0:00:20 > 0:00:22Hello. Today, I'm on a journey through Norfolk,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26taking in the wonderful wildlife this county has to offer,
0:00:26 > 0:00:27starting here, on the Broads,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30and ending up on the North Norfolk coastline.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Hey, Mark. How are you doing?
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Once in the waterways of the Norfolk Broads,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I'll paddle to the outskirts of the village Skeyton,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45where I'll set up camp for the night, testing out my survival skills.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Not the most glamorous way to get into bed, but I think it's going to work.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54From there, I'll head south to Hethel, a tiny village
0:00:54 > 0:00:56with a churchyard teeming with activity.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Next stop, Morston Quay,
0:00:59 > 0:01:04where I'll take a boat out to Blakeney Point, looking for the seal colony that live there.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09- You need these guys to be here, to come out and see them?- That's right.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11We wouldn't be in business if it wasn't for the seals.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Finally, I'll travel to Hunstanton to catch a glimpse
0:01:15 > 0:01:18of the incredible nightlife on the sand dunes.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Along the way, I'll be looking back at the very best
0:01:22 > 0:01:25of the BBC's rural programmes from this part of the world.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Norfolk has a rich and varied range of habitats,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39from the wild north coast to the busy waterways of the Broads.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44A landscape for every imaginable creature, common and rare, watery or winged.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50And as it's the fifth-largest county in England, there's plenty of room for the wildlife to roam.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Despite all of the water, Norfolk is actually the driest county in the UK
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and although the Broads look like they've been here forever,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00they are, in fact, man-made,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03created by peat digging here in the Middle Ages.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Peat was used as fuel and the holes which were left once the peat was gone
0:02:13 > 0:02:17eventually filled with water as the tides rose.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Now, there are 200km of navigable Broads as a result.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Mark Wilkinson and his faithful companion, Mr Darcy,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29are guiding me through the waterways in a canoe.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Mark runs an outdoor-adventure company specialising in canoeing and bushcraft
0:02:33 > 0:02:36and regularly takes people out on the water.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Who comes on these trips with you? Cos you do this regularly, for different people?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43We do. We have all sorts of groups.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Everything from Scout groups, all the way through to families,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50so, yeah, everybody.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54And, Mark, your lifestyle has changed incredibly over the years.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- You haven't always done this, have you?- No. I wish I had.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I spent 20-odd years in the financial industry.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- I used to be regional manager for a pensions company.- Wow!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I just hit one of those points in life -
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I think some people call it a mid-life crisis -
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and I sat down and looked at my life
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and decided I never wanted to be in finance,
0:03:14 > 0:03:19I never wanted to do that, and before I popped my clogs
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I was determined to try and do something I wanted to do.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Talk me through what's ahead. We're canoeing at the moment
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and then we'll try and stay out on the banks of the river tonight?
0:03:27 > 0:03:33Yeah. Basically what we've done is we've negotiated with the landowner, so we can use some of the land,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- cos wild camping is not allowed on the Broads at all.- Yeah.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So we've got a site where we will haul into the woods,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42we'll build some shelters to sleep under,
0:03:42 > 0:03:48- we'll cook over open fires, and after that, who knows? - A complete adventure.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55We're starting out paddling downstream on the River Bure
0:03:55 > 0:03:59at the very north of the Norfolk Broads, close to the village of Oxnead.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02There are Broads and there are Broads.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I think of Broads with big motor cruisers, so how come it's so quiet here?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Basically, we're on the unnavigable stretch of the river,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13so the Broads run up and through the river system,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17but then you hit a lock. Obviously, that stops the river cruisers from getting here.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22Canoes are the only way down here and even that is not so easy,
0:04:22 > 0:04:28cos getting in and getting out, and finding places to get in and out is quite difficult as well.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33Mr Darcy has just popped up. Is he always a paddling companion of yours?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- Yes. He comes everywhere with me. - He's been doing it for years and he's well-trained.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Obviously, we're in a pretty sturdy canoe here,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44but how would people have traditionally come along this stretch of water?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48In the old days, they used to transport the goods all the way up to Aylsham,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51which is a market town in North Norfolk,
0:04:51 > 0:04:52in a boat called a wherry,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55specifically designed for coming up Norfolk rivers.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Because they were sailing boats, they needed the wind,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02so whenever a tree popped its head up the wherrymen used to cut it down.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06- So, suddenly a very clear passage along the river?- Exactly.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You find that there are long stretches with no trees at all.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16We've passed a few reed beds. What sort of landscape do you tend to see from low down on the water?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Early in the year, when the plants haven't grow up,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21you get a good view over the landscape.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25As the year goes by and it grows up further and further,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28the nettles in particular just start to block it out a bit.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31But then a lot of the wildlife comes down to the riverside.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36So you get to see the reed warblers and the sedge warblers.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39You get lots of birds that come right down beside the river.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Our destination is further downriver,
0:05:43 > 0:05:48where later Mark will teach me how to survive under the stars for the night.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The Broads are hugely popular for boating and sailing.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury discovered more about the people
0:05:57 > 0:05:59who use these waterways, past and present.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Today, more than two million people visit the area each year.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Events like the Thurne Mouth Regatta are a real draw for tourists and sailors alike.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13The Broads and boating, traditionally it started out as a transport infrastructure network
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and these days it's far more a holidaymakers' paradise
0:06:17 > 0:06:19to come to the Broads. Today, the regatta is people
0:06:19 > 0:06:23who are sailing on the Broads and enjoying themselves.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25So this is the annual big do for them all?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27This is one of the regattas on the Broads.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30There's a range of regattas through the season.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Thurne Mouth Open Regatta, which has been running since about 1947,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37is what we like to think, because it's our club, the premier regatta
0:06:37 > 0:06:40of the river network, for sailing on the rivers.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Tell me the history that goes alongside the Cock Of The Broads race.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The trophy originally was designed and presented
0:06:47 > 0:06:51to try and find the fastest river cruiser on the Broads network.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53These days, because of the handicap system,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57not necessarily the fastest boat will win the Cock Of The Broads.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02It may well be you will have a slower boat which, due to handicap, has a chance of winning the race.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- But the river cruiser is the class of boat that's competing?- It is.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10- A river cruiser is just going past. - They're lovely.- They're beautiful. Some used to be hire boats
0:07:10 > 0:07:13you would have been able to hire for a holiday on the Broads.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I'm taking part in today's blue-ribbon event
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and I'm joining the team known as the Pink Ladies.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20The skipper is Hilary Franzen.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Nice to meet you. Look, I found the brightest, pinkest jacket I could.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- And it so suits you! - Just for you. Pink ladies, yes?
0:07:28 > 0:07:34- Fantastic.- She, he?- She.- Beautiful. - Always a she.- Tell me about her.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Her name is Martlet. She's 102 years old.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41She was built on the Broads. My parents bought her
0:07:41 > 0:07:42when I was eight years old
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and they raced her here at this very regatta
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and used to help run the regatta.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53They sold her in 1984 and I was heartbroken.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56But nine years ago, I tracked her down and bought her back.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Right, what do you want me to do? I'm a spare pair of hands.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I'm not very good, but I'll do whatever you tell me to.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- Right, you are the jib puller. - OK, I've done that before.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07These are called sheets, as you may know.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13When the jib is on the port side of the boat, you pull it in here.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17When the wind comes the other side, from the starboard,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21- you pull it in there.- Right, just shout out to me and tell me, "Pull!"
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Whatever it is I have to do.- Yes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27- I'm a hard taskmaster.- That's OK. I'm a hard worker. We'll be a good team.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29While the regatta is getting under way,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I've come to see one of the oldest types of vessel
0:08:32 > 0:08:34to sail these Broads.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The Albion is one of only two remaining black-sailed trading boats,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40or wherries, as they're known.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'She was built over a century ago, when hundreds of boats like her
0:08:47 > 0:08:50'would have been transporting goods through Norfolk.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53'On a boat this old, nothing is automatic.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57'With no motor to help us, just getting her out onto the river is a challenge.'
0:08:57 > 0:09:03A bit more! 'It's all about manpower and a technique called quanting.'
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Stab it down, turn round, walk up,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10put the old shoulder in, and start walking.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16- My first time quanting and I've pushed it completely off line! - LAUGHTER
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Get my speed up a bit.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Henry, in their heyday, how many of these wherries would have been out on the Broads?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32A good 300 of them. They were the heavy goods vehicle of the Broads.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35They carried everything,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37from grain through to metal,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40through to flour, absolutely anything they could make money on.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43This particular boat could carry up to 40 tons of cargo,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45so just as much as a modern HGV does.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48And no pollution, of course!
0:09:48 > 0:09:53But their demise came about through the growth of the railway system.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59And by the 1900s, they were in a very poor way indeed.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08It went through a transition. Skippers had to find other ways of earning a living.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13They scrubbed out the holds, put in tables and chairs and took people out for day sails.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16So, there were lots of these old working boats
0:10:16 > 0:10:21out on the Broads with finely-dressed Edwardian ladies and gents.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23OK, guys. Prepare to hoist, please.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33We've just come to this junction here and you can really feel the wind picking up.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37As soon as we get the sail up, she's going to take off.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Eventually, working boats like this one were replaced by pleasure wherries.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Today, Norfolk's boats may be smaller and need less muscle power
0:10:47 > 0:10:52but the Albion remains a proud icon of the Broads' boating heritage.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Back at the regatta, the race is under way.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Take the jib and pull it in tightly. We'll jibe round.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Whooh! There it goes!
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Track, please!
0:11:17 > 0:11:23Conditions on the river are surprisingly changeable with the wind speed dropping dramatically.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26But we soon have the finish line in our sights.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30ALL: Hooray!
0:11:30 > 0:11:31We crossed the finish line!
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We may not be the cock of the Broads this year,
0:11:34 > 0:11:40but the Pink Ladies managed a respectable 8th place out of 31 boats.
0:11:42 > 0:11:49I'm paddling in a quieter section of the Broads with bush craft instructor, Mark Wilkinson.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51He's about to show me how to build my own accommodation for the night
0:11:51 > 0:11:58using only twigs and reeds and I need to get a move on as there isn't a hotel option if I fail.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02OK, we need to get moving because of the light levels.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08- Yep.- We are going to start with some saws.- Saws?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12We need to build ourselves a frame.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17- We are going to build a frame for our shelter and then we're going to clad it.- OK.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- We're only building a shelter that you're going to sleep in.- Yes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24We're not going to build a shelter to live in. We haven't got time.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- No en suite?- Exactly, no en suite.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29First off, start taking a look at some of these stems over here.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35This is a hazel. As you can see, previously coppiced so it has plenty of wood for us to get work with.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It's a fast-growing tree.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41So, by taking a few stems out, we're not doing any damage to the tree itself at all.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So, we're looking for, initially, two things.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49One, is our major stem which will be the upright to hold the ridge pole.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54- Yep.- And then our ridge pole which has to be long and straight.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- Yep.- And our upright needs to have a fork in it.- Yep.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02I'm going to get the long, straight pole and I want you to find the "V" forked pole.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04"V" forked pole...
0:13:04 > 0:13:08It's going to need to be... by the time it's planted in the ground,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- the "V" needs to be around about three feet high.- OK.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Yeah, something like that. - That's fine.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Having just spotted one here, is that too thick?
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- It seems to have quite a healthy "V" on it.- It has. That should be all right. That should be fine.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Mark has established good relationships with the landowners
0:13:31 > 0:13:35so it's OK for me to be hacking at this tree.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37I think I've got half a tree here!
0:13:37 > 0:13:41After selecting the perfect stick and with the help of Mr Darcy,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I have to sharpen the end that's going into the ground and trim off the top.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I've managed to find your ridge pole.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54- Thankfully, in Norfolk, the ground is pretty soft but it's mainly all wet.- Yeah!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- So, er... This end?- Yes.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01We're going to build that way with you facing out that way.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- I might have made a rod for my own back here but it's quite a thick piece of wood, isn't it?- Mm.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- This is where those extra few pounds help.- Yes.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15I did have a cheeseburger at lunch!
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- There you go!.- Pretty solid.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Our ridge pole is basically going to come in somewhere like this...
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Looking good! Test in for length? - Exactly. Test it for length.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36You just need your head right by the doorway.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Obviously, what we are taking into account are prevailing conditions.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45If we'd had a blowing wind this way which was likely to carry any rain,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47then you're in the perfect position.
0:14:47 > 0:14:53- Yeah.- Any rain would be going that way and would miss you. - Rather than blow into the shelter.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57- This is absolutely fine where we are now.- Great!
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- All we've got to do now it is fill it up.- Oh, right!
0:15:09 > 0:15:13All this lot needs to do is basically support the thatching material.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17There's loads and loads of it around here, and that is Norfolk reed.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- Some of the best thatching material in the world...- Yep.- ..used on all your country cottages.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24We're going to use it on your shelter.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40Well, I think... Let's just double check. Yeah. Sunlight-free zone.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Not bad, not bad.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47The proof of the pudding, as they say, is going to be if it pours down overnight!
0:15:47 > 0:15:53But, considering the amount of time we've taken to do it, then I think you've done a good job.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Great! We did get our priorities confused, didn't we?
0:15:56 > 0:16:00We built a shelter but forgot to put the kettle on. So... Shall we?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- I think we need to.- Let's keep the fire well away from this!
0:16:03 > 0:16:05LAUGHTER
0:16:14 > 0:16:17As darkness falls, there's nothing else for it
0:16:17 > 0:16:21but to enjoy the warmth of the fire, roll out our sleeping bags
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and get ready for a night in our own hand-made shelters.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29A bit of smoky hot water.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34The shelter, good. In the sleeping bag.
0:16:34 > 0:16:40Not the glamorous way to get into bed but I think it's going to work.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45So... Without more ado, good night.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05'Waking up to the birds and bright sunshine at 7am,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'I've had a good eight hours' sleep.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11'I might not look it, but I feel surprisingly well rested.'
0:17:16 > 0:17:18HE CHUCKLES
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Morning...
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Good morning, good morning.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30That was actually a pleasant night's sleep, I'm pleased to report.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35And it didn't rain, which is great, so everything is nice and dry.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And it all went to plan!
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Look at that. Almost sorry to leave it behind, a warm little cocoon.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So, you're out here all the time doing this.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58What's the best bit of it for you?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01What makes you smile? Is it the mornings?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04To be honest with you, Joe, it's the bit you missed.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08I went out for a paddle this morning at about quarter past six
0:18:08 > 0:18:11and saw an otter down the dike here.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And it's just absolutely stunning.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16As you can hear, it's absolutely quiet. You've just got the birds.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- It's chilled out.- It is a particularly nice morning,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22but no matter what the morning, it's always different.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Always different, yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Depending on the atmospherics and weather conditions,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28you get different animals coming out.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32And yeah, you're away from your computer, away from your phone.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Just chill out, relax. It's the only time I stop.
0:18:35 > 0:18:41We're still in Norfolk. It's lovely, but we're not in a jungle or a mountain range, so we could survive.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44We could probably find a pub or something to eat in or whatever!
0:18:44 > 0:18:46But these skills, how important is it
0:18:46 > 0:18:50they're passed down between generations, different people?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53They have their uses in the real world.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55This is what people don't understand.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Lighting a fire - how many of us have barbecues?
0:18:58 > 0:19:04How many times do we hear of people getting in hospital due to putting petrol on it?
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Well, if they know how to light a fire, it all relays back.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Yeah. So there are still practical applications in our lives,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- and this brings them together. - Very much so. Very much so.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26That was brilliant. There is nothing like making a shelter and sleeping in it
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to give you a sense of achievement.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And if you haven't been camping for a while,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35it's a reminder how great it is to wake up outside, in the fresh air.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37You can't really beat it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Anyway, good weather this morning so far, lots to do today,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43so on to the next stage of my journey.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Norfolk is perhaps most associated with the Broads I just left behind.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But the county also produces British sugar.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Jimmy Doherty travelled to Wissington to find out more.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59This is sugar-beet country.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The vegetable produces 50% of the UK's sugar.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08And this is where most of it comes,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11the British Sugar factory at Wissington.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14It's the largest processor of its type in the world.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21They process three million tonnes of sugar beet a year.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27But this is a business under pressure.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32After decades when the price of sugar beet was guaranteed,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34the industry is having to stand on its own.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38It needs to squeeze every penny out of every beet.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It's doing that by making a profit out of its waste products
0:20:44 > 0:20:48and cutting back on greenhouse-gas emissions at the same time.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Andrew Beresford is showing me around.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The majority of that is water. I've got in there about 75% water.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02I've got about 17% sugar and about 5% fibrous material.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The water we're going to recycle,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07the sugar you're going to buy - thank you very much! -
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and the fibrous material, we're going to sell it off as animal feed.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16- So every little bit of this sugar beet will be used?- Including what's stuck to the outside.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Sugar is still their core business.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Washed, sliced, boiled and spun in a huge centrifuge like a spin dryer,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34the beet is turned into sugar crystals.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41A hundred thousand tonnes of sugar are stored in these huge silos.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46But it's their efforts to re-use all their by-products
0:21:46 > 0:21:49that I'm really interested in.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53You look at this whole process and it looks quite dirty and industrialised,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and you think, "Cor, it must be a big polluter."
0:21:56 > 0:22:00When you see thank you beet coming in, it's covered in mud and stones.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03They wash that off. They don't throw that mud away.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07That is reconditioned and used for the topsoil for football pitches.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The stones are cleaned, and they're sold as aggregate.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12All the green bits they cut off are composted,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and that's taken away and that's used in another process.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21And also, there's a huge amount of hot water that's produced,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and a thousand tonnes of CO2 a day is produced out of this process,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29which they recycle, and they put that in a pipe and it's pumped off.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Normally, carbon dioxide would be pumped out into the atmosphere
0:22:35 > 0:22:37along with all this steam.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41CO2 is one of the worst greenhouse-gas polluters.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46But here at Wissington, they've found an ingenious use for it.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- You follow the pipe.- This pipe here? - Yeah. So, there's the map. Look.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55'British Sugar has set up a whole other industry
0:22:55 > 0:22:58'that thrives on their waste.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04'To find what I've come to see, I just have to follow these pipes.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10'The pipes run for over a kilometre, spanning the Wissey River itself.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22'Opening up ahead of me is a horizon filled with glass and aluminium.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33'Cornerways Nursery, the biggest single glasshouse in Britain,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35'spanning an area over 26 acres.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44'25,000 panes of glass.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49'This one glasshouse produces
0:23:49 > 0:23:5510% of all the tomatoes grown in this country.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57'It's run by Nigel Bartle.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'I think he feels the same way about his tomatoes as I do about my pigs.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02'They're his life.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The carbon dioxide comes in this pipe, running along here.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11If you actually crouch down and have a look underneath, you can see it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Oh, yeah. Look at that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- It's like a huge balloon. - All we've got over at the factory
0:24:16 > 0:24:21is a fan that just sucks it out of the chimney, blows it across.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22There's little pinpricks in it,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and they let the carbon dioxide out for the plants.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28You can hear it hissing. It's like a slow puncture.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Yeah, it rises out through there, through the plants,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35they take it in through their leaves and convert it into tomatoes.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Nigel's taking advantage
0:24:39 > 0:24:43of a fascinating relic of evolutionary history.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46He knows his tomato plants can make use
0:24:46 > 0:24:49of more carbon dioxide than they normally get.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Plants evolved at a time when CO2 levels in the atmosphere
0:24:57 > 0:24:59were much higher than they are now.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06So give a tomato extra carbon dioxide and you get extra growth.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Nigel's getting more and bigger tomatoes,
0:25:12 > 0:25:13doubling his yield.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And because the plants are using the extra CO2 to produce more sugar,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22his tomatoes are sweeter, too.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Everything in Nigel's greenhouse is finely tuned
0:25:26 > 0:25:29to give his plants the best possible environment.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35I've noticed what I'm leaning on is hot, this pipe here.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37We've got about 140 miles of piping here.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39It's a giant radiator system.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42It runs up and down these rows, round the whole greenhouse,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and that's all bringing surplus energy from the factory.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Thanks to a free supply of carbon dioxide and heat,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53this nursery can deliver higher yields
0:25:53 > 0:25:56more sustainably than any other glasshouse in the UK.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02They produce 70 million tomatoes per year.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Each of these vines can reach up to 36 feet.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08There's a quarter of a million of them,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12and they all need to be individually hand-tended.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15In fact, it's like going up in the canopy of a rainforest, isn't it?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Oh, my God, look, it goes on forever!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- And then you spring out above, in the Norfolk sun!- Look at that!
0:26:30 > 0:26:32There are hundreds of them up here.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34They all need twisting every week,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39so you take a plant and you sort of twist it round the string clockwise.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- Why clockwise, not anticlockwise? - We try and do them all the same way.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45If you come back and do it the other way,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47you'll untwist the work that you did.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- All the way along?- Yeah. We can move along with the trolley.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54If you push the pedal it'll slowly move you down the row.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56It's like surfing!
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It is. And you're in the sun. What more could you want?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01So, how long have you actually been doing this?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Oh, I started growing tomatoes when I was about ten years old.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10- That's great! And then you had your first little greenhouse?- I did.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It was an old converted Wendy house covered in polythene.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- You grew tomatoes in a Wendy house? - I grew tomatoes in a Wendy house!
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Were you one of the tough kids in your street?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21NIGEL LAUGHS
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Then from that, I bought my own greenhouse with the profits from it.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Nigel's first greenhouse cost £130.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34'This one took ten million to build.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:41The glasshouse might be hi-tech,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45but Nigel's still dependent on nature to do the crucial work.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Every flower has to be pollinated,
0:27:51 > 0:27:56and to do this Nigel uses an army of bees.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59They're vital. We've got about a hundred hives in here
0:27:59 > 0:28:01with probably about 50 bees in each.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04They're on these shelves down here that you can see.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Tomato flowers don't actually have any nectar,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10so these poor little chaps have been working away with nothing to eat.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14But the beehives have got feed in them.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16OK, so these have got their feed in.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19They're going to go to the flowers, there's no nectar for them,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22but they carry the pollen, because without these chaps
0:28:22 > 0:28:26- you wouldn't have any tomatoes, would you?- No.- It's that simple.- It is.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I mean, we've got to pollinate flowers. Insects do it for us.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30The bumblebees do all of that.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34So long as he lands and looks for nectar, we're laughing.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39Isn't it a worry, that your business hinges on how busy your bees are?
0:28:39 > 0:28:41We've got to look after our bees.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I always believed it wasn't cost-effective
0:28:49 > 0:28:51to grow tomatoes on a huge scale in this country,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54but I've been proved wrong.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Here, they've turned waste materials into profits.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I've left Skeyton and my shelter and have headed south
0:29:06 > 0:29:09to the inconspicuous little village of Hethel.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13There are around 800 churches with churchyards in Norfolk,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15more than any county in England.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17It also has the highest concentration
0:29:17 > 0:29:20of medieval churches in the world,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22and this is just one of them,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Hethel village's All Saints Church.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Churchyard habitats are incredibly important.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34Often containing ancient grassland, they are very species-rich,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38offering perfect refuge for many wild flowers, mosses, lichens,
0:29:38 > 0:29:44fungi and ferns, and of course, for many animals and insects.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51Churchyards like this are very beautiful places, but they're also quite melancholic,
0:29:51 > 0:29:55obviously associated with remembrance, sadness and death.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00However, take a closer look and they can be literally teeming with life.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Despite the significance of these places,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10it's thought that only around 15% of churchyards in Norfolk
0:30:10 > 0:30:12are actively managed for conservation.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Thankfully, Anne Edwards is very actively looking
0:30:14 > 0:30:17after this particular one in Hethel, with a group of volunteers.
0:30:17 > 0:30:23- You've got the team at work, have you?- Yes, we're just doing a bit of cutting round here.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26This is quite a spectacular church, isn't it?
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Yes, Grade I listed, it dates back to the 1100s - well, parts of it do,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32particularly this old tower here.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37- So a classic specimen in terms of Norfolk's medieval churches.- Yes.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40How important are churchyards like this?
0:30:40 > 0:30:44The churchyard represents a fragment of the ancient meadows
0:30:44 > 0:30:48that used to be quite widespread over Britain, and have become lost since
0:30:48 > 0:30:53the Second World War, with overuse of fertilisers in farming.
0:30:53 > 0:30:59What do we mean by ancient meadows, these are untouched pastures which can grow quite wild?
0:30:59 > 0:31:05Yes, untouched - this land would never have had fertiliser, apart from the obvious few bodies around here!
0:31:05 > 0:31:10They'll never have had artificial fertiliser, so the nutrient level is quite low.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13What difference does that make to the plants?
0:31:13 > 0:31:18Well, some of the more delicate wild flowers, we've got some meadow vetchling over there, for instance,
0:31:18 > 0:31:25just wouldn't be able to compete with plants like nettles, which are really encouraged by nitrogen -
0:31:25 > 0:31:30- nettles and dock - but they do very well in these low-nutrient soils. - Bizarre, isn't it?
0:31:30 > 0:31:35So, you're actually trying to keep the soil quality quite poor so that you give fragile species a chance?
0:31:35 > 0:31:39- Exactly that, yes. - What are your prized plants here?
0:31:39 > 0:31:45I think probably at this time of the year, our real prize is the pyramid orchid, you can see one over there...
0:31:45 > 0:31:51- Wow!- It's a single... little-stemmed flower.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Yes. And when we first started managing the churchyard, we didn't know they were there.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59Originally we started the conservation because in springtime,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02the churchyard is full of wild daffodils,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05which are quite rare now, Wordsworth's original daffodils!
0:32:07 > 0:32:13It was only after one year of our management that we noticed a few of these pyramid orchids
0:32:13 > 0:32:18popped up, and they've gradually increased over the years, so we've got quite a healthy population.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20And what about wildlife in here?
0:32:20 > 0:32:25When you've got this kind of diversity and all these plants, how much wildlife do you get here?
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Well, wild flowers are very nectar-rich, so they encourage a lot
0:32:27 > 0:32:31of insects, a lot of butterflies - we might see a few today.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36Moths, and those in turn attract birds, and
0:32:36 > 0:32:39we also have a lot of small mammals that live amongst the grass -
0:32:39 > 0:32:43voles, mice, and then you get the barn owls hunting them.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49And the long grass also is home to grass snakes, frogs, a few toads.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- So it's a rich ecosystem. - It certainly is.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57It's normally very quiet, but there is a team over there who seem to be very industrious.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59That's my team of volunteers that help manage the grassland!
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Shall we go and say hello?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09It's estimated that around 98% of flower-rich grasslands
0:33:09 > 0:33:12like here at Hethel have now vanished,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16making these places so important to protect and nurture.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19The volunteers use traditional tools like scythes and pitchforks
0:33:19 > 0:33:24to maintain the land, rather than harmful weedkillers, which could destroy it.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27What is going on here?
0:33:27 > 0:33:31This part of the churchyard, there's a lot of nettles.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And of course, nettles have a lot of benefits to wildlife,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37particularly butterflies, use them for laying their eggs on.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41But they would invade the entire churchyard if allowed to get away with it.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47Plus, nettles will come back and they'll be ready for the next wave of butterflies.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Is this a once-a-year job?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Yes, we're cutting the nettles now,
0:33:53 > 0:33:58just this section, but the whole of the churchyard gets cut once a year, at the end of summer.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Rural churchyards are one of the few areas of land left untouched and uncultivated.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11Even in cities and towns, these peaceful places are a refuge for our precious wildlife.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13It's vital we cherish these habitats
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and encourage the species found in them.
0:34:16 > 0:34:22I'll be heading up to the north Norfolk coastline next, which is where Chris Packham spent some time
0:34:22 > 0:34:25appreciating the amazing wildlife.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29This coast is incredibly rich in reserves and resources -
0:34:29 > 0:34:32there's so much to see and do.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34I'm starting at Snettisham, and I'm starting early.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37To get the best out of this place, it all comes down to timing -
0:34:37 > 0:34:40the time of the moon's cycle, the tide and time of day.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Ideally, full moon - the biggest tide - and get here before it gets light.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53There's a great mass of wading birds out there, quite a few oystercatcher,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57but all of those small grey ones are red knot.
0:34:57 > 0:35:03They're not red at the moment because they're in winter plumage, and they're knot with a K,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06named after King Canute, because they share a habit.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Canute was trying to prove he was mortal by proving
0:35:09 > 0:35:13that he couldn't order back the tide when it lapped over his feet.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17And that's what these birds are going to do.
0:35:19 > 0:35:25These knot breed in Arctic Canada and Greenland, flying almost 3,000 miles
0:35:25 > 0:35:30in early autumn for the safe roost and plentiful food found in The Wash.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34And they'll feed until they're forced off by the highest tide.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Ho-ha!
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Superb, absolutely superb.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Oh, look, another lot coming in here.
0:35:52 > 0:35:59It's fantastic when they all sort of cohese together, just like that, and the whole thing swerves around.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04Look at it! It pulls apart then comes back together, it's like an avian lava lamp in the sky.
0:36:12 > 0:36:18The birds slice their way across the shingle and find their way to the lagoons behind the beach.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22And I've got to tell you, there's a real treat in store here later.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31We're about to witness an astonishing spectacle.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
0:36:34 > 0:36:41Remember, the knot are in the lagoon behind the beach, waiting to fly back to the marshes.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46Look at the movement - even when they're on the ground, you get these waves of birds sweeping
0:36:46 > 0:36:50across, and they seem to be a little bit agitated by the oystercatcher.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Every now and again, one walks through them,
0:36:52 > 0:36:58just to be belligerent, by the looks of it, and all the knot part and swirl about around it.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Listen to the sound -
0:37:04 > 0:37:07that constant sort of bubbling background call.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10One or two of the knot -
0:37:10 > 0:37:14can't see one now, I saw one a moment ago, on the ground -
0:37:14 > 0:37:20it was still a little bit red, with its summer plumage. Oh, there's one there, look,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22that one facing us.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28It does look as if they're all going to go at any second.
0:37:38 > 0:37:4460,000 knot, all taking off in one long stream of flapping wings.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48This is a survival manoeuvre - there's safety in numbers.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51But ask yourself, does it really matter why they do it?
0:37:51 > 0:37:56I think it's just enough we can enjoy the display - and what a display.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58What a show!
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Ho-ho-ho!
0:38:13 > 0:38:14Look at that.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Oh, my goodness me.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Listen to the sound!
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's like waves breaking over a bouldery beach.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Look at that great arc of birds moving around.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37Honestly!
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Look at that!
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Ho!
0:38:48 > 0:38:51That is madness - absolutely fantastic.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54This is ornithological Nirvana.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Oh!
0:39:00 > 0:39:05I tell you something - people travel all over the world, they go to the Serengeti to see
0:39:05 > 0:39:08a load of old wildebeest and zebras
0:39:08 > 0:39:11tramping across the grass. Forget it!
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Come and see this of a morning.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Incredible - definitely a must-see moment for wildlife lovers.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22With Hethel church in the distance, I've made my way to Morston
0:39:22 > 0:39:28on the north Norfolk coastline, in search of some much bigger wildlife.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Well, I'm heading out from Morston quay.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36400 years ago, this used to be a major Norfolk port.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42Today, while it's still busy, it's only really used for small fishing vessels, leisure craft,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and of course, the regular seal-watching trips.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Tourist boats regularly head out from here to a large colony of seals
0:39:52 > 0:39:55living on Blakeney Point, and they are incredibly popular.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00Seal-watching is big business around here, and there are many companies
0:40:00 > 0:40:03in Morston and nearby Blakeney competing for trade.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Willie Reynolds is my skipper for the day.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- Good to see you. How are you? - Fine, thank you.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17It's clear even before you get on the boat, it's quite a unique area.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Tell me a bit about the landscape.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23All this part across here is Blakeney Point.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25This is the estuary,
0:40:25 > 0:40:30and this is the south side of the harbour along this side.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33So, how rich is the wildlife here?
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- Loads of birds coming overhead already...- There's a lot of mammals
0:40:37 > 0:40:40and seabirds come and nest here,
0:40:40 > 0:40:46and rare plants growing out here as well on the point.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50We'll see the seals in a bit, but why are they here?
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Is it the food?
0:40:51 > 0:40:54It's natural habitat and food.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59They like somewhere safe to lay up during the day where there's no danger for them.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02And they feel quite safe here - they can move off the beach
0:41:02 > 0:41:06at any state of the tide, into the safety of the water.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08That's mainly why they come in here.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- Safety from what, from boats? - Anything that frightens them.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18The seals spend much of their time on the beach right at the tip
0:41:18 > 0:41:20of Blakeney Point - a great spot
0:41:20 > 0:41:24for visitors to get close up without disturbing them.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27How long have you been coming out here and doing those trips?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29This is year 36.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Congratulations!
0:41:32 > 0:41:35So there isn't too much you don't know about these seals in the water and on land?
0:41:35 > 0:41:41Well, you can always learn something every day about them, there's always something different they do.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44They're quite intelligent animals, actually.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48How many boats are there that come out and do tours like this?
0:41:48 > 0:41:53There's nine ferry boats and five companies.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- How busy are they?- Quite busy when the children are on school holidays!
0:41:57 > 0:42:00The rest of the time, it's fairly normal.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03You need these guys to be here, don't you, to come out and see them?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07That's right, we wouldn't be in business if it wasn't for the seals.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Am I right that they just disappeared a year or two ago?
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Last year they disappeared, we thought it was a shortage of food,
0:42:14 > 0:42:19they disappeared for two or three months and we were struggling to find them.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Lack of food was one suggestion.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Disease was another.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29But the truth is, no-one's really sure why the seals disappeared
0:42:29 > 0:42:31from the point last year.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36But what became very clear to the people of Blakeney was just how much
0:42:36 > 0:42:41they rely on the seals to keep tourists visiting the area.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46They must provide the livelihood, then, for 15-20 different guides, I suppose?
0:42:46 > 0:42:48A lot more than that.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53It's all the people who work behind the scenes in the booking offices,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57and people working on the quay selling the tickets and things
0:42:57 > 0:43:01like that, plus the men who work on the boats as well.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06And it has a knock-on effect with the hotels and the restaurants and the pubs as well.
0:43:06 > 0:43:13People coming here, they've all got to eat or sleep somewhere, so it's quite a big business, actually.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18Tough times, but thankfully, the seals did return for this year's busy season.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21How many different types of seals have we got here?
0:43:21 > 0:43:26The black ones you can see are male grey seals, the bull grey seals.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31The females are the grey ones with the spotty bellies and the beige colour on them.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34- OK. - And the other ones are common seals,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37they're at the back of the herd,
0:43:37 > 0:43:41there, they've got a mottled back and a shorter nose than the grey seal.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45- The grey has got this long profile, hasn't it?- That's right, yes.
0:43:45 > 0:43:46They get big, don't they?
0:43:46 > 0:43:51400lb, a grey seal bull weighs, fully grown.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54First and foremost, if someone says to me, Blakeney, I think seals.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56That's right, that's what it's known for.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00And long may that continue, I suppose, if it's providing good business for the area?
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Hopefully, yes!
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Despite the hordes of inquisitive visitors,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09the seals seem to have found a safe home here on Blakeney Point.
0:44:09 > 0:44:15Occasionally, though, some do get into difficulty, but there's always someone on hand
0:44:15 > 0:44:17to help, as Ellie Harrison found out
0:44:17 > 0:44:22when she came to see what happens to orphaned seal pups from this colony.
0:44:25 > 0:44:31The trouble-struck seals end up in the care of the local RSPCA.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Alison Charles heads up the rescue team.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40- Morning, Alison, how are you? - I'm fine, thank you, how are you?
0:44:40 > 0:44:43- Good, yeah. It's a bit chilly, isn't it?- It's rather cold this morning.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46So, how have the seals ended up here in your sanctuary?
0:44:46 > 0:44:49A lot of them are orphaned pups, they've been split up from their mum
0:44:49 > 0:44:53for one reason or another, and they've ended up needing some help.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Why did they get separated from their mothers?
0:44:55 > 0:44:58We get two species in here, we get the commons and the greys.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01The commons have their pups in the summer, they can get split up
0:45:01 > 0:45:02by the tide the currents,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05and just because they're not strong enough to stay with their mum.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08The greys, we had a huge storm up in the north-east and Scotland,
0:45:08 > 0:45:13during the winter, and we've had a lot in since then, and we're absolutely packed.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16How many are you hoping to release today?
0:45:16 > 0:45:17We hope we're going to have five.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19We need to weigh them, so we're going to drain the pool,
0:45:19 > 0:45:24- then get into the bottom of the pool and you can help me weigh them.- OK!
0:45:26 > 0:45:30It's going to take an hour for the pool to drain, but there are plenty of other crucial jobs for us to do.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Top of the list is lunch,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36and Alison uses all sorts of tricks
0:45:36 > 0:45:39to make feeding time more interesting.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Why is their fish in a crate?
0:45:41 > 0:45:43It looks a bit bizarre...
0:45:43 > 0:45:45It's a fantastic way of keeping them keen.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48It helps them to forage while they're in here, and
0:45:48 > 0:45:51we want them to be ready for going out into the harsh old environment.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54I'm interested to see how this will work.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55OK, let's go.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58- Yes, watch it...- He got a freebie.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00- He did.- Because of my inefficiency.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02No, it's OK, it's good, he's keen.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Give it a little push.
0:46:09 > 0:46:14- It's quite a challenge, really, getting the fish out of that.- Yeah.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17That must be seal for thank you.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20We're going to leave these seals alone now, because the aim is to keep
0:46:20 > 0:46:23them as wild as possible, and of course return them to the wild.
0:46:23 > 0:46:28We're going back to the pool that's been drained to see if today's seals are ready for release.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32At this time of year, Alison and her team release the seals
0:46:32 > 0:46:36every couple of weeks, as more and more reach their target weight.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Wow, Barcelona, you're a heavy, heavy pup.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Nice and feisty.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49The staff are very, very fit here, as you can imagine! I'm warming up a treat here!
0:46:56 > 0:46:58That's all the seals in the van.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01All we've got to do now is get them to the release site.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06We're not releasing them into the sea, but into the River Nene,
0:47:06 > 0:47:10which flows out into The Wash, Britain's biggest estuary.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Alison makes sure she releases the seals at high tide, so they get swept
0:47:23 > 0:47:26down the river and straight into The Wash.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29- Seriously thick mud there. - There we go.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33No emotion, just done your job...
0:47:33 > 0:47:35No, job complete,
0:47:35 > 0:47:39really good work. All the team have done a good job, and it's fantastic they're back out there.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Yeah. It's really great to see.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54The seals will spend the next year learning about their new home,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57finding out where's good for fishing,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00before they settle down into a more sedentary adults lifestyle.
0:48:01 > 0:48:06It's great that the RSPCA are successful in their mission to help out the seals.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09I've moved west along the coast from Morston,
0:48:09 > 0:48:12and just arrived in Hunstanton, as dusk fast approaches.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17Tonight, hopefully, I'm going to get a good night's sleep in a proper bed, which is just as well,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20because I'm getting up very early in the morning.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I'm going in search of even more wildlife,
0:48:22 > 0:48:27but this time, it's a sort that you can't normally see during daylight.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32Although 60 species of butterfly are regularly seen in the UK,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36our 2,500 species of moths are far more elusive.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39That's because the majority only ever come out at night.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44So, to get a closer look at some of these nocturnal creatures, I'm here to help Gary Hibberd
0:48:44 > 0:48:48from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust set up a light box trap.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50The moths are attracted to the bright light,
0:48:50 > 0:48:54then find themselves a place to sit in amongst
0:48:54 > 0:48:57the egg boxes, and the key is that once they've been observed,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00they can be released unharmed.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03In the morning, we'll find out exactly what we've caught.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06But first, the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10I began my journey through Norfolk near the village of Skeyton,
0:51:10 > 0:51:11where I spent a peaceful night
0:51:11 > 0:51:15in a bush craft shelter I built from twigs and reeds.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17From there I headed south to Hethel,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20a tiny village with a very important churchyard, where
0:51:20 > 0:51:26I saw the multitude of wildlife that live in that precious habitat.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30Then I headed north to Morston to sail out to see the seals at Blakey Point.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33And now I've reached my final destination here on the sand dunes
0:51:33 > 0:51:38by Hunstanton, where I'm hoping for a close-up look at some moths.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44So, as instructed by Gary, I'm up bright and early to meet him again at the moth trap
0:51:44 > 0:51:49to see what we can find - and hopefully it's been a busy night.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Gary Hibberd has been monitoring the moths here for many years,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55and can impressively identify most of the species.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59I'm interested to find out more about this often-overlooked creature.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02What are we expecting, Gary, what's your hunch?
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Well, we only had a little bit of rain this morning and it was a
0:52:05 > 0:52:11cloudy night, which bodes quite well, it kept the temperatures up.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14And we have got a few moths in the trap.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17These flowers here, that's why we put the trap here,
0:52:17 > 0:52:21- because the moths feed on that? - Yes, they nectar on the campion, yes.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24It's funny, that, I don't really think of moths for nectar.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28I always think of bees cross-pollinating things, but moths do it as well?
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Lots of moth species do it.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35There's 2,500 species of moth in this country, and
0:52:35 > 0:52:39this site probably has somewhere around 600 species,
0:52:39 > 0:52:44but a lot more species of those than there are bees.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46- Staggering numbers.- Yeah.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Can we have a closer look at some of these? What have we got in here?
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Is he going to stay where he is as we gently lift the Perspex off?
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- He will.- They will, because this is what they rely on for survival.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02It's daytime now, so they're really relying on keeping still,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05apart from these day flies.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08This one here will probably fly away.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10What's that, it's got red and black and...
0:53:10 > 0:53:15This is a cinnabar moth, and it's nice and fresh, recently hatched.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Sorry to ask an obvious question,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21but a daytime moth is different to a butterfly, how?
0:53:21 > 0:53:26Well, butterflies have knobbed antennae.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28If you look at that cinnabar,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32it's just fine, thin antennae, with no knob on the tip.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36This one's shimmering its wings, which suggests it's about to fly.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40This was probably what was nectaring on the campion last night.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42It's a Silver Y.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45You can see the Y shape on the wing.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47It's a very fine movement, isn't it?
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Yes. It's usually the precursor for flying.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55Like a lot of moth species, there seems to be some of the huge numbers
0:53:55 > 0:53:58that you catch in some of these traps,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01it seems to be happening less and less, unfortunately.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02So you've noticed a change?
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Yes, even in the 15 years I've been moth catching.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09You're certainly not getting the catches this year, but that might
0:54:09 > 0:54:14be something more to do with the weather and the dry spring we've had.
0:54:14 > 0:54:20It's the wide variety of habitat in this area that makes for such a diverse range of moth species here.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23The sea and the sand dunes are just 150 metres away.
0:54:23 > 0:54:29There are also reed beds and grazing marshes nearby, and we're surrounded by woodland.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Each habitat supports different types of moths.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39Ah, here we go. Now we can talk about this colourful fella.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Yes. This is a small elephant hawk moth.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Great mix of colours, isn't it?
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Are these one of the more common species?
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Yes, certainly, of all the hawk moths,
0:54:48 > 0:54:51it's the one that you can see most here.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Can we have a look at one over here? - Yes, sure.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58Most of these think they're on a tree, and they don't look very
0:54:58 > 0:55:02camouflaged, but one here does, and he's perfect for an egg box.
0:55:02 > 0:55:08This is beautiful, this is a nice, coastal moth.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Most people who do moth catching inland would really
0:55:12 > 0:55:14enjoy coming to catch this.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16So what's this little fella?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18This is a rosy wave.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22It's a species that is generally restricted to the coast.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26You can see the tiny black dots, they're all in the right place.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Oh, right. This is a really good quality specimen.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Yes, this is something that's just hatched,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37probably in the last day or two. It's in perfect nick.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Some of the others keep their wings together in a straight line.
0:55:41 > 0:55:48Yes, waves and emeralds, they tend to have both wings wide open.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49Gary, why do you trap here?
0:55:49 > 0:55:53Well, it is the only way we're actually going to see a sample
0:55:53 > 0:55:56of what moth species we've got on the site.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00The easiest way to do it is by putting a trap on,
0:56:00 > 0:56:04maybe once a week, twice a week,
0:56:04 > 0:56:06and just counting a sample,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09and identifying a sample of what we catch.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13It's been brilliant. What, 15 species, I reckon, we've seen?
0:56:13 > 0:56:14Yes, I would think in total
0:56:14 > 0:56:17there's going to be nearly 20 species in there.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19And the rosy wave I think would be the star moth.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Still sitting there patiently.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24Yes!
0:56:25 > 0:56:29It would seem that moths are pretty underrated,
0:56:29 > 0:56:32often playing second fiddle to the more appreciated butterfly.
0:56:32 > 0:56:37But after seeing some of those beautiful species, with spectacular colours and patterns,
0:56:37 > 0:56:43it's clear that the only reason we don't know more about them is because many only come out at night!
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I've certainly seen some of Norfolk's fantastic flora and fauna,
0:56:46 > 0:56:51from the waters of the Broads to a very peaceful wildlife habitat.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54So, that concludes my trip round Norfolk.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Now, I am completely biased on this one, it's my home county,
0:56:57 > 0:57:00so I cannot recommend this place highly enough.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03If you're sitting there watching this on your sofa thinking,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06oh, Norfolk, never been there, now is the time to get up and out.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Come and experience this beautiful coastline,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13stunning landscape and incredible wildlife for yourself.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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