Fred Dinbah's Building Of Britain (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Educational Value	Excellent
How good are the presenters?	Outstanding
How good is the content?	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Fantastic programming
Disadvantages:	only 177 minutes long !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain should be made required viewing for all students of history, archaeology, building conservation and architecture. Fred is able to make everything come to life.

The late Fred Dibnah was a modern renaissance man. For not only did Fred say how something was built in times gone by, he would show the viewer, using exquisite drawings that he had executed himself, models or full-scale replicas, how the techniques had actually been employed by master craftsmen of times gone by.

The three DVD boxed set of Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain is a fantastic introduction to Fred Dibnah's world.

He is able to explain and to really demonstrate how things were done in what some people describe as "the olden days."

DVD 1 shows The Art of Castle Building and Might Cathedrals. He explains how the castles were designed, how they were constructed, how they were managed and also, using a technique that Fred still used, how they could be taken during a siege.

Fred's description of how the cathedrals were made (complete with working scale models of Medieval construction techniques) is not only interesting but also somewhat moving, too. An interesting aside was that Fred was able to show carpenter's marks on wood that were used to ensure that beams fitted into beams. A sobering thought that the master carpenter who made those marks has been dead for 1,000-odd years. Yet his work is still a testament to his skills, brought to life by Fred Dibnah.

DVD 2 covers The Age of the Carpenter and Scottish Style.

The age of the carpenter describes how the skills of the carpenter really came into their own during the time of the Tudor great houses, when newly-wealthy merchants decided that they required a grand house for their family, suitable to their new status. Fred also pointed out some of the problems in these houses caused by faulty construction techniques. He also showed how these are being put right by using modern engineering solutions.

Scottish Style covers what was basically the Adams style. Fred Dibnah examines examples of what became known as Scottish Baronial style. He takes the viewer round Glamis Castle, pointing out how a relatively straightforward stone structure was transformed into the wonderful structure that we see today, by using teams of master stonemasons. The plasterwork in the castle was executed by experts from Italy. Of particular note the violin, skilfully created out of a mould and plaster. As Fred discovered the tale that the plaster violin was a real violin, dipped in plaster was not right. The true story was much more interesting. And Fred has a reasonably successful go at plaster work himself.

DVD 3 covers Building the Canals and Victorian Splendour
Here, of course, Fred Dibnah comes into his own. For this is Fred's favourite era, I think. The Industrial Revolution and then into the times of Victorian Britain.

He returns home to Bolton to look at what remains of the once-extensive canal system and to explain not only how they were constructed (complete with models, of course) but also why they were constructed.

In Victorian Splendour Fred Dibnah takes a look at the fantastic work of Pugin when he was required to rebuild the Palace of Westminster in Medieval style, to match the remains of the palace. He shows how it was built, and how Big Ben's clock tower was constructed and also reveals that Victorian pennies are still used to help regulate the running of the clock.

Extras on the DVD include a biography of Fred Dibnah and a filmography, both well worth viewing.

The specially written music by Elizabeth Parker, is outstanding.

It is classified as E and is £39.00 on Amazon UK.