0:00:00 > 0:00:04We're travelling across the UK on a mission.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07All over the country, our heritage is at risk.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Ancient buildings and monuments are under threat of demolition.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Valuable arts and crafts are on the brink of extinction,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18and our rich industrial heritage is disappearing fast.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23We're scouring town and country in search of the nation's unsung heroes
0:00:23 > 0:00:27determined not to let our heritage become a thing of the past.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34Today we meet the dedicated craftsmen putting vintage railway carriages back on the tracks.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38It's incurable, I'm afraid, once you get into this!
0:00:38 > 0:00:43And we help spread the seeds that are reviving Northumberland's rich habitat.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47On this journey, we're uncovering the hidden treasures of our country.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Treasures that are certainly worth fighting for.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And meeting heritage heroes, saving Britain at risk.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Right then, here we go John. At long last!
0:01:10 > 0:01:15I've got the map and we've got the whole of the North Pennines in front of us.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Our journey starts just south of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23We then zigzag across the Pennines through the Lake District
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and the Yorkshire Dales.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30And our trail ends at the range's southernmost tip in Derbyshire.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34We've got Scotland way up there beyond Northumberland.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And down there we've got the spine of the Pennines,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40which divides Yorkshire and Lancashire further south.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41Indeed we have.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I'm a Yorkshireman so I know which side of the Pennines I like best!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49The Pennines are an impressive mountain range,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52covered by moorland and meadows.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This rich and rugged landscape has been carved by ice,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00mined by industry, and inhabited by endangered wildlife.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We're on the road meeting people working hard to preserve its history.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08In times of belt tightening, their task is getting even harder,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10as heritage funding is squeezed.
0:02:13 > 0:02:19We're kicking off with the industry that's had the biggest impact - above and below ground - mining.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- What a wide desolate landscape this is, isn't it?- Isn't it just.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Only a couple of hundred years ago,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28this would have been a hive of activity.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There would have been thousands of men, women and children
0:02:31 > 0:02:34living here and working down the lead mines.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39This was once a place where industry was king.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44In the mid-18th century, Britain was the world's biggest producer of lead,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48largely thanks to the North Pennines.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Beneath the rolling hills, along with lead, they found coal, silver and zinc.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57You know, I have a peculiar fascination with industrial archaeology.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- Peculiar?- Well, it's not everybody's cup of tea, is it?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But for me it just captures this fantastic spirit,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08this electric moment, when innovation and scientific ambition
0:03:08 > 0:03:12knew no bounds, and the relics of it are all around us.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We're heading to the visitor centre at Nenthead mines.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It aims to keep alive stories from a site once at the heart of mining production in the area.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27But today, with little passing tourist trade, it's struggling to survive.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Welcome to Nenthead.- Well, that's what it says. Nice. Look at this!
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Self-guided trails it says as well, look.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39'The charity that runs the site has come up with a smart idea to make their money go further -
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'tours are self-guided, which cuts the cost of manpower.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:49I'm getting one of these. Two quid, a donation. Let's do it right, shall we?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- A fiver? There we go. - I'll give you my share later, OK?
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Yeah, yeah, yeah! That's what he always says!
0:03:56 > 0:03:59This walkway leads you around the whole mine site,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04with information boards telling the story of the mine's history.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08There are interactive elements, too, which really help to bring the place alive.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- Ready?- Yes.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12You can kickstart the waterwheel
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and get a real understanding of how it powered the mine's machinery.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Ah ha ha, brilliant!
0:04:18 > 0:04:26- This is an eye on the map, which means it was a smelt mill.- Ah!
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- This was the business end of it. - The heart of the process, wasn't it?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34According to this, the smelt mill was in production for almost 160 years.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39By the time it closed in 1896, it had grown to six ore hearths,
0:04:39 > 0:04:45one slag hearth, two reverberatory furnaces, two refining furnaces,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and one desilvering house.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Well, that would really interest an industrial archaeologist like you, wouldn't it?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- It does, look at the shapes! - To me it's a fantastic ruin really,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and you can just imagine what it must have been like working in here.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Life down the mines was tough.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Workers were lucky to live to 50, often starting work as young as 10.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12Nenthead was one of the earliest purpose-built industrial villages in Britain
0:05:12 > 0:05:15with a population of 2,000 people.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Run by Quakers, miners were given plenty of time off
0:05:18 > 0:05:22to educate their children and go to church.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27To get a sense of what life was like, we're going down the pit.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Hello!- Hello.- You look like the man we need to talk to.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- Yes, I'll be your guide underground, so the first thing to do is put a helmet on, please.- Fine!
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Paul is the education officer for the mine.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Without him, this underground experience would be off-limits
0:05:42 > 0:05:43so we've booked ahead.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Right, watch your heads as you come in.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Did the old-time miners have any protective headgear then?
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- No, they just wore cloth caps! - Really?!
0:05:55 > 0:06:00And are there any minerals still here, Paul? Lead or silver?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Yes, you still find them in quite a few places in the mines here.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05We're going to go down this way.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- It just goes off in every direction, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13- Is that a candle holder?- Yes, so this would have been lit with candles.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Amazing, isn't it? Wow, look at this, John.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Yes, this is a much bigger cave almost, isn't it now?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It's quite a small chamber. Further up the valley,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26there's some really large flat workings or chambers like this.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29One is known as the ballroom because, over 100 years ago,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32they had a dinner party with an orchestra down there!
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I can think of better places to have a dinner party!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37But this is an extraordinary operation.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40It must cost a fair bit to run.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Yes, I mean, I've got to be honest and say that our visitor income
0:06:44 > 0:06:47doesn't pay the cost just to staff the site to make it open to the visitors,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51so we lose money every day we're open.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55But presumably you'd like to have it manned 365 days a year?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Yes, because I can tell you the stories. If you meet someone,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01you get to know the information far better than just reading about it.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07It does seem sad that such an important relic from our past
0:07:07 > 0:07:08is in danger.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12It is. It's the largest lead mining and smelting complex in the country
0:07:12 > 0:07:15so it's a very important and significant place.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Yes, we have a responsibility to maintain it, but we really struggle.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Maybe you should go see the dragons in the den!
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- Perhaps I should, yes.- A good idea. Or keep looking for silver down here!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- Come on, Paul! Lead on.- OK!
0:07:29 > 0:07:32We'll see if we can find something shiny in the gloom.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- Blinking in the bright daylight. - I know!
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's a bit severe, isn't it, in this lovely sunshine?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- It's nice to be out, I have to say. - What do you make of Nenthead then?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, if I'm honest, that's what makes it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52For any visitor, if you're going to visit a piece of industrial heritage,
0:07:52 > 0:07:53you want to get some sense,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58a real reflection, of what it did but also what it was like to be there.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Of course a mine wouldn't be complete without an open tunnel system.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05How many people have had a chance of going down a mine like that?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I can remember when I was a young boy, my uncle, my great uncle,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11worked in a mine and looked after the horses, and he took me down.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's an experience I'll never forget.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19And how tragic it would be if the risk became too great and it closed.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23An experience like this makes you realise that our past
0:08:23 > 0:08:27can be every bit as important as our future.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Where next?
0:08:29 > 0:08:35We're back on the road in search of the historic roots of the North Pennines that need preserving.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38You think of a bleak and desolate place,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40but in fact there are a lot of trees.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Do you remember years ago... You'll have reported on this -
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I bet I've probably watched you on Newsround telling this story!
0:08:47 > 0:08:49All those years ago!
0:08:49 > 0:08:52..the woodland in the country was declining at such a rate
0:08:52 > 0:08:55that there was the possibility there would be none at all.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01Demand for timber and chopping them down for development are the reasons we've lost so many trees.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Remaining forests are now carefully managed
0:09:04 > 0:09:07to keep up with commercial pressure while preserving their habitat.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Coppicing is one method of keeping woods healthy.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16It's a process of thinning the wood to allow natural regrowth.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21It was commonplace in the 13th century and is making a comeback.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27In this woodland near Slaley, two young craftsmen, Saul and Oram, are championing this ancient skill.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33This is the woodland we're working at the moment, and it's in the process of being coppiced.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37That entails cutting out a large majority of the trees
0:09:37 > 0:09:40to let them naturally regenerate.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43They need the sunlight on the forest floor for that to happen.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Once you've got the light in, the canopy is being reduced,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50you start getting a lot of new trees which are self-seeded,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55which creates a whole thicker crop and there's no need to plant.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Across the country, landowners are taking notice,
0:09:59 > 0:10:04and are increasingly using horses to extract wood.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07The wood pulled out gives Saul and Oram their income.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10So, this is a few examples of the sort of products we make.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14There's a beason broom, which this woodland will be good for
0:10:14 > 0:10:17because there's a lot of birch in here.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Chairs, when we've got the time.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Just something different. The more products we can make, the better.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27This works as a way of life for us really.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It's mainly done in the winter and it means that you get out
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and enjoy the best of all seasons.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39If we get an apprentice, yes, it would be good to train somebody up,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42keep it going, because the knowledge will just die out.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44We only know a very small amount of what was known,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48we're always learning, so it's good to pass on what we know.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53I love seeing such passion for an ancient technique.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Through Saul and Oram, coppicing certainly has a future in Northumberland.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02We're on a journey across the North Pennines,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05travelling now towards Beamish in County Durham.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10There's something very refreshing, John,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14- about getting away from the satnav, isn't there?- Isn't there?
0:11:14 > 0:11:19That rather forbidding voice of the lady who tells you to, er...
0:11:19 > 0:11:23"Recalculating!" she says when you get it wrong.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- Could you be a bit more stern, John, in your directions?- Yes, OK, OK.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Veer to the right, I think, shortly.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34In about three miles, I reckon.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Three miles.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42Our next stop is to explore the rich engineering past of the north-east.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44This part of the world, the north-east of England,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- was the birthplace of the railways, wasn't it?- Indeed it was.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The early engine factories were around Stockton on Tees,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and Stevenson and his Rocket.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57What a time of invention.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03What an exciting time, brutal time, dangerous time, as we've seen,
0:12:03 > 0:12:04but what an exciting time.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Steam travel opened up the North Pennines to the world.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13The lead and silver that were mined travelled to global markets,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and coal was transported to fuel the Industrial Revolution.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20To immerse ourselves in this industrial past,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22we're taking a bit of a detour.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Beamish is a living history museum
0:12:24 > 0:12:29that recognises the value of keeping our engineering heritage alive
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and in full working order.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Step back in time, eh? How about this!
0:12:34 > 0:12:37We needn't be walking, we could get the tram. That's brilliant!
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- Look at all the people as well.- Yes.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46This place gives you an instant history fix.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It's vibrant, authentic, and fun.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Right, I'm going to toot the whistle.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I've always wanted to do that!
0:12:55 > 0:12:59It tells a story of how people lived, where they shopped,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and how they enjoyed their time off.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Come on, get a move on!
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Here, you'll see some of the finest engineering this country has produced.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19How about this, a good old steam roller, made by John Fowler in Leeds.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22He was the first man to make steam ploughs,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26which totally revolutionised agriculture in the 1830s.
0:13:26 > 0:13:32Every one of these incredible machines needs constant restoration and maintenance,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35but here's the problem - skills are dying out,
0:13:35 > 0:13:41so places like this are also under threat if nothing is done to revive them.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45I can't help but be struck by the amount of technological effort
0:13:45 > 0:13:48that's required in bringing a place like this back to life.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Of course that doesn't come easily, and it certainly doesn't come cheap.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54With help from the Lottery Fund,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56the North of England Civic Trust stepped in.
0:13:56 > 0:14:03Andi Harris is part of the team who spotted the engineering skills at risk.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The heritage skills that we came across are still out there,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but unfortunately we're facing this retirement timebomb.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12People are retiring, not continuing with skills,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and modern training doesn't give the skills to maintain this environment.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19This is sort of classical fine engineering, if you like.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The sort of skills we're talking about were really at the heart
0:14:22 > 0:14:26of the expansion of the Empire, the Industrial Revolution and so on.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- I mean, this is old stuff. - It is, it's absolutely fantastic.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33I was worried, when we first set this up, about getting the right people in to do this.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38We were inundated with people wanting to do this. This opportunity doesn't exist anywhere else.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Well, if their passion is anything like yours, Andi,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- we're in good hands, aren't we? - Thank you.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50Just a 30 minute drive from Beamish is a restoration yard in Haltwhistle.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53They're playing a key role in keeping the heritage alive.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57As well as making a living, skills are being passed on.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02I reckon then that Haltwhistle has that railway connection.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- Halt and whistle.- Must do. - Halt and whistle, yes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11So, in one of these sheds lies a railway carriage.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16- There we are, look. Stanegate restoration yard.- That's our place.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- Let's hope the kettle's working in there.- Yes! See what's going on.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26- It's run by a guy called Ian.- Ian. Let's try and find Ian then.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Is Ian here?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Ian is here.- Ian!- Welcome, John. - Thank you very much.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Nice to see you sir. How are you?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35This is the kind of shed you'd like, Jules.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I love a good workshop, and the smell of wood in here is fantastic.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42John said we should see you, but what are you doing here?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45We restore things, virtually anything.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49We've done horse-drawn vehicles, we've done railway vehicles,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51we've done boats. You name it, we do it.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55While you're here, you can earn your living. Come on!
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- I thought we were just coming for a look around!- I'm Jonathan.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- Jonathan, nice to see you. - Nice to see you.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- What do you do? - I'm official scapegoat!
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Can you also work the kettle? That's the most important thing, isn't it?
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'Jonathan is actually Ian's trainee.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'He's currently being taught skills
0:16:13 > 0:16:16'needed to restore two vintage railway carriages.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19'The work's been commissioned by Beamish Museum.'
0:16:19 > 0:16:21All sorts in here, boats as well, look.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22What about this one, Ian?
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Well, this has got an amazing history, John.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- It was Stockton Darlington Railway...- The first railway?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30That's what they claim, yes. If you'd like to give us a hand,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33this is the one I'd like you to help on.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34Oh, yeah. What can we do?
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Well, what we have to do is we have to replace all this buffer beam
0:16:38 > 0:16:42which is a little bit past its best-by date, I'm afraid.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- Understatement! - It's not good quality oak any more.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47So that has to come off. In order to get that off
0:16:47 > 0:16:49we have to take all the ironwork off.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Spanners and sockets behind you,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- lots of muscle and grunt'll be needed.- All right.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Jules, this is your department.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00This is absolutely my kind of thing. Proper workshop stuff, this.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I think you're well and truly across this, aren't you, Jules?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- I'll leave you to it. - Oh, cheers, mate(!)
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Jonathan, tell me about this carriage round here.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Aw, chicken.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11So, what's the story about this one?
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Well, this was a very luxurious carriage of its time.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18As Ian sometimes says,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21it's pretty much the Concorde of its day, really.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23And how much do you know about its history?
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Well, funnily enough, as we were taking the roof down,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29we actually found this, one of the old boards.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And what it says here is,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35"This carriage was built as the France and Prussian war was raging."
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Wow.- As you can see, that was 1870.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Goodness me, that's a real bit of written history, isn't it?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Real bit of written history, there.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Do you get a sense of satisfaction
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- when working on something like this?- Certainly, aye.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49When you can take something like this and see it go out the door
0:17:49 > 0:17:51pretty much as it was originally...
0:17:51 > 0:17:55You're not a volunteer, you actually get paid for doing this work.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Yeah, I get paid. I'm a trainee. I have a placement through the HSI
0:17:59 > 0:18:01which is the Heritage Skills Initiative.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03How did you get involved in this?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I've been in the construction industry for a long time
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and I decided to try and get myself into something
0:18:08 > 0:18:11that I would feel a bit more appreciative of.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- A bit more challenging? - A bit more challenging, yeah.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So this kind of work will be in safe hands in the future?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Yeah, I would have thought so. - Great.- I hope so.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22No, that's... The thread's still spinning.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It's not the one I thought it was. I can't see under here.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Uh...about 12 'o clock.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33- Right, I think we're there.- Just having a nap.- Nearly there, yep.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Lovely.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Look at that. After 150 years, it's finally off. Amazing!
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- Where's the bolt?- There it is. - Look at that. Beautiful.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45- That would have been a hand-wrought bolt, wouldn't it?- Real Whitworth.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49What will happen to this carriage once you've finished restoring it?
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Well, that's the nice thing about this job.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It's going to run again. It's going to Beamish open-air museum.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57So, for you and Jonathan, you know,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59a young guy coming into this profession,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01it's a terrific sense of achievement
0:19:01 > 0:19:04to see your efforts come to fruition so quickly and to be used again.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08It's a perfect introduction for him. I've had lots of experience doing this.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10It's nice to pass that on.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15- A real passion.- Yeah, and Jonathan, I think, he's getting that same bug.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It's incurable, I'm afraid. Once you get into this.
0:19:18 > 0:19:24This shed may be tucked away, but the knowledge being passed on inside
0:19:24 > 0:19:27will enable us to keep on enjoying the rich heritage of the northeast.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34The trouble with this map is that
0:19:34 > 0:19:36where we want to be is exactly along the fold.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40- John, you know that's always going to be the case.- Always the case!
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Luckily for me, this place is well-signposted.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51Just driving across the Pennines gives you a real sense of the place.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Spires and steeples are landmarks of remote communities
0:19:54 > 0:19:56that once thrived.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00As people moved on, many have been abandoned
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and are at risk of demolition.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06The Churches Conservation Trust is coming up with some creative ways
0:20:06 > 0:20:11to breathe new life into remote churches.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Rosie Lister is organising its efforts in the north of England.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Can we imagine a landscape without steeples? Without towers?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22They are so intrinsically a part of the British landscape.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25They punctuate it, they're very sculptural,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29but we can't just see them as follies.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33They're not follies, we have to use them.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37So, this is St Andrews', Shotley, one of our most remote churches.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40As you can see, we're walking through a rape field
0:20:40 > 0:20:43which the farmer very kindly leaves us a path through,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but you can see how getting people here...
0:20:46 > 0:20:48We haven't got a lot of passing trade,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51so we really have to bring people up here for a really good reason.
0:20:51 > 0:20:58One idea is to put on arts events and concerts for the local community.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Musicians Rowena and Maurice are here
0:21:01 > 0:21:06to check out the church's potential as a performance space.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08It's not just that it's a great acoustic,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10it's in a special... It is in a sacred space
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and I think you do sense that in these buildings.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17In here, the band could be...
0:21:17 > 0:21:20set, in there, and their audience...
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Well, they are natural stages, aren't they?
0:21:23 > 0:21:29I feel that it's an ideal place for a trio, a jazz band,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32sometime a quartet, a quintet.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35# In the dark
0:21:35 > 0:21:40# We may dream as strangers
0:21:40 > 0:21:43# In the dark... #
0:21:43 > 0:21:46I think there's all sorts of things, both spiritually and historically,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49to be gained from interaction with these kinds of places,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53rather than just somewhere to drive past and say, "Look. Nice ruin."
0:21:53 > 0:21:57# ..I need. #
0:22:02 > 0:22:06We want to bring these buildings back to life,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10so we want to re-vision these buildings and help people understand
0:22:10 > 0:22:13that they can use them, they can hold events there,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16they can really claim these buildings back as their own.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Our next stop takes us to the heart of Northumberland
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and the upland meadows of the Allendale valley.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34It's an area of outstanding natural beauty.
0:22:34 > 0:22:3940% of upland meadows that remain are here in the North Pennines.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42They're an entirely man-made habitat
0:22:42 > 0:22:44with a heritage stemming back centuries.
0:22:44 > 0:22:4996% of the original hay meadows in the country have now vanished.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51That's astonishing.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Cos farmers tend to use silage now, don't they,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55it's cheaper and really more convenient.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59But the heyday is almost over,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01so they're trying to bring it back again.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Silage is an animal feed
0:23:04 > 0:23:07that's grown with the help of artificial fertiliser.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It's cut and baled as soon as it wilts,
0:23:10 > 0:23:11so the seeds never reach the soil.
0:23:11 > 0:23:18The downside is no wildflowers, which means very little wildlife.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22We're visiting one of 50 farms who've signed up to the Hay Time Project.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It was set up five years ago
0:23:24 > 0:23:28to encourage farmers to go back to basics.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Right.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Where are you, hay meadows?
0:23:33 > 0:23:34- Oh, right here, John.- Oh, oh, oh.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37MIMICS SCREECHING TYRES
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- There we go. - Hay meadows. Came upon us suddenly.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43You join us in the 4X4 stage of the RAC rally.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46THEY LAUGH Craven at the wheel.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Farmers Nils and Tom have all the gear needed
0:23:49 > 0:23:52to help restore the meadows and their natural wildlife.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Well, guys, I have to say,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I've never seen a piece of equipment like that before. Pretty rare.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00It is pretty rare, we believe that there's only three in the country.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05- Three?- That's specifically designed to do the job that we want it to do,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09which is to lift the seeds without damaging the rest of the crops.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11This machine has fingers on the bottom
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and they basically spin at high speed
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and it flicks the seed off the top of the grass
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and puts it into this dumping bag here
0:24:17 > 0:24:19ready for putting into the other machine
0:24:19 > 0:24:21which spreads them on the receptor site.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25So, coming down to the real nuts and bolts of what Hay Time is about,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28it's this sense of redistribution of these precious seeds, isn't it?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30We're helping nature, in a sense.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I mean, you know, it would happen eventually
0:24:33 > 0:24:36via nature blowing in the wind, seeds blowing in the wind,
0:24:36 > 0:24:37we just speed the process up.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Well, let's see how it all does work, guys.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Let's get this into the field and see it in action.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44But before Jules gets too gung-ho with the quad bike,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Rebecca Barrett from the Hay Time team
0:24:47 > 0:24:51is keen to show me why these precious seeds are so important.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55We've been really pleased at the response we've had from farmers
0:24:55 > 0:24:57because a lot of them are interested
0:24:57 > 0:25:00in getting the wildflowers back into their meadows,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and I think the most interesting thing is that
0:25:02 > 0:25:05they're prepared to see a reduction in their hay crop
0:25:05 > 0:25:09as the process of getting the wildflowers comes in place.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Well, this is one of Nils's hay meadows, how do you rate this one?
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Well, this is what we refer to as an early stage restoration meadow.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20There's a few nice species in here.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23We've got red clover here, for example.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27And how long does it take to transform a meadow like this one
0:25:27 > 0:25:30into the perfect upland meadow?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32That can probably take 10 years or even 20 years
0:25:32 > 0:25:35to actually, really, genuinely get those wild plants back,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38because it's all about what's happening in the soil.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It's good to see hay meadows coming back to some extent,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44because they're very much part of our heritage, aren't they?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46I think many people have warm recollections
0:25:46 > 0:25:50of making hay in the past, the sounds, the smells of hay-making.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It's not just about wildlife, it's about a British thing
0:25:53 > 0:25:55of being out in the landscape during the summer.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02OK, I want you to try and have as straight a line as possible, please.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- First gear?- First gear and up you go.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Right, then. Here we go. Watch your feet.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12There we go. Look at that.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14We're making Hay Time!
0:26:14 > 0:26:16In the Pennines.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20This may look like a fairly small-scale operation,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24but the impact of these schemes on environments like this
0:26:24 > 0:26:27is really gaining pace.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It's a lovely opportunity to play a small role in it, really.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33And what a view!
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Well, it's not the straightest line in the world, but, um...
0:26:40 > 0:26:42we're harvesting nonetheless.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Here he comes, our hay-maker for a day.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Hi, John!- How's it going? - Come to join the fun?
0:26:55 > 0:27:00The harvested seeds are then transferred to a spreader.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03This scatters them on to a fresh field, where they'll take root.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Here they come.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Come on, girls.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Well, this is the final part of the process.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Having collected our seed and then redistributed it,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18it now needs to be worked into the soil,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and that's going to happen courtesy of this flock of sheep.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Their feet working it through the grass will hopefully embed it
0:27:25 > 0:27:27so it can come up for another year.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Come on, then.- Get to work, girls, now. Spread the seeds.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36HE LAUGHS Lovely.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39The nice thing, John, of course, it's all organic, isn't it?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42It is, actually, it's all as nature intended.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'And it really is great to see such a simple technique
0:27:45 > 0:27:50'being used to help restore upland meadows to the way they used to be.'
0:27:54 > 0:27:56What a day.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59We've had a fantastic journey across the North Pennines.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I've loved seeing valuable engineering skills
0:28:02 > 0:28:05being passed on to the next generation.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09And for me, Nenthead mine was a great reminder
0:28:09 > 0:28:14of our vast industrial heritage that really does need our support.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Next time, we don our hard hats to help restore a country estate,
0:28:19 > 0:28:24open to the public for the first time in 70 years.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28And we meet a group of locals who saved a viaduct from demolition.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:41 > 0:28:44E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk