How the Victorians Built Britain

In this episode, presenter Michael Buerk discovers how the Victorians created what we know as public transport.

Michael Buerk reveals how the Victorian era transformed the health of Great Britain. The creation of an extensive sewer system provided fresh, clean water for all, suppressing diseases such as cholera. This revolution began in Liverpool, which suffered the highest mortality rates in the country. But it took the 'Great Stink of 1858' to convince Parliament to create a sewer system for the capital.

Michael Buerk discovers how the Victorian era created what we know as the modern home. From the boom in housebuilding, producing gas from coal, lighting, electricity and even the birth of home entertainment, it was an era that completely transformed the way the British lived. But while many of these luxuries were the distractions of the rich, the poor in Victorian Britain suffered.

Michael Buerk investigates how the Victorians created what we know as mass manufacturing. With their advancements in technology, goods could be produced at a rate that had never been seen before. Michael discovers that these innovations were the result of one product: cotton. The industrial revolution sped up the boom in manufacturing, but there would be consequences for all this sudden growth.