This is a gem of a television show produced by the British channel BBC four. The presenter, Tony Robinson, was Baldrick (a dogsbody) on the wonderful Rowan Atkinson series Black Adder. Fresh off his terrific history/archeological series Time Team, Tony’s new show is four seasons of him taking long (60 miles) walks over four days in a particular area in Britain in order to tell a historical story. So you have an interesting presenter, beautiful scenery all over Britain, and a great story of British history in each episode. 

Season one is a great example of the formula, one episode tracing the birth of the Industrial Revolution in Britain led by Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the spinning frame (water frame), which enabled manufacturing of textiles on a large scale. (Previously, textile making had been small-scale industry, woven in homes). In every episode, Tony meets experts, usually historians from local universities, but keeps these academic interactions short and concise. There’s a lot of information but it’s presented in a breezy manner. 

So, what we have here is a hybrid travel-cum-history show, and I find it utterly charming. Season two has Tony in The Lake District, following the path of Roman occupation in this region of Britain. There’s a great episode in Cornwall, famous for it’s smuggling. (Adrienne’s note: as we learn on Poldark!) Tony explains how and why the smuggling started (Britain was broke after the war of Independence in the American Colonies and taxed the hell out of goods) and how it all worked, attached to wonderful panoramic views of this beautiful coastal area. 

Season three has a great episode of the building of the Leeds and Liverpool canal, used to send coal to the industries in the south and returning with, um, ‘night soil’ from London (human waste) that was fine fertilizer for the farms up north. The canals are real works of architecture and the waterfowl they attract now are stunning. 

Season four has the story of Victoria and Albert’s love of the Scottish Highlands, less than 100 years after the clearances (of tenants) and the dissolution of the Clans, ending up with Queen Victoria buying and rebuilding Balmoral Castle. Another amazing episode shows the German occupation of the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey during World War II, the Nazis shipping forced labor (mostly from Eastern Europe) to the islands and the stories of the brave British that tried to hide these escaped laborers. It really wasn’t that long ago.  

Available on Amazon Prime, Walking Through History is right up my alley. Your mileage may vary, but it’s a show that is informative and beautiful to look at. Join Tony (now SIR Tony Robinson) for a walk through Britain’s history. I think you will find it rewarding. 

----Steve McGowan 

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