Synopsis
Adam Hart-Davis tells the remarkable story of Thomas Newcomen, the Devon man who invented the world's first working steam-powered engine. His engine was first used to pump water out of mines and ultimately powered the industrial revolution.
- Programme: A History of the World
- Episode: The Birth of Steam
- Channel: BBC One
- Broadcast year: 2010
- History
Licence: ERA Licence required
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from A History of the World
Cumbria's Atomic Pioneers | A History of the World
Cumbria's Atomic Pioneers | A History of the World
Stuart Maconie goes in search of Britain's atomic past, discovering the world's first nuclear power station, tucked away i...
Jenner's Marvellous Medicine | A History of the World
Jenner's Marvellous Medicine | A History of the World
Professor Mark Horton tells the epic story of the world's greatest medical discovery. Edward Jenner's vaccination for s...
Suffragette City | A History of the World
Suffragette City | A History of the World
It was the campaign that changed the lives of British women forever. Actress Sheila Hancock is given unprecedented access to the Mu...
The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World
The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World
Adam Hart-Davis tells the story of the amazing 280-year-old wooden clock, made in Lincolnshire, that changed timeke...
The Man Who Shrank the Globe | A History of the World
The Man Who Shrank the Globe | A History of the World
Jem Stansfield uncovers the story behind the invention of the jet engine. Frank Whittle turned our world into a global ...
Towton 1461 | A History of the World
Towton 1461 | A History of the World
Horrible Histories author Terry Deary tells the story of the country's biggest and bloodiest ever battle in which 28,000 soldiers died i...
Unlocking the Midlands | A History of the World
Unlocking the Midlands | A History of the World
Chris Tarrant discovers how one simple invention revolutionised the industrial heart of Britain. He travels by narrow boat to...
More resources about The Industrial Revolution
1: A Cup of Tea | The Boat That Guy Built
1: A Cup of Tea | The Boat That Guy Built
Guy Martin renovates a neglected narrowboat with inventions from the Industrial Revolution. He begins by building an 18th-century b...
1: Migration and Emigration | History File
1: Migration and Emigration | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to-day liv...
1: The Great Ship | Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
1: The Great Ship | Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
Following the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's struggle to build the world's largest ship, The Great Eastern.
2: A Nice Hot Shower | The Boat That Guy Built
2: A Nice Hot Shower | The Boat That Guy Built
Guy decides to make a steam engine power the shower on board his aptly-named narrowboat, Reckless. He also visits the factory ...
2: Brunel | Great Britons (2002)
2: Brunel | Great Britons (2002)
In a series of programs about the chief candidates for greatness, Jeremy Clarkson argues the case for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the great 19t...
2: Crime and Punishment | History File
2: Crime and Punishment | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to-day lives o...
2: The Age of Invention | Howard Goodall's Story of Music
2: The Age of Invention | Howard Goodall's Story of Music
Howard Goodall looks at the fertile musical period between 1650 and 1750, in which many of the musical innovations ...
3: A Good Night's Sleep | The Boat That Guy Built
3: A Good Night's Sleep | The Boat That Guy Built
Guy Martin visits an Industrial Revolution cotton mill to weave his own sheets on 19th-century looms, then builds a mattres...
3: Having It All | The Victorians
3: Having It All | The Victorians
Continuing his exploration of the Victorian world, Jeremy Paxman tells how railways, factories and military might made Britain the richest ...
3: Health and Housing | History File
3: Health and Housing | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to-day lives of ...
3: Victoria | Queens that Changed the World
3: Victoria | Queens that Changed the World
Victoria reigned in a time of huge change. She was the first queen to be among her public, and led the way for modern royals.
4: Beans on Toast | The Boat That Guy Built
4: Beans on Toast | The Boat That Guy Built
Motorcycle racer and engineering enthusiast Guy Martin makes a tin can using a 200-year-old technique, bakes his own traditional ...
4: Mine (Black Country) | How Britain Worked
4: Mine (Black Country) | How Britain Worked
Guy Martin's project is the first piston engine ever built - The Newcomen Beam Engine - which the team set out to return to full...
4: Work and Wages | History File
4: Work and Wages | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to-day lives of the ...
5: Henry VIII to the Industrial Revolution | Michael Wood's Story of England
5: Henry VIII to the Industrial Revolution | Michael Wood's Story of England
A portrait of one village through the whole of English history sees 17th-century dissenters, an ...
5: Make a Boat a Home | The Boat That Guy Built
5: Make a Boat a Home | The Boat That Guy Built
Guy and his best mate Mave decide to give their narrowboat a makeover. They learn about the most influential British interior...
5: Reform and Recreation | History File
5: Reform and Recreation | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to-day lives ...
6: 1900-1909 - Britain at its peak? | History File
6: 1900-1909 - Britain at its peak? | History File
Compilation of secondary schools programme on British History 1750-1900. Looks at how industrialisation changed the day-to...
6: The Homecoming | The Boat That Guy Built
6: The Homecoming | The Boat That Guy Built
Guy Martin examines inventions of the Industrial Revolution. Guy and Mave show off their renovated boat and all its historic inve...
7: Age of Industry | Andrew Marr's History of the World
7: Age of Industry | Andrew Marr's History of the World
In this episode, Andrew Marr tells how Britain's Industrial Revolution created the modern world.
More from Adam Hart-Davis
S3: North of England | Local Heroes
S3: North of England | Local Heroes
Adam Hart-Davis recalls William Sturgeon's inventing the electric motor and James Nasmyth's steam hammer Adam also sees Joseph Paxton's i...
The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World
The Clock That Changed the World | A History of the World
Adam Hart-Davis tells the story of the amazing 280-year-old wooden clock, made in Lincolnshire, that changed timeke...
Crime and Punishment | What the Victorians Did For Us
Crime and Punishment | What the Victorians Did For Us
Adam Hart-Davis investigates the Victorian innovations that left a lasting impression on British society. In this progr...
S2E4: North East | Local Heroes
S2E4: North East | Local Heroes
Adam Hart-Davis's search for Britain's greatest scientific pioneers is in North-East England, where he looks at the work of Charles Algernon,...
S2E6: South East | Local Heroes
S2E6: South East | Local Heroes
Adam Hart-Davis's search for Britain's greatest scientific pioneers is in South-East England, where he looks at the work of Hertha Ayrton, Th...