0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're travelling across the UK on a mission.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08All over the country our heritage is at risk.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Ancient buildings and monuments are under threat of demolition.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Valuable arts and crafts are on the brink of extinction
0:00:16 > 0:00:19and our rich industrial heritage is disappearing fast.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24We're scouring town and country to find the nation's unsung heroes
0:00:24 > 0:00:28determined not to let our heritage become a thing of the past.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Today we'll meet the people who are determined to save
0:00:32 > 0:00:35this 650-year-old effigy.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And we spend time with the locals who clubbed together to save
0:00:39 > 0:00:41their traditional pub in Monmouthshire.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42I thought I'd find you here, Jules!
0:00:42 > 0:00:45I've got the situation under control!
0:00:45 > 0:00:49On this journey we're uncovering the hidden treasures of our country,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52treasures worth fighting for...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55And meeting heritage heroes saving Britain at risk.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Well, John, Herefordshire beckons today and what weather!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20This is unexpected, isn't it? Very nice.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22- Oh, left here.- Round here?
0:01:22 > 0:01:27- Yep.- Oh, hold tight.- I will!
0:01:27 > 0:01:28Yep, right there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32- These are tight bends, aren't they? - This is very pretty, isn't it?
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Good fun.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40We started at the top of the English-Welsh border.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44We've driven south through Cheshire, Shropshire and Powys
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and will continue through the Welsh valleys to reach our journey's end
0:01:47 > 0:01:49at the Bristol Channel.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Today we're border hopping through the rolling hills
0:01:54 > 0:01:56of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire
0:01:56 > 0:01:59as we explore this beautiful area's rich heritage.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Well, I had a fantastic bacon sandwich for breakfast this morning, John.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- You like your bacon sandwiches. - I do like a bacon sandwich,
0:02:08 > 0:02:09on normal bread with lots of butter.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Of course, not all that many years ago, round this part of the world,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17almost every family would have a pig in the back garden.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Well, it's hard for most of us to imagine a time without
0:02:20 > 0:02:24supermarkets where food is on the shelves, but the idea of having
0:02:24 > 0:02:28a pig at home was absolutely key to keeping the family going, wasn't it?
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Yeah, and it would be very much a family pet until the moment came.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36- Well, yeah.- And then, every little bit of it put to use.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39I always feel sorry for pigs because they've got a very bad image,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43haven't they? People think they smell, but, in fact, naturally,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- they're very clean animals. And very bright.- Very intelligent.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Churchill said, didn't he, "Dogs look up to you,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54"cats look down at you, but pigs treat you as equals."
0:02:54 > 0:02:57THEY LAUGH
0:03:00 > 0:03:06At the beginning of the 20th century there were 17 native pig breeds in Britain.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12But as world trade boomed in the 1950s, our government
0:03:12 > 0:03:16became concerned about how competitive UK pig producers were.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21They advised that pig farmers concentrate on just three breeds
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and it had a dramatic effect.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Today there are just eight traditional pig breeds remaining
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and one family's bid to save the rare species has seen them
0:03:30 > 0:03:34take the idea of the family pig that one step further.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39The Cianchis started their pig farm just four years ago
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and since then, it's gone from strength to strength.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Ah, look at these two! What have we got here, Ann?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- He's a Gloucester Old Spot.- Lovely, aren't they? They're very sweet.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- How old are these?- These will be about five months old now,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55so it will be another couple of months before they're ready to go to the abattoir.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I love what you're doing here.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59I've met lots of pig producers over the years,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01but very few that have started from scratch.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04How did it all begin?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Our daughter, Emma, at the age of 14,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09asked for two rare breed piglets for her birthday.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12We actually sent her off to a pig farm to find out all about it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15We thought the smell would put her off cos we didn't know
0:04:15 > 0:04:16- they weren't smelly.- Oh, right, yes!
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But it's obviously expanding at a rate of knots, Ann.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22I can see all sorts of pigs in different pens down here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25How many rare breeds have you got?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We've got five different rare breeds.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There are eight all together, but we have had up to seven.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- What have we got here? - These are Middle Whites.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Until recently, they were extremely rare, but numbers,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40since we've been keeping them, have come up so we're pleased
0:04:40 > 0:04:43that they're no longer the rarest British breed.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46It's interesting that it wasn't just about keeping pigs that
0:04:46 > 0:04:49attracted Emma and clearly has roped you all in as a family,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54- but the rare breed nature of it. There's a sense of heritage about what you're doing.- There is, yes.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I mean, we had no idea, initially, that these
0:04:56 > 0:04:58old traditional breeds were so rare.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02What started out as an interest in an unusual family pet
0:05:02 > 0:05:05has now become a full-time business.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Their large breeding stock is in high demand and the bacon, pork
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and sausages they produce are proving a big hit
0:05:11 > 0:05:14at local farmers markets.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Anne recently left her job to invest in the business
0:05:17 > 0:05:22and with Emma at university, her brother Ben and sister Claire
0:05:22 > 0:05:23are also doing their bit.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26So, Ben, what's the plan?
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'Today's task is to move the Middle Whites to a fresh new pen
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'and it seems I've been roped in to give a hand.'
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- OK, then, shall we give it a go? - OK, if Pete lifts that up, we'll...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And they'll just go now, will they?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Literally just shake the bucket under their noses
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and I'll follow you along in case you have any trouble.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Oh, my God. Right, OK.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- Come on, pigs!- Keep up with Ben. - Oh, dear.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Bit faster.- Right. Bit faster.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- Come on. Shall we go that way? - Let's go up here.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- Come on!- Take one pig each. Come on.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Come on!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Come on, girl. Who's a good girl?
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Straight in there, come on. Come on!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Good girl! Now you can put some food on the floor.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15There we are!
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Well, that was...a nice bit of exercise, wasn't it?!
0:06:20 > 0:06:24So did you ever think, Ben, that you'd end up being a pig man?
0:06:24 > 0:06:27No, um...when Emma first got them,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30we only had two and they were just pets, really.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33It's grown and grown and almost by accident, I think me and Claire
0:06:33 > 0:06:36have been caught up in the middle.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- It's like this whirlpool that's drawn everyone in!- It is!
0:06:39 > 0:06:41But it's lovely that you've all grown to love them,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44but you've got the difficult decision of actually then
0:06:44 > 0:06:46thinking about eating them.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51We know they've had a much better life than almost any other pigs
0:06:51 > 0:06:56in the country because they live a lot longer than commercial pigs,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59obviously they're outside in a natural environment,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03they're eating natural food and they're living as pigs should.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Obviously, we couldn't keep pigs without eating them,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10to an extent, as it's uneconomical.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So to preserve them, we do have to eat some of them,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15however strange it sounds!
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Providing a valuable purpose for these rare breeds is crucial
0:07:19 > 0:07:23to their survival and it's heartening to see this family's efforts
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to save them from extinction.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28How do they taste, Ben?
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Delicious!
0:07:29 > 0:07:31JULES LAUGHS
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Spoken like a true farmer!
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Back on the road, we're continuing our drive through Herefordshire
0:07:46 > 0:07:50and taking a little detour through the city of Hereford.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- There you are, John, Hereford Cathedral.- Yeah.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It's famous for the Mappa Mundi, isn't it?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It is famous for the Mappa Mundi, one of the most important
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Medieval maps in the world, some would say THE most important.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- From about 1200, something like that?- 1300, they say.- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It's fascinating though how these great Cathedral centres
0:08:11 > 0:08:15affect the smaller outlying parish churches as well.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18They were great seats of scholarship and learning
0:08:18 > 0:08:22so the clergy were those that could read and write, weren't they?
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Also, they're storage places for great relics of the past.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And not just cathedrals, but little parish churches as well.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Yeah.- Well, thank goodness our maps have come a long way since then!
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Yeah!
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Otherwise we'd be totally lost!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And talking of local parish churches,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44just 13 miles south east of Hereford, in Much Marcle,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47is St Bartholomew's.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52And I've come here to see one of the finest medieval effigies in Europe.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58But like many churches up and down the country, it's in desperate need of restoration.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The roof has undergone extensive repairs and fundraising efforts
0:09:01 > 0:09:05are under way to save the important monuments stored beneath it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Janet Chapman is one of the villagers who's been working
0:09:10 > 0:09:13for the past six years to bring the church
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and its valuable contents back to life.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Well, this is a really beautiful church, Janet, isn't it?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It's fabulous. Often known as a "mini cathedral".
0:09:25 > 0:09:29But like so many churches, it needs a lot of work doing to it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I mean, obviously, from there...
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Well, the west window is under repair now.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41We've had to do the ceiling and the side aisle roofs.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- How much is all that costing?- Well, it's approaching half a million.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47And you're the powerhouse behind all this, are you?
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Well, we have a lot of help, it's not just me.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53We have a local benefactor, wonderful fundraising circle,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and support from many, many trusts.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58What's the latest project?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00The latest project is hugely exciting.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- It's a beautiful lady which I'm going to show you.- Right.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09This effigy of Blanche Mortimer
0:10:09 > 0:10:12dates back to the mid 14th century.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15She's been referred to as Much Marcle's "sleeping beauty"
0:10:15 > 0:10:20and has recently been moved from her crumbling tomb in a bid to save her.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Medieval effigies are typically life-size sculptures
0:10:24 > 0:10:27placed on top of an empty cenotaph or tomb.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29They were commissioned by the rich and powerful
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to glorify their lives in this world,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and to promote the cause of their souls in the next.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- So, she's in here, is she? - She is indeed.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- Is that her?- Yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- An effigy?- Yes.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44An effigy of whom?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47This is Blanche Mortimer, Lady Grandison,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51youngest daughter of Roger Mortimer,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54who ran off with Queen Isabella.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57They were suspected of murdering her husband, Edward II.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They were indeed.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- And this is his daughter. - This is his youngest daughter.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06In effect, he ruled by default because Edward was locked up.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And she is beautiful, isn't she?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11She's wonderfully beautiful.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13How old is this effigy?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Well, Blanche died in 1347,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21and she is one of England's finest Medieval effigies.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27She's carved out of one solid piece of stone,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31probably about three-quarters of a tonne in weight.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36She's carved in Painswick stone and, of course, it is softer to carve.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Wonderful detail. She's got a wedding ring on.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42And two other rings there.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Yes, and she's holding her rosary.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Look at the buttons on her dress.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Yes, beautiful buttons.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54The level of detail in Medieval effigies is not merely decorative.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Blanche's simple dress implies a lack of ostentation
0:11:58 > 0:12:00and religious devotion.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03And the dog at her feet symbolises fidelity.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Why is Blanche on this trolley?
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Because she is so wet and full of moisture,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and she's drying out.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Janet has enlisted the help of Michael Eastham,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18who's an historic monuments expert,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and, now that Blanche has been safely moved,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23he's tackling the damp around her tomb.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27This is where Blanche has rested for over 650 years, Michael.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29What are you doing right now?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I'm taking some moisture readings,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36because when she was here, when we first lifted her off,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40we were getting readings of 90% in the centre of the core.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42How bad is that?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44It's very bad because anything above 20%
0:12:44 > 0:12:48is actually making life very difficult for the effigy.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52So, how are you going to remove all this damp before she can come back?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The problem is that moisture is rising through this monument,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and we can't actually stop that. But what we can try and do
0:12:59 > 0:13:02is improve the environment where the effigy will be.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04You'll have to get rid of all of this stuff then?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Indeed, we are. We'll take off the panelling,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and then we can excavate the material back to the wall behind.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14That sounds like a pretty big job.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Yes. There again, taking the effigy off was a pretty big job as well.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22I suppose lots of people wonder why it's important to restore an effigy,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26what's so significant about effigies?
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Well, it has to be seen in the context of the whole monument,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and it is a very fine structure,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34with some extraordinary carving,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and the structure of it in itself is quite remarkable.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41You don't have too many of them dating from the 14th century,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43so if you lose one,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47you're one more down the path of ending up with nothing at all.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Back on the road, John's at the wheel,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and we're driving through cider country.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12What's your favourite, John - normal apple cider, or how about perry?
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Perry. Yes, perry is very nice - a much sweeter drink, isn't it?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18It is. It's making a bit of a comeback now.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- Yeah?- You know, pear production is going up here.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I had a go at making some about a year ago.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29It's quite involved - there's an awful lot of pressing to be done.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32You need a huge amount of pears to get good quality perry.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33Was it any good?
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It was very nice, actually. But as you say, a little bit sweeter.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41It's nice to see it making a comeback because most people have forgotten it
0:14:41 > 0:14:43in the rush to fill supermarket shelves
0:14:43 > 0:14:47with ever more exotic brands of cider.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You know, the humble pear is on the march.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Perry has been produced in the Three Counties area
0:14:59 > 0:15:03of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire for centuries.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07It was traditionally made on the farm for family and workers,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11but as perry pear trees take a few decades to bear viable fruit,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14it's an industry that's struggled to expand.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Tom Oliver started making perry for his own consumption
0:15:20 > 0:15:24more than 20 years ago, and now he runs a small business
0:15:24 > 0:15:26selling perry from his Herefordshire farm.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30When you're born in Herefordshire,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32you grow up with the orchards
0:15:32 > 0:15:36all around you, and so I've drunk cider and perry all my life.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41So, in the beginning of the 1900s,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44my grandad was making cider on the farm, but it was for the workers
0:15:44 > 0:15:46to have some form of refreshment
0:15:46 > 0:15:49during the hard manual work of haymaking.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52But when agriculture became mechanised,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54it was just too dangerous to drink perry on the farm
0:15:54 > 0:15:58during working hours, and Tom's grandfather cleared the orchards
0:15:58 > 0:15:59to make way for other crops.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03When Tom decided to revive the traditional pear drink
0:16:03 > 0:16:05he had to start afresh.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10We wanted to make great cider and perry,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12but we needed to reinvest in planting trees.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14We needed to get new equipment,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and start the whole thing from scratch.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22In the past ten years, Tom's seen interest in traditional perry grow
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and he's gone from producing just 600 bottles in the early days,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29to 10,000 every year.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32But the perry pear tree is a fickle creature.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35One year it could give you cartloads of crop,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38yet the next, barely a bagful.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41You need a lot of patience to make perry.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46We live in a world where greed,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48having things now,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53the fact that you are allowed to believe that you can have things now,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56perry pears are just a great reminder
0:16:56 > 0:17:00of what the real world, and what nature is all about -
0:17:00 > 0:17:02it takes a long time for these trees to mature.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05If you want to make a different perry,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09or want to make more perry, someone has to commit to it now,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and another generation gets the benefit of that commitment
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and that foresight.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Moving on, and our final stop is a little village with big ideas
0:17:26 > 0:17:29about keeping community spirit alive.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32One of the things that's saddened me about this trip,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35is some of the villages we've passed through where,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38you know, the pub is boarded-up, shop's closed,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and everything is very quiet and a bit down at heel.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Yes. It's a very sad reflection these days, isn't it,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47what's happening to the British village?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49What's going to happen in future?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52One of the tragedies is this sense of a lack of a focal point.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56In my village, the pub is the focal point, not just for obvious reasons,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59but because it's where you go to get advice,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01to catch up on the gossip.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03You know, borrow equipment, or just to have a chat.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06If you lose that point where everyone can get together,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08then the heart goes out of it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11As these older generations die out,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14you lose the folklore, the local history, the stories, the characters.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18In my village, we have a very sort of active social life.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Everybody knows each other, that's the main thing.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Well, everybody knows you!
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Everyone!
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Grosmont, in the Monnow Valley,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31sits between the Brecon Beacons National Park
0:18:31 > 0:18:35and the Wye Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36But the area suffered badly
0:18:36 > 0:18:39through the foot and mouth outbreak,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and the village lost its local school and pub.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47But Grosmont residents have decided to fight back,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and all the villagers - around 300 of them -
0:18:49 > 0:18:54are committed to keeping the heart of this rural community beating.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Lovely, very nice.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00First of all, Jules, I think we need to pop in here -
0:19:00 > 0:19:01Gentle Jane's Tearoom.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I gather there's a meeting going on. I can hear some hubbub.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07Ah!
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Hi there!
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- Hello.- Hello.- Hello there! - What's going on here then?
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Hello!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- You must be Jeannette. - I am Jeanette, yes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- I'm Richard.- John.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20I'm Mike. Hello, John.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Nice to see you guys, how are you? Very nice to meet you.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25What's going on here then?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This is a meeting of what we call GADMAG,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31the Grosmont and District Multi Activity Group. A bit of a mouthful!
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Isn't it just!
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'The group was formed when the village school
0:19:35 > 0:19:38'was threatened with closure over 20 years ago.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42'They've kept spirits high through some tough times since then.'
0:19:42 > 0:19:45We decided to form a committee when we knew we'd lose the school,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48to keep the spirit alive in the village,
0:19:48 > 0:19:49and to keep events going.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- You lost that battle - the school went?- The school went,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56but the important thing was we kept the village spirit alive.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Was there a real feeling that the community here was under threat?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Very much, yes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This is what pulled the village together.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08What would have happened if you had not started the group, do you think?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I hate to think. People come to the village now and say,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12"I want to move here".
0:20:12 > 0:20:14They love the atmosphere.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Maybe it wouldn't be the same if we didn't have this community spirit.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Give us a sense of the range of activities that you're now getting behind.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26It can start off with a children's Easter egg hunt.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31We actually ran an event in the nave for the wedding this year.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33We have an apple pie supper,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35which we were talking about when you came in -
0:20:35 > 0:20:38that's like a Harvest Festival get-together.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40He loves apple pie!
0:20:40 > 0:20:41I do!
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Get your ticket in quickly, right?
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Half of the challenge is coming up with new ideas, you know?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52But the spirit in this village is fantastic.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56- What about a village panto?- Oh, do you know, that would be such fun.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57We ought to do that!
0:20:57 > 0:21:01- We should come back at Christmas! - We'll have to do that.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07There's certainly no shortage of enthusiasm
0:21:07 > 0:21:11for village life in Grosmont, but the one thing they're lacking
0:21:11 > 0:21:13is a large community space.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Like St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle,
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Grosmont's church has recently undergone much needed restoration.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26The Reverend Jean Prosser has spent the past five years
0:21:26 > 0:21:28raising funds to refurbish the nave
0:21:28 > 0:21:32into a space that the whole community can use all year round.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37They found a wonderful thing when they stripped this roof.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Roofers always sign their roofs, did you know that?- Yes.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- They leave graffiti up there. - And you found it?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46What they found was people signing their name,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and "Hereford 1887".
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Wow. It's extraordinary, Jean -
0:21:51 > 0:21:57it's a real Mediaeval triumph, isn't it? It is just wonderful.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This is the oldest church roof in Wales.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Is it?
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Declared so by the Royal Commission.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We know from the tree ring dating
0:22:06 > 0:22:12that these timbers were felled between 1214 and 1244.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- Just before Edward's conquest of Wales.- Yes.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19And there is documentary evidence as well, which backs it up.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Hubert De Burgh gave 50 oaks from the Kings Forest
0:22:23 > 0:22:27for building in Grosmont in 1227.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28These are...
0:22:28 > 0:22:29So these are...
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- Those oaks!- Yes.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35These spaces are so adaptable. It doesn't matter what you do in here,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38you can't spoil it, at all.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42And we're actually set up for a produce show on Saturday,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and we have ceilidhs, we have barbecues,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49we have children's parties, wedding receptions -
0:22:49 > 0:22:50all sorts go on in here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I know there's a growing need for a viable community space in Grosmont,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58it's one thing that people are all working towards. Surely this is it?
0:22:58 > 0:23:04Yes, this is the largest public space for 15 miles around.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07As I see it, we're passing through.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08Yes.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13And if a building like this is going to have a real future,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16then it seems to me that everyone here
0:23:16 > 0:23:21needs to experience coming in here, having a good time
0:23:21 > 0:23:25when they're in here, having some sense of ownership.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Yes.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The DNA of the community is in these stones.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33But all the people who have ever lived in Grosmont
0:23:33 > 0:23:36have come here for significant occasions in their lives.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It's all consecrated,
0:23:38 > 0:23:43and it's all part of the community and the church.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I don't see them as being separate.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- As it has been since 1300. - Forever, yes.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Brilliant. It's absolutely wonderful.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Well, just a mile or so from the church in the village,
0:24:02 > 0:24:03is this place.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It looks like a rather large allotment.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10In fact, it's a great example of the way that the community spirit
0:24:10 > 0:24:14spreads out in this little corner of the world.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Alistair, can I give you a break for a moment? Good to see you.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24How did this start?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It started because a group of us in the village
0:24:27 > 0:24:30were looking for a way to develop a community garden,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32or allotments in the village,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36and the landowner here kindly offered to let us start our group here,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38to start growing it.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42So this is all worked by a group, is it?
0:24:42 > 0:24:43It's not individual allotments?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45No, it's a group of people.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48We work together, we share decisions and we share the work.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Then we share out the produce that comes from it.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- It's a great view of the village, isn't it, from here?- Yes.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58What happens when produce is ready - do you sell it in the village?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02A couple of local shops have asked us for produce when we have it spare,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07- and we also give some of the spare crops out to other people.- For free?
0:25:07 > 0:25:12- Yes.- And why do you think a community garden like this is important?
0:25:12 > 0:25:17It's important because it brings people together with a green focus,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20with a food focus,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23with a sustainability focus.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25It just gives people an activity
0:25:25 > 0:25:28which is connected to the soil and nature.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32You're making me feel as though I should roll my sleeves up
0:25:32 > 0:25:33and give you a bit of help.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So, what do you plan to do next today?
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I've got some potatoes over there that need digging.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Right, OK.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43These potatoes, are they for you?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45These will be for my tea.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Your tea, right.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50There are some fine ones.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57And it seems that while I've been mucking in at the community garden,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Jules has been taking things easy down at the local.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02I thought I'd find you here!
0:26:02 > 0:26:05John, I've got the situation completely under control.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- That's for you.- Oh, smashing. Thirsty work you know, pulling potatoes.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13I can imagine! I've just been hearing about how this pub has kept going.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16You've got quite an interesting story to tell, haven't you?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Well, I moved into the village in 2002.
0:26:20 > 0:26:26A few years later, three years later, the pub hit hard times.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It came up for sale and we really wanted to save it as a village pub.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35So, to preserve it for the village, we bought it.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39My fellow owners are all of the same mind.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42They all live in the village, or very close by.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45They really do not want this place to shut
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and have put their hands in their pockets for it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- Has it worked?- Yes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52It's worked... We haven't made any money,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55but that's not what it was about. It was about saving it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58With luck, in time,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02we will actually come into profit and make something out of it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04- So, do you get free drinks?- No.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06THEY LAUGH
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I wish I did!
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Grosmont is a village after my own heart, I think.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17I really like it actually.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21There's such a fantastic atmosphere, and a genuine warmth about it.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26The sense of community and spirit that goes into it is palpable -
0:27:26 > 0:27:28you can really taste it.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31A lot of people here are really determined
0:27:31 > 0:27:36that the spirit will live on here - that nothing is going to stop
0:27:36 > 0:27:39a community enjoying themselves in this village.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And thank goodness they saved the pub!
0:27:41 > 0:27:44We're not driving, so let's have another pint. My turn.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Go on then!
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Two more pints please, landlord.- Thank you!
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It's been another great day on our journey
0:27:59 > 0:28:01down the Welsh/English border.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I was intrigued by the efforts to save the effigy
0:28:05 > 0:28:08of the sleeping beauty, Blanche Mortimer.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12And for me, pig wrangling alongside a family
0:28:12 > 0:28:16determined to save some of Britain's rare breeds was a treat.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Next time, we'll be meeting the fishermen
0:28:19 > 0:28:21from the last lave net fishery on the Bristol Channel.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23And being swept off our feet by the locals
0:28:23 > 0:28:26who've been working for the past ten years
0:28:26 > 0:28:28to keep their Miner's Institute.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd