How We Built Britain

TV series

How We Built Britain

7/ 10· 2200760 min1 season · 6 episodes

David Dimbleby tells the dramatic and heroic story of Britain's architecture - the extraordinary buildings which grew out of the experiences and beliefs of the British people and define the nation. From magnificent cathedrals to Glasgow tenements, from the medieval castle to the hi-tech corporate HQ and from the splendours of the most palatial stately home to the urban terraced house; from the invention of our industrial cities to the cosy postwar prefab - not forgetting railways, bridges, canals and lidos - this is the story of a thousand years of change in Britain's buildings. How We Built Britain was a series of six television documentaries produced by the BBC in 2007 and repeated in 2008. The series was written and presented by broadcaster David Dimbleby. In the series Dimbleby visited some of Britain's great historic buildings and examined their impact on Britain's architectural and social history.

Created by
Basil Comely

Seasons and episodes

1 season · 6 episodes

Ended
1

Season 1

6 episodesJune 3, 2007
Open season page
  1. S1 E1

    The East: A New Dawn

    Jun 3, 200760 min

    David Dimbleby starts his journey in Ely in the spectacular cathedral that dominates the Fens. He explores the world of medieval knights at Hedingham Castle, travels to Norwich to discover the workings of a great medieval city and visits La

  2. S1 E2

    The Heart of England: Living It Up

    Jun 10, 200760 min

    David Dimbleby looks at how England was transformed by the extraordinary flowering of architecture, ideas and exploration of the Elizabethan Renaissance. Take a journey that tracks the newly rich to stately homes like Burghley House and fo

  3. S1 E3

    Scotland: Towering Ambitions

    Jun 20, 200760 min

    David Dimbleby travels north of the border to find out how Scotland developed a style of building quite different from that in England. Join him on a journey from the extraordinary visions of Stirling Castle to the Scottish baronial of Dun

  4. S1 E4

    The West: Putting on the Style

    Jun 27, 200760 min

    David Dimbleby encounters the grace and elegance of the Georgian terraces of Bath and Bristol, the magnificent country houses of Blenheim and the gardens of Stourhead. He discovers where the seeds of the Industrial Revolution were sown, in

  5. S1 E5

    The North: Full Steam Ahead

    Jul 8, 200760 min

    At the start of Victoria's reign, the north of England seemed out of control. Enormous industrial cities lacked basic amenities whilst many of their inhabitants lived in slums. David Dimbleby travels to Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and the

  6. S1 E6

    The South: Dreams of Tomorrow

    Jul 15, 200760 min

    Twentieth Century was driven by the ideal of progress, and the heart of that movement was in London and the South East. David Dimbleby embarks on a journey that explores how the idea evolved, from the commuter's dream of a house in the sub

Starring

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch How We Built Britain?
How We Built Britain is not currently listed on a streaming service in the US. Use the country picker on the page to check other markets.
How many seasons of How We Built Britain are there?
How We Built Britain has 1 season and 6 episodes. Status: Ended.
Will there be a new season of How We Built Britain?
How We Built Britain has ended; no new episodes are scheduled. The final episode aired on July 15, 2007.
Who stars in How We Built Britain?
How We Built Britain stars David Dimbleby.

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