0:00:20 > 0:00:22Hello. Today I'm on a journey through South Devon,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25zipping through the countryside by rail and road.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30I'll be discovering flora, fauna and fishing in this remarkable county.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38My train journey will take me to Dawlish,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42where I'll be meeting local boy and gardening expert Toby Buckland,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46and he'll take me on a horticultural tour of his favourite parts of the area.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Is this a spot you're fond of, Toby?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Well, yeah, because it's a walker's paradise.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Then I'll head inland to Buckfastleigh,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57where I'll meet the perfect piglet
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and find out why pigs have become such popular pets.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Joe, could you make a pig happy?
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Finally, I'll meet back up with the coast in Dartmouth,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08where I'll check out the fascinating history of the castle
0:01:08 > 0:01:13before sailing out to sea to have a crack at crab fishing.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17How much, do you think, for a big crab on sale in a shop?
0:01:17 > 0:01:19In a restaurant in London, I don't know.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I couldn't afford to eat in one of the restaurants in London!
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Along the way, I'll be looking back at the very best
0:01:26 > 0:01:29of the BBC's rural programmes from this part of the world.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Devon is the third-largest English county,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40and just over one million people live here.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Its towns, beaches, moors and seaside resorts
0:01:43 > 0:01:46are a huge attraction for visitors.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50This is the only county in England to have two separate coastlines,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54the Bristol Channel to the north and the English Channel to the south.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57My journey today will take me to the south,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01travelling through the countryside between Dartmoor and the sea.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The train journey to Dawlish Warren is just stunning.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11It's honestly one of my favourite journeys in the UK -
0:02:11 > 0:02:15breathtaking views of the beach, and you arrive right by the sea.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18'Very few people are privileged to be met off the train
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'by local lad and gardening expert Toby Buckland.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:25- Hi, Toby!- Joe, nice to see you. - Great timing. How are you?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27The weather's great, as well.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31'Toby is here to introduce me to his much-loved home town
0:02:31 > 0:02:34'and to take me to some interesting and obscure spots for plant life.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36'Using his local knowledge,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'he'll first guide me to some of the vegetation
0:02:39 > 0:02:41'for which Devon is renowned.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44'We're driving to the lanes just outside Dawlish
0:02:44 > 0:02:47'to look at the hedges that dominate the roadsides here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'The Devon hedges are part of the countryside.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53'There are approximately 33,000 miles of hedge,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'more than in any other county.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58'And because of the height of these hedges,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02'it feels like a winding maze as you drive down these narrow lanes.'
0:03:05 > 0:03:09So, Devonshire hedges, notorious, almost, for their size.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Why are they so tall?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Two reasons. One is that they're very old,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and so the roads that run alongside them
0:03:15 > 0:03:19have been sort of worn away by centuries of traffic.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21But it's also to do with how they're made,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25because Devon hedges, or "Devon banks", as they're called,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27are soil-filled.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And if you get your hand in there, you can see the construction of it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Basically, when a farmer wanted a boundary,
0:03:33 > 0:03:34he'd do one of two things -
0:03:34 > 0:03:37he'd either cut back a woodland to form a hedge
0:03:37 > 0:03:41or he'd pile up soil into a great big mound and put some stones in it
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and then plant trees on the top.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47And so that's what gives them their bulk and solidity.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So they've been here quite a while.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52A rule of thumb - there's a theory that came out in the '70s,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55the idea being that if a hedge is planted with one species
0:03:55 > 0:03:58when it first is put into the ground,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02every hundred years, another woody species will join it.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04So the more woody species,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07things like oak and ash and holly, that you get in a hedge,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10the older it is, and each one corresponds to a century.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13So you start with a single plant, it'll be monoculture,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and then eventually others would weed their way in.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Yeah, so start with this one. We've got an oak tree.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20One hundred years, OK.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24You've got English elm in there,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27you've got a bit of hazel there. That's 300 years.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Over a run of 30 yards, let's say, you'd normally do it,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34but we've done 300 years in three foot, haven't we?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And then what else have we got?
0:04:36 > 0:04:40We've got a bit of privet in there, ivy, brambles,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- erm, cherry plum...- That's seven.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- 700. A bit of ash... - Ash, 800 years.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- You soon get through them, don't you?- Yeah.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54The numbers can really get quite high quickly in an old hedge like this.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56In fact, a quarter of Devon's hedges
0:04:56 > 0:04:59are thought to be over 800 years old,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03some of which are aged with more scientific methods than we're using!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06And out of all the UK's species-rich hedges,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09a whopping 20% are here in this county.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15So a large number of wooded species! What about other plant life in here?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18An immense amount of herbaceous plants as well,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and some of them are garden escapes. They've moved out from the towns.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25We're quite a long way away from the town, but this is a garden escape.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It's called Snow-In-Summer. In people's rockeries you often see it,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33but it's an established hedgerow plant here, and it does very well.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37It forms great big white banks of those blooms. Lovely.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And then from woodlands, there's this blue one.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- You see the blue Forget-me-not?- Here?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Yeah. It's called Wood Forget-me-not.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47So as well as plants spreading out from the towns,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50you also get them moving in from other habitats and other areas
0:05:50 > 0:05:52like the woodlands around here,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54and they start to colonise the hedges.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56So it just gets increasingly rich.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And what's so interesting
0:05:58 > 0:06:01is that when that plant gets crushed out, maybe,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04by the brambles around it or the Wych elm that's starting to come up,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06its seed will spring up somewhere,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08where maybe the elm trees have been killed off
0:06:08 > 0:06:11by the disease carried by the beetles,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13and it's just an ever-changing tapestry.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Crikey. What's the general benefits to the countryside as a whole
0:06:17 > 0:06:21from what you describe as the rich tapestry of plant life?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Well, the hedges are brilliant for wildlife.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Now, just as the roads that run alongside them
0:06:27 > 0:06:30are corridors in which we can travel in our cars,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32the hedges are similar for wildlife,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35because they can travel in tunnels inside them safely,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39or birds can fly from branch to twig to branch quite safely as well
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and travel around the countryside.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And that's so important for the health of wild populations
0:06:44 > 0:06:46of animals, insects and birds,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49because it means that they can come and stay connected,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and by being connected they have a wide genetic pool.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Because of that, their populations stay healthy.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'The plants and trees here in these ancient hedges
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'seem more than happy growing along the roadside.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06'James Wong took inspiration from a newer type of planting at a Devonshire zoo
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'which is pioneering a different way of farming.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:15This amazing living wall is just one of several created by Biotecture,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18a company who believe that the future of urban food production
0:07:18 > 0:07:20could well be vertical.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24They've even trialled salad walls like this one
0:07:24 > 0:07:26at the Chelsea Flower Show.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33This is a hydroponic wall system. They're plants growing without soil.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34They're growing in an inert medium,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and they're fed very precise amounts of water with nutrients added in,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and it means we can use a very wide range of plants
0:07:41 > 0:07:44which will grow in different situations in the wild
0:07:44 > 0:07:47which adapt quite happily to this new medium.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Not just ornamental plants.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I see you've got veg here, really exotic stuff.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53The exciting thing for urban food production
0:07:53 > 0:07:56is that any vertical wall can grow a salad wall.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59And the great thing is you see all the nuts and bolts,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01the guts of the structure.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Is this what you have in there? - The same panels as there.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06You can see the roots on the back of this.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And yes, they're fed nutrients along the top through the water system,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and the plants grow very happily.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16What do you think the future application of that is?
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Will we see buildings in the city covered in lettuce,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20people abseiling down to harvest it?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- Maybe not abseiling! - JAMES LAUGHS
0:08:22 > 0:08:25But definitely growing up the sides of buildings.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28A lot of building designs will come into double-skin glazed areas
0:08:28 > 0:08:32which are hydroponic systems stacked up with walkways and things.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40How do we do this? Chuck it over the parapet?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- Yep, just chuck it over.- Great!
0:08:47 > 0:08:51These monkeys have got a pretty sweet deal.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55They get loads of locally-grown fresh salad every single day,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and the zoo's pretty much self-sufficient in growing it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I think I just hit him on the head there.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'And it's all thanks to this monster,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'what Valcent, the company behind it,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12'describes as "Europe's first truly vertical farm".'
0:09:15 > 0:09:17This is absolutely amazing!
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I feel like I'm in a sort of a science-fiction film.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24So it's multiple storeys, and it's going round.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27This is all kinds of hi-tech! Why's it going round like that?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Well, it's to allow the light to get good angles
0:09:30 > 0:09:33on each level of the tray, because obviously
0:09:33 > 0:09:35the top layers get most light
0:09:35 > 0:09:38but the bottom levels are shaded by the trays above.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43This hydroponic system can produce more than 800 heads of lettuce a week
0:09:43 > 0:09:47using 20% less water than conventional farming.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And the run-off is collected and re-used.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Look at that!
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- So, what crops are you growing here? This is some kind of mustard?- Yes.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Do you mind if I have a munch?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05We wouldn't feed anything to the animals that we couldn't eat,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and I regularly graze and try bits down here.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12- It's good quality control to make sure it's tasty.- It's good stuff.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Presumably you could grow anything. It's mainly green stuff.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Would you grow any kind of fruit or anything else?
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- This has been particularly designed for salads and stuff.- Yeah.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26We couldn't grow carrots, because the trays are way too shallow.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28But the system could be adapted to anything.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Now, to me, this whole vertical-crop thing could be really exciting.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37It cuts down on food miles and produces loads of yield.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41The thing is, though, if this is going to be a major source of our food in the future,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44with it being so reliant on technology,
0:10:44 > 0:10:45is it really such a good idea?
0:10:45 > 0:10:50This is visually the opposite of your traditional image of farming.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It's really technological.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Could that be a problem? What if there's a power cut?
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Well, this actually uses very low amounts of energy to run it,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so it's very easily backed up with a generator.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06But you can also just as easily power it with solar
0:11:06 > 0:11:08if you have enough light availability
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and storage ground-source heat pumps.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14There are all sorts of sustainable technologies that can combine with this.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22A lot of people think hydroponic systems are hi-tech
0:11:22 > 0:11:26with artificial lighting and heating, and they don't have to be.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28As long as you've got enough natural daylight,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32then things like this will sit and grow quite happily.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Amazing to see where the future of farming is heading.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'I'm with Tony Buckland, who's showing me the plant life
0:11:45 > 0:11:48'in some of his favourite Dawlish hang-outs.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50'He's brought me to Dawlish Warren
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'to explore how some plants can thrive in this stark environment.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'And with Toby's knowledge,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'hopefully we can track down a few prime specimens.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:02So, Toby, what's special about this place?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Well, this is Dawlish Warren, and in geological terms,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07it's very interesting.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11It's basically sand, a sand spit that pushes out in front of the River Exe.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13And the soil here is very poor,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and when you get an environment that's harsh and poor,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19you get a tremendous amount of diversity,
0:12:19 > 0:12:20particularly with the plants.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Why would you get diversity?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26I thought things struggled to survive so you only get one or two.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It sounds counterintuitive, but in rich ground,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32what tends to happen is that dominant species take over,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34whether it's grasses in meadows
0:12:34 > 0:12:38or it's oak trees where the soil is nice, brown and deep.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42But on this thin soil, with air that's quite brackish and salty,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44it sort of weeds out these dominant species
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- and allows a great diversity of other flowers to thrive.- Oh, nice.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52This is one of my favourite plants here on the Warren.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- What's this?- Tree lupin.- Tree lupin?
0:12:54 > 0:12:59It's from California originally, but it makes a spectacular plant here.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It grows beautifully well.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Free-draining soil and just full sunshine - it loves it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We're basically on a sand dune now, so how does it survive?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Like all lupins, it has fleshy roots
0:13:11 > 0:13:14that are able to prospect nice and deep to get moisture.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16But it also has another trick.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20It's a member of the pea family, and like sweet peas and garden peas,
0:13:20 > 0:13:25all members of that family are able to breed bacteria around their roots.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And those bacteria are able to trap nitrogen from the air,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30which is one of the main plant foods,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and help give the plant a boost and keep it nourished.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And when we look around, there's a lot of green, a lot of grass.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40What is that, and how does it survive?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Well, the main, predominant species here
0:13:43 > 0:13:47is this long, very, very tough grass, almost like wire.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It's called Marram grass,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51and it has deep roots that spread,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and they're the thing that hold the sand dunes together
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and stop them being moved by the waves and also by the breeze.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Imagine, they're constantly rolling, the sand particles,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04one on top of the other, and it's this stuff that gives
0:14:04 > 0:14:06a bit of stability, makes these structures permanent,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10permanent enough for plants like the tree lupin to get a toehold.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- So it locks it in, like a carpet over the whole thing.- Yeah.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- And, curiously, this, you say originally from California?- Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I get confused, because some things we say, "It's an invasive species, stamp it out,"
0:14:21 > 0:14:23others we celebrate.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27This obviously falls on the celebratory side of the divide.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31There's this whole thing in ecology about non-natives and natives,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and there IS an issue with some things that take over.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38However, we have a very, very limited palette of native plants,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41because we were cut off with an ice age.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45So there's very few plants here compared to France, for example.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But plants like this are worth having,
0:14:48 > 0:14:54because these flowers are such good nectar blooms, really,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56for bees and damselfly.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59So it's a really good wildlife plant on so many levels.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'Like his parents before him, Toby grew up here in Dawlish
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'and he knows the area like the back of his hand,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09'even down to the history of how it all came to be.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:12And why is this place called Dawlish Warren?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Well, a warren is somewhere where rabbits were farmed originally.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Rabbits are a Southern European, African species of animal,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and they were brought here by the Romans.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And Dawlish Warren was set up as, well,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28a rabbit farm in the Middle Ages.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And I think the people that first brought them in
0:15:31 > 0:15:35felt they ought to replicate the kind of environment where they came from,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40somewhere hot and sandy, somewhere clement for the rabbits to live.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We now know they live anywhere, they're not fussy,
0:15:43 > 0:15:44but this is where they were farmed.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47And is this a spot you're fond of, Toby?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Well, yeah, because it's a walker's paradise, the Warren.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53It's the kind of place - anywhere by the sea is -
0:15:53 > 0:15:56where you can walk along and every day it's different,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58the tides change, the light levels change,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and it's a beautiful place to be.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- And as a kid, did you come here? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I still come down here every week or so.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10I volunteered here when I left school as a conservation volunteer,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12looking after and weeding
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- and trying to keep the sand dunes and the plants alive.- Yeah!
0:16:15 > 0:16:19'This site supports around 620 plant species,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'and Toby has tracked down a real treat for me.'
0:16:22 > 0:16:23There's one.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Ah! So what's this colourful flower?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30That's a Southern Marsh Orchid,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34and it's one of the biggest orchids that grows in the UK.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38This one's quite small, because it's been a dry year, but they can be double that height.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Crikey. And why here? Are they quite rare?
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Yeah, reasonably. You see them in the south,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and they thrive on sand dunes and areas like this,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48where the ground's very free-draining
0:16:48 > 0:16:51but there's also a certain amount of moisture at low level.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55So here it's loving the conditions, with the high light levels.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Also, there's sort of a little marsh beyond there
0:16:58 > 0:17:01that keeps the ground just moist enough
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- for it to get the water it needs.- OK.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Really pretty, seeing that flash of purple
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- amongst all the green. - A handsome fella!
0:17:09 > 0:17:11There are a lot of pressures on this kind of area.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Have you seen it change while you've been here?
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Yeah, I'd say that in my lifetime, the Warren's got a lot smaller.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19That could be because the sea level's rising
0:17:19 > 0:17:21or it could simply be that the storms
0:17:21 > 0:17:24that we've had in the last ten years, even,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26have washed a lot of the Warren away.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28There aren't many place like this.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30So you do have to work quite hard to protect them.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The wardens here on the Warren are in a sort of constant battle
0:17:34 > 0:17:38to protect certain areas and fence off others
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and allow plants and shrubs to grow,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45just to block off areas where, for example, these rare plants thrive.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49'As with many parts of the coast,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51'Dawlish Warren is suffering from sea erosion.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56'The Warren used to be 200 metres wider than it is now.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'It's been defended by various methods since the early 1970s,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'but nothing can really stop the force of nature.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08'One area with very similar problems to Dawlish Warren is Slapton Ley,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'further south down the coast of Devon.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'It's also under threat from the ever-encroaching sea.'
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Just behind the shingle beach at Slapton Sands is Slapton Ley,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24the biggest stretch of fresh water in the south-west.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27It's one of its most precious nature reserves.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32It's an SSSI and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35But it won't be here for much longer.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37This lagoon is under threat from the sea
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and all that's protecting it is this narrow road...
0:18:42 > 0:18:46..a car park, which on a day like today is quite busy...
0:18:48 > 0:18:53..and a fairly narrow strip of shingle beach.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57One day, the sea will burst through all these barriers
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and the freshwater lake will be lost.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05Back in 2001, a huge chunk of beach and road was washed away
0:19:05 > 0:19:07during a ferocious storm.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The road was rebuilt and the beach shored up.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14But the threat to the lake remains,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18so scientists are doing what they can to save it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21What you're holding is a reflector linked to the theodolite at the top
0:19:21 > 0:19:23and today we're measuring the beach levels
0:19:23 > 0:19:26to track how the beach changes over time.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31What we're finding is over a period of days, years, weeks,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34that the beach level moves up and down all the time in cycles.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Once you've gathered this information, what do you do with it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41OK, what it helps to do is to act as a forewarning
0:19:41 > 0:19:44when the beach levels are lower
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and there might be the risk of damage when a storm comes along.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50And so you've started manoeuvring the shingle,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- creating breaks.- Yes.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57For more protection at vulnerable points, we've used bulldozers
0:19:57 > 0:20:01to put some big piles of shingle along the top of the beach.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04'These bastions are designed to buy time when storms hit,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06'but they won't last forever.'
0:20:06 > 0:20:09So the community has to brace itself for, one day,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13possibly surviving without this road and the lake will disappear as well.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Yes, it's a long time off, probably,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19but those are the sorts of changes that are in the pipeline.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Some experts think the sea poses a more immediate threat.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Because the shingle barrier is porous,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31there's a real danger of salt water seeping through into the lake.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Scientists from Plymouth University are testing the groundwater beneath
0:20:34 > 0:20:35to see how salty it is.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Special probes are dropped down eight-metre-deep wells.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Readings are taken that show the concentration of salt water.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- What are we getting, Martin? - 2,500 microsiemens.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52That's a high reading. The water here is very salty.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Readings taken nearer the lake show how far the salt water has seeped.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59What have you got?
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- We have 300.- 300?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04We had 2,500 at the top of that one
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and now we've got 300, which is still brackish, not fresh,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09but it's more fresh than salt now.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Why is it important to know all of this?
0:21:11 > 0:21:16We have a freshwater lake separated from a saltwater sea
0:21:16 > 0:21:19with a very thin, porous shingle barrier in-between.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22If there's a lot of salt water going through the barrier,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24seeping into the ley, or the lake,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27then the freshwater status of that ley will be compromised.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32The reason it is an SSSI, a nature reserve, is because it's fresh
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and there's freshwater ecology in there.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36So if saltwater makes its way in,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39even if only maybe once a month during the spring high tide,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42it might compromise the freshwater status of the ley.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49'It's inevitable that the sea will one day swamp the lake.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'When it does, all the rich habitat at the lake's edge will be lost,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55'and with it all the animals that call it home.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59'So what are the animals that are under threat?'
0:22:01 > 0:22:05In here, we think we have some blue tit babies.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08So if we're very quiet, we can show you them.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Right, OK.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Just take this off really slowly.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16You can actually hear the parents around us.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18They're not very happy, I don't think.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Ready? Have a look in.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Oh, look at that!
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- I'd better let them go. - That's the...?- That's the parents.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- They're anxious. - Not at all amused.- No.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Quite rightly so.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Aren't they lovely?- Brucie bonus!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41'Onwards into the undergrowth, and a chance to get up close
0:22:41 > 0:22:46'to Britain's smallest mammal, the pygmy shrew.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:50It's interesting how they've taken advantage of these high-rise homes.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52It is interesting for pygmy shrews,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56because they would normally nest on the ground, in the ground,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58but they've taken full advantage
0:22:58 > 0:23:01of the fact we've put up some really nice homes for them.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Why not?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07So, we've got three in there, and one in the duster.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10'This little fella is only a few days old
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'and weighs no more than a one-penny piece.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Look at the size of his nose, for snuffling out insects and spiders.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Look, how sweet!
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's not just the margins and the life there
0:23:22 > 0:23:24that's threatened by the sea,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27it's beautiful Slapton Ley itself.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32So I'm taking to the water for a different point of view.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- And we're off.- Here we go.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- Look at them go!- Racing along. - She's going, "Get in! Get in!"
0:23:58 > 0:24:00We've got a mosaic of habitats
0:24:00 > 0:24:03that all come together that make it special.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06So you've got the open water and the reed marshes and the fen
0:24:06 > 0:24:10and the ancient woodlands and the coppices,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14so much diversity, and obviously within each of those habitats
0:24:14 > 0:24:20you've got an abundance of different plants and animals.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- You see things so differently from the water, don't you?- Yeah.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27It's stunning today. It's like glass.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Beautiful reflections in the water.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33What do you think about the prospect
0:24:33 > 0:24:36of all of this being swallowed by the sea?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I'd be devastated.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44It's just such a beautiful, amazing place. It's so diverse.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47We'd just lose so much if the sea swallowed it up.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49But it will do one day.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Well, one day. Hopefully not in my lifetime!
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- Selfishly...- Selfish, yeah!
0:24:55 > 0:25:01Experts reckon it could be 50 years before Slapton Ley disappears.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04For now, the lake and its wildlife are safe.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08'Well, let's hope a solution is found
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'to the problems at Dawlish and Slapton Ley.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14'I've left Dawlish behind, following the lanes inland
0:25:14 > 0:25:16'to the village of Buckfastleigh
0:25:16 > 0:25:18'in search of some very small creatures...
0:25:27 > 0:25:29'..miniature pigs.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'You've heard about them. Jonathan Ross and Charlotte Church have them,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34'and farm visitors love them.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'Who wouldn't?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38'They're small pigs bred for size and character
0:25:38 > 0:25:40'and sometimes sold as pets.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44'They can behave like dogs, sit and lie down on demand,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48'and are easily house-trained - the perfect companion, you might say.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51'And most owners would agree,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'like the Bailey family, who bought a micropig
0:25:53 > 0:25:57'and thought they'd found their perfect pet.'
0:25:57 > 0:26:00We got Chester approximately when he was eight weeks old.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Predominantly, the reason we got him was because,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08first of all, Joanna doesn't like dogs,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12so we thought that was probably a bad option,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17and secondly because Samuel is autistic, and apparently
0:26:17 > 0:26:19pigs are very friendly towards children,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and we thought that maybe the pig was the right choice.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Everything we were told about house-training him
0:26:25 > 0:26:27and his nature was spot-on.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- We managed to house-train him within about a month, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Just like a puppy.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37And he's very sweet-natured and craves company,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40and he is just adorable.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Chris Murray, once a more traditional pig farmer
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and now owner of farm activity park Pennywell,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50has made good business from breeding his Pennywell pigs.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Chris, in your opinion, what makes the perfect pig?
0:26:54 > 0:26:59One tends to go for colour. Attitude.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Aptitude. Character.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Size.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06And also, how they look.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10This one here's particularly nice. It's got a nice, short snout.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Neat little ears on it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I like it because it's carrying all the colours I like to see,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19so it's got white, it's got black, it's got honey blonde -
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- some people say ginger. - A very fine mixture, isn't it?
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Just individual white hairs amongst the darker hairs.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29If I bred from this little chap, I know all those colours would go out.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Black tends to be dominant in pigs, and then white
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and then black and white. They're all fairly easy to breed.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Having the selection of colours is harder.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41How much would you pay for a little fella like this?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Depending on the breed line,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46from 550 down to 400.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51- It's the amount you would pay for a pedigree dog.- Absolutely.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53It also makes people respect the animal,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56because if you've paid strongly for something,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58they tend to look after it.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02We used to sell them a lot cheaper, but in fact, the demand got so much,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I felt, "This is crazy."
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Increasing the price slowed the demand down
0:28:06 > 0:28:08to more manageable levels, which is better.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12When you're breeding these, how do you keep them so small?
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Do you pick out the smallest and breed that one?- No.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17It doesn't work like that, because you want to keep your best,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and the best isn't just for size.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23The other thing is you've got to choose every so often to breed out,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25otherwise you get in-breeding, which isn't good.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29So there are dangers. You have to make sure the bloodline's open.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33I had to buy in a boar recently to stretch it out again.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36And in fact, one time I bought in a boar, six years ago,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and it took me a long time to get them back down in size again.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41If you go for your smallest one every time,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43people say, "You've gone for the runt."
0:28:43 > 0:28:47That'd be stupid, because the runt isn't always your most...
0:28:47 > 0:28:48You want a healthy pig.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Size does matter. For example, I wouldn't go for my biggest,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54because size is carried.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57You've got to be careful, because pigs are like human beings -
0:28:57 > 0:29:00you can put two human beings together who are short
0:29:00 > 0:29:02and you suddenly get a giant of a child.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07My cousin's tiny, her husband's tiny, and their son's massive!
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- It's unpredictable, basically. - It's unpredictable, absolutely.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15So nature can sometimes be surprising,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and even an expert like Chris can't always predict
0:29:17 > 0:29:20the size of his pigs.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23And the Bailey family had a bit of a shock
0:29:23 > 0:29:24with their beloved Chester.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Well, as you can see, this is Chester now,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31aged just over two years old,
0:29:31 > 0:29:36slightly larger than he was when we first got him.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40He was this large. We anticipated the size of a cocker spaniel.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42He's a little bit larger than that.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Fortunately, we've got quite a large garden here,
0:29:45 > 0:29:50so we brought him out of the house and made this little sty for him.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Feelings haven't changed at all.
0:29:52 > 0:29:58Ideally, we would have liked him to still be up with us in the house
0:29:58 > 0:30:00more often than he is.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04We did have him in the house until he was about ten months old,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06and he was having trouble getting up the stairs.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09He'd have to take a running jump at them.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12When he went down the stairs, he'd do a forward roll down them,
0:30:12 > 0:30:13and it just wasn't fair on him.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16It's very important when thinking about owning a pig
0:30:16 > 0:30:18to take it seriously.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Although similar in some ways to a dog,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23they do have very different needs.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Back at the farm, Chris has more advice.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Can you guarantee what size a pig's going to get?
0:30:29 > 0:30:32If someone buys a nice, cute piglet and they want it for a pet,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35how do they know it's not going to end up absolutely huge?
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Erm, I'd never guarantee it.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40What I always say to people is come and see them,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42because then they know what they're buying.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46- It's unlikely they'll ever be bigger than their parents.- Right, OK.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49That's one thing. Very, very unlikely.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54And also, like putting Pumbaa onto the little girl over there,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56- I know they'll be slightly smaller. - OK.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Also, in his genes, anyway, he's got some very small parents,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03smaller than him,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06so I know that he's got that in his capacity.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Important that people see the parents,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11because they might go, "I can't have that in the house."
0:31:11 > 0:31:15And that's small for a pig, but they've got to realise the size.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16Absolutely, really important.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18This one's only three years old,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21so she's one of our more recent breedings.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- And she'll keep growing? - No, no, she's now fully grown.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Oh, look at that! - Joe, could you make a pig happy?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- JOE LAUGHS - That's brilliant.- She's lovely.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But you can see that the attraction for these animals are
0:31:34 > 0:31:38that if you live in a city and you've got a large enough garden,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- it just keeps you in touch with nature, too.- Yeah.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45And they like to be made a fuss of. That's the nice thing about a pig.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48They appreciate everything you give them.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Never insult a pig, because a pig has a good memory.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52So never be rude to it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56- Oh, they're all coming!- They all want the affection. Animal Farm!
0:31:56 > 0:32:01One final question - you have to whisper it, but I have to ask it.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Come the time, would they make...
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- Good sausages?- Yeah.
0:32:05 > 0:32:11Oh, yeah. I mean, look, the way of all flesh is at one time you die,
0:32:11 > 0:32:16so rather than waste the animal, actually have a sausage. Why not?
0:32:16 > 0:32:20'So, whatever your reason for getting a pet pig, just take care.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23'You could end up with more than you bargained for.'
0:32:26 > 0:32:30He's still part of the family, and we love him to bits, don't we?
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- Wouldn't swap him for the world.- No!
0:32:32 > 0:32:34SHE LAUGHS
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Yeah, he liked it!
0:32:40 > 0:32:45Devon is full of beautiful and exciting places to visit,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49and here on Dartmoor, there are some secret gems just hidden away,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51as Matt Baker discovered.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56In 1964, the novelist EM Forster complained,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59"There's no forest or fell to escape to today,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02"no cave to curl up, no deserted valley."
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Well, he'd clearly forgotten about the nearly 400 square miles
0:33:06 > 0:33:11of bleak wilderness that make up Dartmoor National Park.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20'The rugged, desolate beauty of the moor.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25'Granite tors standing proud above rock-strewn grasslands.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29'It's both majestic and mysterious.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32'Natural perfection, you might think.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35'But Dartmoor has a hidden history.
0:33:35 > 0:33:41'Around 6,000 years ago, most of this was in fact forest,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'part of the vast wild wood that stretched across Britain
0:33:44 > 0:33:47'from coast to coast.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49'Like most of the south,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53'Dartmoor's open landscape has been almost entirely shaped by man,
0:33:53 > 0:34:00'apart, that is, from a few remote and secret spots high on the moor.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02'Simon Lee from Natural England
0:34:02 > 0:34:05'has agreed to take me into Dartmoor's past.'
0:34:06 > 0:34:11- We have well and truly left civilisation behind.- We have, yeah.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Got a few sheep there.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Apart from the occasional hiker, there's not a soul in sight.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Not a soul in sight, no.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22'We're heading for one of Dartmoor's last remaining pockets of wild wood,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23'Black-a-Tor Copse.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26'It's a steep climb up the Okement Valley
0:34:26 > 0:34:29'to where the moor almost touches the sky.'
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- There isn't a lot of woodland here now, is there?- No!
0:34:32 > 0:34:34A lot of that was cleared by Bronze Age people.
0:34:36 > 0:34:42- And if you scramble up the slope, you might get a glimpse of it.- OK.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- There you go.- Black-a-Tor Copse?
0:34:46 > 0:34:49- Looking splendid in the mist. - Doesn't it just?
0:34:51 > 0:34:55'Forests like this once covered Britain.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58'As people settled and began to farm,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01'they cleared the trees and enclosed the land.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07'Black-a-Tor Copse is a moment frozen in time...
0:35:08 > 0:35:12'..a world of oak trees long since forgotten.'
0:35:12 > 0:35:16This is absolutely incredible.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18What a spot!
0:35:18 > 0:35:20It's so different to what is just a couple of steps behind,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24and you walk into all of this that looks so cosy and comfy.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26It's rock-hard granite down here,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29but because it's covered in all these mosses and lichen,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32it's like a big quilt. You just kind of want to dive into it all.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40- How old are these kind of twisted oaks?- There's documented evidence
0:35:40 > 0:35:43that there have been trees here for several centuries,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45but the individual trees themselves
0:35:45 > 0:35:48probably no more than about 200 years old.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52Are they stunted simply because they can't get the root system
0:35:52 > 0:35:54down into this granite?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56No, I think the main reason they're stunted
0:35:56 > 0:36:00is because of the weather conditions up here.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03It's so high, up about 1,300 feet here,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05so it's cold and it's wet.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10- Yeah.- And it's simply that they can't grow any faster or any bigger.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15'This is one of only three high-altitude woodlands left on Dartmoor.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18'All are protected.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22'The unique conditions make it feel almost tropical.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'Not rainforest, but cloud forest.'
0:36:25 > 0:36:31It's just loaded with mosses and lichen and ferns.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34It is. In terms of what you're seeing at the moment,
0:36:34 > 0:36:38it's a woodland that's as near natural as you can get in the UK.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43'Walking through these gnarled oaks
0:36:43 > 0:36:47'feels like walking into a primeval indigenous landscape,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49'a secret of Britain's past.'
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Ever since I was a little lad, I have always, always loved oak trees.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00I don't know what it's about them. I think they're just...
0:37:00 > 0:37:02They're so homely and so protective,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04and ever since I've had the chance to come in here,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08I've seen yet another side to their character,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10the way that they've... Well, look at this.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13They've twisted and bent themselves
0:37:13 > 0:37:17around this boulderous and boggy landscape of Dartmoor.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21And trudging across that misty, bleak moor to get here,
0:37:21 > 0:37:28on arrival, it just feels so warm and so welcoming.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32And to think really that this landscape hasn't changed at all
0:37:32 > 0:37:37since the last ice age - it is really, really rare.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41This is a very special spot.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I've driven back out to the coast
0:37:48 > 0:37:53to end my journey in the stunning seaside town of Dartmouth.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01'I've hopped on a passenger ferry in Dartmouth Harbour,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05'set within a picture-perfect seaside town nestled in the hillside
0:38:05 > 0:38:09'and recognisable for the pastel-coloured houses
0:38:09 > 0:38:12'framing both sides of the water.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Of course, as the name suggests, Dartmouth lies along the River Dart,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and it's this beautiful stretch of water
0:38:18 > 0:38:20that really is the soul of the place.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23A lot of people take these small ferries to the mouth of the river,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27to a very unique place, and we can see it just coming into view now.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29It is, of course, Dartmouth Castle.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34The castle - or fort, to be accurate -
0:38:34 > 0:38:37has watched over Dartmouth for six centuries.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40It's never been home to an aristocratic family
0:38:40 > 0:38:43but has always protected the town from attack.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47It was one of the most advanced fortifications in Britain.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49It needed to be, as the local men were aggressive traders
0:38:49 > 0:38:55and retaliation and threat to their homes and warehouses was inevitable.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59The castle had various ways of keeping its enemies at bay.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02And by its nature as a defensive position,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05the castle has always been as well-armed as possible,
0:39:05 > 0:39:10with gun batteries housing ever more sophisticated weaponry
0:39:10 > 0:39:13with greater and greater range out over the water.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18In the Victorian guardroom,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21there are still three "murder holes" in the ground,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25through which guns could be fired to protect the main entrance below.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27The castle also has an ingenious and more unusual way
0:39:27 > 0:39:29of defending Dartmouth.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34One of the best ways of protecting this precious harbour was the chain,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36which was literally a metal chain.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It was attached at one end to the rocks underneath the castle
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and at the other end across the channel on the Kingswear side.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Now, in quiet times,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46the chain would just lie on the bed of the estuary,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50but if danger approached, soldiers could wind it in, raise it up
0:39:50 > 0:39:53so it would form a sort of heavy barrier across the water,
0:39:53 > 0:39:58preventing attacking ships from progressing up the Dart.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02The chain was used for almost two centuries.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Its last recorded use was in 1643.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08However, as recently as 1940,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10under the threat of German invasion,
0:40:10 > 0:40:14an emergency barrier combining old fishing boats linked with chain
0:40:14 > 0:40:18was set up across the harbour, using the technique once more.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20The Second World War was the last time
0:40:20 > 0:40:23this castle was used as a military defence,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27and since 1984, it's been in the care of English Heritage,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29who preserve the history here as a reminder
0:40:29 > 0:40:32of how Dartmouth and its people were protected.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40Along the coastline,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42there are many estuaries and channels
0:40:42 > 0:40:45which offer fascinating sights, sounds and history.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48The Exe Estuary, north along the coast,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50is bustling with life.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55This picturesque corner of Britain is a haven for wildlife,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58especially as the winter chill begins to bite.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Right now, up to 40,000 birds are heading here.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Each one will have completed a remarkable journey,
0:41:04 > 0:41:10from as far away as Siberia and Greenland, just to reach the estuary,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12their winter home.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18I'm here on the lookout for one bird in particular - the avocet.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21But I'm also here to spy on a flock of people.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25I'm here to get to the bottom of birding.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27Morning!
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Right.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34'I want to find out what makes this merry band
0:41:34 > 0:41:38'get up at the crack of dawn and brave freezing temperatures,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40'so I'm joining the RSPB Avocet Cruise
0:41:40 > 0:41:42'to get under their skin.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50'Tony Whitehead from the RSPB can help me get my eye in.'
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Looking at the mud over there on the bank,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55a little group of dunlin just feeding.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- Smallest bird on the estuary. - They are tiny.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03Picking tiny little snails and things, invertebrates, off the mud.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Just over here, we've got a nice flock of godwits on the estuary.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- They're all standing up. They've got lovely...- Long beaks!
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Long beaks and long legs. It's a real treat.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17I'm going to try to remember them by human names,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20so I'll call those Winston Churchills.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22I've no idea why you're calling them that, but...
0:42:22 > 0:42:25They remind me of Churchill in silhouette.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- And their beaks look like the cigar.- The cigar? OK.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33There are loads of birds out on the estuary today,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35but no sign of the elusive avocet.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38And then our luck changes.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Just there. A little...
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Really close as well. A nice group of avocet you've got there.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48One of the great things about these cruises
0:42:48 > 0:42:52is you can get really close to these birds.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- They are very, very elegant. - They are.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59They've got these long blue legs and a really distinctive upturned bill,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03and the black and white feathers. You don't mistake avocets.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05Here, we've got some even closer.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08You know I thought the godwits were Winston Churchill-like?
0:43:08 > 0:43:13These... These are elegant, tall, good-looking birds.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17- So I reckon Kristin Scott Thomas. - Really? Don't get that, either.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21You're just not really taking part, Tony.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25So they are a special bird to see.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27They are.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31To me, they're exciting because they've come back from extinction.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33These disappeared as a breeding bird in the UK,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36started to come back in the late 1940s to our reserves,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39and that's when they were adopted as our emblem.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44And is that why you adopted them, because it is a survival story?
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- It's a survival story.- What is it about the estuary they like so much?
0:43:47 > 0:43:49What they're here for,
0:43:49 > 0:43:53firstly, it's quite mild down here compared to where they've come from,
0:43:53 > 0:43:54but the main thing is the food.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57This mud is absolutely packed full of energy,
0:43:57 > 0:43:58little tiny creepy-crawlies,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02- all things these birds are feeding on at this time of year.- Yummy.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04I feel I'm getting into it,
0:44:04 > 0:44:10but maybe I haven't quite unlocked the secret of birding yet.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Do you think birders have got a bit of a bad reputation?
0:44:13 > 0:44:17No. Twitchers might have, but we're birders, not twitchers.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20- Serious difference. - What's the difference between birders and twitchers?
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Twitchers go round the country just picking up rare birds,
0:44:24 > 0:44:26ticking rare birds.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30- That's their main concern, to get something on their tick list.- Yeah.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32We enjoy the birds for what they are.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34What's your favourite bird?
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Certainly, here, the avocet. It's got to be. It's got to be.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41It's the wow-factor bird.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43When anybody gets on the cruise,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46"Are we going to see avocets?" is the one question they ask.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49- It's a wonderful bird.- And you get to enjoy landscapes like this.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54It's not just local enthusiasts
0:44:54 > 0:44:57who flock here for a glimpse of these exotic winter visitors.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03- Bye, guys!- Bye!- Nice to meet you.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11'David Lindo normally scouts out birds in the city,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15'but even this urban birder can't resist the lure of the estuary
0:45:15 > 0:45:16'at this time of year.'
0:45:16 > 0:45:19Hi, there, David. I've just frightened them off.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24You just missed four magnificent Black-tailed godwits.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26- I could see them. Just their tails. - They'll be back.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29You birdwatch all over the world. Why are you here now?
0:45:29 > 0:45:33This is one of my favourite spots in the winter to go birding,
0:45:33 > 0:45:37because although I've seen black-tail godwits when they're babies in Iceland,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I've seen them in Ireland on migration,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42and I've seen them here. It's great to see their journey completed.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- How did you get into it all? - When I was a little boy,
0:45:45 > 0:45:50I just had this instinctive sort of feeling for natural history.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53If I can do it, anyone can get into it. It's no big science.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56It's all about enjoying nature. It can be anywhere in the world.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00It could be somewhere beautiful like here, in a beautiful city,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03it doesn't matter. Look up, look around and you'll notice it.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06What's the right age to get into it?
0:46:06 > 0:46:10- Any age. But I've got some people I need you to meet.- OK.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Where have you brought me?
0:46:26 > 0:46:31I've taken you to a hide, the RSPB's hide overlooking Bowling Green Marsh,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33to meet some real experts.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36JULIA LAUGHS They're very young!
0:46:36 > 0:46:40- This is Topsham School Godwit Club. - What exactly are they doing?
0:46:40 > 0:46:43They're basically part of an international survey,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45looking out for Black-tail godwits.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47They're looking for godwits with bands
0:46:47 > 0:46:52and studying the migration, linking up with schools in Iceland
0:46:52 > 0:46:57and Ireland to see just how many are wintering in this area,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01and basically see and study the movements of these birds.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04So it's a valid study, it's an important survey?
0:47:04 > 0:47:06They've found out that the females and males
0:47:06 > 0:47:08winter in separate areas altogether.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11They also found out that the populations
0:47:11 > 0:47:13in winter are transient - the birds might stay for a week,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16a couple of months, but then move on.
0:47:19 > 0:47:24- What's your favourite bird, Maddy? - Um, I like avocets.- Do you?
0:47:24 > 0:47:27- I saw some avocets this morning. They're pretty, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29I like their beaks, the way they curve.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- What are you looking at, Leo?- Crows.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36- What are they, crows?- Yeah. - What about those over there?
0:47:36 > 0:47:38- They're not crows.- Oh, them?- Yeah.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41- They're wigeon.- Wigeon.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44How many do you reckon are there?
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Probably about...
0:47:46 > 0:47:48200.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50200? Do you think there are that many?
0:47:50 > 0:47:54Did you know it's about 1,000 miles from Iceland to here?
0:47:54 > 0:47:58- Is it really that far?- Yeah.- And they fly all that way, don't they?
0:47:58 > 0:48:02- Yeah.- That is very, very cool.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09Julia Bradbury there with the next David Attenborough.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14'I've left the castle behind
0:48:14 > 0:48:16'and I'm on the quayside at Dartmouth Harbour
0:48:16 > 0:48:19'to meet up with local crab fisherman Jody,
0:48:19 > 0:48:23'who's agreed that I can join him on his boat, the Nil Desperandum.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27'The Dartmouth crab is rumoured to be particularly good,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31'and fishing for them here is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33'It's a tough job catching the crabs,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36'but I've been assured that the sea is calm today
0:48:36 > 0:48:38and the views are spectacular.'
0:48:38 > 0:48:40I'll be helping out on board this boat
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and finding out about the highs and lows of crab fishing,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46but first, the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08I've been on a journey through South Devon.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11I arrived by rail at my first destination, in Dawlish,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14where I met with gardening expert Toby Buckland
0:51:14 > 0:51:18to find out about the plants in his favourite Devon haunts.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21From there I headed inland, to Buckfastleigh,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24where I met the very friendly Pennywell pigs.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27But today, my final destination is here in Dartmouth,
0:51:27 > 0:51:29where I've been to the beautiful castle
0:51:29 > 0:51:30at the mouth of the River Dart.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34And now I'm heading out to sea with a local crab fisherman.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39Jody Channer is taking me out to his patch in the English Channel
0:51:39 > 0:51:42to show me how to catch some top-quality South Devon crab,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46rumoured to be some of the best crab in the country.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49His boat, the Nil Desperandum, takes him out to the nearby waters,
0:51:49 > 0:51:53where he braves all weathers to check his pots for crabs
0:51:53 > 0:51:54with crew member Steve.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Jody bought his own boat about ten years ago,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01although he's been fishing out here for double that.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Jody, coming out this morning, it's not too rough.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05- No, it's a nice day.- It's fantastic.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08But what's it like if you do this day after day?
0:52:08 > 0:52:12It's the best job in the world when the sun's shining and it's flat calm,
0:52:12 > 0:52:17but then, other times, when it's cold and raining, it's a bit like it.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18What are the best bits about it?
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Why is it the best job in the world some days?
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Being your own boss, coming out, lovely day, lovely weather,
0:52:24 > 0:52:25and catching some good crab.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29Our lifestyle is get in nice and early and supply the markets.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33And that's part of it. You can't just go out and pull in the pots.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- You have to think about markets and taking it back on land.- You do.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40We've got to be careful. Sometimes it's nice to catch a bit more.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42We're not restricted as of yet,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45but I think quotas are probably going to be coming at some point.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- Really?- Yeah. We are going to get quotaed.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51What difference do you think that would make to you if it came in?
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Providing it's a level playing field for everybody,
0:52:54 > 0:52:55then there won't be a problem.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58But if one country has to do it and the other doesn't,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01why should one person chuck something back
0:53:01 > 0:53:04when the other guy who's fishing next to him
0:53:04 > 0:53:06can catch it and take it in and land it?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09At the other end of it, you go out in horrible conditions
0:53:09 > 0:53:12- and might come back and have very little?- That's right.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- How does that feel? - Not very nice, to be honest with you!
0:53:15 > 0:53:16But that's part of the job.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19That's why they call it fishing, not catching.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22The crab pots are set out in long lines on the seabed.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25And just as a tractor ploughs up and down a field,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28so Jody sails up and down in his boat, hauling each line in.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30It's a long process - bringing the pots on board,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33checking for a catch, re-baiting and then returning them
0:53:33 > 0:53:36to the water ready for next time.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40How... That was your first one. You've got a few crabs there. How was that for a haul?
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Not very good. We were hoping for a few more, to be honest.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47But it's still early in the season, so some days you get it a bit better
0:53:47 > 0:53:52and you're pleasantly surprised and other days you come out and you're not.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56- And that was 25 pots, was it?- Yeah. - How many pots do you have in total?
0:53:56 > 0:54:01We've got 700 out all together, but we do 350 each day.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03- We try and even it out. - That's a lot, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Not compared to a lot of boats, but...
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Three different types of crabs.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10You've got spider crab and these are both brown, are they?
0:54:10 > 0:54:14Yeah. That's a hen crab, the female, and that's the male crab there.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- The males are huge. - Here comes another one.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23In this day and age, fishing should be sustainable.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26While it's possible to check the stocks of certain fish,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29there's no formal assessment of crab fishing at the moment.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32So it's hard to know how they're doing.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34But they're not on the danger list at present
0:54:34 > 0:54:37and because rejected crabs are returned alive,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40this type of pot fishing is a sustainable method.
0:54:42 > 0:54:43Ah, there's a biggie.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Jody, that big one that just went in the pot there,
0:54:46 > 0:54:48I mean, how much would he sell for?
0:54:48 > 0:54:50We sell them for about three pound a kilo.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53- That is about a kilo, that one. - OK, so maybe three quid.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56But then, in turn, he'd be sold for a lot more, wouldn't he?
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Once it comes up the line,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00then, the further it gets through the process line,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02then it'll be worth a lot of money.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05How much, do you think, for a big crab they'd sell in a shop?
0:55:05 > 0:55:08In a restaurant in London, I don't know.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11I couldn't afford to eat in one of the restaurants in London!
0:55:13 > 0:55:17The price of crab hasn't gone up in the time that I've been fishing.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20But everything else, the price of bait and the fuel has skyrocketed.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22It's gone through the roof.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25Jody often chucks back more than he keeps
0:55:25 > 0:55:29as there are strict guidelines on the size and quality of crabs.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31It looks quite disheartening,
0:55:31 > 0:55:35but it's the only way of keeping good stocks for the future.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37The South Devon Crab is world-renowned
0:55:37 > 0:55:41for its size and taste. And these standards need to be maintained.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45Have you ever had doubts about carrying on and continuing?
0:55:45 > 0:55:50Yeah, but I can't really see myself doing anything else, to be honest with you.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54It's... It's a way of life. It's a nice way of life
0:55:54 > 0:55:57when it's working well, but it does get frustrating at times.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59We were...
0:55:59 > 0:56:03It was a struggle last year, it really was a struggle, but...
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- But that is past is now.- At what point is it you start doubting,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09on the hard years, when nothing's coming in?
0:56:09 > 0:56:14The further you get into the year and you're still not catching anything,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17then you start to doubt yourself as to what's going on.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19But...it comes good a lot of the time.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22You've just got to keep going, really.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24- You've got to have faith in it? - Yeah.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Do the little ones you're throwing back here give you that faith?
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Yeah, there's a future here.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34It just needs to be looked after properly, really.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36And, luckily enough, it is.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40As I found out, it's very physical work.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44The guys spend hours out here, hauling in the pots.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46It's a job with massive highs and lows.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49But, you know what, they don't seem to want it any other way.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54What a wonderful journey around South Devon.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58I love this part of the country. I come here all the time on holiday.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02And I think this journey has shown just how unspoiled Devon can be -
0:57:02 > 0:57:05from ancient hedgerows to the rugged coast.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:20 > 0:57:23E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk