0:00:20 > 0:00:24Hello. Today's journey takes me along the Thames Estuary path,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27a route that is both rural and industrial,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30working my way from the city to the sea.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34I'll be starting out in Woolwich,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36right on the banks of the River Thames,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40where I'll be hearing a first-hand account of the tragic floods of 1953
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and take a closer look at the barrier that now protects the city.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Where are we now? Are we actually right underneath the Thames?
0:00:49 > 0:00:52You are, you're actually in the bed of the River Thames.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Then it's on to Rainham Marshes near Purfleet,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58a surprising haven of countryside and wildlife by the M25,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01where I'll be learning to identify birdsong
0:01:01 > 0:01:03with urban birder David Lindo.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- LOW TWITTERING - Oh, yep!
0:01:07 > 0:01:08Oh, that's fantastic.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Moving east, I'll be on the lookout for the hidden tracks
0:01:11 > 0:01:13at Hadleigh Country Park,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17soon to host the 2012 Olympics mountain bike competition.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And my final destination is the bustling seaside resort
0:01:24 > 0:01:25of Southend-on-Sea,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29where I'll find out how the town keeps its sea squeaky-clean.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31And along the way, I'll be looking back
0:01:31 > 0:01:34at the very best of the BBC's rural programmes
0:01:34 > 0:01:36from this part of the world.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48The Thames runs for 215 miles, starting out near Cirencester
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and eventually flowing into the North Sea.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54The river is flanked by some stunning countryside.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Only when the water hits London does the scenery drastically change,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01the fields turning into a busy urban landscape.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Industrial buildings dominate and the ships get bigger and noisier.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11From London, the Thames becomes tidal
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and there can be a distance of up to seven metres
0:02:14 > 0:02:18between high and low tide as all that water rushes for the open sea.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And the average flow of water
0:02:24 > 0:02:27is around 5,200 million litres every day.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And that quantity of water brings with it real danger.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34The Thames Estuary is particularly liable to flooding.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Now, there are a number of reasons for this.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Firstly, mainland Britain is gradually tilting,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44so the Southeast is slowly sinking into the sea as sea levels rise.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And secondly, when very specific extreme weather conditions
0:02:50 > 0:02:55accumulate way out at sea, this can cause high-surge tides
0:02:55 > 0:02:59of up to four metres which rush up the Thames Estuary towards London.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Both of these could result in serious flooding of our capital and beyond.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10The worst case was witnessed in late January 1953,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14when the greatest surge on record happened in the North Sea.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Tragically, 2,000 people in Scotland, England, Belgium
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and the Netherlands lost their lives.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Around 100,000 hectares of eastern England were flooded
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and one area just a little bit further down the Thames Estuary
0:03:30 > 0:03:33towards the sea was very badly hit, Canvey Island.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37The sea walls literally collapsed and of those who died,
0:03:37 > 0:03:3959 were from there.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Ray Howard was 11 years old at the time and living on the island.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50We went to bed at our usual time in our usual way,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and I can remember my sister waking me up in the early hours
0:03:55 > 0:03:59in the morning to say, "Quick, come and have a look!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02"Water is coming down the street at such a pace."
0:04:06 > 0:04:10We were all shocked to see such an event.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12And was it coming into your house?
0:04:12 > 0:04:17It did get into our house and it was about five foot in our house, which was quite considerable.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22But of course, we had a house and we were able to stay upstairs
0:04:22 > 0:04:26until the army evacuated us in a boat.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30There wasn't the streetlights like we've currently got,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32but there was a full moon
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and it was something that will always stick in my mind.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44You were evacuated by the army, in boats, in lorries -
0:04:44 > 0:04:46when do you get to see it again?
0:04:46 > 0:04:49How devastated was Canvey when you returned?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Well, I mean, the army
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and all the various agencies, etc, played a major contribution
0:04:55 > 0:05:00in getting Canvey back into life again.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Houses such as my own at the time, we were fortunate,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05major works had to be done
0:05:05 > 0:05:09to where the salt water had got into the household,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12but basically it was done in good condition
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and we eventually went back into normal life.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And what have you noticed since?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26How great have the changes been here to the flood defences?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29It's huge. They have a huge structure.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33They are pile-driven down into a considerable depth,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38with concrete cladding and a top.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40They are structurally sound until 2070.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43So it's fair to say lessons were learned
0:05:43 > 0:05:44and, even though it was a freak of nature,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46the defences are now in place.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Yes, and I pay full credit to everyone who's played that part
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and there's been a great amount of people who have made that a success.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Today, Canvey Island is incredibly well-protected from flood risk
0:05:59 > 0:06:02to prevent such a disaster ever happening again.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Further up the estuary on that same night in 1953,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07London's docklands, oil refineries, gas works
0:06:07 > 0:06:12and electricity-generating stations came to a standstill
0:06:12 > 0:06:13and the city was in turmoil.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19It was a devastating natural disaster which deeply affected
0:06:19 > 0:06:22the people whose lives and homes were destroyed.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26It became very clear after the flood that something had to be done
0:06:26 > 0:06:29to protect the city, and over the next 20 years,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31a plan was put into action.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And this is what British engineers came up with -
0:06:36 > 0:06:40one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and I've got special permission to go inside it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46But just before I do that,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury got very competitive on the River Medway,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54which runs through Kent and flows out into the Thames Estuary.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59The Thames Estuary is much more than just a gateway to London,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02it's an area steeped in history and tradition,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and they don't come more traditional than a Thames barge.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07These boats were the workhorses of their day.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Now just a handful remain,
0:07:09 > 0:07:14but there's no retirement for these girls - oh, no, not today!
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Right, it's grudge time here on the Wivenhoe.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20We're about to go head-to-head, or keel-to-keel, I should say,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22with Team Bradbury.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- And they're definitely Team B. - Really?
0:07:25 > 0:07:29The plan is to race each other up the River Medway to Upnor Castle.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33I'm aboard the Cabbie, the last wooden barge ever built.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Matt's aboard the Wivenhoe, a steel-hulled boat with an engine.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38But today it's all about sail power.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Bradbury calling Baker, come in, Baker. Are you there?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- How are you doing?- Very well! Your crew better be ready!
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Yep, we'll just spin round and we'll be ready to go!
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It takes a moment to swing the boats into position.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57We've got four miles ahead of us. May the best team win!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Tell him we're off.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Three, two, one...
0:08:02 > 0:08:04we're off!
0:08:05 > 0:08:08These are definitely not speedboats.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10We'll be lucky to hit ten miles an hour.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Winning is going to be in the tactics.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17Right, we're nicely to wind of him, so any wind he gets
0:08:17 > 0:08:18has already gone through our sails,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20so we've taken all the sting out of it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- Look, we're passing him already. - I like your style, Charlie.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26We're stealing his wind!
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'And we're about to steal some more.'
0:08:29 > 0:08:32What we are doing is now putting up the foresail,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35which now gives us an extra sail,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38so we've actually got one more sail than he has. SHE LAUGHS
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And this little sail could make all the difference.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Hang on, lads, they're putting... How many sails have they got up?!
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- So is this our secret weapon?- This is our secret weapon, this is, Julia!
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- An extra sail?- An extra sail! - I knew you had it in you.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We have the power! Now, look, we're overtaking them.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- They're overtaking us. - They're cheating. We haven't got that thing that sticks out the front
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- with the white sail. - Stewards' inquiry.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Oh, what a shame! - HE LAUGHS
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Barge racing goes back 150 years.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14It was started by a wheeler-dealer called Henry Dodd in the 1860s.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19So how did this Henry Dodd fellow get all the racing started, Charlie?
0:09:19 > 0:09:25Well, he was the sort of prince of dustmen in London, Victorian London,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and a lot of the rubbish was taken from London in the barges
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and dumped out at sea,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35so he decided to offer a prize, I think it was in 1863
0:09:35 > 0:09:38was the first barge match, because he thought that
0:09:38 > 0:09:42barges racing against barges would improve the way they sailed,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46would improve the rig, make them faster and therefore more efficient.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48He was a smart cookie, old Dodd.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52He knew that barge racing would keep his crews fit
0:09:52 > 0:09:53and his boats profitable.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Racing like this is his legacy.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And so what's the key, then, of racing her fast
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and winning these races?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Well, it's all about the way the barge is rigged
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and how clean she is and how well she's sailing.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12- Have you got high hopes today?- I had high hopes today until they cheated.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15He's just taking an advantage, it's so unfair.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21Right. The gloves are off. We can play dirty too. Start the engine!
0:10:25 > 0:10:26Do you think they'll hear it?
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I think they'll hear it
0:10:28 > 0:10:33and they'll see our exhaust coming out the side of the barge!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35'I smell a rat - or is it diesel?'
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Wow, that's big-time cheating!
0:10:42 > 0:10:43OK, we've had a laugh.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Fair dos, Julia, we'll switch the engine off and beat you
0:10:47 > 0:10:49fair and square.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51When you feel the wind behind you
0:10:51 > 0:10:52and it fills that sail,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56you don't half get some speed up in these barges. Really surprising, actually.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01All the noises, the clunking, the ropes, the sails -
0:11:01 > 0:11:03it's exciting.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It's not looking good, they're right on our shoulder!
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Yeah, but it's not over yet!
0:11:10 > 0:11:12We're neck-and-neck in the home straight.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Could this be one last gasp for Team Baker?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I think it's going to be a close finish but I think we'll get it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20- You think so?- Yeah, I reckon.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23We're coming round now into the last corner
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and then it's the final stretch up to the finish line.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30We're that far ahead now.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32He is actually in a faster barge,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33but I did tell you
0:11:33 > 0:11:37we had the professionals on this barge, did I not?
0:11:37 > 0:11:41I can see the castle. I can see the finish line. Come on, lads!
0:11:41 > 0:11:45We're on the home straight now and we're inching ahead.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- Look at them go, wow! - Yeah, we've got him! LAUGHTER
0:11:49 > 0:11:52That's it, guys, we're over the line!
0:11:53 > 0:11:56In the end, it was Team Bradbury's superior sailing skills
0:11:56 > 0:11:58that won the day.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Commiserations, Team Baker. I'm much further up the river from there in the Woolwich
0:12:04 > 0:12:07to get a special insight into London's flood defences
0:12:07 > 0:12:09at the Thames Barrier.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16This incredible structure is run by the Environment Agency.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18It's basically one big barrier
0:12:18 > 0:12:23stretching 520 metres across the Thames. That's over half a kilometre,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26more than five full-size football pitches back-to-back
0:12:26 > 0:12:31and it protects 125 square kilometres of London that way.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The unusual shapes push up out of the water,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40creating an unearthly appearance of metal domes and concrete pillars.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The Thames Barrier became operational in 1982.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's got ten steel gates going across the river
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and when they're in their defensive position,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56they can stand as high as a five-story building,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00each weighing 3,700 tons.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06The terrible floods of 1953 were really the catalyst
0:13:06 > 0:13:09for changing the flood defences of London and beyond
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and it was soon after that a committee decided
0:13:12 > 0:13:16that the river needed a barrier that would keep tidal surges out
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but still allow ships to pass through.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Planning and designing took many years,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26but work commenced on the Thames Barrier in 1974
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and eight years later, it was opened by the Queen.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33London has now been made free from the threat of flooding.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Rachael Hill works on the barrier and has invited me
0:13:38 > 0:13:40to join her for a closer look.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Rachael, this is quite a stunning structure, isn't it?
0:13:42 > 0:13:45But how often is it practically used,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47how often is it needed to protect London?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It ranges from year to year,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53wbut on average, two or three times a year, but since 1982,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55we've actually closed 119 times
0:13:55 > 0:13:58to protect London from the threat from the North Sea.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's quite a lot. Are those two or three times a year
0:14:00 > 0:14:04normally in wintertime when the seas are at their worst?
0:14:04 > 0:14:05It tends to be through the winter.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06From about October,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09we come into what we describe as our tidal flood season
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and that's when we start to see these depressions forming
0:14:13 > 0:14:17across the Atlantic, they start moving towards the British Isles.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21And how do you monitor it? It's not just looking out for a big surge of water with the eyes,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24it's, I guess, buoys out at sea, all sorts of things, is it?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28It is, it's a combination of normal weather-forecasting equipment,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30because you can find out, from our work with the Met Office,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34whether you're going to experience this period of low pressure,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36these depressions, but then it's our tidal monitors
0:14:36 > 0:14:39all along the east coast will be setting off alarms
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and notifying us here at the Thames Barrier
0:14:42 > 0:14:44whether we're seeing abnormal,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47slightly higher tide levels than we would normally expect.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Now when Londoners, or people visiting London,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58stroll down the south bank and enjoy the beautiful sights
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and the river just lapping away gently,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04they couldn't see that if it wasn't for this barrier, could they?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06No, absolutely, and that's what a lot of Londoners
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and visitors forget, that the Thames Barrier not only protects them
0:15:10 > 0:15:12from flooding but it provides us
0:15:12 > 0:15:15with a very beautiful view alongside the riverside in central London.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Without the Thames Barrier today,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21even just to protect London from the tides and surges we see today,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24the walls and embankments would have to be three metres higher,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27so as tall as the lamp stands, we would be living in a walled-in city.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- We just wouldn't see it? - You just wouldn't see the river.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43So where are we now? Are we actually right underneath the Thames?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Yes, you are, you're actually in the bed of the River Thames,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49because we're in the service tunnel,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54the lowest point that you can get into in the barrier.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Wow, it's incredibly long, looking along it! Just how far does this stretch?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01This stretches the full width of the river,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04so if we carried on walking now, we'd reach the north bank.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13This is the best place, really, to show you how the barrier works.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14You can see at the moment,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17one of the gates is in a defence position, so normally,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19they sit on the bed of the river,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23so if we want to go and have a look at this one over here,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27at the moment, the gate is right below the surface of the water,
0:16:27 > 0:16:32so any boats passing through - no problem, no impedence to navigation.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And that wheel just turns
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and up it comes to stop the water coming through?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40It does, these big yellow cylinders in the pier housing
0:16:40 > 0:16:45are connected to those gate arms and one literally pushes,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47the other pulls and it moves the gate up.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59What's the future of this?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Is this going to be good enough in years to come to protect London?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Absolutely. The barrier is such a reliable, very flexible structure.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08As it stands today,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13it will keep London safe from flooding way into this century,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14up until around 2070.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17We will need to continue undertaking the maintenance and,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21in some cases, do some quite major engineering works,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24but a decision about the future of how we protect London
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and the Thames Estuary from flooding will be needed around 2060,
0:17:28 > 0:17:33because once we go into the next century, past 2100,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36the future means that we might need to look at other ways
0:17:36 > 0:17:37of managing future flooding.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41The rising sea levels, perhaps more water falling,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- all these things are going to be borne in mind?- Absolutely.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47With climate change posing a future threat, it's good to know
0:17:47 > 0:17:50that the engineers had the foresight to build such an advanced structure
0:17:50 > 0:17:55that will keep the city safe for at least another 50 years.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It must be a really reassuring sight for all those people
0:18:02 > 0:18:06that live and work upstream of the Thames Barrier, knowing that,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08should the North Sea do its worst,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14it will protect them from the water - for the time being, at least.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Although the Thames dominates the centre of London,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20there are other rivers that play a significant role here.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Griff Rhys Jones spent some time exploring the River Lea and championing its name.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35No locks.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40I guess that's Bow Bridge, so we're in Bow,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44where Bow bells are and where Cockneys claim their origin.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47As long as they can hear those bells, they're Cockneys.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50So we must, now, be in the centre of London.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07# It's a wonder as the landlord doesn't want to raise the rent
0:19:07 > 0:19:10# Because we've got such nobby distant views
0:19:10 > 0:19:15# Oh, it really is a wery pretty garden
0:19:15 > 0:19:20# And Chingford to the eastward can be seen
0:19:20 > 0:19:25# With a ladder and some glasses I could see to Hackney Marshes
0:19:25 > 0:19:28# If it wasn't for the houses in between. #
0:19:30 > 0:19:33This is one of the lowest-lying regions of London,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36which is why Gus Elen, when he wrote that song,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39couldn't see anything out of his back garden.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The area is reclaimed marshland, flat,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and, in those days, not a very desirable place to live.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52The River Lea has been split into five channels around here,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56the water meeting the various demands of numerous businesses,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58for in the 19th century,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01this was the centre of London's heavy, dirty industries.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09The brand-new Olympic development is already having an impact on the river.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13The building work will require millions of tons of aggregate,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and do you know how they intend to transport it?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18By old-fashioned water, which brings us
0:20:18 > 0:20:20to the newest structure on the Lea.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24The is Prescott Lock.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26It will, for the first time in 50 years,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29enable water transport to navigate this part of the river.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36This is the gateway to 2,200 miles of rivers
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and canals in the whole of the UK.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51We are on the old River Lea now.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56Over there, that's the Pudding Mill River.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59These were all mill leats,
0:20:59 > 0:21:04they ran water off the Lea to run mills in medieval London.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10This stretch of the Lea is now so secret
0:21:10 > 0:21:12we won't actually be able to explore it,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15for reasons of security, until after 2012.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I'm not allowed to bring my canoe up here
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and bring Cadbury paddling around the Olympic site.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26We've got special permission to do this.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33This is clearly the way to arrive at the Olympics,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36in a sort of state barge.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Coming up the concrete culvert.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53In a way, it's going to be the Lea's finest hour, isn't it?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The brand-new Olympic development will have as its centrepiece
0:21:57 > 0:21:58a concrete drain,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03built originally to prevent flooding in Stratford East.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19As the five channels flow back into one looping waterway
0:22:19 > 0:22:21meandering towards the Thames,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24this is the final part of the Lea's journey.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26I'm struck by the greatness of this river.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29What started as a torpid bog in Luton
0:22:29 > 0:22:33has grown to encompass the whole of London.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38My journey is nearly over. I'm now in tidal waters.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40The dog has gone a little bit nervous
0:22:40 > 0:22:45and I think I can see why, because I feel a little bit like a baby
0:22:45 > 0:22:48hedgehog approaching a traffic intersection.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53That's right, Cadbury, get your head down. Oh, all right, don't, then.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55And I was going to say I don't know where I am,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and then I pop out and straight ahead of me
0:22:58 > 0:23:01is the biggest folly of the last 50 years, the Dome.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22'Time to hitch a lift to the end.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'This water's too dangerous for Cadbury and me.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29'We're going with Chris Livett, a fifth-generation waterman.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:32He used to go up and down the Lea and Thames regularly as a boy
0:23:32 > 0:23:37and he's seen some enormous changes on this river.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I would come up here with my grandfather, my father, in their tug,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and we would have to physically slow down, a bit like a traffic jam.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47You just have to look at all those 19th-century artists.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52They were drawn to the river and one of the reasons for that was because of the incredible activity!
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Sure. The theatre of life.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57The colours, the sounds, the type of boats that would come up,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00the type of people that were on those boats
0:24:00 > 0:24:02were from the four corners of the world.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I think people are now turning back towards the river
0:24:06 > 0:24:10because it looks a lot better, there isn't a putrid smell any more,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12it's quite nice, you see some brilliant sunsets,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15this is one of the few places in London that you can come
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- that you see the horizon, for goodness' sake!- It is!
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It's the emptiness that strikes me most.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25The river has become a new beginning, including,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27potentially, a place to live.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I think I've actually been in quite a lot of roof gardens
0:24:31 > 0:24:37in London in my time, but not one that sways all the time.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I'm only crossing this floating community of 26 barges
0:24:41 > 0:24:44to complete my own circle.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It would be awful to be capsized by a major tree, wouldn't it?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01I'm back in the watery heart of London,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05brought here by a river which still seems to me
0:25:05 > 0:25:08to be essential to the understanding of this city.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15It may not be as magnificent or as famous as its big brother,
0:25:15 > 0:25:16but the river is a little marvel.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Rivers can take us on a natural journey from their source
0:25:24 > 0:25:27to their end, weaving their way through the landscape.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29My river has now guided me
0:25:29 > 0:25:34on from Woolwich to an unusual spot by the M25 near Purfleet.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39This is Rainham Marshes,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43an expanse of ancient grazing land right on the edge of the modern city.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Nestled between the high-speed train route to Europe, the Thames
0:25:47 > 0:25:52and the M25, this is a wildlife haven.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55This oasis of calm is owned by the RSPB.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00It's the perfect habitat for a whole host of fantastic birds,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02wildlife and plants.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06The urban birder David Lindo is a bird enthusiast
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and is often drawn here by the variety of species.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Birding, for him, is all about the whole experience
0:26:13 > 0:26:17and he wants to show me how to really enjoy bird songs and calls
0:26:17 > 0:26:19and how to tune into them.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24We brought along some recording equipment to help capture the sounds.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28You can listen to birds as much as you can look out for them, right?
0:26:28 > 0:26:30You can, it's good to sort of sometimes go out
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and sit down somewhere, lie on your back in the grass.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- I love doing that, by the way, have you tried that recently?- No.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Lie on your back in the grass just looking up at the sky
0:26:39 > 0:26:43and just listen and you hear so many different things you would never normally have heard.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Don't worry about what they are, just enjoy them
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and after a while, you begin to lock into that
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- and you begin to zone in to those noises, sounds, calls, songs.- Yeah.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54You know, this place is quite amazing
0:26:54 > 0:26:57because it's on the outskirts of London, Rainham,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01it's covering such a large expanse, it's right next to the Thames
0:27:01 > 0:27:04and a lot of birds that actually come in
0:27:04 > 0:27:07migrate along the length of the Thames and they see this
0:27:07 > 0:27:08and they think, "This is great."
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And, historically, this used to be a marsh anyway,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14so there's a variety of birds that have practically always been here.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Do you think we'll have a chance of hearing a few birds today?
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It's not that warm, it's a bit cold, a bit gusty,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22do you think we'll hear something?
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I'm pretty sure we will, actually.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I've already heard a sedge warbler singing
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and I've heard a skylark calling
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- and a goldfinch passing overhead as well.- Wow!
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I'm a complete novice, you'll have to help me tune in,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I'm not even hearing any birdsong at the moment
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and maybe we can record a few on this to help as well,
0:27:38 > 0:27:39so let's get started.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- It's gone very quiet now. Oh!- Ooh! Yep!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50LOW TWITTERING
0:27:50 > 0:27:52That's fantastic.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00It's really loud. It's facing us, isn't it?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It's somewhere over there, yep.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06That was brilliant!
0:28:06 > 0:28:09That sound is the sound of a singing grasshopper warbler.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14What would he be doing with this call? Marking out where he is, telling people to go away?
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Yeah, this is this bird's song.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18He is basically saying, "Listen, guys, anyone else out there
0:28:18 > 0:28:22"who happens to be a grasshopper warbler, I own this little patch here,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24"my family have been raised over there,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26"this is my little area, keep out."
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- It's got a really strange, reeling-type... - Quite intense, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32And it's continuous, it almost seems as if
0:28:32 > 0:28:35he's just on a sort of wind-up toy kind of thing, you know?
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- Completely keeping going the whole time. - AEROPLANE HUMS
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- It's brilliant, I can even hear him above the plane.- Yeah.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43He's really loud, isn't he? That's fantastic.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45I feel very excited, actually,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48because I don't hear grasshopper warblers that often.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50I just love it.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And they can be very secretive, but then other times you come
0:28:53 > 0:28:56and you can see them quite clearly, they obviously decide
0:28:56 > 0:28:58whether they want to show themselves or not
0:28:58 > 0:29:00but I just love hearing that sound.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08Birds' vocal sounds are classified into two categories - calls,
0:29:08 > 0:29:13which are used to give alarm or warning and to maintain contact with the flock, and songs,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17which are used to attract mates and defend territories.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19A lot of noise coming from these bushes over here,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21what are we hearing?
0:29:21 > 0:29:25We are hearing the cheeky Cockney sparra, a bird that,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28as far as I'm concerned, has become a bit of a speciality
0:29:28 > 0:29:30and a bit of a rarity for me.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Where I used to live, there used to be tons of them.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Now, there's hardly any, if any.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Part of the reason for their decline, it is thought,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40is the fact that we as humans,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44instead of keeping our gardens nice and wild
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and filled with natural plants and insects,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48are making our gardens into patios,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51planting foreign flora, uprooting hedges
0:29:51 > 0:29:55and putting in wooden fences, making houses without holes in them
0:29:55 > 0:29:56so they can't go in to breed
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and making our front gardens into car parks,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04so basically, we're pushing them out.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07This is very much a chirp that you'd hear in your back garden, if you're lucky.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Yes, you used to hear it everywhere.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12It's very much a contact call.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Their alarm call is more of a growling chirp.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20This is just a happy, merry, kind of "Hi, I'm here, are you there?"
0:30:20 > 0:30:21You know, that kind of call.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- Oh...- Yes, that's...
0:30:29 > 0:30:31There's your reed warbler.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It's tonal. There are lots of notes there. It's all over the place.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41Reed warblers have a very rhythmical "chit chit chit" kind of song.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45There's another species which is fairly similar in terms of it song.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46It's called a sedge warbler.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It, too, does a "chug chug chug", but it's all over the place.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52It's chirping, it's making a "chug chug chug",
0:30:52 > 0:30:54so often even I get confused because, you know,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57they go away for winter, come back in spring,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59you've got to learn their song again.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01If you don't live in an area where they breed,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03you don't get used to their song
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and it can be a bit of a minefield, sometimes.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08There's a clearly rhythmic nature,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11so you can tune into at least that and you can hear one of the two.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Yes. Even if you don't know what you're listening to, just enjoy it.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19It sounds fantastic. It's amazing that noise comes out of a bird.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Well, what an amazing setting.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29I genuinely didn't expect to find it that exciting, but it was brilliant.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Now I can say I know my grasshopper warbler from my sparrow.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Well, it's a start.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40Across the Thames and into Kent, Alice Roberts discovered one of the industries
0:31:40 > 0:31:44which was formed around the rivers and coastline.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49In the days of sail,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53the Royal Navy relied on four main suppliers for its rope.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Portsmouth, Plymouth and Woolwich have now closed,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59and the only site still making rope is here at Chatham.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04In fact, Chatham's historic dockyard houses
0:32:04 > 0:32:07the last traditional working rope walk anywhere in the world.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11So, if you want your rope the old-fashioned way, this is the place to get it.
0:32:11 > 0:32:17Richard Holdsworth has worked at the dockyard for over 20 years.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20It's safe to say he's a man who knows the ropes.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23This is it, this is where it all goes on.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Welcome to the rope walk, Alice.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It's huge!
0:32:30 > 0:32:33How long is this building?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35It's 1,000 feet long.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39When it was built, it was the longest brick built building in Europe.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I can barely see the end of it.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- It's a long way away.- Yeah!
0:32:44 > 0:32:47The building is so long that the rope makers have come up
0:32:47 > 0:32:51with a simple solution to get from one end to the other.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Riding their bikes is an art in itself.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55THEY LAUGH
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- I tell you what, the bearings aren't too hot either!- No!
0:32:59 > 0:33:02There's a machine in the way!
0:33:02 > 0:33:08The room had to be so long because rope for strength is made in one continuous length.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10These are the bobbin banks.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13This is where the whole of the process down here starts.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16The fibres have already been spun into yarn,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18and here they're being passed through
0:33:18 > 0:33:20this wonderful colander type thing.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Everything is controlled by rope - the machines,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29the signals are controlled by rope.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40So, it's coming through there and coming out and turning into...
0:33:40 > 0:33:43This is a forcing tube, this is the register plate.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47One of the really skilful bits of the rope makers' art
0:33:47 > 0:33:49is how this is all threaded together,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52because the way these yarns come through,
0:33:52 > 0:33:56and if we pull it you can see them coming through the machine here -
0:33:56 > 0:33:58it's twisting at the same time.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00They have to come together and lay together.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02You see they're all parallel.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03There's no gaps in there.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07No, it's tight, the construction is firm all the way through.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- This isn't the finished rope, is it? - No, this is strand.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13This is the sort of second part of rope making.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17The yarns are the first, the fibres are spun into yarn,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19and they're twisted to the right.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21In the second stage, which is the strand,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23they're twisted to the left.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27And the third stage, which we'll see in a moment, you twist the other way,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29and that's why it doesn't all unravel.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31If we go to the next part of the ropewalk,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35we're going to put six strands onto six separate hooks
0:34:35 > 0:34:37on this fixed end machine.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39That's a vicious looking thing!
0:34:39 > 0:34:41It's good fun, with all these hooks.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Every rope is made to be 720 feet long.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Historically, that's the standard length that the Navy required
0:34:48 > 0:34:50to anchor ships in 40 fathoms.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55The room is over 1,000 feet because, as the rope is twisted together,
0:34:55 > 0:34:56it shortens.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58BELL RINGS
0:34:58 > 0:35:00And now it's all going to happen.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07Each of these six strands of rope are going to be made into two ropes.
0:35:07 > 0:35:08Right.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12At the far end, these three are being brought together to a single hook.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18As it twists, it drives a top cart down the floor.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22So, the rope being made is actually driving the cart.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26There's no other mechanical force to it apart from the twist of the rope.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28The real skill of the rope maker -
0:35:28 > 0:35:32he uses a piece of rope wrapped around the finishing rope,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35and he uses it as a sort of brake.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39That controls the angle that the rope comes together at.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42It's a mechanised process, but you need a bit of human skill.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44That's right.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47We need to squeeze in here, let Fred pass.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Now, you see, there's the...
0:35:50 > 0:35:51New rope!
0:35:51 > 0:35:54So, the Royal Navy totally relied on
0:35:54 > 0:35:59the strength of these ropes being made at places like Chatham.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Yes. They drove the ship.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Think of sailing ships reliant on ropes for their masts and sails,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08it's not only the enemy that's the danger at sea -
0:36:08 > 0:36:10it's this sea itself and the wind.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15So sailors are basically trusting their lives on these ropes.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16Trusting their lives, yes.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24The ropewalk at Chatham survives because its rope is still in demand
0:36:24 > 0:36:26for the world's finest sailing ships,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29and they even make tow ropes for the Army's tanks.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Two new ropes.- And there we have it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I've moved on from the marshes near Purfleet
0:36:36 > 0:36:40and headed further east along the Thames estuary to Hadleigh.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48As I travel further out towards the coast, the scenery is changing.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52The industrial plants and buildings start to melt away,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55replaced by rolling hills and open fields.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Up here in Hadleigh, the views are just stunning
0:36:59 > 0:37:02as the Thames opens out right in front of me.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09I am at Hadleigh farm - 900 acres of land
0:37:09 > 0:37:11owned by the Salvation Army for a century,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15and used as a working farm which is open to the public.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Beyond that is Hadleigh Castle, and the country park that sits within.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23But things round here are set to change drastically.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Now, if you peer just over that hill,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29you can see a couple of tracks snaking down the slope,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33and that's a very big clue as to exactly why I'm here.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44This location has been chosen to host
0:37:44 > 0:37:46the mountain biking for the 2012 Olympics,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and I'm getting a sneaky peek at this prestigious course.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54I'll be shown around by Billy Whenman, an Olympic hopeful.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Well, that's if I can catch up with him!
0:37:59 > 0:38:01You're not in the GB team at the moment,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04but as a local boy, how much would you love to be here?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I've been progressing throughout the year
0:38:06 > 0:38:09for national championships this weekend,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12so then it's all based on points for the Olympics.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15You've been all over the country. What makes this course different?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It's got a mixture of everything.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Fire roads, good single track, climbs, downhills,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22and lots of technical features as well.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Why do you think it's been chosen?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27What makes this such a special bit of terrain?
0:38:27 > 0:38:30It's different to all the courses everywhere else, really.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Every other course has trees everywhere -
0:38:32 > 0:38:33this is more open.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35So, a good spectator course
0:38:35 > 0:38:39for those people coming along here with their tickets to see the action,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- they'll see quite a lot? - Yes, definitely.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Even from here, you can see a few places on the course already.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Tell me what's going through your mind when you approach this.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52You've got a lot to consider. What sort of speed are you doing?
0:38:52 > 0:38:56At the top you're probably only doing about 10 miles per hour,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58but, by the time you get to the bottom,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01I'd say close to 25 - 30 mph, I reckon.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05So, you use these rocks to control your speed, do you?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Yes, slow down before you get to the dirt,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10then you don't really do much slowing down on the rocks,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13you just let the bike go wherever it's going.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Really, is that the plan? So you're quite relaxed.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20If you fight the bike you're more likely to slip or make a mistake.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21Just go with the flow.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Well, you've talked me through it. I'd love to see it.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25You OK to give it a go?
0:39:25 > 0:39:26Definitely.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Brilliant. In your own time. I'm going to stand out of the way,
0:39:30 > 0:39:31and see the master at work.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Right, so there we go. It's a proper big run-up here.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Let's see how this is done.
0:39:44 > 0:39:45Wow!
0:39:45 > 0:39:48He makes that look very easy,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50but basically, there's a point there
0:39:50 > 0:39:54where he's almost face down the slope.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Yes, effortless control.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Really good. Rather him than me.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Once the medals have been won and the crowds have dispersed,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05the local council hope to leave a cycling legacy
0:40:05 > 0:40:07for this part of the Thames Path.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11John Meehan is working on ways to connect the area together
0:40:11 > 0:40:13and encourage people to come down and use it.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17John, I've seen some of the track here. No doubt it'll be amazing during the Olympics,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21but the other word we keep hearing with the Olympics is "legacy."
0:40:21 > 0:40:23What's going to be the legacy here?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Well, there's a great aspiration
0:40:25 > 0:40:31to create not just the Olympic track but outside the Olympic track
0:40:31 > 0:40:33on some of the surrounding land,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36there'll be mountain bike tracks through there,
0:40:36 > 0:40:40across to the railway station at the bottom there, Benfleet,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43linking local people and people further afield in,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46so what you get to start here
0:40:46 > 0:40:51is paths radiating out - these are paths for cycling, for horse riders,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54for walkers, so that actually, Hadleigh gets connected.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58So it's going to link up into, I suppose, one big green belt,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02and there's already the Thames Estuary footpath, isn't there?
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Which I've been on as part of my journey.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06And this will link up key sites along that route?
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Absolutely. The interesting thing about the estuary is
0:41:09 > 0:41:13you've got the Thames Estuary path, all the way to Southend,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17you've also got this railway, that runs along the bottom of the hill,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21so people have options on coming to this area, so they can get off at Benfleet,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24walk through Hadleigh Country Park down to Leigh,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26have lunch at Leigh and come back along the seawall.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31So all the way along the river are these options, and that's our vision for the future here.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35And it is a lovely feature, because who'd have thought you'd be mountain biking in Essex?
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The rest of it's flat and yet up here, you get this wonderful panoramic view.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41You can take it all in.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52It would be great to see this land
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and the paths along the Thames used for walking and cycling,
0:41:55 > 0:42:00and of course, a gold here for Team GB could really put this place on the map.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06But moving on from cycling, the Thames corridor also provides
0:42:06 > 0:42:09a wealth of food produce straight from the source.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Katie Knapman went to discover more.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Only 50 years ago, the Thames was so dirty it was declared
0:42:16 > 0:42:17biologically dead.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21But decades of effort to reduce the levels of sewage and pollution
0:42:21 > 0:42:22have brought it back to life,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26and I've come along the coast to Essex, to find out more.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Gary Haggis has been fishing in the Thames Estuary for 40 years
0:42:35 > 0:42:39and sells his catch at London's top food markets.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41He's seen the changes firsthand.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45This buoy here, this used to be a sewer buoy here.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Sewerage was discharged directly into the sea here,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50but now it's just a storm water outfall pipe.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54And you think that has affected the fish populations?
0:42:54 > 0:42:56It's made a big impact, I think.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59The Thames Estuary is now a very thriving area for fish
0:42:59 > 0:43:01most of the time.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06There's now a staggering 125 different species of fish
0:43:06 > 0:43:07living in the estuary,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10though today it's cod and sprats we're after.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13We've come to the very end of the river mouth,
0:43:13 > 0:43:15three miles from the Essex shoreline.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19It looks like I'm about to do some kind of procedure!
0:43:19 > 0:43:24I'm not medically trained, but it's never too late to start!
0:43:27 > 0:43:31While the nets sit in the water for an hour,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33I've got a chance to see Gary's earlier catch.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37Nice quality codlings, and at this time of year they feed on the sprat
0:43:37 > 0:43:39which gives them better flavour. The oil in the sprat
0:43:39 > 0:43:42gets into the flavour of the cod, makes them...
0:43:42 > 0:43:44They're a little bit softer
0:43:44 > 0:43:46but they eat really nice this time of year, really good.
0:43:46 > 0:43:51So how many of these cod would you expect to land on a good outing?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53We try to catch 30 to 40 stone a day,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56about six to eight boxes of those.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59But how lucky are we going to be today?
0:44:06 > 0:44:11It's not a great haul. We've got a few sprats and some herring too,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14but Defra restrictions mean we can't catch them,
0:44:14 > 0:44:15so they're thrown back in alive,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18and we've not caught a single cod.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21The most disappointing thing about that bit of fishing
0:44:21 > 0:44:26was that we had those nets out for about an hour and when we hauled them in they were full of herring,
0:44:26 > 0:44:31which they're not allowed to land, so they had to throw every single fish back into the sea.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35It just goes to show how unpredictable fishing can be.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38But with the sprats and Gary's earlier catch,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40I'm not leaving empty-handed.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42This lot is coming with me,
0:44:42 > 0:44:47because I've got a rendezvous with one of London's top chefs.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Aaron Craze was a manual labourer before being trained
0:44:53 > 0:44:56by Jamie Oliver in his restaurant Fifteen.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00Now he's a head chef, and passionate about traditional local food,
0:45:00 > 0:45:04so who better to turn our Thames catch into a dish of the day?
0:45:06 > 0:45:08- Hello, Aaron.- Hello. What have you got there?
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Well, let's have a look.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15So, here we have some sprats and some cod.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17Look at them babies. Beautiful.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Native to the Thames, they are, I tell you.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24- So what's on the menu today?- Oh, look at this, fantastic cod there.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Look at that baby. Beautiful. Bit of fish and chips, I reckon, hey?
0:45:28 > 0:45:32- Yeah. Fish and chips is my favourite meal.- Beautiful.- Perfect.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38So pop it in.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41Always move the pan, not the fish. Right?
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Aaron's getting into his stride now,
0:45:45 > 0:45:49but it turns out that even he is a recent convert to fresh fish.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Fish for me, right,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53was always a stranger in my house,
0:45:53 > 0:45:57because my mum and dad are very old-fashioned eaters.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59They have a roast dinner and all that.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03I thought a fish was a fish finger. I thought that was a fish, literally,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- until I became a chef when I was 24, and I actually...- Saw a real fish?
0:46:07 > 0:46:11They went, "Gut that." I was like, "What is that? What is that?!"
0:46:11 > 0:46:14It was really scary.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Then I tried it - because I'm a chef I have to taste things,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- and it was lovely.- It was nice and flaky and it was creamy...
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- Better than a fish finger? - Oh, I've never looked back.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25It's wonderful that they're in our estuaries now
0:46:25 > 0:46:29and they're becoming quite local and we're fishing them.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31If it's in the right way, we're doing it properly,
0:46:31 > 0:46:36we're not just taking everything out of the ocean, then game on.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40- Look at that.- Oh, perfect.- So flaky.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Then just a nice bit of salsa verde is lovely on it.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53Mm. That is lovely. Thank you so much!
0:46:53 > 0:46:56It's my turn. It's my turn now!
0:46:56 > 0:46:57Would you like a taste?
0:46:57 > 0:47:01'It's delicious, and passers-by are beginning to take notice.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:03Be careful - there are a few bones.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06I don't want to get done for doing a police officer.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09This is from the Thames Estuary, this cod.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Pow!
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Fantastic.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17- Beautiful.- Thank you. That's phenomenal.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Well, it looks like local fish is back on the menu
0:47:20 > 0:47:23in the heart of London.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Following the Thames for the final time,
0:47:25 > 0:47:30I've left the hills of Hadleigh and arrived at Southend on Sea.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34Southend became a popular seaside resort in the Georgian era.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Good rail links and its proximity to London
0:47:37 > 0:47:40created a thriving tourist industry for people escaping the smog
0:47:40 > 0:47:45and heading out for some time on the seven miles of seafront.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49The main attraction in Southend, though, is the pier.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52In fact, it's the longest pier in the world.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55They've even got a train to take you all the way to the end of it
0:47:55 > 0:47:57and even that takes nine minutes.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03Yep, this remarkable pier stands proudly at 1.33 miles long.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06It was built in 1830 and has grown and evolved with the times,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09becoming the true survivor of the town.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13It's survived fires, boat crashes, two world wars
0:48:13 > 0:48:18and all the weather that Mother Nature could possibly throw at it.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20There's been a train on here since the late 1800s.
0:48:20 > 0:48:26At first it was an electric train. Now it's a diesel hydraulic train which runs the whole length.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29Good job, really - I don't really fancy walking it.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34The pier launches visitors over a mile out to sea,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36to some unique views from the end.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40And with just enough room for a cafe and a small lifeboat shop,
0:48:40 > 0:48:42there's little else to do but take in the air
0:48:42 > 0:48:45and look out towards the North Sea.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49And, of course, great views looking back to Southend on Sea.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51I'll be heading in that direction shortly
0:48:51 > 0:48:54to find out just how clean the Thames is here,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58but first, the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Today I've been on a fascinating journey along the Thames Estuary.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13I began in Woolwich, right on the banks of the Thames,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15where I had special access to the barrier
0:51:15 > 0:51:17which protects the city from flooding.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Then I moved on to Rainham Marshes near Purfleet,
0:51:20 > 0:51:25a surprising haven of countryside and wildlife close to the M25.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Moving east, I went to check out the hidden bike tracks
0:51:28 > 0:51:30at Hadleigh Country Park,
0:51:30 > 0:51:35soon to be the location for the 2012 Olympics mountain bike competition.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38And my final destination is the bustling seaside resort
0:51:38 > 0:51:40of Southend on Sea.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44I've already been along the pier. Next up, the beach.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Southend on Sea sits on the Thames Estuary,
0:51:49 > 0:51:52which was once the busiest inland port in the world.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56It now handles over 50,000,000 tonnes of import and export every year,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58so you might think the seawater
0:51:58 > 0:52:01and environment here wouldn't be that clean,
0:52:01 > 0:52:05but you can actually find Blue Flag beaches here.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Blue Flag is a prestigious international award scheme
0:52:11 > 0:52:13which acts as a guarantee to tourists
0:52:13 > 0:52:16that the beach or marina they're visiting is one of the best
0:52:16 > 0:52:18in the world.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Richard and Mark from the Blue Flag scheme are meeting me here
0:52:22 > 0:52:23to take me through the strict
0:52:23 > 0:52:27beach assessment criteria and check this beach is up to scratch.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33Richard, first of all, what exactly is a Blue Flag beach?
0:52:33 > 0:52:36It's a standard of high-quality management on a beach
0:52:36 > 0:52:39that ensures that anybody that comes to a Blue Flag beach
0:52:39 > 0:52:41is going to find it clean,
0:52:41 > 0:52:43with water quality of a very high standard,
0:52:43 > 0:52:48and a number of facilities such as toilets and recycling facilities.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50I assumed it was just about water quality.
0:52:50 > 0:52:55Yes, I think everybody does. And in some ways, that's no bad thing,
0:52:55 > 0:52:58because people don't need to know that there are 32 criteria -
0:52:58 > 0:53:00all they need to know is that
0:53:00 > 0:53:03it's probably very good quality seawater and a good, clean beach.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07I didn't know that Southend had... one, two, three -
0:53:07 > 0:53:10- how many is it, five?- Five Blue Flags, yeah.- Five Blue Flags.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13So what does it mean to an area like this to get those Blue Flags?
0:53:13 > 0:53:16It's incredibly important. It can really set one resort
0:53:16 > 0:53:20apart from another, to advertise themselves as a Blue Flag resort.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25And for somewhere like Southend, it's not traditionally somewhere you'd associate with Blue Flag.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30The one thing we've got in this country is coastline, and we've got some fabulous coastline,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32and even here on the north bank of the Thames,
0:53:32 > 0:53:37not too far away from London, we have some incredible beaches.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40We're doing well at the moment - lots of Blue Flags.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Can Britain hang on to them all?
0:53:42 > 0:53:46What's interesting is that the EU rules on bathing water quality
0:53:46 > 0:53:47are tightening now.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49There's a new "excellent" standard being introduced
0:53:49 > 0:53:52which, actually, Blue Flag will need to adhere to from 2013.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56What that means is the water quality standard is twice as stringent
0:53:56 > 0:53:58as we have now, so actually,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00although water quality is constantly improving,
0:54:00 > 0:54:04we may actually see a slight fall in Blue Flags from 2013 onwards,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07simply because the target and the standards have actually moved on -
0:54:07 > 0:54:12not because anything's changing or quality is getting worse.
0:54:12 > 0:54:17You're constantly checking and updating. You've got Mark with you today, carrying out a survey.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Yes. If we were to find anything that was completely non-compliant,
0:54:21 > 0:54:23the flag has to come down straightaway
0:54:23 > 0:54:26and we'll talk to the local authority about the requirements
0:54:26 > 0:54:27to get that flag back.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30By and large, we tend to find that there small things wrong
0:54:30 > 0:54:32here and there and with a conversation
0:54:32 > 0:54:34they can be put right that same day.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39- I'll go and give him a hand. - Excellent. OK. Cheerio, then.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Mark would normally cover the whole of this beach,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44checking all the criteria on his list,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46but hey - two heads are better than one.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50There's an element of common sense to this - one or two bits of litter
0:54:50 > 0:54:52won't mean the loss of a flag,
0:54:52 > 0:54:57but there can't be an accumulation where it's obvious that it hasn't been cleaned.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02No stone is left unturned, and the beach gets a thorough inspection.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Right, Richard.- Hi. - Been through most of those.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Everything's looking pretty good.
0:55:08 > 0:55:13- I'm a big fan of there being a free source of drinking water.- Good. Yes, you'll find it everywhere.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17There's nothing on there about water quality - have you got information on that?
0:55:17 > 0:55:21Yeah. Water quality is actually tested by the Environment Agency,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24the environmental regulator in England and Wales,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27and every week that the samples are taken they send the results
0:55:27 > 0:55:30through to us at Keep Britain Tidy, who run the Blue Flag scheme.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33And at the moment, what's it looking like here?
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- We've got "higher." That sounds quite good.- Yes.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39"Higher" is the standard we need for the Blue Flag,
0:55:39 > 0:55:42so as long as the majority of the samples are hitting
0:55:42 > 0:55:44that "higher" status, you're OK.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46You can have a few of these "minimum" standards,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49which are basically not quite the "higher" level
0:55:49 > 0:55:51but they're the basic level pass.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55When you look at the rainfall records for Southend, it was raining quite heavily,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59which indicates there's been a sewer discharge or something nearby, bit of run-off maybe,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02but then it's come back again at the end of the month,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05so we're back to the "higher" status and clearly, what you'd hope
0:56:05 > 0:56:08during the season is that the "higher" status is maintained.
0:56:08 > 0:56:13If and when we have a couple more of those slightly lower samples,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17we'd be notified straightaway, the authority would be notified and the Blue Flag would come down.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- Even halfway through a season? You don't wait till the end?- No.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24- Act on it straight away.- One strike and you're out for the season?
0:56:24 > 0:56:26- For water quality purposes. - Very good.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31- Well, it's looking good. So you're happy with everything today?- Very happy. You've done a good job.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35It seems like Southend has passed again with flying colours,
0:56:35 > 0:56:39and the locals and visitors can continue coming, safe in the knowledge
0:56:39 > 0:56:42that the beaches and waters are clean.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Well, what can I say? The Thames Estuary.
0:56:45 > 0:56:50It has quite an industrial backdrop - not what you'd always expect from Country Tracks,
0:56:50 > 0:56:53with the factory buildings, the ships, the wastelands.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58But dotted in between are the areas of beauty, history and wildlife
0:56:58 > 0:57:00which make this area so intriguing.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04I've seen the barriers that hold the water back,
0:57:04 > 0:57:07I've heard the birds that live alongside the river,
0:57:07 > 0:57:10and I've explored the landscape that will be home
0:57:10 > 0:57:12to an Olympic event.
0:57:13 > 0:57:18Well, we know the water quality's good. I'm hoping to go for a swim...
0:57:18 > 0:57:22but unfortunately the tide's out and there's barely enough water to swim in.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Oh, well. It's a bit cold, anyway.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:37 > 0:57:40E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk