0:00:19 > 0:00:21Today I'm on a classic British journey
0:00:21 > 0:00:24through the countryside of Sussex.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26From here, near Bexhill-on-Sea
0:00:26 > 0:00:28to the racetrack at Goodwood.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36My route takes me from Bexhill-on-Sea
0:00:36 > 0:00:39west to the Seven Sisters...
0:00:41 > 0:00:42..on to Lancing,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and then to the village of High Salvington.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I'll head north to Ebernoe Common
0:00:47 > 0:00:50before picking up some serious speed
0:00:50 > 0:00:51on the track at Goodwood.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54And along the way, I'll be looking back
0:00:54 > 0:00:57at the best of the BBC's rural programmes
0:00:57 > 0:00:59from this part of the world.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01This is Country Tracks.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I'm behind the wheel of a real blast from the past.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17This is a 1959 Armstrong-Siddeley Star Sapphire.
0:01:17 > 0:01:24MUSIC: "Let's Misbehave" by Cole Porter
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And it's no coincidence either,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29because Sussex is the birthplace of British motor racing.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I'm going to be finding out more about that once I've picked up
0:01:32 > 0:01:35my passenger for the first leg of my journey.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'Keith Robinson is the owner and restorer of this fabulous car,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'and he's very kindly let me into the driving seat.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48'I'm heading a convoy of classic cars,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51'enjoying the coastal roads just outside Bexhill-on-Sea.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Morning, Keith, thank you for letting me drive this.- My pleasure.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It's an absolute beauty.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Why was it you even got this fabulous car in the first place?
0:02:00 > 0:02:02It was actually thrown at me by a...
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Someone kept saying that this car was parked on a driveway in the way.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I went round, we agreed a price and I bought it.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It was very sorry for itself and...
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- I thought it would be a long term project.- Yeah.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I stripped it down, put it in boxes like you do.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22My daughter came over from work one day and she said,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25"You know we're getting married, Dad, I want the Armstrong."
0:02:25 > 0:02:27She wanted this car for her wedding day?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- Yeah.- Oh!- And it was in boxes.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33So, consequently, we had six weeks to put it back together,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37spray i, and literally, we finished it on the day of her wedding.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39We got it MOT'd on the day of the wedding.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- My goodness!- Yeah.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44That must have been so much work to get it done.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45It was a lot of pressure.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47We've got all these beautiful classic cars behind us.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Are you part of a classic car group?
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Yeah, we're the Bexhill Classic Car Association.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57We started three years ago, and it's purely to...
0:02:57 > 0:02:59just raise the profile of projects
0:02:59 > 0:03:01within Bexhill.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We've got the East Sussex Transport Heritage and the Bexhill Museum,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08that's just had a major re-fit.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Probably half the people of Bexhill
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- have never been along to see these exhibits.- Yeah?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16So, if we can raise the profile of those things - fantastic.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20It was back in 1902
0:03:20 > 0:03:24that wealthy car owners first raced their automobiles on British soil
0:03:24 > 0:03:25in Bexhill-on-Sea.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Thousands flocked here to witness the spectacle.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It was the most original sporting idea in years.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Just imagine the smell of paraffin
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and the thunder of those early motors.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39How does it feel, driving along this road,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42which is of course so famous for British motor racing?
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- It's wonderful.- Yeah.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47This section of the road would have been the racetrack,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49if they hadn't built Brooklands.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But it is still a fantastic road to drive. It's iconic.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Thank goodness they didn't do a race track.- Yeah.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Beautiful with the sea and the sun shining. It's a real gem of a day.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02We're now arriving at Galley Hill,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05the starting line of the first ever motor race.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09It was such a success that its organiser, the 8th Earl De La Warr,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13whose family had moulded Bexhill into a fashionable seaside resort,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16decided to make Bexhill the centre
0:04:16 > 0:04:19for this crazy new sport of motor racing.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Plans were drawn up for a circuit almost reaching Beachy Head.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Unfortunately, his grand plan never saw the light of day.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29But the campaign to promote Bexhill-on-Sea
0:04:29 > 0:04:34as the fashionable new resort did have an impact on its skyline.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The De La Warr Pavilion was built in 1935
0:04:37 > 0:04:41after a campaign to develop the site by the mayor of the day,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45the 9th Earl De La Warr, son of the famous racing enthusiast.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Built in 1935,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01the pavilion was the brainchild
0:05:01 > 0:05:03of Bexhill's first socialist mayor -
0:05:03 > 0:05:05the 9th Earl De La Warr.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He wanted to build an entertainment space,
0:05:08 > 0:05:14a restaurant and a theatre for both the locals and for visitors.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Earl De La Warr launched a competition
0:05:16 > 0:05:19to find the designers of the building.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22And the winners were Serge Chermayeff and Erich Mendelsohn,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25a Jew who'd escaped Nazi Germany.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They were leading figures in the international modernist movement.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31International modernism was a school of architecture
0:05:31 > 0:05:33that Erich Mendelsohn brought to this country with him.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It was all about simplicity of design,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39there are no added fiddly bits to the building.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41It's very straightforward, it's all about function.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45So was this the first of its kind on the south coast?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It's certainly the first major international modernist building
0:05:49 > 0:05:52in this country, and it's also the first large structure
0:05:52 > 0:05:53with an entirely welded steel frame.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57So how did a building like this go down in conservative Bexhill?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- It must have been pretty strange for the locals.- It was a shock.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Some say a shock the town's never really got over,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but people have always been very proud of this building
0:06:06 > 0:06:08because we got it and nobody else did.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Would thins have been a terribly expensive building?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13They actually had to get a loan from the Ministry of Health,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16which at that time was providing money for public buildings such as this.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20It was considered a building that was good for you.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22People could get the sun, take the air.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It also included a library as well, so it was really about self-improvement.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27People could come along and read,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30as well as sitting in a deckchair and playing sports up here.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33De La Warr wanted to reinvigorate the town's economy, the tourist economy,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37and try to get people to have their holidays here rather than going elsewhere.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The Pavilion was opened on 12th December 1935,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45and thousands of people turned out to admire the gleaming new building.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Thelma Hunter was one of those in the crowd,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and she made full use of the new facilities the Pavilion offered.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53It was a very, very good theatre.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56And there were dances and, er...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Out on the lawn, there were several things happening all the time.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06People in deckchairs. It was a bit new for Bexhill, you see.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And did you come dancing in the Pavilion?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Yes, I came dancing quite a lot.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17There was a big hotel, next door, the Metropole.
0:07:17 > 0:07:23The RAF were training there, so they all came and...
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Plenty of men to dance with.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27THEY LAUGH
0:07:27 > 0:07:33The De La Warr Pavilion was a huge influence on the design of other seaside buildings,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36like Saltdean Lido along the coast, near Brighton.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Shining, streamlined, modernist buildings like ocean liners
0:07:39 > 0:07:41sprang up all along the coast.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45The promise of entertainment, clean beaches and bracing sea air
0:07:45 > 0:07:50meant that Bexhill and the De La Warr Pavilion became a major tourist attraction.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55And the easy access by train meant that in the summertime, people came in their thousands.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Yes, for sunshine and health, it's Bexhill-on-Sea,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06the town on the Sussex coast that lives up to its motto.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11A sunshine record invariably high, and bracing air that's a real tonic.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Here's our first glimpse of the famous De La Warr Pavilion,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19the pride of Bexhill and envy of many other seaside resorts.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Sadly, Dr Beeching's closure of the railway branch lines in the 1960s
0:08:23 > 0:08:26heralded hard times for Bexhill,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and the De La Warr Pavilion fell into disrepair.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32By the 1970s, it was in a rather sorry state.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38And it wasn't until the late 1980s that a group of locals formed the Friends of the De La Warr Pavilion,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40dedicated to the protection of the building.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43My son was a student of architecture,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and he said it is one of the major buildings in England.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49And what about the De La Warr family?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Presumably the remaining members... Were they keen to preserve it?
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Oh, yes, very, very, very keen.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59When I came on the scene, it was the 11th Earl,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and he immediately agreed to be a patron,
0:09:02 > 0:09:07and he was very, very helpful with fundraising through his connections.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Work began on restoring the pavilion in 2004,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and in 2005, it was re-opened as a contemporary arts centre
0:09:14 > 0:09:17run by the charitable De La Warr Pavilion Trust.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22Its purpose is very similar to its original purpose in 1935.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Originally it was built as a cultural centre,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30a place that everybody could come to completely free of charge to enjoy,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35and to bring people into Bexhill and onto the south-east coast.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37And that's what we're trying to do today.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40We're offering two fantastic art galleries,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43a cafe and restaurant,
0:09:43 > 0:09:49and this wonderful roof space and balconies that people can just sit and enjoy the fantastic view.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So has it been important for Bexhill?
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I think it's incredibly important for Bexhill because it brings so many people into the town,
0:09:55 > 0:10:00and therefore other businesses in the town can rise to the occasion and reap the benefits.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06- And the future, are you hoping this will be around for another 70 years? - For a lot longer than that, yes.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08MUSIC: "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller
0:10:08 > 0:10:10# Ain't misbehavin'
0:10:10 > 0:10:13# I'm saving my love for you. #
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Moving on from the 1930s architecture of Bexhill-on-Sea,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29we're edging west along the coast towards the Seven Sisters.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33It's a journey through the most recent addition to our national parks -
0:10:33 > 0:10:35the South Downs.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Thanks, Keith. See you again.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Keith has very kindly given me a lift to the Seven Sisters on the South Downs Way.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47And what a place for a pit-stop.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's got beautiful views
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and a refreshing, cooling breeze.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09In March this year, it was announced that the South Downs was to be designated national park status,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11the ninth national park in England.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17The decision came 60 years after it was first recommended,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and the South Downs National Park Authority
0:11:19 > 0:11:22will officially come into being on 1st April this year.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27It's outstandingly beautiful,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30but it takes more than just beauty to become a national park.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I'm joining someone who knows the South Downs very well,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36the area's project manager for Natural England.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42So the South Downs has some pretty unique habitats, doesn't it?
0:11:42 > 0:11:46It does. One of the most unique of those is chalk grassland.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51We only have a relatively small area left on the downs now.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55In fact, only around 4% of the chalk is chalk grassland.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So what distinguishes chalk grassland?
0:11:58 > 0:12:04Well, chalk grassland is a very, very species-rich habitat.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09And we've actually recorded up to 56 species of plant per square metre...
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Goodness. - ..on the very, very best bits.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So this is an example of chalk grassland plants here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17What have we got?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- We've got a Pyramidal orchid. - That's a stunner.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23An orchid species that flowers late on in the year,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- sort of late June and into July. - That's beautiful.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Here we've got kidney vetch.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Kidney vetch?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33And that's unique in chalk grassland?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Yeah, that's a species that's typical of chalk grassland.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42And you've got bird's-foot trefoil, another species that's closely related to kidney vetch.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Yeah. What is about chalk grassland that gives us 50 species per square metre?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Chalk grassland is a very, very harsh environment.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The soils are really, really thin and nutrient-poor.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55And on top of that,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59you quite often find the best chalk grassland on steep slopes.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So most of the nutrients are running down the slope to the bottom.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07Together with that, they're often baked by the sun.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08So it's very, very harsh.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13All those things together favour small low-growing herbs,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and prevent any one species from dominating.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17And now that the South Downs has become a national park,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21will it benefit these plants because they're protected?
0:13:21 > 0:13:25The national park status will give a much greater emphasis
0:13:25 > 0:13:28on managing the landscape in the right way,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and restoring it where appropriate.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35The important thing is that these areas of chalk grassland
0:13:35 > 0:13:41are not only important for bio-diversity, but they're also important for access.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47So Seven Sisters Country Park... This park gets in excess of 250,000 visitors a year.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49So it's a very, very important site.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53But also managing for chalk grassland, recreating chalk grassland
0:13:53 > 0:13:55actually protects the aquifer,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58and almost 100% of the water that's drunk in all the coastal communities,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Brighton, Littlehampton, Worthing,
0:14:01 > 0:14:02comes from the chalk.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08So there's all these things come together, making the management really important here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14Keep heading west from here through the South Downs, and you'll reach the beauty spot at Devil's Dyke.
0:14:14 > 0:14:21You can walk it, but if you're starting from a well-known coastal resort, there is an alternative.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Brighton's been the first choice for a day out for centuries.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It's got beaches, shops, funfairs, of course, it's got the pier.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31It's pretty much got something for everybody.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34But if you've had enough of the waves and enough of the funfairs,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37you can catch one of these out to the country.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The Victorians were perhaps the forerunners of the Countryfile viewer.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44They loved to get out of town, into the country.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Route 77 leaves the pier every half hour for the seven-mile trip to the Downs.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51But first, it runs along the seafront to Saltdean.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54On a sunny day, life takes on a new dimension
0:14:54 > 0:14:56from the top deck of an open-top bus.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Even naked bathing's OK.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00They call this "the bus to freedom."
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And, after all, this is Brighton.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Now, that just behind me is Brighton's famous Palace Pier,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11and just over that way is the rather decrepit-looking West Pier that recently burnt down.
0:15:11 > 0:15:17Now, it's set to be refurbished, but by the looks of things, they could have a pretty big job on their hands.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Another open-top bus?!
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Bus rides have never been so much fun!
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Hello! PASSENGERS SHOUT
0:15:30 > 0:15:35This is the first time I've ever been on the 77 route.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37But it's pretty good at the moment, yeah.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I'm taking my niece's children to Devil's Dyke,
0:15:41 > 0:15:47which, normally I'd go by car, but the children love it on an open-top bus.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49So we thought we'd do that today.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52The shops, the Georgian and Victorian villas,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54they're all part of Brighton.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57But I wanted to get out of the city, and it doesn't take long.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03We've found that through having such an interesting type of bus, an open-top bus,
0:16:03 > 0:16:0745% of our passengers actually do have access to a car.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09So we're even helping to reduce congestion and pollution
0:16:09 > 0:16:12by getting people out of their cars and onto the bus,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15because we're providing the sort of bus that even car drivers
0:16:15 > 0:16:18will happily use to go for trips to the countryside.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20They will put themselves out to get on this bus.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25- So it's not only a great day out, but it's environmentally friendly, too. - Absolutely.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29People come up here for all sorts of reasons. Some come for the bus ride.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Others come to do a long walk and then catch another bus
0:16:32 > 0:16:35from somewhere else along the Downs back to Brighton.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39We've had people come up here for teddy bears' picnics, blackberrying,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42collecting wood for their fire - it's amazing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Somebody actually had a apiary, they said, and they came up here to collect wood
0:16:46 > 0:16:48so that they could use it for smoking the bees.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- They just came on the 77...- Yes.- ..to collect the wood and then go home?
0:16:52 > 0:16:57That's right. The most amazing one I came across was actually somebody who had hang-glided all the way
0:16:57 > 0:17:03from Devil's Dyke down to the sea front, and got on the bus to come back with his hang-gliding pack.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Everybody thought he'd been rambling but when we asked where he'd been,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- he said, "Oh, I just hang-glided down from the Dyke and caught the bus back again."- How amazing!
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The change from town to country is almost instant.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19Quite suddenly, Brighton is left far behind, and we're on the top of the South Downs.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25We're currently at one of the highest points in this area,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30and, as you can see, there's a mix of arable fields and grass and chalk grassland.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It's changed a lot in the last 20 or 30 years,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and part of our job is to try and develop new ways
0:17:37 > 0:17:41to manage the landscape with landowners and farmers and the Government
0:17:41 > 0:17:46to try and enhance its ecology and its landscape quality, basically.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Thank you.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11And this is Devil's Dyke, with plenty to explore.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16From sea level, the bus has climbed up nearly 700 feet.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18On a clear day, so they say,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21you can see the Isle of Wight and Windsor Castle.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And even if you can't,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27the views are certainly worth the price of a bus fare.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Devil's Dyke is strictly the name of the hillfort.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The whole area's been owned by the National Trust since 1995,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and I'm on my way to meet one of the wardens.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55So tell me about what Devil's Dyke would have been like in its heyday.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Well, in Victorian and in Edwardian times,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01it was basically a theme park, so there were up to 30,000 people
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- in a bank holiday weekend. - What? Up all around here?
0:19:04 > 0:19:08- All around the top.- And what sort of infrastructure would they have had?
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Well, loads of public transport -
0:19:09 > 0:19:12trains, wagonettes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17The 19th century landowners provided more than just fresh air and a pub to attract visitors.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20In those days, Dyke Park had its own railway station,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and the crowds could come by horse-drawn bus to the top of the hill.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29There was an amusement park with an aerial railway across the Devil's Punchbowl,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33and all kinds of other attractions, but virtually nothing remains today.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Well, Ben, believe it or not, this is actually the platform and engine house of a steep grade,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43narrow-gauge railway that went straight down the hill there,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46down those steep slopes, to the village of Poynings below.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48And what sort of period was that in?
0:19:48 > 0:19:52We're talking about 1897 - a great Victorian bit of engineering.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Alas, by 1907, it had closed down.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- And why was that?- Unfortunately, people used it to bypass the attractions at the top of the hill,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04because there were cheaper tea rooms down in the beautiful village of Poynings.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09So the landlord of the hotel shot himself in the foot a bit there, and went out of business.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14'Today, Devil's Dyke is a wonderful natural feature, but how was it formed?'
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Well, back at the end of the Ice Age,
0:20:16 > 0:20:21all this chalkland, which is normally permeable,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23was actually frozen solid.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Then in the summers, which were quite short, it would start to melt,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and then you'd get the rivers and the erosion.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34So then it would get worn away. It could even happen literally in a matter of days -
0:20:34 > 0:20:38a great big slump causing this huge valley you see in front of you.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42It's difficult to get perspective. How deep and how long is it?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's the longest valley of its type in England.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49It's almost a kilometre long and about 100 metres deep.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53How has the land use changed throughout the years?
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Quite a great deal.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It was stable for about 3,000 years.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Farms such as Saddlescombe, in the distance there,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03the home of shepherding, which kept the grass grazed short,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and made it the fantastic habitat it was.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07But after the Second World War,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11when that all changed, the scrub around us started to encroach,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15and that's changing the ecology, so we need to manage that.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20So there's obviously a fine balance between protecting the environment and allowing people to visit.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23So what sort of effect does the number 77 bus,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27bringing people from Brighton straight up here, have on the land?
0:21:27 > 0:21:29It's making a big difference.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31A positive one or a negative one?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34A positive one, definitely. With so many people coming up -
0:21:34 > 0:21:37cos it's still very popular, it's the big site for people in Brighton -
0:21:37 > 0:21:41obviously that's a lot of cars, so the more people
0:21:41 > 0:21:46we can get out of their cars and onto the bus the better.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Who could fail to be inspired by countryside like this?
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Constable called it "the most marvellous views in the world,"
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Kipling described "those whale-backed Downs
0:21:59 > 0:22:02"and the blue goodness of the wooded Weald below."
0:22:02 > 0:22:08- So it certainly has inspired a good number of people. It inspires me. - It's absolutely stunning.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Ben enjoying some of the best scenery the South Downs has to offer.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I'm lucky enough to be enjoying some of the same wonderful Sussex scenery
0:22:38 > 0:22:40on a similarly stunning day.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45I'm travelling west
0:22:45 > 0:22:47into the agricultural fields of Lancing.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I've come to visit Applesham Farm -
0:22:50 > 0:22:52850 acres of land nestled in the heart
0:22:52 > 0:22:56of the new South Downs National Park.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12SHEEP BLEAT
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Drawing over a million visitors a year,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19the South Downs is popular with holidaymakers, nature enthusiasts
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and ramblers, but it's also a working environment
0:23:22 > 0:23:25that's been shaped by an ancient way of life -
0:23:25 > 0:23:27farming.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Hugh, what are you doing here?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I'm basically weighing and handling lambs
0:23:33 > 0:23:36to select lambs for sale next week.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41- How are they coming up? So the heavier ones will go, will they? - Yes. Anything over 33 kilos...
0:23:41 > 0:23:45- Yup.- ..will go next week, and obviously, they'll keep growing,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and every week, we'll be drawing the next heaviest.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Fantastic. Don't let me stop you. You're obviously very busy.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55So what kind of farm do you have here?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59We're a traditional mixed farm - arable, sheep and beef.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03We're running about 350 ewes and...
0:24:03 > 0:24:10- Calving just over 70 suckler cows. - So what are the main challenges of farming on the South Downs?
0:24:10 > 0:24:15The weather's quite important to us, and you can see from today that we're quite exposed up here.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- It's windy.- Even in the summer, it's always a degree or two colder up here with the wind.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24And also the soil type up here. You can see behind you, the ploughed field
0:24:24 > 0:24:30is a very white chalky soil - very thin, poor soils in places, so we're not on the best of ground
0:24:30 > 0:24:33up here, but we do have some good ground in amongst it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36They're quite vocal, aren't they? That one was really shouting about it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- Yeah, I think they want to go back to Mum.- Oh, I see!
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Making a right old racket.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Now that the South Downs has been awarded national park status,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46do you know how that might affect the farm here?
0:24:46 > 0:24:51It's difficult to know really until it happens. They're still in the process of setting it up.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- I don't think it'll affect us too much.- Farming's been going on in the South Downs
0:24:55 > 0:25:00- for hundreds of years, hasn't it? - It has, yeah. Our family's been here over 100 years now.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05So, yeah, it's an integral part of the Downs, really. It's our factory floor.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10It's where we're producing our living from so, yes, it's obviously very important to us.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12So how was lambing this year?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Very good. We lamb outside in April
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and obviously, we had some very good weather in April
0:25:18 > 0:25:21which helped survival rates greatly.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25So, yeah, we had a good lambing and the lambs have grown well
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and, at the moment, the prices are very good.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30So, yeah, it's been very good.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Did you have many orphans?
0:25:32 > 0:25:37No, we managed to foster everything off this year.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41We fostered triplet lambs onto singles.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So why can't a mother have all three lambs?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Basically, a ewe has only got two teats
0:25:47 > 0:25:49so if you've got three lambs,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52three are fighting over the two teats all the time.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It's unusual to be able to foster them all. We did it two years ago.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Last year, we ended up with about five that we couldn't foster.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- So this year was a successful year, then?- Very.- Great.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Yeah, it was good.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Ooh, calmed down.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And how do you get a mother to take on a lamb that isn't hers?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Basically, we do it during lambing.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15When we see a single ewe lambing, we grab a triplet lamb
0:26:15 > 0:26:20and then you cover the lamb that you want to foster in the ewe's birth fluids
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- and they pretty well take them straight away.- Wow.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27- It sort of fools them into thinking it's their own lamb.- Fantastic.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32- It's been very successful doing it that way.- And it's good for you not having to hand rear.- Definitely.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35There's a lot of work to it and it costs a lot of money to do it
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and the lambs are much better on a ewe than being fed off a bottle.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- So...- Last one, then?- Yep.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Right...
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- And that can wait for another week. - Bye.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It's great to see a thriving mixed farm at work.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01The chalky Sussex soil is also being used in less traditional ways
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but always subject to the weather.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Unlike over in France, vineyards in the South Downs
0:27:09 > 0:27:12in the past have had to put up with unpredictable, ever-changing weather
0:27:12 > 0:27:14rather than a stable climate.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Since the Ice Age, which ended 10,000 years ago,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21lasting changes in average temperature and rainfall
0:27:21 > 0:27:24haven't really been noticeable in anyone's lifetime.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26But now that could all change.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29So the south of England could be as warm as the Champagne region
0:27:29 > 0:27:33in France with the ideal conditions to make fine wine.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37It seems that grapes are particularly sensitive to climatic variation.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Richard, is the idea that grape vines are a good indicator of climate a new idea?
0:27:43 > 0:27:44No, it's not.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Some 2,000 years ago, in Roman times,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50someone was writing about how they could use vines
0:27:50 > 0:27:52to map changing climate. in my own research
0:27:52 > 0:27:56I've been able to confirm this because I've mapped the ebb and flow of vineyards
0:27:56 > 0:27:59across the British countryside, showing a correlation
0:27:59 > 0:28:01with temperature change for some 2,000 years.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05You mentioned the Romans. They had a lot of settlements around here.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07There was a villa at Bignor.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Would they have had vineyards?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I think one could speculate that almost every Roman villa
0:28:12 > 0:28:14would have had a vineyard for nostalgic reasons
0:28:14 > 0:28:16for the early Roman settlers.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20There's very good evidence that there were commercial vineyards
0:28:20 > 0:28:22of the Roman period, right up as far as Lincoln.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Some were producing up to 10,000 bottles,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27in modern size, of wine a year.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29So what climatic stage are we at now?
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Well, we've come out of the little Ice Age,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37and the temperature has almost got back to what it was in Roman times.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Remember that the ice sheets of 10,000 years ago had long gone,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47when grapes only survived right down in the South East of England.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Then, by the time the Romans left,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51the vines had advanced right up to the north,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55to the Humber in the north and the Severn in the west.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Then in the colder centuries of the Middle Ages
0:28:57 > 0:29:00grape vines were squeezed south once more.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Until the weather warmed up a bit more, and they went north again,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07during the Industrial Revolution, about 200 years ago.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11In this vineyard, in the South Downs, not very far from Nyetimber,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14they're growing a wide range of grape varieties.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16And how well do vines grow in the UK?
0:29:16 > 0:29:20Very well. Some varieties are very well adapted.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22And then others struggle a bit.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25If you like at, say, we've got some Pinot Noir here.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29That does very, very well for sparkling wine in the UK.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33But only one year in three here can we produce good red wine with it.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Whereas on this side here, we've got Riesling,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40a German variety. Again, last year, it ripened really well.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43But it was the first time I've ever seen it really ripen.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Have you noticed varieties changing as the climate changes?
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Oh yeah, certainly. I've been here since '88 in the UK.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53I was trained in Bordeaux.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57And over the years I've definitely seen an improvement in climate.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Better vintages and good ripening.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02What about the theory that if the climate warms up,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05the French will get worse at wine production
0:30:05 > 0:30:07and it's going to get better here?
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I think there's definitely going to be a shift
0:30:10 > 0:30:14in the northern-most reaches of wine production, if you like.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16That's where we are at present.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18But that's going to change.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23We'll definitely be able to grow more adventurous classic varieties here
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and I hope produce even better wine.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Of course, it's not just the weather that governs how well grapes grow.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32The soil is crucial too.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36So how important is geology to wine production?
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Very important. When you look at it, vines grow on rocks of every type
0:30:40 > 0:30:44and every age, so superficially you'd think it's not important at all.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47But in fact, geology together with climate
0:30:47 > 0:30:49control the soil in which the vines grow
0:30:49 > 0:30:51and the landscape in which they stand.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And what have we got here?
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Well, this rock is a bit of greensand.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59That might surprise you as it doesn't look very green
0:30:59 > 0:31:02either at the outcrop or hand specimen
0:31:02 > 0:31:06but it's got the green mineral in it when it's fresh, called glauconite
0:31:06 > 0:31:09which has got a lot of iron, potassium, nutrients in it like that.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12And a lot of vineyards flourish on this greensand rock.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Not just here in England but also in France.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19And the advantage of it is that it's quite well drained.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23It's got good permeability, so the vines can not have water-logged roots
0:31:23 > 0:31:24as they don't like that.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26So as well as the geology and the soils,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30the whole aspect is very important to growing wine, isn't it?
0:31:30 > 0:31:33That's right. And it's that dreaded word the French use,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37"terroir", if one's allowed to say that on English television.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40But it's the integration of geology, climate
0:31:40 > 0:31:42and local micro-climatic controls.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46So what we need is "terroir." That's the care and expertise
0:31:46 > 0:31:49that gives fine French wines their character
0:31:49 > 0:31:53and maybe the French will come down to the South Downs and help,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55because there will be ideal sites here.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Could we soon be tasting wine from all parts of the UK?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I expect my children will be drinking Manchester Merlot
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and Sheffield Shiraz and my grandchildren will probably drink
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Glasgow Gewurztraminer, with Icelandic whisky to follow.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12In the last five years, the acreage of vineyards in the UK
0:32:12 > 0:32:13has grown by 45%.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18With its reputation on the up, the future for British wine production
0:32:18 > 0:32:19looks healthy.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29I'm on a journey through the countryside of Sussex.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31I've reached the very edge of the national park
0:32:31 > 0:32:35and the village of High Salvington.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I'm on my way to meet a quartet of men, who've dedicated
0:32:44 > 0:32:47part of their lives to restoring a local landmark
0:32:47 > 0:32:51from a crumbling facade to a working piece of history.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07By 1976, after 226 years on the skyline,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11High Salvington Mill had become a relic. Unloved and derelict.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16Then a band of men came together to rescue it.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21And so began a continuing love affair with this old building.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Roger came in, you came in right in the early days, didn't you?
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- At one time, it was just you and I. - It was, yes.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29It was heavy going at times.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34Then Bob came and sort of made Three Musketeers or whatever.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38We did have just a framework for a long time.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Because the floors were taken up.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Health and Safety wouldn't have liked what we did!
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Wow! This is beautiful in here!
0:33:51 > 0:33:56- Oh, hello.- Hi there. Can you show me around? This is amazing.- Sure thing.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I'll just pop this in there.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- Fine, well this is the spout floor of the mill.- Yeah.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06This is a post mill. That means the whole mill is balanced on a post.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- One post?- One post. And this is the post.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11It goes down to the floor, almost.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16And the whole weight of the mill is taken on that one piece of wood
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- going across there.- Goodness!
0:34:18 > 0:34:21And we are hanging on this floor from the corner posts
0:34:21 > 0:34:26- and these tie bars that you can see around us.- And yet it's as sturdy as anything.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35And if I lift up that, we might have a bit of flour coming out.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- So this is a working mill? It's not just for show?- Yes.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49- Yes, we tended to use, up until now, all our own stuff, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Yes, bring your own toolbox.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53With everything in it.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07- Right, OK.- That's a trapdoor.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09There's one up there as well.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- If you drop a rope down through there...- Through the holes?
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Right, and get your sack of grain on the bottom,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19you can actually use the wind to bring it upstairs
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- but in order to do that we've got to go upstairs.- Lead the way.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29I've got a background in engineering. Marine engineering.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31And fitting.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36And I tended to gravitate to saying, "Well, why don't we do it this way?"
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And that's what's happened.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44Basically, they've gone along with me without getting too frustrated.
0:35:44 > 0:35:51So that's it. And it's gone on like that.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59This is the other end, or other side of the trapdoor there.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02We can imagine that going down through the floor there.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Going down through the next floor.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Down to...- The ground? - The ground, in effect.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Tying a bag of grain on, and then you bring it up
0:36:10 > 0:36:12by turning this thing round,
0:36:12 > 0:36:18and as it comes up, it lifts the trapdoors open.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21You can imagine your bag of grain coming up.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24And it automatically closes afterwards.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- Making light work of those heavy bags?- Well yes, quite.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29Mind you, we don't often use it.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33So just on the other side of this is where the sails are?
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Right, the sails will be on the front there.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39The sails turn this big shaft, these wheels as well.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44This wheel, we built ourselves. It's an exact copy of the original.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53The new brake wheel built by the volunteers
0:36:53 > 0:36:56had to be brought up the mill steps in two halves
0:36:56 > 0:37:00and through two floors before being fitted around the wind shaft.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04It then had to be accurately positioned and the cogs finely shaped
0:37:04 > 0:37:07to fit the stone nut pinion.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11Quite an interesting story behind that, because the chap at the time
0:37:11 > 0:37:15said to me, "Oh, you're a teacher of craft. Can you build a wheel?"
0:37:15 > 0:37:18And I said, "Hmm, never tried a wheel, but perhaps."
0:37:18 > 0:37:21And then I said, "Yes, I think I can build a wheel."
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And he said, "It's going to be ten foot in diameter."
0:37:24 > 0:37:28And I said, "Well, you didn't say that to start with!"
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I said, "I'm sure we can manage, even if it is ten foot in diameter."
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And he said, "Come along and have a look at it.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38So we saw the old wheel and I said, "You didn't tell me it had cogs too!"
0:37:38 > 0:37:41And so anyhow, it had 138 cogs in it.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43And we took it on and it took us three years to build
0:37:43 > 0:37:47and I think you've seen how we humped that thing up the steps of the mill
0:37:47 > 0:37:52- and got it into place, but it was quite a job.- It was a job! Yeah.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56But it was a further five years before it could be installed
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and finished, as the wind shaft had to be repaired
0:37:59 > 0:38:02using outside contractors.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And this is where the flour actually gets ground?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Yes, this is the hopper. You put your grain in there.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13There's your stone and that's after the last grind we did, in there.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18And if I wanted to set the stones ready for grinding...
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Ooh, that's heavy!
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Bung it into the sprattle, tighten it up like that.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30And I'll get it right tight. Then you're ready for the wind
0:38:30 > 0:38:34to drive the wind shaft and turn this.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48We all look at it and quite seriously we are proud of it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52- Yeah.- And although we've worked our insides out at times...
0:38:52 > 0:38:56And the other thing is, it's very nice on a Sunday morning
0:38:56 > 0:39:00when we're working out here, we sit down, we all have an allotment,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and people say like Last Of The Summer Wine, you know?
0:39:03 > 0:39:07And we sit down, and look at the mill and it's ticking over. And you think,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10"Gosh, it does look nice." It's that sort of thing.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14- It's our train set. - Yes. Big boys' toys.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Thanks to the hard work and devotion of these men
0:39:23 > 0:39:26High Salvington Mill looks like it will be lighting up the horizon
0:39:26 > 0:39:28for generations to come.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Restoration is not only limited to buildings. Just north of here,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36work has been going on to restore a rare population of bats.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40With natural habitat increasingly under threat
0:39:40 > 0:39:45the search is constantly on to find new alternative safe refuges
0:39:45 > 0:39:46for Britain's wildlife.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49And sometimes, they can be in the strangest places.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Like this, a relic from World War II.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54EXPLOSION
0:40:03 > 0:40:06It's a pillbox, built to withstand all kinds of bombardment.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09The walls are more than a metre thick.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12So not surprisingly, there are still quite a few of these things
0:40:12 > 0:40:16scattered around the countryside. But this was the first
0:40:16 > 0:40:19to be specially adapted to welcome an airborne invader.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21We're talking bats.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25So many of their traditional roosting places, like barns and lofts,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27have been converted into homes for humans
0:40:27 > 0:40:30that they're fast running out of places to stay.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Frank, what gave the idea of using a pillbox as a refuge for bats?
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Looking around, following the bats, looking at what they were doing
0:40:39 > 0:40:42and where they were going, and this pillbox was being used
0:40:42 > 0:40:48a small amount, but not really the intensive use that you find in winter hibernation sites.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Conditions, it turned out, were just not quite right.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56So Frank decided a makeover was needed to turn it into a place
0:40:56 > 0:40:58that bats could happily call home.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Those were open firing slates and the wind could blow straight through
0:41:02 > 0:41:05and that was taking all the humidity out of the building
0:41:05 > 0:41:08so it was very dry inside. So closing those slits off
0:41:08 > 0:41:11slowed the air flow through the building.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- So it was too dry and too draught? - Exactly.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Everything that's been done has been done to try and compensate for that
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and close the air in, slow the temperature change
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and keep the humidity high. And that's what bats like.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- That's what they've taken to. - What do you do inside?
0:41:26 > 0:41:30There's lots of things done inside. Come and have a look.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35This is a bit of a challenge, Frank!
0:41:35 > 0:41:41It's actually very useful. It deters an awful lot of intrusion
0:41:41 > 0:41:45during the winter when the bats don't really want to be disturbed.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49So it lets bats in but stops any unwanted people getting in?
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Exactly. JOHN LAUGHS
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- Not the easiest place to get into, Frank, is it?- No, no.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02- Where are the bats?- Well, it is in the middle of summer now,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06and we wouldn't expect bats to be in here apart from the occasional visit.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Winter is the time for bats in here.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12- So we can come in here safely and not disturb anything.- That's right.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- We're not disturbing anything. - How many would be in here in winter?- At peak coldness,
0:42:16 > 0:42:21- in, say, January, you might have a dozen bats in here. - And you've built this for them.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26- Yeah, yeah.- Sort of bedrooms! - Yes, they've each got their individual little holes.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And the bats crawl up into those,
0:42:29 > 0:42:35and that actually stabilises the humidity even more than in the body of the pillbox.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39Dozens of pillboxes have now been converted into shelters
0:42:39 > 0:42:41as part of the nationwide campaign
0:42:41 > 0:42:44to give Britain's bats a more secure future.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49All 16 species are threatened, and though manmade structures are one solution,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53there are still problems to be solved all the year round
0:42:53 > 0:42:55in their natural habitat.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Although there are no bats in the pillboxes right now,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02in this ancient woodland a few miles away,
0:43:02 > 0:43:05as dusk begins to fall, they're all around,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07including three very rare species.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11And ironically, although this land is owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14their future here is by no means certain.
0:43:14 > 0:43:21The great hurricane of 1987 brought destruction at Ebernoe Common, and now there's a storm
0:43:21 > 0:43:24between bat-lovers and the Trust over plans to cut back the holly
0:43:24 > 0:43:26that's grown there ever since.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Holly is good news for bats,
0:43:28 > 0:43:31but bad news for the wood's important collection of lichens.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33The holly seems to be out of control.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36It looks as though it really needs to be cut back.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39There is an awful lot of it, but in actual fact,
0:43:39 > 0:43:43this is of direct benefit to very, very rare bats.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45They use the forest in different ways,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47but that really dense cover is what they need.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50The problem with the holly is it's relatively new here.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Ebernoe's a "wood pasture" -
0:43:52 > 0:43:55it's been grazed for thousands of years.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58The holly's only come about since it stopped being grazed, about 1950,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00and particularly since the '87 storm,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03and it's making the habitat change quite rapidly.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05Ebernoe is really important for lichens.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09It's got over 270 species, and the holly is shading them out.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13It's a real dilemma. Which come first? The lichens are threatened,
0:44:13 > 0:44:15but so are rare species of bat,
0:44:15 > 0:44:19like this barbastelle, which Frank is very carefully handling.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23We know five colonies in the British Isles - five breeding colonies -
0:44:23 > 0:44:26so that's probably around 500 bats.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29A guesstimate of the population for the whole of the British Isles
0:44:29 > 0:44:31is between five and ten thousand.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Part of the problem is that our nature reserves
0:44:34 > 0:44:38are lifeboats in a sea of land that is no longer any good for wildlife.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43That really puts the pressure on them in a way that simply wouldn't have happened 100 years ago.
0:44:43 > 0:44:48Finding another site like this these days is almost an impossibility.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52- So it could be the end, really, for it.- Well, it could well, yes.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55The final decision about the bats, the lichen and the holly
0:44:55 > 0:44:59rests with the Government's conservation advisors, English Nature.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02But just a couple of days ago, Ebernoe was named
0:45:02 > 0:45:04as one of Britain's most important wildlife sites.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Let's hope that's a good omen all round.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16My journey has now brought me
0:45:16 > 0:45:19to the ancient woodlands of Ebernoe Common.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25I've followed in John's footsteps to Ebernoe Common,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29an area just inside the new national park boundary.
0:45:29 > 0:45:35The cutting of holly here stopped over nine years ago, allowing the understorey to re-establish
0:45:35 > 0:45:37and offer better cover for the bats.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42I'm catching up with Frank to see what his research over the last ten years has shown.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46- Hi, Frank. Good to meet you. - And you.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51So how have barbastelle numbers been doing since John was here last?
0:45:51 > 0:45:54It's been a long, nice story of success, actually, really.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- Do you have any clue as to the actual numbers?- Yeah.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03We count these things in breeding females. Bat biology is complicated.
0:46:03 > 0:46:09The males and females don't live together at all. So all the females live together.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12And, er...as a way of coping
0:46:12 > 0:46:16with the available space - in holes in trees and things like that -
0:46:16 > 0:46:20they limit their little groupings to about 25 animals,
0:46:20 > 0:46:25and you have several groupings of these 25-odd animals scattered around the woodland.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30- I call them subgroups, but they're all part of the same colony, really. - So how many in the colony?
0:46:30 > 0:46:35- I think there's about 80 breeding females.- So numbers have really gone up.- Yeah, yeah.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39- They have.- And what work have you been doing to study the bats?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Um...well, we put on radio tags.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46Most of the work that's been done in here
0:46:46 > 0:46:50has been based on these tiny radio tags glued on the back of the bat.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54- And you've been filming them, as well.- Yeah.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57How we get to know how many bats there are in a roost
0:46:57 > 0:47:00is by following the radio tag back,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04and that tells us there's a hole in a tree there - the bats are in there.
0:47:04 > 0:47:10And then the following night, you go along with an infrared camcorder, set it all up,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12with an infrared floodlight,
0:47:12 > 0:47:17and you can then film the colony, and by doing it with a camera like this,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19you can, um... CAMERA BEEPS
0:47:19 > 0:47:24- You can see what's going on in the roost.- It'll come up in a tick.
0:47:24 > 0:47:25- There we go.- Oh, yes!
0:47:25 > 0:47:27And you can see
0:47:27 > 0:47:29that's a fissure in a big oak tree.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- The bats are all tucked up in that fissure.- There's one.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Yeah. Yeah, they will come flipping out of there,
0:47:36 > 0:47:40one after the other, very rapidly, actually.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45What has your study taught you more about the bats, and also about how to study bats in the future?
0:47:45 > 0:47:49One of the great things which has come out of this study
0:47:49 > 0:47:51has been the fact that these bats
0:47:51 > 0:47:56are not only relying on these nice, sheltered woods to spend their days during the summer,
0:47:56 > 0:48:02but they're going and feeding in very different habitats elsewhere, and they need to get from A to B.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06One of the insights Frank gained through his research
0:48:06 > 0:48:10was that the bats used the same flight lines each day,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12travelling up to 20km in search of food.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16Bats need cover to make their flights safe from predators.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18As the countryside has been farmed,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21hedgerows and trees have become more scarce,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24meaning much of this essential cover has been lost.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27Part of Frank's work is to restore these flight lines
0:48:27 > 0:48:32by replanting trees and expanding existing hedgerows.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36As soon as you get these connecting features between bits of woodland,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41and other areas of meadow and swamp and things like that,
0:48:41 > 0:48:46it means things can move about in a way that they were restricted from doing before.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13My journey began behind the wheel of a car,
0:49:13 > 0:49:16and fittingly, it'll end behind the wheel of a car.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Only this time, it'll be slightly more hair-raising.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25MUSIC: BBC Formula One theme
0:49:25 > 0:49:28My journey has taken me from the birthplace of motor racing,
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Bexhill-on-Sea,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32west to the Seven Sisters,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34across the South Downs to Lancing,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37and then to the village of High Salvington.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Heading north, I visited Ebernoe Common,
0:49:41 > 0:49:45before arriving at my final destination - Goodwood.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Goodwood opened in the summer of 1948,
0:49:48 > 0:49:54hosting Britain's first post-war motor-race meeting at a permanent venue.
0:49:54 > 0:50:00motor racing legends such as Stirling Moss immortalised the track here.
0:50:00 > 0:50:06But in August 1966, Goodwood closed its doors to contemporary motor racing.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10It was the end of a remarkable chapter, but not the end of the story.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Sometimes, the smell of petrol
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and the sound of engines still fill the air.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25I've never really considered myself a petrol-headed speed demon,
0:50:25 > 0:50:29but maybe I've got latent talents that I can unleash on the track.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32And the best of it is, I get to choose my weapon.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Goodwood holds special track days
0:50:35 > 0:50:39when anyone who fancies taking on the famous 2.4-mile motor circuit
0:50:39 > 0:50:42can live out their high-octane fantasies.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45There's a selection of dream machines,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48from classics to the latest supercar.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52As for me, well, I've always fancied driving a Ferrari.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Gavin, I've never, ever raced before.
0:50:55 > 0:51:00- Is it just pretty straightforward - get in and drive around? - It's exactly that.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04We've got a one-way system. There's nothing coming the other way.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06There's no T-junctions, anything like that.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10The great news is we can drive on the left, on the right, down the middle.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14So provided you don't try and go too fast, we'll be absolutely fine.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- That's an amazing sound coming from that car!- It is brilliant.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21These cars have got V8 engines, 400 horsepower,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24so they're fantastic cars.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26- Listen to that roar! - Up to 8,000 revs.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29That's a Lamborghini going past. That's a V12.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32- A six-litre, V12 engine in there. - It is safe, though, isn't it?
0:51:32 > 0:51:34- It's a very fast car. - It's very safe.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37I'm going to keep you under control, basically.
0:51:37 > 0:51:42- As long as you don't go absolutely mental, we'll be fine.- I will drive like I'm driving Miss Daisy.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46- Excellent! There are the keys. - Wonderful. Thank you.- Down here.- OK.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Keep to the right, just like driving on a motorway.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04Have a look in the mirrors. If it's clear, which it is, move out to the outside.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Wow! It's got such power!
0:52:06 > 0:52:09It's got lots of power - 400 horsepower.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14- Gosh! Sorry, I'm being a bit puny. - What we're trying to do is join these cones together. OK?
0:52:14 > 0:52:18- OK.- The real key is to look as far ahead as you can.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20- Shall I go into fourth?- Er...yeah.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24We'll just get through this corner, then put it into fourth gear.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26'I'm driving a Ferrari 360
0:52:26 > 0:52:30'with a 3.6-litre, V8 engine screaming behind me.'
0:52:30 > 0:52:33ENGINE ROARS
0:52:33 > 0:52:37'It does 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41'and can hit speeds of up to 180mph.'
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Let's go. Hard down. SHE LAUGHS
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Oh, no! Oh, my goodness! No!
0:52:46 > 0:52:48- On the brakes now.- OK.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52- Brakes again. Brake, brake, brake. Bit harder.- Bit harder?- Bit harder.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53Steady.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56It's a bit obvious, but the faster you go, the harder you have to brake.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00That's true. I'm not used to that much braking.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02- OK. Out here. - (That's amazing!)
0:53:02 > 0:53:06- Phew!- So drop it into four...
0:53:06 > 0:53:08..and then perhaps into three, in fact.
0:53:08 > 0:53:13- I think we'll go into the pits this time.- I'm sweating buckets here!
0:53:13 > 0:53:15- THEY LAUGH - I've never known anything like it!
0:53:15 > 0:53:19- So perhaps if you want to put it into second, actually.- Second.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22- That's very good.- So nice and slow. - Really slow it through the pits.
0:53:22 > 0:53:28- Careful we don't take any doors off. - I'm in a left-hand, so I keep erring onto the wrong side.- That's perfect.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Wow! That was great!
0:53:37 > 0:53:40- I'll show you how it's really done now, Ellie!- Oh, OK.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03These speeds are SO exhilarating!
0:54:04 > 0:54:05Wow!
0:54:10 > 0:54:13It's very balky on fifth gear, sixth gear.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15It won't go into sixth.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24I started my journey through the South Downs
0:54:24 > 0:54:26in a very different kind of car.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31Travelling through its rolling hills, I met its working people,
0:54:31 > 0:54:35discovered its fragile ecosystems and its hidden treasures.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36Finally,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39the road led here, to the famous track at Goodwood,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42where the pace of things suddenly increased.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44What a way to end the journey!
0:54:44 > 0:54:46SHE LAUGHS
0:54:56 > 0:55:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd