0:00:25 > 0:00:28'We all need time out once in a while.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33'Time to reflect, time to soak up some peace and quiet.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And what better way to do all of that
0:00:37 > 0:00:40than by taking a stroll through the woods?
0:00:40 > 0:00:42We're in the heart of West Sussex,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and while there's a chill in the air and just a drop of rain,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48the trees are still holding on to their autumn glory.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54'It's the perfect place to delve into the Countryfile archive
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'and look back at some of our memorable moments
0:00:57 > 0:00:59'exploring our woods and forests.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'From the wildlife that makes its home in our trees...'
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Hello!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Awww. Gosh, so gorgeous.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Oh, look at that!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14'..to the traditions that still shape our countryside.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Oh, he's down! He's down!
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Stewart, inquiry.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Oh, dear. He obviously hasn't got his Devon legs on yet.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23'..and the farmyard animals that have left their mark
0:01:23 > 0:01:24'on our woodlands.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Hang on, looks like there's a bit of love in the air there.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29- I think so.- Goodness me.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35As for me,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38I'm going to be experiencing life as a true woodsman.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53When you go down to the woods today, you'll step back to times gone by.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57We've been making the most of our woods ever since we got here,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59their dynamic landscapes.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I'm in Prickly Nut Wood in West Sussex,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05an ancient woodland that's been here for 400 years.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09This forest is still being used much as it was all those years ago
0:02:09 > 0:02:12by a man who's become a bit of a woodland legend.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Ben Law is a woodsman.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19For 20 years, he's lived amongst these trees
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and managed the woodland.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25But 10 years ago, he got sick of living under tarpaulin,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28so under the watchful eye of a national TV audience,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31he set about building himself a house, a truly grand design,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35deep in the woods, made only from what nature could provide.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And here it is, 10 years on,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42looking like it's come straight out of the pages
0:02:42 > 0:02:43of Lord Of The Rings.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44Wow.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47Hi, Ben, how are you doing?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Hiya. I'm doing well, thanks. - Good to meet you.- Yeah, likewise.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's so strange. I feel like I know this house,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54either from my childhood imagination
0:02:54 > 0:02:56or just cos the programme was so well-known.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57I think a lot of people know it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01- It's a bit iconic as a house in the woods now, I think.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05- So can you give me the grand tour? - Yeah, of course. Come on round.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10So, the vegetable garden, a little polytunnel for a few winter veg.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Treehouse for the kids.- Oh, amazing.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I bet you're amazing at building treehouses, aren't you?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16I enjoy building treehouses, yeah. Great fun.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- And so you've got the solar panels as well.- Yeah, solar panels.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21That gives me most of my power.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24There's odd days in the middle of winter
0:03:24 > 0:03:26when you struggle a bit for power, so you go to bed early.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30- Yeah, days like today? - Days like today aren't great.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- TV?- Yeah, I have a little TV.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- The kids want to watch DVDs and I'll watch the odd thing.- Yeah.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- What about the internet? - Yeah, we've got internet.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43My older son Ryan persuaded me that I needed the internet.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- And now you can't live without it! - Yeah, it's pretty useful.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It is pretty useful. Fantastic.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- So all mod cons here in this beautiful setting.- Yeah.- Great.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Can we take a look at the woods? - Yeah, come on. Let's go.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- Here's a question, Ben.- Sure.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Why would you live in the woods when you work in the woods?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Do you not just want to get away at the end of your working day?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Far from it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15This isn't a job, it's a way of life, and to me,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I learn a lot about being in the woods during the evenings
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and the night-time as much as I do during the daytime.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It's a long-term stewardship.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I want to leave these woods in a better condition than
0:04:25 > 0:04:28when I found them, so the next generation have something here
0:04:28 > 0:04:32productive, sustainable and the wildlife improves as well.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- So what are your other woodland ventures?- Well, a number of things.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It all comes from what we make from the sweet chestnut coppice,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42so at the top end of the scale, there's roundwood timber frame
0:04:42 > 0:04:45buildings like my house all the way through to charcoal, firewood,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48rustic furniture...anything we can from wood, really.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And that sounds like a lot of work.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Here's Maisie, who hopefully is going to give us a hand,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54aren't you, Maisie?
0:04:54 > 0:04:55That looks like a nod to me.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59But first, to Northumberland, where last summer Julia discovered
0:04:59 > 0:05:02that even a newly planted woodland can be a haven for wildlife.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Kielder - one of our largest man-made forests.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15The open rugged moorland here was transformed in the 1920s
0:05:15 > 0:05:17to meet the demand for wood after World War I.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Today it's just as vast and valuable as it ever was,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but it's managed for more than just profit.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Now Kielder's valued for its views and its wonderful wildlife.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Graham Gill is in charge of managing the entire 150,000 acre woodland.
0:05:34 > 0:05:3820% of all the timber produced in England comes from this forest.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- From this very spot? - From this very spot.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42If I asked you to put a price on each tree,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- what would you come back with? - Well, a single tree
0:05:45 > 0:05:48standing in the forest isn't actually worth very much.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- It's about £5 for a tree.- No!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Doesn't sound a lot when we've spent maybe 50 years
0:05:53 > 0:05:56growing that tree and that's what it's worth,
0:05:56 > 0:05:57but it does multiply up.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And also, the work's become easier, hasn't it,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- thanks to machines like this? - Well, yes.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06It works out itself on the computer how to get the best value
0:06:06 > 0:06:10out of that tree, and then it cuts the tree off the stump,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12it strips off the branches,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16and then it's pre-programmed to cut the right length and diameter
0:06:16 > 0:06:17of products from the tree.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18And it looks good.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So when you're in the business of providing wood
0:06:22 > 0:06:24for tables and chairs, just how do you add
0:06:24 > 0:06:26a little beauty to the mix?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Well, here they've softened the woodland edges and brought in
0:06:29 > 0:06:31broadleaf trees to make the forest
0:06:31 > 0:06:34that little bit more alluring for the 200,000 visitors
0:06:34 > 0:06:37that come here every year, and a lucky few may even
0:06:37 > 0:06:41catch a glimpse of some of our rarest mammals too.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45This might be a man-made forest, but a wide variety of wildlife
0:06:45 > 0:06:48have quite happily taken up residence here.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53The guy keeping an eye on the wonderful wildlife is Martin Davison.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54Well, this is a great spruce forest,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and a large number of cone-bearing trees,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00which means a lot of food resource for red squirrels.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- And here's an absolute classic red squirrel dining table.- Right.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And these are typical chewed-off cones.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10The squirrel picks them up,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12either feeds in the tree and just drops them
0:07:12 > 0:07:15or comes down onto the ground and just happily gnaws away on them.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17But what about the grey squirrels?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The grey squirrels don't survive very well on small-seeded cones,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23so what we're hoping is that,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26because we've got such a huge reservoir of spruce trees
0:07:26 > 0:07:29within the forest, is that the greys will never do very well
0:07:29 > 0:07:32within the forest and the reds will continue to thrive.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- And thriving they are.- That's right.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Here are Kielder we have two thirds of the English population.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39'The red squirrel is not the only rare species
0:07:39 > 0:07:42'to make this forest their home.'
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- So what are we doing here? - I've brought you here, Julia,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47to hopefully show you something quite exciting.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Down underneath that branch there, that's exactly what we're after.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Feather?- There's a nice tail feather. That's off a female goshawk.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- A goshawk?- It is.- So you've got goshawks in the forest?- We have.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01We've got a few pairs of goshawks in the forest.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- Cos they're very rare.- They are, yes,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and it's exciting to have them, very exciting.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09That is exciting. So, he or she?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's a she, Julia.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12It's a female goshawk's feather.
0:08:12 > 0:08:19- Nice broad bands in the tail with a nice whitey buff tip.- Mm-hm.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Top predators of the forest,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26goshawks are ideally suited to hunting in the densest cover.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30With their malleable wings, they can manoeuvre around branches
0:08:30 > 0:08:32in flight and reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34At this time of the year,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37they'll be nesting high up in the top of the canopy.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Now, this is a favourite tree where the bird often has prey items
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- underneath, so we'll go and check that.- Right.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46And this is exactly what we're after.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- So this is a feeding ground.- It is.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52What happens is, the male comes into the site carrying prey.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57He plucks...he might eat the head, have a feed, and then brings in...
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- The rest?- The rest of the carcass.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And so you end up with bits of bones.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- That's a wood pigeon. - Well, it was a wood pigeon.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- It was a wood pigeon.- What have we got here? A little skull here.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12- Yeah, yeah. It's a red squirrel. - Oh, no.- It is, it is.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16They are a forest bird. Squirrels are forest animals.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19You would expect them to eat red squirrels.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21It will not harm the population at all.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24When the squirrels have a good year, obviously more will get predated,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26but in a poor year when there's not so many squirrels,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29they never touch them cos they're too hard to catch.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31It's only when they're common that they take one or two.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Well, Julia, we've seen an awful lot of sign today,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41but I'm really hoping that we're going to show you something alive.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- It's a bird box.- It is. So let's see if anybody's at home.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50TAPPING FROM INSIDE
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Hear that?
0:09:53 > 0:09:54TAPPING FROM INSIDE
0:09:54 > 0:09:57The bill clacking. It's a tawny owl.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- It's not!- It is, it is.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- You can help us ring him if you want.- All right.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- And it's OK to handle them? - It is, yes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Oh, look, they're so fluffy!
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- And here we have one very large tawny owl chick.- Right.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- So if you want to hold this one... - Yes, of course.- Cos there's two.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Right.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Oh, look at that!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Absolutely lovely, aren't they?- Hello!
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Awww! Gosh, so gorgeous.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Not long off fledging.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- Oh, OK.- But if you just pull them by the legs.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35So you've got to hold on to...
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Yeah, just gently by the legs and just put your other hand underneath.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- There we go.- That's absolutely perfect.- Oh, look at that.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43'The tawnies are thriving in Kielder.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'There are now over 200 nesting boxes in the forest.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48'By ringing the baby owls,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52'Martin can keep track of their population for years to come.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:54He's enjoying his bed.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56If you tried to do this in the middle of the night,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59it'd be jumping about, food calling, it'd be hungry,
0:10:59 > 0:11:00but in the middle of the day,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03it's just having its siesta, basically.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- You never get sick of looking at them.- No.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Hopefully this little fellow will survive, thrive,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and in time, return here to breed.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16OWL CHIRPS
0:11:21 > 0:11:24'Back in West Sussex, I'm lending woodsman Ben Law a hand
0:11:24 > 0:11:27'in Prickly Nut Wood, and despite the weather,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30'it's time for us to get down to business.'
0:11:30 > 0:11:33So Ben, one of these trees is coming down today, then?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Yeah, we're cutting a patch of derelict coppice.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37What's it going to be used for?
0:11:37 > 0:11:39This particular one is going to be used for my apprentices,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42who stay up here every year in a caravan
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and we're building them a new caravan.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48We're going to make it out of the coppiced wood we've got here.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Lovely and straight, isn't it?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Is that why this one would be a good one?
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Yeah, generally, we want straight poles, but not always.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Sometimes we want a curved pole for a particular use.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Traditionally with coppice systems,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04a lot of trees were grown to a particular shape.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08If you imagine, in the past, you had a lot of trees growing up
0:12:08 > 0:12:11together and they all grow up straight to get to the light.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14If you had an oak tree in a hazel coppice,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16the hazel would push the oak up straight and then you come in
0:12:16 > 0:12:20and you cut the coppice, and then the oak branches out,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and as it branches out, the coppice comes up again,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and then the oak starts to grow up straight, and you create a curve,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28and these were the curves we used
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- for building ships and houses in the past.- That's incredible.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33So you could grow them to order for what they're going to be used for?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Very much so. The woodsman's job was very much to grow particular shapes.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59TREE CREAKS
0:13:01 > 0:13:03CRASH
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Yeah! I love that squeak as it went down.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08It sounded just like it does in the films!
0:13:08 > 0:13:10So what is it about sweet chestnut that makes it
0:13:10 > 0:13:12so good as a construction wood?
0:13:12 > 0:13:15There's a couple of things, but one of the main ones,
0:13:15 > 0:13:16if we look at the base here,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20you can see is the dark part of this tree, and that's the heartwood,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and the sapwood is the lighter colour,
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and sweet chestnut has a really large proportion of heartwood to sapwood,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30so that means it's got a large amount of the durable element
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- you want for construction. - So how do you get this out of here?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Well, most of the timber I take out of here
0:13:36 > 0:13:39with a small alpine tractor and a winch,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41but on a day like this,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and it's a very sensitive site on the slope up here,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45we use the horses.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And that is where Maisie comes in.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56She belongs to locals Gaye and David Botting.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Right then, Gaye, so the idea's to get beyond and knot?
0:14:00 > 0:14:05- Yeah, that blocks it off.- Knock it off there. Get that nice and close.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07So how much does Maisie weigh?
0:14:07 > 0:14:12- Maisie weighs 850 kilos.- Oof!
0:14:12 > 0:14:15So that's just shy of a tonne, really? It's not far off a tonne.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So what can she pull?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19She can actually pull twice her own body weight.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Wow, that's impressive. - And that's on a deadlift.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25When she's pulling something like this with the arch,
0:14:25 > 0:14:26she can pull a bit more.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- Ooh, sorry.- That's fine.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- Is that all right? Is that enough?- Lovely.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Good work, Maisie! - It's hard work!- It is, rather.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35So, Maisie, it's over to you now.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59For Ben, using traditional methods really works.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03But he's not the only one making a living from native woodland,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05as Matt discovered early in the spring
0:15:05 > 0:15:07when he went to see some immortal trees
0:15:07 > 0:15:11that are at the heart of a very different forestry business.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18The Kent Downs, a chalky escarpment, littered with ancient woodlands
0:15:18 > 0:15:19and traditional orchards.
0:15:19 > 0:15:2220% of the Kent Downs are wooded,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26which means that trees are a really valuable resource.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29But around here, you can't see the trees for the wood.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35Such a vast amount of woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
0:15:35 > 0:15:37needs be carefully managed.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41On this estate, like in Ben's wood, the trees are coppiced.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45John Lee Pemberton has around 800 acres of sweet chestnut trees
0:15:45 > 0:15:47which are used to make fences,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49or pales, as they're known in the business.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Once every 14 years, each piece of woodland is cut
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- and it then regrows again. - How does this affect the life
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- of the stock?- Well, the stock itself, the bit of the tree
0:16:00 > 0:16:05that's left in the ground, sort of thinks that it's still only 14.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So actually, they're almost immortal.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And this cycle goes on and on, you know.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15It's been going on here, judging by the size of some of these stocks,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18600 or 700 years, probably even longer actually.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So this was then chopped off at the end of last year.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23When are those due to come down?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26They are 12 years old, so in two years' time,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29all of this wood will be cut in exactly the same way
0:16:29 > 0:16:33and actually it will look in two years' time exactly like that over there.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And so it goes. The rotation goes on.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40And the trick is long straight poles, isn't it?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44What I need for my business is long straight poles.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47So we try to keep as many stocks as possible close together,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50That forces the wood up and actually this nice straight wood
0:16:50 > 0:16:57is exactly what we can use to make pales and posts out of.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Once cut, the coppiced logs end up at John's wood yard.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05This is the raw material as it comes in.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07The first thing that happens is that it's lengthed up.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12We take out the knots, the bent bits of wood
0:17:12 > 0:17:14to suit the nature of the wood.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18The next stage in the process is that the bark is taken off,
0:17:18 > 0:17:24and that is ready now to go into the shed to be made into pales.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Gary here is going to show us how it's turned into fencing.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's all done by hand. Gary, when you look behind
0:17:34 > 0:17:37at the amount that you've produced, the mind boggles.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It's all made by hand, it's the only way to do it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Show us the tools of the trade.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- This is called a dolax. That actually cleaves the wood.- OK.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49You actually knock this into the wood.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52That opens the wood up to make your stakes.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- So dolax in, upside down. - That's right.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57A little bit of leverage. That's fine.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- Is that all right?- A little bit more.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Am I going to make it? Oh, just!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05HE LAUGHS
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Look at that end. And then that end.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Anyway, it's there.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- Is that going on the rubbish pile? - Met rubbish pile.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- That one can go on the massive pile. - That's fine.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Gary and the boys can get through 250 to 300 logs an hour.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Each individual section is hand placed
0:18:26 > 0:18:29into a wiring machine that holds it all together.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'Not all the coppiced wood here ends up in a fence.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41'Some becomes fuel for the fire
0:18:41 > 0:18:45'because they also produce woodchip and logs for wood burners.'
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Matthew, from your perspective, is coppicing woodland a good idea for fuel?
0:18:50 > 0:18:54It is, it's very good for both habitats and the landscape.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57If it's done on a sustainable footing,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00with a good woodland management plan behind it,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02it brings light into the woodland,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04it opens the canopy, it creates a much better habitat
0:19:04 > 0:19:07for woodland birds, flowers and butterflies.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09So it's actually a very good thing to coppice the woodland.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Could wood be the new oil?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13For certain uses and applications,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I think woodchip is a very good substitution for oil.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19People will make a 50% saving on their fuel bill with woodchip.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23It's a very attractive proposition these days.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33It's a big moment for me, this. My pales are now being wired in.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36There are going in like an absolute dream.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39That 10-metre roll of Kent sweet chestnut fencing could end up
0:19:39 > 0:19:42anywhere from Devon to Denmark.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Happy travels.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57We may have left our mark on most of our ancient woodlands,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00but there are still a few corners of forest that have been left untouched.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Back in the summer, John visited one such wilderness,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06deep in the heart of Snowdonia.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Hidden amidst a vast plantation of conifers
0:20:14 > 0:20:16is something very rare indeed.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20A mystical Celtic rainforest.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27Here, the ancient woodlands battle against the dark, foreboding conifers.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Mosses and lichens softly carpet the forest floor.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Like all good rainforests, it needs lots of moisture.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44And this part of Wales gets as much as 200 days of rainfall every year.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50But why is that? Weatherman David Lee, should have the answer.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- It's just been raining again, David, in the rainforest.- It has indeed.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Why is this part of Wales so wet?
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It's the mountains, really. The air comes in off the Atlantic.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02As it comes towards Wales, the mountains are north-south,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04the weather hits it and starts to rise
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and you can see all this cloud here today.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08As the main weather systems go across,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11sometimes the westerly behind is still moist
0:21:11 > 0:21:14and we can still be left with areas of cloud.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- This is a cloud, OK? - That's a mountain.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20That's a mountain and it's coming in across the mountain.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22As it hits the mountain, it rises
0:21:22 > 0:21:24and as it rises bits of rain come out.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28It's these extra bits of rain that follow the main rain
0:21:28 > 0:21:31that keep it damp for so long here.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33But doesn't the wind dry things out?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Here, in amongst the trees, the wind goes up the top,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38the moisture stays here.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And with the cloud, the sun can't get in,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42so the moisture just stays on the ground.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44'And it's that moisture that produces
0:21:44 > 0:21:49'perfect conditions for some of Britain's most enigmatic flora.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'Clinging to the trees and rocks is a whole other world.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56'And botanist Ray Woods knows just how important
0:21:56 > 0:21:59'the Celtic rainforest is for its survival.'
0:21:59 > 0:22:04How is it, Ray, that this little fragment of rainforest
0:22:04 > 0:22:06has managed to survive?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I think we're just demonstrated perfectly why.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12The block scree here, very difficult to walk on.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15All the woodlands around here were turned into charcoal,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but little fragments like this may just have survived
0:22:18 > 0:22:21- that experience because of... - All these boulders and moss.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26As rainforests go, how do you rate this one? How significant is it?
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Oh, the British rainforests are amazing. They are so rare now.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33But if you look at the numbers of species that we've got in them,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37they rival some of the best of the tropical, humid forests.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- This one boulder has a number of lichens on it.- Amazing boulder!
0:22:40 > 0:22:45There's this lovely one here, this is called the speckled sea storm lichen
0:22:45 > 0:22:49because the lobes of it look like the waves on the sea.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52The one next to it is called a smooth loop lichen
0:22:52 > 0:22:55because its lobes look like they've got little tiny loops.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58And this loves really wet, humid conditions.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- And the little mosses and liverworts here.- Yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03This one is very rare on a world scale.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Virtually the entire world population is in the British Isles. That's what makes
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- these woods so important. - What about this one? - This is much more common.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This is the common Tamarisk moss.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16But all these wonderful moss cushions keep the soil moist, the rocks moist.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19They colour the landscape of western Britain, they colour the boulders,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22the woods. What you're looking at here is lichens, mosses and liverworts
0:23:22 > 0:23:24They are the landscape and they're wonderful.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I hope more people get out here and appreciate them,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31despite the wonderful, damp, soft weather that they enjoy.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- They wouldn't be here without it. - Not at all.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And this rare British rainforest will now be protected
0:23:38 > 0:23:43because the Woodland Trust has bought 1,000 acres of Cwm Mynach.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Hello, Kylie.- Hi, John. - What's going on today then?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I'm pulling some saplings from conifers that were planted
0:23:52 > 0:23:54on this ancient woodland site in the 1950s,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and they are spreading through the under-storey,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59as you can see, quite rapidly.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- Wow, that's quite a job you've got!- Yes.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04What we really want is to give these sort of things a chance -
0:24:04 > 0:24:06the birch, the rowan, the oak -
0:24:06 > 0:24:10the native broadleaf trees we want to see growing here.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Why did the Trust buy this forest?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16This is a fragment of ancient woodland, it's a very rare habitat,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18so we want to allow it to move back
0:24:18 > 0:24:20towards its former glory really.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Why concentrate on broadleaves? What's wrong with conifers?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The problem is, often they've been planted in a very dense rows
0:24:28 > 0:24:32on very fragile, special habitats, like ancient woodlands.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35In the spring, our native wildflowers come up,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37looking for the daylight,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and you can see how dark it is under the conifers.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43So not only are you going to be pulling up the saplings, but you've got
0:24:43 > 0:24:45these great big things to chop down as well.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Yes, there are some very large spruce trees behind us.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- This is a very long-term project, isn't it?- It is.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I'm expecting to come back here when I'm a very elderly lady
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and see the fruits of my labours.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But hopefully, perhaps in 50 years' time, the majority of this site
0:25:00 > 0:25:03will be covered by native broadleaf woodland.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Here's one over here that needs some shifting.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- Maybe this is a bit big for us. - Careful there!
0:25:10 > 0:25:13HE GRUNTS
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Geronimo!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18One less little pine spruce.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23'Just in time, this last fragment of dark, damp,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'wonderful Celtic rainforest has been saved.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28'And now it will thrive and grow.'
0:25:38 > 0:25:40'Prickly Nut Wood is also thriving.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44'It might not be a Celtic rainforest, but it does have its veterans.'
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I've been given the great honour of labelling this tree
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Veteran 4, which means it's the fourth tree in Ben's wood
0:25:51 > 0:25:54which has been left to grow old gracefully
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and cannot be chopped down. There we go.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59How old is this oak, do you reckon, Ben?
0:25:59 > 0:26:05- I reckon this oak is somewhere around 320 to 350 years old.- Wow!
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Yes, the reign of Charles II, this would have started growing.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Oh, that's mind-blowing!
0:26:10 > 0:26:12But it's only really a young, middle-aged oak,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15because these can grow on to 1,000 years.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- So there's room for it to grow. I've left room there. - I'll keep an eye on it,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- and if it grows too much, I'll move it out again.- Fantastic.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Later on, I'm going to be seeing how Ben has fashioned
0:26:25 > 0:26:28some of his younger trees into an eco-caravan.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32And Matt will be taking on Somerset's finest
0:26:32 > 0:26:34in an epic battle to lay the best hedge.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And can we expect rain in the week ahead?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40We'll have the Countryfile forecast.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44But first of all, Adam's been finding out how farm animals
0:26:44 > 0:26:48can survive and thrive, grazing on the forest floor.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I've got about 70 pigs of four different breeds
0:26:59 > 0:27:01on my farm in the Cotswolds.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Some of them live outdoors and others we bring into the sheds to fatten up.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08When I heard about a man who keeps all his rare breed pigs in woodland,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11I couldn't resist the opportunity to come and check it out.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Ray Harris has been farming pigs in these woods for over 15 years.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20He thinks there are real benefits to rearing them this way.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Hi, how are you?- Hello, Adam, nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Nice to meet you too.- What a lovely Tamworth wow, isn't she gorgeous?
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Yes, she's getting on a bit now, but she's really good.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- We just weaned a litter off her. - You're keeping pigs,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40but your background is forestry. How did it all come about?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42The idea is that the pigs are actually
0:27:42 > 0:27:46a tool that we use in the woodlands
0:27:46 > 0:27:48to help the ecosystem of the forestry.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52In the springtime, when some of the shoots are coming through,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54especially in Herefordshire, where we are now,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56you get a lot of bramble.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00If the woodland activities have opened up space in the forestry,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02the canopy's gone, if you can get in there
0:28:02 > 0:28:06and start to control the woodlands by using the pigs, then hopefully
0:28:06 > 0:28:10a lot more of these flowers and different habitat
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- is there for the wildlife as well. - I keep Tamworths at home
0:28:13 > 0:28:18and they can be quite destructive. They'll wreck pasture. Do they cause a lot of damage in the wood?
0:28:18 > 0:28:22If they are left here for too long, yes. That's the idea of sectioning
0:28:22 > 0:28:25different areas off. If you put them into the wood to free range,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28then you've got no control on the areas they're to manage.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Are they happy in the woods?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Look for yourself, they love it.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34This is their habitat.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'In another woodland, high on a hilltop,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42'Ray keeps two young female Tamworths.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46'Every five years, Ray starts a new bloodline
0:28:46 > 0:28:48'to prevent inter-breeding.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51'Today, one fortunate Tamworth boar will be making this his new home.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Why have you got the boar in here, then?
0:28:54 > 0:28:55I've just recently purchased him
0:28:55 > 0:28:59and it's going to be his first time to be released into the woodlands.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02- So...- Anything could happen. - It could do.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06I'm hoping everything goes to plan and he'll settle in really well.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Right, then, fella.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14He's so lucky, he's got a lake, a wonderful woodland,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17a fantastic view and two beautiful wives.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Come on, then, boy, come and meet your lovely ladies.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Come on, then. That's it.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- He certainly seems very happy. - He's loving it, isn't he?
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Already those instincts are kicking in.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39The first time in the woodlands, first time to water.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- Is he going to cross the water, do you think?- I don't know,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45but there again, look at him now.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49- He's actually in there, isn't he? - He is. He's loving it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52He's really enjoying that. I'm chuffed to bits with that.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54And this chomping and all the froth around their mouth -
0:29:54 > 0:29:57that's him asserting his dominance to the females, isn't it?
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Yeah, yeah. It is, and there's been no nastiness about it.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03They've taken to him really well
0:30:03 > 0:30:06and he's been up to them, really smelling around them -
0:30:06 > 0:30:09none of this argy-bargy which sometimes occurs.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Yeah, they can fight, can't they?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Yeah, a little bit of damage could be caused.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Hang on, Ray - looks like there's a bit of love in the air, there.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25- I think so. Trying to mate up with her now, isn't he?- Goodness me.
0:30:35 > 0:30:36Would she be in season, do you think?
0:30:36 > 0:30:41I don't think she is yet, but she is actually standing for him,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44so we'll just have to mark the date down.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Well, I mean, it's paradise for pigs, isn't it, here?
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I mean, it couldn't be better.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01If I was going to be a pig, this is where I would want to live.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- Oh, yeah. Well, I love coming up here and feeding them. - Look - he's in the water now!
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Well, it's been a real eye-opener for me to come and see pigs living like this.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11No, it's been a privilege having you here. It really has.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14I'll have to see whether we can fix something back up at home. Get mine into the woods.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Best place for them.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24It's not just pigs that are in their element
0:31:24 > 0:31:26under the canopy of the trees.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28On a visit to another farm earlier in the year,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Adam discovered that cattle, too, like a walk in the woods.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35I'm heading to a farm on the Devon-Somerset border
0:31:35 > 0:31:37where they've got a herd of 80 longhorn cattle.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40They used to be a rare breed, but now they're much more popular
0:31:40 > 0:31:43and they're magnificent animals, so I can't wait to see them.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Russell Batchelor and his family were dairy farmers for over 60 years.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53But they couldn't make it pay.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56He's recently taken on a herd of longhorn cattle.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Perfect. They get the calves on first and shut them in
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and then the cows will run up to be with their calves
0:32:08 > 0:32:09and they'll load easily.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24We're taking this lot to Forestry Commission woodland leased by Russell.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27The lease came with 80 longhorns.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30For ten years, Russell can breed and sell the meat,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34but when the ten years are up he has to hand back a herd of the same size.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Now this is a pretty unusual place to graze your herd - in the middle of a wood.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43It is, Adam, you're right. I like to be a little bit different.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- So how big is this area of woodland? - I think it's about 70 acres, Adam.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Goodness me. So they've got the roam, the freedom of all this land.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- Will you ever find them again? - I hope so.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02THEY LAUGH
0:33:02 > 0:33:05'Longhorn numbers fell to just a couple of hundred in the 1970s.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'Today there are 6,000 breeding females nationally
0:33:08 > 0:33:11'thanks to dedicated farmers like Russell.'
0:33:25 > 0:33:27I mean, it's a bit like a step back in time, isn't it?
0:33:27 > 0:33:29It could almost be 100 years ago.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32It could be - that's what my dad keeps telling me,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- what with the horns and the colouring and the forest, it does look like that.- Really lovely.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- They are making a cut through. Shall we nip through here? - Yeah, let's get them.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- They look right at home here, don't they?- They really do, don't they?
0:33:54 > 0:33:57They look like they belong here. This one here's eating crab apples.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Presumably there's stacks of grub for them.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Yeah, yeah - there's plenty of food for them.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07Grasses and leaves and other bits of short brash that they like eating.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- There's a calf enjoying the beech leaves, there.- Yeah.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13There's another cow having a good old scratch, there.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16It's just perfect, isn't it? Are you happy with it?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I mean, it's quite a challenge, I assume.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23It is, yeah. It's a big challenge. Actually trying to find them is probably the worst challenge.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You spend an hour most days checking one lot
0:34:25 > 0:34:29and you can't find just one so you have to hunt the forest.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- Yeah.- But that's part of it. It's good fun.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36'For the Forestry Commission, it's all about conservation by grazing.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41'These cattle will help to manage the woodland and encourage biodiversity.'
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And how long will you leave these here for now? Are they in here for the winter?
0:34:44 > 0:34:47No, no. I won't keep them here for the winter.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50They'll be here until it gets wet or cold - one or the other -
0:34:50 > 0:34:54and then they'll be hauled back home and live in barns for the winter.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- If you can ever catch them again. - Yeah. I'm sure I will.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01THEY CHUCKLE Well, what a lovely place to work.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Back in West Sussex, woodsman Ben Law's not got livestock to deal with
0:35:15 > 0:35:19but he is surrounded by plenty of wildlife.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Butterfly conservation volunteer Penny Green has come to the wood
0:35:23 > 0:35:26to check out what's lurking in the undergrowth.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29But it's not butterflies she's getting excited about here.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32We're after a Clifden nonpareil.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Very rare - only a handful are recorded each year
0:35:35 > 0:35:39and in this part of the country at this time of year
0:35:39 > 0:35:42is the best chance we got to try and track one down.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47And these aspen trees are just what they love
0:35:47 > 0:35:50so time for us to find out if she's had any luck.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Well, apparently, Penny's never actually seen one before.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58- Penny, what is a Clifden nonpareil? - It's a moth.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- A moth? Hence the moth trap. - Yay!- Got it.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05It's got this beautiful blue petticoat on its underwings
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and it's really the creme de la creme for moth recorders.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10- OK, so maybe there will be one in here.- Who knows?
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- It's a long shot, but we'll give it a go.- OK, good, good, good.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- So we've got a green-brindled crescent, here. - That's got some nice green.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Yeah, it's got some nice bits of green on it that will help it blend in with the lichen
0:36:21 > 0:36:23if it's resting on tree trunks during the day.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25And we've also got a red-green carpet here,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27which is very, very beautiful.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30And unusual, that, sort of, flick up there.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Yeah, it's got its little tail up in the air
0:36:32 > 0:36:34which makes it look a bit like a twig.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- I've got one right here.- Hey!
0:36:36 > 0:36:39You've got a common marbled carpet brooch there.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- I think I wear it well.- Very well.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43It's a lovely rich brown, this one, isn't it?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Yeah, this one's a chestnut, which is quite apt, really,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49cos it feeds on sweet chestnut which you've got plenty of here.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Yeah, you'd certainly expect to find those.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Is this a perfect place for somebody who's interested in moths, like you?
0:36:55 > 0:36:56Oh, it's fantastic.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00You've just got so many different species in this part of the wood
0:37:00 > 0:37:02and you've got the open rides and the glades
0:37:02 > 0:37:04where the sun can get down on to the ground
0:37:04 > 0:37:07to create lots of ground flora which, again,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11then goes on to provide the food plants that the moths need
0:37:11 > 0:37:12in their larval stages,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15so what you've got here is really perfect woodland.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Here's the last egg box. We've got a couple of common marbled carpets.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23- Yeah, I think that's it.- Oh. No Clifden nonpareil, not this time.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Well, don't worry cos I've brought one along in my hair
0:37:26 > 0:37:27just in case you didn't get one.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- Look at that.- Is that what it looks like? Oh, what a beaut.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33- Now you know what you're looking for, Ben.- I do.- One of those.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Well, any of these beauties would have made the perfect subject
0:37:36 > 0:37:40for our photographic competition with its theme - "A walk on the wild side".
0:37:41 > 0:37:44The winning photos, along with the other finalists,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47have pride of place in the Countryfile calendar.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50John's got details of how you can buy one.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52You can order copies right now either by going to our website,
0:37:52 > 0:37:53which is...
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Or by calling the order line on...
0:38:11 > 0:38:13To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to...
0:38:22 > 0:38:27And please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile calendar.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32It costs £9 and at least £4 from every sale goes to Children In Need.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Here in West Sussex it's time to leave this wildlife behind
0:38:40 > 0:38:43and get on with the job in hand.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Oh, wow. So what's this that's taking shape?
0:38:46 > 0:38:52- This is a caravan for one of this year's apprentices.- Wow.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55It's designed in the same way as my house.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57It's a ram-wood timber-framed caravan
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and it's built, as you can see, with the traditional A-frames
0:39:01 > 0:39:04which give the caravan so much strength.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Ah, OK. It's got a little porch and everything!
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Yeah, there will be steps coming up to it and then you'll have a space
0:39:11 > 0:39:14to take off your coat, wet clothes, seat out there.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17You'll need that on a day like today because it's very soggy.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19And then into the actual caravan.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23That'll be very basic, with burning stove, but it'll all be insulated with sheep's wool
0:39:23 > 0:39:25so it'll be pretty cosy in there.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29'The sweet chestnut we felled earlier is destined for this caravan,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'but this is no weather for structural work
0:39:31 > 0:39:34'so I'm leaving the lads to tinker on their deluxe model
0:39:34 > 0:39:37'while I go and check out the old model,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40'home to Ben's current apprentice, Max Lyne.'
0:39:44 > 0:39:47- Hello, Max.- Hello. - Can I come in?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- To your woodland crib? - Yes, you can.- Wow!
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Let me switch the lights on so we can see what we're doing.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- So you've got power in here? - I have, yeah.- Oh, look at that.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58It's posh, isn't it?
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- Top end!- There we go.- Look at this.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05- So, cosy wood-burning stove and an exercise bike.- Yes.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09It's kind of exercise bike, kind of power generator.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- You create your own electricity by pedalling?- I do, yes.- Look at that!
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Which is just what you need after a long day in the woods.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19I can well imagine. Can I make you some electricity just now?
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- Yeah, definitely. Be my guest. - You've had a tough day in the woods.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24- I have. - I'm not wearing cycling gear.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26My jeans are a bit on the tight side.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29And a bit on the wet side. Sorry about that -
0:40:29 > 0:40:31it's a bit ungracious. Oh, look at this!
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Gosh, there's work to be done, isn't there?
0:40:34 > 0:40:37So basically what you have to do is pedal it fast enough
0:40:37 > 0:40:41to get the green light behind you to go out.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- SHE LAUGHS - This is loads of work! - It is quite a lot of effort.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Do you get to, like, watch DVDs or anything?
0:40:47 > 0:40:52- Mm, if I bring my laptop up here, then yes.- Yeah?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55But that takes even more work still.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57I'm determined you're going to watch TV tonight.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01- I'll give you a bit of Freeview here.- All right. Yeah, cheers. - Oh, my word - it's loads of work!
0:41:01 > 0:41:05So, for a two hour DVD I would need you to pedal at that rate
0:41:05 > 0:41:08probably for about two hours.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- You're kidding. So it's real-time?- Yeah.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23It strikes me that the good life is a bit on the energetic side,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26but it seems that Ben and the boys here aren't the only ones
0:41:26 > 0:41:29intent on forest lifestyle, as Jules found out last winter.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Deep in the woodlands of the Herefordshire countryside lies a bit of an oasis.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Something you might not necessarily expect, apparently.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54Well, I say "apparently"
0:41:54 > 0:41:58because the powers that be at Countryfile HQ has given me
0:41:58 > 0:42:01nothing more than a grid reference and a brief description.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03I'm looking for a forest in which -
0:42:03 > 0:42:07wait for it - is a man called Sherwood.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09You couldn't make it up, really.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11And I am being honest with you here
0:42:11 > 0:42:15when I say that I haven't got a clue what I'm going to find.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23It's a sawmill. It's got to be sawmill...
0:42:25 > 0:42:26..of sorts.
0:42:32 > 0:42:33An old bus.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Hello!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Sherwood? - JULES LAUGHS
0:42:45 > 0:42:48- Nice to see you, sir. How are you? - All right, thank you, yes.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Now, I've been told absolutely nothing about where we are,
0:42:51 > 0:42:56what you're doing here, but driving in - piles of timber everywhere.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58We're in this lovely forest - I mean,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01clearly you must be some sort of woodsman.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Yes, I haven't always been a woodsman.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07I was in industry for 19 years before I was lucky enough to escape.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- Is this home?- It is home, yes.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Yes, I've been in that bus now since 1989
0:43:14 > 0:43:17and I've been here since 1996.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22- Come on, show me round. Come on.- OK, all right, OK. Let's have a look. OK.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26- Here we go. Past the brewery. - The brewery?
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- I'll explain everything shortly. - Home-brew?- Yes.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30You'll need plenty of that up here.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36- How many acres have you got here in total, then?- 40 acres.- 40?
0:43:36 > 0:43:40- Which is plenty to play in.- Plenty to play in? Plenty to get lost in.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43'So let's get this straight - Sherwood left the rat race
0:43:43 > 0:43:48'15 years ago to live in a bus in a forest on his own.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51'He tells me he now makes his living making charcoal,
0:43:51 > 0:43:55'restoring buildings and he also runs training courses in woodland crafts.'
0:43:55 > 0:43:58- Past the hens.- I love it.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'But as yet I'm still in the dark about where he's leading me.'
0:44:01 > 0:44:03You're joking. What this?
0:44:06 > 0:44:11A workshop with a small space at the end for accommodation.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14This is the kind of thing I've always dreamt of.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16This clearing I've created,
0:44:16 > 0:44:21all of the timber that came from here is all going to go back in the house.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24I absolutely salute your ambition for this. I love it.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- Thanks very much. - I absolutely love it.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31When you get inside this thing, it really does start to come to life.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33That's when you can appreciate just how tall it is.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36- Well, I can see that you haven't had to do it all on your own.- No, no.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39- Hi, guys.- I have some very good friends.- How are you?
0:44:39 > 0:44:41How do you get them in? What's in it for them?
0:44:41 > 0:44:45I managed to lure them in with the promise of beer and food. It seems to work.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- So this is the home-brew? - That's the reason for the brewery.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Yeah, but I get a lot out of it, too.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I think we are all teaching each other.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55A lot of the skills that I've acquired,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57I've learned off other people, not from books.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00And hopefully some of what I know I can pass back to them.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04It's always a pleasure to work with wood
0:45:04 > 0:45:06and it's as simple as that, really.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Getting the tools out, selecting the right piece and seeing the joy
0:45:09 > 0:45:12when you deliver what it is that you've made.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Now, how long is it going to take you to actually finish this off?
0:45:15 > 0:45:17I don't want to rush this.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19So much of my life is spent rushing to finish
0:45:19 > 0:45:23and meeting other people's deadlines. I haven't set myself a deadline.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27I want this to be joy and it won't be if I feel under pressure,
0:45:27 > 0:45:28even if it's self-imposed.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30I'll duck.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34'When finished, the workshop will boast three good-sized rooms,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37'one for living accommodation and two for his woodwork,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40'and the walls will be made of straw bales.'
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Well, this looks like a job about to happen.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Yeah, well, this is a larch tree
0:45:46 > 0:45:49which unfortunately got blown down in the last couple of days
0:45:49 > 0:45:52and I need a piece to make one of the beams in the house.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54But it's done the hard work for us, hasn't it?
0:45:54 > 0:45:57It's chosen the direction it's going to fall in. We don't have to decide.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Although, a good job it went that way and not that way.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04- That would have ruined someone's sleep, wouldn't it?- Who lives in there?
0:46:04 > 0:46:07That's Jack. He's one of the volunteers
0:46:07 > 0:46:09and fortunately he's not here this week,
0:46:09 > 0:46:13but, yeah, it could have given him a nasty surprise, couldn't it?
0:46:13 > 0:46:15So what do we need to do with this, then?
0:46:15 > 0:46:17What we're going to do is clean off the branches,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- we'll cut the length and you can carry it out.- On my own?
0:46:20 > 0:46:22All on your own. You might get a little bit of help.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33'Building materials don't get more locally sourced than this.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39'And the only energy used today - apart from a couple of machines -
0:46:39 > 0:46:41'is mine and the team's.' Beautiful.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44- Tea's up.- 'Music to my ears.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48'It also gives me the opportunity to catch up with the other folk
0:46:48 > 0:46:51'helping in Sherwood's forest.'
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- This is fabulous. Wow. Hi, everybody.- Hello.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56This is clearly the centre of operations, isn't it?
0:46:56 > 0:46:58This is where most of the work's done.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03- And who's in charge of the kitchen? - Oh, well, Tom today.- Is that right?
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Hello, Tom. Nice to see you.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08What's in it for you, Tom, as a volunteer here?
0:47:08 > 0:47:11The way of life. Everything is, kind of, connected.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Everything that goes into the house comes out the woods,
0:47:13 > 0:47:18waste we stick on the fire and that goes into baking our bread and keeping our tea.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20I mean, not to draw out the Robin Hood analogy too far,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23but you are creating what seems to be a very happy band of men -
0:47:23 > 0:47:26well, and women, in the corner there. Who have we got there?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29- That's another convict. - I'm Jo.- Hello, Jo. Another...
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Did you say another convict?- See, Paul and Jo there can't go too far.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- What are you making, Jo? - I'm making a teaspoon.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39- So many visitors I thought that we needed some more.- Wonderful.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42That's terrific. So absolutely nothing goes to waste?
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- No, not even small bits. - Even the small bits.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51'But there's no rest for the wicked.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55'Tom's going to show me the structure from a different perspective.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58'Let's hope I've got a head for heights.'
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Wow. How about it? Amazing.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02Nice place to watch the sunset.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06And you get a real sense of the architecture of the structure, don't you?
0:48:06 > 0:48:10- Right, then - let's get the tape out. Yeah, 4 X 2.- 4 X 2.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12140 and a half.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21Many measurements, hours of graft and 11 whole months later
0:48:21 > 0:48:24and I'm pleased to say Sherwood's house almost has a roof.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26With luck, it should be finished
0:48:26 > 0:48:29before the winter weather begins to bite.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36And talking about the weather, if you're heading out into the woods
0:48:36 > 0:48:40you'll want to know the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12Here in West Sussex, we've been celebrating life in our woodlands and forests
0:51:12 > 0:51:15by taking a look through the Countryfile archive
0:51:15 > 0:51:17and enjoying a day in Prickly Nut Wood.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19But the light's beginning to fade
0:51:19 > 0:51:23and it's just about time to down tools.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26At the risk of reinforcing an age-old stereotype,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28I'm putting the tea on while Ben makes fire
0:51:28 > 0:51:31and while we do that, there's just time to see Matt
0:51:31 > 0:51:35put his woodworking skills to the test in Somerset's Blackdown Hills.
0:51:41 > 0:51:42This landscape is unique
0:51:42 > 0:51:47because there isn't a single city or town within its boundaries.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49The Blackdown Hills is scattered
0:51:49 > 0:51:51with small villages and mostly dairy farms,
0:51:51 > 0:51:55all surrounded by miles and miles of hedges.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59There's around 33,000 miles of hedgerow in Devon
0:51:59 > 0:52:01and winter is the ideal time to manage them.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05For decades, it's been the job for a traditional hedge layer.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10So I'm meeting a man who's known simply as The Hedge.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Martin, how you doing? Are you all right?
0:52:12 > 0:52:14Now, come on, while are you called The Hedge?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Well, I've been called lots of things over the years,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19but I think it probably comes from the fact
0:52:19 > 0:52:21that I've been hedge-laying since I was nine.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25And currently I'm chairman of the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association
0:52:25 > 0:52:29- and, for my sins, I'm currently the Devon national champion.- Good lad.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33We're passionate about it, really. We want to keep this traditional skill alive.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- And is it people that are coming from all walks of life?- All walks of life.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39The important thing is to pass the skill to young people.
0:52:39 > 0:52:40Apart from it being a beautiful art form
0:52:40 > 0:52:43and a very practical skill to be able to do, you know,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45there's that competition element, which I understand
0:52:45 > 0:52:48there's going to be a little competition today, and that's why I'm here.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Well, we could spend hours talking about hedge laying, Matt,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54but the best way for you to learn is actually to have a go,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- and we've set up a little bit of competition this morning. - I'm happy to do that.- Good.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02Well, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge,
0:53:02 > 0:53:03but this is serious business.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07Joining Martin on the judging panel are previous hedge-laying champions
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Roger Parris and Colin Ridson.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I'm being partnered by George Pidgeon.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15He's been laying hedges for 50 years and knows his stuff.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19We're competing against Tom Aplin and Tessa Stone.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- Yeah, how experienced are you two? - Well, we've done a little bit,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25but we just like to keep the tradition alive, you know?
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Oh, very good. 'Seems like a level playing field. Let's get started.
0:53:29 > 0:53:35'Unlike other hedges across the country, the ones in Devon sit on an earth bank.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'Hedge laying is all about restoring them so farm animals can't escape.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40'Overgrown branches are used to plug the gaps.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43'You have to cut them at the base and lay them down
0:53:43 > 0:53:46'without severing them so the branches can regrow.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48'It's an art called pleaching.'
0:53:52 > 0:53:55You're like me when I first started - worried about cutting it off.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59You don't want to be too frightened of it. It's still holding.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03- Is that all right?- No, I think you've been and messed it up.- I told you!
0:54:03 > 0:54:06He was saying, "More, more, more!" I was like, "No!"
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Well, I suppose that was probably down to inexperience,
0:54:08 > 0:54:10wasn't it, losing that pleacher?
0:54:10 > 0:54:14- It was the expert that told me the chop it!- That's true, yeah.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20'The next job is to hammer in a crook to keep the hedge in position.'
0:54:24 > 0:54:27- Tidy up that one. Go a bit more if you can.- Oh, he's down! He's down!
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Stewart, inquiry.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Oh, dear. He obviously hasn't got his Devon legs on yet.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34'Right, stand by, everyone.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37'George is about to attempt the pleach of all pleaches.'
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- Have we gone too far, George? - No, we haven't.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Yes, we haven't gone too far. So good.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47Oh, George - here it comes!
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Right, let it go.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Oh, that's absolutely unbelievable. - Well done.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57'Time to see how Tom and Tessa's work would compare.'
0:54:57 > 0:55:00Gee, you've done a good job there. Nice pleaching.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02Listen to me judging.
0:55:02 > 0:55:07The thing is, they haven't been entirely honest about their credentials.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12- Well, I am national Young Farmers champion 2008.- Get in.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Congratulations, good lad. And...?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17And I've currently got the ladies cup
0:55:17 > 0:55:20from the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association.
0:55:20 > 0:55:25Thought so. It's lovely. Very, very nice.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27'Ringers, the pair of them.'
0:55:29 > 0:55:33- How about yourself?- Shall I tell you or not?- Yeah, go on.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37- I've never actually won a competition.- Yes!
0:55:37 > 0:55:39- This is going to be the first. - Yep, yep.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42- HE WHISTLES - Time's up. Competition's over, folks.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Come and join the judges for the decision.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49- Here we go.- Well done. - This is it, George.- Good job there.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51- Better than them. - Let's go and get the verdict.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54And it's a very close decision.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Because you've both done a really, really good job
0:55:57 > 0:55:59with the material you got available.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04We basically judged it on the quality of the cutting
0:56:04 > 0:56:08and we have to say that the result of the 2012
0:56:08 > 0:56:13Countryfile Blackdown Hills Hedge-Laying Competition is...
0:56:16 > 0:56:18- ..Matt and George.- Yes! We did it.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Oh, that's amazing. I'm really sorry. I am.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23Honestly, I'm sorry.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27You can tell by my voice.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Seriously? Is that serious?
0:56:29 > 0:56:31George has won his first competition.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34- Gosh, look at that, man! - You said I would.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41Well, I think I'm just going to sit here and admire this winning hedge.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Absolutely delighted.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Well, it's good to see Matt's winning streak
0:56:53 > 0:56:55finally rubbing off on others.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- This is the life, isn't it, Ben, at the end of the day?- It certainly is.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- So this is your woodsman's den? - Yeah, very much so.
0:57:01 > 0:57:06This came down in the hurricane in 1987 and I made my first shelter
0:57:06 > 0:57:09and lit my first fire here and been here ever since.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13Good, it's perfect at the end of a rainy day in the woods, isn't it?
0:57:13 > 0:57:17- It certainly has been.- Well, that's it from Countryfile this week.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Next week, Matt and I will be in the Forest of Dean
0:57:20 > 0:57:23to mark the 70th anniversary of the Women's Timber Corps.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25I hope you can join us then. Bye-bye.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd