0:00:20 > 0:00:23We have a Country Tracks with a difference.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Normally, we seek out the countryside,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31but today, we're as far from it as you can get - the centre of London!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'm seeking out the of the best green space
0:00:34 > 0:00:36our capital has to offer.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47'My journey begins in the Square Mile,
0:00:47 > 0:00:53'London's historic financial centre, seeking out a very special oasis.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'Next, the short hop to Pepys Street, where a new hotel
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'is showcasing Europe's tallest green wall.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:05It's not just a hotel for paying guests. It's a hotel for wildlife.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'Leaving the Square Mile, I'll head north to Dalston,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13'where I'll be checking out a farm in a shop.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:17There isn't a project like this in the world.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'I'll end my journey in the open space of Hampstead Heath,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23'where I'll take the plunge,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'swimming in its historic ponds.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:37Along the way, I'll be looking back at some unusual wildlife films made here in London.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46'London is one of the great cities of the world.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'Many of its historic landmarks are famous the world over,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'having survived plagues, fires and bombardment.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58'The city welcomes more than 20 million visitors every year.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01'Many visit London's well-known parks,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'but I'm on a quest to find green spaces
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'in more unexpected places.'
0:02:07 > 0:02:12London's a massive city. I live here, but I didn't grow up here.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15There's loads of parts that I haven't been to.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19I'm hoping we can uncover some gems on my journey today.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22'Over the centuries, London has sprawled outwards,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26'creating a vast urban landscape.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29'And yet, there are precious pockets of green,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'even here, in London's financial heartland.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:37I've been cycling round the City hoping to find an oasis
0:02:37 > 0:02:41to set the tone in my quest to find London's best green spaces.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I hope my destination is just round the corner.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51'This beautiful ruin is St Dunstan's in the East.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55'A church has stood on this site since the 11th century.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01BIRD SONG
0:03:02 > 0:03:06'Today, it's no longer a place of worship,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08'but one of quiet reflection,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'almost totally reclaimed by nature.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I love places like this.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22This has great architecture.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26It's being reclaimed by the trees and bushes, by nature.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31It's just a place to come, sit, relax, leave the office,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35turn the phone off, leave the nagging boss behind.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Take a bit of time for yourself, just sit, think and relax.
0:03:46 > 0:03:53'The original mediaeval church was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57'It started only four streets away, where a monument still stands.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05'In the years following, the church was rebuilt,
0:04:05 > 0:04:12'including a tower by London's great architect, Sir Christopher Wren.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Catastrophe struck again in 1941, during the Second World War.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The German bombing campaign, which became known as the Blitz,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23devastated huge parts of central London,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26including right here in St Dunstan's.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31But, luckily, Wren's beautiful tower survived.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'The ruined church became derelict and abandoned.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44'Then, in 1967, the Architects and Parks Department decided
0:04:44 > 0:04:46'to turn it into a garden.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51'Martin Rodman is in charge of looking after
0:04:51 > 0:04:53'the City of London gardens.'
0:04:53 > 0:04:58Martin, here we are in the centre of the business Square Mile.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Why was this ruined church turned into a garden?
0:05:02 > 0:05:08The City of London has always had a very passionate and forward-thinking
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Open Spaces Committee.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Back then, in 1967, when we purchased the space from the Church,
0:05:14 > 0:05:20the Trees, Gardens and City Open Spaces sub-committee had a vision
0:05:20 > 0:05:25that you should see a tree from every corner in the Square Mile.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28After the Second World War, there was the opportunity
0:05:28 > 0:05:32to buy up lots of small bomb-damaged pockets of land
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and many bombed-out churches.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38It's thanks to their vision that we have so many open spaces.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42You can hear a bit of traffic but, considering there's a major road,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44it's pretty good.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Cladding it with climbers deadens the noise, soaks up pollution.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54You don't realise that Thames Street is just a few metres behind you.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58I've seen quite a few people around, but do people come here a lot?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They do. They come in their droves.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06We have 330,000 commuters coming into the Square Mile every day.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09No disrespect to Heron Tower and to the Gherkin,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13they're wonderful but you can't tell the seasons from steel and glass.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It's the right space in the right place.
0:06:16 > 0:06:22People come to see the changing of the seasons and to get away from that office environment.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29'What an amazing sight that church is!
0:06:29 > 0:06:34'It never fails to amaze me just what you can find in London.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37'Even bee-keeping is thriving here.'
0:06:40 > 0:06:43'It's an ancient method of food production
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'flourishing in the heart of the capital.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51'Orlando Clark and Steve Benbow are among those who harvest London's honey.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Bee-keeping in the last three years has become almost fashionable.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01People are wanting to produce their own produce, like keeping chickens.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07It's a way of producing a product and putting it on your table.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11The idea of bee-keeping's very popular at the moment.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14In the association I'm a member of in Twickenham,
0:07:14 > 0:07:19we've had over a 40% increase in membership in two years.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I've ended up with two acres in King's Cross.
0:07:25 > 0:07:31I keep a dozen hives up there, plenty in my back garden.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I've also got bees on my allotment, over towards Brixton.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42We were asked to install hives for Fortnum and Mason three years ago, here in Piccadilly.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47They're based on architectural designs such as Mogul and Gothic.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Each has a different facade.
0:07:49 > 0:07:56They're oak with a gold-leaf finial and a fantastic copper roof.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Height is key to keeping bees in an urban environment.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03They're out of sight, they don't drop down to street level
0:08:03 > 0:08:05and start hassling people.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08They head out at that height,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12drop down to what they're foraging on, then work their way back.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16They'll fly up to three miles so there's plenty in London for them.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27In an average city garden like this, with neighbours on both sides,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29about 15 hives, maybe,
0:08:29 > 0:08:36somewhere in the region of half a million bees in the middle of summer!
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Bees can come in with honey from April to the end of October.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Beginning of November, I've seen honey coming in.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50I was ten or 12, the first time I'd gone into a reference library.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54I remember picking up three books. One was on ventriloquism.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Which I'm still no good at!
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The other one... There was one on printing presses.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The third book was on bee-keeping.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10I was fascinated by that and got the rest of the books on bee-keeping.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I started keeping bees on the back of my council block in Bermondsey,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17a brilliant place for keeping bees.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19They would head off across London,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22bringing in the most amazing honey.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27So we give them a little puff to say we're coming.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30This generally calms them down.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34They think there's a fire. They gorge themselves on honey.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39They're a bit more passive to deal with - hopefully.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43In the city, I've worked on an average of a hive producing
0:09:43 > 0:09:46about 50 pounds of honey a year.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48My best hives have been producing
0:09:48 > 0:09:54between 120 to 160 pounds of honey over the last three years.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58At this time of year, they're coming in with lime honey.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's got a real bittery sort of taste to it.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I love that honey.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08It's a fantastic honey on fruit or mixed with yoghurt.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's a really lovely honey.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Then, later in the year, you get almost like a butterscotch honey.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19That's really complex and different to honey from the countryside.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23On a day like this, when the sun's shining,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25it's just rained, everything's fresh,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29the bees are working nicely and buzzing around,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31there's nothing I'd rather be doing.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36It's really relaxing, very enjoyable, almost meditative.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41One of the great things about keeping bees in the city is the variation of forage.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46There's usually something in bloom that the bees can be feeding on.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50You've got so many diverse flowering plants and trees,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53people replacing bedding plants in their gardens
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and in these fantastic parks.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01You don't have the same agricultural pesticides and herbicides used.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04The bees seem to thrive a little better.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09And it's great for bees because they continue to fill up their stomachs
0:11:09 > 0:11:12with the most amazing nectar sources.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21You can hear the sound of traffic below
0:11:21 > 0:11:25but above it all is someone is tending their bees,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29often oblivious to the other people in the city and I like that.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I think it's quite fantastic.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35I think people are interested
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and engaged with where their food comes from.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43I think bee-keeping is another strand of that overall interest.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49'The bee-keepers of London.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57'I'm on a journey through Britain's capital city in search of its hidden green spaces.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'I've moved on from the secret garden in the ruins of St Dunstan's,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05'and travelled a couple of blocks to Pepys Street,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'still in London's Square Mile.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Most people going along here keep their eyes at street level,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16but if you do happen to glance up,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20you'll catch a bit of green, an enticing peek
0:12:20 > 0:12:22of Europe's tallest living wall.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30'The Mint Hotel on Tower Hill opened in December 2010,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'a modern building close to the Tower of London.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'Its unique selling point is an astonishing
0:12:37 > 0:12:39'vertical garden
0:12:39 > 0:12:43'born out of a push to bring biodiversity into the Square Mile.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48'Landscape construction specialist Aidan Lane designed a garden
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'that defies gravity.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54'It's made up of modules of soil,
0:12:54 > 0:13:00'each carefully slotted into place to create a towering wall of green.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'I'm here as monthly maintenance is carried out,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'but it doesn't need much work.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'The plants were carefully chosen to stay fresh all year round.'
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Aidan, this living wall is incredible.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16What's going on right now?
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- These two guys on this hoist? - They're checking the moisture.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23They're also checking the foliage
0:13:23 > 0:13:27and removing any dead branches that may be there.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You designed this. What was the brief?
0:13:30 > 0:13:35I was quite keen to have a biodiversity wall.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Again, having a number of species, which we have here 45,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41rather than having one species.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It gives more interest for the hotel guests.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48How many plants in total are used on all the walls?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53- In total, about 180,000 plants. - 180,000!- Yeah.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55How does this help biodiversity?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I look at it like a little green lung for London.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03The cities and urban areas are under huge stress at the moment,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05particularly in biodiversity.
0:14:05 > 0:14:11We need to get bees into the urban areas, and moths, caterpillars,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14butterflies and invertebrates.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19It's not just a hotel for paying guests. It's a hotel for wildlife.
0:14:19 > 0:14:26- What are the benefits for the wider environment?- We've got to look at the urban heat island effect.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31You've got a lot of concrete and tarmac. Cities are getting hot.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35It's taking in carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37so you're getting clean air.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42We're also helping to cool down the cities, and that's a big plus.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46How does this help with flooding problems that cities are prone to?
0:14:46 > 0:14:51The green infrastructures, the walls and the roofs will soak up the rain,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55but they will hold between 40% and and 100% of that rainfall.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58If it does release that water,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01it will be several hours after the flash floods.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06How much potential is there to open up roofs and spaces to be green?
0:15:06 > 0:15:10All new buildings are having green infrastructure, which is great.
0:15:10 > 0:15:17The big picture is the retro-fit of existing buildings, getting roofs and walls onto those buildings.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I'll give you a stat.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23If you took a six-kilometre radius from Trafalgar Square,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28there's a potential 10 million square metres of retro-fitting green roofs.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Imagine what that would do in terms of biodiversity, water attenuation.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36It's incredible, but it needs commitment from government,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40individuals and companies to make it happen.
0:15:48 > 0:15:54It's been a revelation seeing these visionary projects bringing nature into the urban environment.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58One in an old church, the other here at this brand new hotel.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Not only is it nice to just see greenery around you,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07but I really believe it makes sense on every level.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14'Walk a couple of hundred yards south and you come to the river.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17'The Thames is 215 miles long.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23'As it passes through London, it creates one of the world's great urban waterfronts.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Over the centuries, the Thames has been a source of food,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30a transport artery and a place of recreation.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32As London grew bigger and bigger,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37man's activities had an increasingly negative impact on this great river.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Industrial waste and sewage had a devastating effect on water quality.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47So much so that, in 1957, the river was declared biologically dead.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52'The good news is that the Thames recovered.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'It's one of the cleanest capital city rivers in Europe,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58'home to 125 species of fish.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04'Some end up at Billingsgate Market, but when angler Charles Rangeley-Wilson went,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'he was looking for something specific -
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'wild trout caught in London water.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'If it's true that the Thames is cleaning up
0:17:28 > 0:17:32'and its fish are nosing their way up-river,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35'then the fishmongers at Billingsgate will know.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39'They may even have a few fish from the estuary.'
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Red snapper. Won't find that in the Thames.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Sea trout.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- Ever get sea trout? - Like ginger-headed girls. Very rare!
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- Not that rare!- Aren't they? - It depends where you go.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Have you ever heard of them?- Yeah.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- You do see them.- They show up? - They are rare. Why, I don't know.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I'm trying to find trout in the Thames.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Er... I don't know if Lee does them over there.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18He does have a few sea trout, but why they're rare I don't know.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Salmon's coming back. - It's a lovely river.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Underestimated now. Years ago, you'd catch the flu out the water!
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Diabolical!- It was dead really. - Terrible.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- All right?- Fascinating.- Fantastic.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'The Thames was once so prolific,
0:18:34 > 0:18:40'it supported hundreds of fishermen catching thousands of fish for the market.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Some amazing stuff here.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49'But in the early 19th century, it was suddenly suffocated
0:18:49 > 0:18:51'by sewage and industrial pollution.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54'Everything perished.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:58You don't have sea trout?
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Do you know where I can get one? - You can try Lee's.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Right, OK.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Can I help you? - Are you Roger?- Could be.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I want to pick your brains.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Not a lot of 'em, sir.- All right!
0:19:19 > 0:19:26- I was talking to your man down there...- Michael.- ..about fish out of the Thames estuary.- Yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30He says you might know if they come in occasionally.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34We got herrings, we got sprats, we got Dover sole, skate.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39This time of year you get a tremendous amount out of the Thames.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42There's more fish now caught out of the Thames... Yeah?
0:19:42 > 0:19:47- More fish now... What's he want? - Seven and a half pounds of halibut.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- Yeah.- No problem.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- Right, this time of year... - Roger's a busy man.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's very seasonal fish out of the Thames estuary.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Another two months, you'll get a load of sprats.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05The Thames has never been so clean for 100 years than it is at this time.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09If you go off Westcliff, which is right on the Thames estuary,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12there's even a colony of about 12 to 15 seals.
0:20:12 > 0:20:19Which is a tremendous sign that it's clear and the fish is good, there's enough for them to eat.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So it's got better and better.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Do you ever hear about sea trout in the Thames?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29On the odd occasion. We have had them on the odd occasion.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31We do have them on the odd occasion.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Thank you very much. That's such good news.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39There's boxes of fish here from the Thames estuary.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43I didn't expect to find a sea trout on a slab
0:20:43 > 0:20:49from the Thames, but he's heard of them so that's fantastic.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53'It's the clue I'd hoped to find.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58'The real test is whether the sea trout can get beyond the Thames
0:20:58 > 0:21:00'and spawn in London's once-dead rivers.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08'This amazing fish can live in fresh and salt water,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10'as brown trout or sea trout.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'To catch either would be a miracle.'
0:21:16 > 0:21:22'We'll be catching up with Charles later to see whether he finds that elusive fish.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'My journey through London continues.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31'On the Thames sits the Tower of London.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35'It's been a prison and a place of execution since the 11th century,
0:21:35 > 0:21:40'and remains one of the city's most imposing buildings.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:44This place has seen its fair share of famous people.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Before she was Queen, Elizabeth I was incarcerated here, Guy Fawkes was tortured here
0:21:49 > 0:21:54and Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn, lost here head here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58'Today, it's one of London's principal tourist attractions.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04'Those visiting can't help but notice its resident population of ravens.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09'Chris Skaife is Yeoman Warder, as well as the Tower's Raven Master.'
0:22:13 > 0:22:18I look after the safety and the welfare of the ravens at the Tower.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The first part of the day is to let the ravens out their cages
0:22:22 > 0:22:26so that they can go and find their territories.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Good morning, Erin. How are you today? Come on, darling.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Out you go.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Ravens are fed on a diet of meat,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and they're fed twice a day.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39The public have a tendency to feed them,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44but they don't really like crisps or cheese and tomato sandwiches.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47There we go, girl.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51An ancient legend says, should the ravens leave the Tower of London
0:22:51 > 0:22:55it would crumble into dust and a great harm befall England.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00I have quite a responsible job to ensure that doesn't happen.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04They are wild birds. We trim their flight feathers
0:23:04 > 0:23:06to keep them on the ground.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08We do that every two to three weeks.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12It's like cutting their nails. It doesn't harm them in any way.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20There are six ravens, by Royal decree.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22This came about in 1660,
0:23:22 > 0:23:27when Charles II was restored to the throne of England.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Is that good?
0:23:29 > 0:23:33You're like a baby, aren't you? Eh?
0:23:33 > 0:23:37To be a Yeoman Warder, you have to have served in the military,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42a minimum of 22 years in the Army, the RAF,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44the Royal Marines or the Navy.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49We have to be the rank of a Warrant Officer and above before we retire,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and have one of these, a long service and good conduct medal,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55which is 15 years' exemplary record.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00There's a good girl! Gonna say hello? Say hello?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03CAWS Good girl!
0:24:03 > 0:24:06To be the Raven Master,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09there is no set criteria - of course, you need a love of animals.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14It's not just about the day-to-day looking after the birds.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It's about their welfare,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20knowing what they're thinking, knowing their characters
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and understanding the birds' day-to-day needs.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28They look at me as their main alpha male, if you like.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33The interaction of ravens with the tourists, we keep to a minimum.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35They are wild birds.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I keep them wild. They are not friendly towards the public.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Although we do have some odd public that go up there
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and try to put their finger in a bird's mouth, they will bite.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52I have a fabulous job at the Tower of London. Who can be called the Raven Master?
0:24:52 > 0:24:57It's an honour to live and work inside the Tower of London.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02'The Tower of London's wonderful ravens.
0:25:02 > 0:25:09'So far, we've seen, hidden away among the buildings and streets of central London
0:25:09 > 0:25:13'little pockets of green and a hint of wildlife.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17'In the southwest of the city,
0:25:17 > 0:25:22'Bill Oddie headed to one of the more famous open spaces
0:25:22 > 0:25:25'for a breathtaking early morning sight.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:27I haven't nipped up to Scotland.
0:25:27 > 0:25:33I'm barely five miles from Westminster,
0:25:33 > 0:25:39in Richmond Park, London's biggest nature reserve.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43These are red deer.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51It's barely...half past four in the morning.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Not surprisingly, it is wonderfully peaceful.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Very surprisingly, it's wonderfully natural, too.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I love the way the light's changed.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20In the last half hour, it's gone from blue to pink to orange.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Some rather splendid stags around.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39You can identify individual stags by the points on their antlers.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44They call them a ten-pointer or 12-pointer.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Some of these have got more than that.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Oh, dear, oh dear!
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Look at the state of that!
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It's very hard to believe
0:27:04 > 0:27:07we're almost in the middle of London.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11The heart of the city has to be the river. That's half a mile away.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20The vast majority of the banks along the River Thames in London
0:27:20 > 0:27:25are not natural, they've all been shored-up with bricks and concrete
0:27:25 > 0:27:28to make sure they don't fall into the river.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31This is one of the very few stretches
0:27:31 > 0:27:35of what you could call a genuine wild river bank.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Even this is in danger of disappearing.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Why? Not development. Nothing like that.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46It's all because of a rather sinister little creature.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53So, what made all these holes in the river bank?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57A rat? No. I wouldn't keep a rat in a bucket!
0:27:57 > 0:28:01The holes were made by a crab, or rather hundreds of crabs.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I have one representative here.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06There he is.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11This is a Chinese mitten crab. This is quite a small one.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16They can grow to the size of a dinner plate. They come from China.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18They appeared about 100 years ago.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Probably in the water ballast of cargo boats.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26The mitten bit, that's these claws on the front here.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30They're sort of furry, and when that gets in the water, it swells up
0:28:30 > 0:28:33and makes them look particularly impressive
0:28:33 > 0:28:36along with these nice white claws,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39for the male to show off to the female.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42But he has been rather naughty.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46He and his chums have been causing an awful lot of damage.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51They make these burrows. The banks are being riddled with these holes.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56They're eroding all along the natural shoreline
0:28:56 > 0:28:58and trees are collapsing.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Fortunately, I'm going to take a bit of hope.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05A lot of cormorants, a lot of herons around here.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Crab, perfect food for them, I say.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Herons? Cormorants?
0:29:12 > 0:29:16'Bill Oddie, and just some of London's wildlife.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19'I've left the Square Mile behind me
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'and my journey's brought me north to Dalston
0:29:22 > 0:29:25'in the borough of Hackney.'
0:29:25 > 0:29:30This is a really busy area - lots of people, lots of traffic.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35Tarmac, concrete. It's not exactly the place you'd look for a farm.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39But I'm told there is one right here in this shop.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58This is Farm:Shop, quite a unique place.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Part farm, part greengrocer, part community centre, part cafe.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05This is their farm-made ginger beer.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10You'd struggle to find any other place like this in London.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15'Andy Merritt is co-founder of Farm:Shop.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19'The aim is to create a place where food is grown and sold,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22'where urban dwellers can experience food production,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26'get in touch with nature, have a cuppa and maybe be inspired
0:30:26 > 0:30:30'to try something similar themselves.'
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- Andy, I'm Joe.- Hello. - Good to see you.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35This place is incredible.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38How come there are fish right here by a main road
0:30:38 > 0:30:42in almost your front room of the Farm:Shop?
0:30:42 > 0:30:47We wanted to do a laboratory of food growing in London.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49So we got this average London shop
0:30:49 > 0:30:54and we're testing to see how much food we can grow.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Aquaponics is one of the food systems that we're using.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03Talk me through aquaponics. There is so much activity in the room.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Water dripping, fish feeding, plants growing.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08It's all one system.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12It's basically fish linked up to vegetable growing.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It's like a mini ecosystem.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19All the poo, basically, from the fish
0:31:19 > 0:31:21provide the nutrients for the plants.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26At the same time, because these plants are sitting on water...
0:31:26 > 0:31:31- Oh, yeah. There's no soil. - No. They're on air-filtered water.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34It means the roots are nice and healthy,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38feeding off the faeces from the fish
0:31:38 > 0:31:40and filtering the water.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42This whole system's linked together.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47By the time it gets back into the tanks, the water's a bit cleaner.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51They don't look like British coarse fish. What are they?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54They're tilapia, Nile tilapia.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- The second most farmed fish in the world.- Are they?- After salmon.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01A lot of countries eat them.
0:32:01 > 0:32:07- Are they good eating?- Yeah. They're like a white-fleshed fillet. You get two fillets.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11They're good for aquaponics cos they're immune to diseases
0:32:11 > 0:32:14so they can grow in these small conditions.
0:32:14 > 0:32:20That's how they live on the Nile. It's a big river, but they group together!
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- If you see, some of the fish have got pink heads.- Yeah.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28They're the ones that are the bosses.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32If you take them out, another fish will take up their mantle.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35- And they'll get a pink head. - Wow! So it's very tribal.- Yeah.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39So you can farm the fish. You can eat them.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43You've got your salads, different plants, all in one system.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47I've never seen anything quite like it, especially in this location.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49In the centre of a city,
0:32:49 > 0:32:53we're pretty sure there isn't a project like this in the world.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00'And from shop-front aquaponics, we come to back-yard farming.'
0:33:02 > 0:33:04So, here we are in the polytunnel,
0:33:04 > 0:33:09- where we're growing in something called soil.- I've heard of that!
0:33:09 > 0:33:13In a polytunnel, it extends our months of growing.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16There's a sense of scale here. It is all very small.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- It's in very urban London.- Yeah.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22So, you know, how does that work?
0:33:22 > 0:33:26- If everyone said, "I want salad," you couldn't really do it.- No.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Food growing is one part of it. It's also educational.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Because we're in the city, a lot of people can come in here,
0:33:34 > 0:33:39see how the food's growing, which they normally wouldn't be able to.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Because normally, you buy your food, it's already packaged up,
0:33:42 > 0:33:47you don't really understand how it's been grown.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Here, you can see something turn from seed to plant to plate.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55That educational side is very important.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57We want it to be fun.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02The technology is also quite engaging to younger people.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07- They're not particularly interested in dirt.- Can you keep it going?
0:34:07 > 0:34:13Is there enough in this to make it sustainable from the point of view of paying for it?
0:34:13 > 0:34:15It's a non-profit organisation.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Because we're in the city, we've got a lot of people around.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24We want to use the space for other things as well as food growing.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27We can do talks. We have bands playing.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- I noticed a glitter ball. - It turns into a dance area!
0:34:30 > 0:34:33We're very adaptable!
0:34:33 > 0:34:37We also see the limitations of how much food you can grow
0:34:37 > 0:34:39in a small shop and backyard.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44So we have been looking into using other bigger spaces in London.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49There are warehouses empty around here, and other large buildings.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54- We'd like to turn those into farms as well.- Great. Let's go.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03'Finally, it's up to the roof to check on the hens.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06'There's a chicken coop in Dalston!
0:35:06 > 0:35:08'Out of reach of those urban foxes
0:35:08 > 0:35:12'and laying plenty of eggs for Andy's shop.'
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- So here they are!- Yeah. We've got four hens on the roof.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20They've come from a farm that's just outside of London.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24They've been laying ever since.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28- You've got something for them? - A bit of leftover basil for them.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Just the rough cuts so we can feed them.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Let's see if we've got any eggs.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- Have they laid?- Yeah. We've got one.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Pretty good.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46One healthy little egg.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Ah!- Got two more.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Two more!
0:35:51 > 0:35:55- How many do you normally get a day? One each?- Three or four.- So, three.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Pretty good day.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Very good! There we go.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06A proper Dalston egg, metres from Dalston Junction.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10- Thanks for showing me round. We should get these on display.- Yes.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29It's its own little world in there. I can't believe that's in the heart of Dalston!
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Absolutely brilliant.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46'Earlier, we saw angler Charles Rangeley-Wilson embark on a quest
0:36:46 > 0:36:49'to track down wild trout in a London river.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52'After a fruitless search fishing all over the capital,
0:36:52 > 0:36:59'his journey has now pushed him to the city's outer limits.'
0:37:04 > 0:37:07'Right from the start of my search,
0:37:07 > 0:37:12'I had a resigned suspicion that I'd end up on a train to the suburbs,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15'to the far end of the Underground,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19'to a different tidal zone of struggle between the sprawling city
0:37:19 > 0:37:22'and what is left of wild countryside.'
0:37:22 > 0:37:25It's the last day of the season.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29I've been chasing my tail all over London for a week.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I feel I've been on a ghost hunt.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37Lots of people with stories of trout but I haven't seen any.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46But there's a river I know of, flows under the M25 to Rickmansworth
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and there's some fishing there by the playing fields.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54I've got a feeling, well, I really hope,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57that I'll find my trout there.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07'Of the handful of chalk streams still flowing towards the city,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10'the tiny River Chess in northwest London
0:38:10 > 0:38:12'was always one of the best.'
0:38:15 > 0:38:16Looking for a way in here.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21Just yomp on through the bushes, see if we can find the river.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Bit of a fence.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Ah! Looks like Borneo!
0:38:40 > 0:38:44No-one's been along here in a long while. Here we go.
0:38:46 > 0:38:52This chalk stream is right on the margin
0:38:52 > 0:38:56of the countryside that way, the other side of the M25,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and the very edge of London over there.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It feels very rural and very unspoilt.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09I know that's deceptive,
0:39:09 > 0:39:15because this river relies for its flow on underground springs.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19And London is just over there.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23I can hear it throbbing away in the background.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26It's something of a tick on the landscape,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29sucking the life out of it, out of these rivers.
0:39:29 > 0:39:35I know this river was a great river 150 years ago.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43And my suspicion is that it's just holding on.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Let's see what we can see.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51- WHISPERS:- Oh, wow. It's like a jungle.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53There's certainly some fish down there.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57I think several of them are chub, my friend the chub.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00It looks trouty.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10If there isn't trout at the end of this I'll Napalm the river!
0:40:10 > 0:40:15Conservationist becomes agent of death in a strop.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It's actually dirtying up.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28There's someone walking a dog up-river, I reckon,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31which is not helping.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Dog walkers go away!
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Don't you realise that I'm on a mission?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Come on, trout. Where are you?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Be here!
0:40:50 > 0:40:53There's a fish right in front of me.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56But it's a chub.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15The one thing about the cloudy water is I can get closer to them.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Ah, Christ!
0:41:23 > 0:41:26There's a bunch of kids. They've been paddling.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Some school exercise.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34'The kids have scuppered my chances.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39'As long as they're muddying the water, I won't see any trout.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41'And THEY won't see my fly.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44'I need to find a secret corner,
0:41:44 > 0:41:49'somewhere that's been left alone for a while.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54'I move upstream to the hard shoulder of the M25.'
0:41:58 > 0:42:02TRAFFIC RUMBLES
0:42:02 > 0:42:05I've lost the river.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10TRAFFIC RUMBLES, BIRDS SING
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Good-looking hole,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31but more or less impossible to fish.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40'I haven't given up trying,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43'but I've given up believing.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52'I'm depressed, ankle-deep in an emaciated stream.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00'What I've come looking for seems beyond reach.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05'This was always a personal journey,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09'but I'm surprised how personal it's become.'
0:43:21 > 0:43:23What is this? What is this?
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Wa-hay!
0:43:26 > 0:43:28It's a trout.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31Stay on the line. Stay on the line.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Get in there. We have done it!
0:43:38 > 0:43:41We have done it. I've proved it.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44They're here. Magic!
0:43:46 > 0:43:48Out of the middle of nowhere.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53I thought I'd chuck the fly and see what happened. Look at that!
0:43:53 > 0:43:56It is such a beautiful fish.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59A trout inside the M25.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06I'm moderately speechless.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11But they're here.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Holding on.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23Look at it.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26It's the first one we've seen.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Definitely worth it.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- It just shows, you see, they're... - CLEARS THROAT
0:44:40 > 0:44:44The contrast between this fish and the road.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46TRAFFIC RUMBLES
0:44:51 > 0:44:53CLEARS THROAT
0:44:55 > 0:44:57But they're here.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00And they're waiting for us to, um...
0:45:02 > 0:45:05..take a bit more care of the environment.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Then they'll come back.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13Just on the edge. You've got to reach the edge, reach that hinterland...
0:45:16 > 0:45:21..between where we're rapidly buggering up the world
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and they can just about hold on.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28And if we can learn to throw
0:45:28 > 0:45:33a few less motorbikes and mattresses and bedsteads in our rivers,
0:45:33 > 0:45:38there's no reason why these guys can't come back into London.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45And, I suppose, honour us with their presence.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I'm going to let him go now.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Job done.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Fantastic.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13They're here.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18A lot more chub, but one or two trout.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23'An emotional moment there for Charles Rangeley-Wilson.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27'Hopefully, the continued recovery of the Thames means wild trout
0:46:27 > 0:46:30'will soon be in the heart of the city, too.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35'My journey has brought me to one of London's truly great green areas,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'Hampstead Heath, in the borough of Camden.'
0:46:44 > 0:46:49Five miles from Piccadilly Circus, up the road from Camden,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52it feels like open countryside - lovely!
0:46:54 > 0:46:57'It could have been a different story.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01'In the 1860s, there were plans to build on Hampstead Heath.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05'Powerful and passionate opposition kept the developers at bay.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07'In 1871,
0:47:07 > 0:47:11'more than 200 acres were sold to the Metropolitan Board of Works,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14'who pledged "to forever keep the Heath open,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16'"unenclosed and unbuilt on."
0:47:16 > 0:47:22'Today, it's owned, managed and protected by the City of London.'
0:47:22 > 0:47:27As capital cities go across the world, London is absolutely superb.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32It has loads of green spaces - parks, commons, little squares, even woodlands.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36On Hampstead Heath, one of the unique features is its ponds.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Three of them you can swim in.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42I'm going to learn more about their history, and take a quick dip.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46First, the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:49:50 > 0:49:57.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07'I've been on a journey across London,
0:50:07 > 0:50:10'finding the countryside in the capital.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15'I started in its very centre, exploring gardens in the City.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19'I headed north to investigate an urban farming project in Dalston.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24'Finally, I've arrived at Hampstead Heath, a rural escape in the city.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32'I'm here to explore its ponds. There are dozens on the Heath.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37'Three have a tradition of public bathing, which continues today.
0:50:37 > 0:50:43'Someone who knows all about the ponds - she's written a book about them - is Caitlin Davies.'
0:50:43 > 0:50:48Caitlin, where do these ponds come from? Have they always been here?
0:50:48 > 0:50:52There's 29 ponds on Hampstead Heath.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54A lot of them, like this one,
0:50:54 > 0:50:59go back about 300 years, and even before that.
0:50:59 > 0:51:05Although they look natural, they were built as reservoirs to supply London with water.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10This one here was probably created early 1700s
0:51:10 > 0:51:13by the Hampstead Waterworks Company.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Some people say it goes back even further.
0:51:16 > 0:51:22In Tudor times, they decided that the City of London could tap the springs on the Heath
0:51:22 > 0:51:24and take water into London.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28- These are naturally spring-fed? - Yes, but it is a reservoir.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30How many can you swim in?
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Officially, only three. The mixed pond.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35- This one.- Also known as fourth pond.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39Then there's the Highgate men's pond and Kenwood ladies' pond.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41This one's the oldest one.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45People have been swimming here since the early 1800s.
0:51:54 > 0:51:59Am I right that tradition continues, people swim all year round?
0:51:59 > 0:52:04People swim all year round but this mixed pond is only open to the public in the summer.
0:52:04 > 0:52:10At the Highgate men's pond, they've still got the Christmas Day race that's been running since 1893.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15'In London's far north, intrepid swimmers weakened on Christmas Day,
0:52:15 > 0:52:19'and warmed the Hampstead swimming pool before preparing to dive in.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24'Everyone pretended they were having a grand time in the sunny south.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40'Spectators managed to keep quite warm in the excitement of a race.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44'Hardy competitors seemed happy to take part in an annual event
0:52:44 > 0:52:47'with the water at 41 degrees.'
0:52:50 > 0:52:52What is it about this place?
0:52:52 > 0:52:59Was it because it was a clean water source, people could swim safely? You wouldn't swim in the Thames.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03People loved swimming here because it was fresh water and free,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05but it wasn't safe.
0:53:05 > 0:53:10It was really dangerous because people swam in all of these ponds.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Going back to early 1800s,
0:53:12 > 0:53:16people couldn't really swim, it was more of an immersion than a swim.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21- How deep is it?- Now, it's about 12 feet deep in the middle.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's much shallower over there, about six foot.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28The depth's varied. At times, it was only four foot,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32which is really dangerous for people diving in.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36You've done so much research, what stands out for you?
0:53:36 > 0:53:42- Some interesting characters must have come here.- I've been swimming in these ponds for 40 years.
0:53:42 > 0:53:48I'd never asked myself, "Where do the ponds come from?" or "Who used to go there?
0:53:48 > 0:53:53What struck me most was the men's pond, which opened in 1893,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57had the first professional diving stage in the country.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01The history of diving, life-saving, swimming clubs,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03all of this goes back to these ponds.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22'The ponds attract many regular swimmers,
0:54:22 > 0:54:25'like Hampstead local Margaret Dickinson.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29'As I'm new to this, she's a good person for me to talk to.'
0:54:29 > 0:54:33- Hello, Margaret.- Hi. - Mind if I join you?
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- No!- What's the temperature like? - Not too bad, is it?
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Ah! A bit parky! Not too bad!
0:54:39 > 0:54:42I understand you're a regular swimmer.
0:54:42 > 0:54:47About six days out of seven, most of the year.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51- Most of the year?- Yes!- Come January, would you be in one of the ponds?
0:54:51 > 0:54:55- I would.- Where do you like to swim out of the three?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Weekdays, I do it mainly here.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Weekends, I do it at the women's.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02Morning always, before breakfast.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05And how does that set you up for the day?
0:55:05 > 0:55:10It's a cliche, it sets us up for the day. That's exactly what we say.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Well, it ensures you get a walk.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16And, of course, in winter, it's a token swim.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20Don't imagine that we're going round and round in winter.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22No! It's kind of in and out.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25'I'm impressed by Margaret's tenacity,
0:55:25 > 0:55:30'but I don't think you'd catch me stripping off for a dip in January.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35'Luckily, today, the water is a scorching...17 degrees Celsius.'
0:55:35 > 0:55:40Any tips for me? I'm not used to cold water, so take it a bit slow?
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Yes, don't swim too violently when you first get in.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48If you're not liking it, get out, don't do it just for the camera.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51I make a point of not listening to directors.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55I do my own thing, don't you worry about that.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03I know from dipping my feet in that it's pretty nippy.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07If I try and lower myself in, I'd be here all day.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10So, I think it's all or nothing. Here goes.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23And breathe!
0:56:33 > 0:56:36'This has been a Country Tracks with a difference.
0:56:36 > 0:56:42'Even though I'm a London resident, I found so much I didn't know about its green places and wildlife.
0:56:42 > 0:56:47'A beautiful garden created in the ruin of a bombed church,
0:56:47 > 0:56:49'the marvel of a living wall,
0:56:49 > 0:56:54'fish returning to the city's rivers and a farm in a shop
0:56:54 > 0:56:58'all speak of our yearning for nature within the city.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03'There can be no better example than ending my journey in the cool waters
0:57:03 > 0:57:05'of Hampstead Heath.'
0:57:07 > 0:57:11When you first get in, it definitely takes your breath away.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15But as soon as you swim around, it's not that cold at all.
0:57:15 > 0:57:20And look at it! It is just so peaceful, so quiet, so tranquil.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22And yet, here we are in London.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:39 > 0:57:43E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk