Victorian Farm

The team move into a Victorian smallholding on the Acton Scott estate that hasn't been used in nearly half a century. Their first task is the restoration of the cottage - a task that threatens to get the better of them. As incoming tenants, they help thresh the previous summer's wheat crop, their first experience of steam-powered machinery. Alex attempts to sow a wheat crop using horse-power. R...

As Autumn ends, winter-proofing begins in earnest - essential work if the livestock and crops are to make it through the cold and frost. The team stock up on animal feed using a host of Victorian machinery. Peter faces his biggest challenge so far, building pigsties. Ruth tackles the laundry, a gruelling four-day process that Victorians tackled weekly. The ram arrives on the farm - ensuring he ...

It's the New Year and the farm needs emergency repairs. So the team go back to DIY basics, with the help of the woodsman, the blacksmith and the basket maker. Ruth has a go at some traditional potions and remedies. When the wheat crop comes under attack, its time for some pest control, Victorian style, as Alex and Peter join a pheasant hunt. Alex goes out catching rabbits with a team of Victori...

It's Spring and there are lambs and pigs to be delivered - which means Alex and Peter need to master animal midwifery. A prized ewe is in danger and a lame horse may jeopardise vital work on the farm. The team turn to Victorian science in a bid to save their struggling crops. If they succeed, they will have something to celebrate at the May Day fair. If they fail, all their hard work will have ...

The team embark on a trip by steam train. Ruth embarks on a tough task in the dairy. Alex tries his hand at bee-keeping. The sheep get sheared using the latest time-saving technology. And the lengthening Summer days allow Alex and Peter to try out the new Victorian sport of cricket. It's also time for the hay harvest - weather permitting!

The team's year on the Victorian Farm is coming to an end. But first they have to bring in the Wheat Harvest, the most crucial part of the Victorian Farm calender. Alex and Peter must get to grips with a contraption that was state-of the-art technology in Victorian times - the Reaper Binder. Ruth explores the craft of straw platting and discovers the art of printing. The boys try their hand at ...