0:00:05 > 0:00:08Wales has many wonderful estates
0:00:08 > 0:00:12created with the wealth from landowning and industrial families.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Once privately owned,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20most of these beautiful parklands are now open for all of us to enjoy.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25In this series, I'm uncovering another side to four of these parks,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29a side that often goes unnoticed by those who visit.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I'm meeting people with inside knowledge to share,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37exploring less visited corners
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and finding night-time creatures.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'm discovering just how great these parks are for wildlife.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Today I'm exploring Stackpole Estate,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06which was owned for nearly 300 years by the Cawdor family.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10The original estate stretched along nine miles
0:01:10 > 0:01:13of this stunning south Pembrokeshire coastline,
0:01:13 > 0:01:14but in 1939,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18half the land was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence
0:01:18 > 0:01:20to create Castlemartin tank range.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26The National Trust now look after the remainder of Stackpole,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29including lakes, woodlands,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32old buildings, dunes and beaches,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35all linked by 30 kilometres of footpath.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41The estate was a social venue for the family,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45and the magnificent Stackpole Court dominated the landscape.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The house was demolished in the 1960s,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50but thankfully the parkland remains.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58If you were anyone in the 18th and 19th century,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00you had to landscape your estate
0:02:00 > 0:02:04to show off your power and wealth to your contemporaries.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And Stackpole, by all accounts,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08was one of the best in the whole of Britain.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10They planted thousands of trees,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14they even moved a whole village, the village of Stackpole.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19And they also wanted a water feature to offset this magnificent house,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23so what they did, they dammed three valleys
0:02:23 > 0:02:26to form what we know today
0:02:26 > 0:02:28as Bosherston lily ponds.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Just look at that magnificent view down there.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Many people may visit Stackpole
0:02:46 > 0:02:49to see the wonderful displays of lilies,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51but there's a great deal more to find here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Over the last 200 years,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02this man-made landscape has become a haven for all sorts of wildlife.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The first valley the Cawdors dammed was the one below the terrace.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It's here that I'm going to start my exploration.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Here's something I haven't seen for a long time.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26It's called a bee fly.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30It's actually a fly, there he goes, that mimics a bee,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and its got a long, long proboscis as well.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And he's favouring this bank here,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39because it's so warm, the sun's hitting it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And this whole area is really good for insects,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and I can see damselflies, dragonflies as well.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Perhaps the most stunning of all is the broad-bodied chaser.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The male is a slaty blue colour,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56whilst the female is a more yellowy gold.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59This wetland has changed a lot
0:03:59 > 0:04:02since the days that the Cawdors managed this land,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05because they would have had a whole army of estate workers
0:04:05 > 0:04:07that would have kept this clear,
0:04:07 > 0:04:12but it's been taken over by reeds, by yellow iris.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And eventually what happens is that the willow comes in as well,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and if it was allowed to carry on,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20it would end up as wet woodland and eventually just woodland.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27The old stone bridges,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30including the largest of them all, Eight Arch Bridge,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34are a fantastic place from which to spot wildlife.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39You've got swans and waterfowl in abundance here,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41but a good sign that there are lots of fish here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Over on this side a couple of herons.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44There's one over there,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and there's one just by the gate over there, fishing now.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49And he's getting small fish, he is,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and you see his neck just dart out
0:04:52 > 0:04:53and catch a fish and gobble it,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and then he's off fishing again afterwards.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02My next stop along the lake is Grassy Bridge.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07In June, you might be lucky enough to catch an annual migration.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Come here at just the right time, just bang on the right day
0:05:11 > 0:05:13to see the emergence of toads.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Hundreds of thousands of them will make their way out of the water
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and then make their way probably up into the woods here,
0:05:19 > 0:05:24where they'll spend a year, 18 months in damp places there.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26But look at them, they're minute little things.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27They'll be eaten by all kinds of things
0:05:27 > 0:05:30from blackbirds and crows, and also herons.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Poor little things, though,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33they've been walked on by people walking by,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36probably been sniffed by dogs as well as they go.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Beyond Grassy Bridge lies the sea
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and stunning Broad Haven South Beach.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50During the summer, it's a popular spot for tourists.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The beach is backed by sand dunes,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57which are a good place to find lizards.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Behind these dunes to the northwest lies an area few people visit.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08This is Mere Pool Valley,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and it used to be a sand quarry all along here,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13and they left behind these pools,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and they've been enhanced,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and they're brilliant places for dragonflies and damselflies.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21They reckon there are about 22 species here,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23so it is a great place,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25one of the best in the whole of Wales for them.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28We'll have a walk round and see what we see.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40There's been a recent emergence of common blue damselflies,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42quite a few of them on some of the willow
0:06:42 > 0:06:44right around the outside of the pool.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51If you come down here, it's another damselfly,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54but it's a blue-tailed damselfly.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's kind of like the common blue,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58but it's got a lot more black than blue,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and then it's got this blob of blue by the tail.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08As I walk between the pools, I find other insects,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11like the striking common blue butterfly.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17There's also a four-spotted chaser
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and a common darter.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Then I find a really impressive dragonfly.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Oh, there he comes, there he comes, look at the size on this one.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31This is one I was really hoping to see.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32He's called the emperor,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and it's our biggest one, it's massive!
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's got to be about... well, not far off six inches long,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39maybe five, six inches long.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It's a big, big dragonfly, and this is the male.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Blue and black bands all along the body there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47And it's sunbathing, interestingly enough,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49on a bit of dead bracken.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51And, eh...the reason for that
0:07:51 > 0:07:54is because dead bracken gives off a lot of heat.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It absorbs heat and then gives off heat as well.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58And as it's cooled off,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01this dragonfly has just perched on it,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03and it's not getting much heat from the sky at the moment,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06but it's still getting a lot of heat from this bracken.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's very early in the morning, it's just after five o'clock now,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27pouring with rain, but it doesn't matter,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30because I'm looking for one of Stackpole's most elusive residents,
0:08:30 > 0:08:31and I've got help, too.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I'm on my way to Eight Arch Bridge
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to meet local naturalist Jim Bebbington.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Hiya, Jim.- Morning, Iolo. - How are you, mate?- Nice to see you.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Good to see you. Foul weather, isn't it?
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- Wouldn't it be just, eh?- Not the best. Any sign of otters so far?
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Not so far, no, but this is where we normally start our day.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57We know we've got a mum and a cub that occupy this end of the lake.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- Oh, right.- At the far end, er... beyond the grassy bridge,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03we know we've got a mum and two cubs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05So shall we wander down to the grassy bridge, do you think?
0:09:05 > 0:09:06Oh, right, OK.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You know these otters really well.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12You're down here virtually every day, are you?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Just about, yeah.- Are you?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Oh, yeah, yes, even if we're going on holiday,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I'll come down here for an hour before we go.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Honestly?- Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So you're now spending half your life down here, Jim.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Probably an underestimate probably over half my life!
0:09:39 > 0:09:41When you said we were going to see otters, Jim,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I thought we were going to see them like 100 metres away,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47but they're right underneath us.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Ten metres away.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- Pretty good, eh? - These look like two cubs, are they?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- Yeah, this'll be the mum with the two cubs.- OK.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Ah, they've gone across the lake.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02It might be worthwhile going down to the corner at the beach,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06because there's a reed bed down there which they often fish in.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24It's incredible, isn't it? And they're such fantastic animals.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25I just think, whenever you see an otter,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27it puts a smile on your face,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30not just for that morning but the whole week.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Yeah. It's an experience that we're very privileged to have.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Yeah, yeah, it is, very much so.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But living down here, we see these nearly every day,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41I think, "Why would you want to be anywhere else?"
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's incredible how these otters carry on with their lives
0:10:45 > 0:10:51despite being watched, but then they're very used to people.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53And it's not just the otters.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55BIRDSONG
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Most of the year, you can feel like you've got Stackpole to yourself,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04cos you don't see many people,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07but in summer it can be incredibly busy.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11There are 250,000 visitors every year here,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and some people actually come here specifically to feed the birds
0:11:14 > 0:11:15and especially the robins.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Come on, then.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And because so many people come here,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23the birds are used to people and incredibly tame.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32'Two of the local bird feeders are Wendy and George Bateman.'
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- Hello there.- Hello. - How are you? You feeding the birds?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Yeah.- Yes.- Do you come every day, or do you come...?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- About twice a week.- Oh, do you? - Yeah, twice a week.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43And just to feed the birds?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Yeah, right through the winter and summer.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Singing away, look. And I bet you talk to them, too.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- We do.- I thought you might.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- My wife does more than me. - And nickname them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Oh, do you? You've got names for all of them, have you?- Yeah.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- What's this one called, then? - This is Don Juan.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Why Don Juan?- Because he seems to have about three wives.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- Oh, does he?- Yes. Don't you? - Oh, there we are.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04And he feeds them.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07They'll be sitting in a tree, and he goes off and feeds them.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Honestly? So he'll come down and get the food
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- and go off and feed them afterwards? - Yeah.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Well, well, well... So have you got robins
0:12:13 > 0:12:16that you feed all along the path, then, in different parts?
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- Yes.- More or less from here down.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21How many will you have from here to Eight Arch Bridge down there?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- Four.- Well, well, well... And every other day or twice a week.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Twice a week, yeah. - Thursday and Tuesday.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30No wonder they look so fat. They haven't got to look for food.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- They've got the best. - They've got you to come along.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Keep feeding them!- We will. - Take care.- Bye!
0:12:39 > 0:12:42It's not only the robins that come to the hand to feed.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44At Grassy Bridge,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47there's a particular tree that's often full of birds
0:12:47 > 0:12:50just waiting for you to offer them a treat.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The birds are so used to being fed, you get quite a gathering.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57You get great tits like this one, blue tits, chaffinches.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59And for a naturalist,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03it gives you a real good opportunity to see them close up.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06They're common birds, yes, but you rarely get this close to them,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and the thing that strikes me every time one lands on my hand
0:13:09 > 0:13:11is just how light they are.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15There are other birds here, too,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17that are very used to living alongside people.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The old home farmyard and buildings
0:13:21 > 0:13:24are now used by the National Trust as their outdoor centre.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30During the summer, it's also home to hundreds of house martins.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I remember the first time I ever came to Stackpole,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and it must be more than 20 years ago now,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and being amazed by the number of house martins here.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41And every time I come back, I'm still stunned.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42And what's happened this time
0:13:42 > 0:13:45is there's quite a bit of work going on around me, building work,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and so they seem to have concentrated
0:13:48 > 0:13:50on two sides of this old building.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52This is the old slaughterhouse,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56it's an old, old building with perfect eaves for house martins.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And look at them! Stacked along here.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And a fast count now, I counted, I think, 41 nests.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03How often do you see that in Wales now?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05And the birds are not long back.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Some are still building these mud cups here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Others are incubating, I can hear a few birds in here now,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14peeking out at me every now and again as well.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21The next part of my exploration requires another early start.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Thankfully, it's calm and sunny,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29perfect conditions for what I've got planned.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35However, I will need a change of outfit.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39- Hiya, David.- Morning, Iolo.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Do you know, I think we can get arrested
0:14:41 > 0:14:43for dressing like this on an early morning out here!
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'I'm meeting David Miller, an artist and underwater photographer
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'who's hoping to introduce me to a fearsome predator,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'Stackpole's pike.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:58The plan is to explore the lilies, especially that deeper hole there.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02It goes from shallow to deep, which the pike tend to love.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04So they're going to be hanging around
0:15:04 > 0:15:06at the edges of the lilies where there's deeper water.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09This is a real hotspot for a couple of reasons.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I mean, you've got the cover, which pike love.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15They're an ambush predator, so they like to lie under cover,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17wait for their prey to come near,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and then they'll come out of nowhere in a sort of violent rush.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21So you've got the cover,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24but what you've also got, this is a real hotspot for roach,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26which is one of their main prey species.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So you think if we can find roach, we should be able to find the pike.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Definitely, you find the prey fish, the pike are always somewhere near.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Not far away. I remember walking along here,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38it must be 10, 15 odd years ago now,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and seeing one or two really big pike.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43There's always legendary pike as well.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- If you talk to some of the old boys...- They take babies!
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Absolutely, yeah, yeah, "Like dolphins they are!"
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Well, if there's one the size of dolphin in here,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I tell you, I'm coming straight out!
0:16:08 > 0:16:10The underwater landscape is stunning,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12but 40 minutes later
0:16:12 > 0:16:14we haven't found a single fish.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21With two of us in there, I think we're causing too much disturbance.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24So I'll come out,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26and I'll let David get on with it, I think that's the best bet.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32David continued his search, but they remained elusive,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34even though he did catch up with their prey.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Fortunately for us, with the water being so clear,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44you can often see to the bottom of the lake from the bridges.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Grassy Bridge here
0:16:46 > 0:16:51is proving to be a real hotspot for all kinds of animals.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54There's a big pike in here, it's got to be 15lb, I think.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And it spends quite a bit of time in this patch here,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00sunbathing almost, and then he'll sneak off.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03And I think what he does then is he goes under the trees,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05under those branches, the willow there,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07and lies there, probably waiting in ambush
0:17:07 > 0:17:09see if any other fish pass.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11And every half hour or so,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13he'll come back and sunbathe for a while again.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But it gives you an opportunity to look at pike from above.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19They're big fish, they really are big fish.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I'm going to turn my attention away from the lake now
0:17:24 > 0:17:26to some of the other areas of the park.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30There's a block of woodland near the old house
0:17:30 > 0:17:33that looks like a good place to explore.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37This is Lodge Park Wood,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41and this is where the Cawdor family came for pleasure walking,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43for their postprandial walk.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45The big house would have been
0:17:45 > 0:17:47just a few hundred meters behind me over there.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50And it's got a different feel to it, this wood,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and you've only got to stop and look around
0:17:52 > 0:17:54and you realise why.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Cos every single one of these large trees you see around me
0:17:57 > 0:17:58were planted.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00There are very, very few native trees.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04There's the odd oak here, sweet chestnut as well, beech.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08But then even beech, you see, is not native to this part of Wales.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10And some of them, like this big one here,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I haven't got a clue what it is, and it's an unusual wood.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18And what's nice is that recently they've cleared vast areas of laurel
0:18:18 > 0:18:20which had taken off and covered everywhere,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22and that's now gone.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24And you see this vegetation coming through,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26the native vegetation,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29heart's tongue fern here, bluebells here and there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I'm sure in a year or two it will look magnificent,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35probably very similar to what it was in the Cawdors' day.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I decide to find a spot
0:18:40 > 0:18:43to listen to the birds living in this unusual wood.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47BIRDSONG
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Just sitting here peacefully, watching a pair of blue tits.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55They've got a nest in a hole,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58well, more of a crack, really, in a beech tree up there.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Sometimes both birds go off and come back with caterpillars.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Sometimes it's only the one, the male will come back.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06He'll call the female out and feed her.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10So I think they've probably got eggs that have just hatched in there.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14And whilst I've been sat, I've been listening to the birdsong,
0:19:14 > 0:19:20and it's not the richest wood I've ever been in, but it's interesting.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24You've got chiffchaff going now, you've got a wren, a blackbird.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26But the most fascinating thing is
0:19:26 > 0:19:28there's a song thrush perched on a branch just over here,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and I've been listening to that,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34and that will sometimes give you a clue of what else is in this wood.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40He's trying to give a good impression of himself to the females
0:19:40 > 0:19:46so he's making his repertoire of calls as complex as he possibly can.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49And what he's doing is he's stealing bits from other birds,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50the birds he hears around him.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53MIXED BIRDSONG
0:19:59 > 0:20:05And one of the bits this song thrush has got is a "kewick-kewick" call,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and a "kewick" is a tawny owl call.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09So by listening to that,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I'll know that somewhere in this patch of woodland
0:20:12 > 0:20:14is a tawny owl as well.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Although the big house was demolished,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28there are still plenty of other buildings and structures
0:20:28 > 0:20:31from the days of the Cawdor family.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36The walled garden would have been a busy part of the working estate,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40but it's a place I haven't visited before.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42It occupies a large site next to Lodge Park Wood,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and I'm meeting up with the current manager, Debbie Drewett,
0:20:46 > 0:20:47to find out more.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Well, it's a fantastic garden you've got, Debbie how big is this, then?
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Getting on for six acres.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54- Oh, look out, look.- Yeah.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Swallows, where are they nesting?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58There's some in the loos.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59One coming out.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- Is it all right if I have a quick look?- Yeah, sure.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Oh-ho-ho! I can see little heads, fantastic.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- They're almost ready to go. - They're lovely, aren't they?
0:21:07 > 0:21:08And of course a helicopter,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10you're right by Castlemartin Range, aren't you?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- That's right, yeah.- I was going to say it's a peaceful place,
0:21:13 > 0:21:14and it is lovely,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17except every now and again you hear a helicopter or tanks or whatever.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Yeah.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22These big houses would have had gardeners,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25they'd have had all kinds of people working on them, wouldn't they?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28We've got a record from...1875 I think it is,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and they had 20 gardeners and four ladies working in the garden.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And, of course, they'd have had all their food grown here,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36- virtually, wouldn't they? - And flowers,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and they also took food to their estate in Scotland.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- And lavender. - Oh, you'll find that full of bees.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Is it? Red admiral on there, I can see that from here.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47A beautiful butterfly, really is.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Oh, look at these bees!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Red-tailed bumblebees, buff-tailed bumblebees...
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- So what else would you have in here? - We've seen hedgehogs in the garden.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59The Pembrokeshire Hedgehog Hospital
0:21:59 > 0:22:01released quite a few some years ago,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03- and they've been breeding since then.- Oh, wow!
0:22:03 > 0:22:05They'll be a big help to you,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08cos they'll be taking slugs and snails and all kinds of stuff.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12And look at this, you've got all peas and berries and cabbages.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Yeah, we've had a lot of mice in the garden this year,
0:22:14 > 0:22:15it's been a bit of a problem.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17If you look down on the strawberry beds,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20the squirrels are popping backwards and forwards all the time,
0:22:20 > 0:22:21helping themselves.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23But there seems to be plenty for everybody so...
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Squirrels, see, squirrels I don't like so much.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Mice is all right, squirrels, er...
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- Oh, the mice have done most damage. - Have they?- Yeah.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35So this wall, this was put in way back, was it?
0:22:35 > 0:22:36- This dividing wall. - In the 1800s, yeah.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- They had peach and nectarine houses on the south side of it.- Wow!
0:22:40 > 0:22:44In each of the two...banquetaires they're called.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47They're two-storey, and there's a fireplace in the lower floor,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and that vents into the wall, so it's a hot wall.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Oh, look at that! Are these honeybees?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- They are, yeah.- Oh, wow.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56They're in the space in the hot wall.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Oh, wow, a whole mass they're very active,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03they're coming back with full pollen sacs on their back legs,
0:23:03 > 0:23:04bringing that in for the grubs.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Tell you what, this is a wildlife oasis in here.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22The old stables, now private apartments,
0:23:22 > 0:23:27are also home to a very special and very rare animal.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30As dusk and the rain falls, I'm meeting up with Mary Chadwick
0:23:30 > 0:23:35to find out more about the greater horseshoe bats that live here.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37How long have we got before they'll start coming out?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Oh, quite a while, I think.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I would say it'll be about quarter to ten-ish before they come out.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Oh, right, OK, so we've got 45 minutes.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Well, I tell you what I've got.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- I've actually got some footage on here of this very colony.- Oh, yeah?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Which was all done under licence a while back now,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54but you'll find this fascinating,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and it will be interesting to pick your brains, see what's going on.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59So is it going? Oh, here we are, look, here we are.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00This is the roof, I assume,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and it's been partitioned off - one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07There's a monitoring programme to look at the juvenile bats.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10So this is a nursery roost this is where they come to give birth?
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- It is, that's right. - When do they arrive here?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16They'll start in April, May time, depending a bit on the weather.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Probably July is when the young will be born,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and then they'll stay through till October, November time.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Do we know where the others go?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Yeah, they tend to go to a lot of the sea caves around the coast.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- Oh, do they? - Yeah.- Well, well, well!
0:24:30 > 0:24:32And old mine adits, a few old tunnels.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Look at this, this is lovely, there's a real cluster of them.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Yeah, they do that, yes, cos they need to be pretty warm,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40so they will all group together,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42and as the temperature rises, they spread out more.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- One, two, oh... I can't even count them.- No.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46- It's got to be...- There's loads.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- What? 20 and more bats just clustered into one small area!- Yes.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52They're quite big bats.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55They are, greater horseshoes are one of the biggest bats,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57with a wingspan of over a foot.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59So when you see them hanging up in the roost like this,
0:24:59 > 0:25:00they're like a big pear.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03And you can see them hanging by one foot, using the other one to preen.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Yeah.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I love bats, I really like bats,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- but they're pretty ugly. - No, you can't say that!
0:25:11 > 0:25:13There was a close-up there, right,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and that really was quite ugly, I have to say.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20I'll admit, there are cuter bats than horseshoes, it has to be said.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23How many bats are up in this roost now?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Numbers are growing every year.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- Last year there was a total of over 600...- Wow!
0:25:28 > 0:25:32..at the peak time, and that was just the adults.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Well, there we are, that's the footage.- Yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36It's getting pretty dark now,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40and our normal cameras won't work from now on in,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42cos it's going to get too dark for them,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45so we're going to turn over to infrared now,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47which is that camera over there,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50which is why Mary and I look a little bit different now.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53But we should be able to follow the bats with this as well.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Oh, it looks like they might be starting to come now.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59- And they just fly backwards and forwards.- Yeah, in here.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02For quite a while. They're so manoeuvrable, aren't they?
0:26:02 > 0:26:04They just turn those corners so quickly.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Incredible... Have you got a bat detector with you?
0:26:07 > 0:26:08I have got a bat detector.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Because I just wanted to hear what kind of noise these make.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I think it's lovely, it's a wonderful warbling sound.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Oh, wow.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19WARBLING CHIRP
0:26:19 > 0:26:20It sounds like a bird!
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's like nothing else, is it? It's amazing.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Here they come!
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Do we know where they go here, once they head out?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Well, they will feed a lot around the Stackpole Estate.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39They like open woodland, glades through woodland and parkland trees,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42so this estate has everything for them, it's ideal.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44But it goes to show how important it is
0:26:44 > 0:26:48to manage not just the roost and not just the wood next door
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- but to manage the land over a pretty big area.- That's right.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Well, these bats will travel 15-16 kilometres a night...
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Will they?- ..to feed, yeah.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01So that's a big area of countryside you want to safeguard,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and they like to follow hedge lines, lines of trees, things like that.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08So if you start losing the odd chunk of hedgerow here or there,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11you're cutting them off from their foraging areas.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15To see big, big bats close up like this, just above my head.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- Going around and around. - Yeah, yeah, this has been...
0:27:17 > 0:27:19It's been one of the best wildlife spectacles
0:27:19 > 0:27:21I've seen in Wales, I think.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Of all of our great Welsh parks,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I think Stackpole here really does illustrate
0:27:31 > 0:27:33the wealth and the power
0:27:33 > 0:27:38that the aristocracy had in centuries gone by.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40They have completely changed the landscape,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45they've created this enormous lake, and by doing that
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it means that we are now able to enjoy the wildlife
0:27:48 > 0:27:51that's taken advantage of this new habitat.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55This water is full of fish, some enormous pike in here,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59also amphibians, the frogs and the toads and the newts.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03And because of that, it's also an excellent place for otters.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05It's actually, I think,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08the best place in Wales for this shy animal.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09And to be honest with you,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12if I come down here now and don't see an otter,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16I'm disappointed that's how good it is.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Each of my great Welsh parks is a haven for wildlife.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25These wealthy families have left us a fantastic legacy.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29We've been able to get up close to some wonderful animals,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32and we've had some real surprises along the way.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- Oh!- It's an otter!
0:28:34 > 0:28:37But what's truly great about these parks
0:28:37 > 0:28:40is they're open for all of us to explore.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd