0:00:22 > 0:00:25Today, I'm on a journey along the Bristol Channel,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29starting here, shaded by trees, and ending on a Somerset beach.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I'll stick to the English side of the channel,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38walking from Culbone, tucked away on the northern edge
0:00:38 > 0:00:43of Exmoor National Park, to the nearby village of Porlock Weir.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I'll be finding out why this pretty place is destined to disappear.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Sea levels are rising.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53It could happen tomorrow, it could happen next year, 50 years.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I'll head over to Dunster Castle, where the National Trust
0:00:57 > 0:01:01has found a novel way to green up a Grade I listed building.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Pushing eastwards along the coast, I'll come to Highbridge,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07where injured and abandoned wild animals
0:01:07 > 0:01:09are getting a new lease of life.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- Oh, she's tiny!- Hello! She's only four weeks old.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Come in, have your breakfast.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18My journey ends on the vast sands at Burnham-on-Sea,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22where I'll be helping release herring gulls back into the wild.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Go, go, go! Wow! Hey-hey!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Along the way, I'll be looking back at the best
0:01:29 > 0:01:32of the BBC's rural archive from this part of the world.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40The Bristol Channel stretches from the Severn Estuary
0:01:40 > 0:01:44to the North Atlantic Ocean, separating England and Wales.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46It's an immensely powerful body of water,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50with the second highest tidal range in the world.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Matt Baker will be experiencing its full force later in the programme.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This is unbelievable! Wow!
0:01:58 > 0:02:01I'll stay on dry land, exploring the Somerset coast
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and the southern shores of the Bristol Channel.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I'm on Britain's longest footpath.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14It follows the coast for 630 miles, finishing up in Dorset.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Now, I'm not walking the entire length
0:02:17 > 0:02:21of the South West Coast Path - that would take about eight weeks.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I am, however, walking the section that leads me
0:02:23 > 0:02:26to one of Somerset's best-kept secrets.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'm joined by Graeme McVittie, Woodland Officer
0:02:33 > 0:02:36here in the Exmoor National Park.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Tell me about this woodland.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41there are several miles of these pretty steep coastal woods.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44The National Park Authority owns this piece,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48but they cascade right the way down these steep slopes,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50right the way down to the high tide mark,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and extending for several miles along the coast.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55They're pretty unique, special woods.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59One of the particularly interesting things about this woodland
0:02:59 > 0:03:02is this rather unassuming little tree here,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06which is actually one of the rarest trees in the world.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Although this is just a sapling, they do grow into huge trees.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13This is found nowhere else but along these coastal woods of north Exmoor.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15What's it called?
0:03:15 > 0:03:19The botanical name, this one is Sorbus vexans.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21We refer to it as the Exmoor whitebeam,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23or one of the endemic whitebeams.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Why do they only grow here? - It's a bit of a mystery, really,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30but they're the result of a complicated hybridisation
0:03:30 > 0:03:35between the mountain ash, the common whitebeam and the service tree.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37That happened sometime in history.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39What do they bring to the wood?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Are they good for insects or butterflies?
0:03:41 > 0:03:46I think the most important thing is their intrinsic rarity.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48That's the most interesting thing about them.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I've got to ask... We've stepped off the path
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and I've seen signs warning people about ticks -
0:03:57 > 0:04:00are they a big issue around here?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02I think it's always worth being aware of ticks.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05They're quite nasty little biting insects.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10They do carry Lyme disease, which is a pretty hazardous thing.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13If it's undetected and then untreated, it can be fatal.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- So you need to check yourself. - Check yourself for ticks.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18If you're aware of any,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21if there's a skin rash around the area of the tick,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and any flu-like symptoms that develop,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25consult your doctor immediately.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Have you ever had ticks? - Unusually, no.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I've been here for 13-odd years and I don't get them.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I've got too much red wine and garlic in my system!
0:04:34 > 0:04:35- You get flies, though!- I get flies.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39I've been here with colleagues who are brushing them off
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and at the end of the day, 20 or 30 attach to them.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44But I never get them. I don't know why.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55Despite the ticks, this really is a magical woodland.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59It feels like somewhere straight from the pages of a story book.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05But it isn't just a pretty walk.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09I'm on the trail of a village lost in time.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's a little place called Culbone, hidden away in the woods,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and I've heard all sorts of stories and rumours about it.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21This path leads to Culbone,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and it has quite a spooky reputation, doesn't it?
0:05:24 > 0:05:25You might be referring
0:05:25 > 0:05:29to the fact that there's the remains of leper colony here.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31There's evidence of the old platforms
0:05:31 > 0:05:34where the lepers' dwellings would have been.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- How would they survive? - Well, looking at these woods today,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40it's hard to imagine that these would have been actively managed.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42There was a healthy charcoal industry -
0:05:42 > 0:05:45these woods would have been coppiced.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47I think the lepers, the residents there,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51would have been involved in that industry.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53They would have had to work to survive.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And people say there were smugglers in these woods?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Well, these are pretty inaccessible coastlines,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02little isolated coves and things.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I think there must always have been some kind of illicit activities
0:06:05 > 0:06:07going on over the centuries.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I'm sure it happened here,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12but we don't have any specific evidence for it here,
0:06:12 > 0:06:13apart from the odd anecdote.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Smugglers or no smugglers,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19it certainly adds to the atmosphere of this place.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And this is it. This is Culbone.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's so peaceful here, you really don't feel you can be loud.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39There's no access by public road, so there's no traffic noise.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42All you can hear are the sounds of birds and the stream.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It's a village, but there are just two houses
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and the smallest complete parish church in England.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02People have worshipped at the church here for more than 1,000 years.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06And it is still very much a living church, with fortnightly services.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14This really is cosy.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17You can see from the outside that it's a small church,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20but inside, it feels absolutely tiny.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's 35 feet long, and you can fit about 30 people in here,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27but that is at a bit of a push.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30This is one of the things I came to see.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33This little window is called the leper window,
0:07:33 > 0:07:34because the story goes
0:07:34 > 0:07:38that people who had leprosy and weren't allowed inside the church
0:07:38 > 0:07:41had to stand outside, and so they could see what was going on
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and be part of the service,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46they used to stand and peer through this window.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Which really is quite heartbreaking, when you think about it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Culbone is stunningly pretty and incredibly peaceful,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06but it's time for me to continue my journey by heading
0:08:06 > 0:08:10back along the South West Coast Path towards Porlock Weir.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Matt Baker was further upstream at the Severn Estuary
0:08:14 > 0:08:17to experience the tidal power of the Bristol Channel,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and one of the wonders of the natural world.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28At the moment, it's calm, it's tranquil -
0:08:28 > 0:08:30all you can hear is the sound of the birds.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But it is six o'clock in the morning and I'm in a wetsuit
0:08:34 > 0:08:36as I'm about to embark on an experience
0:08:36 > 0:08:39that I will never ever forget.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41And it's all thanks to that.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48It's the Earth's incredible relationship with the moon
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and the sun that helps create one of the natural wonders of the world.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Here comes the science bit!
0:08:54 > 0:08:55The moon and the Earth
0:08:55 > 0:08:57are constantly rotating around each other.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59As they spin, both the moon and the sun
0:08:59 > 0:09:02exert a powerful gravitational force
0:09:02 > 0:09:06on the Earth, physically pulling the oceans back and forth,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09creating high and low tides.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11But when the sun, the moon and the Earth line up together,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14something truly remarkable happens.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Their combined force creates extra-high, or spring, tides.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23The effect on the River Severn at certain times of the year
0:09:23 > 0:09:27is so astonishing that people are prepared to get up
0:09:27 > 0:09:30at the crack of dawn to experience it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Like most of the planet's miracles, if you want to see it,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39you've got to put a bit of effort in.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Steve and I are going to meet it where it starts, way out there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Known as the Severn bore,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52it's a tidal wave which sweeps up the river,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56and this month, it's expected to be the biggest in five years.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00But why does the spring tide create a tidal wave here?
0:10:00 > 0:10:04One of my guides today has lived alongside this bizarre phenomenon
0:10:04 > 0:10:08all his life, and if anyone can explain it, it's him.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's going to be a lot of water.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11That's the thing
0:10:11 > 0:10:13that people don't understand.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The whole of this area that you can see is going to rise
0:10:16 > 0:10:21by about ten metres in the space of 40 minutes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24As it comes into this channel, it's funnelled
0:10:24 > 0:10:28between Wales and Land's End, and it just gets squeezed and squeezed
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and it'll build into a big tidal wave.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34It's freezing, and the sun's only just up,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37but we're not the only ones mad enough to be out.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41There's a couple of surfers here we're just zipping alongside now,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45all waiting for the ominous arrival of the bore.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48But I'm very privileged -
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I'm meeting the bore at its source.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Constantly shifting sandbanks
0:10:52 > 0:10:56makes this one of the UK's most dangerous rivers...
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and I've never even surfed before.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02There's a real feeling of anticipation,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05especially for us here, and the surfers -
0:11:05 > 0:11:07everybody's waiting for this moment.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10We're minutes away from the bore now,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and it's time for me to get into the water.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Luckily, I'm not doing this alone. I'm with Steve King.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18He's the record-holder
0:11:18 > 0:11:22for the longest unbroken surf on the bore - 7.5 miles non-stop -
0:11:22 > 0:11:24so he's definitely the right person.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29What you want to do is just try and let the tide take you,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34rather than you fighting against it.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36And suddenly, it's on us.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Oh, my word, I can see it! That is absolutely...- It's coming now.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- It's coming now! - If you get in now...just pop in.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Oh, it's fresh!
0:11:52 > 0:11:57- Paddle as hard as you can. - And we're up and on it!
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Oh, I missed it! I'm going for the second one!
0:12:03 > 0:12:05That was it - and it's gone!
0:12:05 > 0:12:07MATT LAUGHS
0:12:07 > 0:12:11What happened, the wave's broken, but it's broken onto the sandbank,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14cos it'll only break in shallow water.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Right.- So where we were was a bit too deep.- OK.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Cos obviously I'm not that brilliant at paddling
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and keeping up with the wave.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We have a little rib that'll take us
0:12:23 > 0:12:27a little further upriver, so we can catch it again.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's a race to overtake the wave.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I'm determined to have another go,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37but unless we get ahead of the tide, I've got no chance.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56One, two, three...
0:12:56 > 0:12:58now!
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Perfect!
0:13:00 > 0:13:03MATT WHOOPS
0:13:03 > 0:13:05That's it!
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- All right?- Woo-hoo!
0:13:07 > 0:13:10That's it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Come over this way.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18This is unbelievable! Wow!
0:13:20 > 0:13:24So frustrating - just as I hit my stride, I was off the wave!
0:13:27 > 0:13:29What a feeling that is!
0:13:29 > 0:13:35Honestly, it's so high, even though the wave looked really quite small.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38When you're up, there's a brilliant view right across.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Right, let's get back in the boat and catch her up.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48We're in pursuit of the wave, and we're not the only ones here,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50as this is one of the best access points.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The surfers are flocking -
0:13:52 > 0:13:56there must be 150 people in the water, and 1,000 on the bank.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Ye-e-e-es! Go on, lads! Wicked!
0:14:10 > 0:14:14At last, after travelling 13 miles, we're past the wave
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and ready to try again.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Look how calm everything is on this side.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23It's just carnage on the other side of the wave!
0:14:23 > 0:14:24The pressure's on -
0:14:24 > 0:14:27we're nearly at the spot where the wave is at its biggest.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29But this is my last chance.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32After this, the river gets too narrow and we'll have to stop.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39YAY!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Yay-hey-hey!
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I'm on such a high!
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I managed to surf it for over a minute,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53but the nearest I get to standing up...
0:14:53 > 0:14:55is this.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02'And as quickly as it began, it's all over.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:07Oh, yes! That was a massive wave.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12It felt so splendid to be up on top of it!
0:15:12 > 0:15:16I'll tell you what... Oh, yes!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It was the last one as well, I'm just made up that I got it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23An elated Matt Baker, surfing the awesome Severn Bore.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I'm on a journey along the Bristol Channel.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I've headed back along the South West coast path
0:15:30 > 0:15:33to Porlock Weir, once a busy port
0:15:33 > 0:15:38and now a picture-perfect tourist trap on the Somerset coast.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41200 years ago, this harbour was rammed with boats
0:15:41 > 0:15:43exporting oysters to Bristol
0:15:43 > 0:15:47or wooden poles to prop up Welsh coal mines.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Today, the area attracts holiday makers and ramblers,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54who come to enjoy the coastal views, the sea air
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and Porlock Weir's pretty, pebbly beach.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59But the water here has a fierce side.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06In 1607, thousands of people were drowned
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and entire villages were swept away when a massive flood,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11now thought to have been caused by a tsunami,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14hit the shores of the Bristol Channel.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17In the late 1700s, at least half a dozen houses
0:16:17 > 0:16:21and a road were washed away by sea floods, here at Porlock Weir.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27In 1996, the sea breached a 20-foot bank of shingle
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and forged a channel inland.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Porlock Weir won't be here forever.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39This stretch of coastline is constantly changing,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41constantly moving.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50What's more, it's been decided that nature should take its course.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52A shoreline management plan has concluded
0:16:52 > 0:16:56there will be no active intervention to protect Porlock Weir.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00That means no Government funding to build or maintain flood defences.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The bottom line is it's down to the landowner
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and local residents to defend their homes.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Paul Jones is project officer
0:17:12 > 0:17:14for the Coastal Change Pathfinder project.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18That IS funded by the Government and it's to help people understand
0:17:18 > 0:17:20and adapt to coastal change.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Why no active intervention, then, Paul?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Firstly, if you take a look at Porlock Weir,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28it's a very picturesque village
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and if we were to put a sea wall in place,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33you're talking about two or three metres of cement wall,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36covering all this beautiful scenery.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It's just not in keeping and fitting with the area.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Is it purely down to aesthetics or is there an argument to say that
0:17:42 > 0:17:46they're not building a wall because it's financially not worth it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:52To build a sea wall of two or three metres is an expensive undertaking.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54There's hundreds of thousands of pounds,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57if not millions of pounds which could be spent on a sea wall
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and we're protecting what would be 60 properties.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03And a sea wall of a similar size
0:18:03 > 0:18:06could be protecting acres upon acres of land.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Unfortunately, it's not economically viable
0:18:09 > 0:18:12to build a sea wall at Porlock Weir.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15But is it a decision that everybody's happy with?
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Um... Of course, there are mixed responses,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22people who do want to keep it the way it is, they want to protect it,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26they want to keep the coastline in the same place, but it's impossible.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27The sea levels ARE rising.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32We have to adapt to that, we can't just have a King Cnut situation,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35where we try and hold back the sea, no matter what the expense.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Well, how DO these guys adapt? Because there's lots of cottages
0:18:38 > 0:18:40we can see are metres from the water.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Absolutely, yeah.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It's interesting you should say that, because, at the moment,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49these cottages behind us here, they do float on the high tides.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52They have the sea water come up through their floor.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54That's how low they are at the moment,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55so, of course, over time,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58if the sea levels do continue to rise, they will be lost.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02How do you engage with local people here?
0:19:02 > 0:19:07Well, one of the first things we did, we developed a mock newspaper,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09which was set in the future, in the year 2014,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11which is not too far ahead for people
0:19:11 > 0:19:13who might feel a bit apathetic about it.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15It was quite immediate.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And that showed an event where there was a high tide
0:19:18 > 0:19:20combined with a strong storm event as well.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And what we wanted to do from that
0:19:22 > 0:19:24is just trigger that the debate, the discussion.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And what does that include? What do people plan to do?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29We asked them to consider things
0:19:29 > 0:19:31like how they would escape from their property,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34how they would get out of Porlock Weir because, inevitably,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36the sea would block the road out of the village.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38How would they clear that away from the road?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Who are the vulnerable people in the village?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And make sure that they are cared for.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46How long has Porlock Weir got?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's impossible to say. Um...
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It could happen tomorrow, it could happen next year,
0:19:51 > 0:19:5550 years, 100 years. It's impossible to say.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02One thing the people of Porlock Weir have in their defence is experience.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Like so many coastal communities across Britain,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08they've lived with an encroaching sea and shifting shingle
0:20:08 > 0:20:10for hundreds of years.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15One person who's only too aware of that is landowner Mark Blathwayt.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17He's inherited the Porlock Manor estate
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and this village from his forefathers.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23We met up at the harbour to discuss its future.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Porlock Weir is a settlement where land meets sea
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and people have always lived where land meets sea.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But human beings have always learned to be adaptable,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42because the sea, the line of the coast, never ever stays the same
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and I suspect that there's lots of high ground behind Porlock Weir
0:20:46 > 0:20:50and that the settlement can move,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52quite sustainably, further up the hill.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54What we've got to do as a country
0:20:54 > 0:20:58is to recognise that we've got limited resources
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and the things that we've got to protect are power stations,
0:21:02 > 0:21:09are large settlements, because...they can't adapt.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14You can't move a city of 400,000 people up the hill.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19You CAN move a small, sustainable village like Porlock up the hill.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22As the landowner, is it your responsibility
0:21:22 > 0:21:24to move Porlock Weir and rebuild the houses?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26I mean, that's going to cost a lot of money.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Is that something you would have to fund?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31We couldn't possibly fund it,
0:21:31 > 0:21:36but what we have got is the ability to give to rural housing trusts
0:21:36 > 0:21:41sites where they will be able to build new houses.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42This country needs new houses.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45If just a few of those can be built in Porlock Weir
0:21:45 > 0:21:48in the woods, that is a contribution to housing need.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51In the absence, then, of a huge sea defence,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53are there smaller things that you can put in place?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The cottages behind us there
0:21:57 > 0:22:02will have to change from being ground and first floor cottages
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to a maisonette on a single level
0:22:04 > 0:22:08with the basement filled with concrete, just used for storage.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Resources are very, very short.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Where you've got a limited amount of income,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17there are always difficult choices.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Do you think this place will still be here in 200 years time?
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I suspect this place where we're standing will be under water.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28But the community of Porlock Weir will be looking down on it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I'm really surprised by the attitude of people in Porlock Weir
0:22:38 > 0:22:40but it's not that they're resigned to their fate.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44It seems that it's more a case of if you live by the sea,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47you learn to live with it and you accept what it does.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Looking out across the channel on a calm day like today,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57it's hard to imagine the waters are treacherous.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Nicholas Crane hopped on board a tugboat
0:23:00 > 0:23:04to experience the realities of navigating the Bristol Channel.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09One of the busiest ports in Britain,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12cargo arrives here from all over the world.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Containers full of timber from Scandinavia, fruit from Chile,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18televisions from Korea.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25And 600,000 cars pass through here every year.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31The port's ideally placed for the easy distribution of cargo,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35because it cuts deep into the landmass between England and Wales.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40But, despite its good location, the way in is fraught with danger.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49The Bristol Channel has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Billions of gallons of water surge in and out twice a day.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56This makes it a nightmare
0:23:56 > 0:24:00for captains unfamiliar with these difficult waters.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02They rely on specially-trained local pilots
0:24:02 > 0:24:04to help steer their ship into port.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It's very difficult to read the map.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12'I'm joining pilot Steve Osbourne. I wished I'd picked a calmer day.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:18We're just coming out to board the first ship just here,
0:24:18 > 0:24:19just to the west of this buoy.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- Yeah.- And so, we've got a very well-marked channel then,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24following the deep water.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Course you can't map a tide, can you?
0:24:29 > 0:24:30It's a totally dynamic, 3D energy force.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It's changing all the time. Yeah.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36If you do the same ship on two consecutive days,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39there should be more or less identical conditions.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The ship will do completely different things at times.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43You have to be ready for that.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But you're actually getting on other people's ships.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48They've got crews you've never met before.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- Of every nationality you can think of.- Yeah.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Don't know about the captain today. He may never have been here before.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59He's probably heard stories about Bristol and the horrendous tides.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Really? You mean Bristol has a reputation?- Yes.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04One of my main jobs is to reassure the captain,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08to tell him, "It's OK, your ship is not in any undue risk."
0:25:11 > 0:25:14But no matter how well pilots know these waters,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17they can still take nothing for granted.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22The extreme tides not only push ships forward with enormous momentum,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24they also pull them off course.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30It doesn't help that the tides churn up thousands of tons of silt,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33mud and sand, making depth sounders unreliable.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It's all down to pilots' expertise to guide them safely towards the port.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43This is the most dangerous part of the whole operation,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47because Steve's now got to leave the deck of his heaving pilot boat
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and then somehow make contact
0:25:49 > 0:25:51with the sheer metal side of this container ship
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and scramble up a very wet rope ladder.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00That is not easy to climb.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14That was the most amazing journey to work I've ever seen.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17He's now going to navigate that container ship
0:26:17 > 0:26:20up the Bristol Channel and I'm going to jump ship onto a tug boat.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I've always wanted to travel in a tug boat.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28But it's when the pilot gets the ship to within a mile of the port
0:26:28 > 0:26:33that it gets really tricky and when he needs all the help he can get.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37That's when tug boats, like the one I'm on, really come into their own.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'Steve Dingle is the tug's skipper.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:43What are we about to do with this tug, Steve?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The tug now is just going to help this ship dock into Portbury
0:26:46 > 0:26:51and tonight, or this evening, we're just allocated to push the ship.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55So, how do you stop this huge vessel moving at 20 knots
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and get it to slow down
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and to the point at which it'll be turned into the dock?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03The tug that's aft acts as a brake
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and slows him right down, basically, to stop him.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I can't believe this tiny tug is pushing a vessel
0:27:09 > 0:27:12so many times bigger than itself.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14We're just small and brutal, basically.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17NICHOLAS LAUGHS Little tough nut!
0:27:17 > 0:27:20After another 40 minutes of gentle pushing,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23the entrance to the harbour is in sight
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and we can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Nicholas Crane, arriving safely in port.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I'm travelling along the southern edge of the Bristol Channel.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I've headed slightly inland towards my next stop,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39the stunning Dunster Castle.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46Perching very regally on a wooded hill, it looks out over the channel.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's a dramatic sight, nestled among the green,
0:27:49 > 0:27:50rolling hills of Somerset.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Dunster Castle stayed in the same family, the Luttrells,
0:27:59 > 0:28:04for 600 years, until it was given to the National Trust in 1976.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Maintaining buildings of this age and size is a huge
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and expensive task.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Imagine the fuel bills.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Medieval castles don't strike me
0:28:14 > 0:28:16as the most energy-efficient buildings
0:28:16 > 0:28:18and, with energy prices on the increase,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22a place like this must cost an absolute fortune to run.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27But what about when it was first built?
0:28:27 > 0:28:30I'm meeting volunteer guide Martin Harborne
0:28:30 > 0:28:33to find out how the earliest owners kept the place warm.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37How would these rooms have initially been heated?
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Initially, when the Saxons were here, there would have been
0:28:40 > 0:28:44fires in the middle of the halls, but when the Normans arrived, they
0:28:44 > 0:28:47transformed all the wooden buildings into big stone buildings
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and they would still have
0:28:49 > 0:28:52initially had the fires in the middle of the halls.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Then they would gradually move them, towards the end of the 1100s,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58towards the outer walls where
0:28:58 > 0:29:00they would knock holes in the walls to let smoke out
0:29:00 > 0:29:02and slowly the chimneys developed.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06It is a big stone castle. I would imagine it would be quite cold.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Because they kept the fires going all the time - you couldn't have got
0:29:10 > 0:29:14a box of matches and a cigarette lighter out in those days.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17It was important the fires were kept going all the time.
0:29:17 > 0:29:23It would warm the entire main hall up. A lot went on in that hall. It was not just for eating.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26It was for entertaining, meetings,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29and in many cases for sleeping in as well.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33So all the stone would have gradually absorbed the heat
0:29:33 > 0:29:35so you would be inside one big storage heater.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37They must have got through a phenomenal amount of fuel
0:29:37 > 0:29:39- because the fires were going all day.- Yes.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42They were going all day, but there were nowhere near
0:29:42 > 0:29:44as many people then.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47There was lots of woods and forests.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50They probably couldn't burn it as fast as it was growing.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It was very eco-friendly from that point of view.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Do a lot of properties like this end up
0:29:55 > 0:29:57in the hands of the National Trust
0:29:57 > 0:29:59because people cannot afford to heat them?
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Yes. It is not only the everyday running. It is the sheer cost of upkeep.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Hundreds of thousands of pounds have to be spent on these buildings
0:30:07 > 0:30:09just to retain the fabric.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12For an individual to do that is almost impossible.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18The National Trust has figured out how to make Dunster Castle
0:30:18 > 0:30:20more environmentally friendly
0:30:20 > 0:30:24without jeopardising its Grade One listed grandeur.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26They have installed solar panels hidden from view
0:30:26 > 0:30:28within the rooftop battlements.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33I have managed to get behind-the-scenes access
0:30:33 > 0:30:38with Stephen Hayes, the property administrator.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- What do you think? - They are quite discreet.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Yes.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Has anything been done like this before on a listed building?
0:30:46 > 0:30:49With National Trust, not on a Grade One listed,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52but this is a bit of a test case to see whether it could be done.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54It is an example for others if they wanted to do it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- How is it going?- Really well.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02We have managed to save about 10 percent of our energy
0:31:02 > 0:31:05for the castle for the showrooms
0:31:05 > 0:31:06and the offices.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10Tied in with other energy-saving measures that we are doing,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13within the first three years of the installation here we have
0:31:13 > 0:31:17probably reduced our energy within the castle by about 30 percent
0:31:17 > 0:31:20which is a huge saving for us and these are producing
0:31:20 > 0:31:21about 10 percent of that saving.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Do you do this because you need to financially, or you feel you should?
0:31:25 > 0:31:30As I see it, it doesn't matter either way, because the outcome is the same,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33but yes, as an organisation collectively we will be able
0:31:33 > 0:31:35to reduce our carbon footprint,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39but we also have to think about the future. Energy prices are going up.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43How can we afford to keep these places running?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Whether you look at it from cost or environment,
0:31:46 > 0:31:47the outcome is the same regardless.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54People have looked out from these castle walls towards
0:31:54 > 0:31:56the Bristol Channel for centuries -
0:31:56 > 0:31:59a view often peppered with boats.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Neil Oliver and Mark Horton have been exploring some disturbing
0:32:02 > 0:32:05coastal history -
0:32:05 > 0:32:07stories of plundered ships and tragic wrecks.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Wrecks that were not an accident.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18Because booty from wrecked ships has always been
0:32:18 > 0:32:21so profitable there are tales up and down this coast of ships being
0:32:21 > 0:32:25deliberately lured onto the rocks so their cargo could be plundered.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I have come to meet a man who is convinced that deliberate
0:32:32 > 0:32:33wrecking did happen.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Writer Jeremy Seal has got a theory about who might have done it.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42I do not think it happened so much in the seafaring communities
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- because they would know sailors and have an empathy with seafaring.- Yes.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47But on these cliffs where the life was farming,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49or further west where they were miners,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51they did not understand seafaring.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52They had no empathy with them
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and were prepared to do it because of that.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03With all the romantic notions it is easy to forget that
0:33:03 > 0:33:06if you deliberately wreck a ship you are into murder.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11Yes. No question. This was not just malicious damage.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13If active wrecking happened people would have died.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16They would have died not only in the wreck itself,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18but also there is a chance that they would have been
0:33:18 > 0:33:21picked off by the wreckers as a way of protecting themselves.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Get rid of the witnesses.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29To see how a ship could have been fooled onto rocks by false lights,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Mark and I are going to conduct an experiment.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Mark has gone to the village of Clovelly to enlist
0:33:38 > 0:33:40the help of local skipper Mark Myers.
0:33:43 > 0:33:44They are going out to sea
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and we are going to try and entice them in,
0:33:47 > 0:33:49recreating the conditions
0:33:49 > 0:33:53under which ships could have been deliberately wrecked.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55- What do we need? A dark night and a storm?- Yes.
0:33:55 > 0:34:02- And also a nasty bit of coastline. - That comes with the territory.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Let's go.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09Meanwhile, Jeremy and I have come to a hidden cove further up the coast.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11There is the beach. OK?
0:34:11 > 0:34:14That looks good. That is like a perfect wreckers' beach.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18Mark and his crew are now out to sea.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Night is falling fast.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- Shall we stop the engine? - Yes, let's do it.- Right.
0:34:33 > 0:34:39OK. We have one candle-power. That is the tool of the wreckers' trade.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43That's it. Now you have to have the wind in the right direction.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46It's got to be strong. What we're hoping
0:34:46 > 0:34:49is that the ship out there has no idea where it is.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51It is looking for any help it can find.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56It sees a swinging light which it takes,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59because it is moving, to be the light of another ship -
0:34:59 > 0:35:02rising and falling with the swell.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05When it thinks there's another ship there
0:35:05 > 0:35:08why does that reassure the skipper? What information does that give him?
0:35:08 > 0:35:12It tells the skipper that there is safe water between where he is
0:35:12 > 0:35:14and where he is seeing the light.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- So he thinks he has room to manoeuvre.- Exactly.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20He knows that there is nothing that is going to endanger him
0:35:20 > 0:35:22between where he is and where the light is.
0:35:25 > 0:35:31- We have got nothing but coastline. - Yes.- You cannot really see anything.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35There is no way of judging these distances.
0:35:35 > 0:35:41Are we 100 yards out, or half a mile out? It is completely terrifying.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44You are between the devil and the deep blue sea.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47- There is a light over there. - There is.- Is that a boat? Hang on.
0:35:47 > 0:35:48Let's go round.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53With Mark's boat approaching us, can they see our lantern?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Although to Mark our candlelight appears far away,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59the boat is only 150 metres from the coast.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02A ship mistaking this light for another vessel
0:36:02 > 0:36:05would believe there was only see between the two ships
0:36:05 > 0:36:07and that it was a long way from the rocks -
0:36:07 > 0:36:09an error that would lead to tragedy.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15That could be, yes. It is a little indistinct. It is yellowish.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Our boat is hardly moving and even so
0:36:18 > 0:36:22it is hard to keep an instrument like that steady
0:36:22 > 0:36:24to get a good sight on it.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Hello, Neil, it is Mark.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- I think we have caught something. - 'Are you holding the lantern?'
0:36:32 > 0:36:37- Ahoy, Mark! - I think I can just about see you.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40This is our very best attempt at a ship at night.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42I hope it is convincing.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44I am surprised how far that candle carries.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47I am so impressed that you can actually see us.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49We have only got one candle on the go here.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51'We have only got the power output of our first birthday cake
0:36:51 > 0:36:52'over here.'
0:36:52 > 0:36:54That is excellent.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58You can consider yourself on the point of being wrecked.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02'Why don't you come a little closer?'
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- I don't think so!- I think not.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08We are going back to harbour. See you later. Night.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Bon voyage.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Now I have seen how easy it would be to do,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17it is chilling to think how many sailors might have been
0:37:17 > 0:37:20deliberately lured to their deaths along this coast.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25A fascinating experiment there by Neil Oliver and Mark Horton
0:37:25 > 0:37:26on the south-west coast.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30My journey along the Bristol Channel has moved east,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33away from the shingle beaches and towards
0:37:33 > 0:37:36flat sands, big skies and smooth shimmering waters.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41But I'm not heading to the beach just yet.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43I am off to a unique spot near Highbridge.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56This is Secret World - a charity specialising in the rescue,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59rehabilitation and eventual release
0:37:59 > 0:38:01of orphaned, sick and injured wildlife.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05It is the only 24/7 service like this in the south-west
0:38:05 > 0:38:07and I have come to lend a hand.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09My first job is in here.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I am here to help veterinary nurse Sarah
0:38:16 > 0:38:18with her bottle feeding duties.
0:38:18 > 0:38:24- Hello.- She is tiny. - She is only about four weeks old.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Our thirsty customer is Wispa, a baby fallow deer.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Good morning, Wispa. She is tiny.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- Yeah.- Is this normal milk? - That is goats' milk
0:38:37 > 0:38:39that she is on that at the moment.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42She has been here for about four weeks.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46She was found at the side of the road in the gutter soaking wet
0:38:46 > 0:38:48and totally collapsed and starving.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50What would have happened to her?
0:38:50 > 0:38:54We do not know. Probably something happened to Mum in the night.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56She has wandered off. These fawns follow their parents all the time.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59- She is thirsty.- Yes.- We'll give you another!
0:38:59 > 0:39:03How many of these will she drink?
0:39:03 > 0:39:06She will probably have two or two and a half. You can see she is hungry.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Why did you call her Wispa?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11She is quite unusual in that she is a fallow fawn.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16They are normally quite orangey coloured with little white spots.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20But she is what we call and melanistic one. She is brown.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24- We called her Wispa because she is like chocolate.- She is so cute.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28- She is very gentle.- Yes. She blows raspberries all the time.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31She feels very soft. It is not just deer that you get here is it?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33What type of animals do you get in?
0:39:33 > 0:39:37We deal with every species of British wildlife.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Casualties of absolutely anything with British...
0:39:40 > 0:39:43She is a bit frantic there. Do you want your bottle?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Easy, Wispa. What do you see most of?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Probably the most we get is baby birds.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52That is about 80 percent of our work through the year.
0:39:52 > 0:39:59In terms of mammals we deal with the majority of badgers across the UK.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Do you get quite attached to them? She is a real character.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Very much so. You sort of treat them like your baby.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10You get terribly attached to the fawns
0:40:10 > 0:40:13because they bond with one person.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17You become Mum. She behaves that way.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21It is very hard when you know that at some point you have to let them go.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23But that is the aim of the game.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25- Yes.- You have to release them back into the wild.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Yes, we have a very strict policy.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31If it cannot go back to the wild then we euthanise it.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36With these animals that is absolutely the very clear
0:40:36 > 0:40:38ending that we are working towards.
0:40:38 > 0:40:44- Where will Wispa go?- She will probably go into a deer park
0:40:44 > 0:40:47with another herd of fallow deer
0:40:47 > 0:40:49just because she is quite calm and used to people around.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I don't think she'd survive if we put her on Exmoor.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Would it be fair to say you will be making regular visits
0:40:55 > 0:40:57to this deer?
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Yes. It would be nice to.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02The problem is in some ways it is easier to walk away.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05It is not necessarily fair on her to keep looking for me all the time.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Don't! It will be all right. It is going to be OK.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12They always take my babies away from me!
0:41:13 > 0:41:19Originally a dairy farm, Secret World opened to the public in 1984.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It was not long before people started to bring along
0:41:21 > 0:41:23sick and injured wildlife.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Most of the animals get brought to treatment rooms like this.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31But if it's a tiny defenceless baby that needs constant attention
0:41:31 > 0:41:33and care, they go to the cubbyhole.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36It has become famous amongst staff and visitors to the centre.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41There is even a webcam to let people know what is in the cubbyhole.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45It has been a safe place for all sorts of creatures.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Today it is cheeping with ducklings.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51They were found on a roof smothered in commercial glue.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It is thought they confused it for water and tried to bathe.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59It matted their feathers, even glued their beaks together.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Out of seven ducklings four have survived.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05They have since been mixed in with another brood
0:42:05 > 0:42:10and are being cared for by Pauline Kidner, creator of Secret World.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16These ducks were in a pretty awful way,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19but as we can see most of them are doing well now.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20What is happening here?
0:42:20 > 0:42:23We were trying to see what would get the glue off them.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27We tried margarine because you can get tarmac off animals with margarine
0:42:27 > 0:42:32or even sometimes light glue, but because this was commercial glue
0:42:32 > 0:42:35we had to use white spirits, so it was a tough job.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38With these situations I don't think you should give up.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40You should always try.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Is this kind of thing typical?
0:42:42 > 0:42:44It is. We get all sorts of animals in.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47We always try to get pictures for before and after
0:42:47 > 0:42:49so that it can show the impact.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52One thing I would love to show you if I can get rid of that,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55this is amazing footage that we had
0:42:55 > 0:42:59where Simon, our operations manager, went out to deer,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03and he was able to rescue them and let them go at the same time.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06It was quite a dangerous situation because it was two roe bucks.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08GRUNTING You can hear the noise
0:43:08 > 0:43:12they're making. This one is obviously not happy about being handled.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14They are caught in sheep electric fencing
0:43:14 > 0:43:16and a farmer came down and told us.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Simon luckily went out with one of the girls from the office,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24because he was having real problems controlling the deer.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Poor old Dani, who had only just started in office,
0:43:27 > 0:43:28was made to sit on it.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31You can see he is cutting the electric fencing off the antlers,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34but he's being careful because those antlers
0:43:34 > 0:43:36could puncture his thighs very easily.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40He has got to look for his own safety as well as the animal.
0:43:40 > 0:43:41So I think you'll find Simon here
0:43:41 > 0:43:43has actually got the electric fencing off,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47he's going to be careful that he doesn't catch himself,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50and it'll just give you an idea of how high our fences have to be
0:43:50 > 0:43:51when we keep deer.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54- Oh, look at it go! - Now watch the next bit.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57- Wow!- Isn't that fantastic?
0:43:57 > 0:44:01And the amazing thing is that the second one has seen what went on,
0:44:01 > 0:44:05and is now standing absolutely still to let Simon release it,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07and you'll find even when he gets it off the antlers,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10it moves back very, very carefully so that it doesn't hurt Simon.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13And that's when you really get those sort of tingles,
0:44:13 > 0:44:15and you think, "That is just fabulous,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18"they know I'm helping them," and therefore they're working with you.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22And off it goes. It goes round the corner, but off he goes to freedom.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- But I guess that's the dream scenario.- Absolutely.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29- You can literally set it free and off it goes, happy as Larry.- Yeah.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35But the one thing I will say, when I started to do wildlife,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38is that I find British wildlife amazing.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42They say about going to Africa to see the big five. We don't need to.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46We've got fascinating animals here in British wildlife.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48We need to know more about it, excite the youngsters,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51make sure that it's going to be here for generations to enjoy.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'Pauline has practically handed over her home to wildlife.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01'Even her bathtub has seen an otter cub or two.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08'Running a place like this is a real mission, though.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11'So I'm going to stick around and lend a hand.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14'But first, when John Craven came to the Bristol Channel,
0:45:14 > 0:45:16'he went for a whistle-stop tour
0:45:16 > 0:45:18'of the little-known island of Flat Holm.'
0:45:24 > 0:45:29- Hello!- Hello, John.- How are you? Nice to see you.- Nice to see you.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30So you're the islanders?
0:45:30 > 0:45:34'Flat Holm is run by Cardiff Council as a wildlife reserve
0:45:34 > 0:45:36'and learning centre.'
0:45:36 > 0:45:39So the clock's ticking away already, I haven't got much time,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41can't get stranded. What should I see on the island?
0:45:41 > 0:45:44- Cholera hospital.- Really? - It's a great place to go.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Let's to the Victorian fortifications first,
0:45:47 > 0:45:48on the other side of the island.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51- How far's that?- 500 metres. - OK! Let's go.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54'Though it's been farmed for centuries,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57'Flat Holm is surprisingly built-up.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00'As well as its lighthouse, it's scattered with remnants of its time
0:46:00 > 0:46:02'as a military fortress against the French,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05'dating back to early Victorian times.'
0:46:06 > 0:46:09They needed an infrastructure to support the soldiers,
0:46:09 > 0:46:12so can you actually guess what this thing is?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14- Down there?- Yes. - I've got no idea. What is it?
0:46:14 > 0:46:16It's a large tiled water catchment area.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20They use that area to collect the rainwater, and it would go down
0:46:20 > 0:46:22into a large underground water tank,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24which holds about 80,000 gallons of water.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26- Very ingenious, eh?- Absolutely.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Cos there's no natural water here.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- No natural water at all. - What you do now?
0:46:31 > 0:46:32We use the roofs of the buildings
0:46:32 > 0:46:35and we still use the same Victorian underground water tank.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39So it comes down from the roof, down the guttering, into the tank?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Yeah. And then we pump it back through ultra-violet filters
0:46:42 > 0:46:44and filter it all up so it's safe to drink.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49- So this is a whole gun emplacement, isn't it?- It is.- Look at this! Wow.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51The cannons would have been down inside
0:46:51 > 0:46:53on a Moncrieff disappearing carriage, as it was called.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Because of the low terrain, they had to hide the cannons.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58- So they were hidden from sight? - Absolutely.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- And then if it was needed it would be raised up.- Yeah.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05And in the 1860s, how many soldiers would be based on the island?
0:47:05 > 0:47:07Well, they planned for about 50, which is why they did
0:47:07 > 0:47:11all the water catchment area, but only six were ever stationed here.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- Only six?- Only six.- All these defences, and only six soldiers!
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Yeah, so not enough men to actually man the defences.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20- I suppose the threat had gone away as well by then.- It had, yeah.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24'But afterwards, the island became a defence
0:47:24 > 0:47:28'against a totally different type of threat, a deadly disease.'
0:47:30 > 0:47:35- So Flat Holm was a quarantine island?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38They decided to use Flat Holm to build a cholera hospital
0:47:38 > 0:47:40to protect the ports of Cardiff and Bristol.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42When would that be?
0:47:42 > 0:47:441896, this hospital was actually built,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47and there were two six-bed wards either side,
0:47:47 > 0:47:49so they couldn't hold more than a dozen anyway.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51And how long did it stay a cholera hospital?
0:47:51 > 0:47:55Until 1935, and then it was condemned by the Ministry of Health.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57But during World War II,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00a couple of hundred soldiers were stationed on Flat Holm,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04and girls came over from the mainland to dance here with the troops.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09I've just had a very quick history tour of the island.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11What's life like here these days?
0:48:11 > 0:48:13In the winter it's a lot quieter,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15in the summer months it gets a lot busier here
0:48:15 > 0:48:17with all of our visitors.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19All of the visitors come here to come and look
0:48:19 > 0:48:21at all of the wildlife that we have on the island.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23- What have you got? - We've got lots here to see.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25We have lots of shelduck,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29we obviously are a gull colony for our lesser black-backed gulls.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32So how long do you actually stay on the island for?
0:48:32 > 0:48:35In the winter it's usually about three weeks.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37In the summer we do about a ten-day stint
0:48:37 > 0:48:40and we have four days off on the mainland after that.
0:48:40 > 0:48:41And when you're on the mainland,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44are you looking forward to coming back again?
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Yes, very much so.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48You kind of miss the island life when you're on the mainland,
0:48:48 > 0:48:52and find yourself wanting to come back home, so yes.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54We don't really miss the mainland too much.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And have you ever missed the boat? SHE LAUGHS
0:48:57 > 0:49:00I haven't, no, but certain people have.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Well, I'm in danger of that now.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I've got about two minutes left, so thank you very much, Wendy.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- That's OK. Thank you.- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12Well, I've made it, just in time, a couple of minutes to spare.
0:49:12 > 0:49:18The tide's going out very quickly, but off to the mainland!
0:49:24 > 0:49:28'John Craven on Flat Holm island.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31'I'm at a wildlife rescue centre near Highbridge,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34'and these young herring gulls were brought here
0:49:34 > 0:49:38'after falling out of their nests or sustaining injuries in the wild.'
0:49:40 > 0:49:43These herring gulls have been in here for quite a few weeks now,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47so they're a lot bigger and stronger than when they first arrived
0:49:47 > 0:49:48and they were tiny and fluffy.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Sara told me that they're stretching their wings and trying to fly,
0:49:51 > 0:49:53which means they're ready to go home,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56they're ready to be re-released into the wild.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00'But first we have to catch them.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02'These guys are making it look easy,
0:50:02 > 0:50:06'but I'm having a bit more trouble netting a gull.'
0:50:09 > 0:50:10Ooh!
0:50:11 > 0:50:13He's a flyer.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17'We can only go for the ones that can fly.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20'Some of these birds are still too young to leave.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23'It means I have to be really sure before I catch one.'
0:50:23 > 0:50:24He's a flyer!
0:50:24 > 0:50:27'Although I have to say, they're not too hard to spot
0:50:27 > 0:50:29'because they're the fastest ones!'
0:50:29 > 0:50:33Calm down! It's all right, birdy-birdy.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39Right, put it down on the ground. That's it. Well done.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50You're going home. Chill, chill. Chill, chill, chill.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Who's flying? He's flying!
0:50:53 > 0:50:55That's right, don't take me in the pond with you.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57In a minute we're going to load these guys up
0:50:57 > 0:50:59and take them down to the beach
0:50:59 > 0:51:01so that they can be re-released into the wild.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05While we do that, here's the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:52:50 > 0:52:57.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07I've been on a journey
0:53:07 > 0:53:09along the southern shores of the Bristol Channel,
0:53:09 > 0:53:13starting at the villages of Culbone and Porlock Weir,
0:53:13 > 0:53:17east to Dunster, and then pushing along the coast to Highbridge.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21I'm now heading for my final stop, the beach at Burnham-On-Sea.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24'I'm hitching a ride with the seagulls,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27'they're also Burnham-bound, ready to be released into the wild
0:53:27 > 0:53:31'after a spell at the wildlife rescue centre.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37'This isn't the first time veterinary nurse Sara
0:53:37 > 0:53:40'has ferried seagulls to the shore.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43'It's a great spot for their first flight.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45'I'm, however, not entirely sure what to expect
0:53:45 > 0:53:48'when we open the cages.'
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Some of them will go up in the air.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Obviously we haven't got much wind today.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Other ones, they will walk around,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01strut around, sort of get their feet, and just do what they want, really.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But they're all self-sufficient, so what we do now is just open it up.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08- I'm excited!- Yay!
0:54:08 > 0:54:11But I kind of... I'm also a little bit nervous.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16I feel like I'm letting my... Oh! Well done! Come on, birdies.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Yeah, that's right. Yeah!
0:54:26 > 0:54:27I know everyone calls them seagulls,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29but they're herring gulls, aren't they?
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Yeah. Some of them are herring gulls,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35some of them can be the other common gulls as well.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37When they're youngsters like this,
0:54:37 > 0:54:41unless you know clear wing patterns, you can't tell them apart.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45But nearly all of the gulls that we've got are herring gulls.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48- And some people don't like them. - No, I know.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50I think it's just they sort of perceive them
0:54:50 > 0:54:54as birds that come down and steal your fish and chips.
0:54:54 > 0:54:55That's quite fun, isn't it?
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Exactly, and they're just opportunists, really.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02Luckily, here, obviously cos we're by the sea,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06I think everyone expects to have them around, really.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Come on, you lot!
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- Yay!- Off you go!
0:55:14 > 0:55:16THEY LAUGH
0:55:18 > 0:55:21Obviously they've been in the centre for a while.
0:55:21 > 0:55:22Will they know how to cope in the wild?
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Yeah, they'll be absolutely fine.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27With herring gulls, they're not birds that when you're rearing them
0:55:27 > 0:55:31you have to keep feeding them at all, they'll self-feed anyway.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34So we've really just given them somewhere to stay
0:55:34 > 0:55:35for a short period of time
0:55:35 > 0:55:38while they grow up a little bit, and now their natural instinct,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40they're already scurrying around
0:55:40 > 0:55:43in the seaweed, picking things up, "Ooh, is that something to eat?"
0:55:43 > 0:55:45So they'll be fine.
0:55:48 > 0:55:53- This little guy is frantic to get out.- It's the last lot for today.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56OK, I'm going to release you first.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04- Go, go, go! Wow!- Hey-hey!
0:56:04 > 0:56:08It's absolutely lovely to see them with huge amounts of space
0:56:08 > 0:56:11to really, really get their wings and get up in the air. It's lovely.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24Well, it's the end of my journey, but the start of his.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31'In some ways, my journey along the Bristol Channel has explored
0:56:31 > 0:56:35'the gentler side of this colossal stretch of water,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38'famous for treacherous tides and turbulence.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40'I've strolled through magical woodland
0:56:40 > 0:56:44'and enjoyed postcard views from a picture-perfect castle.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48'And yet, the power of the sea is ever-present,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51'slowly advancing on coastal communities like Porlock Weir.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55'I suppose it's just a reminder
0:56:55 > 0:56:58'that we should enjoy these places while we can.'
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:12 > 0:57:15E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk