The Heart of England is a romantic place where some of the world’s greatest prose and plays were written. In more recent times the landscape has been changed as a result of the Industrial Revolution, spurred on by the spread of the railways and the steam locomotive, magnificent in its beauty, is as one with the nation's heart. The “Shakespeare Express” links these two sides of the country’s character and steam still conquers the Lickey Hills. By contrast, East Anglia is still one of the least known parts of southern Britain. Until the coming of the railways, few had visited the area and the local people had seldom strayed from it. So part of the beauty of steam is the freedom it gave to its people . . . the Great Eastern Railway and its successors being true engineers of change - the landscape accepting their trains and steam becoming part of the landscape.
 
This classic re-issue of footage from a book and DVD package contains superb film of steam locomotives at work - from over three decades past - in the landscapes that they helped to create …and is a stunning reminder of the lasting Beauty of Steam.