Following the success of ‘Victorian Farm’, Lion Television made three more 60 minute programmes looking at the lives of 19th century farmers which were broadcast on BBC2 over Christmas 2009.
Filmed in and around the Acton Scott Estate in Shropshire, ‘Victorian Farm’ saw three experts, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn, running a small farm for one year using 19th century tools and techniques. Ruth, Peter and Alex returned to the Estate to tackle an array of new farming tasks; explore life in the wider working countryside; and discover in depth how the Victorians created the celebration of Christmas as we know it today – from Greetings Cards and Christmas Carols to the rich array of festive food they put on the table.
'Escape in time' - featuring Ben Fogle was yet another BBC2 series for which the site of Acton Scott Historic Working Farm was used together with the expertise of many staff, the first of this series was shown in Spring 2010.
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm featured prominently. Set within the Acton Scott Estate, and operated by Shropshire Council, a range of the farm’s buildings, machinery and traditional skills will be used to help bring the world of the rural Victorian to life.
Following the success of the first series of ‘Victorian Farm’, Acton Scott Historic Working Farm has seen its visitor numbers increase, as more people explore the simplicity and sustainability of Victorian life. The farm was successful in receiving significant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, European Regional Development Fund and Shropshire Council, further cementing its reputation as a nationally significant working museum and visitor attraction.
“A range of new visitor facilities, a significant building restoration project and improved information sources resulting from the investment will enable more visitors to gain a better sense of life as a Victorian in a rural parish”, said Michael Turner, Manager of Acton Scott Historic Working Farm. “As an additional strand to these developments, a programme of traditional craft and skills courses has been created allowing individuals the opportunity to have hands-on experience and training in a number of skills that are in decline, some of which featured in the Lion TV series. Take-up of the courses has been first-rate, showing that there is a significant body of people interested in sustaining these dwindling traditions.”
A further important development has seen Shropshire Council create a Trainee Wagoner post, thus enabling the dying art of the heavy horse work to be preserved for the future. It is expected that further traineeships in other traditional skills will be created in the coming years.