0:00:26 > 0:00:29Captivating, unspoiled and tranquil.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33At more than 150 square miles,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38it's the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41So naturally, it's rich in wildlife.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I'll be island-hopping across the lough
0:00:44 > 0:00:46to find out which animals call this place home,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48which are unwelcome visitors,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52and which are very welcome, swimming thousands of miles to get here.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It was to the east of the lough, in Lisburn,
0:01:01 > 0:01:06that the Queen chose for her first official tour after her Coronation.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Now, nearly 60 years on,
0:01:07 > 0:01:11I'm about to embark on the same train journey as Her Majesty did.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13She travelled under the power of steam,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15but I've got a brand-spanking-new one to play with
0:01:15 > 0:01:18with some very special passengers.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Across the Irish Sea, Tom's racing through Norfolk.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33There's little better than a walk or even a run in the countryside.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38I certainly love it. But how much of our land is truly accessible
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and what happens if your route becomes a bit of an obstacle course?
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Meanwhile, Adam's been looking for a new recruit.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Take a look at this young fella. He's an Irish Moiled bull.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54I'm going to be checking him over, and if he comes up trumps,
0:01:54 > 0:01:55I might fork out the cash and buy him.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57But bulls like this don't come cheap.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Lough Neagh, and the rolling hills of County Antrim.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The glittering green jewel in the United Kingdom's crown.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Wide skies, big horizons, and a patchwork of fields.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Today, we are exploring this vast body of water
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and the nearby countryside.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27For my first stop, I'm heading east of the lough to Lisburn,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31where, in 1952, they celebrated the Queen's Coronation in style.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'All over the Commonwealth, the start of a new Elizabethan era
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'captured the imagination of the people.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41'And nowhere more than in Lisburn.'
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But it wasn't until a year later,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49on the Queen's first official tour after her Coronation,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51that the people of Lisburn got to meet her.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57The streets were heaving with people eager to catch a glimpse
0:02:57 > 0:02:59of Her Majesty and Prince Philip.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00And there was one local lad
0:03:00 > 0:03:03who was particularly keen to get a good view.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Harold Patterson captured the Royal visit on his cine-film camera.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Nearly 60 years on,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14he is the last surviving member of the Lisburn Camera Club.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15I'm meeting him at Lisburn station,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19just one of the places he filmed the new Queen.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This is the camera, then, that you were filming the big day on?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- Yes.- It's a beautiful thing. - This is the camera.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Yes, that's it. It's lovely.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And it takes perfect photographs.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- 16 millimetre cine camera. - Big job for a 23-year-old!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Did you feel the pressure that day? - Not really.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I got the plane coming in, landing.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And I got her coming down from the plane.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44People didn't understand how I got in to take these photographs,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46because I was 15 feet from the Queen.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I got this pass, of course, to get in.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51I love this, cos it says on here,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53"Please facilitate Mr Harold Patterson,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57"who wishes to take cine photos of the Royal visit."
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And then the policeman of the day has added in fountain pen,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- "To a reasonable..."- Extent.- Extent.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- 15 feet?- Yes. Well, no. He was...
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'The policeman of the day was in fact the Chief Inspector of Antrim,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12'an old family friend.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:13I said to him one day,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16"Can I get a pass to take photographs of the Queen?"
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- Yeah?- He said he would see what he could do.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- And a few days later, I got this. - Brilliant!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Harold's film has become a valuable historical record.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Not just of the Queen's reign, but also for the city of Lisburn.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But Harold's press pass wasn't quite access-all-areas.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39One place that was out of bounds was aboard the Queen's train itself,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42departing from Lisburn station.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44But we're going to put that right
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and relive the day with Harold on board our own special train.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Now, just have a look at this.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54It's the actual Royal itinerary of the Royal train ride.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56So the Queen would have received one of these,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58as would all of the officials.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Just to keep everything on time.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02And on the back, you can see a map of the route.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04So the Queen started down here in Lisburn,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08went all the way up to Londonderry, also known as Derry.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12But this first little section here, up to Antrim, is no longer in use.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15However, today we have been given special permission
0:05:15 > 0:05:19to recreate the Royal tour in a brand-spanking-new train.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And as there's a few extra seats,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25I've invited along some VIP passengers for a tea party.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- Now then, everyone, how are we doing, all right?- Yes!
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Nice to see you. Who's pouring?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32I'm dying for a cup of tea.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39At a time when television was only just emerging,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42a Royal visit was the ultimate celebrity moment.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Harold has put his camera away as we retrace the royal route.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Also coming along for the ride are some of the local people
0:05:54 > 0:05:55who turned out on the day,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58as Her Majesty passed through the Northern Irish countryside.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02It was a great occasion and the crowds gathered.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It was wonderful, in the middle of your town...
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- And who did you go with? - I went with my mother and my sister.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13My mother had her basket with her and it got in everybody's way.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14It was a nuisance.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So she stood in it herself and she thought it was wonderful.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18She stood in the basket?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20She stood in the basket with the handle in between her feet
0:06:20 > 0:06:24so that nobody could stand on her feet. Which was wonderful!
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Then you were there as a Girl Guide?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I was a Girl Guide. Very excited.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34I was 12 years of age and hadn't been long joined the Guides.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35And, in fact,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39that's the very badge that I wore the day that she was here.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I'm very proud and wouldn't like to lose it.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43So, was everybody pleased to see the Queen here?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Yes, everybody was so pleased
0:06:45 > 0:06:47for the Queen to be coming to Northern Ireland.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49There wasn't any bad feeling?
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Oh, no, I never witnessed any of that at all. Everybody was out.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Now then, how is everything going over here? All right?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- It's a sentimental journey for me. - Is it?
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- This line is closed usually.- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And so it's over 60 years ago when I came along here.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So you're enjoying yourself? What do you remember of the day, then?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Did you get to see the Queen yourself?- Yes, I did.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Great excitement.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15People came in at a very early hour to get a good view.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Yeah.- And the whole countryside came into the town that day.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23QUEEN ELIZABETH II: 'May the future bring peace, contentment
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'and true happiness for the people of Northern Ireland.'
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Well, while we carry on reminiscing and enjoying the scones,
0:07:32 > 0:07:33Tom is down in Norfolk,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35finding out just how many things can get in the way
0:07:35 > 0:07:37of a great day out in the countryside.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46With British landscape as beautiful as this,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51it's no wonder that outdoor pursuits are becoming increasingly popular.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55We can now roam across thousands of square miles of open land,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58cycle, ramble over hills,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01go walking.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Or even running,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05which is something I like to get out and do occasionally,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07on the over 100,000 miles
0:08:07 > 0:08:10of public access there is around this country.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15The trouble is, sometimes getting through is not without its problems.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It's fine having official rights of way,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but what if those paths are blocked?
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Like here. I know the path runs across this field,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26but the farmer's left it pretty indistinct.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I think it does go just here, but it's pretty overgrown.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Still, I've got the right.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I have that right thanks to thousands of people
0:08:36 > 0:08:38who've campaigned for public rights of way,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and that now-famous mass protest 80 years ago
0:08:42 > 0:08:45on Kinder Scout in the Peak District.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51But rights are worth little if you can't use the paths.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55I'm supposed to be meeting a group of ramblers somewhere around here
0:08:55 > 0:08:57who are going to tell me what's going on.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01I think this is the path that I'm supposed to be able to get down.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Here we go.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05'I'm struggling through this overgrown trail
0:09:05 > 0:09:07'to find Alan Jones
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'and other members of the Norfolk Area Ramblers.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11'They're frequently frustrated
0:09:11 > 0:09:13'at finding public paths that are difficult,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'or sometimes impossible to get through.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Nice to see you. I can see you're doing some good works along here,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21cos my legs are tingling from pushing through the nettles.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Well, you've got to try and get out of the nettles.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- So I've got to help you out, haven't I, by trampling myself?- Yes.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31God, this is supposed to be an open-access footpath?
0:09:31 > 0:09:35This is a footpath which should be a nice clear surface to walk on.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38How exceptional is it,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41or is it unfortunately quite typical, this state?
0:09:41 > 0:09:46This is exceptional in as much as, for another reason,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49because the gate at the far end of this path has been locked,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and you can't get access from the other end.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54This path has just not been used, which means that
0:09:54 > 0:09:56the normal wear and tear that you get from traffic,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59people walking through, hasn't been here at all.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I have tried to walk it on several occasions,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03and it's just got worse and worse.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And this, OK, is difficult,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07but if you get to a stile like this,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10you know, you've got a real struggle on your hands.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'Badly-maintained stiles are a particular problem for ramblers.'
0:10:13 > 0:10:16'This one's rotting and missing a step.'
0:10:16 > 0:10:19I'm going to be cheeky here and get you to do the agility test.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Would you mind giving it a go for me? - Thank you very much.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24As you say, it's an agility test.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29I've got to get up onto this one, I've got to get my leg over here,
0:10:29 > 0:10:34- balance back on that one, and get round here.- Yeah.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36And if you'll forgive me,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38quite a few people who enjoy the countryside
0:10:38 > 0:10:41are more elderly citizens than yourself, indeed.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45And getting a leg up over that is quite a hard ask, isn't it?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I brought my wife here two or three weeks ago
0:10:48 > 0:10:51to show her what the path was like, and she just could not get over it.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'I think Alan means the stile, rather than the shock.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'But there are plenty of other obstacles on British paths
0:10:59 > 0:11:01'that Alan's wife may well struggle with.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06'In Norfolk alone, ramblers have identified hundreds of paths
0:11:06 > 0:11:08'they want to see improved.'
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Wow. This is intriguing.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'On this path, the ramblers feel
0:11:14 > 0:11:18'that the hedge has been allowed to get out of control.'
0:11:19 > 0:11:21'But what about the man who's responsible for it,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23'local farmer Johnny Cave?'
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Washpit Drove is its official name,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29but it goes from anything from Green Lane,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32to the Secret Path, to the Magic Path.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34And one of the attractive things about the path
0:11:34 > 0:11:37is that in certain places along the path,
0:11:37 > 0:11:38you've got a complete overhang.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42So you've got a lovely tunnel to walk through.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45We did have a request a number of years ago to cut that back.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Um...
0:11:47 > 0:11:51So that we would end up with two straight hedges
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and a path going through the middle.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And I think, quite rightly, there was a lot of people
0:11:58 > 0:12:00that didn't want that to happen, me included.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So what some people see as a bit of a problem,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05others see as an asset, as a beautiful thing about this path?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- Correct, yeah. - Quite a difficult balance, isn't it?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It's a very difficult balance,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and nobody wants to have hygienic paths all round the country,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15straight lines and tarmac surfaces.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But what we do want is to be able to go through the path on a horse,
0:12:19 > 0:12:24on a cycle, walking, without having the branches in the face.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'But it's not all down to the landowner anyway.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29'Local authorities have a responsibility
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'to make sure public rights of way are clear.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'So I've asked Norfolk County Councillor Bill Borrett
0:12:35 > 0:12:37'to explain why this one isn't.'
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Well, it's this time of year, we've had a month's rain,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- everything's growing very fast. - Yeah.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46We have 2,500 miles of footpaths.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48They can't cut them all on the same day.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50But isn't it your job
0:12:50 > 0:12:52to make sure this is a bit more walkable than it is?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Well, we've walked through it perfectly OK.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I'm very keen to see as many of the paths as open as possible.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00You're right, we can walk through,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02but my legs are tingling from the nettles,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and maybe you think I'm inadequately dressed,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06but it's quite a tough walk through there, isn't it?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Well, I don't disagree that it is quite overgrown,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10but it's not obstructed.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And what about this stile and this gate here?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I mean, it is quite a barrier.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's quite difficult for people to get over. Is that adequate?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Well, I would prefer to see another foot on that stile.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23As soon as we get to hear about problems like this,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27the County Council enforcement team can get in touch with the landowner
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and get these sort of problems sorted out.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It looks like there was another foot there at some stage,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34but it's not been repaired.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37'The worry is that as budgets are cut,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'councils across Britain simply won't have the money
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'to monitor or maintain the many thousands of miles
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'of public rights of way.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Having the right of access to British farmland
0:13:48 > 0:13:51is one of the great assets of our countryside.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53I certainly really enjoy it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57But as we've seen, it does come with some tensions.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59And in the next few years,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03many, many more miles of route are expected to be opened up.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07And later, I'll be finding out what impact that'll have.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22At 20 miles long and 12 miles wide,
0:14:22 > 0:14:23Loch Neagh is not just
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Northern Ireland's biggest body of fresh water.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30It's the largest lake in the whole of the UK.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34There are countless legends about how this place was formed,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37including one where the giant Finn McCool, in a rage,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41scooped up a handful of earth and flung it into the Irish Sea.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43What landed became the Isle Of Man,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47while the hollow left behind became Loch Neagh.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54At 153 square miles, with 75 miles of shoreline,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58the loch is simply breathtakingly vast.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01But peppered around the loch are about 250 islands.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06They vary in size, but I'm heading to the biggest - Rams Island.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Nobody's lived here for nearly 100 years now.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16These days it's leased and managed by a group of volunteers
0:15:16 > 0:15:19who are working hard to restore the island to its former glory.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24There are signs of its history
0:15:24 > 0:15:26dotted around this one-mile long island.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The monks who lived here 1,000 years ago
0:15:30 > 0:15:33sought refuge from Viking invaders inside the Round Tower.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Lord O'Neill bought the island in the early 19th century
0:15:39 > 0:15:42for 100 guineas from a local fisherman.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Back then, it was just six acres,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47so the top of the steps there was the shoreline.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Since then, the loch has been lowered four times
0:15:49 > 0:15:52to make the nearby River Bann navigable by boat.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57So by 1960, six acres had become 40 acres,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and all this land right the way round
0:16:00 > 0:16:03meant that Rams Island got a whole lot bigger.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06After the Second World War,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09the island was left to rack and ruin.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11This is what remains of a summer house
0:16:11 > 0:16:14built for the aristocratic owners.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16As the buildings crumbled, the plant life took over,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19much of it non-native species.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21So volunteers like Michael Savage
0:16:21 > 0:16:24have spent much of their time removing foreign invaders,
0:16:24 > 0:16:25like Himalayan Balsam.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- What have you had to do?- In this area where we are at the moment,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33it's mainly been removing Himalayan Balsam,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37which totally overpowered everywhere.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42If you look around you, you'll see there's mint growing here,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46which has naturally re-established itself in this area.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Over here we have Lesser Bulrush, Marsh Marigold.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52So this whole area was covered by Himalayan Balsam?
0:16:52 > 0:16:57In the middle of the summer, it was up to here with balsam.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01'It's not just the plants that have started taking over.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'There was a huge problem with rats on the island.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'They would eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11'Bait boxes are dotted all over Rams Island.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'Michael need to check them for signs of the rats' return.'
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Yeah, that's fine.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18So what, you wouldn't expect to find a rat in there?
0:17:18 > 0:17:22No, no, but if there's been an uptake of poison...
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Which is this?- Yeah.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Then you know that you've had some rats here?- Yep.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- So that's a good sign, then.- It is.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- We shall leave that one where it is. - Yep.- OK.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Now the rats have gone, the birds have returned.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43And one of the species that really is thriving is the heron.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48This is looking like quite a good spot.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- It is.- So there's some nests around here, are there?
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- What have we got? One, two, three nests up there, then.- Yeah.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58There's youngsters in all of them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01They're very, very elusive.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It's one of our success stories that we're proud of.
0:18:04 > 0:18:10Records show that the herons actually disappeared here in the '70s,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and they've re-established themselves since we started this project.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16There's nothing we have done to bring them here,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20but they have started breeding on the island.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24There's about 40 active nests in three distinctive heronries.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Round the loch, they all seem to have their own spots.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29They seem to be territorial.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33I work on the lake, and you sort of go down to the boat
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and there's a heron starting fishing.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- Of course, once people come near them, they just take off.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- These are being a bit elusive as well, aren't they?- They are, yep.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- Ooh, a bit quiet round here.- Yep.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52'We keep watch for a while longer,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55'and eventually get a good look at a heron circling overhead.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Then later, our cameraman returns and sees a little beady eye,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08a heron chick that will soon fledge the nest.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Whilst Matt and I are enjoying exploring
0:19:15 > 0:19:17the Loch Neagh area of Northern Ireland,
0:19:17 > 0:19:18John is also on the Emerald Isle
0:19:18 > 0:19:20visiting one of his favourite places.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26The North Coast.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Mile after mile of golden sands, craggy headlands,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35ancient ruins and gorse-topped cliffs.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41It's a haven for wildlife and walkers alike,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44with plenty of lovely spots to stop and enjoy the view.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Like Downhill Beach, which stretches for nearly ten miles,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52making it one of the longest beaches in Europe.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54And when the Queen passed by here
0:19:54 > 0:19:55back in 1953,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58on her first official tour of Northern Ireland,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01the Royal train stopped at Downhill
0:20:01 > 0:20:03so that her Majesty could have a picnic.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And as the Queen enjoyed her picnic in the sunshine,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09she must have noticed
0:20:09 > 0:20:13that temple-like building over there, perched high on the cliff.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17But I wonder if anybody told her the fascinating story behind it?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It balances ever-closer to the eroding cliffs
0:20:21 > 0:20:24and was built more than 200 years ago
0:20:24 > 0:20:25by a remarkable man,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Frederick Augustus Hervey, the Protestant Bishop of Derry.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31He was much-admired locally,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35but upset his entire family and the establishment.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38He treated his religious duties very lightly,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41pursuing the finer things in life, including the ladies,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and building a large art collection.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48He then inherited an enormous sum of money and an Earldom.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50In a very, very short space of time
0:20:50 > 0:20:54he went from being a humble English clergyman in Suffolk
0:20:54 > 0:20:55to being incredibly wealthy.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Richard Branson-esque levels of wealth.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01So he had as much money as he wanted and could do what he wanted
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- and what he wanted to do was this. - And why a temple-like building?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07He'd been on the Grand Tour in Italy,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11admiring architecture and paintings and buying quite a lot of it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13He spotted a temple in Tivoli, the Temple of Vesta,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and he decided that he wanted the temple
0:21:15 > 0:21:19and he was going to take it down, brick-by-brick, and build it here,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22but the Pope said, "No, you can't have the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli."
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- Understandably. - So he got his architect to copy it
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and this is a close copy of the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31'Named The Mussenden Temple,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'as a memorial to a female cousin who died while it was being built,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37'it became a dominant feature on the Bishop's estate
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'and was used mainly for entertaining.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Wow! This is impressive, isn't it?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45And wonderful harp music to greet us as well.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Fantastic acoustics.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53- Very atmospheric, isn't it?- How would it have looked in the Bishop's day?
0:21:53 > 0:21:58What you are seeing now is the bare brick underneath lovely plasterwork.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00There would have been columns, pillars, bookshelves,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02paintings, fine furnishing.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04It would have been very, very opulent and luxurious.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09- So it certainly wasn't a folly. It was a building put to use?- Yes.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11You could have come here and read books
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and enjoyed whatever music was being played.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16You would have spent time looking out over the sea,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18contemplating the beauty of nature
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- and how good life was when you had this amount of money!- Yes!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25'Bishop Hervey spent much of his later life
0:22:25 > 0:22:27'travelling around Europe,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29'but when he was here at Downhill
0:22:29 > 0:22:32'his guests would have been serenaded much like this.'
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- This harp looks very familiar. - Well, you obviously take a drink if you've spotted that!
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- A little bit of Irish stout now and again.- Indeed. Indeed.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44The shape of this harp is very, very typical of this area.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45What was called the Downhill Harp,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49a harp left by one of the harpists who actually used to play here,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52ended up in Dublin at quite a famous brewery
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and ended up as the symbol of a certain beverage.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So that's the harp on the label, is it?
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- Yes, indeed. Makes you feel thirsty looking at it!- It certainly does.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10The temple stands in splendid isolation
0:23:10 > 0:23:13just a short distance from the grand house
0:23:13 > 0:23:16that the bishop built for himself
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and from the back here, it looks like a fortified castle.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23But from the front there's a surprise.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It's in the style of a Georgian mansion.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Now it's just a shell and it really is hard to imagine
0:23:29 > 0:23:32how grand this place used to be in its heyday.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'Luckily, these university students
0:23:36 > 0:23:39'have been meticulously gathering information
0:23:39 > 0:23:42'about every tiny corner of the house
0:23:42 > 0:23:45'to help us get a better picture of two centuries ago.'
0:23:45 > 0:23:47The house has been in ruins for years now.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51The roof was taken off, more's the pity, cos it's pouring down now.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54This, would you believe, used to be the drawing room.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58So, Peter, how on earth are you and your team restoring this place?
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Well, first of all, on a computer, the students went out,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04they did a lot of research -
0:24:04 > 0:24:09photography, drew sketches, plans, floor plans.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Another student collated all that into, research...
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Wow, that is really impressive, isn't it?!
0:24:14 > 0:24:16..which I then build on the computer.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18That's the house as it was in the Bishop's time?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Yes, around the 1800s. - What about the inside?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Well, this shot here is the gallery,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26which is just looking down towards the sea.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And that's where he kept all his fine paintings?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31All his paintings, his statues,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33his whole art collection was housed in there.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- He had Titians and Rembrandts. - You name it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40- Caravaggios.- Everything! Everything. - And now it's just in ruins.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42It's just four walls, really.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48With his keen eye for the arts and for science,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50as well as for the ladies,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Bishop Hervey certainly used his vast wealth
0:24:52 > 0:24:54to enjoy life to the full.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But he could have never guessed that his extravagant monument
0:24:57 > 0:25:00would one day serve as a backdrop
0:25:00 > 0:25:03for a queen having a picnic down on the beach.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I've been enjoying a very special train journey
0:25:10 > 0:25:12through the Northern Irish countryside.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15This is the very same route that Queen Elizabeth took
0:25:15 > 0:25:19nearly 60 years ago, on her first official tour after she was crowned.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22While Her Majesty was on a steam train,
0:25:22 > 0:25:23I'm on board a brand new diesel.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Well, as this train is being laid on for us
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and we don't have any deadlines to hit, it all seems very relaxed.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Even the door is open to the cab,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34so I'm going to have a word with Beau, the driver.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- Now then, Beau, how are you doing, all right?- Very well, thanks, Matt.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I have to say, you look very clean and relaxed.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43These modern trains, I tell you what, unbelievable, aren't they?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45They are a lot easier to drive
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and a lot cleaner than the old trains were, yes.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Mind you, this line's in good nick. What is it used for these days?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52We use it for training,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55for trainee drivers on their first three weeks out driving.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57We can bring them up here, drive backwards and forwards,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00gives them a bit of experience driving trains.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02You must see quite a lot of wildlife as well down here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Yes, we see foxes and badgers
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and rabbits and squirrels and sometimes sparrowhawks.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Can I press any of those buttons up there?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13They look very inviting. Is that the horn?
0:26:13 > 0:26:14You can blow the horn. That is it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16HORN TOOTS
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Oh, the alarms have gone off and everything.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- That is just an alarm to tell me we're coming to a signal here.- OK.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And how far is it to the end of this little section?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29To Antrim, it should be about another half a mile.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31We should be there in a few minutes.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Well, in half a mile I will be hopping off
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to head up to the castle and help out with some final preparations
0:26:36 > 0:26:37for a Jubilee celebration.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Before that, I just have a quick announcement to make.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Here's what else is coming up on tonight's programme.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Oh! Cheers!
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Ellie is going fishing for some slippery delicacies.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- Here is another one coming.- Hey!
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Adam is choosing names for Eric the bull's new calves.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Madge, Maisie, Maud, Meg, Moo-ha-ha, was a good one.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06And we will have the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Public rights of way are one of the joys of the British countryside.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21As Tom has discovered though,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23that joy can turn to anger when they get blocked,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28but that's not the only problem that comes with our public paths.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30This is just one of thousands of places across the country
0:27:30 > 0:27:35that give you an idea how richly endowed we are for footpaths.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And, as someone who likes to get out in the countryside,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40it is really exciting. I wonder what is up there?
0:27:40 > 0:27:44I could go for an adventure down there maybe.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47But all these different possibilities for me to have fun
0:27:47 > 0:27:50also mean someone else has got to maintain them
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and there is a change coming round the corner
0:27:53 > 0:27:55that is going to make that an even bigger challenge.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58'As well as official rights of way,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02'there are unregistered and historic paths
0:28:02 > 0:28:04'criss-crossing the countryside.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06'For 30 years, people have been able to apply
0:28:06 > 0:28:08'to get these official status'
0:28:08 > 0:28:12'but there are new proposals aimed at speeding that process up.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16'However, any path not registered by 2026 could be lost for ever.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'Local councils are making those decisions.'
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Well, in the short term, the county council has to assess every claim.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27So everybody who thinks that there may be a right of way
0:28:27 > 0:28:30that is not recognised on the definitive map
0:28:30 > 0:28:33will put in an application to the county council.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- So you have a judgment of Solomon to go on there.- Exactly.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38And they look at the evidence that is produced because,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41obviously, we have to be fair to the landowner as well as the people.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44There has to be some evidence of the path.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Do you expect there will be an expansion in the rights of way?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50It has been a process that has been ongoing over the last few years
0:28:50 > 0:28:52and I think we've had 50 applications in
0:28:52 > 0:28:54and the county council has looked at 25 of them so far.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02'The race to register new paths by 2026 can get controversial.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04'Applications are frequently disputed
0:29:04 > 0:29:08'and those disputes cost money to settle.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Hello, Tom.- Julian.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18'Julian Flood has experienced a fight that many more of us
0:29:18 > 0:29:19'could face in the future.'
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- So where was the proposed path? - Well, in the wood.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27If you follow me, it's about 10 yards from my back door to be precise.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31'Six years ago, an application was made to register a trail
0:29:31 > 0:29:33'through the woodland next to Julian's house.'
0:29:33 > 0:29:36So why was it thought there could be a path through here?
0:29:36 > 0:29:41Well, the 1777 enclosure map showed, through this wood,
0:29:41 > 0:29:46"A road for Miss Foulkes" and, on the basis of that road for Miss Foulkes,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49the applicant said it was a footway.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Nobody knew it existed until this old map turned up.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54And why were you so set against it?
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Well, you can see. 10 yards outside my back door.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01In a wood, anybody can walk past.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03If I'm not in the house, look around the corner.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06People could have seen you brushing your teeth in your bathroom.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- Or even dancing naked in the rain. - Whatever takes your fancy!
0:30:10 > 0:30:12What did this cost you, in effect,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15not just in your pocket, but also emotionally?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Well, £5,000 directly from me.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Total for ratepayers and the rest of the people £50,000.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25And in terms...
0:30:25 > 0:30:27I became obsessive.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29This is my house.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32This is not just where I live, it's what I am.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36And, because of that, I was determined to defend it.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40'No-one wants ramblers seeing something they shouldn't
0:30:40 > 0:30:41'through a bathroom window,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44'but there are other issues at stake here.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45'For farmers like Ross Haddow,
0:30:45 > 0:30:51'newly-registered paths could impact on his ability to use his land.'
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Between now and 2026,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56there is an opportunity to open up new rights of way
0:30:56 > 0:30:59for historical reasons, lost ways, or those regularly walked,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01what do you think about that?
0:31:01 > 0:31:04A cross-field path presents all sorts of issues.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07It would be sad if somebody could find a right
0:31:07 > 0:31:11across the middle of that field, giving me a huge headache.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15And that would, I think, change us negatively to think about access.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17All the tools to do the job here.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19'But Ross has found another way.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23'He has chosen to create so-called permissive paths
0:31:23 > 0:31:26'that suit both his needs and those of ramblers.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30'Working with the community, he created trails where he feels
0:31:30 > 0:31:35'they work best, even in spots where it makes farming a little harder.'
0:31:35 > 0:31:39A lot of paths that you see across fields, farmers often don't like.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42In fact, they plough across them. You have done quite the reverse!
0:31:42 > 0:31:44You have opened one up across an arable fields.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49Yes, now there are two nice parts of the walk on the farm
0:31:49 > 0:31:52that we have connected with this path
0:31:52 > 0:31:55and we have given a commitment to do that,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58even understanding that it would split these fields.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01But most permissive paths are created with money
0:32:01 > 0:32:05from farm grant schemes, schemes which have now ended.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08So when the money stops coming in,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10the paths could be moved or even closed.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12It's not a perfect long-term solution.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19One thing is for sure, whether they are impossibly impassable
0:32:19 > 0:32:22or still seeking a permanent place on the map, if we do not use paths,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25then there is a danger we could lose them.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30This, believe it or not, is a public footpath
0:32:30 > 0:32:33and while it is a rather extreme example,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35it does show what can happen
0:32:35 > 0:32:39if those who are supposed to look after our rights of access
0:32:39 > 0:32:41don't do their job properly
0:32:41 > 0:32:43and also, we don't register the paths.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Here goes. A bit of Livingstone in the jungle.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50'If impenetrable paths bother you,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53'or you want to find out about the registration of routes
0:32:53 > 0:32:56'then you'll find help on our website.'
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Adam keeps many different breeds of cow on his Cotswolds farm
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and his stock bulls are his most powerful and prized possessions.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11He is in search of a new addition to his herd of Irish Moiled cattle,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15but will he find the perfect bull for his ladies?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18But first, Adam's got a big decision to make
0:33:18 > 0:33:20about Eric the bull's new baby daughters.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31This is Eric, my Highland bull. And I absolutely adore him.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33He's just magnificent.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38I bought him at the Oban sales and he was reserve in his class,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40so he's a really good example of the breed.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42And he's shedding his winter coat now.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45The birds quite often pick up their hair and use it for nesting
0:33:45 > 0:33:47and you can see he's getting his summer coat
0:33:47 > 0:33:50and he's looking in really good condition now.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52But he's not just here for show, he's got a job to do -
0:33:52 > 0:33:54He's a breeding bull.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57And several weeks ago, it was a big moment.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01The first of Eric's offspring arrived on the farm - two female calves.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05We name all the animals on the farm
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and this year, we're using the letter M for the Highlands.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11And I asked to the viewers to write in with names
0:34:11 > 0:34:13for the two female Highland calves
0:34:13 > 0:34:15and I was inundated with the response.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18There were just thousands of replies.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Thank you so much for all the effort that you've gone to writing in.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Some popular ones are Madge, Maisie, Maude, Meg, Mia, Molly, Morag,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Scottish for Mary is Mhairi, that was a very popular one.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33We've got some seasonal ones. Molympic.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36We've got Merica, of course, female for Eric.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Marmalade, Marzipan, Moo-ha-ha was a good one.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42We've got Majesty, that goes with the Jubilee.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44But the first name that I've chosen,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47which is a very popular one, is Maisie.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49And that's Scottish for Margaret and means pearl.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53And then the second name I've chosen is Mavourna,
0:34:53 > 0:34:54also a Scottish name,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56which means "my little darling."
0:34:56 > 0:34:59They're great names. I'm very, very pleased with them.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And since the birth of the two females,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06I've now had this little blond male calf born,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08one of Eric's sons that, hopefully,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10will grow on to be a big strong bull
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and I'll take him to the Oban sales in a couple of years time.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16I've decided to name that one myself. And he's called McGee.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19So I've got Maisie, Mavourna and McGee.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21And I think they're lovely.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25While my Highlands are enjoying the outdoors,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28not all my cattle have been turned out yet.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31These cattle have been in the shed since last November
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and we've turned out some of the cattle in the spring
0:35:34 > 0:35:36but had to keep some of them in
0:35:36 > 0:35:38because the weather's been so atrocious.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41The ground is really wet and there's hardly any grass,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43and it's only now that the grass has started to grow
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and the ground is drying up a bit. So, I'm going to get these lot out.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55These are White Parks
0:35:55 > 0:35:58and they're all steers, which means they're castrated males
0:35:58 > 0:36:00and they are being reared for beef.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03So, they'll go out onto the grass and be ready for beef
0:36:03 > 0:36:05come the autumn, around September time.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Right then, boys. Let's get you loaded.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09Come here, mate.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10Go on, boys.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15That's two. I'll try and squeeze the third one on.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19I couldn't get that White Park steer up
0:36:19 > 0:36:22so I've put the Highland on the back.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24She's got horns, so I'll keep her separate.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42All right, Mrs.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Freedom!
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Very good, mate.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Oh, they're jumping around, they absolutely love it.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57It's a shame we couldn't have got them out earlier
0:36:57 > 0:36:59but they're very happy now.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08These are my Irish Moils.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10They're the first rare breed of cattle
0:37:10 > 0:37:13that I've introduced to the farm since I took on my dad's collection
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and they're lovely animals. They're an Irish smallholder breed, really,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18quite good at producing milk and beef,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20known as a dual-purpose animal.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22And there's very few of them left in the country,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25so we have to be careful with the bloodlines and inbreeding.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30My Irish Moil stock bull has lived on the farm for two years,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34but these days, we need to keep him separated from the rest of the herd.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37He's playing hell with these shelters we've put out for the lambs.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Incredibly powerful beast, but he's lovely and quiet, really.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And he's related to two of my cows
0:37:44 > 0:37:46and so, now, I'm going to sell him on.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48He'll go to someone else's herd
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and make a lovely bull for a different Irish Moil breeder.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55So, what I need to do now is introduce a fresh bloodline
0:37:55 > 0:37:56and get myself a new bull.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Farming's no different to most businesses.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05We use a lot of technology, including, of course, computers.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07In fact, a lot of my time is spent
0:38:07 > 0:38:09sitting at this desk in front of my computer.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12And it comes in quite handy when you want to buy livestock,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15because people can send you photographs of the animals.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20I've got a young Irish Moil bull here that looks very, very good.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25And there's him and there's his dad, who was a show winner.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Magnificent-looking animal.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Now, the young bull is only 16 months old but I think he looks pretty good.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33He's got everything going for him.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36But you never know until you've seen them in the flesh.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37So I'm off to have a look.
0:38:39 > 0:38:40I've brought the trailer with me
0:38:40 > 0:38:43and, hopefully, if the bull's as good as he looks in the photographs
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and a deal can be done, I'll load him up and take him home,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48because I've got some cows waiting for a new husband.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50I just hope he's within my budget.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54I've come to meet Chris Ball.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58He's been farming Irish Moil cattle for over 15 years.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00He has one of the finest herds in the country.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- Hi, Chris.- Nice to meet you.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06They look really lovely. How many have you got?
0:39:06 > 0:39:09We've got about 40 altogether including the steers.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11And the history of the Irish Moil
0:39:11 > 0:39:13is that, at one time, it was very rare.
0:39:13 > 0:39:14It became almost extinct.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17They got down in the early '70s due to the fact they were,
0:39:17 > 0:39:22sort of, dual-purpose rather than extreme beef, extreme dairy,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25down to 30 breeding females on two farms in northern Ireland.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28And then the Rare Breeds Survival Trust got involved
0:39:28 > 0:39:32and, since then, we've progressed up to at least 550 breeding females,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35possibly slightly even more and, so, obviously,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37well over 1,000 animals, so, yes, we're doing very well.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- Where's this bull?- Right, we'll see if we can find him.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45- Excuse me, team.- Beautiful grassy field, and they're stood in the mud.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Good lad. Good lad.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Well, I'm very impressed. There's not many people
0:39:49 > 0:39:51who could walk up to a young bull like that
0:39:51 > 0:39:55- and slip a halter on him. - We did a deal earlier that if I could catch on in the field,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57as long as I gave him some nuts afterwards, that was all right.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- He's a good colour, isn't he? - He's a great colour.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02He's about the perfect markings for an Irish Moil.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04So, can you walk up for me, Chris,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06- so I can see him moving? - Certainly can.- Thank you.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09It's important that the legs are straight.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11You don't want them twisted out or twisted in.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14And he's got quite nice legs, front and back.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16He's got a nice top line, too.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Nice straight back, that means he's got good bone structure.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22His tail head here is perhaps a little bit high,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25but he's a teenager and he's going to fill out a lot more
0:40:25 > 0:40:28and grow into a beefier bull than he is at the moment.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31He needs another eight months to fill himself out a bit
0:40:31 > 0:40:33and that will come with good management.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35What sort of money do you want for him?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37I'd be looking... I'd like £1,000.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Being a farmer, I always like to negotiate a little bit so...
0:40:40 > 0:40:42if you could knock a couple of hundred quid off that,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44I'd load him up and take him today.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Well, I'm sure we can agree on a price at some stage
0:40:47 > 0:40:49over a cup of coffee.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Chris says his goodbyes
0:40:54 > 0:40:57and there's one final person who wants to see him off.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Right, do you mind if I just call in my Margaret
0:41:00 > 0:41:03for her final goodbyes? She's been highly involved.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Of course. Are you going to miss him, Margaret?
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Definitely going to miss him.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09He's been a grand chap and a great friend, haven't you?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12So you look after yourself. Well done. Good lad. Good luck.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- Right, let's get him loaded. - Come on, Stefan.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18What a good boy.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- See you!- Cheers.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I'm chuffed to bits with my new bull, Stefan.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I just hope the ladies back on the farm like him.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Come and see your new wives.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Well, he's asserting his authority there, puffing himself up,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51making himself look big and butch and getting sideways onto the cows
0:41:51 > 0:41:52so he looks even bigger.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54When a bull turns up their top lip,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58they're scenting the air to see if the cows are in season,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02but I don't think that one is yet. He's looking lovely, actually.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Although he's young, he's only 16 months old,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06he stands up next to them quite nicely.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Hopefully, Margaret and Chris will be pleased with his new home.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12He's got four lovely ladies to look after.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I'm sure he'll be very happy here on top of the Cotswolds.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Next week, I'm heading to Malham in North Yorkshire
0:42:19 > 0:42:23to see some Belted Galloway cattle that graze the uplands.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Lough Neagh in the heart of Northern Ireland
0:42:35 > 0:42:38is the UK's biggest lake.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Since the 17th century,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41sand dredged from the bed of the Lough
0:42:41 > 0:42:45has been used for house-building.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Today, the sand extracted and the products it makes
0:42:48 > 0:42:51is a £100 million business.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55But there is another product closely associated with Lough Neagh
0:42:55 > 0:42:58that doesn't have a particularly big reputation
0:42:58 > 0:43:00beyond the banks of the Lough here in the UK,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04but it does have a reputation worldwide.
0:43:04 > 0:43:10The Lough Neagh eel. And its story begins 4,000 miles west of here.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14The Sargasso Sea off Mexico is where the eels breed.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17The young fry then drift on the warm currents of the Gulf Stream
0:43:17 > 0:43:20back over the Atlantic and into the Lough,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22up the River Bann as young elvers.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Six nights a week for the past 40 years,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Owen Duran has headed out onto the Lough
0:43:29 > 0:43:32setting lines to catch these much-travelled eels.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38It's the next morning now
0:43:38 > 0:43:41and they're back out to see what they've caught.
0:43:46 > 0:43:47I'm as happy as the flowers in May.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I wouldn't do anything else, only what I'm doing.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51Money doesn't come into it.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54You live anyway, despite of what you get.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57You know, but it's...you know.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59We like it and that's it.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01So, this method using this line here,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03is that the traditional method for catching them?
0:44:03 > 0:44:06- It's been going on on Lough Neagh for years.- Oh, yeah?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Hundreds of years, line fishing.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10Here's another one coming.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11Hey!
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Do you eat them?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18SHE LAUGHS
0:44:18 > 0:44:22'Demand for the eels comes from Germany and the Netherlands.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25'400 tonnes are shipped out each year.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28'The European Union has recognised the importance
0:44:28 > 0:44:29'of the Lough Neagh Eel.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31'Its name is now protected,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34'a first for any product in Northern Ireland.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36'And it puts the eel on a par with the Cornish pasty,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39'champagne and Parma ham.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42'Owen has been kind enough to let me have a few eels
0:44:42 > 0:44:44'to take to my next destination.'
0:44:46 > 0:44:49Right, I'm heading off to a different island now.
0:44:49 > 0:44:54Not only to deliver these eels, but also some post, shopping and...
0:44:54 > 0:44:57this boat.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02The journey to the island
0:45:02 > 0:45:05is an opportunity to soak up the atmosphere.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Check out this horizon here.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09It's quite disconcerting, really,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12because there are times when you can't see the land
0:45:12 > 0:45:15and it feels like you're in the middle of the sea,
0:45:15 > 0:45:17and yet it's like a millpond.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19It's quite extraordinary, really.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23I'm heading to Coney Island,
0:45:23 > 0:45:25the only inhabited island on Lough Neagh.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29And the population is just one.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32And there's the only resident now, Peter McClelland.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Hello, Ellie.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37- There you go, Peter.- Thank you very much indeed.- You're welcome.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I wasn't expecting you to deliver it.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Special Countryfile delivery service, how about that?
0:45:41 > 0:45:43You're very welcome to Coney Island.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Thanks. I'm going to have a look around.
0:45:45 > 0:45:46Yeah, it's a beautiful place.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48So what does your job entail here, then?
0:45:48 > 0:45:51If it's done on Coney Island, I do it. If it's not done, it's my fault.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54So there's a level of responsibility you don't get every day.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- So you're the president of the island?- Pretty much, yeah.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59I'm the warden of Coney Island.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03So, what's it like living here all by yourself?
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Oh, it's very interesting.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- It's a different way of life, I can tell you that.- Right.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10One minute, you're on your own, next minute,
0:46:10 > 0:46:13you get hundreds of people around you.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15During the winter, you can be stranded out here.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19During the winter of 2010-2011, the Lough froze, totally,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22from 3rd December right through to 3rd January.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26- And I was froze out here. - Over Christmas?- Oh, yes.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- Did you not mind?- Oh, not at all.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32Good book and a bit of classical music and that's me, happy as a pea.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- What about mod cons? - Oh, I've none of those.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37HE LAUGHS
0:46:37 > 0:46:40King Edward VII once stayed on the island in a cottage
0:46:40 > 0:46:44that Peter now shares with about 500 bats in the rafters.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49They're the latest residents
0:46:49 > 0:46:53of an island that has welcomed royal visitors, St Patrick,
0:46:53 > 0:46:55and even anti-British rebel prisoners.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59But it's another visitor that I've invited to the island today.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03Danny Millar is one of Ireland's best-known chefs.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Award-winning and Michelin-starred,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09he trained in Germany, so should know a thing or two
0:47:09 > 0:47:10about Lough Neagh eels.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- Hi, Danny.- Hi, how are you? - I'm good, you?- Very well.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Is that your usual cooking conditions?
0:47:18 > 0:47:21No, but still cooking some of Northern Ireland's finest.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Do you get to cook this very often? Do you have it in your restaurant?
0:47:24 > 0:47:25Yeah, we do indeed.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27And...it's fabulous.
0:47:27 > 0:47:28It's great finger-food as well.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31I think it's great for parties, barbecuing.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34I think it's very versatile, just a wee bit...cos it's eel,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37they're a little bit afraid, bit apprehensive,
0:47:37 > 0:47:38see it coming at them, so...
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Do you think that's what it is?
0:47:40 > 0:47:44It's really popular in Europe but not so much over here.
0:47:44 > 0:47:45Why do you think that is?
0:47:45 > 0:47:47I think we're a bit more of the squeamish bunch
0:47:47 > 0:47:50than our European neighbours. They're a bit more hands-on.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53We see anything that's a little bit alive and slithery,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55and we tend to run away from.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- Is that one nearly ready?- Yeah. - That's quick, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- How long was that? A few minutes? - A few minutes either side.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04I've done this one in soy, in a Japanese style.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05They love their fish.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07And while Danny's plating that up,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09there's just time to remind you
0:48:09 > 0:48:12about our annual photographic competition.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15This year the theme is A Walk On The Wild Side,
0:48:15 > 0:48:16so we're looking for wildlife,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19wild landscapes, or even wild weather.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21The best 12 will be put together
0:48:21 > 0:48:24to create the 2013 Countryfile calendar,
0:48:24 > 0:48:26sold in aid of Children In Need
0:48:26 > 0:48:27and if you haven't entered yet,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30here's John with the reminder of what you need to do.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Our competition isn't open to professionals
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and entries must not have won any other competitions
0:48:43 > 0:48:46because what we're looking for is original work.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52You can enter up to four photos which must have been taken in the UK.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Please write your name, address,
0:48:55 > 0:48:59and a daytime and evening phone number on the back of each photo
0:48:59 > 0:49:00with a note of where it was taken.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04And then all you have to do is send your entries to...
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Whoever takes the winning photo,
0:49:15 > 0:49:17as voted for by Countryfile viewers,
0:49:17 > 0:49:21can choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment
0:49:21 > 0:49:23to the value of £1,000.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26And the person who takes the picture the judges like best
0:49:26 > 0:49:31gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33The full terms and conditions are on our website,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35where you'll also find details
0:49:35 > 0:49:38of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40The closing date is July 22nd
0:49:40 > 0:49:43and, I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45So, the best of luck.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Back on Coney Island, the Lough Neagh eels are ready for tasting.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- Ladies first.- So, how do you do it? - I think it's best...
0:49:56 > 0:50:00- just getting stuck in. Like a rib. - Really?- Yeah.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03So, glamorous style, then.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Look at that!
0:50:05 > 0:50:06- That's fabulous.- Is it?
0:50:06 > 0:50:09I know I'm biased, cos I just cooked it, but I thought so!
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Right then, let me be the judge of that.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16That's not a texture I'm used to.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19- Yeah, it's... - It's more solid than fish.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21No, it is, it's a very firm flesh.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Mmm. That's good.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28Well, if you're planning a barbecue this week, you'll want to know
0:50:28 > 0:50:31what the weather has in store. here's the Countryfile forecast.