0:00:20 > 0:00:23I'm on a journey through the Lake District from here in Windermere
0:00:23 > 0:00:25to the upper slopes of the Old Man of Coniston.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31My travels will take me from Bowness on the eastern shore
0:00:31 > 0:00:34to Ambleside and on to Rydal.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Then I'll cross the water at Coniston
0:00:37 > 0:00:41before taking on one of the Lake District's highest mountains.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Along the way, I'll look back at the best of the BBC's rural programmes from the area.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48This is Country Tracks.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55I'm starting my journey by crossing Windermere from Bowness to Far Sawrey.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58The lakes have attracted visitors since Victorian times
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and its stunning scenery has inspired some of our greatest artists and poets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Wordsworth wandered "lonely as a cloud"
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and many of Beatrix Potter's tales are set in Lakeland.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13And surely 15 million tourists every year can't be wrong.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Just come to the Lakes for the day.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Just for the walks, just to get away, really, from the town.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24People just like visiting here, the scenery, the atmosphere. Really good.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29Somewhere for the kids to come. Somewhere for them to chill out and enjoy themselves.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30And it's cheap.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35I haven't been to the Lake District for years and I can't wait to explore
0:01:35 > 0:01:38this beautiful part of the country.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40But it's always been a working area.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45Before the pleasure boats arrived, Windermere was an important industrial artery,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47as John Craven discovered back in 2005.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Windermere is the biggest, and some say the best, stretch of water
0:01:53 > 0:01:55in the Lake District.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57But officially it's not a lake.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The only one with the word "lake" in its title
0:02:00 > 0:02:02is Lake Bassenthwaite.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The entire surface of Windermere, or Lake Windermere, whatever you want to call it,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10is a public highway. For centuries it's been used by working boats,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12pleasure craft and ferry boats.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17I went for a rainy ride on a ferry boat more than a hundred years old
0:02:17 > 0:02:20to hear about Windermere's history from Andy Lowe.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23No fighting for seats today, Andy!
0:02:23 > 0:02:24If only you'd come two days ago -
0:02:24 > 0:02:27blue sky, sunshine, lots of tourists -
0:02:27 > 0:02:28a totally different view!
0:02:28 > 0:02:32- Oh, dear. Well... The lake has always been used for transportation.- It has.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35At Ambleside, not far from here, was a Roman fort
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and I'm sure the Romans used it for trading.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41In medieval times, all sorts of heavy products used the lake,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44just as a means of movement from one place to another.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47So the lake wasn't looked upon for aesthetic, beautiful reasons,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50it was a purely functional way of carrying products.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52When did all that change?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56It changed in the 18th century, when people were appreciating landscape quality
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and people could afford to come and build houses in the Lake District.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04It's perhaps worth saying about the people who settled here in the 19th century,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09the wealthy industrialists from Liverpool, Manchester and Bolton brought their architects
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and there was real jockeying for who's got the most important house.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Someone came with a Swiss chalet style and some tried to outdo them with an Italian villa
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and then somebody came with a Tudoresque mansion.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24When did it become a mass tourist area?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27The key date in this whole area is 1847.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31A railway was promoted to Windermere, although it was intended to go further.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33But a certain William Wordsworth
0:03:33 > 0:03:36made sure that it stopped at Windermere.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40He didn't want the day-trippers coming in their droves to Ambleside and Grasmere.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The railway brought in visitors - day-trippers, staying visitors,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and, perhaps the most important thing is, it was a lifeline
0:03:47 > 0:03:49to Manchester and Lancashire.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Without a doubt, the Lake District, particularly the Windermere area,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55became Manchester-by-the-Lake.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And at the same time as the railways, came the paddle steamers,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02linking together the towns and villages around the lake.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08There were two rival companies. There was the Windermere Steam Yacht Company,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10who launched The Lady Of The Lake,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and that would come on at a rather sedate pace,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and a rival company, the Windermere Iron Steamboat Company,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17thought they'd get one up on them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22They named their boat Dragonfly, which was much faster. It would have a brass band,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and as it passed by, it would play the tune The Girl I Left Behind Me!
0:04:29 > 0:04:33# ..the girl I left behind! #
0:04:33 > 0:04:36There are lots of islands on the lake.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Most are fairly small. The largest one is called Belle Isle, 37 acres.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41That's behind us here?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Very significant position, right in the centre of Lake Windermere.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47That's an extraordinary-looking house.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It was build in the 1770s.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52This is an iconic building in the whole of the country,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54one of the first cylindrical buildings
0:04:54 > 0:04:58to be built for romantic, aesthetic reasons.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Is it still lived in?
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It is. It's privately owned. Soon after the building was completed,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06it was bought by the Curwen family from Workington
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and this was given to their daughter, who was married to John Christian,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14who was a descendant of Fletcher Christian, of the mutiny on the Bounty.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18This island was named after Isabella and became known as Belle Isle.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And that name has stuck ever since.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25A short distance from Belle Isle is the narrowest stretch of water
0:05:25 > 0:05:30on Windermere, and it's here that the vehicle ferry does a round trip
0:05:30 > 0:05:31every twenty minutes.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It can carry a maximum of 18 cars
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and a hundred foot passengers, and in summer there's often long queues
0:05:37 > 0:05:40because it saves a ten-mile journey.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43There's been a ferry in this spot for 500 years
0:05:43 > 0:05:50and there's a ghostly story from the days when ferrymen used to row across.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Local legend has it in many years gone by,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57a ghostly voice can be heard from the other side of the lake on the Hawkshead side,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00known as the Crier of Claife.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02This ghostly voice cries out across the lake,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05beckoning the ferrymen to go over.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07One ferryman went across, rowed over,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11was so shocked and literally dumbfounded when he came back,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14he was speechless, couldn't tell anybody about what he saw
0:06:14 > 0:06:15and he died the next day.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Who knows what is still lurking over there, even today?
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Having crossed Windermere, I'm now cycling along the western edge of the lake.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39So Windermere's always been vital to support the economic life of the area.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43But it also supports a wide variety of wild and aquatic life
0:06:43 > 0:06:47some of which can be pretty elusive.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The lake has traditionally been important for fishing
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and the waters are rich in brown trout, pike, perch, roach and eels.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58But if you're a local angler like Alex Parton, the real prize is a pike.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Rumour has it there are some pretty big ones in Windermere.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03- Hiya.- Hiya.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- Can I have a go?- Course you can.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I've never fished before in my life.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Basically, this is a lure for catching pike.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And what we're aiming to do is throw it out into the lake,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18wind it back nice and slowly and with a bit of luck,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20the pike will come and take it.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Just take that out of there.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24As you do that, you swing the rod behind you.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Is this where I get somebody's eye out?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- As you flick forward... - Just give it a...
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Let go of what?- Push this finger upwards as you let go.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Is this going to be embarrassing?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's very high in the sky. Not very far out!
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Not a bad effort.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41What attracts you to it? What's the appeal?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Well, obviously the surroundings,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46it doesn't take long to look around
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and realise we live in a beautiful part of the world
0:07:49 > 0:07:50and the advantage of it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Why is it pike that you fish for?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56It's just a natural progression. I started when I was really small,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59fishing for all sorts of species of fish.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01My uncle was particularly interested in pike,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03so he started bringing me pike fishing
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and then I've fallen in love with it from there
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and it's a natural progression, the largest fish in the Lake District...
0:08:09 > 0:08:11They get to impressive sizes...
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Oh, yes. Certainly, 30 pound and above,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18which is maybe 140, 150 centimetre fish,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21which is a fair old fish.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It's one of the richer lakes in the Lake District, which obviously means
0:08:25 > 0:08:27there are a lot of small coarse fish and other fish
0:08:27 > 0:08:30for the pike to feed on.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33So obviously this encourages growth from a young age,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36so the pike grow faster for longer,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39so therefore, when they become older,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42at the higher end the fish are likely to be bigger.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So if this lake is so ideal for big pike,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50there must be some truth in the rumour about the monster...
0:08:50 > 0:08:51- The monster!- Twelve-footer.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Well, I haven't personally seen it,
0:08:54 > 0:09:00but I've heard a few reports that there's a...a big fish in the lake somewhere,
0:09:00 > 0:09:01whether it's a pike or not...
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- As big as a boat.- Well...!
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- It'll eat your children.- We'll see!
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Lake monster or not, there are forces at work on the lake
0:09:09 > 0:09:12which could change its delicate ecological balance.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Patrick Arnold is an angler with a keen eye for conservation on Windermere.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20How healthy is Lake Windermere?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23It looks idyllic.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26But that is not, unfortunately, the case.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29There are serious water problems.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Specifically, what are they?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It is to do with enrichment of the water. You have got phosphates,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36nitrates, coming into the water.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- From agriculture? - Diffused run-off from agriculture.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45And then you've got the huge growth in population and housing in the area,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47putting pressure on the sewerage system
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and so you have got run-off on that as well.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51What does that do?
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Your water is no longer as clear and as well oxygenated.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It has got more sediment in the water
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and you combine that with the increase in temperature
0:10:00 > 0:10:02that has taken place more recently.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It may only be one degree Centigrade,
0:10:06 > 0:10:07that doesn't sound a lot.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12But it is very, very significant on the ecology of the lake.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16That increase is down to a depth of 40 to 50 feet and beyond,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19so it's significant in terms of the ecology of the lake.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23So how healthy is the ecology in the catchment of the lake?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Otters are more prevalent now. - That's good.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Which is great.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32We've got plenty of the wild roe and red deer.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33So the future's bright then?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Yes, the wildlife around the lake and in the catchment is very healthy.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Now what we've got to try and do something about
0:10:40 > 0:10:42is the future of the lake itself.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Since a speed ban was imposed on Windermere in 2005,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52things on the surface are pretty tranquil.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53But it hasn't always been this way.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Windermere has a long association with speed
0:10:57 > 0:11:03and the lake became a mecca for water-skiers, as Ben Fogle discovered in 2006.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Things really took off after the First World War,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18when people started using the lake in search of an adrenaline buzz.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21It then became the stage for numerous
0:11:21 > 0:11:23world record-breaking attempts.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It wasn't just about boats.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32During the Second World War,
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Windermere was home to a secret factory producing the RAF's famous Sunderland seaplane.
0:11:37 > 0:11:44Quite simply, Windermere became synonymous with speed.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The Boat Museum here at Windermere is a testimony to that history.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56David Matthews showed me around.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- Tell me about this.- This is Canfly.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05She's very special cos she's the first Windermere speedboat
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and she's called Canfly
0:12:08 > 0:12:10cos she can fly.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12The engine was used in an airship
0:12:12 > 0:12:15that did patrols over the North Sea in the First World War.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Like many other speedboats,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21because they'd developed big, powerful compact engines
0:12:21 > 0:12:22during the First World War,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26these were brought in and put into boats
0:12:26 > 0:12:30which gave the impetus to speedboat racing on Windermere.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31What's her speed?
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Probably she would do no more than 35, 40 miles an hour.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38They did very long races, about six-hour races,
0:12:38 > 0:12:39right round the lake,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41which must have been an awesome sight.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44What happened after the Canfly?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48They developed various forms of hydroplane, with powerful engines
0:12:48 > 0:12:52and that gave it the introduction to speedboat racing
0:12:52 > 0:12:56in a much more organised manner and, indeed, world record attempts as well.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Does White Lady II come after Canfly?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Yes, she's about ten years after Canfly.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07She's very important because she's the early prototype of a stepped hydroplane.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The hydroplane is where they're lifted off the water?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12She's skimming on the water.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- What sort of speed? - 50 or 60 miles an hour.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- It's almost double... - A significant speed. Yes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22As engines got more powerful, so did Windermere's addiction to speed.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25In 1956, Norman Buckley set a new world speed record
0:13:25 > 0:13:30reaching 79 miles per hour in his boat Miss Windermere III.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31So what do we have here?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33This is Miss Windermere IV.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35These were record attempt boats really.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38They achieved speeds well over 100 miles an hour.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40They've got fantastic exhaust pipes coming out.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44These were Jaguar engines and things and every year more development
0:13:44 > 0:13:46would take place to get more speed out of them.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Boating was an expensive hobby.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It wasn't until after the Second World War
0:13:55 > 0:13:57that this began to change.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Enter The Albatross,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02lighter than anything the lake had ever seen.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Tell me about the development of The Albatross.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09If you go back to the 20s and 30s,
0:14:09 > 0:14:15it was a very specialised and upper-class, only people with significant money could do it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Boats weren't production lined or anything.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24After the Second World War, with the knowledge of building Spitfires of riveted aluminium,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27they started building these and started a production line.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29What strikes me is that it's so small.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Doing 30 miles an hour in this on the water must feel very fast.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Very enjoyable!
0:14:36 > 0:14:42It's... And they're very exciting and very manoeuvrable.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46They don't have a gearbox. If you turn the engine on, it goes.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49So there was nothing for it but to have a go.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Observing the new 10mph speed limit, of course.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54And what a privilege it was
0:14:54 > 0:14:57to be a tiny part of Windermere's boating tradition.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01And it's not every day you get to see the lake in such glorious weather.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15But Windermere's speed demons weren't just happy on the lake.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They were constantly looking for new thrills.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22It was from the lake that some of the world's first seaplanes took flight.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27Some of the earliest seaplanes were gliders towed along at high speed
0:15:27 > 0:15:29until they could get airborne.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33In the Second World War, the RAF built a factory
0:15:33 > 0:15:35on the banks of the lake to make Sunderlands,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38the Air Force's antisubmarine planes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46The seaplanes would hurtle along Windermere at 90 miles per hour
0:15:46 > 0:15:48before finally taking to the air.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52There are only two left in the world but it's claimed that one remains
0:15:52 > 0:15:53at the bottom of the lake.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Tim, tell me about your family's search for the missing Sunderland.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Years ago, me and my father spent two weeks out on the lake
0:16:00 > 0:16:02with all the latest technology,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05painstakingly searching and unfortunately we didn't find it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- Does the myth pervade?- Well, it does.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11There are still people who still say they were there, they saw it happen,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13but we're pretty sure it's not.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- It's your very own Loch Ness mystery. - That's it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19As boats got faster and lighter,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23a new craze came to Windermere - water-skiing.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25How long have people been water-skiing here?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29We believe that Windermere is where it started. Back in 1922
0:16:29 > 0:16:31people were skiing behind steamboats
0:16:31 > 0:16:34back in the early 1920s, before the Americans.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- So is water-skiing an integral part of the lake?- Very much so.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Last year there was a ban introduced, a 10mph speed limit
0:16:41 > 0:16:44which has put an end to competitive water-skiing.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's still open to skiing, but below 10mph.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51That sounds strange, but a lot of beginners do ski at that speed.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53So I'll be your guinea pig for this year?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56That's right, Ben, that's why we've got you kitted up.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01The face says it all.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Wow, was I glad to lift myself out of the water.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Don't be deceived by the sun, it was freezing!
0:17:07 > 0:17:09But what a fantastic setting!
0:17:09 > 0:17:16Then time to brace myself for that icy water all over again.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31I'm heading north now to Ambleside in the heart of Lakeland.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Ambleside had an industrial past, producing charcoal,
0:17:34 > 0:17:35bobbins for the textile industry
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and machine tools used for quarrying the local slate and stone.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43The distinctive blue-green slate is world renowned.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47In fact, it's rumoured that billionaire Bill Gates
0:17:47 > 0:17:51spent £1.5 million just to line his swimming pool.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53With the decline of traditional industries,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Ambleside has had to adapt.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58These days, it's biggest business is tourism,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01which has touched every part of village life.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06With over 15 million tourists visiting the Lake District every year,
0:18:06 > 0:18:11I'm interested to hear what it's been like for local people who have lived through all the changes.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14In the face of tourism, the locals may argue
0:18:14 > 0:18:18that the basic necessities in Ambleside have suffered.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21So how does life today compare to the past?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23There were very few cars at all.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Groceries and a lot of things came by cart.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Everybody shopped in the village
0:18:27 > 0:18:30because all the shops were in the village.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32We had everything you could want, actually.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Now that isn't so.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35You can't get...knickers!
0:18:35 > 0:18:37You can't get your knickers here!
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Where do you go for your knickers, Joan?
0:18:40 > 0:18:41You've got to go to Kendal,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44or I suppose people buy these days online or by catalogue.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47But, no, there are no - what I would call useful shops -
0:18:47 > 0:18:50so it's changed in that way quite a lot.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Has tourism been a bad thing for Ambleside?
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- It's our only industry, anyhow. - It is.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57We are 100% dependent on it.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59We are very lucky. We have a twelve-month season now.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04All the restaurants, cafes, hotels,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07they were all closed in wintertime, whereas now,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10they're open all year round.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14What's your opinion about houses that have been bought as second homes?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- That is a problem.- Yes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19A lot of them are empty all winter, they don't come in winter -
0:19:19 > 0:19:21or they don't come all the time anyway.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26And they were houses that could have been used for family houses. Not now. So it's a waste.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Whilst tourists are the lifeblood of the Lake District's economy,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33there is a price to pay.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39Property sales to second-home buyers can make it hard for local people to get on the property ladder.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Lucy Nicholson runs a busy bistro in Ambleside,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but she's aware of the challenges young people face.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47So 20 years ago when you started,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51were there many cappuccino and carrot cake venues here?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Not at all! Cappuccinos were definitely the prevail of the Italians.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I see you employ lots of young people here.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Do you think that contributes to them staying in the area
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and keeping talent and being able to have jobs and houses?
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Yes, I do, and I think this particular area, I think the Lake District in general
0:20:09 > 0:20:13has a mass of really, really solid businesses
0:20:13 > 0:20:17that are well known, well respected,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and it is our duty as, I suppose, custodians for the future,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25that we make sure that we do actually give people
0:20:25 > 0:20:27the privilege, to empower them,
0:20:27 > 0:20:32to actually work within the area that they were brought up and lived in.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Tourism is an essential part of her business.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38But the pressure on local house prices
0:20:38 > 0:20:41has had an impact on Lucy's own family.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42I've got four daughters,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46one of them works with me here in the business and lives in the village,
0:20:46 > 0:20:51although she doesn't own a house. She'd very much like to. Unfortunately, for people living
0:20:51 > 0:20:57and working here, it is unlikely, with the current climate, that they can get on the market.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Leaving Ambleside and its people behind,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I'm on the move again, northbound to the village of Rydal.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Rydal was the home of Lakeland poet William Wordsworth.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14It's become a place of pilgrimage and a popular location for those second-home buyers.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Of course, I'm a tourist here as well. I've got my collected poems of Wordsworth, very nice,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26and because it's getting dark, I'm going to need my very own second home.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31But the place where I'm staying tonight is a second home with a difference.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34OK, it's only my home for the night,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36but I'm staying in a Mongolian yurt,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40on a campsite you can visit all year round, with minimum impact
0:21:40 > 0:21:43on the environment. A yurt is a type of shelter,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47lived in for thousands of years by tribes from Iran to Mongolia.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51And now here, in William Wordsworth's back garden at Rydal Mount.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54This is my first time in a yurt,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and I'm not quite sure what to expect.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Wow!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Look how big it is!
0:22:00 > 0:22:05My goodness, modern camping, but not quite as luxurious as this.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Stove,
0:22:07 > 0:22:08double bed,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10single bed...
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Wow, this is incredible.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22This is a far cry from the tent pegs and musty canvas of childhood camping, this kind of camping,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I could well become accustomed to.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And these are the kind of noisy neighbours I don't mind
0:22:32 > 0:22:34once in a while.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53I had a pretty good night's sleep in my yurt last night. It was full of dreams,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57but I think I was sleeping really lightly, as I don't normally camp on my own,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59so you tend to be really aware of every single sound.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05And last night, it got very windy with the trees roaring, then the yurt made a few odd squeaks.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10It wouldn't shake, it was very sturdy. And it was very dark in there, which was lovely.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16And the fire was going, so it was really warm, which was such a unique camping experience.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And then waking up to birdsong, which is such a treat, always.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So, yeah, thoroughly recommended.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28A quick wash and brush-up and I'm hitching a lift from Rydal,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31through the Grizedale Forest, to another famous Lakeland landmark,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Coniston Water.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50We're in the Grizedale Forest now, as were Countryfile, back in 1990,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54when the Arts Society had just won a highly prestigious award.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58For more than 500 years, Grizedale has been managed by man.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Generations of foresters have left their mark on these 10,000 acres.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07This century, the biggest impact has been the massive plantations of conifers.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13With all the tourist pressures these days on the Lake District,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Grizedale is still a perfect place to get away from it all.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Nestling in a fold in the hills, in the converted outbuildings of a long-vanished manor house,
0:24:22 > 0:24:27is the Theatre-in-the-Forest. It's run by the Grizedale Society,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30a charity devoted to bringing the Arts to a rural audience.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41While we were there, a rehearsal was going on for a piano recital.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46This stage sees all manner of entertainment, from lectures to full-scale drama,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48many of them with a rural theme.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And it makes money, attracting audiences from all over the country.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Bill Grant, Grizedale's former Chief Forester,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00started the Arts Centre 21 years ago. He's built up a thriving complex,
0:25:00 > 0:25:05which includes an art gallery that's become a showplace for forest-linked exhibits.
0:25:05 > 0:25:11Even the children's adventure playground was designed by a sculptor.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15It's all part of the intention to show art in action, amid the trees.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The arts have a place in the rural environment.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22It's not just the prerogative of towns and cities,
0:25:22 > 0:25:28but it can play a major role in a place like Grizedale,
0:25:28 > 0:25:33where it's overlying a working situation. Grizedale is a large, commercial, working forest,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38production forest, with a lot of people working in it, and the Arts fit like a glove.
0:25:38 > 0:25:45This harmony is exemplified by a sculpture in local wood of an organ. It's one of more than 60 pieces
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- of modern sculpture that blend into the forest. - There's nowhere in Grizedale
0:25:49 > 0:25:56where you see two sculptures at the same time. This is different to a sculpture park, where it's usually
0:25:56 > 0:26:00a fairly confined area, and there's sculptures all over the place,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04all within vision. But here, each one is specific to its site.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09They find the site, and then they conceive something which fits in with the landscape,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- that fits with that particular site. - Some are hard to spot at first,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18like these wild boars, made from materials found in the surrounding woodland.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22These sculptures have been paid for with revenue from the theatre,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and they're sited well away from the working areas of Grizedale.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30The idea is to help visitors appreciate not only the skill of the artist,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33but the beauty of the forest.
0:26:33 > 0:26:39Nine years after that Countryfile visit, The Grizedale Society
0:26:39 > 0:26:42decided to leave its sculptures with The Forestry Commission,
0:26:42 > 0:26:43close down the theatre
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and concentrate on visual arts.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I'm meeting Deputy Director Alistair Hudson at the Society's new premises,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51on the edge of the forest,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55to find out what passes for contemporary Lakeland art today.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- So why have you moved here? - Well, I think, by the 1990s,
0:26:59 > 0:27:04these sculptures in the forest had lost currency within the art world
0:27:04 > 0:27:09and movements in art and we really wanted to bring that back up to date.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14One of the problems is that the environment of the forest is a very particular environment
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and people's ideas of it have changed since then as well
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and everything is more connected with the global situation.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Hence we moved here to Lawson Park Farm,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27which is an iconic Lake District hill farm,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30with a long history to it. So, for an arts organisation,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33it's a perfect vehicle to try out all the ideas
0:27:33 > 0:27:36that we're looking to attempt in this new location.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42Lawson Park is a historic Lakeland hill farm, once owned by Victorian art critic John Ruskin.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46It's being refurbished to become the headquarters of the Society
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and accommodation for artists.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52So, Alistair, what do artists actually do here?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Well, um... it's quite similar in a way,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58in that the artists used to go and work in the forest,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01alongside the foresters, in that working environment.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04What they do now, in this expanded version of Grizedale,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07is they come here and they work on this farm
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and they work in local communities
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and work in communities in rural situations abroad as well.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16The organisation is now a network of projects,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18both locally and internationally,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21into which the artists are placed.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25The Grizedale Society's mission is to make artists and art
0:28:25 > 0:28:27more useful within the local community.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31This is a project by the Urbania Art Collective.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Interesting.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39How accessible is this art to local people?
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Um...it's very accessible. In fact, we are part of the community.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47This farm is looked at as being within the parish of Coniston.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49We've done a number of projects with the village,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53including reviving a water festival, events in the village hall,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57and inviting people to come here and take part in this project
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and this farm and bring their ideas,
0:29:00 > 0:29:02to rethink how a farm might work.
0:29:02 > 0:29:09It seems Grizedale is one rural arts scene which has left its 20th century ideas back among the trees.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Whether art stays in the wood or not,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14as long as there are trees here there will be wildlife,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18as John Craven discovered all those years ago
0:29:18 > 0:29:20but he had to be very (very quiet).
0:29:20 > 0:29:26Dawn in the forest and life is stirring in an area specially reserved for its wildlife.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Together with the chief ranger, John Cubby,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33I'm waiting in one of the hides, hoping to catch sight of red deer.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Some mornings they stay hidden but today we're lucky.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Because deer damage commercial woodland as they feed, they are allocated areas of their own.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46- (WHISPERS)- It's an important herd of reds which we have at Grizedale.
0:29:46 > 0:29:53As far as we know, they're the only indigenous herd of woodland red deer in England.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Never had any introduced park blood.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58And they really are superb animals.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00How many are there?
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Well, there's in excess of 100 at the moment
0:30:04 > 0:30:07but the population varies a bit,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10depending on the age and stage of the forest.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15The combination of deer fencing,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17timber extraction,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20ever-increasing numbers of the public...
0:30:20 > 0:30:24means it's becoming a bit more difficult to see them all the time.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28So it's very important that we have these quiet areas,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31scattered throughout the forest,
0:30:31 > 0:30:36where we don't encourage the public to go, so the deer can have a bit of peace and seclusion.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39One or two of the deer management areas
0:30:39 > 0:30:42we do have covered by observation nights.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47That's where members of the public can come and...
0:30:47 > 0:30:52try to see wildlife in its natural surroundings.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Looking in our direction now. Do you think he's spotted us?
0:30:56 > 0:30:57They're off.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01The older hind just got suspicious for one reason or another.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05It may just be a puff of wind got back to them.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10They will all follow her example and get out of it pretty quickly.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15So it's the old hind, not the stag, who gave the warning, really?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Nine times out of ten, it's the old matriarch who takes them away.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20Off they go.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27My journey so far has taken me across Windermere,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31then due north to Ambleside and on to a hint of Mongolia in Rydal,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35before snaking my way south through the Grizedale Forest.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38I'm heading for the Old Man of Coniston,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41but first of all, I've got to cross Coniston Water -
0:31:41 > 0:31:45the Lake District's third biggest lake.
0:31:52 > 0:31:57I'm meeting Johan, who's going to take me across in his Canadian canoe.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Hello, here you go.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01- Is that for me?- Try that for size.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06- Good guess!- It is.- Is that mine? - Grab a paddle, yes, that's for you.
0:32:06 > 0:32:12- Pop that there. If you could sit in the front, that would be helpful. - I'll sit on the back here.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- Walk right down to the front.- Yes. - Mind the flasks.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20- We might stop for a brew later. - Good, like the sound of that.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Fantastic. Great.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Light as a feather, eh?
0:32:26 > 0:32:28OK.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41What's special about the Canadian canoe?
0:32:41 > 0:32:44They can be used to transport quite heavy loads,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46like a lorry for the lake.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50They're versatile and easy to paddle when laden,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53as well as being able to cross large expanses of water
0:32:53 > 0:32:55and you can even sail them.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58So they're the most versatile boat, really.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Well, Johan, I've got to head up to the top of the old Man of Coniston.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- Wow, do you know how high it is? - ELLIE LAUGHS
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- Go on, tell me.- It's 803 metres, which is pretty high.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22- There's a bit of snow as well. - I'm weary just thinking about it! - It's quite a cold one.- My word!
0:33:22 > 0:33:23There's an inversion.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27You can see the clouds below the summit at times, which is beautiful.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31It's a stunning place to be on a day like today - barely a breath of air.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- I hope so.- Hardly any wind.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37- It's pristinely clear and calm.- It is.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52We've already seen how this incredible landscape has inspired writers and artists over the years.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57While I could wax lyrical about Jemima Puddleduck and Beatrix Potter,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Ben Fogle is more of a Swallows And Amazons man.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04He came to Coniston in 2003 to spark his childhood imagination.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Swallows And Amazons - the classic British children's novel,
0:34:14 > 0:34:19made into a film and set in the Lake District - my favourite as a child.
0:34:19 > 0:34:25It combined all the ideals of lakes, islands and, of course, sailing.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Over here, we've got an exact replica of the Swallow
0:34:29 > 0:34:32but this one is the real Amazon used by the children.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34These boats are clinker-built -
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- the planks overlap - with rivets along the side -
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- a design first used by Vikings. - This boat dates from 1920.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45One reason it was used is it's so stable for small children...
0:34:45 > 0:34:47and big ones!
0:34:47 > 0:34:52Over there is the boathouse where all the adventures began.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57This is Bank Ground Farm on the northern shores of Coniston Water.
0:34:57 > 0:35:02It's in Arthur Ransome's book, and in the film, as the Swallow's fictional holiday home.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05The farmhouse bed and breakfast is still here
0:35:05 > 0:35:09and so is the landlady who let the cast and crew in 30 years ago -
0:35:09 > 0:35:12not that she knew what she was letting herself in for.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17They said, "We'll have a shot there, one there, then talk about money."
0:35:17 > 0:35:21To me, with seven kids, I thought this was great
0:35:21 > 0:35:23and they offered me £75,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26which 30 years ago was a lot of money.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- And so I didn't know what was going to happen.- So what happened?
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Well, they came...
0:35:33 > 0:35:35And there were double-decker buses,
0:35:35 > 0:35:40- they took the whole house over, - redecorated it,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44took every room over, shifted beds from here, beds from there,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46sideboards from here, sideboards from there.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51In the end, they were about three quarters of the way through it,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55when somebody said to me, "Stop them."
0:35:55 > 0:35:58So I closed the gate at the top with a chain
0:35:58 > 0:36:03- and told them what I wanted, and... - Which was what?
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Are we allowed to know?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Um... £1,000.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13- Which was a lot.- A lot of money from £75, weren't it?
0:36:13 > 0:36:16A lot of money, yeah.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19'And pay up, they did.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'Swallows And Amazons is unashamedly a children's film.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'Adults play only a very small part.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26'But, for this film,
0:36:26 > 0:36:31'there was something more than just good acting skills needed.'
0:36:31 > 0:36:36The most important thing was that they survived the sailing.
0:36:36 > 0:36:42Of course they were going to be in boats without life jackets.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47And, at times, in slightly treacherous conditions.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50The wind changes so quickly on this lake
0:36:50 > 0:36:53that they have to know what they can do.
0:36:53 > 0:37:00And their ages varied between 8.5 and 13.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04So, how did you fit all the children and a whole crew in one of the small boats?
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Well, that worried us a bit before we started filming.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09So we designed a pontoon.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12And it was shaped rather like this.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Like a cross.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18About 20 feet long.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22And the boat fitted in like that.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26It was tied there and tied there. And the boom would come out.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29And then we could put a camera track round there,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32we could put sand standing there.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35We could have lights there if we needed them.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Then, when we needed to do another part of the boat,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40we moved the boat round to there,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43and then we moved the track round to there,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45and so on, according to where the wind was.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49And this way, we could have complete sound coverage,
0:37:49 > 0:37:54get all the pictures we'd want and not get in the way of the children.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Another of the film's locations that's right here
0:37:57 > 0:38:00is this small wooded island just waiting to be explored.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Peel Island at the south end of Coniston,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05used as Wildcat Island in the stories,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08it's the very same island that the children discover in the film.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12This is the secret harbour on Peel Island...
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Although, today, it's not quite so secret!
0:38:14 > 0:38:18This is where the Amazons made secret markings so that they could navigate
0:38:18 > 0:38:20their way through the treacherous rocks.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24'Typical, beaten by some modern-day Amazons!'
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Hello, Amazons. Have you been for a swim already?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- ALL:- Yes!
0:38:28 > 0:38:30It's a bit cold!
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Lovely, though!
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Too cold for me, anyway. I'm off to explore.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Peel Island and much of the shore around the lake is owned by the National Trust.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42It can be explored by anyone,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44although you will need a boat to get here.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Filming was great fun for everyone.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Because the actors were so young, they couldn't work long hours,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53so the crew would finish early and enjoy their surroundings.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57The two young actresses, Suzanna Hamilton, who played Susan,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and Sophie Neville, who played Titty, were inseparable.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03You haven't seen each other for quite some time now?
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Not for a very long time.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- Probably about 30 years, I think something like that.- Yeah.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Since the premiere!
0:39:10 > 0:39:14The Arthur Ransome books were so popular with children and still are,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16being able to play out all of those things!
0:39:16 > 0:39:20What was it like at that time? Having all these adults around filming it?
0:39:20 > 0:39:24- It was fun.- It was really fun. I think we were really privileged.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And we knew it, I think, to an extent.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30I think we did, we inhabited our parts
0:39:30 > 0:39:34without any of that sort of, erm... Method.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36What did you think of Claude as a director?
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- We loved him.- We loved him. And he gave us danger money...
0:39:40 > 0:39:42He gave us danger money, he gave us overtime.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46The swimming scenes, Claude had to pay us big time for that.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- We got £2...- I only got £1! And I went in more than you!
0:39:50 > 0:39:51And you went in twice!
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Was that quite difficult, to get in that cold water?
0:39:54 > 0:39:56- It was melt water. - We don't mind that, that's fine!
0:39:56 > 0:39:58She was brilliant - I minded!
0:39:58 > 0:40:02But when you came out, you were all wrapped in a blanket.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06It was cold, the lakes are cold, yeah.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07Shall we have a dip now?
0:40:09 > 0:40:10No!
0:40:11 > 0:40:15In the film, the children's exploits were usually at the expense
0:40:15 > 0:40:19of actor, Ronald Fraser, who played the Amazons' Uncle Jim,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21better known as retired pirate, Captain Flint.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25He lived on a houseboat, which comes under friendly attack at the end.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29And he comes to the same sticky end as most pirates...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And this is Uncle Jim's houseboat,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36which was never really a houseboat at all.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38In fact, it was never even on Coniston Water,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41it was shot here on Derwentwater.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44It was carefully modified by filmmakers
0:40:44 > 0:40:47and then returned to its former glory as a passenger launch.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51And it's still used today - the Lady Derwentwater.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Swallows And Amazons has become part of the history of the Lake District
0:40:55 > 0:40:57around Windermere and Coniston.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00When Arthur Ransome wrote the book, he was trying to recreate
0:41:00 > 0:41:03an idealised version of his own childhood.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07He succeeded in inspiring generations of other childhoods,
0:41:07 > 0:41:08including my own.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12And I think that's exactly why the film is still enjoyed
0:41:12 > 0:41:14by children and adults alike even today.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Because there's a part of all of us
0:41:16 > 0:41:20that wishes we could go back to those innocent and perfect times.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37From the glassy stillness of Coniston Water,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40I'm now off to tackle more rugged terrain.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I'm coming to the end of my Lakeland journey and I've saved
0:41:45 > 0:41:48the best till last - getting up the Old Man of Coniston,
0:41:48 > 0:41:53which is just 800 metres as the crow flies and 800 metres up...
0:41:53 > 0:41:55'The Old Man of Coniston
0:41:55 > 0:41:58'is a fantastic landmark in this part of the Lake District
0:41:58 > 0:42:01'and marks the highest point in the Furness Fells.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03'And I'm here to meet some fell runners
0:42:03 > 0:42:05'who have been inspired by a local hero.'
0:42:05 > 0:42:08This is Eskdale in Cumberland and this is the Upper Esk.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Magnificent, tough, brutal countryside,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15the training ground of Joss Naylor, the king of the fell runners.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Joss Naylor is a sheep farmer turned fell runner
0:42:19 > 0:42:21from Wasdale in north-west Lakeland.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Following success in his youth as a cross-country runner,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28later he turned his hand to the epic sport of fell running.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Fast-forward 20-odd years to the age of 50,
0:42:30 > 0:42:35and his feats included running seven Wainwright Walks in seven days.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Then at the sprightly age of 70,
0:42:37 > 0:42:42Joss ran 70 Lakeland fell tops in under 21 hours.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46he was awarded an MBE for his services to sport and charity
0:42:46 > 0:42:50and he's been noted as one of Britain's top 100 sports personalities.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58I'm meeting one of Joss's disciples and running partners, Barry Johnson.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Tell me about one of your happiest memories up here.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06Um, I think one in particular, we ran all day.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- We ran for about 16 hours.- Wow!
0:43:09 > 0:43:13I promise you, the craic, or as they say up here, the talk,
0:43:13 > 0:43:19was just constant, because Joss is just a lover of the environment.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23He's so involved in it. He's Cumbrian out and out
0:43:23 > 0:43:27and he knows every little track you go on, every sheep trod,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31every little lake that you go past. A real treat to be with.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Well, Joss couldn't be with us today.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52He's sunning himself on a Spanish beach.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56But three years ago, he made this video diary for Countryfile.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00My name is Joss Naylor and my sport is fell running.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03I live at a place called Grey Nail in the Lake District
0:44:03 > 0:44:05and today I'm gonna go up Seatallan,
0:44:05 > 0:44:08which is one of the mountains behind my house,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11for the 100th time this summer.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20This year in particular, it was my 70th birthday.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23I thought, well, I'll do 70 Seatallan's for a start.
0:44:23 > 0:44:28I started about the 7th or 8th of April
0:44:28 > 0:44:32and I got my 70 in on the first day of June, which was good.
0:44:36 > 0:44:42Fell running in this area is mostly longer distance stuff, that I do.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44It's maybe 15 to 25 miles long
0:44:44 > 0:44:49and takes about seven and a half hours to run it.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52The young men would maybe do it in about five,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56so I'm still managing to get round, which is what I aim to do.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01This is the Millennium Seat I built. It's been built about six years now.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05I decided to build it cos we had a Millennium Bridge down there
0:45:05 > 0:45:08which was built by William Dixon in 1900
0:45:08 > 0:45:12and this little seat here was built in the year 2000.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Obviously I don't use this seat when I'm out running,
0:45:15 > 0:45:19but when I walk the dogs during the winter and times like that,
0:45:19 > 0:45:24I sit down for five or ten minutes just to take the views in.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35It was in 1960 there was a mountain trial up there
0:45:35 > 0:45:38and the organisers wanted to know if I'd like to have a go.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42And I did. That was the first one. I had no running shoes or anything.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44I just ran in my work boots
0:45:44 > 0:45:47and took my knife and cut the legs out of my trousers
0:45:47 > 0:45:49and away I went.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52It keeps you fit. I know I've ran now all these years
0:45:52 > 0:45:53and I've taken no harm.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56I think when I started running I was about nine stone
0:45:56 > 0:45:59and today I'll probably still be nine stone.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00I had a medical the other day
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and the doctor said I was half a stone too light.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05I'm not gonna do anything about it,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08I'm not gonna have an extra plate of porridge or anything.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I'm just gonna continue as I am today.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13If I can go up the fells, I'll continue going up them.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15I get a lot of pleasure out of it.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Today it's gonna be magic cos we're going up for the 100th time
0:46:22 > 0:46:25and you might say, oh, that's silly going up there 100 times.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29But anybody who says it, just let them go and do it 100 times.
0:46:29 > 0:46:30And I hope if they do,
0:46:30 > 0:46:34they get the pleasure out of going up there that I've had.
0:46:34 > 0:46:39I promised my wife I won't do any more of these multi-distance things,
0:46:39 > 0:46:44you know, running for 24 hours and she's much happier about it.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47She thinks maybe I'm getting rather old for doing them
0:46:47 > 0:46:51and she said she terminating my licence for doing them!
0:46:51 > 0:46:53I better just behave myself.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59Well, that's just great.
0:46:59 > 0:47:04That's 100 times I've been up Seatallan this summer
0:47:04 > 0:47:06in all sorts of weather.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11There was one morning I came up on here and it was just blowing us off.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13I had to lay down on the ground three or four times
0:47:13 > 0:47:17and hang on to the grass. It was blowing the dogs away.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19They were lying down behind us.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22The only bit I've got to do now is the wall
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and that's the jog back home.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35In 1990, Joss set up the Joss Naylor challenge
0:47:35 > 0:47:38to provide a fell running target for people over 50.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41But his celebrity transcends age barriers.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44He's also been an inspiration for Ben Abdelnoor,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48who's the men's team captain of the Ambleside Fell Runners.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51So, Ben, why fell running in the first place?
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Um, it's something I've really wanted to get into.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57I've always come on holiday to the Lake District
0:47:57 > 0:48:00and come walking with my family and I enjoy road running.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02It just seemed a natural progression.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05To get out in the hills running and just enjoying being out.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08- Making it harder up in the hills? - Yeah, yeah.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11So you had quite a serious accident, is that right?
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Yeah, about four years ago I had a paragliding accident
0:48:14 > 0:48:18which left me with a broken back. It took a while to recover.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21That's serious. How long did it take to recover?
0:48:21 > 0:48:25It was a year before I was even able to start running again.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29Yeah, it was fairly serious. So, to get a call from Joss, which I did,
0:48:29 > 0:48:31was a real inspiration to me.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33What was it like getting the call from him?
0:48:33 > 0:48:36It was a bit strange, actually. I got back in and my dad said,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40some old bloke was on the phone, I didn't quite catch his name.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44It sounded like Ross or something. I explained afterwards to him, I said,
0:48:44 > 0:48:47it's the equivalent of getting a call off, I guess, David Beckham,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50so he was my hero who I quite looked up to.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53So to get a call from him was pretty amazing, yeah.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57Running over this terrain is a real test of endurance
0:48:57 > 0:49:00and certainly not for the faint-hearted.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03I've only covered a very small part of the fell
0:49:03 > 0:49:06and I'm already exhausted.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17'My trip today has taken me up fell and down stream,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19'from the shores of Windermere
0:49:19 > 0:49:21through the tourist buzz of Ambleside,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24'to the serenity of canoeing across Coniston Water.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27'Now I'm nearing the upper reaches
0:49:27 > 0:49:30'of the Old Man of Coniston and I'm trying my hand, and feet,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33'at a brand-new way of walking, an all-over body workout
0:49:33 > 0:49:36'that burns nearly twice as many calories
0:49:36 > 0:49:38'as a typical stroll.'
0:49:38 > 0:49:41So, fell running was plenty of good fun,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44but I think I'm going to enjoy this pace much, much more.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Martin, what is this that I'm attempting - very badly - to do here?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49- This is Nordic walking.- OK.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52It's like trekking with poles.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57It's an exercise technique and we're using the poles to help propel us forward.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- Yeah.- It means we're working our upper body,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02which means we're using more muscles,
0:50:02 > 0:50:06because we're using more muscles, we'll burn more calories than ordinary walking.
0:50:06 > 0:50:07Because the poles help us along,
0:50:07 > 0:50:10most people find it easier than ordinary walking.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12You burn anything up to
0:50:12 > 0:50:1546% more calories than ordinary walking,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18but it feels easier. It takes some of the load away from the knees,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21some of the load away from the hips.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24It's very good for your back, and just nice to be out, really.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28So it's cardio and it's working muscles that you wouldn't normally work on a walk?
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Absolutely. You're working your arms, your back, your chest,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34- and you feel it quite quickly.- Yeah.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36So what's the technique here?
0:50:36 > 0:50:40The idea is that the poles are angled back behind us.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41They're propelling us forward.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44We're swinging from the shoulder, so it's normal movement,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47normal walking movement patterns,
0:50:47 > 0:50:52and that means it's a very safe exercise for almost everybody to do.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55It's always tempting to do leg with leg, isn't it,
0:50:55 > 0:50:56but it's the opposite you need to do?
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Yeah. It's why people need to...
0:50:58 > 0:51:01Even having a single session, learning how to do it,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04- makes a world of difference to what you get from it.- Yeah.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08- It makes it much more effective. - So who's doing this Nordic walking?
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Well, lots of people all over the country.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14Nordic Walking UK has trained over 650 instructors,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18and that includes areas like Manchester, London, the Malverns -
0:51:18 > 0:51:21rural areas as well as urban areas.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Poole Borough Council run classes on the beach on a Monday evening
0:51:24 > 0:51:28and people wear head torches and the classes are full even in the evenings.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32- People can feel self-conscious. - Yeah!
0:51:32 > 0:51:36We recognise that and we get jokes like, "Where are your skis?" and "Where's the snow?"
0:51:36 > 0:51:40But less and less as people see it more. It means that people want to do it with somebody else.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43You don't feel so self-conscious when you've got a friend.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48If you've got a friend, you're much more likely to go out and do it, and enjoy it socially as well.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53Fantastic. I think the fact it makes you so much fitter, THAT much more fitter, is amazing.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57It's a really easy exercise to learn and a really easy exercise to do.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Do it with somebody else. You're getting out in beautiful surroundings.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- It's a winner all round. - Let's keep going.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Well, I've come to the end of my journey through the Lake District
0:52:19 > 0:52:22and what a beautiful spot to finish up on.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Join us next time on Country Tracks.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd