Astonishing Britain

Britain and Britons are renowned for their eccentricity the world over, and this is a celebration of the odd and the unusual, the mysterious and the bizarre - a journey in which we seek out weird and wonderful places, follies and other curious buildings, events, customs, beliefs and may other aspects of Britain's more curious national heritage. Anthony Burton's travels have taken him all over Britain in his curious quest: investigating the mysteries of prehistoric stone circles; going underground to see where the Romans mined for gold; finding what must be the only pigsty to be converted into a holiday home; also finding a flax mill disguised as an Egyptian temple and a carpet factory in Glasgow that is a fair imitation of the Doge's Palace! Antony Burton has presented a Radio 4 series on Britain's past and present and has also written and presented three television series, "The Past at Work", "The Past Afloat" and "The Rise and Fall of King Cotton".