0:00:26 > 0:00:29JOHN: 'West Kent. A beautiful corner of the Garden of England.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33'Keeping watch over open countryside and woodland
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'are the three Kentish Hills.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39'I'm here to find out about the woman who safeguarded them years ago -
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'the aptly named Octavia Hill.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:46She was quite extraordinary - a passionate social reformer
0:00:46 > 0:00:50who worked tirelessly to improve life in the slums of London.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53But she also looked beyond the city to the countryside
0:00:53 > 0:00:55and fought to preserve places
0:00:55 > 0:00:59that everybody could enjoy and do their bit to protect.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02A century after her death, I'll be discovering
0:01:02 > 0:01:06how the National Trust is keeping her spirit alive,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and it involves a lot of hard work.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- ELLIE:- 'While John's exploring the hills,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16'I'm at a house which brought out
0:01:16 > 0:01:18the artistic side of Winston Churchill.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'Will it bring out mine?'
0:01:20 > 0:01:23We've got Ellie here. Do you think that she's going to be any good?
0:01:23 > 0:01:26CHILDREN: No! Yes!
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'Tom's up in Derbyshire searching for a local pub.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The heartbeat of many of our rural communities
0:01:34 > 0:01:36is in danger of stopping.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Over half our villages are now drier than a good gin,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44which an astonishing four rural pubs closing every week.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48So, is there anything we can do to stop them calling time?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I'll be investigating.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55And down on the farm, Adam's been set a humble challenge.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Look at these magnificent fellows. These are Dorset Horn rams.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And today, I'm sheep-shopping, but not for me -
0:02:01 > 0:02:03for my farming friend, Kate Humble,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06who's setting up her own flock of Dorset Horns.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And I just hope she likes the ones that I've found her.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25West Kent - glorious swathes of dense green woodland.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Hard to believe we're just a stone's throw from the M25.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I'm on Ide Hill, one of three hills that had a special place
0:02:33 > 0:02:35in one woman's heart,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38a woman who believed in the life-enhancing virtues
0:02:38 > 0:02:42of pure earth, clean air and blue sky.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45At the turn of the 20th century,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Octavia Hill ran a successful campaign
0:02:48 > 0:02:50to preserve and protect the natural landscape
0:02:50 > 0:02:53in this small part of West Kent.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Octavia believed that everybody, particularly the poor,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01should have access to the great outdoors.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03In fact, it was thought that she coined the term
0:03:03 > 0:03:05"the green belt".
0:03:05 > 0:03:08JOHN: 'A hundred years after her death,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10'I've come to nearby Toys Hill
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'to learn about Octavia's life, her work and her legacy.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:17She loved this place, she had a house nearby
0:03:17 > 0:03:19and she's buried in a local churchyard.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24But it was on the streets of London that she first made her mark.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Octavia was a pioneer of social housing,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29setting up a housing association
0:03:29 > 0:03:31after seeing the poverty and neglect
0:03:31 > 0:03:35in slums run by unscrupulous Victorian landlords.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40'But how did this protector of the poor end up also being
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'a custodian of the countryside?'
0:03:44 > 0:03:50Well, she just always emphasised that people who had grim conditions
0:03:50 > 0:03:53needed beauty in the lives.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Back in the town, she emphasised anything from a window box on.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So, you know, the idea of beauty and colour
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and nature were absolutely essential.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And then her horizons widened, really,
0:04:08 > 0:04:09to take in the whole countryside.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It became a sort of crusade of her own, at this point,
0:04:12 > 0:04:17to bring as much of the countryside as possible...
0:04:17 > 0:04:20to sort of secure it for people's use.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23So that's why she got involved with the formation
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- of the National Trust, then? - Yes, it was the formalisation
0:04:27 > 0:04:32of an aspiration to make sure these places didn't get lost,
0:04:32 > 0:04:33didn't get developed.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37'Among the places Octavia first fought to preserve
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'were parts of Toys Hill.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41'She used donations to buy the land,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45'including money left over from one of her housing projects.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:46I got a letter here.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50She says, "I propose to purchase, in the name of my fellow workers,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52"an acre of land at Ide Hill,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55"which we're hoping may be secured for the National Trust."
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And then she says, rather sweetly,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00"You will thus feel that you have each,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03"in your measure, have helped to secure a bit of beautiful ground
0:05:03 > 0:05:07"dedicated in perpetuity to English men, women and children,
0:05:07 > 0:05:08"for their joy and refreshment."
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And it sort of brings everything back together again.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Poor people in London, beautiful places outside London.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16It's all there.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- And that was her philosophy? - Mm-hm. Absolutely.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'Octavia was a social reformer who wanted to protect
0:05:24 > 0:05:26'special parts of Britain from development.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'She believed the countryside should be open to all.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'In fact, she took some of her tenants
0:05:32 > 0:05:34'on rural outings from the slums.'
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Times change, but still today, there are many people who,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40for lots of different reasons,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42find it tricky to get out into the countryside,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44to places like Toys Hill.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46But, in the spirit of Octavia,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50the National Trust has now teamed up with the local housing association
0:05:50 > 0:05:51in a new project,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56and I'm told I can see it in action somewhere around here.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- You must be Brian. - Hello, John. How are you?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Tell me more about the scheme.- Today, we've got a group of residents
0:06:09 > 0:06:11from a housing association,
0:06:11 > 0:06:12and Octavia Hill set up
0:06:12 > 0:06:15one of the first housing associations in London,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17so to celebrate the centenary,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19we've gone to Orbit South, one of the housing associations
0:06:19 > 0:06:21that has a number of properties around Kent.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26So today, we've got people from Margate, from the Medway towns,
0:06:26 > 0:06:27and also from the top of the county.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30And they're kind of people who live in the middle of towns
0:06:30 > 0:06:32who are not used to the countryside?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34No, I think you'll find a number of the people here
0:06:34 > 0:06:37have never been outside the immediate area where they live.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Certainly to come to a beautiful spot like this,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42up at Toys Hill, is a really unique experience.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43So, yes, it's very different.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'The volunteers today are clearing rhododendron -
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'a plant which often out-competes our native species.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52'I've teamed up with Claire and Spike.'
0:06:52 > 0:06:54This is pretty hard work, Claire, isn't it?!
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Have you ever done anything like this before?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Once, with my father, a long while ago.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I'm very long while ago in Joyden's Wood.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- Where do you come from? - I come from Bexley.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I was born in the London Borough of Bexley, I grew up there...
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and I don't get much chance to come out to the countryside,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14because it's all restricted by the buses.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17You can't get beyond the confines of London buses.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19And I'm very fond of this type of thing
0:07:19 > 0:07:24and as I say, I don't have any access to a car, and these places...
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Yeah. Spike, tell me why you're on this scheme.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It's invaluable. Most people wouldn't have the chance
0:07:30 > 0:07:31to do this sort of thing.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33They're stuck in their houses,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35never seen outside of their own environments...
0:07:35 > 0:07:37It's pretty hard work, though, isn't it?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- That's what makes it so rewarding. - Chopping back rhododendrons
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- is not easy, isn't it?- No.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48- When's the tea break, Spike? - Now you've said the magic words!
0:07:50 > 0:07:52'A project with Octavia Hill at its heart.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55'But what about the National Trust - has it stayed true
0:07:55 > 0:07:59'to the principles of its very principled founder?'
0:07:59 > 0:08:02When Octavia and friends started the Trust,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06it was all about acquiring land so that everybody could enjoy it.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Is that still the Trust's belief today?- It certainly is.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I think, if you went back a couple of years,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13a lot of people would have said, "The National Trust?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16"That's about stately homes and buildings."
0:08:16 > 0:08:19But then, quite recently, the Trust decided to make getting outdoors
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and closer to nature one of its key three priorities.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And to me, that means it suddenly got back on the map again.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The legacy of Octavia Hill lives on here for all to see
0:08:30 > 0:08:32in the West Kent countryside,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35in a landscape which she loved, helped to preserve
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and which, she'd be pleased to know, still encourages community spirit.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48And talking of community spirit, the village pub has always been
0:08:48 > 0:08:50the place where country people could get together,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53an important focal point of rural life.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57But now there are fewer and fewer of them, as Tom reports.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Our villages are a part of British life embedded in our lives,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08our history and our culture.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11They help define the landscape of Britain.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And at the heart of those villages are the pubs.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19There you go.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21For more than 1,000 years,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24these places have been at the centre of our communities,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and we come here - in all weathers -
0:09:27 > 0:09:29to toast a variety of special occasions,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31like sporting success
0:09:31 > 0:09:33or maybe wetting the baby's head.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Or perhaps just to celebrate the end of a hard day's work.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Cheers.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43But our pubs are disappearing.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46In the last decade alone, we have lost nearly 10,000 of them,
0:09:46 > 0:09:51and in rural areas, four close every week.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53More than half of our villages are now dry.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57In the Derbyshire village of Bamford, the local watering holes
0:09:57 > 0:10:01seem to have gone into an almost terminal decline.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04There used to be three thriving pubs here,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07but in the last few years everything has changed.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10This was once one of the busiest pubs
0:10:10 > 0:10:13in the whole of the Hope Valley in Derbyshire,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16but you'd struggle to get a pint there today.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Then there's the Derwent, which at one time,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24would have been packed with local revellers.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29You can almost hear the ghosts of good times,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31the clink of glasses, a bit of happy banter.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36It now seems they've called time for the last time.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Thankfully in Bamford there is still one pub pulling the pints.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The Anglers Rest has been serving its community for decades.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Over the last couple of years though it's had a succession of landlords
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and now it's struggling to survive.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Losing a pub is a blow to any community,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02but the impact is far worse in a village.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Especially when it's the only one left.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07So what was this place like in its heyday?
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I came here 23 years ago and the village was vibrant.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It had a really great social centre.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17The pub was privately owned, the family that ran it had dances,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21fabulous food and every night there would be 60 to 150 people in here.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It's interesting how key a pub is to a village, isn't it?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It's essential to these villages.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29The whole community can revolve around the pub.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34One local who knows just how important a pub is to Bamford
0:11:34 > 0:11:37is the former landlord of the Derwent, David Ryan.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41So why does he think village pubs are struggling?
0:11:41 > 0:11:45One of the biggest reasons is possibly the cheap booze
0:11:45 > 0:11:48that's coming out through the supermarkets.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I know one beer company that said the supermarkets
0:11:52 > 0:11:56are putting it out at ridiculous prices just to get people in.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59A lot of people have pointed the finger at breweries
0:11:59 > 0:12:00and pub companies in recent years
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and said they are partly to blame for the decline of rural pubs.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Do you think that's fair?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I wouldn't on the part of the brewers.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11The pub companies?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13The pub companies are probably the ones
0:12:13 > 0:12:16who have been a bit greedy with their rents and suchlike.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22In general, landlords can either lease or rent their premises
0:12:22 > 0:12:25from a brewery or Pub Company, a Pub Co,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and then they have to buy their stock from them.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Or they can own the freehold, leaving them free to shop around.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Both ways have their pros and cons, but the Pub Cos in particular
0:12:35 > 0:12:40have been criticised for not doing their bit to save the rural pub.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43So is that fair?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Bridget Simmons is the chief executive
0:12:45 > 0:12:48of the British Beer and Pub Association,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51a body which represents brewers and pub companies.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55A lot of country pubs are closing, are the people who own them,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58that you are present, part of the problem or the solution?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Very much part of the solution.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05It's in no company 's interests that the pubs they own are closing.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07We were closing 52 a week,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11we're now only closing about 12 a week so the number has improved.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13So you're doing badly, but not as badly as you were?
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Yes, but there are so many more reasons why pubs are closing.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Beer taxation has gone up by 42% in the last four years.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25No business can cope with a 42% increase in beer taxation.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27You could reduce VAT,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30a lot of European countries do that in service industries.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33You could support the pub through business rates,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36so if they diversify and run meals-on-wheels, a shop.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39You could have reduced business rates.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41At the end of the day though,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44local people have to continue to go to the pub.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's no good saying you want to support your local pub,
0:13:47 > 0:13:48if you never visit it.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Brewers and pub companies are certainly not the only ones
0:13:52 > 0:13:55taking a slice of the landlords' profits.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57The fact is, when you order a pint,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01you're not just buying barley, hops, yeast and water,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04you're also paying for a hefty chunk of overheads and tax.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The overheads usually come in at 60%.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Then there's more than 30% in tax, leaving the landlord with just 8%.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19That's less than 25p on a £3 pint.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Add to that a huge fall in the sale of beer and alcohol
0:14:23 > 0:14:25outside the home and you can see why
0:14:25 > 0:14:28so many of our rural pubs are on the rocks.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Whatever the reasons, if this pub, The Anglers Rest, closes,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Bamford will join the long list of villages
0:14:37 > 0:14:39without their own watering hole.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But there's a group of locals here
0:14:42 > 0:14:45who won't let that happen without a fight.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48They are hoping to buy or lease the pub for themselves.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51What makes you all think you can run this place
0:14:51 > 0:14:53better than the people who are here already?
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I think one of the lacking things for years has been
0:14:59 > 0:15:00how you market this place.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04It's in a fabulous area of the country in Bamford,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07there's a big area for walking, hiking, biking
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and you have to appeal to lots of visitor groups
0:15:10 > 0:15:14besides hoping that local people will support your pub as well.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18The pub's owner, Admiral Taverns, told us
0:15:18 > 0:15:22it would like to sell the pub to the local community for £300,000.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25That's more than the locals are prepared to pay.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27But they've gone away to think it over.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Of course, The Anglers Rest is not the only village pub
0:15:31 > 0:15:33whose future is now hanging in the balance.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37If closures continue at their currant rate
0:15:37 > 0:15:42we could soon be lamenting the sad loss of a great part of our culture.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45So is there a way to save the village pub?
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Well, later on I'll be having a swift half in a local
0:15:49 > 0:15:50that's doing just that.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I'm exploring an area known as the Three Hills of Kent.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I'm heading to Toys Hill, to the stately pile of Chartwell Manor
0:16:07 > 0:16:10which was home to a rather famous resident.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18This manor house was the family home of one of our greatest statesman,
0:16:18 > 0:16:19Sir Winston Churchill.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26When he wasn't leading us in war from Downing Street,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30he was here in his beloved Chartwell Manor.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Churchill bought the place in 1922 and spent the rest of his life here.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39He once said, "A day away from Chartwell, is a day wasted."
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Although the house itself
0:16:40 > 0:16:43is somewhat of an architectural ugly duckling,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47it was the far-reaching views that possessed Churchill
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and persuaded him to buy the house.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Everything is set out as it was in its heyday
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and the hillside gardens reflect Churchill's love
0:16:56 > 0:16:58of the landscape and nature.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04For just over 40 years Chartwell played an important part of his life
0:17:04 > 0:17:08because it was here that he was a dad, a husband and a gardener.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Not just a head of state.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16But what is less well-known is that he was also a keen painter.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I'm going to find out more about his love of art
0:17:18 > 0:17:22from studio steward Helen Moulsley.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Good gracious, I had no idea he was a painter,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26but really quite prolific.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Yes, he painted over 535 paintings.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32He took it up when he was 40 years old
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and then painted for another 45 years.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Almost to the end of his life.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39We know so much about him as a statesman, a public figure,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42but very little about this private side of him.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45He suffered from depression at various points throughout his life.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49It was a coping mechanism for him and what he called "my black dog".
0:17:49 > 0:17:51But he didn't only paint when he was depressed.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54He painted all the time, once he started.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It does surprise me to see so much colour especially because
0:17:58 > 0:18:01he had depression, but there's some real brightness there.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05There's a story around these two paintings here of the swimming pool.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09He loved swimming as well. Compulsory swimming for visitors.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10One was painted by Winston,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12one was painted by Sir William Nicholson
0:18:12 > 0:18:15who was a professional painter and he was one of the people
0:18:15 > 0:18:16who taught him to paint.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Nicholson told him to paint more slowly,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22to tone down his colours and make more use of pastel.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And we can see Nicholson did that, but if you look around,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Winston didn't take that advice too much to heart
0:18:27 > 0:18:30because he did go for these bright, strong colours.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Churchill said "I cannot pretend to feel partial about colours.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38"I rejoice with the brilliant ones
0:18:38 > 0:18:41"and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns".
0:18:48 > 0:18:49He never sold any of his paintings,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51he thought they weren't up to standard.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55However, in 1947 he anonymously submitted three paintings
0:18:55 > 0:18:58to the Royal Academy, all of which were accepted.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Not bad for an amateur.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And the views at Chartwell continue to provide inspiration.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Hannah McVeigh runs art classes with the local school
0:19:18 > 0:19:22to reproduce the landscapes Churchill was so fond of.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Most artists put their signature on the bottom of a painting.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Churchill, for some reason, didn't do it.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31In this painting, for example,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33can you see a little man down the bottom?
0:19:33 > 0:19:35That is Churchill.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36He painted himself in.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41I'm going to be asking you to decide how you want to sign your paintings.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We've got Ellie here as well
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and she'll be having a go as well.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47So do you think that she's going to be any good?
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- CHILDREN:- Yes!- No!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52'No?! I'll show those doubting infants!'
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Look at this. Some stiff competition!
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's the Countryfile logo!
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Thank you!
0:20:10 > 0:20:12'Other signatures include a Lego brick -
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'that little chap's obviously going to be an architect -
0:20:16 > 0:20:18'and a football. Self-explanatory, really.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- What is that supposed to be? - Yeah, thanks(!)
0:20:27 > 0:20:31'Maybe the kids WERE right to doubt my artistic talents.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'Seems slightly ironic that my interpretation of the place
0:20:34 > 0:20:37'where Churchill sought solace looks more like a battle scene.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:44We're putting these all on this Merricote, which was a Wendy house,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47basically, built by Churchill for his daughter Mary. Very sweet.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It's kind of...like a studio, I suppose.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57You can clearly see Justin Bieber,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00signature on this one. It's Bieber fever!
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We're a Belieber here on Countryfile. Very good!
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Don't you think this one actually looks like Churchill's? Very good.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09This one right here. Any guesses?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11There's my signature. What do you reckon?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Is it a boomerang?- A boomerang?!
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Countryfile! Well done.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Do you think that Ellie's is as good as Churchill's?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21ALL: No-o-o! Ye-e-a-h!
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'Well, I seem to have won the kids over
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'but I won't be submitting anything to the Royal Academy
0:21:28 > 0:21:30'just yet.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'While Ellie continues her walk across the Kent hills,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'I've travelled South to a place where for years
0:21:47 > 0:21:51'planting pine trees has been something of a passion.'
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Back in the 19th century, a member of the local Kent aristocracy
0:21:54 > 0:21:58decided to create a pleasure garden here at Bedgebury,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01with trees from all over the world.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Over the years, that collection has grown and grown,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08until now there are about 12,000 trees
0:22:08 > 0:22:10on this 320-acre site.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15'I'm going to discover what they're doing to protect and preserve
0:22:15 > 0:22:19'one of our most important, but often overlooked and maligned
0:22:19 > 0:22:20'species of tree.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:26This place is called a pinetum, a collection of cone-bearing trees.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28That's conifers to you and me,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31so spruces, pines, larches, cedars, firs -
0:22:31 > 0:22:33you'll find them all here
0:22:33 > 0:22:37in spectacular shapes and sizes and all shades of green.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41'But it's more than just a splendid collection of trees.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44'This place is also about conservation.'
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Dan, how are you?
0:22:47 > 0:22:51'Assistant Curator Dan Luscombe is a plant hunter.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'He travels the world collecting samples, some from trees
0:22:54 > 0:22:56'that are among the rarest on the planet.'
0:22:56 > 0:22:5850% of the world's conifer species
0:22:58 > 0:22:59are threatened with extinction
0:22:59 > 0:23:02through deforestation, man's activities,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and more importantly these days, climate change.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06So Bedgebury is a safe haven
0:23:06 > 0:23:09for many of these rare and endangered conifers.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13'Dan and the team went to Chile in 2009.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15'They recorded the trip on video.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17'Among the samples they collected
0:23:17 > 0:23:19'were seeds from monkey puzzle trees.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:23The locals around here tend to use a shotgun,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26but unfortunately we don't have one of those to hand at the moment,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28so let's give it a go.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32'Three years on, those seeds have grown into saplings.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'In fact, they've grown so much, they need bigger pots.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Then just fill in. Now, a lot of people, when they think of conifers,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42think of Leylandii and regimented rows of pine forest.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So they're not everybody's favourite tree,
0:23:45 > 0:23:46so why should we care about them?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Well, they sustain the world's lungs.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52The Northern Boreal Forest right the way across Canada
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and northern Europe, there's billions of acres of conifers there
0:23:56 > 0:23:59which provide the oxygen that we breathe.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Our short-sightedness of saying, conifers are just Christmas trees
0:24:03 > 0:24:05or, like you say, Leylandii,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09but in their natural habitat they are a major, major, important tree.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'Although Dan travels to the remotest of regions,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18'he also collect samples from the pinetum's own trees,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21'and due to the sheer size of some of them,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24'he usually needs ropes and climbing gear.'
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Because you've got me with you today,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29we're not going to go shinning up. We've got a cherry-picker.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Fantastic!
0:24:33 > 0:24:34ENGINE STARTS UP
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- So, here we go for a bird's-eye view of the pinetum.- Yes.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45And when you're climbing the trees, what in detail are you looking for?
0:24:45 > 0:24:49If we're collecting seeds, we're looking for ripe cones.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52We need to collect quite a lot of them from these trees.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- Which one are we looking at now? - We're going up this Deodar cedar.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Where does that come from? Never heard of that before.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It's from eastern Asia. Sort of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09Woop! That's a bit of wind, I think. We must be about 30 metres high now.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Pine trees as far as the eye can see.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Yep. Absolutely fantastic.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20As we've got to the very top now, Dan, of this Deodar cedar,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24I notice a cone on the utmost branch.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Should we try and get that as well?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Because this is something you'd never normally get.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Not from the top. Excellent.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- How about that?- Perfect. Brilliant.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38'It may look spectacular now
0:25:38 > 0:25:42'but 25 years ago the view was very different.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46'The great storm of October 1987 wreaked havoc across the pinetum.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52'Two and a half decades on, it's well and truly on the mend.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56'But there's another threat around the corner -
0:25:56 > 0:26:00'a tiny insect that's infesting one of the timber industries
0:26:00 > 0:26:01'most important type of tree.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:08It's being killed off by a rather nasty beetle
0:26:08 > 0:26:12called Dendroctonus micans or the great spruce bark beetle.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- Can we see any signs of it here? - It's a bit hit and miss.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- There we've got some of the beetles. - Oh, yes!
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Couple of them, by the look of things.- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25They look to be dead. Oh, no, that one's moving.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Yeah. They're a bit sluggish,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29they don't seem to move very quickly.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32These sort of insignificant little creatures
0:26:32 > 0:26:35are doing a tremendous amount of damage.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Well, they're affecting one of our major timber trees,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40which is the spruce.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43'This insect may be bad, but a few miles from the pinetum,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'there's another pest, the Asian longhorn beetle.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48'It's thought to have come in on imported timber
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'and it's attacking our trees.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:55It has a long life-cycle so we're actually clear-felling,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57taking out all the trees that it could attack,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and that range of trees is all maples, willows, prunes,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02all cherries, horse chestnuts.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04- Just within the area it's been spotted?- Yeah.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09So if anyone should spot one of these black and white striped beetles
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- what should they do? - Well, if they can, catch it.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15It will nip but it doesn't actually hurt too much.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17But put it into a jar or a container
0:27:17 > 0:27:19and give the Forestry Commission a ring.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23We do not want that out into the British landscape.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It would devastate our forests.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28'So conifer conservation is certainly no walk in the park,
0:27:28 > 0:27:33'but it's not just about protecting all these pines, firs and cedars.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Now, remember this cone I plucked
0:27:35 > 0:27:38from the Deodar cedar tree a little while ago?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Well, I've been asked to take it to somebody
0:27:41 > 0:27:44who's going to record it for posterity.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48'Pearl Bostock runs the Bedgebury Florilegium,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52'a group of artists who create detailed historic records
0:27:52 > 0:27:55'of the samples taken from pinetum trees.'
0:27:55 > 0:27:56- Pearl.- Hello.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Well, I see you and your colleagues are drawing these conifers here.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- We are indeed.- Will this help? Another one from a top of a tree?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- My goodness! That's wonderful. - Isn't that lovely?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And how long will it take you to paint this?
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It can be anything from start to completion from 30 to 100 hours
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- depending on the species that we're working on.- Goodness me!
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- It must need an awful lot of patience.- It does!
0:28:19 > 0:28:21THEY LAUGH
0:28:21 > 0:28:22I mean, it might sound like heresy,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25but why don't you simply take a photograph of it?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Because there is nothing like the human brain to be able
0:28:28 > 0:28:31to really study what we have in front of us. There's details...
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Photographs, however wonderful they are these days
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and how accurate they would appear, they're actually 2D.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41And we need to look at the 3D object that's in front of us
0:28:41 > 0:28:45to be able to translate what is going on in the growth pattern.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Well, I wouldn't know where to start
0:28:47 > 0:28:50when it comes to drawing something like this cone.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Right, would you like me to show you a simple way of starting?
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Yeah. Well, it's here.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- So, you want me to copy these, then? - That would be a good idea.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Well, the first one, I notice you've put some dots on, haven't you?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Yes, which is extremely important
0:29:04 > 0:29:08because that gives us the measurement and the size of the cone
0:29:08 > 0:29:09that we have in front of us.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13- So now connect the dots... - Connect your dots in an egg shape.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18As free as you like. You can just do... Well done, that's lovely.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20That is pathetic! THEY LAUGH
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- It's a good start. - How long do you say it takes you?
0:29:23 > 0:29:2730 hours to do one? It would take me 30 days!
0:29:27 > 0:29:30So, in the meanwhile, this is what's on the rest of the programme.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33'Ellie goes in search of a different kind of perfect picture...
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Oh, this is far better. Here we go!
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'..Adam's helping out with the shopping...
0:29:41 > 0:29:44She's a lovely, clean, pink-faced sheep.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48'..and we'll have the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.'
0:29:56 > 0:30:00'The traditional pub may well be at the centre of British rural life
0:30:00 > 0:30:04'but as we heard earlier, over half our villages are now without one.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07'So how do we stop even more pubs calling time?
0:30:07 > 0:30:08'Here's Tom.'
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'I've discovered the very heart of our villages
0:30:14 > 0:30:16'is in danger of drying out.'
0:30:16 > 0:30:20'An astonishing four rural pubs are closing every week.'
0:30:21 > 0:30:25But for some, the glass is definitely half full.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29In this village, they're swimming against the tide of pub closures,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32but they're surviving by being a bit radical.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38'Janet Gosling is the landlady of The Sycamore Inn
0:30:38 > 0:30:40'in the Derbyshire village of Parwich.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:42You've got a very cosy, welcoming, pub here,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45but I was told something different about this and I don't see it.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Well, we sell obviously the beers and wines and spirits,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51but we also sell things like this.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- Washing powder?- Yep!- In a pub?- Yes. - I'm not getting it!
0:30:54 > 0:30:57No. We sell all sorts. If you come through, I'll show you.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Do you want me to take that for you? - OK.- That's quite heavy.- Thank you.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03'Not only is this the only pub in the village,
0:31:03 > 0:31:04'it's the only store.'
0:31:04 > 0:31:09- A shop?- Yeah.- There's a sign. Wow, you've got everything in here!
0:31:09 > 0:31:11There's everything anybody could want.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Why have you got a shop here in a pub?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19All the locals were worried there wasn't a shop in the village
0:31:19 > 0:31:22and I'd got this room which used to be the dining room for the pub.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25But we converted it into a small shop.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Is there anything I can help out with at the start of the day?
0:31:28 > 0:31:30You can put the bread on the shelf, thank you.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- Stack that lot?- Yeah, thank you.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Better get my jacket off, get down to business.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'This shop sells everything, from the usual milk and bread
0:31:37 > 0:31:39'to puncture repair kits.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42'It also provides other services - bookings for the village hall,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'prescription and laundry collection
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'and their own unique range of sandwiches.'
0:31:48 > 0:31:52- Can I have two road-kill specials, please?- A road-kill special?
0:31:52 > 0:31:55You'll have to help me out. Is that a bit of badger in a bap?
0:31:55 > 0:31:56That's the one!
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- Two egg sandwiches. No problem. - Thank you.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00I can see I'm going to have trouble with you!
0:32:00 > 0:32:04'The Sycamore Inn is a one-stop shop for pretty much everything.'
0:32:04 > 0:32:05It's not just a shop.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Janet's got the pub to run as well, and it's getting near lunchtime.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Steak pie, there. Will that be for you, sir?- Yes.- And a toastie there.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- Thanks very much.- And I managed not to empty it into your lap!
0:32:14 > 0:32:16I think that has to count as an achievement!
0:32:16 > 0:32:20'And these aren't the only grateful customers.'
0:32:20 > 0:32:22So, tell me, as I gently do this,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25why is a local pub so important to you?
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Wind down after a day's work.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32We have a banter, we have a laugh and a joke and a couple of pints,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and hopefully, we go home the better for it!
0:32:35 > 0:32:37How often do you find villages with no pubs?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Very, very often. The decline's been very dramatic. Really noticeable.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43We walk and we cycle
0:32:43 > 0:32:46and certainly these last two years, there's been a real downturn.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49It's so important to have places like this here.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Really, really important.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55'But there is a price to pay for The Sycamore's success.'
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- How many hours a week do you reckon? - Lots! Lots and lots and lots!
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- Go on, put a figure on it for me. - 80 to 90.
0:33:01 > 0:33:0380 to 90?! Most people...
0:33:03 > 0:33:07- We're open 80 to 90 hours a week. - Most people work a 40-hour week.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- You're double that.- Yeah. Easily.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14'On top of Janet's hours, she relies on volunteers to keep it running
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'and needs enough customers to make it all worthwhile.'
0:33:18 > 0:33:21So, how much do you depend on locals coming in every night
0:33:21 > 0:33:23and putting in a good show?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Oh, we definitely need the locals. We need everybody.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28We need a wide range of people.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30We need the locals, holiday-makers,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33the walkers, the tourists, the children.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35And it's nice to see a wide variety of people.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Is it a bit of a battle to keep those numbers up on all fronts?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Yeah, you have to always be working hard at it, yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Well, after a bit of hard work, I've worked up a bit of a thirst,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49but this hospitality isn't just for me.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52I'm meeting a chap from The Pub Is The Hub,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and they're set up to help places just like this.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- John, here you go. Cheers.- Hello, Tom. Welcome. Nice to see you.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Thank you. What a beautiful evening for it.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05'The charity Pub Is The Hub was set up more than a decade ago
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'to provide support for communities struggling
0:34:08 > 0:34:09'to keep their locals going,
0:34:09 > 0:34:14'and The Sycamore here has followed their formula.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:16With the development of supermarkets,
0:34:16 > 0:34:21with the changing customer profile of what people want these days,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24it's for ever a huge challenge of how they can keep going
0:34:24 > 0:34:26and how they can make a profit,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28and that's why we try to encourage them,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31if they're good people, to diversify.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Do you think that's the key -
0:34:33 > 0:34:35taking on a number of different roles?
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Oh, certainly. They have to have a range of income streams today.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42You can't just rely particularly on your drink,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45which is declining, food, which is very competitive.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48You've got to try to add other services
0:34:48 > 0:34:51that perhaps will attract people in the community
0:34:51 > 0:34:54who maybe have not used the pub before, but will visit it
0:34:54 > 0:34:57because it has a range of products in its little shop.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58Thank you.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- And the clue's in the name, really. The Pub Is The Hub.- It is.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04For a good pub to be successful as a pub,
0:35:04 > 0:35:09but you also, the hero is the licensee that runs it.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13And Janet is the hero, or rather heroine, around here.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Hello, welcome to the shop.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21Thanks to her efforts, The Sycamore Inn is still going strong,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24but is this the answer for Bamford, where, as we heard earlier,
0:35:24 > 0:35:29the community is desperately trying to save their last village pub?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- What can I get you to drink? - Double hop, I think.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34A double hop, I can do one of those what about you, ladies?
0:35:34 > 0:35:36I'll have the same.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40What you've done here is brilliant,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44because you have used the space you've got in a great way.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47A little group in the side room, earlier on.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50You've got the shop, and you're still in the centre of the village,
0:35:50 > 0:35:51and you're still open.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54But, do you have someone who is willing
0:35:54 > 0:35:56to work 80 hours plus a week, like Janet is?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58It is a bit of a vocation, it's a calling.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01There are people with quite a lot of time.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03You know, there are people who would invest money,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06but there are also people who might not have the money,
0:36:06 > 0:36:07but would be willing to invest the time.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12Creating a one-stop shop might work for Bamford,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15but is relying on volunteers, and heroic publicans,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18really the way to save our village pubs?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Well, it's just gone 11:15, and Janet and I
0:36:21 > 0:36:23are coming to the end of a fairly long day,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26and we've heard a lot of arguments today,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30passionate about why country pubs should survive.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32But in the end, they'll only do well
0:36:32 > 0:36:34with not only passion, but a bit of money.
0:36:34 > 0:36:40So, to rewrite an old phrase, your country pub needs you.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I'm on a journey around the three hills of West Kent,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53a patchwork of countryside spared from the jaws of development
0:36:53 > 0:36:57by the great Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Unlike many parts of the country,
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Kent still has its fair share of village pubs to quench your thirst.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10No crop is more closely associated with Kent than the hop,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and the area has a long tradition of brewing quality, amber nectar.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17The ale made locally was so popular that in the 1880s
0:37:17 > 0:37:22a train line was specifically built to carry the beer to London.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28The local brew even made it overseas.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Following the D-Day landings, Westram ales were sneakily exported
0:37:31 > 0:37:36to troops in Normandy, inside the auxiliary fuel tanks of Spitfires.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39They were dubbed "modification triple X depth charges,"
0:37:39 > 0:37:41to get them officially approved for flights.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47I'm off to a brewery that sits in the shadow of Mariners Hill,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52that brews a beer so local it rarely even leaves the county.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Robert Wicks' passion for keeping his ethically-made beer local
0:37:58 > 0:38:02means you won't find much of it for sale outside Kent.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Look at this! What's being brewed in here?
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- We are brewing Spirit of Kent today. - What makes it such a Kentish beer?
0:38:09 > 0:38:14- Well, it's the fact that we put in nine different Kent hops in.- Wow!
0:38:14 > 0:38:18All the Kent hops are bred in Kent, grown in Kent,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and they've all been bred over the last 80 years.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And what about even the water, isn't that local?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27The water comes from Westwood farm, which is a greensand aquifer,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29and is piped here to the brewery.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- This is exclusively a Kent beer, isn't it?- It is. Absolutely.
0:38:32 > 0:38:33So, would you like to start the process?
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Oh, yeah, go on then, what do I need to do?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- What you need to do is open the knife plate, which is there.- This here?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41- Yeah, if you reach across, and just pull.- There you go.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46- Ooh! Something is happening. - And then we'll just open this up.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48We are now starting the process
0:38:48 > 0:38:52of mixing the grain with the hot water, to make what we call a mash.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56- A mash?- It's exactly the same as your breakfast porridge.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00- Oh, really, OK? - It's two of water, to one of grain.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03We leave it to steep for an hour, and during that hour,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07the enzymes inside the barley convert the starch into sugar.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10And we need the sugar to make beer.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Let's go down and have a look at the hops.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Look at this room. What are these?
0:39:20 > 0:39:23This is the fermentation room, and these are the hops we'll use.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- If you just take one of the flowers out.- Yeah.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28If you break it open, and look inside,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- you can see all the seeds there. - Yeah.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They're not seeds, they are lupulin glands,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and it's those glands that have got the resins.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37That's what we want to make the bitterness in the beer,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41but also to add the flavour, and aroma.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43'The nine different hops are added
0:39:43 > 0:39:47'at nine points in the process, and some of them are pretty fruity.'
0:39:47 > 0:39:50And then there's yeast. Where do you get the yeast from?
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Well, the yeast that we use came
0:39:52 > 0:39:55from the Old Black Eagle Brewery, which closed in 1965.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57But in 1959, the head brewer deposited
0:39:57 > 0:39:59at the National Collection Of Yeast Cultures,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01and so we went back to the collection,
0:40:01 > 0:40:02we re-cultured the yeast,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and that's the yeast we've been using for the last eight years.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06I never even knew such a place existed.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10- They keep hold of lots of yeast.- Oh, thousands of different yeast strains.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13The crown jewels of a brewery, is it's yeast,
0:40:13 > 0:40:14because with the water, and the yeast,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16or the liquor as we call it, and the yeast,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19is the most important factor to make the flavour.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21It's then left to ferment for seven days.
0:40:21 > 0:40:27And unlike most other beers, it's then matured for two weeks.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30This helps the flavours blend, to produce a perfect pint.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Well, after all that walking, it would be rude not to.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Cheers!
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Farming is a lifestyle as well as a job,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48and it takes a certain type of dedication.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Shepherding is just one of the many roles that Adam
0:40:51 > 0:40:54has to be skilled at. He's got around 2,000 sheep,
0:40:54 > 0:40:59and this week shearing is taking top priority down the farm.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00HE WHISTLES
0:41:06 > 0:41:07HE WHISTLES
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Good girl, pal. Steady.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13This is my commercial flock,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and we're just moving them onto some fresh pasture.
0:41:16 > 0:41:17The lambs are getting quite big now,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20they'll be ready for market in a month's time.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22They're relying on their mothers for milk,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24there's a lovely set of twins suckling over there,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27but they're grazing a lot of grass, too.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Shearing starts in Devon earlier in the year,
0:41:30 > 0:41:31then it comes up to the Midlands,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34then finishes up in Yorkshire and Scotland,
0:41:34 > 0:41:35where the climate's a bit colder.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37And shearing's going quite well for us,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40although we're having to catch the sheep in between the storms,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43because you can't shear wet sheep.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45And to combat the weather,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47I've been keeping some of my rare breed rams
0:41:47 > 0:41:50in the shed to keep them dry, so they can be shorn today.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56This is a Norfolk Horn. One of our rare breeds.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59And these rams are just over a year old,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01so this is the first time they've been shorn.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03And it should be the best fleece they ever produce,
0:42:03 > 0:42:05because it still has the lamb's wool in it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08But because they have never been shorn before,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12and they're sort of half-grown testosterone-filled boys,
0:42:12 > 0:42:18they can be quite hard to shear. They can be quite wriggly sometimes.
0:42:18 > 0:42:23The price of wool has gone up quite well in the last couple of years.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27There is a lack of sheep in Australia and New Zealand
0:42:27 > 0:42:29and in the UK and wool is trendy again.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33More people are using it in woollen carpets and in clothing.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Next up is a member of my flock that has cost me
0:42:36 > 0:42:39a fair bit more than the value of her fleece.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Last summer, my dog Maude found her in the stream.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44The poor thing could barely see.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47So I took her back to the farm and after a bit of TLC
0:42:47 > 0:42:50from me and my son Alfie, she pulled through.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56And this is Laurel, that little lamb, 14 months on.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58- Looking pretty good, Mike, isn't she? - Yeah.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Kicks a bit, though.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02On a farm, particularly with the kids,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04we always end up with a few pets.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08And Laurel here has grown into quite a nice ewe.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11She's in good condition, she looks pretty smart.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12We'll keep her in the flock now.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16She'll go to the ram this autumn and be lambing next spring.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18I reckon Alfie will be pretty pleased with her.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Some of our rare breed fleeces can fetch a premium
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and are great for spinners and weavers.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Frances Taylor is a big fan and she runs spinning courses.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Hello, Adam.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Now, that looks like a home-made top you have got there. It's beautiful!
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- It is a bit.- What's in there?
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Well, it's got lots of fibres in it,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42brown chow dog hair, little coloured bits are silk,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45dyed silk with some mohair as well,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47and some black Welsh lamb.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50- Goodness. Amazing what you can do. - It is amazing.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51Absolutely.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56This is from my little lad's pet lamb. A Romney shearling ewe.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00- It's the first time she's been shorn. - Good.- What do you think of that?
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Hold it up to the light, spread open the staple
0:44:03 > 0:44:07and have a look at the conformation
0:44:07 > 0:44:09of both the crimp and the fleece itself.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13With a ewe, that has had maybe twins or lambs,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16you'll often see a break in the fleece.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18It's always about here.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20That tells me it's not a sound fleece.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23And I wouldn't like to spin that
0:44:23 > 0:44:25because when you comb it through, it breaks.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28Here, we have a lovely fleece.
0:44:28 > 0:44:34Good measurement and if you twang it, it will ring.
0:44:34 > 0:44:39- Amazing.- A good fleece will ring. Yeah, it is. It is a very good test.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43- I like that very much. That's a nice fleece.- Good.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45I'd go for that one any time.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- That's about a fiver for that one, is that OK?- That is brilliant.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49Thank you very much.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51That's a good price for a good fleece.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54After all that money I spent on the pet lamb, a fiver in the bank.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57- Yes, absolutely. Good. I reckon that's a deal.- Come on, darling.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11I've got quite a few sheep on the farm
0:45:11 > 0:45:13and it's an important part of our business,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16but people now are getting into sheep farming on a smaller scale.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Kate Humble, who just happens to be a friend of mine,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22is interested in buying a few sheep for her small holding at home.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24And never one to turn down a chance of meeting up with Kate
0:45:24 > 0:45:28and spending some of her money, I'm heading down to Wiltshire,
0:45:28 > 0:45:29to look at some Dorset horns.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33'Choosing the right breed is essential
0:45:33 > 0:45:36'so Kate has brought her tenant farmer Tim Stephens.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38'He's the man who is going to be looking after her sheep
0:45:38 > 0:45:40'back in Wales.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42'I've arranged for us to meet up with Jim Dufosee,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44'he's been farming Dorset horns for 30 years
0:45:44 > 0:45:47'and is an expert when it comes to this breed.'
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- Jim, hi.- Hi, Adam.- Good to see you. - Nice to meet you.- Kate?
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- Hi, Jim.- And Tim.- Nice to see you. - And you.- What a wonderful spot.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- Lovely, isn't it?- It's absolutely fantastic. And what wonderful sheep.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00- These are the Dorsets? - These are the Dorsets, yes.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03When somebody sees a horned sheep, they think it's a ram.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05- Right, of course. - Instantly, it's a ram,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07because it's got horns and the girls don't have horns.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Well, the girls do have horns.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13Tim and I are basically setting up a small holding within the farm
0:46:13 > 0:46:17to showcase different breeds that are suitable for people
0:46:17 > 0:46:20who might want to keep a few animals, but not commercially.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23They seem very happy out grazing on this bank,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- but you're a bit higher up, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30- We are about 850 feet. What are you here?- We're about 700.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34Very exposed, obviously. No hedges. Very little protection.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37- And they seem lovely and docile, don't they?- They do.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Are they quite a docile breed?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42I think they are close to being the most docile breed,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45or dozy, which ever way you'd like to put it!
0:46:45 > 0:46:46THEY LAUGH
0:46:46 > 0:46:49They don't look to get out, they are happy if there's grass here.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52They don't see the need to walk all the way over there
0:46:52 > 0:46:54to eat grass over there when it's here.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56- Shall we look at ones you've got for sale?- Yes, OK.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00- Great. OK.- Let's have a look, shall we?- Thanks, Jim.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02'The unusual thing about Dorset horns
0:47:02 > 0:47:04'is that they are one of the few breeds
0:47:04 > 0:47:05'that can lamb at any time of year
0:47:05 > 0:47:07'and Jim has got some that will be lambing in autumn,
0:47:07 > 0:47:11'Unlike most sheep, that lamb in the spring.'
0:47:11 > 0:47:15These are the in-lamb ewes we picked out for you.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- They're all scanned to lamb in September.- Right.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23The number of dots is the number of lambs in the sheep.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25You've got three twins there and a single.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28The father of the lambs inside these ewes is the big one
0:47:28 > 0:47:30in the middle with the impressive horns.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33- He's a tremendous looking ram, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34Shall we jump in and have a look?
0:47:34 > 0:47:38You decide whether you like them or you don't like them, that's fine.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39I'll leave you to it
0:47:39 > 0:47:42and then there's no embarrassment on any account.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44- Thanks, Jim. OK.- Let's jump in.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Shall we check over the basics - teeth and udders?
0:47:51 > 0:47:53- Two teeth in the first year of life...- Yes.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55And then four teeth when they're two,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57six teeth when they're three.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00So she looks like she is three. Check the udder of this one.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Don't want any lumps and bumps in there. Nice, soft udder.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- Very good. All right, Kate? Powerful, aren't they?- They are strong!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I don't know where this "docile" word came from!
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Should be able to put three fingers in between the two horns.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16- I can do four. But I've got small... - Wide horns.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18I've got very small hands, so four fingers.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- Go on, Tim, you do your proper farmer's hands.- Yeah, that's it.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26And very importantly, they should have pink pigment
0:48:26 > 0:48:28in their nose, lips and eyes.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32And she is a lovely clean, pink-faced sheep.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36- But they're a good, chunky sheep, aren't they?- They are. Really good.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40These ewes would compete with a commercial ewe, and that ram,
0:48:40 > 0:48:44that's the father of the lambs, he is tremendous!
0:48:45 > 0:48:48- Are you going to take them all? - Well, I think so.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53It is a good handle-able number. Enough to give it a proper trial.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57I think that's very sensible. You might even get showing them soon.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02- If you're judging!- Yeah. - I better get a red rosette!
0:49:02 > 0:49:03Well, it's a given.
0:49:03 > 0:49:08- I'd better go and do the dirty deed with the cheque-book.- Yes.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13'And with that decision made, it's time to load them up.'
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Yeah, what a lovely little flock.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Next week, I'll be introducing
0:49:30 > 0:49:33my new belted Galloway stock bull to the farm.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39In a moment, I'm going to be using these
0:49:39 > 0:49:41and some sophisticated gadgetry
0:49:41 > 0:49:45to try and capture a photo of some mobile wildlife.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47But before that, the weather.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50It has been a bit of a challenge in the last few weeks.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53What has it got in store for us this week? Let's find out.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12We've been exploring the landscape around the three Kentish hills,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15Ide Hill, Mariners Hill and Toys Hill.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Following in the footsteps of Octavia Hill,
0:52:17 > 0:52:22the woman fought hard to preserve and protect them from urban sprawl.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24I've nearly come to the end of my journey,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27but there is just time for me to meet a local lad,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30a photographer who shares one of my interests
0:52:30 > 0:52:33in getting up close to some flighty animals at night time.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Jake Everitt is a countryside warden with a passion for moths -
0:52:40 > 0:52:42and anything with wings, really.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46- Jake, I've got you these. - Oh, brilliant.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49- Ready for our moth trapping session. - Great.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53- So this is a good time of year for trapping moths?- Yes, brilliant.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56We have the biggest variety of moths around at the moment,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59so it's a really good time to trap.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01This light is not the standard household bulb?
0:53:01 > 0:53:04This one's called a mercury vapour bulb.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It's a lot brighter than our household bulb
0:53:06 > 0:53:08and gives off a lot of UV light.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10What is it about this bulb that they go for?
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Moths basically think that this is the moon,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15so they orient themselves by keeping the moon up in the sky.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18So they come to the bulb, thinking it's the moon.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21When they reach the bulb, they think it's the sunlight and try and hide.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24I'm ashamed to say I once tried dipping socks
0:53:24 > 0:53:25into a sweet, sticky liquid.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- Yeah, that works. - The old-fashioned way!- Yeah.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- I didn't get a lot, I'll be honest. - Nah, it's your socks!- How rude!
0:53:36 > 0:53:39As well as being mad about moths, Jake has also taken
0:53:39 > 0:53:42some amazing photographs of other wildlife.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46And if we catch anything in our trap tonight,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48he can hopefully give me some tips.
0:53:51 > 0:53:5312 hours later, and it's time to see what we've got.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57- You're all set up!- Yep, all set up and ready to go.- Out of the wind.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59- Yes, indeed.- It was a bit howling last night.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03- It was a bit strong.- So, bearing that in mind, how did we get on?
0:54:03 > 0:54:05We got a few moths for us to look at.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08This one is called a small elephant hawk moth.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09I've definitely seen bigger than that.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13- Separate species, but very similar colouring.- Beautiful pink.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18You know what, I know a bad workman and all that,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21but I'm more familiar with my camera phone because I use it all the time.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24- How about these, are they any good? - Absolutely brilliant.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Really good for things that are small.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Oh, this is far better. Here we go.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- This one is quite a pretty one. - That's beautiful.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37That one is called lesser swallow prominent.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- Lovely. Let's do that one on a different background.- OK.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45We've caught some beautiful moths here -
0:54:45 > 0:54:48I just hope my photos do them justice.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50- OK, we've uploaded mine.- Yes.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52- Let's have a look at these gems. - Yes.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54That's the small elephant hawk moth.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58You just about got the eye in focus there, it throws the rest of it out.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- I lost most of the moth. - It was a bit windy, to be honest.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- That's fine, that's what it was! - And there's another one.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07That's all right, cos you get a bit of the detail at the front here.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08That looks pretty good, I reckon.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Now let's see how the masters do it. Let's see your shots.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- And give us some tips along the way. - OK. Well...
0:55:15 > 0:55:17this is a kind of quirky photo,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19this is called a canary-shouldered thorn,
0:55:19 > 0:55:21so just trying to get the head in focus
0:55:21 > 0:55:23rather than leave the wings out of focus.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25- It's like a cartoon character, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27- It's an interesting looking moth. - Beautiful.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29That is a different angle.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33- That's cool.- That's just looking head-on to it, rather than side-on.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35This is where I think it is really important
0:55:35 > 0:55:37to get the eyes in focus
0:55:37 > 0:55:40and the abdomen and everything else you can leave out of focus,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42but draw your eye to the eyes of the animal.
0:55:42 > 0:55:43It's really cool.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46The other thing, with dragonflies in particular,
0:55:46 > 0:55:48is keeping shadow off them.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50So always try to approach them head-on.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Absolutely. Jake, these photos are amazing.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- You could enter our photographic competition.- Maybe.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59With its theme, a walk on the wild side.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03If we've inspired you to get snapping
0:56:03 > 0:56:05then remember we're after pictures of wildlife,
0:56:05 > 0:56:08wild landscapes and wild weather.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14The best 12 will make up the Countryfile calendar for 2013
0:56:14 > 0:56:17sold in aid of Children In Need.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20If you take the winning photo, as chosen by our viewers,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23you'll get £1,000 worth of photography equipment
0:56:23 > 0:56:26and the judges' favourite will get £500 worth.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29You still have two weeks left to enter the competition.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32It closes on Sunday 22nd of July.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35All the details about how to enter are on our website,
0:56:35 > 0:56:39including the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- I normally say all that!- My turn, this time. John, what do you make
0:56:41 > 0:56:43of this photo of my elephant hawk moth?
0:56:43 > 0:56:45- That is pretty good.- Thank you.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49- Yes, for a beginner. - For the competition?
0:56:49 > 0:56:53- Well, I'm sad to say you're not allowed to enter, Ellie.- Oh!
0:56:53 > 0:56:57- Good practice anyway.- It is.- Well, that's it from the Kentish hills.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Next week we'll be in Snowdonia,
0:56:59 > 0:57:01where Julia will be putting her mountain skills to the test
0:57:01 > 0:57:05and I'll be exploring a landscape known as the Celtic rainforest.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08- So until then, goodbye.- Bye.
0:57:26 > 0:57:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd