2. London Town

Available for 18 days

After completing his apprenticeship to a stonemason in Langholm, Thomas Telford left for London in 1782. He carried letters of introduction to the two leading architects of the day: Robert Adam and William Chambers. But success eluded him in the metropolis. Instead, he found it in Shropshire, thanks to another Borders' contact, Sir William Pulteney, who invited him to work on the reconstruction of Shrewsbury Castle. This led on to his appointment as county surveyor and soon Telford was working on a huge number of public and private properties. Julian Glover's first full modern biography of Thomas Telford: a shepherd's son, who revolutionised British engineering and set the stage for the Industrial Revolution. Read by Robin Laing. Abridged by David Jackson Young Producer: Kirsteen Cameron. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2017.