A Farm Through Time

Channel 5, 9pm

It may be news to urban folk but farming and the countryside have evolved just as much over the centuries as cities. Quite how much is revealed by this three-part series, in which historian Ruth Goodman is joined by farmer brothers Dave and Rob Nicholson (right, with dad Roger).

We can look forward to a trip through time to the Victorian era and the Iron Age in future weeks, but for the opening episode the focus is the Second World War. At a living-history farm at Tatton Park in Cheshire, Goodman and co discover how wartime Britain met the challenge of the Nazi blockade and still fed the nation.

This was a time when horses remained vital to the work of the farm, but the doughty Fordson tractor also had its place in ploughing the fields. Look out for the female volunteers re-enacting the work of the Women’s Land Army. ★★★★★