0:00:18 > 0:00:20Today, I'm on a lakeland journey,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24from Eskdale, through the fells, to the mountainous Honister Pass.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25My Cumbrian journey will take me
0:00:25 > 0:00:28through the villages of the Eskdale Valley,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31westwards towards the coastal town of St Bees
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and then back inland, to the Fells of Borrowdale
0:00:34 > 0:00:36and along the Honister Pass.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Along the way, I'll be looking back at some of the best of the BBC's rural programmes.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42This is Country Tracks.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50I'm starting my journey here in the fells of the Lake District
0:00:50 > 0:00:54on a route where it pays to expect the unexpected.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59See what I mean.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06I'm hitching a lift with the Bedrose Harley Owners Group from Preston,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10who come to these fells every month for the ultimate riding experience.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Wow.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15An exhilarating ride,
0:01:15 > 0:01:20but nice as it is, it kind of is the antithesis to countryside life, isn't it?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Well, it's good, cos it gives us the chance to be out in the countryside,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26see the open roads. You get the wind in your hair.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28- Yeah.- Well, some of us do, and you get to enjoy yourself.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30See everything. Smell the smells.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32- See the views. - Yeah.- Enjoy the countryside.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34How do people react to you?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36To be honest, we get a cracking reception
0:01:36 > 0:01:37whenever we turn up anywhere.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42Only the other week we went for a ride up in to Hawkeshead on the lakes and we were welcomed
0:01:42 > 0:01:46with open arms. The locals told us where to park because of traffic wardens!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49"If you don't mind, just move on to the pavement."
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I've got a favour to ask - I need to get to Santon Bridge.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- Yeah, no problem. - You're a very kind man.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I'm starting my journey on a high performance motorbike.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Great fun, but not everyone's idea of a rural pursuit.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08If you want to explore this part of the world on two wheels
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and get some exercise, the Eskdale trail cycle route could be for you.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17This Roman port turned sleepy fishing village of Ravenglass
0:02:17 > 0:02:20has been the gateway to this quiet western corner
0:02:20 > 0:02:22of the Lake District for centuries.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28It's seen Romans and Norsemen come and go, but now it's the turn...
0:02:28 > 0:02:30of the cyclist.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45For those who want to explore the unspoilt valleys of West Cumbria,
0:02:45 > 0:02:50a new cycle route, the Eskdale Trail, is now up and running.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The circular trail stretches from the coastal village of Ravenglass
0:02:54 > 0:02:56to Dalegarth Station in Eskdale,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59before looping back on itself to the coast.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10And if you are thinking I might run out of steam, well, there's no danger of that.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12First part of the journey is by train.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17'The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20'or the La'al Ratty as it's known locally,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25'carries you and your bike on the first leg of the journey.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:39David, I've got to say this is a cushy way to start a bike ride.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42The best way of starting any bike ride, surely.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44How long has this track been going?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The railway's been here now for 130 years next year.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Opened in 1875
0:03:51 > 0:03:54to serve iron ore mines
0:03:54 > 0:03:57that were situated behind the village of Boot,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59at the other end of the valley.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Why is this railway called Ratty?
0:04:03 > 0:04:08The Cumbrian dialect of a "trod" is a track or pathway.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Ratten is narrow,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15so because it was narrower than the mainline railway, it was the ratten trod
0:04:15 > 0:04:17or the narrow path, narrow track,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and it's just been shortened down to become Ratty.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Why do you love it so much?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The scenery, I mean, how could you bore of scenery like this?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30This is Muncaster Fell, we can see here.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34This actually separates Miterdale, where we are now,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37from Eskdale, which is the other side of the fell.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I think people just don't realise how lovely it is across here.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03INAUDIBLE SPEECH
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It's now time to ditch the steam power.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09It's back to the pedal power.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The great thing about the Eskdale Trail is that
0:05:13 > 0:05:15there are plenty of interesting things to see
0:05:15 > 0:05:17that are just off the cycle route.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21I've been told there's a fantastic view from the head of the valley,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23so I've decided to take a bit of a detour.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Well, that is an amazing view.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Whoever told me to cycle up here was definitely having a laugh!
0:05:47 > 0:05:51That is ridiculously hard work.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Now, then, hello, are you pushing your bike up?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Can't you pedal up like? - You're joking, aren't you?
0:05:57 > 0:06:01That is so difficult. It's hard enough just pushing it.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Well, you can't admire the view like! If you look down there, see what a wonderful view we have?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- It is a fantastic view. - You've come up to see the view?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Yes. I came up to look at. So are you from around here?
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Well, if you call 30 mile yon way, 50 mile around round here,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19it's near enough, aye.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So over the centuries, who has lived here?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Started off with ancient Britons. They lived on the shore.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Neolithic people, some you'll find on the shore.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32And then the Romans came and the remains of the fort there.
0:06:32 > 0:06:39Then we had the Vikings came, the Norsemen came across the Irish Sea and they settled in the valley.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43And they called it Eskdale.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48And dale is a Viking termination for a valley.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And Esk is either the valley of the river Esk,
0:06:51 > 0:06:56which is no doubt a Celtic river name, or else it's ashes, ash trees.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Is it the Norsemen that had such an influence on the dialect here?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I think so, yes, by and large.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05All these fells and gills and dales, all Viking names.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08If you go to Norway, you'll hear the same words.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- Are you going back down to Eskdale by bike now, are you?- Yeah.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I am, actually. So wish me luck.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Well, I wish you every bit of good luck. All the best and that.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Diven't tumble off, when you get down that hill!
0:07:19 > 0:07:21"Don't tumble off." I think that's what he said.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- Good to meet you. Thank you very much for the chat.- Bye-bye. All the best.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Let's just hope these brakes are good.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Take care, now. Take care.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Thanks.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54This is the Woolpack Inn
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and it's been a meeting place for local shepherds for about 150 years.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03It's also a great place to stop for a break, which I think I deserve after the Hardknott Pass.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08This is David. He's lived in this area for all his life
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and has recently become the landlord of the Woolpack Inn.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Why is it called the Woolpack Inn?
0:08:14 > 0:08:19It's because of the woolpacks they carried on the horse trains,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22from when they sheared the sheep, they used to pack the wool
0:08:22 > 0:08:25into packs that were swung either side of the horse
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and big trains of these horses were taken over the fells,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32over the passes, to their trading points from the farms.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Is the pub now a place where farmers meet or is it more of a tourist area?
0:08:36 > 0:08:40It is a lot more of a tourist pub. We rely a lot more on tourism these days for our trade
0:08:40 > 0:08:43although we still do get plenty of farmers in
0:08:43 > 0:08:48from time to time and have a good chinwag about shearing and lambing and everything else.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I think they find it useful to chill out over a drink,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54a few pints, when they've had a hard day on the farm.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- Well, if you're going to be a landlord of a pub, it's not a bad place to pick, is it?- Yeah.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It's beautiful. It is. It's lovely.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05After leaving the landlord with his beautiful view, it's back on the bike.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Now, the Eskdale Trail follows the River Esk for the first three miles,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15providing plenty of shady rest stops for the weary cyclist to take a break.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Well, this may be a very pretty trail but I've got to tell you, there are a lot of gates,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35which are slightly difficult to open when you're on a bike.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49From here, the river and trail part ways as you leave the valley floor behind
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and head up towards the top of Muncaster Fell.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Well, this is the highest point of the Eskdale Trail.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Although it takes a bit of effort to get here, it's well worth it,
0:10:00 > 0:10:05because you come to this, Muncaster Tarn, which is a beautiful lake
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and obviously a hotspot for dragonflies.
0:10:19 > 0:10:26Leaving Muncaster Tarn, it's all downhill as you head back towards Ravenglass and the coast.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Now, this is the most obvious landmark on the cycle route.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It's Muncaster Castle. It's been in the Pennington family for over
0:10:38 > 0:10:43800 years and since 1987, it's also been home to the World Owl Trust.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47'The World Owl Trust is a leading player in owl conservation.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51'Its habitat, restoration and breeding programmes
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'currently safeguard the future of over 42 different species.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'I dropped in to see its founder, Tony Warburton.'
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Wow, look at this.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I've got to say, Tony, this is one of my favourite owls.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I mean, look at that owl. Look at that head. The Great Grey Owl.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- He's just so fantastic.- Do you know why it's got a face like that?- Why?
0:11:09 > 0:11:13It can hear a vole under a metre of snow and catch it.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- That's like a satellite dish, isn't it?- It's picking up sounds all the time.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19You see how it's turning its head very slowly.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22That's where the wise, old owl comes from, the slow movement.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Now, it's probably the finest hearing in all the owl world.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Another one of my favourite owls that we get in this country is the barn owl
0:11:29 > 0:11:34- and I know you've done a lot of projects with barn owls, haven't you? - A barn owl, as far as I'm concerned,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38is the bee's knees and it nearly died out and nobody realised it was on the verge.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40What's the status of barn owls at the moment?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Well, we think they're just beginning to make a comeback.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47I pray God they are, because this is the first good sign we've seen
0:11:47 > 0:11:48for a long, long time.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52We really, honestly thought we were going to lose them altogether at one stage.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Look at this. How sweet is that?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- How old is it, Tony? - About four weeks old.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02He's just getting to what I call the gonk stage. Starts off
0:12:02 > 0:12:04as a reptile, the most ugly baby ever.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- What happened to it?- Well, he's a little runty one, really.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12He was a clutch of six and he was the last one to be born and all his
0:12:12 > 0:12:17brothers and sisters got fed well and he didn't and he got left behind, basically.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19What are its chances, then?
0:12:19 > 0:12:23He'll probably do better than a wild-fed owl, because
0:12:23 > 0:12:27he's going to be fed every night whether the weather's good or bad.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31The wild ones, if it's raining or it's real galey, they're not going to get fed.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I've seen my owls, but before I get on my way again, I thought I'd wait for the handfeeding,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39which happens any minute now. It's amazing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42You can see all the herons gathering already, in the trees,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44so they're obviously hungry.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49HE SHOUTS
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Time to hit the trail again
0:13:03 > 0:13:06for the final leg of the journey. And from here,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10it's all downhill back to Ravenglass.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Well, I've made it, all the way back to Ravenglass.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The trail has taken me 15-and-a-half miles, through some
0:13:23 > 0:13:27of the most beautiful scenery the Lake District has to offer.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32If you ask me, the Eskdale Trail is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34So, what are you waiting for?
0:13:38 > 0:13:42The rich variety of landscape history and attractions in this part of
0:13:42 > 0:13:47the country, and the great thing is, much of it's undiscovered.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Something Western Cumbria justifiably takes pride in.
0:13:51 > 0:13:59It also takes pride in producing something quite different, the world's finest liars.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04That's why I've come to the village of Santon Bridge, for it's here in this very pub that they host
0:14:04 > 0:14:08the World's Biggest Liar competition, and I'm here to meet the reigning champ.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14John Graham is seven-times winner of The World's Biggest Liar title, at least he says he is.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- Hello, John. Good to meet you.- Hello. Nice to meet you.- How are you doing?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'John looks like a man confident of his abilities.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24'Time to put this champion liar through his paces.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27'He's going to tell me one of his favourite tall tales
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'about a well-known local nuclear power station.'
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Sellafield. It doesn't use nuclear power.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39A chap who did work there was a very keen fisherman
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and he used to go fishing
0:14:41 > 0:14:45for conger eels and he had a large pond which he put his conger eels in.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49He also kept Rouen ducks, but one of the conger eels
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- mated with one of the ducks. - I can't believe it!- Like an eel,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55but with beaks and with webbed feet
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and when they were going over the pond, they went that fast
0:14:58 > 0:15:00because they were as fast as an eel,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03sparks were flying out of the water and he thought,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05"That's generating electricity."
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And that's how all the electricity's produced in Sellafield.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Not many people know that... - No.- ..but I do.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16I'm sure 2009 is going to have your name on this trophy as well, John. A fantastic tale.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21So that's world-class lying from the heart of Cumbria. But it's time for me to be on the move again.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22I'm heading up the coast by train
0:15:22 > 0:15:26on one of Britain's most scenic rail routes, heading for St Bees.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The Cumbrian coastline links
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Barrow-in-Furness to the border city of Carlisle. It's a journey
0:15:32 > 0:15:36set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District fells,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40but in some of these picturesque villages, all is not what it seems.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44A couple of miles in that direction is Egremont,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48where I'm not going, but in 2002, Michaela did.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51A very beautiful setting for an ugly past-time.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54This is the beautiful Lake District,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57home to the tallest mountain and the deepest lake in England.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59But today, it's home to something
0:15:59 > 0:16:00a little bit different.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05The Egremont Crab Fair, which is a celebration of local rural traditions
0:16:05 > 0:16:10including one of the oddest competitions in the country's calendar.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12The World Gurning Championships.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33Alan, I get the general idea about gurning, but is it just pulling a face?
0:16:33 > 0:16:36No. It's more than that, especially to the people of Egremont.
0:16:36 > 0:16:42We're recognised as having the World Championship and it means...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It's like footballers to the big city people.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47This is our event and we're the kings of it
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and we're going to stay the ugliest people in the world.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55I've been talked into taking part this year, so I went on a search
0:16:55 > 0:16:58for top tips, but it was easier said than done.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02It was a bit difficult telling the gurners from the normal people.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I've found one, and if he can't help me, no-one can.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12This is Tommy, who's the current World Champion in gurning.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17- How long have you been doing it?- I've been gurning round about 26 years.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- How did you find out you were good at it?- My dad was World Champion then
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and he kept coming back every year with this cup and I wondered what it was.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28He said it was for gurning, pulling faces, so I started doing it myself.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33I'm entering this year and I've never done it before, so can you give me a master class?
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- Yeah. What you need to do, you want to be blowing your cheeks up...- Yeah.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39..like, right up.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Putting your lip up to your nose. Crossing your eyes. So it's like...
0:17:45 > 0:17:47..that sort of face... That's it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48And look at your nose. That's it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I think she'll win it!
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Now, Tommy's big rival is a guy called Peter, and I'm really lucky to find him,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57because he likes to keep himself to himself.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01He's in here. I guess it's cos the competition is "intent."
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Hi, Peter. I found you practising, then.- Yes.- How's your face feeling?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Very good at the moment.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13- What lengths do you go to to pull a good gurn?- Er...
0:18:13 > 0:18:14I had my teeth taken out.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18- Serious?- Yes.- Just so you could pull a better gurn?- Yeah.- That's extreme.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Why not? I'm a world champion.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Peter's top gurning tip for the day is that marks were given not only on the face itself
0:18:25 > 0:18:29but the transformation from your normal look. With that thought,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34I head to the market hall, where the evening's events are already taking shape.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37First, I have to register.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Then, it's over to the juniors.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45Looks like there's a future champ here. What an ugly bunch!
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Well, it's the Ladies' Gurning Championships next.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I'm actually getting a little bit nervous.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04# Sisters are doing it for themselves... #
0:19:04 > 0:19:06'Go for it, girls!'
0:19:06 > 0:19:09# ..Standing on their own two feet
0:19:09 > 0:19:12# And ringing on their own bells... #
0:19:12 > 0:19:17- ..Michaela Strachan. - CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:19:17 > 0:19:20All the way from Bristol. Come on, let's hear you!
0:19:20 > 0:19:25# Sisters are doing it for themselves... #
0:19:25 > 0:19:27'Oh, boy, will I ever live this down?'
0:19:27 > 0:19:31# ..Sisters are doing it for themselves. #
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I don't know if that was my best face. I got nervous.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39The moment everyone's been waiting for - Mrs Anne Woods!
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Anne is this year's favourite and 24-times Ladies' World Champion.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And it's a good gurn.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Now for the big boys.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53The tension's mounting.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54The stakes are high.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And the gurns are ugly.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This is Tommy's dad, Gordon.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Will his gurn make him this year's comeback champion?
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Will Tommy's amazingly rubbery face mean he'll retain the title?
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Or will Peter make it as this year's top gurner?
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- Tommy, how do you think you did? - I think I done all right.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I tried my best and it was a good competition. A few people in.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Dad was in. Peter Jackman. Hopefully, I've done the business.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Peter, you pulled a good face.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Thank you very much. - What do you think?
0:20:39 > 0:20:43I thought it was fantastic. Great atmosphere.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Do you think you'll come first?
0:20:45 > 0:20:50- I think one or two. Yeah.- Yeah? - Well, I was second last year, so I think it's one or two. Yeah.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55And now for the results.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Third place, put your hands together please for Susie...
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Second place, this year,
0:21:03 > 0:21:08- big hand for Egremont's own Anne Woods.- 'Uh-oh! Now, I'm nervous.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:13Ladies and gents, I think we all know what's going to happen here.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17All the way from Bristol this evening, the first time she's ever gurned in her life...
0:21:18 > 0:21:24She works for the BBC - Countryfile... Michaela Strachan!
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- CHEERING AND APPLAUSE - Let's hear you. Come on!
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I can't believe that, I've won!
0:21:29 > 0:21:34I'm not really sure what I think about that. I've won a prize for looking ugly!
0:21:34 > 0:21:37CHEERING
0:21:37 > 0:21:39And what about this year's male champion?
0:21:41 > 0:21:48In third place, put your hands together, please, it's Gordon Mattinson. Come on!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Mr Peter Jackman, come on!
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This year's Male Gurning Champion...
0:22:02 > 0:22:05..Tommy Mattinson!
0:22:05 > 0:22:12# We are the champions We are the champions
0:22:12 > 0:22:16# No time for losers... #
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Tommy, Michaela! Come on!
0:22:21 > 0:22:26# ..of the world. #
0:22:30 > 0:22:32My next stop is St Bees,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35a coastal village on the western edge of Cumbria.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39St Bees Head is a red sandstone bluff that forms a dramatic natural
0:22:39 > 0:22:43feature on this coastline, but it's not the sandstone I'm here for.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47I'm heading for the Benedictine Priory to find out about an incredible discovery.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55I'm meeting Ian McAndrew, a retired GP, who back in 1981, was involved
0:22:55 > 0:23:00in an archaeological dig that turned up something rather extraordinary,
0:23:00 > 0:23:01known as the St Bees Man.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09So these are the parts of the St Bees Man that were buried with him.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Yes. I mean, this case was put here by the Beacon Museum,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17so it has some of the artefacts that were left over from that dig.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21The body on the inside was wrapped in that shroud, which, as you can see,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24was impregnated with some sort of resinous material.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29And then the whole thing was wrapped up like a parcel, using this string that you see down here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34The body itself has been prepared in the way that anybody is, after death.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38The body has been packed with that wadding you can see over there.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So into his mouth and that would have preserved him that way.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Yes. But there'd be nothing actually done to preserve the body
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- in the way the Egyptian mummies were, for example.- Right.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50The intriguing was this hair, which was wrapped round his neck
0:23:50 > 0:23:54- and tied round...loosely round his neck.- How bizarre. What was that?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Well, it's female hair, at least it appears to be female hair,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02so it's assumed it'd be his wife or at least the skeleton that was in the vault beside him.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06The subsequent investigation showed that, in fact, it wasn't, so whose hair it was, we don't know.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And speaking of how well it was preserved,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13when the autopsy was done on St Bees Man, he was in remarkably good condition.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17He was. I mean, every organ was still recognisable
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and, more astonishingly, the internal structures of the organs,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24for example, the internal part of the heart, the valves,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28the little muscles that are attached to the heart valves... they were all recognisable.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32- We're probably talking about 500, 600, 700 years old. - Extraordinary.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34And there was liquid blood in the chest cavity.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39He was found to have several fractured ribs on the right-hand side.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Everything was consistent with him having met a violent death,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44whether it was in battle or falling off a horse or jousting,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47we don't know, because we don't know who he was.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The whole village turned out to attend the exhumation of the St Bees Man.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54The lead coffin was dug up and the shrouded body sent off for autopsy.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Test results revealed he was a man aged about 40,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01buried some time between 1290 and 1500.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05The location of the vault implies he was a person of some importance.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- This whole area was the area that was excavated.- Yes.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12And roughly in this sort of area is where the vault was found
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and St Bees Man was in that vault.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And after the autopsy, he was brought back here and this is where he was reburied.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- Were there many people at the service?- Yes. A lot of the villagers who had been involved
0:25:24 > 0:25:27in original dig came back to see him.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31And were there any particular preservation methods used this time around?
0:25:31 > 0:25:34No. He was effectively put back into the coffin,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36the lead coffin that he was found in,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39wrapped up in a sheet and placed back in that,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41but nothing more was done to preserve the body other than that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46Is there any chance that St Bees Man will be re-excavated for future investigation?
0:25:46 > 0:25:49We'll have to wait and see. It would be interesting if he was,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52because with modern scientific techniques, things have moved on
0:25:52 > 0:25:56considerably in the last 25 years, so maybe more information,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59but we'll have to wait and see. There's no real talk about that at the moment.
0:25:59 > 0:26:06'St Bees is also the starting point for one of Britain's most famous walks - the Coast to Coast.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12'It was devised by the patron saint of fell-walking, Alfred Wainwright, and it begins here at St Bees
0:26:12 > 0:26:16'and finishes about 200 miles away on the east coast.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23'Wainwright recommends that walkers dip their booted feet in the Irish Sea at St Bees
0:26:23 > 0:26:28'and at the end of the walk, dip their naked feet in the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay.'
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Wainwright devised the Coast to Coast path in the 1970s.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35He'd already become famous for creating and cataloguing paths
0:26:35 > 0:26:41right across the Cumbrian Fells, but as the land use changed, so the paths became outmoded.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43However, the passion for Wainwright is such
0:26:43 > 0:26:50that one man took up the challenge to update a lifetime's work, as Adam Henson discovered in 2005.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54It's not hard to see why every year, thousands of people flock to the Lake District.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57For many that take to the fells, there's been one set of guides
0:26:57 > 0:27:00that capture the beauty of the area better than most.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It was in 1955 that Alfred Wainwright's
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Pictorial Guides To The Lakeland Fells was published.
0:27:07 > 0:27:13The legendary seven-book series by Wainwright was famous for its accuracy and attention to detail.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17The originals were printed in the author's neat hand lettering
0:27:17 > 0:27:21and illustrated with hand-drawn maps and black ink sketches.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25It wasn't just the adventurous that followed the routes, but the quirky anecdotes
0:27:25 > 0:27:29throughout the guides mean that many read the books simply for pleasure.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36Wainwright was usually happier with his own company, but one man who did know him is broadcaster Eric Robson,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38now President of the Alfred Wainwright Society.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42In the early days, you know, there were sightings of Wainwright,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but by the time the sighting happened, he was away at another bit of the fells doing another book.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49He was a kind, generous man, a very gentle man.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51He did like his own company.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54He liked to savour the hills on his own.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58The one mistake that Wainwright made was actually calling them guides.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01They're far more than that. They were totally rounded pieces of work.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04They were poetry, philosophy, conversations between man and mountain.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I mean, he made these mountains understandable to people.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11People who before Wainwright would stand at the bottom
0:28:11 > 0:28:14of these mountains and look up and think, "I can't do that,"
0:28:14 > 0:28:18they would look at his Pictorial Guides and realise they could.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Changes in technology, fashion and the landscape of the fells
0:28:21 > 0:28:23meant that many of Wainwright's guides became out of date.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Since his death in 1991, fences have appeared,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30stone walls have fallen down, and paths have been diverted.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33The guides, once famous for their accuracy, have become obsolete -
0:28:33 > 0:28:37until Chris Jesty took up the challenge of revising them.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42So what gave you the inspiration to take on upgrading Wainwright's guides?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Well, I wanted them to be useful, practical guides,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48which is what they were when they were first brought out.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51And as I say, they will always be enjoyable to read and people
0:28:51 > 0:28:55will always get pleasure from them. But that's not enough.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Did you have problems getting permission to take it on?
0:28:57 > 0:29:01Well, he didn't want it done in his lifetime, but he did say, just before he died,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05if ever they would be revised, that I should be invited to do it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It's an enormous amount of hard work.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It's not just the thinking - there's so much planning
0:29:09 > 0:29:14to get all the text to fit the space of the original text.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16How much time does this take up?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Do you have to be completely committed?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I couldn't have done it if I hadn't been.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I put everything else aside. I don't have any other interests.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I don't have any friends. I don't do anything.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28All my time and energy is devoted to this one thing.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33'Using GPS mapping techniques, Chris has spent the last two years
0:29:33 > 0:29:35'updating the first guide in the series.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38'That's a lot of walking and a lot of graph paper.'
0:29:38 > 0:29:41The reason I brought you here is that this is one of the areas
0:29:41 > 0:29:44where there have been more changes than usual, because this
0:29:44 > 0:29:48whole area now is a network of paths, none of which were shown on the maps
0:29:48 > 0:29:50in the original book. And I had to
0:29:50 > 0:29:54spend a lot of time in this area, walking all these paths
0:29:54 > 0:29:59and surveying them, using this satellite navigation equipment here.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03And every few yards, I take these readings and plot them on the graph paper, and from that,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08they'll be transferred, eventually, on to this pencil draft,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10from which the final drawings were taken.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13So you've got a lot of modern equipment and help
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- that Wainwright wouldn't have had.- That's right. No.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I think he did it rather by eye. Anything that wasn't
0:30:20 > 0:30:22on the Ordnance Survey map, he just looked at it and...
0:30:22 > 0:30:26I really don't know what his technique was,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28but he produced a very good job of it.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31And he used to get around by bus, isn't that right?
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- And you've got your car. - Well, that's incredible.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36I couldn't do it by bus. I don't see how he could have.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39How do you get to Wasdale Head by six o'clock in the morning by bus?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I mean, it's just impossible!
0:30:42 > 0:30:44And you sound like you're a very particular person.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- You really like to get it right. - There's two reasons for that.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51One, because I'm just like that and I can't do anything any other way,
0:30:51 > 0:30:56but also, because Wainwright was like that and he set the standards,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58so my job is to keep up with them.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01'Whatever Wainwright would have made of the revisions,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05'he would have had to admire Chris Jesty's commitment to the task.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08'Wainwright himself was often described as obsessive
0:31:08 > 0:31:11'about his work and the landscape of the Lake District.'
0:31:11 > 0:31:14I don't think Wainwright would have had a problem with these upgrades -
0:31:14 > 0:31:18so long as he'd get home for his fish and chips, to watch Coronation Street
0:31:18 > 0:31:21and find out what Blackburn Rovers' score was.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26"Let me make a plea for the exhilarating hills that form the subject of this book.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28"They should not remain neglected.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31"To walk upon them, to tramp the ridges, to look from their tops
0:31:31 > 0:31:35"across miles of glorious country is constant delight."
0:31:35 > 0:31:40So, thankfully, the legacy of Wainwright's guides look set to be preserved through
0:31:40 > 0:31:44the hard work of Chris Jesty, a man just as passionate and committed
0:31:44 > 0:31:46about preserving and recording
0:31:46 > 0:31:50the beauty of the Lake District as the original author.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58I've done a few miles along the coast path, which is enough to whet my appetite,
0:31:58 > 0:32:03but if I wanted to reach the very other end of the path, I'd need far more time than I have.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And anyway, I've got a lot more stories to tell here at Cumbria.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11My journey so far, in West Cumbria, has taken me from the Eskdale Valley
0:32:11 > 0:32:14up the coastal railway line to St Bees,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17and through the fells, towards Borrowdale.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25The landscape here is classic Lakeland Fells. If you look closely,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27you'll see a breed of sheep unique
0:32:27 > 0:32:32to this part of the world, carefully tended by farmers like Joseph Ralph.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Joseph, this landscape is breathtaking.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- It's just so beautiful. - It's unbelievable, isn't it?
0:32:39 > 0:32:43Absolutely. The sheep are a really important part of the landscape.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49The sheep are the guardians of the Lake District, definitely, and they've been here for so long.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52They first came here with the monks, originally.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And they're what form the landscape that we see now.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01And that's what we're fighting to explain to people now.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03That's what's made this landscape.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05It isn't the farmers, it's the sheep.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08- So are these your Herdwicks, behind us?- Yes. These are a few of them.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13What makes a Herdwick different from most sheep that people see?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Well, they're so hardy.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20They can stand extreme conditions on the fells.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23They stay out there most of the winter.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- Do they?- Yeah.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27'Joseph's flock are flourishing now,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30'but it was a different picture back in 2001, when the Herdwick
0:33:30 > 0:33:34'population were under serious threat from foot and mouth.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'John Craven reported at the height of the crisis.'
0:33:37 > 0:33:41These sheep have survived the foot and mouth epidemic in Cumbria,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43unlike one third of their breed.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46They're Herdwicks, unique to the Lake District
0:33:46 > 0:33:50and trained over many generations to graze specific areas
0:33:50 > 0:33:53of fell, without the need for fencing or shepherds.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56But because they've been so badly hit by this crisis,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00the character of the fells that they roam could be changed forever.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Herdwicks have been on the fells for centuries and today,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19they're as close as domesticated sheep can be to being wild.
0:34:22 > 0:34:2599% of the world population of Herdwick sheep
0:34:25 > 0:34:28is probably within 30 miles of this place.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31It's unique to the Central and Western Lake District.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35It's not like any other breed of British sheep.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37As you can see, the lambs are born black.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39As they get older, they go grey.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43They are regarded as the hardiest breed of sheep in the country.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48We've got the highest rainfall in England here, the roughest terrain.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49They're made for the job.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52At the moment, they're still being held in lowland pastures
0:34:52 > 0:34:57but Ministry of Agriculture regulations on animal movements have
0:34:57 > 0:34:59just been relaxed on fell sheep, and in a few days' time,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01they'll be back on the mountains.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Lambs are taught by their mothers not to stray beyond
0:35:04 > 0:35:08the invisible boundaries of their own grazing areas, known as heafs.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12With foot and mouth, some farmers lost almost all their flocks,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16and now they're in danger of losing their ancient heafs, as well.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22There are great difficulties on some of the valleys where the farmers have lost most of their sheep,
0:35:22 > 0:35:27and they will need a lot of help, and not just for five years, possibly for ten years.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30The sheep from other heafs will drop in.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34People have said, you know, it happened in '47.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It was a bad winter and a lot of sheep were killed, but it was
0:35:38 > 0:35:42an even cull, an even balance and they went back as an even balance.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46In days gone by, flocks were closely watched by shepherds,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51who looked for signs of parasites and taught animals where to graze.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54But modern sheep dips made many shepherds redundant.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Now, for the first time in 50 years, more may have to be recruited
0:35:58 > 0:36:02to help a new generation of sheep re-establish the heafs.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Some people are going to have to start from virtual zero,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09so some Herdwick lambs are going to have
0:36:09 > 0:36:13to be born this time next year on some of these farms.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Because their mothers won't know where the heaf is,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19they're going to have to be heafed through shepherding.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Young female sheep at a year old will have to be
0:36:23 > 0:36:27taken to the fell every day and shown where their heaf is.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29The immediate priority, though,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32is to make sure there are enough Herdwicks to breed from.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35This farmer has already lost part of his flock
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and could be told at any time that the rest must be culled.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41He's getting a fresh stock of liquid nitrogen,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43to keep frozen sperm from his rams.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46It's part of an emergency project that's set up a gene bank
0:36:46 > 0:36:49for Herdwicks with the co-operation of many farmers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53OK. And in each of these little vessels here,
0:36:53 > 0:36:57we've collected semen from rams on his farm, frozen it
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and put it inside this liquid nitrogen container.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03And to all intents and purposes,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06that semen or embryos that we might have collected
0:37:06 > 0:37:10can remain in these tanks, provided it's topped up, for 1,500 years.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14But how can you be sure that the semen and the embryos don't have foot and mouth?
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Well, each individual ram that donates semen
0:37:17 > 0:37:20and each individual ewe that donates embryos, they are
0:37:20 > 0:37:24blood tested and the sample is sent off to the laboratory and, so far,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26all of them have come back negative.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Already, thousands of doses of semen and 300 embryos have been collected
0:37:31 > 0:37:35from Herdwick farms, so the breed is now much more secure.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39This is wonderful technology, and we're very grateful
0:37:39 > 0:37:44for that technology to give us that assurance that we do have something
0:37:44 > 0:37:46left in the event of a total cull.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Because they've been around for so long, fell sheep have played
0:37:50 > 0:37:54a vital part in shaping the very look of Lakeland.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But there are those who say that the fells have been
0:37:57 > 0:38:00overgrazed for years, that too many sheep have destroyed
0:38:00 > 0:38:04the original patchwork of vegetation and wildlife habitats.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08And with sheep numbers drastically reduced because of foot and mouth,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10now is the time to make changes.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13'English Nature, the government's conservation advisors,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15'want the heaf system to stay,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18'but think farmers should be encouraged financially
0:38:18 > 0:38:20'to keep fewer animals out on the hills.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Every fell should look a bit different -
0:38:22 > 0:38:25variety is the spice of life in the Lake District.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27We have different situations and different valleys,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31but I suppose the situation behind me is actually rather good
0:38:31 > 0:38:34conservation-wise, because towards the valley bottom
0:38:34 > 0:38:37we actually have tree cover, we have scattered trees and scrub
0:38:37 > 0:38:41as you go a little bit higher up, and then beyond the fell wall,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43you actually get the more open fell.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Unfortunately, for conservationists, that's where things begin to go wrong
0:38:47 > 0:38:50because that fell is a bit overgrazed,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52in the sense that there's not enough variety there,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55and if one had a variety of grazing pressure maintained
0:38:55 > 0:38:59by a low-density hefting system, then that would be more diverse.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Hefted sheep grazing in the hills is a beneficial thing in general.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06They may argue about the quantity of them in some places,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09but we think that argument's been established.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12This is a working landscape based on sheep grazing.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14There is a fantastic interest in Herdwick sheep.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18They have created the landscape that you see
0:39:18 > 0:39:22and they will be the animals that will look after it in the future.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27The crisis for Herdwicks is far from over.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Blood tests will be carried out on them this summer,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32checking for foot and mouth.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Already, 30,000 have been lost out of a total of 100,000.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40But with help from both modern science and the ancient skills of shepherding,
0:39:40 > 0:39:45the breed should survive, as resilient as the fells it roams.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56So during foot and mouth, was your whole flock in danger of dying out, basically?
0:39:56 > 0:40:03It was, yes. We did unfortunately lose the youngest breeding sheep we had,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05cos they had to go away for the first winter,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09so that was a big knock. We still haven't got over it yet, actually.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It'll be another couple of years before we get back to where we were
0:40:12 > 0:40:14before we had the 2001 foot and mouth.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18How important was the gene bank at the time of the crisis?
0:40:18 > 0:40:22The gene bank, basically, was just a last resort.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27If all the sheep got wiped out, there was still somewhere to go
0:40:27 > 0:40:29to have a chance of putting some back.
0:40:29 > 0:40:35It was a last resort, really. We hoped it would never get to that.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38It was just a case of we could have lost the whole Herdwick flocks,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41cos nearly all the Herdwicks are in the Lake District.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'Analysis of the gene bank proved that the Herdwicks
0:40:50 > 0:40:54'were even more unique to the area than had previously been thought,
0:40:54 > 0:40:58'and now farmers such as Joseph's wife, Hazel, are using this fact
0:40:58 > 0:41:00'to market Herdwick mutton.'
0:41:00 > 0:41:03So, Hazel, what's your involvement with Herdwick sheep farming?
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Well, it's a partnership - it's a farm,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11but with a few businesses within the farm. It's not diversification,
0:41:11 > 0:41:16it's just using the farm product to get the best out of it and give people regional food.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21So, they're Joseph's when they're alive and when they're dead they become mine to deal with.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25So we sell Herdwick, which is the only true regional food.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29- It's been here over 1,000 years. - So it's truly local food, then.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33There's a lot of other products out there that claim to be local.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Yes, there is and, like Cumberland sausage -
0:41:35 > 0:41:39you can get Cumberland sausage in London, in New York and everywhere.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41It's arguable whether you should be able to or not,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44but I like the fact that you can go to another country
0:41:44 > 0:41:47or another county and eat the food that's to that region
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and then your experience is different wherever you go.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55In fact, the Herdwick Sheep Association is currently applying
0:41:55 > 0:41:59for EU-protected designation of origin status, aiming to join a list
0:41:59 > 0:42:03which includes champagne, gorgonzola and Jersey Royal potatoes.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05But what does Herdwick meat taste like?
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Yummy. Wow. What have we got here?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Well, Herdwick stew.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17It's just fresh vegetables, a truly regional product.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22- Wonderful.- My sister-in-law makes it and the cheese and chive homemade toasted scones.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24So, it's like venison.
0:42:24 > 0:42:30It looks like venison because it eats the same at the fell and it doesn't look like lamb.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34We never call it lamb. It's sheep meat, because it's not the age of a lamb.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38It's sort of between lamb and mutton. And it doesn't taste greasy, either.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It tastes amazing...even after...
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- excuse me, INAUDIBLE. - It's lovely. I love it.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47After a dark chapter for sheep farmers in the fells,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50it's fantastic to see the healthy flocks again,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53and although arguments continue about just how free
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Herdwicks should be allowed to roam, no-one can doubt that it's good news
0:42:57 > 0:42:59that the breed looks safe again.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04My journey through the Cumbrian fells continues.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08As well as being home to the Herdwick sheep,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11this spectacular landscape hosts a unique canine event
0:43:11 > 0:43:14called Hound Trailing. Ben Fogle investigated.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18# You ain't nothing but a hound dog... #
0:43:18 > 0:43:22- Right. Who is this? - This is Wes Garth.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- And Wes Garth is taking part in hound trailing, later?- Yeah.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Right. Now, what is hound trailing?
0:43:28 > 0:43:30The hounds race over a course.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Two people going to a trail on the fell.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35- A kind of trail of scent?- Yes.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37It's aniseed and paraffin mixed.
0:43:37 > 0:43:38And they race round the trail.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- The first back's the winner. - Does he enjoy it?
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Oh, yes. He loves it.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46Yeah. He'll scream and shout. If he didn't enjoy it, he wouldn't go.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50The trail field is right in the heart of the Cumbrian fells.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Hound trailing started over 200 years ago, when hunt hounds were used
0:43:54 > 0:44:00while resting during their off season and owners would bet on whose hound would be first home.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Today, these hounds are bred purely for this traditional sport.
0:44:03 > 0:44:08There are five races or trails in the day and each dog runs in its own category.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12These are the seniors being sent on their way.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17- # Who let the dogs out? - Who, who, who, who?
0:44:17 > 0:44:20- # Who let the dogs out? - Who, who, who, who?
0:44:20 > 0:44:22# Who let the dogs out? #
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- You set the trail.- Yeah. - What's the course looking like?
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- Good.- Yeah?- Spot on. Yeah.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30'There are 12 bookmakers on site,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34'all eager to relieve the punters of their cash.'
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Who did you go for?
0:44:36 > 0:44:41- What Next.- What Next. What is it you like so much about this event?
0:44:41 > 0:44:45Well, you know, you get out in the countryside...
0:44:45 > 0:44:47see a lot of good people.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- It's very social.- Right, then.
0:44:50 > 0:44:51£2 on Wes Garth.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56- OK, now. 873, the ticket. - My lucky ticket.- OK. Thank you.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03How's Wes Garth doing? He's in front!
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Yes! We better get down to the finish, or they're going to beat us to it!
0:45:07 > 0:45:11No. No. No. There's plenty of time. Plenty of time.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20And Wes Garth lollops in last.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24'Or maybe not quite last.'
0:45:24 > 0:45:27- Hi, there.- Hello.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29- Who are you looking for?- A Million.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30And any sign yet?
0:45:30 > 0:45:32No!
0:45:32 > 0:45:36So, pretty much everyone's gone now.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Where's A Million gone?!
0:45:38 > 0:45:42I'm glad I didn't put my bet on that one!
0:45:43 > 0:45:47And you've got a bribe of food, there.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- Can I have a look at that, actually? Is this what they get?- Yeah.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52What is it? Chocolate cake?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Is it? Cor!
0:45:55 > 0:45:57And he hasn't come back for that!
0:45:57 > 0:46:01My dog wouldn't have left in the first place if she knew she was getting that.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Well, this is the last and largest race of the day.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10There are 47 dogs taking part and, as you can hear, there is a lot of excitement.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13LOUD BARKING
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- # Who let the dogs out? - Who, who, who, who?
0:46:18 > 0:46:22- # Who let the dogs out? - Who, who, who, who?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- # Who let the dogs out? - Who, who, who, who? #
0:46:25 > 0:46:27- Is this A Million?- Yeah.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- Is that a relief?- Yeah.- So how long's she been off for now?
0:46:30 > 0:46:32About two and a half hours.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Million, welcome home.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Well, what a brilliant sport.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41People love it. The dogs love it. The only problem is,
0:46:41 > 0:46:45I think the bookies are the only ones that actually make anything out of it.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47That's another loss.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51The Cumbrian hills, providing a challenge for dogs and Ben's pocket.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56I'm on the last leg of my journey and on the way to meet a man
0:46:56 > 0:47:00who not only works at altitude but travels to work at altitude.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04I started off travelling through the Eskdale Valley in style today,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07and then headed up the coastal railway line to hear about
0:47:07 > 0:47:09an eery discovery at St Bees.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12I then journeyed back inland where the future looks promising
0:47:12 > 0:47:15for the Herdwick sheep of Borrowdale Fells.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17'My final stop today is on the Honister Pass
0:47:17 > 0:47:19'at the Honister Slate Mine.'
0:47:19 > 0:47:23So far, in Cumbria, we've seen gurners and liars,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25but there's another eccentric I'm about to meet,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28with an unusual way of getting to work.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44So, Mark, it's an unusual way of getting to work, isn't it?
0:47:44 > 0:47:45It is. Exciting, isn't it?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48Why do you use a helicopter to come this way?
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Well, everybody has a humdrum life
0:47:50 > 0:47:53every day and I like to start on a high and finish on a high.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Honister is a slate mine cut deep into the Cumbrian mountainside,
0:47:56 > 0:48:02producing both traditional and more novel products for this important local resource.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Mark Weir took over the mine in 1996.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07So how did you come to having a slate mine?
0:48:07 > 0:48:12My grandfather worked here and he split the slates.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16- OK.- And he never ever talked about this place, but once
0:48:16 > 0:48:20I flew him over in a helicopter and he just said why is it closed?
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Never said, "Go and buy it," but just, "Why is it closed?"
0:48:23 > 0:48:26So I got my PA on to it and found out who owned it,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30offered to buy it, and we're standing here, now.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33The mine is open for specially guided tours.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37Mark was on hand to guide Miriam O'Reilly around its upper slopes
0:48:37 > 0:48:39when she visited for Country File.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42This may not seem like the most obvious place to go for a walk,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46but this old railway line which was once used by miners is the start
0:48:46 > 0:48:50of Britain's first via ferrata, which is Italian for iron road.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52It's pretty steep in places,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55so, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to need metal.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59That's because walkers taking this dramatic path
0:48:59 > 0:49:02up the mountain have cables, handrails and bridges
0:49:02 > 0:49:05to help them over the more treacherous rock faces.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13This is just the first stage of the via ferrata, but already,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15the view is enough to take your breath away.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19The metal structures on Honister Crag were left over
0:49:19 > 0:49:21from an old Victorian slate miners' route.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25More usually found in the Dolomites, in the Italian Alps,
0:49:25 > 0:49:27this via ferrata, in the Lake District,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29runs around four kilometres,
0:49:29 > 0:49:31from the lowest mines to the top of the crag,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34at more than 2,000 feet high.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39The mine, which is between the Buttermere and Borrowdale valleys, was shut down in the 1980s.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Ten years ago, it reopened again
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and is back producing its famous green slate.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Tourists can also see the work going on inside the hillside.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52I'm deep underground, but it's really just a short walk in
0:49:52 > 0:49:55to the mountain, away from the walkers.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58The miners here are hard at work, and this really is hard labour.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02About 10-15 tons of slate is taken out of this mine every day.
0:50:06 > 0:50:12In one ton of best slate, you'd pay £2,000, £2,500 for that.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16How do you mine now, compared with how they mined generations ago?
0:50:16 > 0:50:20It's a lot easier now. You've got machinery like the digger,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24compressed air drills where they used hand drills with hammers.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29It's a lot easier. I think Honister's slate is the best in England, the world, even.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32It's just a lot stronger. It lasts a lot longer.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34Just better, basically.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36At the foot of the mountain,
0:50:36 > 0:50:40the slabs of stone are made into roof tiles.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45Honister slate is still in demand, as it has been for centuries.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48Further up the mountain, anyone wanting to follow
0:50:48 > 0:50:52in the footsteps of the miners has to wear a harness,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55clipping on and off between points of safety.
0:50:55 > 0:51:00This is a great opportunity for the man on the street to actually witness
0:51:00 > 0:51:04where climbers normally go under the safety of this via ferrata equipment.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08And what they'll see, as well...is scenery that they wouldn't normally
0:51:08 > 0:51:11- see unless they were climbing? - Absolutely.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Is there more?- This is the steepest part of the climb.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- Thanks, Mark. I think I'll press on to the summit.- Enjoy.
0:51:23 > 0:51:29A short walk on and you reach Fleetwith Pike at 2,126 feet high.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32The miners may not have come this far for slate,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36but I'm sure, like me, they came just to savour the view.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39It's good to sit down and have a bit of a rest.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42There's no doubt about it, it's a challenging walk,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44but it really is worth it.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47With every twist and turn, there's more breathtaking scenery
0:51:47 > 0:51:50and what I really like is it's uninterrupted.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52There are no buildings. There's nothing else.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56I really feel that it's me here, alone with nature.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58And just down there, you can see
0:51:58 > 0:52:02the lakes, Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater in the distance.
0:52:02 > 0:52:07And then the Solway Firth, and beyond that, Scotland.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11It's the end of my Cumbrian journey, as well.
0:52:11 > 0:52:17Just time to say goodbye to Mark before he heads up and away over the fells, homeward bound.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21From his vantage point, the area I've travelled is laid out below.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24A landscape dotted with the communities which have shaped it,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27in one of Britain's most beautiful places.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29Join us next time for more Country Tracks.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd