Fabric of Britain

The story of how knitting rose from basic craft to the height of popular fashion in the 20th century, and sustained Britain through the hardships of war.

Paul Martin looks at wallpaper from the 16th century to the present. It may seem insignificant, but governments have tried to control it and it has even threatened to poison us.

Medievalist Dan Jones goes in search of surviving works from the great age of English embroidery, some of which survived the destruction of art during the Reformation.