0:00:04 > 0:00:07Britain has some of the finest gardens anywhere in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10For me, it's about getting in amongst the wonderful plants
0:00:10 > 0:00:12that flourish in this country
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and sharing the passion of the people who tend them.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20However, there is another way to enjoy a garden.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And that's to get up above it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31I love ballooning
0:00:31 > 0:00:36because you get to see the world below in a whole new light.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39From up here, you get a real sense of how the garden sits
0:00:39 > 0:00:42in the landscape, how the terrain and the climate
0:00:42 > 0:00:46has shaped it, and I want you to share that experience with me.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12This is a day that promises wonderful flying weather
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and a chance to see one of Britain's most picturesque counties.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Today, we're in Cumbria,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22characterised with its magnificent mountains
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and sparkling lakes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29The Lake District, with over 900 square miles of outstanding beauty,
0:01:29 > 0:01:35has Scafell Pike as its highest peak and Windermere as its longest lake.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Cumbria is England's most northwesterly county.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Air blowing in from the Irish Sea and England's highest mountains
0:01:43 > 0:01:46means that it has some of the highest rainfall in the country.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And it's no stranger to water
0:01:50 > 0:01:53because it's surrounded by spectacular lakes
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and over 200 fell tops.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And Cumbria has got some rather magnificent gardens.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And I discover that one of them
0:02:03 > 0:02:06has the power to put a spring in a man's step.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11You put your profile down, you know, and up came Jean with a 91% match.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16I'm sure it's now up to 100% because she was a vegetarian then
0:02:16 > 0:02:17but she isn't now.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19SHE LAUGHS
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Things have changed a bit.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23But it's all because you come here, you see.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Everything works when you come here.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And I'll meet the wonderful volunteers whose dedication
0:02:29 > 0:02:32has transformed the gardens that were left to the people of Cumbria.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Someone made me laugh and said, "It must be very competitive,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38"people in different beds."
0:02:38 > 0:02:40I said, "It's not competitive at all.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45"If the standard's high, it's because we don't want to let the side down."
0:02:45 > 0:02:47And they don't do things by halves up here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51We'll learn about raw materials used by ingenious engineers
0:02:51 > 0:02:53to create these mighty structures.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55And we'll find out about the legacy left
0:02:55 > 0:02:58by one of our favourite children's authors.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02At the end of her life, Beatrix had amassed 14 farms
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and over 4,000 acres of countryside,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and this was an amazing legacy to leave to the nation.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The rainfall might be challenging to gardeners,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26but this county is blessed with some truly-inspiring gardens.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Like this one, glorious Levens Hall.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The eight acres of Levens Hall lie 20 miles from the coast,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36in Cumbria's South Lakeland.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40From in the air, you can see Levens Hall sitting as it has
0:03:40 > 0:03:42for over three centuries.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47It's moved on but it's still the same garden as it was
0:03:47 > 0:03:49when it was created but, still,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52the level of horticulture that's very exciting.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58There've been families living at Levens Hall since the 13th century
0:03:58 > 0:04:01but the house as we see it now was created in 1580,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and the gardens were laid out at the end of the 17th century.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10As you approach from the south, you come to a tree-shaded walk
0:04:10 > 0:04:13called the Wilderness, and then you're into the Fountain Garden.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It was reinstated in 1994,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19but it's based on the original 1690 design.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Opposite is the grassy square of the Bowling Green,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26where 18th-century gentlemen did indeed play bowls,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and the game is still played on it today.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Emanating out of the centre of this southern part of the garden
0:04:32 > 0:04:34is the grand beech hedge.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38It's 500 feet long and offers a quiet oasis of green calm
0:04:38 > 0:04:41amongst the colourful and busy borders.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45To the east of the house lies what is perhaps
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Levens Hall garden's most exuberant and playful feature,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51the Topiary Garden.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Those magnificent topiary pieces dominating that garden,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01making it one of the most wildest, zappiest gardens in the country
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and, for me, it's very, very exciting.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Levens Hall, a magical place where you pass through a doorway
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and the eruption of fun.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23It's like Alice In Wonderland, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Great shapes, great fun, great horticulture, all in one garden.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Gardeners at Levens Hall have had so much fun working here,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36they hardly ever leave.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41In over 300 years, there's only ever been ten head gardeners.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45And the latest, Chris Crowder, has been here for nearly three decades.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48He's hard at work in the orchard.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- Hi, Chris.- Oh, hello.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Nice to see you.- Hi. - Hi, what you up to?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- Planting some bulbs today. - OK, what you putting?
0:05:56 > 0:06:01Underneath all these fruit trees in this orchard we've got tulips.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- Right, can I give you a hand? - Yeah, please.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05We put the last lot in about ten years ago,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and what with voles and we get loads of pheasants in the winter
0:06:08 > 0:06:12digging them up and eating them, so every decade or so,
0:06:12 > 0:06:13it's time to top them up a little.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Apeldoorn, in this case, a bright red.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Quite a vigorous one, which it needs to be,
0:06:18 > 0:06:19to keep up with growing in this grass.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So, why are you putting in tulips?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I would have thought, you know, nice daffs.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27The daffs in drifts look nice in an orchard or wilder area,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29but here it's quite formal. It's in the centre of the garden
0:06:29 > 0:06:32so, for formal effect, we thought tulips would be the business.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's quite a hit through here when it's flowering stage,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36in about May time.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Levens has a tradition of planting tulips in this formal way,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and these colourful flowers have a fascinating history.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Originally, the tulip was a wild flower,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52growing across the Middle East and Central Asia.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Its cultivation began over 1,000 years ago
0:06:55 > 0:06:57in Persia and Turkey.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01In the 16th century, they were introduced into the Netherlands
0:07:01 > 0:07:03and became all the rage.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Such was the demand that the roaring trade in bulbs
0:07:06 > 0:07:08offered great financial rewards.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11This period became known as "tulip mania".
0:07:11 > 0:07:17In 1635, one bulb sold for 2,500 florins,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21more than 16 times the average yearly salary.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27At today's wage levels, that would equate to nearly £400,000.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28It wasn't to last.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34The market crashed suddenly in 1637, leaving some investors penniless.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Despite this, tulips never lost their popularity.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41With thousands of varieties in swathes of glorious colour,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43they're a real favourite.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45They're hardy and easy to grow.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46They work well in pots
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and can provide a real focal point in a garden.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Plant them in November and enjoy them
0:07:52 > 0:07:56when their brilliantly-coloured blooms burst forth in the spring.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So, how did you get into gardening?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I've loved it since I was a lad.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I used to help out on my dad's allotment when I was small,
0:08:03 > 0:08:04still at school.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07So the obvious thing was leaving as soon as I possibly could
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and getting a job with the local parks department.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11So, what's your vision for the garden?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13How are you going to take it forward?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Well, we do, we move with it every year as much as we can.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It's just to make it the best garden that we possibly can
0:08:18 > 0:08:20with the amount of people we've got to do it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's a struggle, but we do develop a new piece every year
0:08:24 > 0:08:27within the old framework, and it's a series of pictures.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29That's how I sort of lay out the garden in my mind,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31or when we design new areas.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It divides up into lovely compartments, if you like.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37There's plenty of hedges to the garden, so it's keeping each bit
0:08:37 > 0:08:40separate and different from the rest and being a wow at every turn.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Yeah, cos I tend to think of it as, you know,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46you've got the topiary, the orchard, the Fountain Garden, the hedges,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47you've got the veg.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's a great sense of adventure wandering through.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Yeah, it's a series of wows or photo opportunities or big hits.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Lead one to the next, yeah. That's how we're going.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Well, it strikes me that you're doing all right.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Oh, thank you, thank you.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Do you have a favourite bit of the garden?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Well, I don't know whether I do, actually.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I like... The bit that has to be right, of course,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10is... I live in the garden. I have the gardener's house,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- so the view out our kitchen window has to be right.- Ah!
0:09:14 > 0:09:17After that, it's different areas come...peak at different times,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19so right through from Easter, through to October.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So, what's the biggest job you have to do?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Well, in this place, it's topiary and hedges.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27We seem to have miles of it or hundreds of them
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and it keeps us busy for about six months of the year,
0:09:30 > 0:09:31starting just round about now.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I think I want to come and have a look and see what you're up to.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36- We'll finish this job later.- Yeah.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But let's go and have a look at the rest of the garden.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The Topiary Garden at Levens Hall
0:09:44 > 0:09:46is the oldest part of the formal gardens.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Some of the trees are 300 years old,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51but little has changed since they were planted
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and trained into shapes in the 1690s.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Time to trim a bit of top topiary, then.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Oh, well, if you show me how to do it and then I don't make a botch up.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Well, I'm hoping that won't be the result.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05And, in a way, it's just very similar to doing a haircut.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It's grown over the year and it's time to take all that growth off.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Certainly on a shape that's established,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14we can see the line, and it's a question of slowly looking at it
0:10:14 > 0:10:15and trimming it back down to that line.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Yes, well, you can do the top bits.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I'll bring my ladder out later, yes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- So it's just following the line. - Snipping them round.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24And my other top tip really is the one we've always used is
0:10:24 > 0:10:28to have a squirter with us because the shears gum up as you use them
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and, after a while, they're either too sticky to move
0:10:30 > 0:10:32or the blades are pressed apart
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and they're just not giving that sharp finish.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- It's very satisfying... - It is satisfying.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41..and, like any hand crafting, sculpting or painting, I suppose.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But how many pieces have you got?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Over 100. This one's a new one, actually.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50We've added to the burden of future generations by putting a few in.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53It's about 15 years old, that's all, and we plant them as tiny little
0:10:53 > 0:10:54hedging plants
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and then start to grow them up and out from there.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Right.- And you can change the shape over time.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03They would all have started as cones, in the early days.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07When did topiary, you know, start?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09And how did it start? And where did it start from?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11It goes back to Roman times.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Back in ancient Rome, it was box and there's actually documents
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and letters from those times, documenting fleets of ships
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- and hunting scenes.- Right.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21And topiary, the word comes from 'topiarius', I think,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- which was Latin for 'the garden slave'.- Right.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26And the garden slave would have done all this.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- Well, that's what... - It doesn't change.- ...we are now.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Yeah, so it has got a long, long history.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34It spread from Italy, across France,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and the grand gardens would have had clipped forms,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and it ended up in England.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The high time for this fashion was in the 1690s,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43just when this garden was being set up.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Levens was the height of fashion with its green sculptures
0:11:49 > 0:11:51clipped into bold silhouettes.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It, and many gardens like it at the time,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55were THE place to be seen.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58The Dutch style was all the rage,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02with clipped greens set in a pattern of formal box-edged beds.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05But fashions change and, by the 1730s,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08many of these beautifully-manicured yew and box gardens
0:12:08 > 0:12:12were ripped out to make way for the new trend of natural landscaping.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Capability Brown had a lot to answer for
0:12:16 > 0:12:19as open parkland became the next big thing.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Topiary was not lost completely.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The 1830s saw a revival,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28as people decided landscape
0:12:28 > 0:12:31had become old hat.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The Victorians moved topiary on, as they did so many aspects
0:12:34 > 0:12:40of garden design and machinery, and so it continued to thrive.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We British are known for our eccentricity
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and eagerness to give things a try.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47With guides available, showing what shapes could be achieved,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49anything was possible.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Though, some efforts were more successful than others.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Levens survived, and I'm hoping my efforts don't scupper things.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So, what sort of tools did they use in the past?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Well, we assume they were something like the shears we're using today.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07That would've been the way. Possibly, for rougher hedges,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- it might have been a sickle just across the surface, like that.- OK.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11Some sort of sharp blade.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15But we've now got the electric and the petrol ones to help us on our way
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and, of course, the access equipment. The higher they get,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19we now use scaffolding. It was ladders,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- but scaffolding and hydraulic lifts for the top ones.- Right, so
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- cherry pickers, things like that. - Yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27There's a great view from up there, sometimes.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- I bet, yes, yeah.- And, of course, the other handy tool
0:13:30 > 0:13:32we've got sometimes is a cane,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and they're quite handy if you really want a flat edge, you can...
0:13:35 > 0:13:38If your cane's straight, anyway, you can hold it against a flat edge
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and just eye it up and see you're going in the right direction.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43But also, at the end, we like to give it a good flick off.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Gets rid of all those prunings and clippings that'll turn brown later.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Also, it flicks up the odd thing that'll...
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- That you've left. - If you don't do it now,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54it'll blow out in a month's time and haunt you for the rest of the year.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So it just shows us the last bits to clip off.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01So, how long does it take you? And how many people are involved?
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Well there's four of us work in the gardens but not all of us
0:14:04 > 0:14:06are on the hedges all the time.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10But, certainly, two people for the best part of six months, almost.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It's from now till Christmas to do all the topiary
0:14:12 > 0:14:14and get that part of the garden put to bed,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18and what with hedges and stuff, it can drag on a little.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20We're happy to start, but we're even happier to finish
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- at the end of the season. - I bet, yeah.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26And how quickly do you allow your apprentices to let rip?
0:14:26 > 0:14:27Um, it's a slow thing.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30We let them go on the rounder things, round the back first
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and, if they can master the art of doing amorphous blob-like shapes,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37we'll start them on a flat bit of hedge that nobody will see
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and if that goes well, they're on and away on the rest of the topiary.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- Slowly, though.- Yeah.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Yeah, the more you do, the more you get into it.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Well, I think that's not a bad job, actually.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I think, together, we make a good team.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- Shall we go and have a brew?- I think it's well deserved, yes. Excellent.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Gardening at this level is a painstaking process, it takes time.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08But the simple act of growing something can not only soothe
0:15:08 > 0:15:11a troubled mind, it can also help heal it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18And that's exactly what's happening here at Growing Well.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Since 2004, a crop-share scheme has been run from this six-acre farm
0:15:22 > 0:15:26outside Kendal and it provides local families with a weekly supply
0:15:26 > 0:15:29of seasonal vegetables.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Hey, let's see if we can get these back in one piece.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Many of the local volunteers who work on the farm
0:15:35 > 0:15:37have suffered mental-health problems,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41but have found gardening an important part of their recovery.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Clairelouise Chapman of Growing Well explains.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49The thing about poor mental health is that many people
0:15:49 > 0:15:51don't feel valued.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56When you're feeling very low, it's all around that sense of worth
0:15:56 > 0:15:57and why am I here?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01This project offers a supportive environment for people
0:16:01 > 0:16:04looking to find a way through their problems.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09You come in and you work with us, you feel a valued part of the team.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20Growing is a continuous process, so that ability to plant a seed
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and, several months later, harvest from that seed,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27gives an amazing sense of continuity,
0:16:27 > 0:16:32and the growing process gives a reason to get out of bed
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and come and see what you've done
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and how that is growing,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and it helps you grow within yourself, as well.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Kevin has been coming here for a year.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45After his wife died,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49leaving him with their four children to bring up, he struggled to cope.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Working in this way has helped him to feel positive about life again.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Working here on a daily basis...
0:16:58 > 0:17:00..it has shown me light at the end of a tunnel.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02It's the fresh air.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Um, there's a good bunch of people here you can have a chat with.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09If you've got a problem, you can speak to people.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11It keeps my mind occupied.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Growing Well's a very special community, so it's not just the work,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19it's the fact that you're coming to us
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and you're being part of our community.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Each day is different.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27You meet lots of different people with lots of different issues.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30You know, you can talk to each other about it and ask them
0:17:30 > 0:17:32how they're feeling that day,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and some people like their own space,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36some people like to work on their own.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We know that people have very strong friendships that are formed
0:17:40 > 0:17:41at Growing Well,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and we all take breaks together, we all eat together,
0:17:45 > 0:17:50and that social inclusion is a really important aspect.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Mike was a teacher for many years,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55but began to find the workload too much of a strain.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59He wanted to make a change but didn't know which direction to take.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02I started off coming cos I really wasn't well.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06I was so poorly, I wasn't able to make any decisions.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And coming to Growing Well helped me with that,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and I felt rewarded for coming
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and doing something which was completely different.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15And the result of that,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18I was able to make a decision about my teaching career
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and to end it, because it wasn't going to get any better.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And that's what I did.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27It's not just volunteers who benefit from working at Growing Well.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30It's really lovely working at Growing Well
0:18:30 > 0:18:32because you see change in people.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37You see people who start and just really lack that confidence.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Even seeing people being able to sit and have a cup of tea
0:18:41 > 0:18:45and have a conversation with somebody else, is brilliant.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46For Kevin and Mike,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49it's fair to say that this project has been a lifeline.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53It gives me a source of something to do.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It keeps me going.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I'm not quite sure where I would be without Growing Well.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I've always believed that gardens are a balm for the soul.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Even just walking amongst the glorious displays is a real tonic.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And I'm not the only one.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Lakeland lad, Len Hayton, has been inspired by Levens Hall
0:19:19 > 0:19:21for nearly 20 years.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- I moved to Levens in 1997, actually...- Right, OK.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28..with my wife Joy,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32and we used to come here for lunch
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and we used to come into the garden
0:19:34 > 0:19:36because it's lovely, really,
0:19:36 > 0:19:43and when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,
0:19:43 > 0:19:49um, my niece suggested that we should have some photographs
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- taken in the garden...- Right. - ..at that time.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56That was a very...
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- It was...- That obviously meant a lot to you.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- It did.- An awful lot to you. - It did indeed.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And it has done ever since.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- After she died, I used to come here and I felt welcome.- Yeah.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I always felt welcome. And when you come into this garden,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16it's as if you've stepped off the world into heaven.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20It's like coming through the gate into heaven. It's absolutely lovely.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21What do you mean by that?
0:20:22 > 0:20:28You leave the mundane world, as it were, and all the problems outside
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and you come in here and there's peace and there's quiet.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37Gives me a feeling of tranquillity and, at the same time, inspiration.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Len's late wife, Joy, had worried about him being lonely,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43so, after two and a half years as a widower,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46he tried his hand at internet dating.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51You put your profile down, you know, and up came Jean with a 91% match.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- Eh.- And, by God, that's been true and, I'll tell you,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56the last four years have been bliss.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I'm sure it's now up to 100%, because she was a vegetarian then
0:21:00 > 0:21:02but she isn't now.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04SHE LAUGHS
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Things have changed a bit. But it's all because you come here, you see.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Everything works when you come here.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Jean is just as happy here as Joy and I were happy here. It's lovely.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- Gardens are about cultivation.- Yeah.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27It's not just cultivating plants, it's cultivating people.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Probably right about that.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It certainly helped me through illness and everything,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and this garden has had a lot to do with it.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It's wonderful to hear about the way this magnificent garden
0:21:45 > 0:21:47has helped Len through darker days.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Levens Hall is a special place for me too,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and I'd like to leave something behind
0:21:51 > 0:21:53as a thanks for all the magic.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Local artist Libby Edmondson
0:21:58 > 0:22:00has been coming to Levens Hall for years.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03But she first caught a tantalising glimpse of the garden
0:22:03 > 0:22:07during family holidays to the Lake District.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12We used to pass Levens Hall. I could see this wonderful
0:22:12 > 0:22:15place behind a very big wall.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21I could see the topiary peeping over the top, which was a bit enticing.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26So I always promised myself that I would, someday, go in
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and have a proper look at it,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32which I did as soon as we moved here, and...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34wow.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Like me, Libby thinks the garden is a veritable Wonderland.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It was like being Alice.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43You walk in a small gateway
0:22:43 > 0:22:50and you have this vista of strange shapes and trees
0:22:50 > 0:22:51you haven't seen before.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54I could see some of those topiaries getting up
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and having a little dance round the lawn when nobody was looking,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00because they...a lot of them have skirts.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03SHE LAUGHS
0:23:03 > 0:23:07The garden has clearly left a lasting impression.
0:23:07 > 0:23:14It's influenced my art because it has this fantasy feeling.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16It just makes me feel good.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The beauty and grandeur of glorious Lakeland has appealed to artists
0:23:28 > 0:23:29throughout history.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Author William Wordsworth and painters JMW Turner
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and Edward Burne-Jones all found inspiration here.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But there's one very famous devotee of this landscape,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48one who dedicated much of her life and fortune
0:23:48 > 0:23:50to preserving it for generations to come.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Beatrix Potter is perhaps the 20th century's
0:23:56 > 0:23:59most-adored children's writer,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and her tales of Peter Rabbit and other charming characters
0:24:02 > 0:24:05have enchanted children for over 100 years.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10But she has another legacy, and it's this...
0:24:10 > 0:24:15mile after wonderful mile of stunning Lake District scenery.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Liz MacFarlane is house manager at Hill Top,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Beatrix Potter's Lakeland property.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Beatrix Potter first stayed in this area when she was 16.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Her family came to the Lake District on holiday,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and it was during these long summer holidays that she was able to enjoy
0:24:32 > 0:24:34all that the Lake District had to offer.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42What Beatrix really loved about this landscape
0:24:42 > 0:24:44was the freedom that it gave her
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and what it provided her with in terms of inspiration.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49So she was able to draw the landscape,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51she was able to study the wildlife,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55the flora, the fungi, collect fossils and everything.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Of course, she would commit to paper, drawing, painting and sketching.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It was on this holiday that Potter met a man
0:25:04 > 0:25:06who was to have a profound effect on her life
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and on the British countryside.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12When she was just 16, Beatrix met Canon Rawnsley,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15who was one of the three founders of the National Trust
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and he really instilled in her
0:25:17 > 0:25:21that need to protect the way of life here, the fact that that way of life
0:25:21 > 0:25:24was in danger, and something needed to be done
0:25:24 > 0:25:25in order to protect
0:25:25 > 0:25:30the farming and the income that was being generated from the land.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Canon Rawnsley's views on preserving the natural beauty
0:25:35 > 0:25:38of the Lake District had a lasting effect on Potter.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41He campaigned against the construction of roads
0:25:41 > 0:25:42over the Lakeland passes
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and promoted sign-posted footpaths.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48He was also the first published author she'd ever met,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and later encouraged her to publish her first book.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55She, of course, became a literary sensation.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Well, with the money from the first four little books,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Beatrix was able to purchase Hill Top, the farm here,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08and that was the first of many land purchases and farms in this area.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Potter bought Hill Top in 1905,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14and she used it and the surrounding countryside as inspiration
0:26:14 > 0:26:16for many of her subsequent books.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20But she was also becoming much more focused on her life
0:26:20 > 0:26:21as a countrywoman.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25She wanted to preserve the old ways of life of the fell farmers,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26and protect the landscape.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31The continued success of the little books enabled Beatrix
0:26:31 > 0:26:33to carry on buying land and farms,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and when she married a local solicitor, William Heelis,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40at the age of 47, she was really
0:26:40 > 0:26:44concentrating on her farming and the books were a means to an end.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48They were giving her the means to buy these farms and landscapes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51As a far-sighted benefactor,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Potter worked to protect the vulnerable landscape.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56When she died in 1943,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00she bequeathed to the nation all the farms and farmland she'd acquired.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06At the end of her life, Beatrix had amassed 14 farms
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and over 4,000 acres of countryside,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and this was an amazing legacy to leave to the National Trust
0:27:12 > 0:27:13for the benefit of the nation.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Beatrix Potter was so captivated by this landscape
0:27:24 > 0:27:26that she wanted to pass on what she'd preserved
0:27:26 > 0:27:30so others could enjoy the beauty of her Lakeland farms.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And she wasn't the only one who was generous.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44My next port of call was also left to the people of the area.
0:27:44 > 0:27:4615 miles north of Levens Hall,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50on the hillside over there, is another very spectacular
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Cumbrian garden - Holehird,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and it's managed and run by volunteers,
0:27:55 > 0:28:00showing just what can be achieved in the harsh landscapes of the Lakes.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Set in a mountainous spot, high above the northern end
0:28:09 > 0:28:13of Lake Windermere, Holehird Gardens cover 17 acres.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19The volunteers here are custodians of a garden that's expanded
0:28:19 > 0:28:20since they took it on.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24At the heart is the Walled Garden.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Once a kitchen garden for the original grand house,
0:28:27 > 0:28:32its planting was mapped out in the 1980s to ensure that all sides,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36north, east, south and west, are used to best effect.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39The island beds in the centre provide year-round colour.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Presiding over it is the fellside, a wooded hill with rockeries
0:28:45 > 0:28:46and specimen trees.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52One of Holehird's six greenhouses is given over to alpine plants,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56whose shoots need protection from Cumbria's wet weather.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Tumbling down the hillside is the Cascade and then the terrace.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04The original owners of Holehird established the gardens here
0:29:04 > 0:29:06in the late 19th century.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09They flourished until the end of the Second World War.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12But, after that, it became too expensive to maintain them
0:29:12 > 0:29:14and, for nearly 25 years,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18the garden laid abandoned and unloved.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Since the late 1960s,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22a growing band of local volunteers has set about
0:29:22 > 0:29:25reclaiming this gem of a garden.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Shelagh Newman is one of their number.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32- Hello, Shelagh, how are you? - Oh, hello, Christine.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- Good to see you back in Holehird again.- Great to be here.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- What you up to?- Well, you know how keen we are on our alpines
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- here at Holehird.- Yeah.- Well,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- there's this bit that's been a bit neglected of late.- Right.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46This seems to have got a bit too big, Christine,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48it's taking over the whole area
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and I think at least some of it should go.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Shelagh's working with tufa.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56This rock is formed as lime-rich water evaporates,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59leaving behind a soft and porous calcium-rich limestone.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It's ideal for growing lime-loving plants.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08It's light and easy to handle, and it absorbs and holds water.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09When plants are grown in tufa,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13they get a slow and steady release of moisture.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17A lot of people don't realise that a tufa garden is light,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- so you can have this on places like balconies.- Right.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- If you want a rock garden in the sky, you can.- What a good idea.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26The other thing that people say is, "I've only got a courtyard,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28"I've no soil at all." It doesn't flipping well matter.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Get yourself a couple of lumps of tufa, plant it up
0:30:32 > 0:30:35and you've got a garden. It's fantastic stuff, it's lovely.
0:30:35 > 0:30:36I don't know what you think,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39but it looks to me as if it could do with the odd new cushion plant
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- to revitalise it. - I think you've got a Saxi, so...
0:30:42 > 0:30:44- Yeah, that looks rather a nice one. - It does, yeah.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Well, that could go in there and then it will grow over that rock
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and I think that'll be quite nice, but we'll need to make a hole.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- So, have you got a hammer and then...- Yeah.- ..something
0:30:53 > 0:30:54I can gouge this out with?
0:30:54 > 0:30:58- And we've got a little spatula. - Now, I don't know how you do this,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- but I tend to make the hole but keep the tufa dust.- Right.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So have you got something like a cup or something like that...
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- ..we can knock the old tufa dust into?
0:31:07 > 0:31:10So if you can sort of...when I start getting stuff out.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Is that so that it sort of weans it into the space a bit?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16There's two schools of thought involved with this.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18There's the school of thought that says you take out a hole
0:31:18 > 0:31:22around about two inches deep and about the same diameter
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- and then you put in a gritty soil mixture.- Right.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28And then there's the school of thought that I tend to run with,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31that you take the tufa out, then you put the tufa back.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- Right.- Now, the reason for that is, in my opinion,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36if you use a soil mixture,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39you've got a different air concentration in the soil
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- than you have in the tufa.- Right.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44And the plant can put its roots round the soil
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- and never goes into the tufa.- Right.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- So it can...- Pot bound. - It's pot bound
0:31:48 > 0:31:49and the plants can dry out.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Whereas, if you put back what you've taken out,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53the air is at the same concentration,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57the plant establishes much quicker and it runs into the patent rock.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59It's a jolly good tip, actually, I didn't know that.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05I mean, the other thing that's fascinating about this stuff,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08is that you can buy it from nurseries
0:32:08 > 0:32:10but, when you buy it from nurseries,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12it's often sold outside.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15And, as you know, this is actually absorbent.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17- Yeah, it's porous, isn't it? - It's porous.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- So, when you buy it from outside, it contains water.- Yes.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- It's sold by weight.- Ah. - So you're buying a lot of water.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26It pays them to store it outside, really, doesn't it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Well, some nurseries are more scrupulous than others
0:32:29 > 0:32:31but occasionally you'll find it's quite wet,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33and you're paying, literally, just for water.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35If you go to an aquatic centre,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39it's stored inside and it's dry,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42so you get more for your dosh. And, being a tight Northerner,
0:32:42 > 0:32:43you can guess where I go.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45SHE LAUGHS
0:32:45 > 0:32:46So, what made you come to Holehird?
0:32:46 > 0:32:51Well, about 20 years ago, I retired early cos I was caring
0:32:51 > 0:32:52for my mother,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56and we'd just moved into a house with a much bigger garden.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58So I thought I needed some advice on what to do,
0:32:58 > 0:33:03and a friend told me that they were running an RHS course
0:33:03 > 0:33:04up at Holehird.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- All right.- And, for 18 months,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09I did this, really, rather good RHS course
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and then I realised there was actually a garden here
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and you could volunteer at it.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I decided I would come and be a gardener here too...
0:33:17 > 0:33:19- Wow!- ..and it's kept me learning.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Now, then, I'm going to knock this out...
0:33:22 > 0:33:26but what I do is...
0:33:26 > 0:33:27I'll take all this off.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29If you wash this off.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36So, you've just got a little bit of soil there,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- but predominantly roots...- Right.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- ..and then I'm going to put this tufa dust back...- Right.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46..so that it's at the same consistency as that tufa.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- And you wouldn't add anything else Christine, to that?- No, I don't, no.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54And that will establish, and in three years' time,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59you'll have a beautiful mat that creeps over there and flowers,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03and it will just literally mould itself into the rock.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08We planted a Saxifraga, this one with a cushion-like habit,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10but there are thousands of different alpines.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18True alpines originate from high-altitude regions,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21above the tree line, where there's good drainage and cold,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23dry winters with high light levels.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28In the wild, alpines spend their winters dormant.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31They remain dry and protected from extreme temperatures
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and cold winds by being covered with a blanket of snow.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38The vast majority of plants sold as alpines
0:34:38 > 0:34:40are easy to grow in most gardens,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42and need only the minimum of care.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46There are even drought-busting species.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Those from Southern Europe are ideal to plant
0:34:48 > 0:34:52if our summers are getting drier and we face hosepipe bans.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55And the beauty of alpines is that you can travel the world
0:34:55 > 0:34:57without leaving your own garden.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02So, Shelagh, what makes coming to Holehird so special for you?
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- I think, as much as anything else, it's the people.- Right.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09It can be quite solitary if you're gardening on your own.
0:35:09 > 0:35:10Maybe the neighbours are at work,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13maybe you're in a country garden and you don't see anybody.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17But, if you come here, you're gardening as a team
0:35:17 > 0:35:21and, also, there's a sense here of ownership with the beds.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25We get together, either as individuals or groups,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27and look after our own bit of the garden.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30And we don't just deadhead and weed,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32we actually choose what we plant.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36We have a budget where we can go out and buy our own plants,
0:35:36 > 0:35:41and the only consideration is that don't plant a tree
0:35:41 > 0:35:45or take one down without conferring with somebody else
0:35:45 > 0:35:48cos that could impact on somebody else's bed.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51But there's a lot of sense of ownership, so I think that
0:35:51 > 0:35:53builds... It builds a good spirit,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55that you belong to the place, really.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59And what's fascinating is that, though you have this magical garden,
0:35:59 > 0:36:04you've got an emphasis on labelling, but it's not in your face, is it?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Although we're not officially a botanical garden,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09we actually do quite like to have our plants labelled
0:36:09 > 0:36:12and we do find most of our visitors really appreciate that.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15But do you know one of the things that I appreciate
0:36:15 > 0:36:16so much in this garden,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19is the level of expertise,
0:36:19 > 0:36:24and this is a garden that is looked after and cared for with love.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Hmm. Oh, yes.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29And it's love from gardeners that have not trained
0:36:29 > 0:36:33but have spent their life in the university of gardening
0:36:33 > 0:36:38and life and it's very, very special and it's always impressive.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39But the one thing I always say,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41and particularly when I'm bringing groups,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45is, "Look at the standard they maintain."
0:36:45 > 0:36:48And it's awesome and it's very, very impressive
0:36:48 > 0:36:50and it's a phenomenal credit to you all.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- So just keep doing it.- Thank you. - You're doing it right.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Thank you very... Do you know, someone made me laugh.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57A visitor that came round the garden
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and said, "It must be very competitive,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02"people in different beds."
0:37:02 > 0:37:04I said, "It's not competitive at all.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06"If the standard's high,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09"it's because we don't want to let the side down."
0:37:09 > 0:37:10And it's that, really.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13It's community spirit, I think.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- And that's what makes it very special.- Yes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20I'm sure that Shelagh and the rest of the determined volunteers
0:37:20 > 0:37:23at Holehird will never let the side down.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25They're hooked by its stunning setting
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and the challenges of the terrain.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33This mountainous landscape meant Cumbria remained pretty inaccessible
0:37:33 > 0:37:35to all but the hardiest of travellers
0:37:35 > 0:37:37until the middle of the 19th century.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41All that changed when the railways began their march
0:37:41 > 0:37:43across Northern England.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47The crags and scree are evidence of what lies beneath.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Seams of limestone dating back more than 300 million years
0:37:51 > 0:37:52crisscross the county.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56This raw material was perfect for building the railway viaducts,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58and the timeless nature of this stone
0:37:58 > 0:38:00transformed the fortunes of the area.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04But it had been exploited for hundreds of years.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Robert White, Senior Historic Environment Officer, explains.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Limestone's very much the landscape of this area.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Most of the field walls are made of limestone,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17many of the farm buildings and houses are made of limestone.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19You can see limestone in the bed of the streams.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24But resourceful Victorian engineers had much more ambitious plans
0:38:24 > 0:38:27for this useful construction material.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Hewn out of this limestone are these mighty feats of engineering.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35The viaducts span the dales and gullies
0:38:35 > 0:38:38to create the Settle-Carlisle Railway,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40and have become part of the landscape.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43The Victorian and Edwardian travelling public
0:38:43 > 0:38:47took it to their hearts as they thundered through the countryside.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50But the limestone didn't just provide building material.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53In a highly-polished state, the stone was considered
0:38:53 > 0:38:57beautifully decorative and became known as Dent marble.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Limestone's the major rock of Dentdale
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and some of the beds of limestone, when cut and polished,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06would look just like marble. They could take a shine.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It was making things like mantelpieces, memorials,
0:39:09 > 0:39:10sometimes floors.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12It was very popular in the Victorian period,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15when Queen Victoria was in mourning for John Brown.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19The buildings of the old marble works are now houses,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23but it's still clear why this landscape was so bountiful.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24There was unlimited limestone
0:39:24 > 0:39:28and a plentiful water supply for powering the marble cutters.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Local farm hands would have made a few bob on the side
0:39:31 > 0:39:35by putting in hours as quarrymen and marble workers.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39One of the quarries was beneath this, the Dent Head Viaduct.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42The railway had a double-edged effect on the industry.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45It was much easier to take the finished products away by railway,
0:39:45 > 0:39:49much easier than it would have been by horse and cart or packhorse,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52but it also meant that lighter material was imported into the area.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54True Italian marbles could come in.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56And it had another impact.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Dent Head Viaduct is actually built on top of one of the major quarries.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Constructing the railway over the quarry meant that the quarry
0:40:04 > 0:40:05had to cease production.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07The quarry owner was compensated,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09but a large part of the industry was no longer there.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14The compensation may have gone some way towards softening the blow.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17But a new taste for imported Italian marble
0:40:17 > 0:40:20meant that Cumbrian Dent marble fell out of fashion.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24It's peaceful here now,
0:40:24 > 0:40:26but the mighty viaducts are lasting monuments
0:40:26 > 0:40:29to those 19th-century engineers
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and to the vital raw material that lay beneath.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Just as scene-stealing is the topiary at Levens Hall.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Designed to be picture perfect,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49it's captured the heart and soul of Len,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and seen him through good and bad times.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54It's brought life back.
0:40:55 > 0:41:01It's like a rock, it has stability, like old England...
0:41:02 > 0:41:05..and it's something that we should look after.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08I can't say any more, really.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14I can't think of anyone better than artist Libby,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16who's been so inspired by Levens Hall,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19to put some of these emotions onto canvas.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22The gardens have touched so many people
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and it's high time to pay tribute.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29I think it calls for some celebratory Levens apple pie.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Well, look at this, nice little party.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I think I should have some of this.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- If you're good, you can have another piece.- Can I?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40- Right, is this local, then? - It's local. It's come all the way
0:41:40 > 0:41:42from the other side of the hedge. The apples, anyway.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45- It's Levens' apples.- Yeah, they're our apples. I believe so.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- Let's see what Levens' apples are like, then.- Excellent.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Aye, it's not bad, you know. Aye.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54You know, what surprises me, is how delicate these little pieces are.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I thought, up in the North, we had decent pieces.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- We've not started on that one, yet. - No, but...- Don't panic.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Well, I'm not doing but today's all been about pieces, hasn't it?
0:42:02 > 0:42:06And not only pieces of pie but pieces of gardens.
0:42:06 > 0:42:12What's come across is, for you, that this garden has framed
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- elements of your life. - Indeed, it has.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Some of them very spectacular and some of them very sad.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Indeed.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20And, for Chris, you've also said
0:42:20 > 0:42:23about how you want to manage the garden
0:42:23 > 0:42:27as pictures to encapsulate different images for people.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31And what we thought we'd like to do is ask Libby
0:42:31 > 0:42:34to encapsulate the magic of Levens.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Ooh, look at that.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38THEY APPLAUD That is fantastic, isn't it?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Absolutely lovely.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42What a great idea.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Libby, that's an inspiration. It's fantastic.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Wild and fabulous.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Libby knows just how to capture the special magic
0:42:50 > 0:42:52of this enchanting garden.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Her painting celebrates the hard work of all the gardeners
0:42:56 > 0:42:58and the pleasure the garden gives.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It'll have pride of place in the teashop as a fitting
0:43:01 > 0:43:02and lasting tribute.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Here in Cumbria, I've seen how the landscape draws people in
0:43:13 > 0:43:15and stays in their heart.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20Artists and writers and gardeners have, for centuries, been captivated
0:43:20 > 0:43:25and inspired by this glorious land of lakes and mountains.