to bother you I'm Susan I'm Neil no trouble nice to meet you and yourself
20:58this isn't Clovelly is it no this is Clovelly Court Gardens you're close of course how'd you get
21:04there do you have no cars in Clovelly not in Clovelly itself no turns out Neil Coldrick is head
21:11gardener here growing fruit and veg for all the locals and he can arrange for me to get closer
21:16into the village on a special road from these stunning gardens this is pretty magical this is
21:22like a fairy tale garden it is pretty special it's mainly vegetable production for the village and for
21:28the hotel down there so the stuff that's grown here is used in the village and it's down there the
21:34Honorable John Rouse owner of the estate is kindly giving me a lift to the village and I can't turn up
21:39empty-handed hi John hi Susan thanks for giving me a lift once I've dropped off my offering at the
21:49local hotel I can explore this beautiful place for most of its history Clovelly has been a fishing
21:58village once owned by William the Conqueror its houses cling dramatically to a huge 400 foot cliff
22:05tell me John about some of the practical difficulties of living here because it's quite steep your weekly
22:15groceries you have to carry them all down either by hand or in a small sledge and you have somebody
22:20at the front and somebody at the back to restrain it oh my goodness Clovelly's timeless beauty is a
22:28magnet for day trippers who pay an entrance fee to protect against wear and tear but clearly the
22:34locals enjoy this lovely landscape too there's a man is he going swimming there's a man he's gonna do a
22:40man going swimming I think he's drawing quite a crowd he's fine he's fine well done that was great
23:01what's your name Alex Alex that was great Alex you do that a lot every day every day well I'd hate to
23:09show you up Alex I'll just leave you to it of course rock diving is dangerous if you don't
23:14know what you're doing I'll just leave that to the regulars and join the others braving the hill
23:19work out for the glutes and at every turn there's something wondrous to behold oh my goodness the wooden
23:35carvings were put on by John's aunt after a trip to Germany in 1910 it's eccentric it's beautiful
23:43and I absolutely love it and and the views from the hill are just as rewarding I mean you know
23:53oh that's just spectacular Clovelly just oozes charm
24:03coming up I get schooled in horticulture focus Melissa knows me well already and remember when I was put to
24:15work in a jungle after seeing these gardens I've got a lot of work to do Cindy I'm remembering some of our grand
24:29days out at fabulous homes and gardens campervan wave nothing grumpy and having an all-new adventure in
24:38Ayrshire where I'm exploring Dumfrey's house the manor is run by the King's Foundation and set in a
24:44regal 2,000 acre estate plenty of room to indulge in a passion of mine I'm a late in life very enthusiastic
24:53gardener I don't know the technical terms for anything but I know what I love and I love this
25:01place it is gorgeous now somewhere this gorgeous must have someone in it who knows what they're
25:07talking about about gardens and I I'm gonna find them nowadays the five acre walled garden is a veg
25:15growers dream but was a derelict dumping ground before being renovated and opened by Queen Elizabeth in
25:222014 Melissa is the estates head of horticulture hi Melissa how you did nice to meet you to this is
25:31an absolutely stunning place I've got a walled garden it's a not as big as this and I love it
25:38this is a big area how do you start planning what you're going to actually do with it it's sort of
25:44based on the historic layers the period that this was in there wasn't you know the shops that we can
25:49just nip out to this was where you came for your food so it's really really important so a lot of
25:54it was put down to vegetables nothing tastes better than something that you pick there yeah and you
26:00cook there I mean they are absolutely superb and the view from up there what is that building up there
26:05by the way because it's quite that is the Belvedere I wasn't expecting that so it's at the highest point
26:13in the garden so a Belvedere is a place with a great view so his majesty designed that himself
26:19and some of the building students helped actually work on it and build it which is fantastic it's a
26:24beautiful thing education is the cornerstone for the whole Kings foundation we try and grow an a to
26:30z of all the different fruit and vegetables obviously we've got glass houses as well that
26:35we can grow all sorts of things from tomatoes to grapes aubergine would you mind showing me because
26:40I've got a few questions about vegetables I love growing vegetables so can we go over to there and
26:46you can answer all my questions Melissa is treating me to the jewel in the crown of the organic garden
26:52it's grand glass house Melissa this is like a dream having a huge growing area like this it's just
27:04beautiful but it's also having the the space and having these kind of planting benches and everything
27:09it's just oh this is like my dream but what have you got here lettuce yeah we've got some lettuce here
27:16yes they're great crops aren't they you can actually grow it on your windowsill all year round and we
27:21don't want to plant these out because they are tender but these are going out into the kitchen garden
27:24okay so the roots are coming through the base here they are now ready so what I do first is to pop
27:32them out into a little tray and see the roofs aren't they just gorgeous she's using a debor to make a
27:38space for each little plant it's great to learn from a professional I love a debor I've got my
27:45granny's old wooden debor so focus yeah that size shape Melissa knows me well already pop it in like
27:51that and then what we want to do is push it down and then just cover now it's my turn I think the
28:00hole needs to be a little bit bigger Melissa that's why and it's not that I wasn't paying
28:04attention nice and firm nice and firm hopefully my planting skills will pass muster there's a tug test
28:10that we do so if I can took the plant and it doesn't come out you have succeeded so let's just do a
28:16little took oh look at that I mean yeah shaky starts not perfect but then oh look at look at that look at
28:26what's happened there it'll only be another week or two until these little lettuces will be off to
28:32the kitchen garden once those roots hit the bottom then they're ready to go out Melissa it's been an
28:40absolute pleasure thank you so much my pleasure and they will be fine I will label them and eat
28:46them myself I'm gonna go if you know though thank you very much indeed Melissa I'll see you soon my
28:52pleasure fit for the king you might see great British Gardens come in all shapes and sizes and
29:01Helen and I happened upon a particularly unusual one on a trip to Cornwall when we eventually got there
29:08that is changing gears and Helen Mirren is the smoothest operation in the world excuse me my
29:18hard-working companion has taken me to the UK's only outdoor jungle at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
29:24well I really want to snow some giant lily pads for me to jump over I'm looking for Cindy Madison who
29:33grew up nearby and knows every inch of this paradise Cindy it's lovely to meet you I heard you were the
29:40jungle supervisor it's an incredible job title it's a gorgeous job title I've got a team of three guys and
29:46we look after the jungle basically so is there something about where it is that means that these
29:51particular plants grow better here yeah it's a bit of a micro climate it's got four small legs which
29:59creates that nice sort of semi moist atmosphere the tree ferns love it they set seed everywhere and it
30:05gets the Sun and the warmth so it is quite rampant I'm looking at here at these ferns and you can see
30:12the light from the water reflected and it is the most beautiful thing it's a natural light show I feel
30:20bad coming to such a wonderful place and not helping you is there something I can help you with Cindy
30:23there's loads to do we're just taking this back a little bit the old bamboo I've got a pair of
30:28floppers here not sure anyone's trusted me with a pair of loppers before pair of loppers and I'm on it
30:36so take it this is kind of like it's an ongoing job isn't it never ending I'm just keeping on top of it
30:41never ending have you got a big garden no I've not got a big garden and I tell you something after
30:46seeing these gardens I've got a lot of work to do Cindy that's a garden for you though isn't it oh
30:52I'm like Monty Dawn you are more like Monty Dawn you're welcome to stay all day I'm loving it I have
31:01to go I don't want to get lost so which way should I go I'd go back across the pond yeah down the bald
31:07walk keep going and to get out you you can't miss it because there's a bridge there's a bridge okay yeah I'm
31:14gonna watch this this is gonna be the most dignified eggs that ever thanks Cindy you're welcome thank you
31:26the lost gardens have been full of brilliant surprises and the way out is no exception
31:33no one told me it was a rope bridge
31:44okay okay okay oh it's bouncy it's quite bouncy
31:52I can do it I can do it I can do it see this
32:02this is real Indiana Jones stuff
32:07me and Helen have visited some amazing gardens and they often get my imagination going whether
32:21that's to much-loved films or to dating pursuits draw the sword to the sky down to the face down to the face lovely
32:33swish away good work the great outdoors have always been a feast of fantasy on my journeys perhaps in the
32:40footsteps of a TV great I do love a telly detective
32:48oh no I'd recognize the distinctive outline of Helen anywhere there's been a kidnapping but don't worry
33:03because I am inspector Morse ish there's always time for fun on a grand day out
33:10my adventures are a fantastic chance to let my imagination run wild and on a certain visit to the lake district it was very hard not to because it was quite spooky
33:18welcome to amongst the castle Peter frost Pennington was my host for the evening it's been the home of my wife's family for over 800 years it's a very very welcoming place in a very friendly place but after dark it does get a little bit creepy
33:25allegedly the spirit of Tom Skelton a jester who's thought to have inspired the fool in king lear is one of the castles ghosts why is he still here did something happen to him you didn't want to get the wrong side of Tom and the
33:37But after dark, it does get a little bit creepy.
33:41Allegedly, the spirit of Tom Skelton,
33:44a jester who's thought to have inspired the fool in King Lear,
33:47is one of the castle's ghosts.
33:50Why is he still here? Did something happen to him?
33:53You didn't want to get the wrong side of Tom.
33:54And there is a story about a young carpenter
33:57who was putting it about that he was the boyfriend
33:59of the daughter of the house.
34:01And she was engaged to the next toft down the road.
34:04Tom lured the carpenter to the tapestry room,
34:08plied him with strong drink,
34:09and Tom chopped the carpenter's head off.
34:12Wow. Jester and assassin.
34:15I've always wanted to sleep in a haunted castle.
34:19I'm just not sure it's this one.
34:23Lovely little old farmhouse bed.
34:26It's the fireplace that's... The fireplace is...
34:29Mm-hm.
34:31And if you come in close and see there,
34:33you see there's the devil's heads there,
34:36which is a bit strange, considering this is a kid's bedroom.
34:45Thank you very much, Peter.
34:48I think we just found the carpenter's head.
34:52Just what I needed before bedtime.
34:54Sometimes people think that ghosts, you're cold, but they can also affect you the other way.
35:04I literally... I'm hot. Like, I've got hot ears.
35:08Like, my ears are...
35:11really warm.
35:13Which now I'm thinking...
35:15After just saying...
35:17wee dry mouth as well.
35:19I think that's the fear.
35:21After saying I was feeling nothing,
35:23I'm actually feeling quite a lot.
35:24Time for a good night's sleep.
35:28Or maybe not.
35:30It's very, very dark.
35:33That's how dark it is in here.
35:34This is horrible.
35:36No.
35:38No.
35:40Do you know why I'm doing this?
35:41Why do people do that when they're frightened?
35:42As if their duvet's gonna help them.
35:43Maybe a few moments with the lights on will help calm me down.
35:49Oh!
35:51Oh, God!
35:52Oh!
35:54Oh, God.
35:56And it's in here.
35:59This is horrible.
36:01No.
36:03No.
36:05No.
36:07Do you know why I'm doing this?
36:08Why do people do that when they're frightened?
36:09As if their duvet is gonna help them.
36:11Maybe a few moments with the lights on will help calm me down.
36:12Now, I didn't even move, and the bed made a noise.
36:16Mm, what time is it?
36:18Oh, it's time to get up and go for breakfast.
36:20OK, then. Cheerio. Goodbye, everybody.
36:23You know what?
36:26I was missing Helen anyway.
36:28WHISTLE BLOWS
36:31Coming up, I get lost.
36:35Right, left or right, left or right, left or right, left.
36:39And fall in love with one of the most romantic homes on Earth.
36:42I'm going to go for a wander.
36:51One of my favourite things to do on Grand Days Out
36:54is to have my senses stimulated by the great outdoors.
36:57And at Dumfries House in Ayrshire,
36:59there's a mind-bending attraction I can't wait to get stuck into.
37:04There is no better way to end a wonderful day out than with a maze.
37:09I love a maze, always have, always will.
37:11There is, of course, a way of solving any maze.
37:15But it's a trade secret and I can't tell you,
37:16so we'll just do it the old-fashioned way.
37:19Shall we get lost?
37:21You're very welcome. Let's get lost.
37:23With paths stretching for more than half a mile,
37:26I'd best get a wriggle on,
37:27or I'll still be here when they shut up shop for the day.
37:30Right, left or right, left or right, left or right, left.
37:33This is actually quite a new addition to House and Gardens, this maze.
37:39Opened in 2016, the elaborate puzzle was the idea of King Charles,
37:44who loved playing in the maze at Sandringham as a boy.
37:47I could do with some help navigating this one.
37:51This is fine. This is fine. This is absolutely fine.
37:55I mean, it's a simple thing, isn't it? It's just a... it's just a maze.
38:03I must have forgotten my own secret.
38:10I should have brought snacks. I should have brought snacks.
38:15Town, town, town. There's a town, there's a town, there's a town, there's a town.
38:20At the heart of the maze is a Japanese pagoda.
38:23Come on, Kalman, you can do this.
38:27Did it. Did it.
38:31Yeah.
38:32A couple of hours, joking.
38:34Took me longer than I thought, though.
38:36Worth it, though.
38:37Solving a puzzle a day...
38:39..makes the world a better place.
38:42Right, now to try and find my way out of here.
38:50And some time later...
38:52..don't worry, Helen, I made it back.
38:55And I think you're...
38:57..amazing.
38:58I've been to so many fabulous homes and gardens across the country...
39:06..but one in Stratford-upon-Avon stands out as both historically important and sumptuously gorgeous.
39:12This beautiful spot is Anne Hathaway's cottage.
39:19Anne Hathaway was, of course, Shakespeare's wife who's said to have inspired some of his most romantic writings.
39:25So I'm going to go for a wanderer.
39:27Anne lived in this picture-perfect 15th-century cottage until the late 1500s when she married Shakespeare.
39:37And rumour has it that young William used to visit her here when they were courting.
39:42But it's the quintessentially English cottage exterior that appears on products sold all over the world that draws people to visit.
39:56Hi, Bertie.
39:57Hi.
39:58Bertie Smith is responsible for keeping the outside-looking chocolate box perfect all year round.
40:04You know, if you get, like, a tin of biscuits with a picture-postcard English cottage on it, this is pretty much it, isn't it?
40:14It's literally the postcards you see everywhere.
40:17This is almost the image of England in some ways.
40:20Because we all live in cottages like this, don't we?
40:22If only.
40:23If only.
40:24But this garden isn't what it would have been like when Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare were here, is it?
40:31It's not how it would have been.
40:32No, it would have been more of a mud bath than anything.
40:34Really?
40:35It was actually commissioned, like, early 1900s by quite a famous lady horticulturist called Ellen Wilmot.
40:41Mm-hm.
40:42And it was to bring the romance to the site.
40:44In the 1920s, Ellen turned what was once a farmyard into a very special space.
40:51What are the elements that you think makes this garden romantic?
40:57It's the drama of it, isn't it?
40:58Oh, it is the drama.
40:59Yeah, and it's almost like, I suppose, harking to Shakespeare.
41:02It's like a performance in the garden, essentially.
41:05And so you've got things that, you know, are almost six foot or taller in some cases.
41:10Or you've got really sort of smaller things to have a look at.
41:14I love the wildness of it, I have to say.
41:16I think that's what's quite romantic about it.
41:18Do you get a lot of proposals here?
41:20Yeah, quite a few, actually, yeah.
41:22The proposals tend to happen in the seat just over there.
41:26Right.
41:27It's basically like a love seat, so it's almost made for proposals.
41:31I'm just on my own, but...
41:34Oh, well.
41:37Inspired by Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, this moon-shaped woven willow seat is a modern addition to the garden.
41:46I may not have anyone to share it with, but it's made me all sentimental.
41:51I said the cottage was picture postcard perfect, and it is.
41:57And I'm gonna write a postcard, I think, to my English teacher, who's the one who introduced me to Shakespeare.
42:02Still in touch with her, actually.
42:04So 30 years later, I'm gonna thank her.
42:06To Mrs. K, thanks so much for making me love Shakespeare.
42:19You'll never forget my Lady Macbeth.
42:25No one will ever forget my Lady Macbeth.
42:29Love, Susan.
42:32I've had a lovely time remembering some of the amazing grand days out Helen and I have experienced.
42:43I love exploring beautiful homes and gardens all over the country.
42:47And I'm already looking forward to my next grand day out.
42:51Brand new, next Friday at 8, Dan Snow commemorates the centenary of the most famous archaeological discovery of them all, King Tut.
43:02And on Monday at 9, Soames is in Paris with Irene.
43:06Could the love affair be under threat in the Forsyth's brand new drama on 5?
43:11Next, Britain's most scenic counties is in Cheshire.
43:14Mr. KB is aãb.
43:16Allay, please.
43:17We do, Harry.
43:18Thank you for your attention.
43:19I hope you enjoyed this video.
43:21You're welcome.
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