0:00:02 > 0:00:05- We're travelling across the UK on a mission.- All over the country
0:00:05 > 0:00:07our 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 > 0:00:21We're scouring town and country
0:00:21 > 0:00:23in 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 > 0:00:29Today, we see what's being done
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to save an industrial mill in Halifax...
0:00:32 > 0:00:35This place resonates history, people.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37..and find out how our historic waterways
0:00:37 > 0:00:40are being restored to their former glory.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We are an island nation. We are surrounded by water.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Whatever it is, we love water.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49On this journey, we're uncovering hidden treasures of our country,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52treasures that are certainly worth fighting for.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56And meeting heritage heroes saving Britain at risk.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13So do you want the yellow or the green.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- Green, please. It's the last one. - Yeah, last one.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- We'll have to make an emergency stop...- Oh, my God.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22..at some village shop,
0:01:22 > 0:01:23if there is one round here.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29On this journey we started at the top of the Pennine Way,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31then headed to the Northern Lake District
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and now we're in the heart of the Yorkshire/Lancashire borders.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Our journey ends beyond the southern tip of the Pennines - Derbyshire.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43John, we've left the North Pennines behind us,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48- and here we are in Lancashire. - Yes, the Red Rose county!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Now, as a Yorkshireman...
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Well, yes...it's not a bad place, Lancashire, really.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57It's rather pretty, it has to be said.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- It has some nice features to it. - Lovely features,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03but the good news is, we are going to finish today
0:02:03 > 0:02:07- in Yorkshire.- Yeah! - So you're going home.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Today, we're taking in the stunning landscape
0:02:11 > 0:02:13on both sides of the Pennines
0:02:13 > 0:02:18and exploring two proud counties with firm roots in our industrial past.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And we're pushing off by looking at one of the transport legacies
0:02:25 > 0:02:28of the Industrial Revolution - canals.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34At the turn of the 19th century, the Lancaster Canal
0:02:34 > 0:02:37was a thriving artery 41 miles long,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41carrying boats laden with coal and limestone.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But to make way for new roads and railway lines,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46parts of the canal were drained and blocked off.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Today, 14 miles of the original canal bed are completely dry,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and I'm here to see what's being done to bring it back to life.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The thing that really strikes me about canals,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08they give you access to bits of the countryside you don't get to by road.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Look at that!
0:03:11 > 0:03:14A family of swans enjoying the sunshine!
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Peter is part of the Lancaster Canal Trust,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20a group of committed volunteers,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24who are determined to re-open the full length of this historic waterway
0:03:24 > 0:03:27for the benefit of the local community.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's a huge job, though Peter, isn't it?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Keeping on top of these networks and keeping them viable.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The maintenance alone is a huge job,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38but to get this restored is massive.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39But so worthwhile.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Yeah. When you can access bits of landscape like this,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44where wouldn't you?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It's the entrance to the Lake District,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and the further north you go on the canal, the more beautiful it gets.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53At the top end, where we're coming up to,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56it's barriered off at the moment. There's an earth dam,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and a dry bed beyond that for several miles up into Kendall.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Our peaceful meander along this beautiful stretch is short lived,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10and the Trust face a massive task clearing the overgrown canal bed.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Patricia Buzzard's worked to restore the canal for the past five years,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and her dream is to see the waterway
0:04:19 > 0:04:22reach its northern most point in Kendal.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Patricia, we've left the water-filled canal behind us
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and we're looking at this very surreal scene,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32this lovely bridge with the canal empty,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34full of weeds and goodness knows what.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is true. What we're looking at is the canal bed.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Where you see it dipping right down is what we must fill with water.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44We're talking tens of millions of pounds here,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47this isn't money that's going to come from a few coffee mornings.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I'll need more than a sugar daddy to get this lot sorted!
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Other canals have done it. There is money around and we will do it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Once we can get the water in
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and the water level stays, and we can maintain it,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00we can then say to people,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02"Look, not only can we do bridges, we can put water in.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06"Now we can do that, can we please apply for a large amount of money?"
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So many people just enjoy being around water.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11We are an island nation, we are surrounded by water.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Whatever it is, we love water
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and coming along here on a Sunday afternoon,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20stopping for a picnic, would be so much nicer
0:05:20 > 0:05:24if that was full of water, boats going up and down, wonderful!
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- Let's go cut down some vegetation! - Get your hands dirty, Jules!
0:05:28 > 0:05:34It must be quite a bit of fun, then, apart from the hard work,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38You're down here and putting some time into
0:05:38 > 0:05:40something that you believe is worthwhile.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46Yes. It's, eh... I've hoped all my life that this canal would have water in it once again.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I was born right next to it and grew up next to it.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51This is a really personal story for you.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54A labour of love as much as anything else.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I spent my first 21 years living next to the canal.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Aside from the voluntary effort, though,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00how realistic do you think it is,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03that this is going to ever reopen in the near future?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05There's no reason why it couldn't.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09It is just a question of money and the political will,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I mean, the one from Glasgow to Edinburgh reopened,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13the Huddersfield Canal, the Rochdale Canal.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Do you honestly think, Trevor, it's going to happen in your lifetime?
0:06:18 > 0:06:19I hope so,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22but I am in my 60s now, so I hope so.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I hope I live long enough to see it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27This is clearly a labour of love for all involved,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32and their passion and drive is wonderful to see.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37But it's going to take an injection of serious amounts of money
0:06:37 > 0:06:40if the Northern reaches are ever going to return to their heyday.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50We're back on the road and continuing our journey south,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and although we've not yet crossed the border into God's own county,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57I think we've earned a pitstop and I've spotted a perfect place.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00How about that, Jules?
0:07:00 > 0:07:05- Hudson's Home-Made Ices. - Come on, we're going in here!
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- Any family connection? - No, no, sadly not!
0:07:09 > 0:07:13But that's priceless, isn't it? In you go, John. Vanilla, please.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I'll do the honours.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20- Hello! Could we have some ice cream? All home-made?- It is.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- On the premises, here?- Definitely. Been made here since 1947.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28The Hudsons have made traditional hand-made ice cream
0:07:28 > 0:07:32in their Chatburn dairy for over 60 years.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Current owners Mark and Mandy are following a secret recipe
0:07:35 > 0:07:37passed to them by the Hudson Family,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41who've kept it under wraps for three generations.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Today, it's as popular as ever.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48- I've got a Hudson out there. No relation, I think.- No relation.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51He's very traditional, so he just wants a vanilla.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53That's real gooseberry fruit in there, is it?
0:07:53 > 0:07:58- Gooseberries from a village called Gisborne.- Double gooseberry, please.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It's fresh milk, cream, in here, is it?
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Fresh milk from the farm just up the way here.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Pasteurise it myself. It's all straight from the cow.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- None of that arty ice cream like bacon and egg?- No.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Just traditional ice cream.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Stick with gooseberries! Stick with gooseberries
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Thank you very much. I'd better pay you. How much is that?
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Look at this! Craven with ice cream!
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Here you are! That's yours. Your double vanilla.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- Look at that. - I've got the gooseberry.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Have you tried yours yet?- Not yet.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Wonderful!
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Absolutely delicious.- And I got sweets.- Fantastic!- Fruit pastilles.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- Sweets, ice cream, doesn't get much better, John!- Na.- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53With the ice cream quickly polished off, we're ready and raring to go,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57travelling south-east towards Halifax.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02This is an unusual looking border, John, isn't it,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- between Lancashire and Yorkshire? - Yes. No guards on duty!
0:09:06 > 0:09:09A few centuries ago, there might have been.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12You'd certainly know which side you're on then,
0:09:12 > 0:09:17- particularly during the Wars of the Roses!- Yes, I'd have to keep my head down.- You would, indeed!
0:09:17 > 0:09:20All those miles on uncluttered roads, here we are, stuck in traffic.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I know. Look at it. You're going to queue jump there, John.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27There you go. Thank you. Brilliant.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- Not used to this town driving! - Any gear, John, that's it!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Here we are in the middle of Halifax.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- This is a bit of a change, isn't it?- Isn't it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And what are we looking for in Halifax?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Looking for a mill, which, on the face of it,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44shouldn't be too difficult, this being a famous mill town.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Shaw Lodge Mill was founded in the 1820s
0:09:49 > 0:09:53and quickly became a world leader in textiles.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56At the height of production, 3000 people worked within its walls.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02But the last loom fell silent in 2008.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Since then, much of the building has remained unoccupied
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and major sections of the mill need restoration.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Dina Holdsworth left post-war Amsterdam
0:10:15 > 0:10:20when she married into the family who founded the original textile company.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23She carried on the business after her husband's death,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and spent recent years battling hard to save the mill.
0:10:26 > 0:10:32- All very echoey now, isn't it? - Yes, it is, yes.- Look at this, wow!
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- It's quite a space, isn't it, here? - What was this space then?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39This is where, after the material came off the looms,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42it was inspected here on long tables,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and then passed to the girls who were sitting on the other side.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50They were the menders. They came all the way along here.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51When I first came here,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54they had old looms, which were called shuttle looms,
0:10:54 > 0:10:59- and the clatter of the shuttle going backwards and forwards, you can imagine it.- Yes.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And it was so loud, that's one of the things I remember
0:11:02 > 0:11:06when I first came here was the noise and the smells
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and the horror of it, really.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Wasn't it so noisy that people had to actually use sign language to communicate?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Yes because you couldn't hear each other speak.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22At the height, textile mills across the north employed over 500,000 workers.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Until the 1960s, when manufacturing on this large-scale
0:11:27 > 0:11:31became unsustainable, and one by one the mills shut down.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It must be quite strange for you coming in here now
0:11:34 > 0:11:37when it's so quiet and empty and spacious,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40when you were presumably used to walking through here most days?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I walked through here very often, yes.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46It was nice because you saw people, you know,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49you'd have a chat with them about how was their family
0:11:49 > 0:11:53and how was their daughter, and did they have the baby yet, that sort of conversation.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Don't forget, the people who worked here often had worked here for many years,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02and had worked here probably since their mother was here.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05It only closed a few years ago, which is remarkable,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08because most mills around here closed in the mid-'60s.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Yes, we hung in there, so to speak,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and literally did sometimes hang in there.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19But in the end it wasn't possible to keep going under the circumstances.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23It must have been a very difficult decision, having been in the family for so long.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Yes, nearly 200 years.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It was a very difficult decision, but we felt it was the right one.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41The mill has always been at the heart of the local community,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and today the developers who've taken on its restoration
0:12:44 > 0:12:48want to continue its tradition as a community hub.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53Already, there are creative endeavours thriving within its walls.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57John Ross is heading up one local business, crucial to its success.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00John, this is a fantastic use for this building, isn't it?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- Wonderful, isn't it? - I do love an art room.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05This smell that takes me back to my schooldays,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and just seeing all this mixture of material,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and all this activity going on.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- This place resonates history.- Yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19People crashing about, muck, oil, and that's what's so good about it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25You can feel that in the way people are working. It's got history.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Show me more. Show me how I can get my hands a bit dirtier.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- Yeah, my old pal Stan is doing a life drawing class down here.- Is he?
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Yes, and I'm wondering whether or not you'd like to join in.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Well, if Jules is going to be a life model,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I wonder if he's going to strip.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Hope not! Anyway, I'm exploring a very different use of mill space.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54John Hendy runs an adventure centre in what used to be the powerhouse,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59and he's transformed it into an area used for rope courses, bouldering, and climbing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04What's the whole idea of this place then?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07It's kind of the outdoors indoors, so we took the mill space on
0:14:07 > 0:14:11to create activities throughout the season.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- What did this used to be then? - It used to be the boilerhouse. - Really?- Yeah!
0:14:16 > 0:14:1914 and a half tonnes of soot and muck we cleared out of here!
0:14:19 > 0:14:23So there must be lots of, well originally, lots of tunnels here with the pipes?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Yes, absolutely, for the steam
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and also for the drive shafts to drive the looms within the mill.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- Yes, a lot of tunnels.- Can you make use of those, eventually?
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We'd hope so, eventually, we'd hope to make an artificial cave.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It could be the world's biggest artificial cave, our research shows,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41if we're ever successful!
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Well, you've got an indoor climbing thing there, I can see.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Yes, we've got a bouldering area and a climb, would you like a go?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51All right, yes, I'll have a go.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's a long time since I went climbing, I'm telling you.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57But us older people have to have a go at these things.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Absolutely, definitely.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Stay still! What have I told you about moving?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- He's got a life of his own, hasn't he?- I think that's better.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Right then, so, no drawing from me, just sitting and modelling.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13How's it done then?
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- Yep.- Then do the strap.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- OK?- OK, that's fine.- Ready to climb.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30- Here we go.- You choose the holes and I'll use the ones that are left.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Not too many wrinkles there, Stanley.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36No, Jules, I'm keeping you quite youthful.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45What about using the outside of the building rather than the inside?!
0:15:48 > 0:15:53You may have seen the big chimney as you came down?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- Yes, don't tell me you're thinking of climbing that?- We are, yes!
0:15:59 > 0:16:04- OK, so we just touch the metal. - How about that!
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I made it to the top!
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- Right then, Jules, do you want to come over and have a look? - Yeah! Are you done?
0:16:12 > 0:16:18- More or less, yes.- More or less? I'm keeping on my artistic beret. Hey!
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- I think that's really good! - What do you reckon?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26That's fantastic. I really... I really wasn't sure what to expect.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- I love it.- There you go. Quick sketch.- That's beautiful.
0:16:30 > 0:16:36Hold the knot, stand down, that's it, that's the way to do it!
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- That was great fun, John.- Good, glad you enjoyed it, it's a pleasure.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Well, tell you what, Jules is having it easy.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49He's sitting being an artist's model. I've been on an adventure!
0:16:49 > 0:16:52OK, Jules, let me see what those artists have made of your striking features.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57- Ready?- Yep.- There you go.- Yes, that is a pretty good one of you!
0:16:57 > 0:17:01I knew you'd say that! I think they haven't done a bad job, actually.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Is that going up on your wall then?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I think it'll go somewhere, probably in the downstairs loo. I imagine!
0:17:06 > 0:17:07What a great place.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I've really enjoyed it, and I think the nice thing about it,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14as this building really shows us, is that it is beginning to happen.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18They're making a difference, things are being turned around. I think it's got a great future.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- It's escaped the risk list, hasn't it?- It absolutely has.- Off we go!
0:17:22 > 0:17:25..Thanks to real heritage heroes.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31On our journey, we're exploring the Pennines.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35John, an awful lot is made up here
0:17:35 > 0:17:39of the difference between the west side and the east side of the Pennines.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42As a Yorkshireman, without being biased...
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Oh yes, I'm never biased on these things.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- ..just put me in the picture, what's it all about?- It's...
0:17:48 > 0:17:52There's no doubt about it, there's a difference between the two counties,
0:17:52 > 0:17:59and, you know, we're both fiercely proud of being what we are.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03What would you say were their two distinguishing features,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05other than a sense of territory?
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Is there anything physically different that you'd put your finger on?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I just feel, basically, it's as simple as this -
0:18:11 > 0:18:14it's much better in Yorkshire!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17You see? I said without bias and look what's happened!
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And it's not true that, you know, we've got short arms
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and deep pockets, and things like that.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- We're just careful with our money in Yorkshire.- Yes, I've noticed!
0:18:30 > 0:18:36Driving through Yorkshire, you get a real sense of the breathtaking beauty of the natural landscape.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Hackfall Wood appears at first glance a natural woodland,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44but was actually landscaped in the 18th century
0:18:44 > 0:18:50by John and William Aislabie, better known for their landscape gardens at Studley Royal estate nearby.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54With its follies, castle and fountain,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58the woodland enjoyed great popularity until the 1930s,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00when large-scale logging operations began
0:19:00 > 0:19:05and it was feared the unique landscape would be lost forever.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12James Ramsden, who's now in his 80s,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15rediscovered the woodland pass over 20 years ago
0:19:15 > 0:19:20and has been the major campaigner for Hackfall's restoration.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22We used to live just down the river from here.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27We used to enjoy the place without knowing what it had been at all,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31and we used to walk in it, ride in it, and so on.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35You could see traces of old paths, and we did a bit of clearing and so on,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40and then at last, somebody wrote it up
0:19:40 > 0:19:46and we learnt that it had been a famous 18th-century green garden,
0:19:46 > 0:19:51done by the same family who did the fountains at Studley,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54now a World Heritage Site.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56So that woke us up a bit!
0:19:57 > 0:20:04In the past five years, £1 million of lottery funding has seen follies restored,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07lost ponds brought back to life, and original paths cleared.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Paul Foley is the Woodland Trust manager for the area,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and, together with his team of volunteers,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19is completing the final clearing of overgrowth.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25For me, personally, Hackfall was amazing when I saw it before the restoration.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30You'd come down it as a real important natural wilderness ecosystem.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Now I think we've got the best of both worlds.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35We've got these amazing historic features,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38like this folly here, Fisher's Hall,
0:20:38 > 0:20:44we've got the ruin of the banqueting house at the top, restored by the Landmark Trust,
0:20:44 > 0:20:50and we've got a fountain, a gravity-fed fountain, which people can see.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53All that would've been completely lost, and all the evidence
0:20:53 > 0:20:58and remnants of it being a landscape garden would have been lost without the restoration.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I feel lucky to help with something,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04such a big project like this, cos I remember five, ten years ago
0:21:04 > 0:21:07when there was no real management here
0:21:07 > 0:21:10it was such a beautiful place but it would be overgrown,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13now with the pathways clear, seeing the views, the waterfall,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the water features, it just makes it much more of an attraction,
0:21:16 > 0:21:17even a beautiful place to be.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21It's nice to be outside in the outdoors, nice weather like this.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24I think it has changed a lot over the last few years,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27it's great that it's now much more accessible to everyone.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30It's nice that everyone can come and enjoy it,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I think that's going to mean that more people come down
0:21:32 > 0:21:35and get to enjoy the countryside, especially here.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38With such beautiful surroundings it's really worth it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39Hope it continues.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It's like why do you climb Mount Everest?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45When something's there you have a go at it.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And it's just about right now,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52because you can go here and walk round and not see anybody.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58Not feel overcrowded, and that's what it should be.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Our road trip across the Pennines wouldn't be complete
0:22:07 > 0:22:09without a stop in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Its National Park includes some of England's finest countryside
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and attracts nearly ten million visitors every year.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Well, John, the rain has finally caught up with us.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Yeah, here it is again.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But many of the landscapes we're driving through,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34it doesn't matter what the weather's doing, it's still gorgeous.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38And what always strikes me is that the fact that the National Parks,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41like the one we're travelling through now,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43aren't really owned by the nation, are they?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Unlike, say, in the United States.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48They're a patchworks of private ownership
0:22:48 > 0:22:52with the umbrella of the National Park Authority looking after things,
0:22:52 > 0:22:53making sure it stays it.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55The key thing for me,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00is how do you keep people living and working in these National Parks
0:23:00 > 0:23:03who want to adopt the skills necessary to, you know,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05keep the landscape looking as it does?
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Uh, you know, that is a problem across the UK,
0:23:09 > 0:23:10not just here in the Dales.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Yeah, it is, it's that social fabric of the countryside
0:23:14 > 0:23:16that really is at risk, isn't it?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19The main problem facing the Dales
0:23:19 > 0:23:22is the dramatic loss of 16 to 24-year-olds,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25as they go in search of work in other areas of the UK.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29The Dales countryside trainee scheme is helping tackle this problem
0:23:29 > 0:23:34by giving young people the chance to develop crucial, rural skills.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Trainees can learn anything from beekeeping to dry stone walling,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and are given the confidence to become the future custodians
0:23:43 > 0:23:45of this stunning environment.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Alan Hume has been supporting projects like this
0:23:47 > 0:23:49for the past ten years.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55Without it, do you think a lot of these rural skills would disappear?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I think the rural skills are still with the older generation,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03but it's important that we have these people up and coming to replace them,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07because there is a migration away from the Dales of the younger people.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And this scheme was set up for 17 to 24 year olds,
0:24:10 > 0:24:15specifically to try and give them an opportunity to stay where they live,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and they love it just as much as I do.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24We're off to have a look at a dry stone wall being rebuilt
0:24:24 > 0:24:26by two local trainees, James and Josh,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30who are both ten months into a two year apprenticeship.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It's a nice way to commute to work, isn't it?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Ah, it's a fantastic way to commute to work.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It's a 600 square mile office.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Ah, what a ride.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Everybody should have one of these.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It's a great way to get up here and see this extraordinary landscape,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07it's pretty dramatic, the mist and the cloud rolling in over the hills.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It is quite a place to call your office.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Ah, it's fantastic, best office in the country.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- It's going to be a very wet one soon, looking at that lot.- Yeah.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- Where are the lads, are they over here?- Just over here.
0:25:18 > 0:25:24This wall will join the staggering 125,000 miles of dry stone walls
0:25:24 > 0:25:25right across the UK.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30So, there should be plenty of work ahead for these young trainees.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33What persuaded you to take this up as a living, as a course?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Uh, well, I was unemployed at the time.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Ha ha! That's always a pretty good motivator.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Yeah, and I saw the ad in the paper,
0:25:41 > 0:25:46I thought it sounded like a really good opportunity for young people
0:25:46 > 0:25:48to get practical and hands on experience.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Well, you're obviously very practical,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52or have a practical aptitude for it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54And having this as a backdrop,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56as somebody who was born and bred up here, presumably,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59it must be wonderful to be working up in this landscape
0:25:59 > 0:26:00that you've grown up with.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It's really rewarding, satisfying job,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05it's definitely a good lifestyle choice.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08But for you, Josh, the opportunity to come up here
0:26:08 > 0:26:10was a very vocational decision, wasn't it?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I very nearly went to uni, and, to be honest,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I saw this and I realised I was going to please other people,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19you go to school and you're driven towards university
0:26:19 > 0:26:21as if it's the only thing.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- Ticking boxes. - Well, yeah, basically, for them.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I saw this and I thought, oh, that's brilliant,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29it's, kind of, my opportunity, really,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30it's what I really want to do,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I'm going to say no to uni, it's not really for me.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Now I'm here, I wouldn't really swap it for it, to be honest.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I mean, the Dales is a huge area,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41could you find yourselves working in any part of it?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Um, yeah, I mean, James is up in the north of the Park
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and I'm in the south, but we do,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49we move around a bit every now and then.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I can go and help up there and he comes and helps down there.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Look, we've got a couple more satisfied customers
0:26:55 > 0:26:58who are coming to use your new style. Hello!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Everyone is enjoying the weather.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06We're the first ones over, are we?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Is it usable?
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Let's hope so.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Well, sir, now's your chance. Here we go.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Have you been over it yet?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- I haven't yet. - HE LAUGHS
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I'm quite heavy, you know.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18There we go, the proof is in the trying.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22I'm not the first over, I can see, I'm not the first over.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Well done, are you having a nice walk despite the weather?
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Yeah, pretty good.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Brilliant. - The last leg.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Enjoy the rest of it. - Thanks very much.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Brilliant, guys, I'll let you continue.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- All right, cheers. - Take it easy.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43You know, I always love coming up here to the Dales,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46the and though projects like this may seem fairly small scale,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49there's no doubt they are having a huge impact,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53making the very best of this impressive landscape.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00What a day, we've had a fantastic journey across the Pennines.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I was struck by the efforts being made to address
0:28:04 > 0:28:06the plight of Britain's abandoned waterways.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10And I've been back on home ground in Yorkshire, seeing how
0:28:10 > 0:28:15a former mill is once again becoming the hub of the community.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20Next time, we meet the craftsmen fighting to keep the country's
0:28:20 > 0:28:24first stainless steel works at the heart of Sheffield.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28The locals who are putting their 1920s picture house
0:28:28 > 0:28:29centre stage once again.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd