0:00:20 > 0:00:23Today, I'm on a journey into one of the most undiscovered
0:00:23 > 0:00:27parts of Britain, stretching as far as the eye can see behind me,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30the Northumberland National Park.
0:00:31 > 0:00:37My travels will take me from here at Edlingham on the outskirts of the park through the villages
0:00:37 > 0:00:41of Rothbury and Otterburn into the wilderness of the Kielder Forest,
0:00:41 > 0:00:46before finishing my journey near the remote village of Stannersburn.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58The Northumberland National Park stretches 60 miles
0:00:58 > 0:01:05from the Cheviot Hills bordering Scotland in the north to Hadrian's Wall country in the south.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09It's a landscape of rolling moorlands and undulating grassland.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13But it has a turbulent and bloody history.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16During the 15th and 16th centuries, these border lands were raided
0:01:16 > 0:01:23by English and Scottish bands crisscrossing the border looking for livestock and settlement rights.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28This castle, now a ruin and popular scrambling site - and yes, you ARE allowed to
0:01:28 > 0:01:33scramble, because we checked - was once a medieval manor house.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38There would have been many like it around Northumberland.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42But it was caught up in the conflict between England and Scotland
0:01:42 > 0:01:46which rumbled on for 300 years between 1300 and 1600.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50So the defences were increased and the castle was created.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55And despite its crumbling walls, it's still pretty dramatic.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The national park is wild and windswept,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04not the easiest place to navigate if you don't know where you're going.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08So I could do with someone who knows the roads and here he comes.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Hi there! Ian Gutherson was born and bred in this part of the world.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16His hobby is restoring old Morris Minor vehicles, and his latest set
0:02:16 > 0:02:19of wheels is a great way to kick off my journey.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21There's no seat belts! That's a bit hard.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I'm reaching round and there's nothing there. Is that legal?
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Yes. They made a law in the early 60s that you had to have them
0:02:29 > 0:02:32but you don't nee to have them in these old things.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- If I had it on the road a lot, I would put them in.- Yeah.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38But it's legal even without it, because it was built before that?
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- Yes. It has to pass an MOT, so yes.- Right. Fair enough.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48Ian found his 1957 Morris Minor ice-cream van on a scrap yard 12 years ago.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52He spent two years lovingly restoring it and got it back on the road.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56I'll be finding out just how he did that later on in the programme.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Just through those trees is an imposing country house,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09built high on a rocky crag over Northumberland National Park.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14It was once owned by a Victorian visionary and Michaela Strachan went to explore it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26These days, when people go house hunting, they're generally either looking
0:03:26 > 0:03:30for modern home with lots of gadgets or a character home with period features.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Well, hidden away here in Northumberland is a house that can truly claim to have both.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42It's Cragside, named because of its location at the foot of Debden Burn.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48From 1863, it was the home of Lord Armstrong, a local industrialist
0:03:48 > 0:03:52who made the house and the gardens into a showcase for his inventions.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Lord Armstrong was years ahead of his time.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03He created the first ever hydroelectric power station for domestic use.
0:04:03 > 0:04:11It was powered by these waters, which are man-made lakes and basically they're just enormous fuel tanks!
0:04:16 > 0:04:22The water cascaded down the hillside through this pipeline into the power house below.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26The water pressure was strong enough to drive this turbine and send
0:04:26 > 0:04:30the power through the dynamo and convert it into electricity.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36Newspapers of the time christened Cragside "the palace of a modern magician".
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It was the first house in the country to be lit by electricity.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44How much electricity would this particular generator actually create?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Well, in the house, I think it was 45 bulbs that
0:04:47 > 0:04:51it was running, so quite a large bit of a current for 45 bulbs.
0:04:51 > 0:04:57Imagine if we all had to have one of these in our basement just to do 45 light bulbs!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- How ahead of his time was Lord Armstrong?- Well, far ahead, really.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04He had a slight problem with this unit, that if there was very little
0:05:04 > 0:05:08water in the lakes, obviously the lights went off in the house.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14So he decided to build a gas engine house alongside this power house to run the dynamos here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The only problem was there was no gas in the local Rothbury area,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21so Armstrong, being Armstrong, built a gas works, as well.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Money was not an object to Armstrong.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31I liken him to the Bill Gates of the era, and if he wanted it, he had it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:38The money for Cragside came from his engineering works in Newcastle but his creations weren't just practical.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41He also had a real eye for beauty.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47Set on the edge of the Cheviot Hills, his 1,000-acre estate now has seven million trees,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and he took great pride in creating Cragside's unique gardens.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57This Douglas fir is one of many that Lord Armstrong planted around the 1870s.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02It was actually very unusual to plant coniferous forests in England at that time.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08Now, this particular tree is the tallest of its type in the country and stands at 191 feet.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21So, Andrew, Lord Armstrong was obviously very into his rather large garden!
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Yes, he loved gardening, as did Lady Armstrong, of course, and they
0:06:25 > 0:06:30not only planted a forest garden but also a formal garden, a rock garden,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33a fruit garden, a kitchen garden.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35He had the complete set, really.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And was he very into it himself?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I mean, did he get his fingers dirty?
0:06:39 > 0:06:46Oh, yes. It is recorded that he took a hand in building waterfalls and rockwork and positioned rock.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51But Lady Armstrong also took a lot of the responsibility day to day
0:06:51 > 0:06:56while Lord Armstrong was away, so it was in fact a partnership between the two of them.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Is this greenhouse his? Was that built in the 1870s?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Yes. It's to Lord Armstrong's design.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06It has a cast-iron roof and a timber base, and it's for the culture
0:07:06 > 0:07:12of early fruit and tender fruit, and it's noted for its rotating pots.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17So that each fruit tree gets an equal amount of light, they can be revolved.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It's an engineer's solution to a horticultural problem.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Was he innovative in absolutely everything he did?
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Yes, in every part of his life, the electricity in his house
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and of course his horticulture and his engineering.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33He was always looking at new ways of doing things.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And why did he want an estate up here?
0:07:35 > 0:07:41Well, he'd been a sickly child, and his father, a solicitor, lived up here, and he was
0:07:41 > 0:07:45brought up here to take the air and the cleaner air of the country,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and he got interested in fishing and he just loved the spot.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52So how important was he during the Industrial Revolution?
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Extremely important. He's up there with Stephenson and Kingdom Brunel and people of that ilk.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01So why do I not remember learning about him in my history lessons?
0:08:01 > 0:08:05I don't think he pushed himself forward tremendously,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08like Brunel - he was a great self-publicist.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I don't think Armstrong had that in his nature.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16While Brunel built the first iron bridge,
0:08:16 > 0:08:22this bridge in Cragside's garden was the first anywhere in the world to be made of a prototype of steel.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25You can't cross it at the moment, but it's hoped it can be reinforced
0:08:25 > 0:08:28to make it once again a route across the burn.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Armstrong's innovations continued inside the house.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38The incandescent light bulb was invented by Joseph Swann, a fellow inventor of Armstrong's.
0:08:38 > 0:08:45And so, ever at the forefront of home improvements, he had several installed in his home.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Now, we all know about boys and their toys, and it would seem Lord Armstrong was a real bloke at heart
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and had to have all the latest gadgets and must-haves in his home.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57For instance, he had to have a passenger lift.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03So-called "labour-saving devices" were fitted throughout the house.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06The kitchen had a motorised cooking spit.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11An early form of telephone was installed.
0:09:14 > 0:09:20And by the 1880s, there was hot and cold running water and a Turkish bath.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Sarah, this is an incredible house. How long did it take to build?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28We don't actually know entirely.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Unfortunately, the original house, we don't even know the architect.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35But after about 1863, we think there are about 25 years
0:09:35 > 0:09:39of different additions to create what you see now.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42That's quite a long time to have the builders in!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Unbelievably long time!
0:09:44 > 0:09:49And every room that you go into has interesting things in it, like this room with all the paintings.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Was he really into art as well?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Not particularly, although he was a great patron of the arts.
0:09:54 > 0:10:01But the house itself is full of bits of different inventions and a very cosy feeling of the Victorian ideal
0:10:01 > 0:10:07of having a house and home with big, open fireplaces and getting away from the industry of the time.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11So you retreat to the country for the good of your health and your sanity, hopefully.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Armstrong was not only an inventor.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18He was a great thinker and often prophetic.
0:10:18 > 0:10:25In 1863, he complained that coal was used wastefully and extravagantly in all its applications.
0:10:25 > 0:10:33He went on to predict that "England will cease to be a coal-producing country within 200 years".
0:10:33 > 0:10:37The house is owned by the National Trust, and it's only just re-opened to the public,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42ironically after being closed to allow the modern-day electrics to be brought up to standard.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And whilst it's been a big and expensive job, it has given
0:10:45 > 0:10:49people a chance to take a closer look at a little bit of history.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Carolyn, was there anything interesting that you discovered
0:10:52 > 0:10:55that was new whilst you were doing the electrics?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Yeah, definitely. There's a piece of timber casing here which actually
0:10:59 > 0:11:04encased the first phase of wiring that Lord Armstrong put in Cragside.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08And it actually worked similar to the way your fairy lights work,
0:11:08 > 0:11:13so that if you took out a bulb, basically the whole lot stopped working. It was very basic!
0:11:13 > 0:11:1545 light bulbs going off one wire!
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Yes. Exactly. But that was really exciting, that we found that.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It must have been an incredibly big job, rewiring a house this size.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Definitely. We had to pack away all the contents, and there were over 10,000 objects.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29And then there were some books, as well.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33So they all had to be labelled, packaged, moved into storage.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38He does have some outrageous things in his house. This is one of them.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I cannot believe this fireplace.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41It is so ornate.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45It is a bit of a monster. I think you either love it or you hate it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Well, I think it's, er, very interesting!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Very impressive, definitely.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Well, Cragside really is an impressive place.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01When it was built, it was a glimpse into the future.
0:12:01 > 0:12:07Now it's an important part of history, and this amazing house, which was the first to be lit
0:12:07 > 0:12:13by electricity in Britain, I'm sure will be illuminating visitors for many years to come.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19Back on the road, I'm exploring the Northumberland National Park in a 1950s ice-cream van.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31What about in the back? You've still got freezers and all sorts.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33What have you got in there?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37In the freezer is the spare wheel and tools.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- What, no 99s?- No!- What? Oh!
0:12:41 > 0:12:45So how do people react when they see an ice-cream van? Do they try and flag you down?
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Oh, well, we have had people asking if they could buy ice creams here.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53That's fantastic! And what about the name across the side?
0:12:53 > 0:12:54What's the name of the ice cream?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Tognarelli. It's the original name.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Have you ever tried it, the ice cream?- No.- Have you not?- No.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07Tognarelli, or "tonyarelli", was an ice-cream factory on the west coast of England, in Cumbria.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12This van was one of 15 in its fleet, which sold ice cream all over the area.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Does the company know that you've got this?
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Yes. I contacted them to see if they minded if I put the original name on it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- Yeah. They were happy?- Yes.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Have you shown them pictures?
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Yes, I sent them a picture, yeah.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Excellent! Excellent work.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30So was it you just that restored it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33No, I had a lot of very good helpers.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Me nephew painted it and he did the welding.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41My brother did the fine-tuning.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45My next-door neighbour was the sign writer, and I took it to him to have it sign written.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Do you ever worry, because it's in such pristine condition,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51that you might scratch it or anything like that?
0:13:51 > 0:13:55If you were worried about it, you'd wrap it up in cotton wool.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56No, that's completely true.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- The other beauty I see you've got is the tax disc there - tax free!- Yep.- It's so old.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- Yeah.- But going like a dream. Look at this! We're cruising!- Yeah.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19Ian takes me as far as his home town in Rothbury before it's time to say goodbye and go our separate ways.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22See you again! Bye-bye!
0:14:25 > 0:14:28My journey through Northumberland National Park
0:14:28 > 0:14:32has taken me from Edlingham through the pretty village of Rothbury,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and now I've reached Otterburn.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41This is the River Otterburn, which lends its name
0:14:41 > 0:14:45to a famous local mill and perhaps even more famous local product.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49This is the mill which once made the famous Otterburn tweed.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It fell victim to the recessions which hit the textile trade
0:14:52 > 0:14:56in the 1960s and '70s and ground to a stop in 1974.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02Otterburn is as much a British fashion tradition as Harris tweed and Pringle jumpers,
0:15:02 > 0:15:07and I've come to meet the latest owner of this mill, who comes from a pretty big textile family himself.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21So, Euan, before I ask you about Otterburn, your surname is Pringle.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Is that from the textile family?
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It is, yes. Born and bred in the industry.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31You've got this long-standing history. Is that what brought you to the mill?
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Yes. I knew of this place from many years ago. I knew of its history.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39I came here to visit one day and found it in what one would call
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- a Mary Celeste situation.- Really?
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Everything had been shut down on the night of its closure in December '74.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It lay as it was. Even the coffee cups were still lying there.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50And who are the Weddell family?
0:15:50 > 0:15:57The Weddell family actually owned this site for over 250 years, developed it from
0:15:57 > 0:16:04the fulling-mill stage right through to the big bolt manufacturing it was until its closure in '74.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11And it went on to become highly fashionable in the 1960s.
0:16:11 > 0:16:17Oh, yes. One of the specialities of this place was a wonderful designer called Winnie Weddell.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22She was a lovely lady who had fabulous design skills.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29She went and did special tweeds
0:16:29 > 0:16:33for all these top designers, and one of her favourite people was Coco Chanel.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38- Mm!- She developed the famous Chanel fabric that was actually developed here.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42And then she also had pet designers. Her next one was Mary Quant.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47All these famous long, flowing tweed coats she used to do was all made from Otterburn tweed.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20There's a very famous story about Otterburn rugs and the Royal Family. Can you tell me it?
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Yes. On the birth of the Princess Elizabeth, now our queen,
0:17:25 > 0:17:31her grandmother, as it was in those days, who was the Queen then, she came on the phone to Otterburn mill,
0:17:31 > 0:17:36cos the mill was a regular supplier of state tweeds to the Royal Family,
0:17:36 > 0:17:42and demanded the manufacturing of one rug to fit the Silver Cross pram.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46And the mill said, "Well, we'll have to make 20 as a minimum,"
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and she said, "No, I asked for one, and you will deliver one."
0:17:50 > 0:17:54So one was delivered, and then the other 19 were left in the stock
0:17:54 > 0:18:00and Mr Fenwick, of the famous Fenwick store in Newcastle, who bought all his tweeds from here,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04came up one day, saw them and said, "Well, I'll try and sell them for you,"
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and sold them within days.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10And a as result, we realised it was a fashion icon, and today we've now
0:18:10 > 0:18:14made over, we think, certainly a million of these Otterburn pram rugs.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So these are the tenter frames.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26- Yes, these are the original tenter frames, we believe the last remaining set anywhere in Europe...- Wow!
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- ..if not the world.- How old are they?
0:18:28 > 0:18:33Well, I don't know about the age, but they were still used up until the mill closed in '74.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Rather elderly now.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Yes, they look a little bit rickety.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41How do they work? I'm saying "tenter frames" like I know what they do.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45You've all heard the expression "be on tenterhooks". These are the hooks.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47So can you show me how they work?
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Well, certainly. Well, they took the wet cloth after it had been all
0:18:52 > 0:18:58washed and shrunk, and then they started to put them on the hooks,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00- as you can see here.- Yeah.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04All the way along. It's quite tortuous.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05- Watch your fingers.- Oh, yes.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15And then the bottom of the cloth was then put onto the bottom bar.
0:19:18 > 0:19:24- There we go!- And then the bottom bar, the pins were taken out.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- They dropped down to stretch the fabric.- Ah, I see!
0:19:27 > 0:19:33And this stretched it, and now you've got cloth that's been dried in the wind and sunlight. Au naturel!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37This one may well have gone through this process.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Yes, this is actually an old rug that was given to us which is about 50 to 60 years old,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and it would've been dried on these tenter frames.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- It's great that they're still standing.- Mm.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52It's a sad sign of the times that Otterburn pram rugs are no longer made here at the mill.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It simply isn't financially viable.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Instead, they are manufactured at a factory in Yorkshire using Australian wool.
0:20:06 > 0:20:13I'm in the middle of one of Britain's most remote landscapes, Northumberland National Park.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Its sprawling moorlands and sense of tranquil emptiness not only attract
0:20:17 > 0:20:24ramblers and tourists, they also serve a very important and practical purpose for our armed forces.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28This is Otterburn army training estate.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31It's one of the largest UK firing ranges and it makes up
0:20:31 > 0:20:36around 60,000 acres, one fifth of the Northumberland National Park.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41And it's an unusual place for rare wildlife and important habitats.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50Within the estate are 19 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and an amazing historical heritage,
0:20:50 > 0:20:56from medieval villages to evidence of the many conflicts along the Scottish border.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Balancing environmental and archaeological protection
0:21:00 > 0:21:04with vital military training is no easy task for Chris Livsey.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07How long has this been an army training base here at Otterburn?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Well, the modern military has been here since 1911.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It was primarily denoted as an artillery range.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20However, as global conflict has changed and as the nation's need for defence has changed, the training
0:21:20 > 0:21:25area has adapted and modified itself into what it is today, which is an all-arms training area.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27So what activities are going on?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31We can take anything from a soldier with his personal rifle right the way
0:21:31 > 0:21:35up to artillery systems and multi-launch rocket systems.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We also take attack helicopter and fast jets.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43The only things we really can't do are the main battle tanks and that's because of our soft ground.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48And also we can't do ground-to-air because of the air restrictions.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The wildlife and history of the Cheviots
0:21:51 > 0:21:54aren't the only things sharing the landscape with the military.
0:21:54 > 0:22:00Frankie Walton is one of the 31 tenant farmers who live and work within the army firing range.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Frankie, what's it like being a tenant farmer on an MoD farm?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Well, I'm not a tenant farmer anywhere else, but I would say
0:22:06 > 0:22:10definitely it's very different from other tenant farmers.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12We have to work rather strange hours.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17It often entails four or five o'clock starts in the morning, because we have to move sheep out
0:22:17 > 0:22:20of the road where the army are going to be landing their ammunition.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26Whether it's rifles or whether it's mortars or whatever, we have to have the sheep shifted, and we have to be
0:22:26 > 0:22:31off the ranges often by nine o'clock in the morning and we're not allowed on again till five o'clock at night.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36You think, what do we do during the rest of the day? It's all the usual farming practices.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Today, you see, we're clipping and paw-running and the lambs are getting
0:22:40 > 0:22:43dosed, so there's always jobs to keep us all going.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48I would say one of the difficulties from a farmer's point of view is that we have to have...
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Well, I would say the sheep are well shepherded.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I think nationally it's about one shepherd to 1,200 or 1,300 sheep now,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57but we run at about one shepherd per 600 or 700.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But there are benefits and the Army do look after us.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05They give us a full month off at lambing time, and this is absolutely very important.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08What sort of communication do you have between yourself and the Army?
0:23:08 > 0:23:13We get regular firing papers. These come out weekly, so we know exactly what's on.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Now, we have a chap who liaises directly with us, as well.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21He comes if there's anything special, any big exercise. He comes and he tells us exactly.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23He comes to see every single shepherd and every tenant
0:23:23 > 0:23:27so there's no chance of anybody being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30And how do the livestock cope? Do they get used to it?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34I'm sure I don't get used to it quite as much as the sheep and cattle.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38You never see them flinch at all. I can sometimes jump fairly high!
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The livestock may not be too concerned but military activities in national parks
0:23:45 > 0:23:47have always been controversial.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Yet the Ministry of Defence maintain that environmental issues and public access take a very high priority.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56First and foremost, we are a military training area,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01but we do have these wider estate issues such as nature conservation, archaeology and public access.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Our ethos, really, is balance,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07balance in providing a first-class training area for our troops so they
0:24:07 > 0:24:11can meet the defence need but also the aspirations of our key partners
0:24:11 > 0:24:16such as the Northumberland National Park Authority, Natural England and English Heritage.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21How do you work that around? Do you have areas that are out of bounds at some time of year?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- How does it work? - There is a bylawed area.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28When we're live-firing, we shut an area off under military bylaws.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33We denote that to the general public by raising red flags, red lamps at night.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36We put out a lot of information, public warning notices, and also
0:24:36 > 0:24:40we direct people where they can go, when they can't go, at certain times.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45One would imagine one of the UK's biggest firing ranges would be blown to pieces.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It actually looks an incredible, beautiful landscape.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Yeah, it's a fantastic landscape. Although the majority of the area
0:24:52 > 0:24:58is used for military training, the actual impact that takes place is confined to quite small areas.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02These have historically taken place in those areas, so it's very well managed.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05For an area that provides some of this country's best
0:25:05 > 0:25:08artillery training, much of it looks peaceful and untouched.
0:25:08 > 0:25:15The strict control of access has certainly helped preserve the distinct variety of habitats here.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20Although some compromises have to be made, in general, it's a balance that seems to be working.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28My journey through this remote region has certainly been a peaceful one so far.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36I'm in the heart of Northumberland National Park, exploring a rugged,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39unspoilt and relatively unexplored corner or rural Britain.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43I've just entered Kielder Forest, and it's a startling contrast
0:25:43 > 0:25:46to the vast moorlands I crossed earlier.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57The scale of Kielder Forest is pretty breathtaking, 250 square
0:25:57 > 0:26:02miles, making it the largest man-made forest in northern Europe.
0:26:02 > 0:26:08It's been owned and managed by the Forestry Commission since the 1920s, when the first trees were planted.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Before that, it was open moorland.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14So in the last 80 or 90 years, the landscape has changed pretty dramatically.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20The foresters work full time harvesting this timber,
0:26:20 > 0:26:26mostly Sitka spruce, working up to 10 hours a day felling trees.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Max McLaughlan is their manager.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32How old are the trees that are being felled now?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34These were planted in 1973, would you believe?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Just trying to do some quick maths!
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- 36 years old? - They're incredibly tall.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41They are. They grow very quickly.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45This is one of the ideal environments for this species, which is Sitka spruce.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Originally, the Sitka comes from western North America.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53In its natural environment, it grows in very similar conditions to what we have here.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Mild conditions, quite wet.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59On these sites, specifically here, we've got quite a nice slope.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03So, the drainage is good. They'll grow very fast.
0:27:03 > 0:27:0536 years old and it's time for them to be felled.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08That's very impressive. And what will this timber be used for?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It's used for a number of products.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15We go from roof joists, structural type material,
0:27:15 > 0:27:20down through packaging palettes, that type of thing,
0:27:20 > 0:27:25fencing materials, down to pulpwood that goes to make paper and card.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29This guy in the background is doing what looks like an incredibly skilled job.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I'm so impressed with the machinery, for starters.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Presumably, hundreds of years ago, it would have taken a lot longer than this.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It would have taken a considerably longer time.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Weasel, the man that's driving the machine, he's been working
0:27:42 > 0:27:46in this type of environment on these types of machines for about 15 years.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50He's built up a level of experience and as you can see working here, it looks like second nature.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55All of the movements are smooth and everything that's being done is very efficient.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00But it's quite a complex task. He's assisted in the fact that this machine is very modern.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04It was bought within the last four months or so. It's highly computer controlled.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10So on the measuring of the logs is measured by computer, through the felling head.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It still takes the skilled operator to move the crane
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and to make decisions based on timber quality as well.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Even earlier, before it had hit the ground, it was already being passed
0:28:21 > 0:28:24through, being chopped up and all the bark being taken off.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28The bark is coming off at this time of year because the sap is rising.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32So, as the tree moves the the felling read, because there's sap between
0:28:32 > 0:28:37the bark and the timber itself, it's quite a slippy environment.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40As the tree moves through, the bark tends to slip off.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44If it was in the depths of winter, when the sap isn't rising, most of these stems would still
0:28:44 > 0:28:49have their bark on because the tree is in a dormant phase then. The sap isn't rising.
0:28:49 > 0:28:55- It's quite hypnotic to watch, I've found, sitting here watching the trees come down.- It is.- Fantastic.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58One thing they really strikes me is the sheer isolation up here.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Weasel can work for hours without seeing a single soul.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Certainly not a job for everybody.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09What we've just seen is clear felling, which as the name suggests,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12is where the harvester goes through and clears everything.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Elsewhere in the forest, the trees are managed differently. We can see an example of that here.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Max, how are the trees managed where we're standing now?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's a different approach really.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27The site we were on the clear felling, that's where, as you say, we take all the trees off.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The major constraint on our management is tree stability.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33That's to do with wind.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37On the higher elevations, on the softer soils, if we were to thin,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41which is what we've done here, the trees would blow over. They just aren't that stable.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45At lower elevations, were we're now, we're lower down the hill, we're on
0:29:45 > 0:29:51slightly better soil, the trees have a better rooting structure. It gives us more opportunities.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56One of the opportunities is if we thin, and we manage under what we call continuous cover basis.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59We've thinned these trees, we've removed a proportion,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02we've tried to favour the trees with the better crowns.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07They produce more seed and as you can see, we get plenty of new generation coming through.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12These trees have all grown naturally. They've come from seed in surrounding trees.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14And they've colonised on their own?
0:30:14 > 0:30:18They've colonised the space because there's sufficient light to let them do it.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21But there's enough tree canopy, it's still maintaining forest
0:30:21 > 0:30:25conditions to give them the correct environment they grown in.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28All the work you're putting in now, you're not going to see the results.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Presumably, you'll be long since retired by then?
0:30:31 > 0:30:33I'll be turning up my toes long before that!
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Do you mind that, that you don't get to see it?
0:30:35 > 0:30:38No, because you can see the effect of work here already.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41We're still at an early stage but you can see the regeneration.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45A forester 70 years ago made a good decision and planted these trees here.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49They were the right trees for the site. You can see that they've grown well.
0:30:49 > 0:30:55I hope that the decisions I make in the management of a site like this will similarly be the right decision,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59and someone will come along behind me and inherit what will hopefully be
0:30:59 > 0:31:03a good standard of timber and trees in the future. So no, it's not a problem.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13I'm in the heart of the great Kielder Forest, north Europe's largest man-made forest and close
0:31:13 > 0:31:19by, surrounded by the trees, lies Europe's largest man-made lake, Kielder Water.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Not so long ago, Mikchela Strachan spent a day there.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35This is Kielder Water
0:31:35 > 0:31:38and it's the largest man-made reservoir in Europe.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43It officially opened 25 years ago, and since then, it's been a special
0:31:43 > 0:31:47place for anyone who enjoys wild open spaces.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50There used to be a path that went on the way round the lake.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53But sadly, it's not stood the test of time.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57That's going to change with the new path, called the Lakeside Way.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07The Lakeside Way is to improve access
0:32:07 > 0:32:10to the lake shore, as the name would suggest.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12It's the lesser parts of the lake shore.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16People can't generally get to the north side for example, very easily.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19There always has been a track here.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23It's sort of become overgrown. Some of it's actually in the
0:32:23 > 0:32:26reservoir now, through subsidence and what have you.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29But we found that we had an opportunity here.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32We needed to create something that was bespoke, more or less
0:32:32 > 0:32:35for the function that we wanted it to perform.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36How much of it's done already?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39There's about 10 miles of it done already.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44We'll be starting once again with the construction programme in April of this year.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49We hope to have the entire shoreline complete in the next two to three years.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Obviously, around a lake like this, you were going to see lots of wildlife.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55What should I look for on my ten-mile walk?
0:32:55 > 0:33:01There are a lot of birds of prey in this particular area. You may be fortunate and see some deer.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And you might see some red squirrels.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Sometimes, the path goes into the vast coniferous forest that surrounds the lake.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11For the red squirrels, it's one of the last safe havens in England.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16Throughout the country, the reds are threatened by their larger cousins, the greys.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20How you manage the forest to favour red squirrels?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Really, it's about managing the energy supply
0:33:23 > 0:33:24and the seed in the trees.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29Something like 70 to 80% of the forest is Sitka spruce.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31It has quite small cones like this.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37About 10% of the forest has Norway spruce, which has larger cones like these.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40If we have too much energy in the seeds in the forest,
0:33:40 > 0:33:46if we'd large seeded broad leaves like oak and ash, it would become very attractive to grey squirrels.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52As it is, with mainly conifers, the greys can't find enough energy in the forest to make it their home.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55So it favours the red squirrels, but not the greys.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58You can see and where the red squirrels have been, when you look
0:33:58 > 0:34:00at cones that have been eaten by the squirrels.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05These are Norway spruce cones, stripped by red squirrels, that I found in the forest this morning.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08What are my chances of seeing a red squirrel today?
0:34:08 > 0:34:14Walk quietly, go to a part of the forest that there have not been too many other people there before
0:34:14 > 0:34:17and keep your eyes open. And your ears too!
0:34:17 > 0:34:23Very often, it's the noise of them scurrying about in a tree or eating a cone that draws attention to them.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36From squirrels to something a little bit bigger.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40And for this experience, I need to change my hat.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44A lot of the path has been designated as a bridle path.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50Despite the fact that I'm a little bit of a rusty horse rider, it seems only fair that I give it a go.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54So, this gorgeous horse is Stilton, and to make sure that I don't fall
0:34:54 > 0:34:57off and keep me on a tight reign, this is Ron. Good morning, Ron.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58Good morning.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Well, my horse seems keen! Are we off?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Good girl. Good girl.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15So, Ron, how much of this path is now suitable for horses?
0:35:15 > 0:35:20It starts at the present moment from Hawkhirst all the way down to Down,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22which is approximately nine miles.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27Is it quite an easy ride for, well, I'm not a novice, but for a rusty horse rider like myself?
0:35:27 > 0:35:30There's plenty of hills and bridges to go over.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33If you've got the right horse you'll have no problem going over them.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38So, Ron, do you think these new paths are going to be really popular for riders?
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Yes, I do, once people realise that they can be ridden.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Is riding on bridle paths generally as popular as it ever was?
0:35:46 > 0:35:51Yeah, it's popular. It's just that this part of the country and where
0:35:51 > 0:35:54we're situated, a lot of people don't even know Kielder exists.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Well, that view isn't too shabby, is it?
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- No, it isn't.- Very pretty.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08You can hire a trekking horse for a day or just a few hours here on
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Kielder, or if you've got one, bring your own.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13It's 27 miles all around the lake.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18We've just come around Bull Crag Peninsula to the widest part of Kielder Water.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23This is where I say goodbye to Ron and my lovely horse, Stilton.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27The idea for the path comes from the Kielder Partnership.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30One of the partners is the Calvert Trust, which
0:36:30 > 0:36:33offers people with disabilities a wide range of outdoor experiences.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40- Hello, everybody. This looks like a very cool way to travel.- Yes.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43How much of this path will be accessible to this golf buggy?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- In time, all of it.- Really, so you can get all the way round?- Yes.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48What about for wheelchair users?
0:36:48 > 0:36:50It still classed as off-road at the moment so this is where the
0:36:50 > 0:36:53buggies come in and take people out and about.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57It's fantastic because I presume you can get people with all sorts of disabilities into this.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Physical, sensory, all sorts, people with wheelchairs can get strapped in.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05We've got special harnesses. So we can take them out in the countryside.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09It obviously brings people to the countryside that otherwise would find it difficult.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- That's right, yeah. - Are you having a good time?
0:37:12 > 0:37:16- Yes.- Have you been here before?- Yes.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19So this has enabled you to get further out into the countryside?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Yes, the countryside.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- And you enjoy the countryside?- Yes. - Well, good to see you.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31I'd like to hop on and get a lift but I see there's no room so I'll carry on walking.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Have a good ride, bye. - Thank you, goodbye.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42The Lakeside Way doesn't just appeal to people into outdoor pursuits.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46If art is more your thing then you might be surprised to hear there's
0:37:46 > 0:37:50also something to whet your appetite, called the Art and Architecture Tour.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Now most people when they see a lake like this would think outdoor pursuits,
0:38:01 > 0:38:09boating, fishing, whatever. Who came up with the idea to put a bit of art in the park as well?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Originally the Kielder Partnership decided that
0:38:12 > 0:38:17as part of the tourism provision it would be quite good to have some extra things for people to look at.
0:38:17 > 0:38:23The programme started out being relatively small scale, but the project's have gradually got more and
0:38:23 > 0:38:28more elaborate as they've gone along, but they include things like architectural shelters like the
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Kielder Belvedere, which won lots of prizes, a piece we've just finished called Mirage by a
0:38:33 > 0:38:38Japanese sculptor and we're working on an observatory at the moment so there's lots and lots of different
0:38:38 > 0:38:44pieces of work, some of them are small and you'd say it's a sculpture, and some of them are structural
0:38:44 > 0:38:48and you say, that's a building, is it art or is it a piece of architecture?
0:38:51 > 0:38:57It's time for another change of hat for another ride, but this path isn't for horses, it's for bikers.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08This is the first set of mountain-bike trails in Kielder Forest and Water park.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11When you come round the lake trail, which you've looked at already,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15you then come on to the first set of mountain-bike trails and this is
0:39:15 > 0:39:20a training route to give you confidence on what level of mountain bike trail you'd like to go on.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25Our blue grade trail is for beginners and families and then we come into the more aggressive trail,
0:39:25 > 0:39:30intermediate grade, which is red, and finishing off to the top end of the trail which is black.
0:39:30 > 0:39:36You're trying to appeal to walkers, bikers, horse-riders and even the golf buggies.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Is that going to cause problems because obviously it doesn't always marry,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43having people on bikes while people are trying to walk?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46That's why the mountain bike trail at Kielder's so important
0:39:46 > 0:39:50that the leisure riders won't cause conflict between the other
0:39:50 > 0:39:57users on the Lakeside Way, but for mountain bikers enjoyment of the course hurtling around.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01A great adrenalin burst, great scenery, fantastic trails,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04but you don't want any other users on these trails.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08You want them to be specific for bikers.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Away from the bike trail on the route of the lakeside way the path
0:40:11 > 0:40:18is a little less strenuous for cyclists and one of the most popular stretches is the old railway track.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Now there's a plan to reopen part of the line with steam trains once again.
0:40:22 > 0:40:28Tim, obviously it's not going to go along the same path as the Lakeside Way, but how close will it be?
0:40:28 > 0:40:33It'll parallel with some of the Lakeside Way at the lakeside.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36The thing about the railway is it starts on the old track bed
0:40:36 > 0:40:42along the side, alongside the water, that will meet with the Lakeside Way so there's an interaction there.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45You can decide you've had enough walking or cycling.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48All the trains will carry a cycle track so you can chuck your muddy
0:40:48 > 0:40:53bike in the thing, that's fine, but then the railway goes two miles
0:40:53 > 0:41:00away from the water, up over the lovely viaduct of 1862, down into the village.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09I'm exploring Northumberland's National Park.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14Starting in Edlingham, I've headed west into the wilderness.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17And on to the great expanse of Kielder Forest.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24I've seen how the trees have been harvested by the Forestry Commission,
0:41:24 > 0:41:30but just as many trees are going out are also going back in, so the next stage is to prepare the ground for
0:41:30 > 0:41:34the saplings, which is what's going on behind me and to see the complete
0:41:34 > 0:41:38cycle of forest life I'm now going to get to plant my very own tree.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- Hi, Marie, you look busy. - Hello, nice to meet you.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- How are you doing? - Not too bad, thanks.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46- Good. What are you planting here? - We're planting some spruce today.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50Is that what came out of this spot already, been harvested?
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Yes, that's right. We've generally put back the same species
0:41:53 > 0:41:55we take out, but we do have a policy
0:41:55 > 0:42:00of trying to diversify as well, so where the sites dictate or we can get
0:42:00 > 0:42:06some better land, we'll put in some other species as well so, but on the site today we're looking at spruce.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08How many of these will go in?
0:42:08 > 0:42:12On a particular day each planter will try to get in about 1,500 a day.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16On a good day, maybe 2,000. They can really be motoring some days.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18That's incredibly quick.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- Yes, yes.- What's the technique for getting them in so quickly?
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Basically just putting a slit in the ground with the spade like so,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28put the tree in to the slit there, make sure the roots are in
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and the tree's upright and the tree's at the right depth
0:42:31 > 0:42:35and filling back with your foot to make sure it's upright and on to the next one.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- Nothing like doing garden planting then.- Not at all, no.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42You spend a lot of time in your home garden putting in potted plants
0:42:42 > 0:42:45compost, fertiliser, but not at all with these.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It's a commercial operation, we want to get them in,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52- make sure they're going to grow but not spend too much time on them. - That was a matter of seconds.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- Get to the next one. Can I have a go?- Yes. No problem.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58OK. Down to this spot here?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Yeah. If you just want to move in the centre of the mound.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04- Right. Nice and soft.- Yeah.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08There's a nice tree for you.
0:43:08 > 0:43:09That's it, straight in behind.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11That's it, spot on.
0:43:13 > 0:43:19- Expert! - I don't know about that, probably about ten in a day at my speed.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23I'm tempted to look at it for a while and be proud, but actually we've got to move on, move on.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Move on, yes. Plenty more to do today.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52That's good. Job done.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Job done. Only another 1,480 to go.
0:43:54 > 0:43:55Lead the way!
0:43:57 > 0:44:01It's amazing that these tiny saplings can survive
0:44:01 > 0:44:08in such a harsh environment and mind-boggling to think this enormous forest was planted by hand.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11But Kielder isn't just about trees.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15At any one time a quarter of the area of Kielder is open space,
0:44:15 > 0:44:17including England's largest blanket bog.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24Every winter thousands of British wading birds come to feed here on the Northumberland coast.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28But come the spring they fly 50 miles inland to nest here
0:44:28 > 0:44:33at Kielder, or they would do if there were enough feeding pools, and that's the problem.
0:44:33 > 0:44:38The first thing, insert the brass pricker into the primer cartridge, three or four inches.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43Just insert that gently, horizontally into the hole we've prepared
0:44:43 > 0:44:46and it'll probably go 100 ft in the air. Honestly.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Confused? Time for an explanation.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55Nationally, if you take them as a whole,
0:44:55 > 0:44:59most breeding species of waders are on the decrease, or stable.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02They aren't having a good time of it as a whole.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Why is that?
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Generally, it's the drying out of habitats, for whatever reason,
0:45:08 > 0:45:13be it drainage, being the planting of trees on moorland, be it increased agriculture.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16A whole selection of reasons, but gradually the birds are being more
0:45:16 > 0:45:19and more confined to nature reserves in a lot of places.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24That's the system checked.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Now we'll attach this and we're ready to go.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32- Not too much pressure. - Not too much pressure.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34- Great. - That's fine, and that's ready to go.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40To attract waders back to their breeding grounds at Kielder,
0:45:40 > 0:45:46rangers have come off with a unique system of transforming dry moorland into more enticing boggy pools.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50How did you come up with the idea of creating these ponds on the moor?
0:45:50 > 0:45:55Quite simply there was a lack of natural water up here,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58which is important for the successful breeding of waders.
0:45:58 > 0:46:05- We decided that, in order to improve breeding success, we needed to create some pools.- How did you first do it?
0:46:05 > 0:46:07We've had a couple of goes.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10You can do it using a digger but as you know we're a long way from the
0:46:10 > 0:46:13road and there's also difficulty getting the machine up here.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17We've also tried using elbows and damming up ditches but that's labour-intensive.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Which is where explosives come in.
0:46:20 > 0:46:25With the help of dynamite, they've created over 100 feeding ponds on this moor.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31This is one of the pools once it's full of water.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34It may look pretty gloomy and uninviting,
0:46:34 > 0:46:39but it contains all the vital ingredients to provide a healthy start for young wading birds.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44Wader chicks love larvae, they love little caterpillar,
0:46:44 > 0:46:50little bit of vegetable matter, they like nothing better than plodding about in a couple of inches of water,
0:46:50 > 0:46:55feeding on the surface, poking their bills into the soft earth, gradually collecting enough insects.
0:46:55 > 0:47:00They don't get fed at all off their parents, they get all their ingredients purely from the pools
0:47:00 > 0:47:02and the little marshy areas around about them.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05But now to the blowing up bit.
0:47:06 > 0:47:12So we've set the charge, checked the line, connected it all up, is there anything left to do?
0:47:12 > 0:47:15We've got to check the wind direction, make sure we're firing
0:47:15 > 0:47:18from an upwind direction, so the peat dissipates away
0:47:18 > 0:47:21- from us and that's it, ready to go. - Otherwise it'll drop all over our heads?
0:47:21 > 0:47:23- All over our heads.- Right!
0:47:27 > 0:47:32# So come on let me entertain you... #
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Another step to restoring the countryside.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Trouble is, if we want more wading birds,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42- we'll have to blow up a lot more holes!- Yes, I'm afraid so.- Great.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Three, two, one...
0:47:45 > 0:47:49# Let me entertain you. #
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Adam Henson creating new habitats for bird life.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00Peat bog is a precious natural resource and we've been assured
0:48:00 > 0:48:05by the Forestry Commission that the explosions in that film didn't degrade the site.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16I've come to the end of my travels
0:48:16 > 0:48:18through Northumberland National Park.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20My last stop is the home
0:48:20 > 0:48:22of Brian and Veronica De Sully.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Brian and Veronica swapped the urban sprawl of Newcastle...
0:48:33 > 0:48:35..for a landscape of forest and moorland.
0:48:35 > 0:48:41Their once derelict farmhouse has taken a lot of work, but from the comfort of their renovated lounge,
0:48:41 > 0:48:45we're all taking a trip down memory lane in front of the telly.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52Many people dream of turning their backs on the strain of urban living,
0:48:52 > 0:48:58starting afresh in the countryside and there's an increasing number who are turning that dream into reality.
0:48:58 > 0:49:03Over the next few months, Adam will be following the progress of one such couple -
0:49:03 > 0:49:07Brian and Veronica De Sully - and on his first visit,
0:49:07 > 0:49:09he got to see their rural idyll in Northumberland.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14I found it!
0:49:14 > 0:49:18- You didn't get lost. - No, it's a long old track, isn't it?
0:49:18 > 0:49:20- It certainly is, yes. - Is that the only way in?
0:49:20 > 0:49:25No, there's actually another way through from the top of the dam and through the the forestry road,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29but it's quite difficult to find if you don't know it.
0:49:29 > 0:49:34- What a wonderful spot, an incredible place. Can I have a look round? - Certainly, come this way.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Well, this is the living room.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42It's a big space, isn't it? Lots of room.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44- Certainly is, yes. - How big is the house?
0:49:44 > 0:49:47- How many bedrooms are there? - Three at the moment.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50When we break through into the barn next door, we'll have more room.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53- What's through there? - This will be the kitchen.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59- It's amazing. - Quite a lot of imagination, I think.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- And you've got another staircase there.- We have.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07It really intrigues me, the staircase. It must've been the servants' at one time.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11- So will you get servants? - I wish I could!- That's my job!
0:50:13 > 0:50:16It's roomy but there's an awful lot of work to do and I can't help
0:50:16 > 0:50:20thinking Brian and Veronica must be pretty brave to take this on.
0:50:20 > 0:50:26- I'm relieved to see Brian has got some of the bare essentials in already.- Look at that.
0:50:26 > 0:50:27We've come a hell of a long way.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Haven't we just.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33But it's not only inside. The outside could do with a spot of work, too.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Presumably it's going to cost a fortune?
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- Yes.- Yes.- An awful lot.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42But it's a long period, it's not one of these quick fixes.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45We can't sort of do it now and say it's going to be finished next year.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50Hopefully we'll be living in it next year but how many rooms we'll be living in is another matter.
0:50:50 > 0:50:55It could be 18 months, two years, maybe even three years before it's how we want it.
0:50:55 > 0:51:00- It's nice to think we've brought it back to life again. - I think we saved it.
0:51:01 > 0:51:07But Brian and Veronica's farmhouse has come a long way and they're looking right at home.
0:51:07 > 0:51:13I'm interested to find out just how easy it is to settle into such a remote part of the world.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- So what's community life like these days?- It's actually very good.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24One thing we do like about living out here is there's a community,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28a close-knit community, but it does have its quirks.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31There's some new people that have just taken over the Holly Bush
0:51:31 > 0:51:34and I walked in there the other day for a pint,
0:51:34 > 0:51:39and I was a bit slow on the uptake because the wife and the daughter
0:51:39 > 0:51:42turned round and thought I was a rock star from Yes.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46- It must be the long hair and good looks, I think.- It's got to be.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- What do you reckon, pet?- No comment!
0:51:48 > 0:51:52What other community activities are you involved with?
0:51:52 > 0:51:56Quite a lot. The nice thing about this is we're too far away to be
0:51:56 > 0:52:01a commuter village and there's very much a community up here.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05We've joined the local wine group.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07That good, isn't it?
0:52:07 > 0:52:09That's a monthly booze up.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14- By any other name!- Oh, yes.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18And we know a lot of people locally, and it's great. Everyone is lovely.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21- Yes. It's really good. - So any regrets about the move?
0:52:21 > 0:52:23None whatsoever, none whatsoever.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26What have been the biggest challenges, would you say?
0:52:26 > 0:52:31I think being torn between getting the house done and doing stuff with the land.
0:52:31 > 0:52:36I did want to do an awful lot with the land, but sadly that has fallen by the wayside to a certain extent.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41We've got some friends of ours who have brought up some cattle to help us out with that.
0:52:41 > 0:52:47We've got some goats, but we're still struggling on with the house.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51On the thing that we saw, I said three years, well three years on
0:52:51 > 0:52:54we're living in it but it's nowhere near finished yet!
0:52:54 > 0:52:55- In good time.- In good time, yes.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58- I couldn't have done it without you. - I've got a timescale.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- 18 months and it'll be finished. - That's the deadline now!
0:53:11 > 0:53:17To explore this vast and empty landscape is to feel a little bit lost.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I feel very small surrounded by Kielder's
0:53:19 > 0:53:24dense forest on the one side and Northumberland's moors on the other.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29But sometimes, as Brian and Veronica will certainly tell you, it's good to lose yourself.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk