0:00:27 > 0:00:28The Vale of Aylesbury.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33Rolling English countryside, reaching down to the Chilterns.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36This historic Buckinghamshire landscape is an inspiring patchwork
0:00:36 > 0:00:41of ancient woodland, chalky grassland and grand estates.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It's easy to see, then, why it's a setting which has captured
0:00:50 > 0:00:54the imagination of some of our greatest authors and poets.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58It was where John Milton found his Paradise Lost,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00where Enid Blyton brought Noddy to life,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04and where Roald Dahl first saw the Fantastic Mr Fox.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10But it's not just fictitious animals that form part of this landscape.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13After serving their country, Jules discovers what happens
0:01:13 > 0:01:17when our faithful old horses decide to hang up their shoes for good.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You ought to have that as a souvenir.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25You ought to take that back and put it on the wall of the station.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29John's finding out about a controversial new source of energy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Two miles beneath the surface here,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35there's natural gas trapped in rock,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39and getting it out involves a technique new to this country
0:01:39 > 0:01:42called fracking, which has been blamed
0:01:42 > 0:01:44for creating earthquakes and fireballs.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48But is fracking quite as bad as some people would have us believe?
0:01:48 > 0:01:49I'll be investigating.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'And Adam's on the trail of his very own wheat harvest.'
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So there's about £4,500's worth going off down the drive,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and that's a year's hard work.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Hopefully, the cheque will be arriving soon.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14From its wide chalk valleys to golden beech woodlands,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18the countryside around the Vale of Aylesbury is ripe
0:02:18 > 0:02:19with rural splendour.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27And it's inspired some of our most famous writers to capture
0:02:27 > 0:02:29the essence of the landscape in their work.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The war poet Rupert Brooke loved to walk in the Chilterns,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37often stopping at his favourite watering hole for some liquid inspiration.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Rumour has it that the Aylesbury Vale even caught
0:02:39 > 0:02:42the attention of one William Shakespeare.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It's thought that he wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream
0:02:45 > 0:02:47while staying in the Chilterns.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And in this modest cottage in Chalfont St Giles,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54the poet John Milton completed his masterpiece Paradise Lost.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59With over 10,000 lines of verse,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it might not have oodles of easy reading appeal,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06but this guy's work was in the top ten of its time.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Oh, you must be Ellie!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'Curator Ed Dawson is so passionate about Milton's work,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'he reckons the poet could win a war of words with Shakespeare any day.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'Milton came here to escape the Plague,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'by which time he was completely blind.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:23He was overwhelmed and down in the dumps.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27He then buried himself in his great, epic poetry.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31And it was here that he finished it off.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Was he inspired by his surroundings here in the Chilterns?
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Well, he had the countryside and the rolling Chiltern Hills explained to him.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42He would have understood what the garden and surroundings looked like,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44the flowers and so on.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47He would have been able to use his imagination to enhance that,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50because, after all, in Paradise Lost,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53you have these great descriptions of Heaven and Hell
0:03:53 > 0:03:54by a man completely blind.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And here's the A-level English bit.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Apparently, he was a great neologist, whatever one of those is.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Neologism is the coining of words.
0:04:06 > 0:04:13- And there are 530-odd down to John Milton.- 530?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16What sort of words did he create?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Well, "pandemonium" is the most famous.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Which, of course, is Satan's headquarters in Paradise Lost.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Oh, I see.- That's where it first appears.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29But humble and ordinary words like "padlock" and "fragrance"
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and "terrific" - look them up in a good, encyclopaedic dictionary,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and they all come back to this extraordinary man.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Milton was certainly a whiz with words,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and 400 years later, his language lives on.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Later, I'll be finding out
0:04:49 > 0:04:53how nature inspired one of our best-loved children's authors,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57but first, fracking may not be a word you're familiar with, yet -
0:04:57 > 0:05:01it's the key to getting at the wealth of natural gas
0:05:01 > 0:05:03we have trapped under the British Isles.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But at what cost? John's been investigating.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21They say there are untold riches trapped in the ground
0:05:21 > 0:05:25beneath our feet - a new source of power deep down.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It could be the answer to all our energy prayers.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33But so far, it hasn't had the best press.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Controversial drilling operation...for natural shale gas
0:05:37 > 0:05:40has been suspended after a small earthquake near Blackpool.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Drilling for shale gas has been put forward as a great new hope,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50a way of helping to meet our future energy needs,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52of keeping the lights on.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56But just what is it? And why are we hearing about it only now?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00'To find out more about this brand-new energy source,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'I am meeting Professor Mike Stevenson.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08'He is a top scientist with the British Geological Survey.'
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Just what exactly is shale gas?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Well, the gas is the same kind of gas you get in the North Sea,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17it's methane gas. It's exactly the same kind of gas,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19but coming from a different kind of rock.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Here, the gas is in shale, which is very fine grained,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and it has gas in between the particles.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27You have to break it up to get the gas out.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31And how much shale gas do you think there could be underneath the UK?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34In this country, the British Geological Survey
0:06:34 > 0:06:38has come up with a figure of 150 billion cubic metres.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39That's an awful lot.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's an awful lot, but that's just what we think might be there.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46What you can actually take out could be an awful lot less than that,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49could even be only 10% or 5% of that.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But it could be potentially very important.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It could be, yes, because it would be our own home-grown gas,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57as opposed to gas we import.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Gas companies are hoping methane reserves could be even higher,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03but getting at it is tricky.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05The way it's done is called fracking.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09That means that water and sand and a specific chemical
0:07:09 > 0:07:13will be pumped into the very hard rock to fracture it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18That will release the natural gas, which can be brought to the surface.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22A special drill is sunk down thousands of feet, then it turns
0:07:22 > 0:07:26at right angles to bore horizontally along the shale deposit.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Small explosions open up fissures
0:07:28 > 0:07:31into which the water is pumped at pressure.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37It's this technique that is revolutionising the industry.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Gas that was once impossible to get at can now be reached.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45It's boom time in a business worth around £20 billion a year globally,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and Lancashire could have some of our biggest reserves.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Well, this is an exploration rig. How do you know where to put it?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Well, this area has had a lot of history of seismic work,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01where people have looked at and basically mapped underground.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04There have been a few other exploration wells here
0:08:04 > 0:08:06in the late '80s and '90s.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09That is how we looked at this licence area to start with.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Can we expect to see exploration rigs
0:08:11 > 0:08:13popping up all over Lancashire now?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15The rig is only here during the drilling phase.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17This rig will drill a well
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and then it will move someplace else and drill another well.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Once the wells are drilled, then they go into the production phase,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and the only thing that is left is just the wellheads,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30which are only about two metres high.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32So there is not something sticking up
0:08:32 > 0:08:34that you can see for a long way on the landscape.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39And, if you do go ahead and produce methane from down here,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43will that be cheaper than bringing it in from the North Sea?
0:08:45 > 0:08:46It has reduced the price of gas.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The price of gas in North America now
0:08:49 > 0:08:51is about a third of what it is here.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- And is that because of shale gas?- Yes.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59'He claims there could be more than 50 trillion cubic metres
0:08:59 > 0:09:01'of shale gas in Lancashire alone.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04'That's ten times more than
0:09:04 > 0:09:08'all the UK's conventional gas reserves put together.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:11And it's not just here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15There are potentially rich sources of it right across the country,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17from Scotland to Devon.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Here in the Mendip Hills of Somerset,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25there have been mines and quarries since Roman times.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Now, most of them are worked out.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32But many people round here are really concerned that the Mendips
0:09:32 > 0:09:36could be the next area to attract fracking for shale gas.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It may not look much on a gloomy day like today,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43but this quarry is in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47For campaigners like Nigel Taylor, shale gas seems like bad news.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Right behind me over my shoulder here is a site of special
0:09:50 > 0:09:55scientific interest which dates back 700,000 years, geologically.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00Above it is a botanical site of special scientific interest.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04This is unique on the Mendip Hills. It's such a fragile ecosystem here.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Fracking's not going to affect that?
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Can you give me the assurance of that?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10If you're breaking up the rocks below us and turning around
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and rupturing the limestone, pulling it apart,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16the backwash of it could come up into the fissures,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18could go into the caves.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22If you imagine the Mendip with layers of water disappearing
0:10:22 > 0:10:24through different passages,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26at all different heights through the Mendips -
0:10:26 > 0:10:30the Mendips are 1,000 feet tall -
0:10:30 > 0:10:34You're talking... If the water levels are dropping through
0:10:34 > 0:10:37the limestones and merging at the base in the springs there,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39we don't know yet what level they are drilling at.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Until somebody can give us satisfactory answers,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44nobody's going to be happy.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47So, are we right to be pressing ahead?
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Later, I will be hearing about concerns about fracking
0:10:50 > 0:10:52close to our most beautiful cities.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58And I'll investigate why the process is even to blame for earthquakes.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08The Chiltern Ridgeway in Buckinghamshire.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13An ancient old trade route that has relied on horse power for centuries.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17In the rich, golden beach woodlands lying just below these hills,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22the majestic workhorse is still very much a part of this landscape today.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Nick, you're a professional forester,
0:11:24 > 0:11:30but you decided to use working horses in your day-to-day life.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It can't be easy.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Easy, no, it is hard work.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37But it's a choice of conscience,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39an ecological choice as well.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41And it is fantastically traditional.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It is, it's something that has been happening in woodlands
0:11:44 > 0:11:47for a couple of hundred years - oxen before that.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- Who is this lovely old boy pulling these logs?- This is Silent.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54He's a 21-year-old Clydesdale,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and has been doing it for a good few years.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Working hard for your living. So how old is he again?- He is 21.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05How many hours a day would you expect him to work?
0:12:05 > 0:12:09He will work an eight-hour day like us, but will do two hours on
0:12:09 > 0:12:14and maybe a half hour's rest, another two hours, rest again.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15So we're not overworking him.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It does vary, depending on how far we have to drag these logs
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and how big a log we have to move.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24A horse can happily work for around 20 years,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26but then, like the rest of us,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29they want to hang up their shoes and retire.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Which is the case for one very special group of horses
0:12:33 > 0:12:34that I am now off to visit.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The Horse Trust is where
0:12:36 > 0:12:40many of the nation's hardest-working horses come to retire,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43including many from the police and military.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48What does the trust focus on today?
0:12:48 > 0:12:53We provide education and training, we also fund clinical research,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56but here at the home of rest, we focus on offering
0:12:56 > 0:12:59the time in respite for working horses, so horses
0:12:59 > 0:13:02that would be the taxpayers' responsibility, like army, police.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Well, it's all very noble, but how did it start?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08We're actually the oldest equine charity in the world,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11we're 125 years old.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14We were started in 1886 by a lady who read the novel Black Beauty
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and was inspired by the plight of the working London cab horse.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22So she rented a field and started loaning healthy horses
0:13:22 > 0:13:26to cab drivers whilst offering respite care to their animals,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29bringing them back up to health and then swapping them back.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33We weren't implying there was cruelty in the way the horses were treated,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37not malicious cruelty. Rather, they were just overworked,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42and the drivers were doing their best to care for them in difficult circumstances.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43'For some, however,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'it really has been a tragic case of animal cruelty.'
0:13:48 > 0:13:50This is Duke.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Back in 2008, he was caught up in the infamous Spindles Farm case.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56He and many other farm animals
0:13:56 > 0:14:00were subjected to some bouts of horrific animal cruelty.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01It has been described as
0:14:01 > 0:14:04one of Britain's worst cases of animal cruelty.
0:14:04 > 0:14:0732 horses were found dead and 111 other animals had to be
0:14:07 > 0:14:10rescued from a farm in Buckinghamshire last week.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Even though the trust has helped nurture Duke back from the brink
0:14:14 > 0:14:17of death, he has ongoing issues with colic,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and today, the vets are going to try to diagnose his problems
0:14:21 > 0:14:22by passing a camera down him.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24He is looking a bit dopey now.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28First, the vet inserts the scope up poor old Duke's nose.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31He then has to swallow it in order to inspect
0:14:31 > 0:14:35the intestine further, all of which is pretty uncomfortable.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Colic - basically, there are various causes of it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It means pain in the abdomen.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44In some cases, it will be fatal, unless they have surgery.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48In some cases, medical treatment will resolve the issue.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Fortunately for Duke, all his cases of colic have been medical
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and we have been able to resolve them with painkillers and drugs.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00This looks nice and healthy. Just stop for a second.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Just have a look at that. All right.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- He's just feeling that a little bit in his gullet.- Bits of hay.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08Little bits of food material,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12you see that nice, furry, carpet-like lining of the intestine.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17You can see a few ulcers here, just those little red spots.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20I wouldn't anticipate that that would cause
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the sort of symptoms that you have described.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26'It's good news that these ulcers aren't serious,
0:15:26 > 0:15:31'but what is troubling him is still unclear, and he'll need further investigations.'
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- Good man. There we go.- I've got it, that's it.- Terrific. Good boy.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Hopefully, Duke's problems won't escalate,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and he'll make a strong and swift recovery
0:15:42 > 0:15:45so he can hook up with the other residents out at pasture.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Adding to those numbers are four newcomers that have just
0:15:49 > 0:15:51been retired by Greater Manchester Police.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55They are 17-year-old Jack Pridey, followed by Nickleby,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58the oldest and longest-serving of the bunch at 19 years.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Oliver is a 17-year-old chestnut gelding, and finally, Fairfax,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the youngest at 14, and the flightiest.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But before they retire, there is one last job to do,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and that is to shake off those working shoes for good.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20- So, that's it, the very last time the shoe will be on those feet.- Yes.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21Do you know what?
0:16:21 > 0:16:26I kind of think you ought to have that as a souvenir.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30You ought to take that back and put it on the wall.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31OK, thank you!
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Between them, these chaps have a combined 50 years of service
0:16:36 > 0:16:40with the Greater Manchester Police, working in all situations,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43including the recent public disorder and football matches.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Good boy.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Saying their final goodbyes are head groom Ann Firth
0:16:48 > 0:16:52and officer Shane Wilson, who rode these boys regularly.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Ah, the last time you're going to feed them.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It's a bit of the moment, isn't it? I won't start you off!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Now, you have memories of these horses working hard
0:17:03 > 0:17:06on the beat in all weathers, all times of day.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10That's right, I had Nickleby for a year and Jack for six months.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Which was your favourite of the two? Impossible to say!
0:17:14 > 0:17:17They are both totally different characters.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Jack is a very loving horse and shows you a lot of affection,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24where is Nickleby is a solid police horse.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27In the space of two weeks with my colleague
0:17:27 > 0:17:31on patrol, we detained two burglars on two separate incidents.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36On horseback?! It's a bit like the Wild West in Manchester, isn't it?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And how long have you worked with the police force for?
0:17:39 > 0:17:4220 years in January. Exactly 20 years.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46So you have seen these deliveries happen over the years
0:17:46 > 0:17:48to various parts of the country.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- Does it get any easier? - No, it doesn't.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It's wonderful, but it is a very emotional time.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I love the welfare of the horses, and to see them come back
0:18:00 > 0:18:05into a natural environment like this is absolutely wonderful.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Aww. Hey, at least you can keep an eye on them! They're in good hands!
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Absolutely, it is wonderful.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17All of the hard-working retired horses at the trust are here
0:18:17 > 0:18:21to live out their lives in as much comfort as possible.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And for Duke, a moment of freedom.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Poor old Duke, who we saw earlier with his endoscopy,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29has now recovered from his jab and is raring to go.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Good lad. Look at that.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40That is the sort of thing that kind of makes me tingle.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44A horse like this that has had such a difficult and trying life,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47now out here in this gorgeous environment
0:18:47 > 0:18:50on a lovely winter's afternoon like this.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Doing what horses should do - relaxing,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and enjoying the evening sunshine.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58A good old roll!
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Earlier, we heard about the huge resources of natural gas
0:19:08 > 0:19:10still trapped beneath our feet.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15But the method used to get at it is proving highly controversial.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17So, is it safe? Here's John.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It's reckoned there could be trillions of cubic feet of gas
0:19:27 > 0:19:30locked away down deep beneath our landscape.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Enough, perhaps, to keep our lights on for decades.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38But getting it is tricky and controversial.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42It's claimed it can lead to flaming taps, polluted water,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and even earth tremors.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47A controversial drilling operation for natural shale gas
0:19:47 > 0:19:51has been suspended after a small earthquake near Blackpool.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55What happened in Lancashire has been blamed on hydraulic fracturing,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59or fracking. That's the high-tech method of breaking up the shale
0:19:59 > 0:20:02thousands of feet down to get to the gas.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It was May this year when those tremors were felt,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and fracking was stopped immediately.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11The company concerned has held its hands up.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15No doubt the earthquakes were caused by your fracking.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Two of them, we did five altogether, and two of them
0:20:18 > 0:20:22did have seismic activity that was related to the operation.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27They were very small, they don't actually rate
0:20:27 > 0:20:30as an earthquake that would cause damage or injury or anything.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34But what we have done with this study is looked at different ways
0:20:34 > 0:20:37of doing the treatments a bit differently,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and also being able to monitor all the operations so you can see
0:20:40 > 0:20:43anything coming, before it even becomes
0:20:43 > 0:20:45something small like the ones we already had.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51A report into the tremors is currently being studied by the Government, so, at the moment,
0:20:51 > 0:20:56only test drilling is happening at this Southport site.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It's miles from where the earthquakes happened,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01but tremors aren't the only concern about fracking.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04What about the cocktail of chemicals, water and sand
0:21:04 > 0:21:06being pumped into the ground?
0:21:07 > 0:21:11The city of Bath. People have come here to take the waters
0:21:11 > 0:21:12since Roman times.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16There are fears that, should the quest for shale gas come to
0:21:16 > 0:21:20the nearby Mendip Hills, all this could be under threat.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23How would fracking here in the Mendips affect
0:21:23 > 0:21:27the water in Bristol and Bath?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31I'm concerned that, if they're going to start drilling
0:21:31 > 0:21:35down into the Mendip plateau, and interfering with the aquifers,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37they are going to pollute the springs
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and water that runs across to Bath.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42They're going to back flush their fluids,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and that could break out into the watercourses underground.
0:21:45 > 0:21:5070% of the water that people in Bath and Bristol drink,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and the surrounding areas, comes from the Mendip Hills.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And one of the biggest tourist attractions around here
0:21:56 > 0:22:00are the Roman baths and Bath itself. Could they be threatened?
0:22:00 > 0:22:04If the water is interrupted by the fracking methods
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and is diverted underground,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10or if we lose the source of its actual heating -
0:22:10 > 0:22:13because bear in mind it is coming off the Mendips,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17going deep down into the underground systems and being super heated
0:22:17 > 0:22:21before it goes to Bath - what happens if that water gets diverted?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24We end up going to have a cold bath in Bath.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And what about those spectacular flaming taps?
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Could flammable gas really get into our water?
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Well, those pictures from America of flames coming out of water taps,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41that's pretty frightening.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Most geologists feel
0:22:43 > 0:22:47the chances of methane from that far below coming almost two miles
0:22:47 > 0:22:53up through very compressed, very high density rocks, is unlikely.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58- Would it be possible? To see flaming taps in the UK?- I don't think so.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03Certainly not natural amounts of methane could cause that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05That still leaves fears over earthquakes.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Mike Stevenson says we really shouldn't be worried.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11There are natural earthquakes in this area,
0:23:11 > 0:23:12as there are all over Britain.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14In the last 15 years,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16there have been 30 earthquakes
0:23:16 > 0:23:19of the size that happened here due to fracking.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- In the UK? - Yes, and they happen naturally.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So we need to know what is a natural level before we can start
0:23:26 > 0:23:30blaming people for causing earthquakes.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Because fracking is so new, I can well understand all the concerns,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42even though scientists are saying it is highly unlikely that aquifers
0:23:42 > 0:23:46will be contaminated or that we will see flames coming out of water taps.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48But the gas industry says
0:23:48 > 0:23:51the chemicals it's using are all perfectly safe.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53But there is another concern,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and it is nothing to do with how they get the gas out of the ground.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00I personally am not so concerned about the process of fracking.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I think with a very stringent and very carefully-developed
0:24:03 > 0:24:07regulatory framework, we can deal with those sorts of sets of impacts.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09My principal issue, and the game changer for me
0:24:09 > 0:24:13in terms of shale gas, is the relation to climate change.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Prof Kevin Anderson is a climate scientist
0:24:15 > 0:24:17who thinks using shale gas is a backwards step.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The UK Government has very stringent commitments
0:24:20 > 0:24:23to make significant reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions.
0:24:23 > 0:24:2520% by 2020.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Yes, but more significantly,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28we would have to have
0:24:28 > 0:24:31a de-carbonised electricity system by 2030 -
0:24:31 > 0:24:35the Government's own committee on climate change say that.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36So we can show, mathematically,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39you cannot reconcile the development of shale gas in the UK
0:24:39 > 0:24:42with the Government's commitment to climate change.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Is that because it is yet another fossil fuel?- It is, yes.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It may be slightly better than coal, but it is a high-carbon fuel,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and we should now be making the transition rapidly to zero or
0:24:52 > 0:24:55very low-carbon fuels, and shale gas cannot be part of that portfolio.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00For others, shale gas could be as important to our energy needs
0:25:00 > 0:25:04as the discovery of North Sea oil and gas.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09The Government believes it can ensure this new power source is both clean and safe.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I have been hearing a lot of concerns about fracking.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15So, you can guarantee there won't be gas or chemicals
0:25:15 > 0:25:16getting into our drinking water?
0:25:16 > 0:25:19There is no question of relaxing any of the environmental
0:25:19 > 0:25:23regulations that we have in order to protect clean water.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Most have been established at European Union level,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and that has given us very good, clean water.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30We intend to keep it that way.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Shale gas could have an impact on your 20% target for reducing carbon.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39I don't think shale gas would have an impact adversely on our target,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42precisely because in the long run we would be looking to use
0:25:42 > 0:25:48gas in the context of carbon capture and storage to generate electricity.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Obviously, if we can decarbonise our electricity supply,
0:25:51 > 0:25:56rely on renewables, nuclear, and on clean coal and gas,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58by carbon capture and storage,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00then we can go on using these deposits
0:26:00 > 0:26:02for a very long time to come.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Undoubtedly, shale gas has huge potential,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09but, at the moment, carbon capture just is not commercially viable.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12And for many, there are still serious questions to be answered
0:26:12 > 0:26:18before shale gas can be seen as an answer to our future energy demands.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Later on show, Adam discovers how his wheat gets turned into bread.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It's just incredible, I've never seen anything like it.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I'll be on the trail of children's author Roald Dahl,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33a man who managed to create
0:26:33 > 0:26:35a flushbunkingly gloryumptious world of whimsy
0:26:35 > 0:26:38that I've never grown out of.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40And we'll be tracking down
0:26:40 > 0:26:44the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Magnificent beech woods and charming brick and flint villages
0:27:01 > 0:27:04are quintessentially Chilterns landscape.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08But the beauty of Buckinghamshire's buildings comes
0:27:08 > 0:27:09from the ground beneath,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and I'm going to see just how the clay that's unique to the Chilterns
0:27:13 > 0:27:16goes from underground to overground.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21In a region short of building stone, the rich, red clay
0:27:21 > 0:27:24harnessed from beneath the hills make perfect bricks.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28The land belongs to the Matthews family,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31who have been hand making bricks in the area for the last 90-odd years.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Stuart Brown is a clay digger
0:27:34 > 0:27:38who has been digging very big holes for them since he was a lad.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Stuart, is this pure clay you've been digging out?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46No, this is what we call loam. We mix this with the clay.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48We use about a quarter to a third of it,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- depending on how strong the clay is. - How strong the clay is?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55When you dig the clay from the top of the ground, it's a lot stronger
0:27:55 > 0:27:59than when you get in the ground, because it is a lot milder.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And how do you know what proportion of each you need?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- It's like a sixth sense. - And what's going to happen
0:28:06 > 0:28:10when you end up exhausting all of the clay and loam that you have?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Well, there are other sites to move onto.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17It's in pockets, like small veins. Some of it's big, some small.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Once you start, you can then follow the veins through the land.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26'A bit like surface mining, really. The clay here is pretty special.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'Normally, clay forms gently in layers of mud in a lake,
0:28:30 > 0:28:31'but this stuff was created
0:28:31 > 0:28:34'when a glacial flood tore through the Chilterns,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'dragging mud and rocks along with it, spreading its deposits.'
0:28:37 > 0:28:39But it's not just the clay from down there
0:28:39 > 0:28:41that is important in making the bricks.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45The trees that tower above me here also play their part.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It was once a major industry, but now this place is
0:28:51 > 0:28:53one of a handful of traditional brick makers left.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57The beech trees from the wood are used
0:28:57 > 0:28:59to fire the kilns that harden the bricks.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03I'm meeting Jim Matthews, who runs the place.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05So, you are still using a lot of the same resources
0:29:05 > 0:29:07and skills that your grandfather would have used.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10It's pretty much exactly the same as it was in his time.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13There are a few other things like forklifts and electric motors,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16but the process is the same.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19And your grandfather was a bit of an eco-man himself.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23He was very passionate about particularly the habitat
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and maintaining the woodlands.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30He actually wrote this book, which is like a journal for us
0:29:30 > 0:29:31as a family to keep...
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It is beautifully written. Look at that!
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It has almost instructions to us that have been passed down.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40"Think twice before you destroy."
0:29:40 > 0:29:43So, we are careful to replant far more than we take,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and we have actually replanted
0:29:46 > 0:29:49a net gain of 35 acres of native species, broadleaf woodland,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51in the last 15 years.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53As was his granddad's wish,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56the whole operation is run with conservation in mind.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00By replicating the traditional methods used,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04the factory makes bricks that preserve the look so typical of the area.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08The wood-firing leaves a distinctive smoky effect that you just don't get
0:30:08 > 0:30:12with modern oil-fired kilns. But as well as the bog standards,
0:30:12 > 0:30:13they make ornate specials,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16often matching original bricks hundreds of years old.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18It's like Geppetto's workshop in here!
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Andy Hales will show me how.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- Good and cold.- Just roll it. Roll it away. That's it, let go.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Now, pick it up.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Yeah, little bit of a drag. Now, bang it down hard.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32This is quite culinary.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Wire bow that little bit of excess clay off.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Once these beauties have been shaped, it's time to bake them
0:30:38 > 0:30:41in a hot kiln for 24 hours at 1,000 degrees centigrade.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43That's gas mark 36 to you and me!
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- Sandcastles!- There we are.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- Ta-da!- And I could sell that one.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50Really?!
0:30:51 > 0:30:55The distinctive reddy hues of these Chiltern bricks have been used
0:30:55 > 0:30:57on many a stately pile.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Hampton Court and Mapledurham House all boast
0:31:01 > 0:31:03a bit of traditional Buckinghamshire brickwork.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07But from grand houses and little cottages right back to ground level,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09this might not look like a lot at the moment,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13but the boys return all the land from which they got their clay
0:31:13 > 0:31:17back to wildlife ponds, to agriculture and to native woodland.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Not only are Jim and the boys maintaining
0:31:20 > 0:31:24the tradition of hand-making the bricks that characterise the area,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27but they're also leaving a legacy for the landscape.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Now, over in the Cotswolds,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35it's been a busy year for Adam out in the arable fields.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Today, he's on a journey to discover what happens to his milling wheat
0:31:39 > 0:31:41once it leaves the farm. But before he does that,
0:31:41 > 0:31:43the animals need a bit of attention.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Not you, cow! You're staying out!
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Come on, goats!
0:31:51 > 0:31:54As the winter months are drawing in, the days are getting shorter,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56the nights are getting colder and wetter,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58it's time these goats came into the shed.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Like many of the other animals, we house them for the winter.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Goats have got hair, not wool, so unlike sheep,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08they haven't got a greasy, woolly fleece to keep them warm all winter.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12They really come from arid countries, where it's warm and dry.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14So, they suffer from the cold a bit. Come on, girls.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18They're all females out here, apart from one Billy goat,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21who's got an unusual way of attracting the ladies.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24At this time of year, male goats really stink.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27They're covered in pheromones, and rather disgustingly,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31they wee on themselves. You think it makes you smell lovely, don't you,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33but it doesn't. You stink!
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Goats are one of the first animals to be domesticated, or tamed,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39and they're so good at coming to a bucket of food,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42you can pretty much do anything with them.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48And food is exactly what I'm using to entice them
0:32:48 > 0:32:49to their new home for the winter.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Come on, goats!
0:32:59 > 0:33:02This is their winter housing, and it's a nice, airy, open shed
0:33:02 > 0:33:05with lots of natural light and movement of air,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07which is important for the health of the goats.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09You don't want it too foggy in here,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12otherwise there's a risk of them getting pneumonia.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16And they like to be in groups, goats. They're herd animals.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17They don't like to be isolated.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20They just live like this happily all winter.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23There's just one last job I've got to do.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Believe it or not, they need a pedicure, which we do twice a year.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Goats can get quite long toenails that curl right over,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and we just trim off the excess hoof.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39Sometimes when they grow right over, it traps in dirt,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42and they get foot rot.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45These ones are very good feet.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48There you go, all done.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52With the goats all settled in for the winter,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55it's time to put in a bit of halter training with my cows.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59This one I've got, is a Belted Galloway, and Mike's got a Gloucester.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Belted Galloways come in three colours.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Black and white, red and white and dun and white.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07This one is obviously black and white, and she's well marked -
0:34:07 > 0:34:10a lovely big belt round her middle and over her tummy.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15And she's called Paprika. She's a bit fiery.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18And while she's small like this, while she's little,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21I'm stronger than she is, and she learns to respect the halter
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and learns that she can't get away.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27But this Belty, when she's mature, she'll weigh as much as that bull.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30And obviously be quite difficult to control.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Then, you can slip a halter on them and they seem to remember,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35so if you've got a problem with them,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37something in their eye or mastitis
0:34:37 > 0:34:39or you just want to take them to a show,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41you just put a halter on, and off you go.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43That's the plan, anyway.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49There we go, job done.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53With the calves safely back indoors, I can turn my attention to my wheat.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55It's been in these stores since August,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and is now ready to come out.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00I'm hoping the milling wheat will make the grade
0:35:00 > 0:35:02and could be turned into flour for making bread.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03We've worked hard producing it,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06so I don't want it ending up just as animal feed.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Martin's just loading a lorry-load of milling wheat.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13This was grown on the farm. We've got about 700 tons of it.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Milling wheat is grown to quite a high specification,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19particularly the protein. It needs to be over 12%
0:35:19 > 0:35:21to be able to make it into bread.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24We've got in the store here, we've got about 700 tons below.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Once it comes into the store, the job isn't done.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30We have to look after it, it has to be kept cool and dry
0:35:30 > 0:35:31so it doesn't go mouldy.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35But once it's on the lorry and gone, it's a weight off our mind.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Because this is a precious load for us.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40It represents 12 months of hard graft.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43This milling wheat is really valuable stuff.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46The price fluctuates all the time, depending on the world market
0:35:46 > 0:35:49and what the grain prices are in Europe.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52At the moment, it's worth about £155 a ton.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56This lorry holds 29 tons, so there's about four and a half grand's worth
0:35:56 > 0:35:58that'll be going off down the drive.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01That's a year's hard work, and hopefully,
0:36:01 > 0:36:03a cheque'll be arriving soon.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06And this is normally the end of the process for us.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09We sell our grain to a merchant and we never see it again.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14But I'm keen to find out what happens when it leaves my farm.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21I'm on my way to Southampton Docks,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23to one of the largest mills in the UK.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25That's where my wheat's going at the moment.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27I've heard it's an amazing set-up.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30It's supposed to be huge, so I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Wow, this place is bigger than I expected.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44There must be some pretty impressive machines behind those walls.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45I can't wait to get inside.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47I'm meeting Gary Sharkey.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49He's worked in the grain trade for 27 years,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51so he knows the industry inside-out.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52- Gary, hi.- Hi, morning.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56So, this is the first stop as my wheat comes to the mill, is it?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Yes, as each lorry arrives at the mill,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00it comes here to the weighbridge.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02We take samples from each lorry, and then it goes
0:37:02 > 0:37:06straight into the laboratory behind us for testing and analysing.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- Can we have a look in there? - Yes, we can.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10So, what we're looking for here
0:37:10 > 0:37:13is the cleanliness of the grain, the smell.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16What we'd like to make sure there isn't in there are things like mice,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20insects, stones, rat droppings,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23as an example we found before.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- And smell is important, then? - Smell is very important.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Let's have a little smell, then.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33You don't want it to be mouldy. It smells pretty good to me.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36We've had in the past, actually, we had one sample many years ago
0:37:36 > 0:37:38where it took on the taint of a creosote fence
0:37:38 > 0:37:41from outside the farmer's shed.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43So, it takes on a lot of smell, it can.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Yep, a good, clean sample.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Lovely. Just like the stuff from my farm, I expect.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50I'm sure!
0:37:50 > 0:37:54Fortunately for me, my wheat does make the grade, and begins its journey into the factory.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Goodness me. When you think of a flour mill,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59a lot of people would think of Windy Miller
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and his old windmill, wouldn't they?
0:38:01 > 0:38:04This is multi-million-pound technology these days.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07We're producing lots of different flours on site.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10This is a control panel that runs all four mills.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12You can see we have quality data
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- all the way through to the finished flour on the end here.- Crikey.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Like something out of Star Trek. How many types of flour are you actually producing?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22We produce over 200 types of flour on this site alone.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24But the machines are so noisy.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26You can't hear a thing!
0:38:26 > 0:38:29So we communicate using our own sort of sign language.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32From what I gather, this is what's happening.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36The grain passes through the top of this machine and the wheatberries are broken open.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40It's then sucked up some pipes, five floors to the top of the mill.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45It's sifted and then ground down in these machines to extract the flour.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48The wheat's shaken up in this large container.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Basically, it's one massive sieve.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53It's just incredible, I've never seen anything like it!
0:38:53 > 0:38:57The flour now starts the next part of its journey, into the bakery.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00This is the flour that you saw leave the mill.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02And now we're here at the bakery.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05And this will be added to what to make the bread?
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Typically, water, yeast, salt, they're the main ingredients.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13And how many loaves are you putting through this place at one time?
0:39:13 > 0:39:17A typical bakery line will produce between four and 10,000 loaves,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19depending on its size, each hour.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- Wow, that's a lot of bread, isn't it?- Yes.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23So, can we see some loaves being made?
0:39:23 > 0:39:25The whole process takes about three and a quarter hours,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- but we'll do it a bit quicker for you.- Thanks very much.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32A lorry-load of wheat like mine will make around 50,000 loaves of bread.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Wow, that's the biggest dough mixture I've ever seen.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Uniformity is crucial. Every piece needs to weigh the same.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Bread!
0:39:42 > 0:39:46914 grams. Excellent. Well within our specification.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- In the bin?- In the bin, please.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57OK, so here we are at the front end of the oven,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and the bread's ready to go and travel through the 48 degrees.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05- So, in these trays, there's loaves ready to go?- In each... Here we go.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- The dough's already started to rise. - Already started to rise.- Great.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11To provide that perfect loaf at the end of the oven.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24So, here we are, the final product. Go ahead, try one.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25- Is that all right?- Yep.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28It's amazing to think that all the work that's gone into
0:40:28 > 0:40:31growing the wheat and then coming here with the process,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33it's huge, isn't it? Over a year's work.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Over a year's work for you, and maybe another year of marketing
0:40:36 > 0:40:39it before the actual flour sees us in the bakery,
0:40:39 > 0:40:40so coming up for two years.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Next time I'm tucking into my sandwiches, I'll think of you.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46I thought it was me doing all the hard work! Great stuff.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47Next week, I'm back on the farm,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50putting the rest of the animals to bed for the winter,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and I'll be finding out the results of my TB test.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Recently, local girl Helen returned home to Cumbria
0:40:57 > 0:41:02to one of the country's oldest traditional agricultural shows,
0:41:02 > 0:41:03and while she was there,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06she was able to surprise one show-goer in particular.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11# We are rowing around Lakeland
0:41:11 > 0:41:13# What a pleasure and a joy
0:41:13 > 0:41:16# The hills, the fens, the valleys
0:41:16 > 0:41:18# I have loved since a boy
0:41:18 > 0:41:20# Generations quickly pass
0:41:20 > 0:41:23# Nature's beauty stays the same
0:41:23 > 0:41:25# A piece of Heaven here on Earth
0:41:25 > 0:41:28# And Lakeland, that's the name. #
0:41:28 > 0:41:30CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:41:30 > 0:41:32It's been a great day.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35I spent it amongst the hills at home,
0:41:35 > 0:41:37in a very special place, untouched by time.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43I'm in Wasdale in wild West Cumbria, and it's here you'll find
0:41:43 > 0:41:45England's highest mountain,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50somewhere hidden in the clouds, its deepest lake, and this,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53one of the best little country shows in the land.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56The Wasdale Shepherds' Meet dates back to the 1700s.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58It's stayed true to its rural roots.
0:41:58 > 0:42:04There's hundreds of Herdwick sheep on show, there's vintage tractors,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06old farm machinery
0:42:06 > 0:42:10and these, the traditional tool of the hill shepherd - the crook.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15They take crooks seriously in these parts.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Competition for first prize is fierce.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20The guy they all have to beat is Dennis Wall.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24How do you get this from a sheep's horn?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Well, this is a sheep horn as we would get hold of it,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30straight from the sheep, so to speak.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33So, we boil it and flatten it.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39We can then put it in blocks like that,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43and incorporate in this jig. That's a bottle jack. And that's ten tons.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47So we then jack it up, and when it reaches that top bar,
0:42:47 > 0:42:51it'll simply force the horn into the shape of the blocks.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53It's got nowhere else to go.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58Once you've got your basic shape, it's time to file it down.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Don't tell Dennis, but I'm getting a few tips from his main rival,
0:43:02 > 0:43:03Bob Cannon.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10Dennis is just loitering behind us, Bob, but he's your competition.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Yes, strong competition, yes, yes.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16I hear he's got a bit of a reputation.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20He wins, I win, six of one and half a dozen of the other.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22I can never imagine Man United and Man City
0:43:22 > 0:43:24being underneath the same tarpaulin!
0:43:24 > 0:43:28- You don't mind working alongside him?- No, not at all!
0:43:28 > 0:43:30No, it's friendly rivals.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I think I may have caught the bark!
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Oops, I think I'd better beat a hasty retreat,
0:43:41 > 0:43:45but I'll be back later, not so much to see who's won - nope,
0:43:45 > 0:43:49I've got a special surprise for one of the show-goers.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51OK, then.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Wasdale's a proper shepherds' meet.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02Tracey Harrison is a local lass, and her Herdwicks have done well today.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04So, you've won all these today?
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Yeah, these are all our gimmer sheep.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09As you can see, we've got quite a few red rosettes,
0:44:09 > 0:44:10so we're really pleased.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12But there's been a lot of good competition.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16I think there's more sheep here than I've ever seen been shown,
0:44:16 > 0:44:20so it's good for the shepherds' meet, it keeps everything going, keeps people coming back.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23And what makes you come and show your sheep?
0:44:23 > 0:44:24It's a day out!
0:44:24 > 0:44:29And you work all year to breed your sheep, and you look after them,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and it's chance to show them off. A social event, see everybody,
0:44:32 > 0:44:37and it also promotes your stock for when you sell them at the market.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42One of the highlights of the show is the fell race,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45one of the toughest in the calendar.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Near 2,000 feet sheer up Kirk Fell.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Looking on is the greatest fell runner of them all, Joss Naylor,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56shepherd and living legend.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- Are you still running now?- I am.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06I did the mountain trial about three weeks ago for the 49th time,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09and I enjoyed it.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13I hope next year I'll be fit enough to do my 50th one.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15- I'll have to keep working at it. - How old are you now?
0:45:15 > 0:45:2075, but age doesn't matter, I don't think about that.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Will you carry on training or just do events?
0:45:24 > 0:45:29I still do my training. I like to get out in the fells.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32- I don't do a lot of events. - Did you not fancy doing this today?
0:45:32 > 0:45:36It's too snotty and that. It's a young man's run, that, today.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39I've been up and down there dozens of times.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42We can't see because of the fog. What's it like up there?
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Up there, it's hand-on-knee stuff for a lot of people.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48If you started walking, you'll walk the lot after that.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Anybody who sets off up there running and they start walking,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54that's them finished until they get to the top,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57because they don't get to start running again - it's that steep.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00It's one of the steepest mountains in the Lake District.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05It'll be very, very greasy underfoot, and they'll have to be very careful.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08I've seen a few people come down with bloody knees already.
0:46:08 > 0:46:09That's right.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13- Nice to see you.- Well done, mate. Magic.- Cheers, mate.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17- It's cleared up, up there. - That's good. The top is clear.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Well, maybe I should give it a go, then.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Get this tackle on the way, lass!
0:46:21 > 0:46:25Fell running can be dangerous. Only a few weeks ago,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29it claimed the life of one of the sport's true greats, Bill Smith.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Apart from a few cuts and bruises,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35no-one has come to any grief at the show today,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38and away from the fell race, Dennis's crooks have come out on top.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I think it's first! It's a Herdwick horn as well.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47They also made this year's Countryfile calendar.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51The picture was taken at last year's Wasdale show by this fellow,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Derek Young, and he's about to get a bit of a surprise.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- Here you are again, Derek, taking photographs.- Yeah.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00It was a bit different this time last year, though, wasn't it?
0:47:00 > 0:47:03It certainly was. It was a lovely day last year.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Unfortunately, today, our sunshine is in liquid form.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10We can see last year's picture in the calendar. How does that feel?
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Very pleased, very pleased with it.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Right then, come on, tell me about these crooks.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17What was it that caught your eye
0:47:17 > 0:47:19and made you think, "I'm going to snap these"?
0:47:19 > 0:47:22I took a picture of the crooks a few years ago when I was here.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25It was OK, but I always felt it could be better.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29So, last year I came back and I took the picture and thought it looked OK,
0:47:29 > 0:47:33particularly because the winning crooks had been set up so nicely,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36and it was facing such a lovely, low sun.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I was very fortunate.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Well, I can tell you that not only has your photograph made
0:47:42 > 0:47:46the calendar, it was actually judged the judges' favourite.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50- Wow.- Huge congratulations. Here's a signed picture for you.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53John Craven has autographed it on the back, especially for you.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55Brilliant, thank you.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00And you also get £500 worth of photographic equipment.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03We can get you a new rain cover.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06He had a little sandwich bag before!
0:48:08 > 0:48:11When the show is over and the last of the rosettes have all been won,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14there's one final act, a song -
0:48:14 > 0:48:19a traditional Lakeland air, sung by this man, Pat Temple,
0:48:19 > 0:48:23the last of his kind, the last of the old-style shepherd singers
0:48:23 > 0:48:27who sang at the end of shows like Wasdale.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29# Work and leisure hand-in-hand
0:48:29 > 0:48:32# A treat for the world to see
0:48:32 > 0:48:35# We're roving round Lakeland
0:48:35 > 0:48:37# What a pleasure and a joy
0:48:37 > 0:48:40# The hills, the farms, the valleys
0:48:40 > 0:48:42# I have loved since a boy
0:48:42 > 0:48:44# Generations quickly pass
0:48:44 > 0:48:47# Nature's beauty stays the same
0:48:47 > 0:48:50# A piece of Heaven here on Earth
0:48:50 > 0:48:51# And Lakeland, that's the name. #
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Thank you.
0:48:53 > 0:48:54APPLAUSE
0:48:59 > 0:49:02If you'd like Derek's prize-winning By Hook Or By Crook hanging
0:49:02 > 0:49:05on your wall in July next year, well, you need to buy
0:49:05 > 0:49:09a Countryfile calendar, sold in aid of Children in Need.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Here's how you can get your hands on one.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17The calendar costs £9, and a minimum of £4
0:49:17 > 0:49:22from each sale will go to Children in Need.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25You can order it right now on our website, that's...
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Or you can call the order line on...
0:49:36 > 0:49:40You can also order by post. Send your name, address and check to...
0:49:48 > 0:49:52Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02In a moment, I'll be visiting a few of the locations
0:50:02 > 0:50:06that inspired some of Roald Dahl's best-loved children's stories.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10But first, here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Earlier, I heard how the landscape here in the Vale of Aylesbury
0:53:14 > 0:53:16inspired many a poet to write.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18I visited the home of John Milton,
0:53:18 > 0:53:22who was to Buckinghamshire what Shakespeare was to Warwickshire.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27The landscape didn't just inspire highbrow poetry,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30but also lashings of lovely children's literature.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Enid Blyton wrote the Famous Five here.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36But it's another literary great that I'm here to find out about,
0:53:36 > 0:53:40a man who managed to create a flushbunkingly gloriumptious world of whimsy
0:53:40 > 0:53:43that I've never grown out of.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Roald Dahl, a man remembered as one of the most successful
0:53:47 > 0:53:49and beloved children's writers of all time,
0:53:49 > 0:53:54who lived here at Gypsy House in Great Missenden.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56His works are littered with references
0:53:56 > 0:53:58to the village and his surroundings.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02The shiny red pumps of the garage on the high street gave inspiration
0:54:02 > 0:54:04for Danny The Champion Of The World.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07"My father owned the filling station and the caravan
0:54:07 > 0:54:11"and the small field behind, but that was about all he owned in the world."
0:54:11 > 0:54:15And there's yet more magic within the bricks and mortar of this place.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20This house was the inspiration for Sophie's orphanage in the BFG,
0:54:20 > 0:54:23which I have to say is one of my personal faves.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32This museum was opened to honour the man himself,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35and I've got a golden ticket to delve into their private archive
0:54:35 > 0:54:38and take a sneaky peek at some of his original scribblings.
0:54:41 > 0:54:46I'm meeting archivist Jane Branfield, wearer of white gloves
0:54:46 > 0:54:50and privileged bearer of keys to a world of pure imagination.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Jane, he really was inspired by the natural world
0:54:53 > 0:54:55and his landscape, wasn't he?
0:54:55 > 0:54:58Yes, Roald always had a tremendous love of nature,
0:54:58 > 0:55:01and you can see this even from when he was a very small boy.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05- We've got all the letters he wrote to his mother.- Oh, wow.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07And these early ones...
0:55:08 > 0:55:12- Look at the handwriting, it's very neat for a young man.- I know.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Notice he signs them all, "Boy,"
0:55:14 > 0:55:18- probably because he had three sisters.- The boy of the family.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22The letters are full of references to the nature walks
0:55:22 > 0:55:24he goes on with his friends. In this letter,
0:55:24 > 0:55:29he's particularly smitten with Mr Nicholl's lecture on owls.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34"Mr Nichol gave us a fine lecture last night on birds.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38"He told us how owls eat mice, they eat the whole mouse, skin and all,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41"and then all the skin and bones goes into a sort of little parcel
0:55:41 > 0:55:45"inside him, and he puts it on the ground, and these are called pellets.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47"And he showed us some pictures."
0:55:47 > 0:55:51- This here is one of Roald Dahl's ideas books.- Wow.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54This is the original idea for James And The Giant Peach.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57As you can see, it's very faint and it says,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00"The cherry that wouldn't stop growing. A fairy story."
0:56:00 > 0:56:02So, it was going to be a cherry to begin with.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05Yes, yes, it was. We know that from other sources, too.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09And then he settled on the peach, I think because it was softer.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Those animals could burrow in a bit better. Yeah, easier to cave into.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14That's amazing.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Dahl would lock himself away in his writing hut in the garden
0:56:19 > 0:56:21to pen his magical tales.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24And rumour has it, he'd tell his children that wolves
0:56:24 > 0:56:28lived inside, so they were too scared to come in and distract him.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35From his home at Gypsy House, Dahl would walk here,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37through Angling Springwood.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40The name itself sounds pure fairytale, doesn't it?
0:56:40 > 0:56:45It was here that he apparently took inspiration for Fantastic Mr Fox.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05And so the story ends,
0:57:05 > 0:57:08here at the local church in the village that meant so much to Dahl.
0:57:08 > 0:57:14"We have tears in our eyes as we wave our goodbyes.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18"We so loved being with you, we three.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21"So do please now and then come and see us again,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25"the Giraffe and the Pelly and me."
0:57:32 > 0:57:35That's it from the literary landscape,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37here in the Vale of Aylesbury.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Next week, I'll be off-roading with a difference
0:57:40 > 0:57:42around the shores of Loch Lomond,
0:57:42 > 0:57:44and Matt will be swimming with horses
0:57:44 > 0:57:46around the islands of the loch.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48I hope you can join us then, bye-bye.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:59 > 0:58:02E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk