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Series 16: 5. Chichester to Amberley
Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the green and pleasant landscape between the North and South Downs, known as the Weald, nears its conclusion.\n\nNear Chichester, Michael visits the Weald and Downland Living Museum, and hears how 53 historic rural buildings dating from AD950 to 1910 were rescued from dereliction or demolition to form a unique collection that showcases the rural life of the region. Michael discovers the cold comforts of a jail for market-day offenders and gets stuck into the messy business of repairing a building with wattle and daub.\n\nAt the former Petworth station, Michael finds that passenger services ended in 1955, but bed and breakfast is now available - in Pullman luxury style! The grand stately home, Petworth House, which the station used to serve, was once home to a passionate collector of art and patron of artists, the 3rd Earl of Egremont. Michael is eager to see the collection and to discover his connection to JMW Turner, who stayed at the house every year between 1827 and 1837, and created over 100 works there.\n\nMichael heads south on the Arun Valley Line to Amberley to visit a magnificent Roman villa of 65 rooms, discovered in 1811 by a farmer with a brand new plough. He is amazed by the sophisticated heating systems and the beautifully intricate mosaics.
Source: BBC 2
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