Product Description

A follow up to the BAFTA Award winning series Coast, Great British Journey follows intrepid traveller Nick Crane (Coast, Map Man) as he retraces the steps taken by Britain s greatest indigenous explorers. Over eight episodes, screened by the BBC, Crane travels by foot, horse and bicycle, through our wildest landscapes. He follows eight historical journeys into uncharted territory, exploring both physical and human landscapes and revealing defining periods of social and industrial change.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2781 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-10-01
• Rating: Exempt
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 480 minutes

DVD Description
We know who explored new worlds, conquered mountains and sailed oceans. But who ‘discovered’ Britain?

In this fascinating BBC series, intrepid traveller Nick Crane (Coast, Map Man) investigates eight epic and challenging journeys, following in the footsteps of our greatest indigenous explorers.

Over eight episodes, Crane travels by foot, horse and bicycle, through our wildest landscapes. He follows eight historical journeys into uncharted territory, exploring both physical and human landscapes and revealing defining periods of social and industrial change.

From the 12th century to the 20th, from major cities to the wilds of the Hebrides, Nick pieces together how the map of Britain took shape. And, in the process, discovers something about who we are.

A follow-up to the BAFTA award-winning series Coast.

Synopsis
Nick Crane travels by bicycle, horse and foot on eight endurance journeys through Britain, exploring the country and copying the great treks of indiginous explorers.

Customer Reviews

History, geography & entertainment. A splendid series
Great British Journeys is excellent viewing. Nicholas Crane is an enthusiastic and well informed presenter who is obviously at home exploring the history of the British landscape. The series is well researched and carefully explained, so each programme offers a carefully constructed insight into a certain place at a specific time. It's thoroughly enjoyable and sneakily educational. You'll be saying 'I never knew that!' all the way through.

Nick Crane follows the trails of various historic explorers/geographers, and across eight programmes this means he travels around most of the British isles. Much of the action takes place in wild countryside, where Crane gets to stride across desolate boggy marshes and tumbles down steep wooded hills -- you can't but help respect a man who gives a considered expert presentation to camera while wrestling a mountain bike down a 3-in-1 slope covered in mud!

Crane explores how the landscape and society of Britain has changed since the original journeys were made. He investigates the original routes and tries to reconstruct them. He examines the political and sociological turmoil of the time in question, and reviews it from our modern perspective. On top of that you have stunning locations and great photography. It's excellent TV, no doubt about it.

Crane also experiments with modes of transport which may have been used by his original explorers, and tries to marry up their descriptions with the modern landscape. Sometimes his field experiements succeed brilliantly -- at other times it all goes pear-shaped. And we get to see both outcomes! Crane uses various modes of transportation, from Shanks' pony to bullnose Morris, from sailing ship to canoe, and inevitably does one heck of a lot of walking. So you see the countryside around him at the speed of our ancestors -- a far slower pace than the one we rush around at today.

There are flaws; there's some snazzy camera work which is entertaining the first time you see it and then vaguely irritating. The time scale was obviously tight and much of the series was filmed in poor weather (mind you, in some of the locations there's not very much in the way of good weather!). But overall this doesn't spoil the series. I've seen it twice, and in a year or so I'll probably be happy to watch it again.

There have been several similar TV series of late (Nature of Britain; Mountain; Coast). But while the other series tent to scatterwit around the place, hopping from one location and subject to the next in six minute segments, Great British Journeys develops its theme over 45 minutes -- and it's a superior programme because of it.

Thoughtful TV for anyone with an interest in the UK. Recommended.

Some of it is excellent
As an Englishman in exile for over 55 years, I found Nicholas Crane's 'Great British Journeys' a little disappointing. Alas, it doesn't rise to the standards of other BBC series such as Alan Titchmarsh's 'British Isles: A Natural History' and David Dimbleby's 'A Picture of Britain' and 'How we built Britain'.

In summary, I agree with both the positive and the negative reviews submitted by others. There are many 'Wow, I didn't realise that' segments and many fascinating and informative diversions into lesser-known paths and places. We also see an awful lot of Nick trudging through mud; choosing a difficult path when an easier one is in sight; rushing round on his various bikes; awkwardly talking over his shoulder; or pacing back and forth in small pubs. Personally, I also found the soundtrack music quite intrusive and jarring at times. Nevertheless, it is all in all a fascinating series.

It's worth persevering with the irritants, and this is why I score it at 4 rather than 3.
..........................

13/12/09

I am viewing it again and am really very impressed by the way Nick Crane sets his route in each episode by a different classic travel book or guide, the oldest of which was written in 1188! His exploration of social history is fascinating and informative. There are many wonderful views of landscapes both wild and tamed. It's such a pity that due to time restraints we can't be shown more of the old and ancient buildings he visits.

Yes, I highly recommend this DVD but with the same slight reservation mentioned before.

Happy walks
I like Nicholas Crane a lot and this series is a great idea. I did find the camera work very irritating though and a great distraction. Lots of blurry stuff, quick changes of pace ,or concentrations on bicycle spokes and feet when you'd far rather see the scenary. I have to say this spoilt it for me and I wouldn't have bought it had I rented it first.