0:00:21 > 0:00:23Today, I'm on a journey through Wiltshire.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I'll be starting by exploring its ancient past
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and ending very much in the 21st century
0:00:29 > 0:00:33by attempting one of Britain's newest extreme sports.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41My journey starts on the slopes of Silbury Hill,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43a mysterious mound near Avebury.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Then, it's onto Wroughton,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51where I'll find out why Wiltshire is a land of chalk.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Within this very county, we have 40% of the world's chalk grassland,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00which makes it very important that we do our very best to preserve it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I'll then head over to Caen Locks near Devizes,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07where I'll be getting to grips with an amazing feat of engineering
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and helping a few boats along their journey.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13You have to be a skilled driver to get that.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It's going to hit the side!
0:01:16 > 0:01:17Boom!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Heading south to Tisbury, I'll join the Wildlife Trust
0:01:20 > 0:01:22in their never-ending battle
0:01:22 > 0:01:28to rid the Wiltshire countryside of destructive, invasive plants.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We just need to get the chemical in there.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34It's just a simple push in there
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and an injection.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41My journey ends in Salisbury, where I'll be having a go at slacklining.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45It's fairly new to the UK and very new to me.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Along the way, I'll be looking back
0:01:52 > 0:01:56at the best of the BBC's rural archive from this part of the world.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58This is Country Tracks.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Wiltshire, with its lush, chalky pastures and gentle landscape,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12sits in England's fertile southwest.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14It's prime farming country,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18but what gives Wiltshire such a stirring atmosphere
0:02:18 > 0:02:23is of course those mysterious stone monuments.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Unchanged for centuries, silently linking us with ancient times.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40Still no-one knows why or how the stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge came to exist.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43If anything, the debates and theories only add to the intrigue.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45We do, after all, love a good mystery.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Here on the outskirts of Avebury is another head-scratcher.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59It's Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in Europe.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Literally prehistoric, it's made of chalk and clay,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06piled 100 feet high.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08It has fascinated people for centuries,
0:03:08 > 0:03:14leading to major excavations in the hope of unearthing its secrets.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Archaeologists like Jim Leary from English Heritage,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27know it was built around the same time as Stonehenge
0:03:27 > 0:03:30but that is just the beginning of the story.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Jim, hello!- Hello!
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Right, let's scale this hill. - Let's go!
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Silbury Hill isn't ordinarily open to the public,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43but we have special permission to climb it today.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So, what was happening when this was built?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50This was built in 2400 BC
0:03:50 > 0:03:54so we're talking nearly 4500 years ago.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57This period is the very start of the Bronze Age,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00the very end of the Stone Age.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02This was constructed in that period
0:04:02 > 0:04:05which must have been one of very profound change.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08New ideologies, new people, new materials.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11So we have to see the hill in that way.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15How many excavations have there been here?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Being situated next to this main road,
0:04:18 > 0:04:19it has always attracted interest
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and the first excavation we know of was in 1776,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27and that is when a chap called Edward Drax
0:04:27 > 0:04:30excavated a shaft from the very summit to the middle.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The second one was in 1849,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and they dug a tunnel in from the side
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and the last one, previous to our work,
0:04:38 > 0:04:39was in 1968 and '69,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43when they re-entered that tunnel and expanded it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46So it's seen three major excavations in the past.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Were any of the excavations hoping to find something specific?
0:04:50 > 0:04:54That's right, yes, they were all looking for something in particular.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Why throw up a great, big mound like this if it's not over something?
0:04:57 > 0:05:01John Aubrey, famous antiquarian in the 17th century
0:05:01 > 0:05:06recorded a local myth that there was a life-size gold horse
0:05:06 > 0:05:09buried in the centre of this mound,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and over time that developed to become a life-size man
0:05:12 > 0:05:15sat astride the gold horse in the centre,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17so they were all looking for the treasure.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20And was there any treasure, was there a life-size gold horse?
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Well, there was no life-size gold horse, but there was treasure,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27for us archaeologists - there was something much better than gold,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and that's really, really well-preserved organic material.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34There was brass that was so well preserved
0:05:34 > 0:05:36it retained its green colour,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and there were insects that look so well preserved
0:05:40 > 0:05:43that it looked as if you were to touch them,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45they would suddenly scuttle off for cover.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It was a fantastic, little snapshot into what the environment was like.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52With the utmost respect, only an archaeologist could say,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56"We found something better than gold - fossilised insects."
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Right, let's get to the top.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03I'm still not entirely sure why Silbury Hill exists,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but Jim believes the answer lies at the top.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Nearly at the top.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18So, here we are, at the summit.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Do you know what? Here, it doesn't feel as out of place as it looks,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25because we're among... There's pretty high ground around here.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Exactly, and I think that's a really key point.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32A lot of the interpretations of the hill have been about people saying,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36well, it's about bringing people closer to the gods - perhaps you could imagine
0:06:36 > 0:06:40a priest or a shaman on the top, shouting up to the sky.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43But, as you pointed out, we're surrounded by high area.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47If getting up was a reason for the hill,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49then they would have built it on a high area.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I think it's to do with the lowland setting.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Why here?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I think you could say it's in an ancestral landscape,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58surrounded by much earlier monuments,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02but the important point is that it's surrounded by rivers and springs,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and, in particular, just over there, is the Swallowhead springs,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10which is the very beginning of the River Kennet, which flows from west
0:07:10 > 0:07:14to east, into the River Thames, which is also a west-to-east-flowing river.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20And we know that the River Thames was a sacred river in this period,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22so, I think that this point
0:07:22 > 0:07:27was believed to be the starting point of that sacred river,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and I think that's why it was constructed here.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33How can we be sure that that's why?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35This is archaeology for you.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37We can always get closer
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and use deduction to rule out various theories
0:07:40 > 0:07:43but we will never, ever know for sure.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45You started digging here in 2007,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47you're still writing up your findings.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50What is it about this place that holds your attention?
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Um, it's such a remarkable...thing.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I think it's far more interesting than Stonehenge
0:07:57 > 0:08:00or any of the other monuments of the time.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Something about this place just captures my imagination,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and as you say, I dug here for the best part of a year,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08in the tunnel and on top of it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It was really, sort of, a part of me that had been left behind.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15It was a very sad day when I finally left the tunnel.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17We were inside the centre of the hill,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and I just remember, on the last day,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23I just sat quietly by myself as the lights had been removed
0:08:23 > 0:08:25and just, sort of, thought about the hill.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It's very special, a very special place to me.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Do you think we know everything
0:08:30 > 0:08:32we're ever going to know about Silbury Hill?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I sincerely hope not,
0:08:34 > 0:08:40I hope people will challenge what we have come up with from this work,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and develop theories and advance it from there.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55There's a kind of otherworldly remoteness about Silbury Hill,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00which is surprising, considering there's a busy road running past it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The writer Tom Fort was also on a journey through Wiltshire,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07by way of the A303, to learn more about its ancient past
0:09:07 > 0:09:11and get a bit closer to the people who shaped Silbury Hill
0:09:11 > 0:09:13and the surrounding landscape.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Here we are, just turning off.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Whoa! Oh, not an easy manoeuvre in a Morris Traveller,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28of the old days.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Here we go.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Hope the suspension can take it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45This is one of my favourite places along this road -
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Beacon Hill.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52There's a tremendous view of the landscape,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57falling away to the south. the A303 is just below.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01But our impact on this part of the world goes back much further.
0:10:01 > 0:10:08From where I'm standing, in all directions dotted around the place,
0:10:08 > 0:10:14are ancient, prehistoric burial mounds, tumuli, barrows.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Some of them disappeared under the plough or under buildings,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20many of them still visible.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26And when you drive along the A303 through this part of the world,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30you're in fact driving through a prehistoric graveyard.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37It's the A303's most famous landmark, Stonehenge.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41We're quite a distance away,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and the stones look rather small, don't they?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52From here, they're also overwhelmed by the traffic.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58But, step to one side and you'll see why I've stopped here.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04They do look small,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08but what you get from here is a sense of their context,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11of where they stand in the landscape.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17The great, open sky, the wide, open spaces, the rolling grassland
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and the monument in the middle of it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25And I know English Heritage will hate me for saying this,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28but, actually we're just close to the road,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31it's not a bad place to be stuck in a traffic jam.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Because it will give you perhaps the best view of Stonehenge there is.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46A proper car, a real car.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- What do you think of it? - I think she's beautiful.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49- She - I like it.- Oh, yes.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52She has to be, I'm going to give you the guided tour.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57'Robert Key grew up in Wiltshire, in 1983, he became the local MP.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59'MP for Stonehenge, you might call him.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:04The A303 runs right through his old constituency.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06This must be one of the first cars
0:12:06 > 0:12:11that has flashing orange indicator lights, instead of the flippers.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Today, Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23which loosely translated means, "interfere with it at your peril."
0:12:27 > 0:12:30But we weren't always so protective of it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32During and after the First World War,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35the flying corps were based here.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41And the military were allowed to do pretty much as they wanted.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45I've seen a photograph of an army Land Rover perched
0:12:45 > 0:12:47on top of the stones,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49brought here in the middle of the night
0:12:49 > 0:12:53after a particularly good evening in the Officers' Mess at Lark Hill,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54which is only a couple of miles...
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And goodness knows how they got it up there, but they did.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00They wouldn't get away with it today, would they?
0:13:00 > 0:13:01They certainly wouldn't, no.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06But would they get away with THIS today?
0:13:06 > 0:13:11In the 1950s, cranes were brought in to rearrange the stones.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Sacrilege, some said.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17These are the stones that were re-erected.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Yes.- These massive ones.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Yeah, absolutely.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And the smaller ones, here, they were OK.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Well, some of them were tilted, so they were straightened up a bit.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29You can see on that stone,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32there's a great, big wodge of concrete holding it up.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Which people don't really think about when they go past the stones.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Were they at an angle, were they lying down?
0:13:38 > 0:13:46Yes, mostly lying down. Some of the tops of the stones had disappeared.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And so they put them back on top.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And it was a major reconstruction, really,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56I think, over the years, something like 23 stones have been re-erected
0:13:56 > 0:13:58with the lintels put back on top.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06In the early days of motoring, the A303 was a mere slip of a thing,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09which didn't trouble the stones at all.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10How things change.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20Today, the road's a scourge - noisy, dirty, and often gridlocked.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23There have been many plans to re-route it - over 50, in fact -
0:14:23 > 0:14:29including one to bury the A303 in a tunnel. All fell by the wayside,
0:14:29 > 0:14:34despite Robert's best efforts.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36In the '90s, he struggled to find a solution,
0:14:36 > 0:14:41as competing government departments, public pressure groups,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and even the Druids locked horns.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50I thought, there's only one thing to do - go to the Prime Minister.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54I kid you not, Margaret Thatcher was on her hands and knees with me
0:14:54 > 0:14:56in her room in the House of Commons
0:14:56 > 0:15:00poring over maps of all the possible routes around,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03discussing which land belonged to the Ministry of Defence,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06National Trust, which was English Heritage.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08She was really engaged on it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Even Margaret Thatcher was defeated by Stonehenge.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Even Margaret Thatcher?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16John Major, bless him, did the same.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Pored over the maps, but then absolutely nothing happened.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Now, at least everyone can shut up about it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Oh, no.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26This problem's never going to go away.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The A303 is going nowhere.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31HE LAUGHS
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Tom Fort exploring Wiltshire on wheels.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46My journey has taken me from Silbury Hill to the outskirts of Wroughton.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54This is a quiet, rural spot.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58At a glance, there's nothing outwardly spectacular
0:15:58 > 0:16:00about these fields and hedgerows,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03but I'm here to find out why Wiltshire's landscape
0:16:03 > 0:16:05is uniquely precious.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11One thing that defines Wiltshire is chalk,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15and two thirds of this county is actually covered by chalk grassland.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It might look like lots of rural Britain,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22but this landscape is something people are very protective of.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust aims to protect, preserve
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and, crucially, create more chalk grassland.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Catherine Hosey explains.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Why is there so much chalk grassland in Wiltshire?
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Well, it's all down to geology.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44There's a big chunk of chalk that stretches from the northeast corner
0:16:44 > 0:16:47right down to the southwest corner of the county.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50It creates a great environment for wildlife and animals,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53but what types of things do really well here?
0:16:53 > 0:16:54A whole range of wild flowers
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and grasses and insects and invertebrates.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00I feel like we're not doing chalk grasslands justice,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02cos this isn't normally what it would look like.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- There'd be more flowers, wouldn't there?- There would be.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09At a really nice chalk grassland site there would be so many flowers,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11it would just be a blaze of colour,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14with butterflies overhead, it would be fantastic.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18This site, here, is a good example of restoration grazing,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20we've got the Herdwick Sheep here as well.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23The reason we're doing restoration grazing here,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27is because it wasn't grazed hard enough for a long period of time,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30before the wildlife trust purchased it in 2008.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32So we've introduced these sheep to tackle the grass
0:17:32 > 0:17:35you can see in the banks behind us, the bright green stuff,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38which is what is called Brachypodium pinnatum,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Which is very vigorous and very invasive,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and will spread and spread forming these great, big clumps.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47The sheep are ideal for grazing it and breaking it up.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The wildflowers can then re-establish themselves and grow back.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55So, how long will it take those wildflowers to come through?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Probably a great many years. We're seeing improvements, but it's a long process.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03And we've got hope that there is still enough seeds in the seed bank
0:18:03 > 0:18:06for these wildflowers to germinate from.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Why do you think it's so important to look after this chalk grassland?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14In the UK, we have 80% of the world total of chalk grassland.
0:18:14 > 0:18:1750% of that is in Wiltshire,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20which means we've got 40% of the world total of chalk grassland,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23which makes it incredibly important that, in Wiltshire,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26we do our very best to preserve it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28So, what can we do to protect it?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31You need to make sure you get the right management.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34There's lots of help out there from wildlife trusts
0:18:34 > 0:18:36to help farmers and landowners
0:18:36 > 0:18:39get information on managing their chalk grassland.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46It's staggering to think nearly half of the world's chalk grassland
0:18:46 > 0:18:48is found right here, in Wiltshire.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Aside from conservation efforts like this one,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53it's also a rich agricultural county.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57The land is grazed by livestock and much of it is sewn with crops.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02It's also home to bountiful orchards, as James Wong discovered.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Autumn produces a bumper bounty of delicious fruits.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12But many of the tastiest traditional crops
0:19:12 > 0:19:15have disappeared from our shops and markets.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20Quinces, hawthorns, crab-apples - these are Britain's forgotten fruit.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26This guy has got to be one of the strangest of all autumn fruits.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28It's kind of brown and crusty looking,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33it's called a medlar, and it's not exactly the supermodel of fruits.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35If you lived in medieval times,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38then you'd have been very familiar with it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40For one thing, if you were called a medlar,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43you'd know that someone was being very rude about you,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47because the fruit was popularly known as dog's bottom.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And in those days, you'd have also known what an unbletted medlar,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53fresh off the tree, would taste like.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56That's not good. That's not good at all.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01If medlars aren't that common now, then medlar experts are even rarer.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But I found one - Jim Abri from the Royal Horticultural Society.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07So, Jim, tell me all you know about medlars.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Well, medlars have been cultivated since ancient times.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Fist in Iran, and then the Greek and Roman empires,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and possibly brought to Britain in Roman times.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And then very popular in the middle ages in Britain.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So, how would you eat something like this?
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Fresh off the tree?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27You can eat them when they're bletted, which is a softening,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30which is either straight off the tree,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33or you pick them and ripen them off the tree.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Bletting is that process where,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38either through frost or through leaving them hanging,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- they soften and get sweeter? - That's right, yes.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43It's strange, because to modern taste,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45not only does that not look exciting on the outside,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49on the inside, it's not particularly brilliant.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53No, it looks like... You wouldn't eat it at that stage.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56You know, we're used to things that are bright and shiny,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and essentially, not very ripe,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00is how we buy and eat a lot of fruit, now.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02The flavour completely changes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It's kind of like apple compote,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but with all the spices already cooked into it, it's amazing.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Kind of a caramel flavour in there?
0:21:10 > 0:21:14That's it, like dates and figs and caramel and vanilla.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19It's not hard to see how a fruit you've got to eat half rotten
0:21:19 > 0:21:20fell out of favour.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26But it's about to make a bit of a comeback.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33One Wiltshire food company has launched a hunt for medlars.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37And they're looking, of all places, in people's back gardens.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- Hi, there, guys.- Hello, hello.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43If there are five people in this country today looking for medlars,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46you're three of them. What are you doing it for?
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Well, we are going to make medlar jelly.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53And how do you eat it? Is it like a quince jelly, have it with cheese?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Yes, you have it with roast meat, or with game.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- I wonder if you could give me a hand doing this.- I will.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00You have to go up the ladder.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Then you can reach some of those, and I'll carry on.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I can, I can.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07So, what does each family who gives you access to one of their trees
0:22:07 > 0:22:09get in return, a couple of jars of jam?
0:22:09 > 0:22:11We give them a couple of jars of jelly,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16and a couple of jars of the other things that we make.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20- That's a good trade.- I think they thought it was a fair swap.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Definitely. I need to plant one of these and live near you!
0:22:27 > 0:22:30'We've got all the medlars from this tree,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33'so, now it's down the road and onto the next garden.'
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Hello, there.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40We've come for your medlar tree.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Oh, how exciting, come this way.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47- Look at that! How old is it? - I think it's about 200 years old.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49This part of the house was built then,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and that's when all the specimen trees went in, like the medlar.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Can we start to meddle?
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Oh, meddle away, shall I help?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So, how many kilos would a tree like this produce?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02You've got three, two trays here.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I think we'll fill those, we may even fill a bit more,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10so we may even get, I don't know, 80, 90 kilos off here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Gosh.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The lovely thing about these is that they're quite ripe
0:23:15 > 0:23:17but also quite hard, which is perfect for jelly-making.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So, you want them halfway between completely fresh
0:23:21 > 0:23:22and that half-bletted stage.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Yeah, if they're completely bletted
0:23:24 > 0:23:27we're not going to get a lot of juice out of them.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Have you noticed the scent that's coming off them as were picking them?
0:23:31 > 0:23:32It's amazing.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's like a sort of autumnal perfume.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36We've been here 30 seconds,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and we've managed to denude this whole section,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43we're like human combine harvesters. I'm going to move around here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46To reach the medlars at the top branches,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48we've got a special method to try.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- Wow, look at that!- Fantastic!
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Why didn't we do that from the beginning?
0:23:57 > 0:23:59It's raining medlars.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04With the last of the medlars picked, it's time to get cooking.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08To make the medlar jelly, we'll be following the trusted recipe book.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Where is this recipe from?
0:24:10 > 0:24:15That's Mrs Beeton, and that's one of the many books that we use.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Suitably old-fashioned, as well.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Well, there's no way like making it the way it was meant to be made.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23So, that's what we try and do.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25So, we start off with a recipe like that
0:24:25 > 0:24:29and pretty much do an identical thing, with taking the medlars,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31we're chopping them,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and then trying to make the fruit go all soft and squashy
0:24:35 > 0:24:38so we can get as much juice out as possible.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42To the chopped-up medlars, we add some lemon zest.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Give it a good stir.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Heat it for 20 minutes
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and put it through a strainer to extract the medlar juice.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Put it into a boiling pan.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Add sugar,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58and wait a bit.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02What we should end up with is a clear, golden liquid.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Wow.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06What are we doing here, testing to see if it's done?
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Yeah, to see whether or not it's starting to form jelly.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11You can see it's still a little bit thin.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13It's not quite holding.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It's not holding, I want it to hold a bit more than that.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19And finally, it's ready to pour.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22This looks really spectacular.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25You wouldn't imagine that a medlar,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28which is not exactly the most appetising-looking fruit,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30could turn into that, so pure looking.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Wonderful golden colour, isn't it?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35That's something that any jelly-maker would be proud of.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I've done quite a lot of free labour today,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40when do I get to have some of that?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Well, you see this just forming here?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46You can see it's forming, the jelly, it shouldn't be too hot.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Yeah, I'm going in.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50if you were to run your finger across there,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and have a taste of that.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- Wow, that's fantastic. - Yeah, so...
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It's funny, it tastes a bit...
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's caramel-y and all those things that a fresh, bletted medlar is,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03but also a bit like tea as well.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Well, you've got a few flavours in there, but when it sets,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09it will almost concentrate the flavour.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It's going to be sweet, because we've used sugar in it,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13that's the point and that's how we preserve it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- But it's very fragrant, isn't it? - That's exactly the word.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20An unusual food from a weird fruit,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23so, if you got one of these in the garden,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26maybe it's time to invest in a cookbook.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29James Wong discovering the fruits of Wiltshire.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I've arrived at Caen Locks in Devizes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41The Kennet and Avon Canal opened 200 years ago as a major trade route
0:26:41 > 0:26:44between London and Bristol.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Huge cargoes of stone and coal
0:26:46 > 0:26:50were hauled between the Thames and the Bristol Channel.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53It was a mighty waterway, carved into the landscape,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55no matter what stood in its path.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01So, what happens when a canal reaches a hill?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Well, you have to build a lock.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The trouble is, when you reach a really steep hill like this one,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10the only answer is to build a lot of locks.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14The Caen Hill flight of locks was the final piece in the jigsaw
0:27:14 > 0:27:16after 14 years of construction.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's an engineering masterpiece,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22which conquered the climb and connected the canal.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25It's now a national, scheduled ancient monument,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29a worthy reflection of its genius.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38This section of canal rises 237 feet in just two miles.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41In order for boats to make it to the top of the hill,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43there are a series of locks.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47They act a bit like steps, to help the boats get to the top.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49There are 29 locks in total.
0:27:49 > 0:27:5316 of them are in a straight line right behind me.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Today, the canal lock system looks impressive,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01but 50 years ago, it was a very different story.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Like so many canals across Britain, the Kennet and Avon
0:28:05 > 0:28:09became redundant after goods were loaded onto trains and, later, lorries.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It led to years of neglect.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Until the 1960s, when a decision was made to resurrect
0:28:18 > 0:28:22the Kennet and Avon Canal. Millions of pounds was spent on its restoration,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and the canal came back.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30Today, the lock gates on Caen Hill are open for business again.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35A steady stream of boats chug up and down the hill, whatever the weather.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It's a slow process and a complicate one,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and is the job of lock keeper, Bob Preston,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48to keep this 200-year-old system ticking over nicely.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56- Bob, hello.- Hello, Helen. - Sorry to interrupt.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01How on earth do you keep an eye over 29 different locks?
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Well, we utilise the general public. They're our eyes and ears.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07They're happy to tell us when something isn't right
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- and we appreciate that help. - Is there something not right here, or is this general maintenance?
0:29:11 > 0:29:16Yeah, it's general maintenance. Just a little bit of oil to keep this sluice lubricated
0:29:16 > 0:29:19so it doesn't squeak when the sluice is raised.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23And the general well-being extends the life of the sluice,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- obviously, if it's properly lubricated.- Do they take a lot of looking after?
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Well, yeah, there's 116 sluices here at Devizes and 116 sluices
0:29:31 > 0:29:34have to be oiled or lubricated at least once a month.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Is it quite a balancing act, then,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38because you've only got a certain amount of water
0:29:38 > 0:29:43- and you've got to take a bit out here and there...- There's only a finite amount of water.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Yeah, it's a balancing act and it relies on rainfall,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50back-pumping, so it's not like a big estuary.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52It's just a man-made structure which, obviously,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56only has this finite amount of water which has to be managed properly.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Well, it looks like there's a boat waiting,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02so it's time to see these locks in action.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Wow, it's coming out at quite a force.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18You can see how quickly it's dropping.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Helen, I'll push this gate round, if you could do that one, please? Thank you.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Whenever I see people do this on telly, I think,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34"Oh, they're making it up, it can't be that stiff." But it is.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Oh, that's right, he's doing it that way, that makes sense.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Ah! Now I'm starting to understand the path.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's got these little grooves in, so you can do that.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53You have to be a skilled driver to get that...
0:30:53 > 0:30:56it's going to hit, it's going to hit the side.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Boom!
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Just think, those locks have had hundreds of years
0:31:05 > 0:31:07of barges doing that.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10So no wonder Bob needs to maintain them.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Not criticising your driving, though.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Would it be fair to say that canals have had a bit of a renaissance?
0:31:24 > 0:31:28They were hugely significant at the time of the industrial revolution
0:31:28 > 0:31:31but then they sort of went out of fashion, didn't they?
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- They weren't used.- Renaissance is probably a good word, Helen.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36The... I suppose...
0:31:36 > 0:31:40the canal is probably industrial archaeology that actually still works.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46It can be enjoyed by everybody, a multitude of activities take place like boating, angling,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50someone just walking their dog, or you can cycle on this towpath
0:31:50 > 0:31:54all the way from Devizes to the beautiful Georgian city of Bath.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Wonderful amenity.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- We'd better get this gate closed, then.- Absolutely.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- OK, if we pull on this thing.- OK.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- This path is just so simple but so effective.- Hill grip radius.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08200 years ago, this would have been the height of technology,
0:32:08 > 0:32:14- wouldn't it?- It certainly was, it was the industrial highway between Bristol and London, this canal.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Still pretty effective, though, Bob,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20because how else would you get a narrow boat up such a steep hill?
0:32:20 > 0:32:22You wouldn't. Not without locks.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29Every year, there are more than 11 million visits to the Kennet and Avon Canal.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Some of those on water, others on the towpath.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37You can walk or cycle the entire length of the canal for 87 miles.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40I'm exploring only a snippet as I continue on my journey.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45Dominic Littlewood was north of here at Abbey House Gardens,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48seeing a very different side to Wiltshire.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Today is a day with a difference
0:32:51 > 0:32:56because here in the heart of rural Wiltshire lies Abbey House Gardens.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59And they're stunningly picturesque.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13This was a Benedictine monastery 1,300 years ago
0:33:13 > 0:33:16so it's fair to say it's a historical and holy place.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19But nowadays, once a month,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21people come along here to enjoy the scenery,
0:33:21 > 0:33:26the gardens, have a picnic... throw their clothes off?
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Oh!
0:33:29 > 0:33:32And not get told off for it! It's a first for me.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37BIRDSONG AND CHATTERING
0:33:41 > 0:33:46Like me, you're probably asking yourself why naked in the garden?
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Let me tell you.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50It all started when naturists Ian and Barbara Pollard bought Abbey House.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Now being keen historians AND gardeners,
0:33:53 > 0:33:59they set about recreating this estate to reflect the history of the site.
0:33:59 > 0:34:00Tell me about the gardens.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02We bought the place back in '94
0:34:02 > 0:34:05so 13 years, and when we came, there was nothing here.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08The only bit of yew was that funny face.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10It's not a bad resemblance, actually.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Yeah, thanks, I see where this is going.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16We wanted to get the history of the place into the garden.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20We've just been walking along the side of what is my Celtic cross knot garden.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28This is an open day with a difference, isn't it?
0:34:28 > 0:34:30We've become known as the naked gardeners.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33We found that naturist were e-mailing and saying,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36"If you garden naked, can we visit naked?"
0:34:36 > 0:34:40And we decided that we would offer one day a month
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- to allow people to do that. - What's the difference between a naturist day and an open day?
0:34:44 > 0:34:47A normal naturist event elsewhere
0:34:47 > 0:34:50would be in the majority that everyone has to take their clothes off.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Here, it's entirely optional.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58What could you do that would make me feel like getting my clothes off?
0:34:58 > 0:35:02We're not here to persuade you to take your clothes off at all.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04What we ARE doing is giving you the opportunity.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- So, really, I'm the odd one out with my clothes on.- I'm afraid so.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Of course, you don't have to stay clothed.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12I can't help feeling a little bit awkward
0:35:12 > 0:35:15about letting people see me in my birthday suit.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Especially as it needs an iron.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29# Keep on running... #
0:35:29 > 0:35:30APPLAUSE
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Like they say, when in Rome, do what the Romans do. That's what I did.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36I got butt naked, and mingled with all the naturists...
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Oi, oi, oi! Do you mind?
0:35:39 > 0:35:41I've got to be honest, I didn't enjoy it at all.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44I felt very conscious of the fact that I was looking at people,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48they were looking at me, and when there was a pause, I wanted to cover myself up.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I can understand why Ian and Barbara do it,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53but what I can't understand at the moment
0:35:53 > 0:35:57is why so many other people travel so far to come and do it here.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04- Bill and Sharon, where are you from?- Coventry.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves except me.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13- I never know quite where to look. - You find that people don't look anywhere apart from eye contact,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18most of the time, and it's just the feeling of freedom, that you can enjoy nature as nature intended.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21I hope you don't mind me saying this, your hair looks like it's lost.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- Does it?- Yes, it's over your chest, not up there.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30- Why are you carrying around towels with you? - All naturists carry towels.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31You carry something to sit on.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35- Do you tell people at work about this?- They all know now. - They'll definitely know now!
0:36:37 > 0:36:40It's been a liberating experience but I've got to be honest,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42I'm not sure I'll be doing it again soon.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46One thing I have learnt, though, is this is not a place for voyeurs.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50In fact, voyeurs are actively discouraged.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51So if you don't have any hangups
0:36:51 > 0:36:56and you want to experience that feeling of getting back to nature, well, this could be for you.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00- Ladies, you haven't seen a big pile of clothes lying around anywhere, have you?- No, sorry.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- Any chance of borrowing one of your towels?- No, bring your own.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Thanks a lot.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Right...
0:37:08 > 0:37:11That was Dominic Littlewood as I've never seen him before.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Meanwhile, I've left the canalside and headed for Tisbury.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26This lane is typical of rural England at the height of summer.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Everything is bursting with life and it's a pretty tranquil place
0:37:30 > 0:37:34to be but what you can't see is there's a war going on.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36A war against alien invaders.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43This is the front line in a battle against invasive non-native plants.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48Every week, an army of Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers are out and about
0:37:48 > 0:37:50in the Wiltshire countryside
0:37:50 > 0:37:52wrenching unwanted visitors from the ground.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55They're led by Sam Bull.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Right, what we're going to be doing today is we'll just focus on
0:37:59 > 0:38:02the bits that are in flower because they'll be going to seed a lot quicker
0:38:02 > 0:38:05than the other bits. All right? We can crack on.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Today, they're tackling Himalayan balsam
0:38:13 > 0:38:16which has taken root on the banks of the River Nadder.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19I'm here to do my bit for the war effort.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23Coming over!
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Got it?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Sam, Himalayan balsam is actually quite pretty,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36why do we want to get rid of it?
0:38:36 > 0:38:41Well, the problem is that it just grows into these huge stands.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45I mean, what we see here looks bad but it's nowhere near as bad
0:38:45 > 0:38:48compared to some rivers that have got this and it hasn't been dealt with.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50And it just outcompetes our native vegetation,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53so we can't get anything else to grow there,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and because it's got shallow roots, when it dies back in the winter,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01you end up with nothing else growing on the bank and you get bare banks,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04which then get erosion, soil erosion and bank collapse as well,
0:39:04 > 0:39:09so it's a problem for wildlife and also just for the structure of our rivers.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13One of the most striking things about it are the pretty little purple and white flowers,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16surely they must be good for insects or butterflies?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19They'd be brilliant for insect if it wasn't such a bully
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and didn't outcompete everything else.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25It's brilliant when it's mixed in, we've got a diversity of different plants,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28but because you get this outcompeting everything, it's the only thing growing,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32it only flowers for a short period of time
0:39:32 > 0:39:34so when it's not flowering, you won't have anything else.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36This is so strong smelling,
0:39:36 > 0:39:39that you'll find the insects will get attracted to this
0:39:39 > 0:39:40over our native plants,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43so our native plants and flowers won't get pollinated
0:39:43 > 0:39:45and it just leaves...
0:39:45 > 0:39:49It speeds up the cycle for this becoming dominant and taking over.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Talking of things that are fast, your team!
0:39:52 > 0:39:56There was a huge amount of Himalayan balsam here about 10-15 minutes ago
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- and they've just ripped it away, haven't they? - Yeah, you can't slow them down.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02I mean, the volunteer work is fantastic.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05We'd never get this amount of work done if we didn't have
0:40:05 > 0:40:08dedicated volunteers that we've got working with us.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Well, there's loads of it.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20It's actually quite satisfying, this.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21Oh.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25You need to crack the bottom off,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28otherwise, if you leave a bit of root around, it can still grow.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37On the upside, Himalayan balsam is very easy to pull up
0:40:37 > 0:40:39but other plant invaders put up more of a fight.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Sam is going to show me one of the worst.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- Right, here we are. - So, this is the serious work?
0:40:52 > 0:40:56This is the serious work. We've got Japanese knotweed all around us here.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01Because we're doing injection using pesticides, I need to get my kit on.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04I've got this lovely white suit.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06You can carry the bucket.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14You've cut all this back,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17yet it still seems to be growing really well here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Yeah, we cut this back about a month ago to help control it
0:41:19 > 0:41:22but, as you can see, it's grown up in about a month.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24You can see how fast it grows and what a problem it is.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Why is it such a problem?
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Well, I've had a few people phone me up in the past year
0:41:29 > 0:41:31because they've been refused mortgages on a house
0:41:31 > 0:41:34because this has been growing in the garden.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38And it can grow through Tarmac, it pushes its way through walls.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41It's so difficult to get rid of and that's the main problem
0:41:41 > 0:41:43this is causing people at the moment.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46How did it get to this particular bit?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Well, all of this has come from a pile about this size,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53which was fly-tipped here. Someone just pulled up in their car and chucked it out the back.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It shows that tipping out garden waste into the countryside
0:41:56 > 0:41:59is just as bad as chucking a fridge or a TV out.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00It causes so much problem
0:42:00 > 0:42:03for the landowners, people in the community
0:42:03 > 0:42:04and the local wildlife as well.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08And if you get it, if it crops up in your garden, how do you get rid of it?
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Act as quickly as possible. The longer you leave it,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14the more expensive it'll be to treat and the more difficult it'll be to get rid of.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- It's like something out of The Day of the Triffids.- It is a bit.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20What Sam's doing today
0:42:20 > 0:42:25is far more hard-core than pulling up a few roots.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27This is chemical warfare.
0:42:30 > 0:42:36- Japanese knotweed is just down here. - It's impossible to miss, it's huge!
0:42:36 > 0:42:37I know. And so this is the area
0:42:37 > 0:42:42that couldn't have been chopped down, so this is what we're going to treat today
0:42:42 > 0:42:44using the injection guns.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46How effective is the injection?
0:42:46 > 0:42:48It's really effective because spraying,
0:42:48 > 0:42:53you're landing the spray on the leaves, you're not always going to get 100% take-up by the plant,
0:42:53 > 0:42:58but also it's so much better for wildlife, because with injecting,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02we're getting the chemicals straight into the stems and nothing around us
0:43:02 > 0:43:04is going to be hit by any sort of chemical at all,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07so you just affect the plant you're targeting,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09you don't get anything else affected.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13The Japanese don't have a problem with Japanese knotweed, how do they control it?
0:43:13 > 0:43:18In Japan, they've got a different makeup to us of the wildlife they've got in the countryside
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and they've got the bugs out there that are going to eat this and keep it under control
0:43:22 > 0:43:26that we just simply don't have in this country.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Right, so it's fairly simple.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31We just need to inject between the first node,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- which you can see there's a little ring around the stem down here.- Yep.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37And the third node, which is this one up here,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40so we need to get the chemical in there.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's just a simple...
0:43:42 > 0:43:44push in there, and...
0:43:44 > 0:43:46an injection.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49And that one is done.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51There's a little hole halfway down the needle
0:43:51 > 0:43:55which shoots the chemical down into the stem.
0:43:55 > 0:43:56How long does it take to die?
0:43:56 > 0:44:02You can see the effects between almost immediately and in a few weeks' time.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Because we use a dye in the chemical in here,
0:44:06 > 0:44:10you also will see the stems turn blue and then you can see
0:44:10 > 0:44:11the colour moving down
0:44:11 > 0:44:14as it takes the chemical down into its root system.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18It can be worrying for people passing blue knotweed so we normally put a sign up
0:44:18 > 0:44:22saying to people it's been treated, so don't worry about it.
0:44:22 > 0:44:23We've seen how quickly it grows.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27- Do you think we'll ever get rid of this?- Um...
0:44:27 > 0:44:29I think in this site in particular, yes,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33if we persevere with this, and keep visiting it year on year,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37we'll be able to eradicate it from this area, so, yes.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42- What about the rest of the country? - It depends on everyone else, really, but I think countrywide,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44it's a big task.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Some people might tell you these plants aren't the only
0:44:47 > 0:44:49alien visitors to Wiltshire.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Julia Bradbury has been investigating
0:44:52 > 0:44:56an unexplained phenomenon in this part of the world.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Today I'm exploring Wiltshire,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05a county famous for symbols of its ancient past.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09Many of them, like Stonehenge and Avebury, are steeped in mystery.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13And so is this more recent phenomenon, crop circles.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18Scores of them mysteriously appear all over this area
0:45:18 > 0:45:19at this time of year.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24Nobody really knows how or why.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29This part of the county is a hotspot.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32There have been 64 so far this summer.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37My pilot, Shaun Byham, is very busy taking people up to see them.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44So, do they come over all funny when you are hovering over a crop circle?
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Well, we get some odd people who come flying with us
0:45:47 > 0:45:48and yes, they do.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50They say that their cameras stop working
0:45:50 > 0:45:53and their watches stop working and things like that, so, yes,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55we do get some odd things.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58And can they feel the energy of all sorts of things?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01They definitely say they can feel the energies as we go near the circles.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Personally, I can't, but they seem to be happy with it.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07So, what is the crop of crop circles looking like
0:46:07 > 0:46:09so far this year?
0:46:09 > 0:46:11This year has been one of our bumper years.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Some of the more impressive ones I have witnessed
0:46:14 > 0:46:16have been up towards the Avebury area.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18The hummingbird that we are going to have a look at is
0:46:18 > 0:46:22one of the things which I think is very good as well.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24I will fly up in the evening at 7 o'clock in the evening
0:46:24 > 0:46:27and there is nothing there, and then I'll fly again early
0:46:27 > 0:46:29in the morning and see the formations
0:46:29 > 0:46:32and that bit I find interesting, how they can do it overnight.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Just how they get here is a bit of a mystery,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41because no-one sees them being made and no-one claims to have made them.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53I've landed at Tim Carson's farm
0:46:53 > 0:46:57and he's had crop circles appearing on his land for 20 years.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00So, Tim, we are in one of your crop circles,
0:47:00 > 0:47:03and of course, it is your land, so it is your crop circle.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Yes, this is one of eight we have had this year, Julia.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It is with enormous regularity I get them year on year.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14What do you feel when you wake up in the morning and you hear
0:47:14 > 0:47:17that there is another one on your land, how does it affect you?
0:47:17 > 0:47:22Well, what normally happens is I see people walking across the field
0:47:22 > 0:47:26and that is the first sign that something has appeared overnight.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29They literally appear overnight.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33And there is no clue, no signals, no noises, nothing you can indicate?
0:47:33 > 0:47:37We have people up on the Downs at night time with infra-red binoculars,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40night vision things, hoping to see something happen.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43No-one ever sees anything, and yet, in the morning,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47there is something there that no one has borne witness to at all.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49All right, how much does it cost you?
0:47:49 > 0:47:53I suppose this circle,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56we have lost £300.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00£300 times 120, so, you know, it adds up over the years.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- It is costing you. - Yes, over the years it adds up.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Many people who come to look at them
0:48:05 > 0:48:07are searching for something spiritual.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12This is the very centre.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Am I feeling anything strange?
0:48:16 > 0:48:21There are healing properties in some crop circles.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23There seem to forces out there.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27Sometimes, they are very spiritual, peaceful, and a joy to be in.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32I think although a few of them might be made by man,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35it is obvious that the majority cannot have been.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Human hand or aliens?
0:48:43 > 0:48:47Well, looking down on this one, this appeared over three nights
0:48:47 > 0:48:49so it came in three parts.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52We reckon humans on that score?
0:48:52 > 0:48:56I think we can strongly veer towards the human touch, yes.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04And that human touch is sometimes provided by this man.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Rob Irving is one of the few
0:49:06 > 0:49:11who admits being responsible for crop circles and he is definitely not from out of space. He is from Frome.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15We have got permission from a farmer to be here but making crop circles
0:49:15 > 0:49:18usually means you're trespassing and even committing criminal damage.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27- So, are you a vandal or an artist, Rob?- I see myself as an artist.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I see circle-makers as artists.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35What we are doing is we are making art that people don't
0:49:35 > 0:49:39perceive as art, because as soon as you perceive something as art,
0:49:39 > 0:49:41you change your behaviour towards it.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46Is that why crop circle "artists" don't own up to their work?
0:49:46 > 0:49:50As soon as you claim a specific event, you kill it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54You kill all of the magic out of it and it becomes pointless.
0:49:54 > 0:50:00The whole point of the exercise is that your audience comes along
0:50:00 > 0:50:04and engages with it magically, perceives it as being something magical.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07If they perceive it as being man-made, then there is no magic.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15And if you want to see the crop circles,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18make sure you time a visit with the harvest.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I'm travelling through Wiltshire.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27After tearing up some invasive plants near Tisbury,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29I've moved on to Salisbury,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32my final stop.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36I've come to the Queen Elizabeth Gardens on the outskirts of Salisbury City Centre.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39It's a peaceful scene, the sort of place you might come for
0:50:39 > 0:50:43a picnic or a stroll, but I'm here to try something a bit more extreme.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08This is slacklining.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12I've seen it but I've never actually tried it until today.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Russ over there is going to give me a bit of a lesson but first,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17here is the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:53:50 > 0:53:57.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08I've been on a journey through rural Wiltshire, starting
0:54:08 > 0:54:13on Silbury Hill, the mysterious prehistoric mound near Avebury.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16And moving on to the chalk grassland at Wroughton.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Onwards to Caen Hill Locks and then south to Tisbury,
0:54:20 > 0:54:24where I helped to clear some unwanted plants from the riverbank.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27I have now reached Salisbury and it's time to slackline.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31This is becoming an increasingly common sight in parks
0:54:31 > 0:54:34and forests across the UK. It is slacklining.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37You can set them up almost anywhere and, you've guessed it,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39I'm going to have a go.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46Russ Holbert has always loved surfing and skateboarding.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49He started slacklining about 18 months ago.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53He has since set up a business with fellow slackers designing
0:54:53 > 0:54:55and manufacturing slacklines.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57He organises mini events like this one to get
0:54:57 > 0:54:59people as hooked as he is.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10Russ, what made you swap the skateboard for the slackline?
0:55:10 > 0:55:12It's just a lot of fun.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15It's a great thing that you can take into the park,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18can have a go with friends, it's really accessible.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22It's a good thing to do on a summer's afternoon. It is really addictive.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25We have all fallen in love with it.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28And I guess, one of the best things is, all you need is a park,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32a bit of open space and a slackline. But, you also need a tree.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- Is this going to damage the tree? - No.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37The slackline runs around the back of the tree
0:55:37 > 0:55:39and there is a lot of tension through the line.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43The idea with these protectors is they just protect the bark from the slackline.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46As long as you have got those on, it is fine.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51I'm a bit nervous because people are going to think I can do this!
0:55:51 > 0:55:57And that is because in February 2011 I walked a high-wire,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00suspended between the chimneys at Battersea Power Station.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03I did it for Comic Relief, and it was a great experience,
0:56:03 > 0:56:07but it was totally different to slacklining.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10- OK.- Right, so the idea is, if you put your foot on the line,
0:56:10 > 0:56:12nice and flat and straight on the line, like so.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14- Yes.- If I help you up.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16You bend this knee slightly
0:56:16 > 0:56:19and the idea is that you have that leg hanging out.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24- OK.- That balancing position is the first steps towards walking.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28- You can see your centre of balance is straight up through your body there. - Yes.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31And that is perfect. That is really good, actually.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Most people fall straight off.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38The idea is now you step to the other foot and do the same.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40And hang that leg out, bend that knee.
0:56:43 > 0:56:48And get that kind of centre of balance, focusing on a fixed point.
0:56:48 > 0:56:49Amazing.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Yes, you've definitely got more skills than the average Joe.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Where does this actually come from?
0:56:58 > 0:57:00It started in it Yosemite, in America.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03It came from the climbing community, a bunch of climbers
0:57:03 > 0:57:08using their climbing gear to traverse canyons, and instead
0:57:08 > 0:57:11of shimmying underneath, they decided that they would walk over the top.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Brilliant.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Aagh!
0:57:15 > 0:57:17That's really good!
0:57:17 > 0:57:21When people first start this, they shake like nobody's business
0:57:21 > 0:57:24because their body says "No," totally rejects it.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26To be able to do that, I mean, obviously,
0:57:26 > 0:57:29you've had some balance training, so...
0:57:31 > 0:57:35This Wiltshire journey has literally had its ups and downs.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39It's captured my imagination with ancient monuments
0:57:39 > 0:57:43built by our ancestors for reasons we may never really know.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46It's been a beautiful journey, too,
0:57:46 > 0:57:51from rolling hills of chalk, to the enduring remnants of old industry.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01Well, this marks the end of my journey across Wiltshire.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03But, funnily enough,
0:58:03 > 0:58:06I think it might just be the start of a new hobby.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk