Tales from the Green Valley Season 1

(2005) August - November | # of Episodes : 12

Ratings

Series Details

Seasons: 1

Total Episodes: 12

Creators:

Networks: BBC Two

Status: Ended

First Air Date: Aug 19, 2005

Recent Air Date: Nov 4, 2005

Run Time: m

In Production: No

Original Language: English

Age Rating: PG

Website: Link

Production Companies: Lion Television

Genres

Keywords

People Rated This

None of your friends have rated this title yet

Watch Tales from the Green Valley

Sorry! We currently don't have any streaming links for this tv show yet :(

Check back soon! We add new episodes every day!

Synopsis

Twelve-part series in which five experts, archaeologists and historians take on the challenge of running a farm for a year as it would have been in the reign of King James I.

Main Cast

Episodes

Episode 1

19 August 2005 - September

Reality series in which archaeologists and historians reconstruct a 17th-century farm and maintain it for a year. Each episode follows a month's progress, as the experts attempt to grow crops and raise livestock using only methods in common practice during the reign of James I. In the first episode, a team of oxen are used to plough the field and the team try to bake bread

Episode 2

26 August 2005 - October

The pressure of 17th-century living mounts as the farmers race to harvest a crop of pears, and try to build a shelter for the livestock before the weather worsens. A thatcher builds a roof for the cowshed using bracken, and the team drive the pigs into the woods to fatten them up on seeds and nuts. They then reward themselves for their hard work by cooking a traditional meal of spit-roasted mutton

Episode 3

02 September 2005 - November

Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn make a wattle-and-daub wall for the cowshed, and a slaughterman arrives to kill the male pot-bellied pig. In accordance with 17th-century customs, the women in the group face the task of butchering the carcass - and the team use every part of the animal to create a range of traditional dishes, including hogs' liver pudding and pork sausages

Episode 4

09 September 2005 - December

The historians and archaeologists try to take time out of their busy farming schedule to celebrate a 17th-century Christmas. They decorate their home with holly, ivy, rosemary and bay, and cut a giant yule log - once the centrepiece of Jacobean festivities. The team then cook a range of seasonal recipes, including mince pies which contain meat, and pease pudding

Episode 5

16 September 2005 - January

There's little food to be harvested in January, so a meal is created using the ham that's been preserved since Arthur the pig was killed, with pease pudding and whole grains. Meanwhile, Ruth Goodman uses a salve of herbs and animal fat to treat a cut on a patient also suffering with a painful elbow, for which her prescription is sage in oil

Episode 6

23 September 2005 - February

A storm leaves the toilet damaged, so the team face the unenviable task of building another from scratch, while explaining the unusual ways in which human waste was used in the 17th century. A music specialist brings a collection of period instruments to entertain the farmers by the fire, and Lent heralds yet more culinary challenges

Episode 7

30 September 2005 - March

Spring arrives, bringing the promise of longer days and respite from the cold weather. The farmers begin to sow seeds and brew beer in preparation for the year ahead - but must first dig up overgrown brambles and weeds. Newborn piglets bring welcome entertainment, and the team try out a dangerously addictive 17th-century gambling game

Episode 8

07 October 2005 - April

The farmers give the house a spring clean, sweeping the chimney with a holly bush and dusting the place with a goose wing. They also care for a newborn calf, and attempt to build dry stone walls, while on the menu are a range of 17th-century veal dishes and an unusually green omelette

Episode 9

14 October 2005 - May

Alex and Fonz work overtime catching up on the spring sowing, opting to cut the furrows with their period breast plough instead of using the horse. Chloe milks the cow and the farmers make butter using a replica churn, before having a well-earned rest with a spot of 17th-century-style salmon fishing

Episode 10

21 October 2005 - June

Alex and Fonz face the daunting task of washing and shearing the sheep by hand, and are less than impressed with their refreshment - a 'posset' made from hot milk, ale, nutmeg and pepper. The team organise a festival to celebrate midsummer, with a feast of elderflower fritters, mutton and sops in wine. They also light a large fire and perform dances to ward off evil spirits

Episode 11

28 October 2005 - July

The women make the most of the July weather by washing all the clothes and bedsheets in 'lye' - a mixture of ashes, water and fermented urine. Meanwhile, the men tackle the job of making hay in the meadow. Fonz reflects on the farmers' achievements as the team harvest the peas

Episode 12

04 November 2005 - August

The arrival of August sends the group into a frenzy of agricultural work as they prepare to leave, cutting the wheat and cooking the grain. Historian Stuart Peachey prepares the farewell dinner, including rustic goose pie, pureed white carrot and fermented cider - which the team use to toast their year of hard graft on the 17th-century farm. Last in series

Crew

Department	Role	Name
Production	Producer	David Upshal
	Executive Producer	Richard Bradley
Department	Role	Name

Join the discussion

Please Log in to comment