0:00:24 > 0:00:30Mountains, foreboding, rocky peaks towering dramatically over lush green valleys.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Britain's highest peaks may have been conquered long ago,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37but many are the last remaining pieces of true wilderness.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46And rivers, the watery veins and arteries flowing through our countryside.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Whether river deep or mountain high,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52these are the jewels of our countryside
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and for this special edition of Countryfile,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I've come to somewhere which has them in great abundance -
0:00:57 > 0:00:59the Cairngorms in Scotland.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04The 25,000 acres of the Rothiemurchus estate
0:01:04 > 0:01:09stretch from the River Spey to the summit of Braeriach,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Britain's third highest mountain at over 4,000 feet.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17As well as meeting the Laird of this vast estate and discovering just how it's managed,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21I'll be revisiting some of our favourite Countryfile moments
0:01:21 > 0:01:24that have taken the team up hill and down stream.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Here's just a taste of what's to come.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's downhill all the way for Matt in North Wales.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Oh, look at that view!
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Julia takes a swim on the wild side in Oxfordshire.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I'm just desperately staying afloat
0:01:41 > 0:01:44cos I don't want to put my foot in anything slippery.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And Adam helps herd sheep down the slopes off the Lake District.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Hey, hey, hey. Come on, sheep.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01At the heart of the Cairngorms National Park in the eastern Highlands
0:02:01 > 0:02:03is the Rothiemurchus estate.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07More than ten million trees in a natural forest,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and the fastest flowing river in Scotland.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13But facts and figures only hint at its beauty.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16This is the place to get away from it all,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18to hear the sound of silence,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and even on a summer's day like this, when it's raining
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and the clouds are crashing into the mountains,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27it's quite magnificent.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And hardly surprising that one of the most iconic images of Scotland
0:02:31 > 0:02:35the Monarch Of The Glen, was painted only a couple of miles from here,
0:02:35 > 0:02:40by Sir Edwin Landseer exactly 160 years ago.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42And things have hardly changed.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Since the 16th century, the estate has been in passed down
0:02:46 > 0:02:48through the Grant family.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52The 17th laird of Rothiemurchus is Johnnie Grant.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57This is a fantastic skyline. Are you laird of all you survey here?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'm not so much laird over it,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I'm responsible for most of what you see here, yes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Presumably, over the centuries,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08the responsibilities changed, really, for a place like this?
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Hugely.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Back in the 16th century, the laird was kind of next to king, really,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18was responsible for everything, up until the 19th century.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20If people starved, it was the laird's fault.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So, you know, big responsibilities in the old days.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Now what we're interested in here at Rothiemurchus is biodiversity.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29In terms of wildlife and nature,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32we are signed up to international agreements
0:03:32 > 0:03:36by which we actually have to keep this place in improving condition.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38And that is a major responsibility,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41especially when you have large numbers of people
0:03:41 > 0:03:42who want to come and enjoy it.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It may be in private hands,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48but much of the land is accessible to the public.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Later, I'll be heading down the mountain
0:03:50 > 0:03:52to see what's happening on the rivers
0:03:52 > 0:03:54that criss-cross the estate.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56As you've heard, this part of Scotland
0:03:56 > 0:04:01has the UK's third highest mountain, Braeriach, over there.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04But in the shadow of the highest peak in Wales,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Matt rode a train that lets gravity take the strain.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14The summit of Mount Snowdon marks the highest point in England and Wales.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18It stands 3,560 feet above sea level
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and sits within the Snowdonia National Park
0:04:21 > 0:04:23in the north-west of Wales.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It's a breathtaking, mountainous landscape
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and holds a special place the nation's heart.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34But, here in Blaenau Ffestiniog
0:04:34 > 0:04:36a new landscape has been formed,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39not by ice, but by centuries of heavy industry.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43These hills are formed by slate.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Slate has been mined in North Wales for hundreds of years,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and in the 19th century, over half the world's slate was Welsh.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Today, with open cast mining, slate production continues,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58albeit on a much smaller scale.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04These days, the slate produced is transported by lorries throughout Britain.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06But back in the 19th century,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10they had to solve the problem of transporting the slate from here,
0:05:10 > 0:05:1413 miles to the ships which were waiting to transport them worldwide.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16The solution was to build a railway,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21but it was before the days of oil or steam, so they relied on gravity.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27This engine is part of the Ffestiniog Railway,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30hauling tourists through the breathtaking scenery of Snowdonia.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Originally, the railway was built to carry slate
0:05:33 > 0:05:37from the quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port of Porthmadog.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And today we're going to recreate that very journey.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44And while we can rely on gravity to take us down the mountain,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47we need this beautiful steam engine to get us up there first.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50None of this would be possible without a group of enthusiasts
0:05:50 > 0:05:53who've spent months restoring the wagons.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Is it full?- It is.- How are you?
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- Hello, welcome. - Very impressive indeed.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Lovely little wagons these, aren't they?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Yes, these are the old wagons the railway used to ship the slate
0:06:08 > 0:06:10from the quarries down to the port.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14When the train is running down the hill by gravity
0:06:14 > 0:06:16these guys have to work the brakes
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and make sure the thing doesn't go zooming off.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- And that's what these levers are? - This is the very basic brakes.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And very effective they are, too.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Where's the best place for me, then?
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I think the best place for you today, Matt,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31is with our head brakes man, Iain,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33who will be at the top end of the train.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Iain, how are you? What's the idea? Where shall I sit?
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Because there isn't any seats.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38There are no seats.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41You sit on the side of the wagon, so get yourself up there.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And we can get off.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- We're off.- Yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Brake's off.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03'150 years ago, horses would have taken the empty wagons up the hill
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'where they would be loaded with slate from the quarry.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08'Today, we're steaming along nicely,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'but soon, we'll be unhitched from the engine
0:07:11 > 0:07:13'and gravity will take over.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:23The steam engine has now decoupled so all of these 30 wagons
0:07:23 > 0:07:27with us at the front are about to free-wheel down the hill.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Right, brakes off.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36HORN
0:07:36 > 0:07:42'I'm the privileged passenger on this 13-mile coast down to the sea,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45'and while these seating is hardly first class,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47'riding the gravity train is by invitation only.'
0:07:49 > 0:07:55It is quite an odd feeling as you feel it getting faster and faster.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56It feels like a roller-coaster.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59You want to put your hands up in the air.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02HORN
0:08:02 > 0:08:06That was a lovely little tinkle, that one.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Oh, yes. We were saving that one.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Oh, we're moving now, we're moving now!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Porthmadog, here we come!
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Oh, look at that view!
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Oh, there's something wonderful about this kind of travel, you know.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Everybody's on the side, waving away,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- we're just zipping through the countryside.- All aboard?
0:08:44 > 0:08:49- Is that Snowdon over there?- Yeah, the peak up there, that's Snowdon.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Right, so, here we are, then. Our destination, the end of the line.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We can put the brakes on fully, come to a grinding halt.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02We've dropped about 200 metres from the very top, gradual gradient,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04all the way down here to Porthmadog.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07The destination...of the slate.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14And... that... is it.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Lovely. Iain, thanks ever so much. - Thank you.- Super braking.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The railway remains a testament to the generations of people
0:09:22 > 0:09:26who dedicated their lives to exporting Welsh slate all over the world.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Rothiemurchus in the Cairngorms may be a private estate,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35but it welcomes up to 400,000 visitors a year.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Most are attracted by the tranquil wilderness of the mountains,
0:09:39 > 0:09:40lochs and rivers.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46But it's a difficult balance between catering for tourists
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and preserving the special landscape.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Everything we do
0:09:51 > 0:09:54is to enable people to enjoy Rothiemurchus
0:09:54 > 0:09:56in a way which helps us look after it.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- So, opening up the estate to visitors creates jobs for people.- Yes.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Presumably, this is all very useful
0:10:02 > 0:10:05when it comes to raising money to keep the estate going?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That's a huge struggle. It's how do you look after,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and pay for conservation? You can't have environmental sustainability
0:10:12 > 0:10:15unless you have economic and social sustainability.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20But I think that if we can go on enabling people to enjoy the right thing here
0:10:20 > 0:10:25in the right way, it'll be something which actually, hopefully, will be the answer
0:10:25 > 0:10:28to how you keep it looking really special.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Well, a more traditional way of having fun in a river,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36especially on a hot day, which this one isn't, is to go for a dip.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40And Matt and Julia went wild swimming in Oxfordshire.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I'm going to find out what attracts people to wild swimming for fun
0:10:46 > 0:10:50while Matt takes to the water with the river swimming convert, Karen Pickering
0:10:50 > 0:10:53who's best known for winning medals in indoor pools.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56So, Robert, what is the difference between wild swimming
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and gentle, family river swimming?
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Well, I think gentle, family river swimming is wild swimming.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I mean, there's all kinds of wild swimming you could do.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Very hardy swimming in the winter,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12but basically, wild swimming is not concrete, not chlorine.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And what is it about swimming in a river that's so intoxicating?
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Well, just look here. You've got sunshine, you've got trees,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22you've got live water coming down.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27But before you take the plunge, you want to make sure the water's clean.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31The Environment Agency grade rivers for cleanliness. A is the best.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34This is probably B.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- Pretty clean.- For a lowland river, pretty good.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40You also need to check that it's safe.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The easiest thing to do is to find a local swimmer
0:11:43 > 0:11:46who will tell you what the hazards are,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and preferably go in front of you.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53I'm not going to be taking any risks so I've enlisted the help of Karen Pickering,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56four-times world swimming champion,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59who, today, has swapped the pool for the river.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Well, Karen, we are fully suited up here, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I'm sure people watching this at home are thinking,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08"What does it matter? I used to jump in there in my pants."
0:12:08 > 0:12:12But we're fully suited, and you always wear this when you wild swim.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15When kids come into the water, and on a beautiful day like this,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19they don't feel the cold and they're out on the side, drying off, and it's fine.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21But if you're in the water for any length of time,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24even when it feels comfortable like this,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26you'll be grateful you've got a wetsuit on
0:12:26 > 0:12:31as it's surprising how quickly you can lose heat and that's when you can get into difficulty.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33So, Robert's leading the way.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37'I'm only going in for a short splash around, so no wet suit for me.'
0:12:37 > 0:12:39SHOUTING
0:12:41 > 0:12:42Way!
0:12:51 > 0:12:56The only thing is, you don't quite know what's under your feet
0:12:56 > 0:13:00so I'm just desperately staying afloat
0:13:00 > 0:13:04because I don't want to put my foot in anything slippery.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Is the visibility sometimes a problem?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18That was probably one of the biggest shocks I had
0:13:18 > 0:13:21when I first swam in a river because I couldn't see my hand,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I'm used to seeing the bottom of the pool.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27For you, then, you know, looking at this seriously,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30do you just get your head down, just swim for miles?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32You've just got to be careful
0:13:32 > 0:13:36because the river changes every day, so you don't know which bits are deep,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39you're not sure what's underneath. There might be swans,
0:13:39 > 0:13:44they can get a bit angry. You've got to look out for fishermen, boats.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So you have to be really aware and be sensible.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49We're swimming breaststroke because were talking,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54- but would you have your head down doing front crawls for a couple of miles?- Absolutely.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58The fastest stroke is front crawl so if you're racing, it's the best stroke to do.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02If you're having fun and enjoying yourself, then it doesn't matter.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It's lovely. And it helps with the wetsuit,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- doesn't half keep you afloat. - Absolutely.- I'm not even kicking.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13It keeps you warm and it's added safety because they're so buoyant.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17As well as safety, there are also some legal considerations.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22In Scotland, you can swim in any river as long as you behave responsibly.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Elsewhere, you mustn't trespass on private land,
0:14:25 > 0:14:26and in only 4% of rivers,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29is the right to swim undisputed.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So, if in any doubt, check with the landowner.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43The water is so invigorating, really fresh. It feels lovely and clear.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Silky smooth and cold on the body. Really makes you feel alive.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I'm swimming against the tide now. Good exercise, too.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I wonder how Matt's getting on.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Seems he's got a bit of a race on his hands.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08I've got a challenge on here. Karen's not using her arms.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14He still loses.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Well, come on, she is four-times world champion.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Oh, well!
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Coming up on Countryfile, Julia has designs on an Italian classic.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Tasty.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36James discovers a new treatment, made from an age-old Welsh symbol.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39And we'll have the weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51From beautiful rivers to our highest mountains,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54we're revisiting some Countryfile highlights.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- 'Trying to find a woman missing...' - Both can be dangerous places to be,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01especially in cold weather, as Ellie discovered
0:16:01 > 0:16:04in the Lake District back in the winter.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I'm here to find out how visitors to this landscape are kept safe.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11I'll be spending the day
0:16:11 > 0:16:14with one of the region's 12 mountain rescue teams,
0:16:14 > 0:16:19who between them, respond to more than 600 emergencies every year.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21What kind of incidents do you get, Mike?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23There's a huge variety of incidents.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27You might just think it's climbers and mountaineers,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31but the most frequent accidents are walkers,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34twisted ankles and lower leg injuries.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38There's a wide range of incidents happening in the mountains
0:16:38 > 0:16:40because people are doing so many different things now.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Can it be a case of life or death? - Absolutely, every team...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45You join a mountain rescue team
0:16:45 > 0:16:49because you think you're going to help and make a difference,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52that's why people join mountain rescue teams.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56I think it was 26 deaths in the Lake District mountains last year.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00That's got to get into perspective to the thousands of people
0:17:00 > 0:17:01actually out in the mountains.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06One man who was lucky to escape with his life is Al.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Two years ago, he was at the centre of his own rescue drama,
0:17:09 > 0:17:10after a climbing accident.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Today he's returning to the scene for the first time.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- This is the spot then. - Yes, I was climbing up there.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I was very close to the top when apparently I fell off
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and I landed amongst the boulders just here.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28- That's not a soft landing. Solid rocks.- Absolutely.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34- That's an enormous height. - Probably about ten metres.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37It's far enough to hurt.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39That's an understatement.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Al was in a bad way with serious injuries.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Duddon and Furness mountain rescue gave him urgent medical attention
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and organised an airlift.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Today, I'm going to find out first-hand what it's like to be rescued.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00We're at Stickle Pike, one of the many peaks that tower above the valley,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02to take part in a training exercise.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09I'm going to put myself in the shoes of an injured walker who's fallen down a steep hill.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14- OK?- Yes. I just have to lay out awkwardly.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Mike sends out an alert and the mountain rescue is scrambled.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24At base, the team are gathering,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29but all they've been given is a rough location for the injured walker.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Their job is to find me and get me off the mountain safely.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36We've got a young lady fallen, near Stickle Pike,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38on the side of the hill.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41They're on their way, but the clock is ticking.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44In cold weather, an injured person can develop signs
0:18:44 > 0:18:46of hypothermia in less than an hour.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Not been here all that long and already I can feel the chill.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53It's about four degrees today and not that windy,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55but by sitting here and not moving,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58the cold has started to seep into my bones.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07Further down the valley and the rescue team are getting closer. Their vehicles can only get so far.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10OK, have we got everything? Let's go.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12The team are now on foot
0:19:12 > 0:19:17and they don't have any detailed information about my location.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21All they know is that I'm up here somewhere and they better start looking.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27They're relying on just their eyes and ears,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29but they know these mountains well
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and it's not long before I'm spotted.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35- I'm Ellie.- Hi.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Precise position of casualty is 100 metres west of summit cairn, over.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41'Now the real work starts.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'My injured leg has to be made as secure as possible
0:19:45 > 0:19:47'before I'm moved.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Just so everybody knows, we've got a lower leg injury.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52On the left, left leg,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57so can we be as careful as we can to not make it any worse? Thank you.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59'To make it as realistic as possible,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02'I'm going to be lowered down on a stretcher.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Ready? One, two, three, lift.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12'But the rough terrain is going to make it tricky.'
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Ready, steady... lift! Take it steady!
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'It's a case of one step at a time.'
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Stop, stop, get out the way.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Please get out of the way.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Just one more metre.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35'And although there's nothing wrong with me,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'being cocooned like this makes me feel strangely vulnerable.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42'But the team's hard graft pays off.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'After half an hour, we've made it back to the road.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47'It's mission accomplished.'
0:20:47 > 0:20:51That was an extraordinary journey. It's a real strange mix of emotions.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Feeling daft with people helping you, and then the journey itself.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59You're really locked into a position, and you have to go to your happy place a bit.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Now, I just feel grateful that I've been in these
0:21:02 > 0:21:04incredibly safe hands and I've been saved.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And I'm not even injured! It's amazing!
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Well, if you don't want to brave the mountains like Ellie,
0:21:12 > 0:21:18maybe fishing on Scotland's freshwater lochs and rivers is an easier bet.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21It's worth 130 million a year to the economy,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and the Rothiemurchus Estate is a big draw for anglers.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Alf, one of the countryside rangers here is releasing
0:21:29 > 0:21:32rainbow trout into one of the lochs.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35There's around 100,000 of them swimming wild, here.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Some will be taken by anglers,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42but others will be caught by another regular visitor here, the osprey.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46The osprey is also known as the fish eagle,
0:21:46 > 0:21:47and that's why it is doing well here
0:21:47 > 0:21:51because of the abundance of food in the rivers and lochs.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Roy Dennis from the Highland Foundation For Wildlife
0:21:56 > 0:21:59has been studying ospreys in this area for 50 years.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I've been following the populations
0:22:02 > 0:22:04right from when we had one pair in 1960,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08until now, we have about 240 pairs in Scotland.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10They've re-colonised England and Wales.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13But the other amazing thing is, in 1960,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15we didn't even ring the chicks,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18we were so worried, and they were so precious.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Nowadays, we have birds with satellite trackers that can
0:22:21 > 0:22:25tell us where they are, anywhere in the world, every hour of the day.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29So where do they go to when they leave the UK?
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Well, this bird is almost certainly going to be one of the ones
0:22:32 > 0:22:36who fish here this morning, is Red 80,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and he winters on the Casamance river in Southern Senegal.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44And nowadays, we can tell the hour that he sets off to come over
0:22:44 > 0:22:46the Sahara, back home.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49But the really exciting thing, this spring,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51is that for the very first time,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54we have tracked a bird back at two years old.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So it came from Rothiemurchus, this estate,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02went and lived in Senegal all last summer, grew up in Africa,
0:23:02 > 0:23:07and then this late-spring it headed back.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08And it should be here,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11because male ospreys come back to where they were born.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26As well as being havens for wildlife and anglers, some of our rivers -
0:23:26 > 0:23:30like the Thames - are also favourite spots for sailors and boaters.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34When Julia went to Windsor, she met a dynasty of boat-builders
0:23:34 > 0:23:38who use the wood from the great oaks of the great park.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46For centuries, wooden boat builders have lived and worked along the Thames,
0:23:46 > 0:23:47catering for local gentry
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and big events like the Henley Regatta.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52In the 19th century, there would have been
0:23:52 > 0:23:54about 600-boat builders in this vicinity.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Today, there's just a handful left,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00but the enthusiasm for wooden boats is very much alive.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I'm meeting Robin Ford to find out more.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04- Hi, Robin.- Hi, Julia.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08We've lost the sun for a moment.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- Now, you're a boat enthusiast.- I am.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14What's the big event for you guys? Is it the regatta?
0:24:14 > 0:24:18It's not the regatta. I think the regatta is a fantastic event,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21but the real event is the Thames Traditional Boat Rally,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23which started about 34 years ago.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27A group were worried about the craft disappearing.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The first rally was really just a barbecue and a party, 27 boats.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The next year they had 80. Now, we have 200.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40One of the major supporters of that boat rally was Peter Freebody,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43a prolific boat builder and a philanthropist.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46He bought his boatyard in the early '60s at a time
0:24:46 > 0:24:50when wooden boat building was declining completely,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55and he hung on there and built a complete market for traditional craft.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- For storing them, maintaining them and building them. - He rebuilt the industry?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02He rebuilt the industry pretty single-handedly.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Sadly, Peter passed away recently.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15But examples of his excellent workmanship live on in his boatyard in Hurley.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22This is Peter's legacy, and today it's his children
0:25:22 > 0:25:26who are keeping the 300-year-old family tradition alive.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Richard and his sisters, along with a team of seven,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35make and restore wooden boats just like their dad used to.
0:25:38 > 0:25:44This is actually one of Dad's last completed dinghies that he built.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- Aw.- My dad's nickname for my mother was Duckie.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49But this isn't his boat?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51It wasn't his, it was for a customer, exactly.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55That's lovely. She is beautiful.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So, Julia, here we've got basically the last boat
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that Dad hadn't quite finished,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and I was working alongside him in the build of this.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12You can see, he hasn't quite finished what we call riveting up the nails.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17These are the timbers, and they would be steamed
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and then moulded into position.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- What would this boat look like, in the end?- Identical to Duckie.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And you didn't go to engineering college, or university.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- You've done no formal course? - No, not at all.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Your dad passed it all down?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Absolutely. It's in the blood, and a lovely thing to be involved with.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38You're probably not going to sell this boat.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41But a boat like this, like Duckie, what sort of price are we talking?
0:26:41 > 0:26:4412-foot dinghies go for around £12,000.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- £1,000 a foot?- That's it!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55For wooden boat lovers, this place is like a sweetie shop.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57There's something to suit every taste.
0:26:57 > 0:27:03I've just spotted an Italian beauty that's in for restoration.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Ah. I'm not going to call you Richard, now.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I'm going to call you Ricardo.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Of all the boats, this would be the one for me.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14They're something special. This is a 1965 Riva Ariston.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20The fittings, everything about them is just spot on.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24How much is this going to cost me, Ricardo?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Riva Ariston, in this condition, roundabout £130,000.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Try it for size, Julia! Hop in.- OK.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Ah, tasty. Very tasty.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Now if I were to buy a boat, like businessman Lawrence Green has,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to take this on.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- So, Lawrence, you haven't owned a boat before?- Never, no.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- This is our first foray into boating. - This is your first boat?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Absolute first boat, yes.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- It's a Venetian water taxi.- Mm-hmm.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Richard tells me, the only one on the Thames.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I can understand, I can believe that!
0:28:02 > 0:28:05What did it look like when you first laid eyes on it?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07What made you fall in love with it?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09It was in a warehouse
0:28:09 > 0:28:13covered in at least an inch-and-a-half of dust.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14But it needed saving, frankly.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19- Can you drive a boat? - No. Not as yet.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Right. When's the first lesson?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Two weeks before this is launched.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27THEY LAUGH
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- So the L plates will be firmly on for a while!- Absolutely!
0:28:37 > 0:28:41We're back to Wales now, to the Brecon Beacons,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45where James Wong saw how hill farmers are growing, at altitude,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47something that couldn't be more Welsh
0:28:47 > 0:28:51to help combat the effects of Alzheimer's.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56What you do think of when you think of Wales? It might be dragons.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00It could be male voice choirs.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03It might be rugby, which I was always a little bit rubbish at.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07And of course, there's always the sheep.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10But to me, as a confirmed plant geek,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14the one thing I think of is the humble daffodil.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20But there is more to this Welsh icon than meets the eye -
0:29:20 > 0:29:22or in this case, the mind.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27The daffodil produces many chemicals, one of which is galantamine.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32The drug, originally found in wild snowdrops, combats Alzheimer's,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35the most common cause of dementia.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39But it's expensive, and difficult to make.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45The Stephens family farmed predominantly sheep until 2004,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47when they decided to try growing daffs
0:29:47 > 0:29:50as an alternative source of the drug.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53My son decided he wanted to be a farmer when he grew up,
0:29:53 > 0:29:57and hill farming is not a really commercial,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01viable alternative going forward,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04so I was looking for diversification opportunities for a Welsh hill farm.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10We're off the beaten track, there's no passing trade, a farm shop wouldn't work,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14we needed a crop that had an industrial application.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Presumably, the conditions here mean the things you can grow are limited.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20It's full of stones, high altitude,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24so it's cold, not the easiest place to plough and cultivate.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26You're right. Some daffodil-growing experts
0:30:26 > 0:30:33have considered me to be mad, but I'm not growing daffodils, I'm growing galanthamine.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35What's the market like for the product?
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Currently, the market is worth about 8 billion.
0:30:39 > 0:30:45The problem with Alzheimer's disease is it's increasing at a terrific rate.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48That's set to double in the next 20 years, then again the following 20 years.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53Anything that can tackle those numbers has to be a good thing.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Galanthamine is only found in a few varieties of daffodil,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05and only in significant quantities when it's grown at altitude.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08This stresses the plant and causes it to produce the chemical.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14The smell of some of these varieties is really intoxicating.
0:31:14 > 0:31:20The thing is, I wouldn't be tempted to start knocking up a home remedy out of these,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24because they are extremely toxic.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Armed with my daffodils, I'm off to a trial site
0:31:28 > 0:31:32high in the Brecon Beacons to meet Professor Trevor Walker.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34His research has gone a long way
0:31:34 > 0:31:41in treating some of the 465,000 people affected by Alzheimer's in the UK.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46It looks like we've got a picnic set up here, Trevor.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49What are we going to do?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53We're going to see if there's any galanthamine in these varieties you've picked for us.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55OK.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57We'll cut these bulbs off.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59We'll squeeze some juice out of them
0:31:59 > 0:32:04and take that juice back for filtration.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09So you're already looking for the presence of galanthamine in different plants.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12What sparked off that hunch?
0:32:12 > 0:32:17We had a eureka moment when the wife of a colleague was diagnosed
0:32:17 > 0:32:19with Alzheimer's at the age of 58,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21and we decided we'd do something about it,
0:32:21 > 0:32:26we'd make galanthamine available as an anti-Alzheimer's drug,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30to do something about the extortionate costs
0:32:30 > 0:32:32and the tremendous cost of care.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36If you could delay someone going into a home for a few years,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39you've made a great saving.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Look at that! Look at that! - That's absolutely perfect.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- We'll take that back to the girls at the labs.- That's enough?- Plenty.
0:32:45 > 0:32:51You'd never think that bit of plant juice would contain such an important drug that can change lives.
0:32:52 > 0:32:59Now, for the first time, the daffodil fields are able to commercially supply galanthamine.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Currently, people like Keith Worwood get the drug elsewhere.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03He was diagnosed two years ago.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07So how do you take galanthamine? Is it a pill or an injection?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09It's a pill. It's a little thing, about that big.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Right. So a single pill day has this huge impact on your life?
0:33:13 > 0:33:16It's unbelievable! Unbelievable.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19The work these guys are doing here, growing these daffodils,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23you think they just look pretty, but it's so important to so many people.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26It is. Especially me!
0:33:35 > 0:33:38You might think you'd need to trek into the Amazon
0:33:38 > 0:33:42or into the heart of Siberia to find botanical cures for major diseases,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46but who'd've thought the humble daff would be such a giant
0:33:46 > 0:33:51at treating a debilitating disease that affects so many people?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Still to come, Matt and Julia explore the Fens by paddle board.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03- Look at you!- It's all coming back to me now.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07And we'll have the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:34:13 > 0:34:19Here in Scotland, cool, clear water filters through the rocky Cairngorms.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23But across the countryside, waterways have not always been so clean.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29To Hampshire now, where Matt helped to put the finishing touches to a successful river restoration.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34The River Itchen flows through the heart of historic Winchester
0:34:34 > 0:34:37and on into the Hampshire countryside.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42At 28 miles, it's much, much shorter than the Severn,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and it's nowhere near as famous as the Thames.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49The river wasn't always this peaceful.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Centuries ago, a channel was opened up so ships could carry coal
0:34:52 > 0:34:56and wool to and from Winchester.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Nature has since reclaimed these man-made sections of the river,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01but at a price.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06Large chunks of the banking have given way, and big stretches have become choked with weeds.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11When Hampshire Wildlife Trust were looking for a special project to mark their 50th anniversary,
0:35:11 > 0:35:16they thought what could be better than restoring this section of the river back to its former glory?
0:35:16 > 0:35:19But it's certainly come with its challenges.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23The project's costing around £2.5 million
0:35:23 > 0:35:26and will take five years to complete.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Already, it's breathing new life into the river.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34- Hi, how are you doing?- Hi. - So what's going on here, then?
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Today, we're harvesting some plants from the opposite bank,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39the section that gets overgrown.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41We're taking them upstream and planting them
0:35:41 > 0:35:45along some banks which we've recently repaired.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47'And I'm here to do my bit.'
0:35:47 > 0:35:52So it's on with the waders, a life-jacket, just in case, and off we go.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55So what is so special about these reeds?
0:35:55 > 0:35:59These plants are called sweetgrass.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03They're going to be really good for binding the banks together
0:36:03 > 0:36:05and preventing erosion in the future.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Yeah. And how much of this are you taking out?
0:36:08 > 0:36:13From this section, we've got two or three truckloads, but lots of plants from elsewhere as well,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18and we've got about a kilometre of bank upstream that we need to plant up, so we do need a lot of plants.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19Yeah.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22And that's where I'm off to with my basket-load right now.
0:36:22 > 0:36:29John, how're you doing? This is a lovely little site. It's like a floating wheelbarrow.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33'John Millican's an engineer who's bringing his skills to the restoration project.'
0:36:33 > 0:36:36This is great!
0:36:36 > 0:36:40'This bit of the river is teeming with wildlife,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43'thanks to the army of volunteers helping make the difference.'
0:36:43 > 0:36:47OK, so to plant this down, we just make a little...
0:36:47 > 0:36:51It's like putting plants in your own garden.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Just make sure it's nice and secure.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59- OK. This is some of the stuff that... - The Glyceria that you took earlier.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Looks quite messy, but believe me, this will do very well.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05These plants tie the whole bank together.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08They're almost nature's glue.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10They'll stop the bank from becoming eroded
0:37:10 > 0:37:15and produce a fantastic habitat for plants and lots of animals and birds.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- We had a poke around earlier before you turned up.- Oh, right.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23- We've had some fish in these trays. - Oh, right!
0:37:26 > 0:37:32- Oh, yeah, look at these! - There's several species here.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35These really are terribly common.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41- We've also got these. - Are those bottom feeders? - Those sit on the bottom, yeah.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Fantastic to see, to get this diversity of fish.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49There's also trout and salmon and a host of coarse fish.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51- Yeah.- In these chug streams.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58But what is it like to own a piece of the queen of rivers?
0:37:58 > 0:38:02I'm off to find out.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03Anthony, how are you?
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Very well. Very well.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08I'm just trying out my rod.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11It's an almost-new rod and a new line, and it's marvellous.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16I've done a quick up and down the river to check how things are ready for the season.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21- How did you come to own this stretch of river?- My father bought it at auction in 1970.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24We did a lot of work when we took it over.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29- It was all but full of shopping trolleys and prams, that sort of thing.- Was it really?- Yeah.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33All but choked with weeds, but we did a lot of work,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37and now for the last 40 years, the association has been maintaining it
0:38:37 > 0:38:41and doing all the work in the river and on the banks.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44What's the biggest fish you've caught in here?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- I guess that's what everyone asks! - Yeah, absolutely!
0:38:47 > 0:38:50The biggest fish that's been caught by a family member or friend
0:38:50 > 0:38:54was six and a half pounds, caught further down the river there,
0:38:54 > 0:38:55- and I'm very envious.- Blimey!
0:38:55 > 0:38:59'Thanks to the ongoing restoration,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03'the Itchen will truly live up to its claim to be the queen of rivers.'
0:39:07 > 0:39:11The Cairngorms National Park in the Eastern Scottish Highlands
0:39:11 > 0:39:14is the biggest in Britain, twice the size of that in the Lake District.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18With about a third of the park getting on for 3,000 feet above sea level,
0:39:18 > 0:39:25its peaks have an arctic quality. Perfect for an animal we associate with Lapland and Christmas.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30Reindeer lived in the Highlands up until around 8,000 years ago, when,
0:39:30 > 0:39:36because of climate change or hunting or both, they became extinct.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Now, they're back again.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42It's the only place in Britain where you can see them in their natural habitat.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47They were reintroduced in the 1950s by a Swedish reindeer expert
0:39:47 > 0:39:50who brought them here to the Rothiemurchus estate.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54- So reindeers aren't just for Christmas?- They certainly aren't!
0:39:54 > 0:39:56We have them all year round.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00They look a bit scruffy at the moment, if I may say so.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02They do, and you know why that is,
0:40:02 > 0:40:08they've got such a big, thick winter coat, and that's got to come off to reveal a dark summer coat underneath.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09Their antlers are getting furry.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13They are, they've got their velvet antlers that've grown from nothing.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Nothing to this height in a couple of months.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18They'll be fully grown in a couple of months.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20So, these are...
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Everybody gets covered in reindeer hair this time of year!
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Are these males?- Yes, they are. These are all males.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Some are young, like a year old, and some are mature males
0:40:31 > 0:40:34we have trained to harness and can pull sleighs and do Christmas for us.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36So where are the girls, then?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39The girls are up on the high tops, in the mist with their young calves.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43They seem to do better on the higher ground at this time of year.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47They're suckling their calves. The calves are getting the good, natural vegetation.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51At Christmas, they're used as Santa's reindeer around the country.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55They are. These big guys here with their lovely antlers,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57beautiful in their red harness.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Harness them up and off we go.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03You'll have to feed one. They've got really soft noses. I'll give you a bit of food.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Thank you very much. There you are.
0:41:04 > 0:41:10- And I'll see you next Christmas with Santa!- That's right!
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And how about this for a set of antlers?
0:41:27 > 0:41:31It's great to see reindeer back again in the Scottish Highlands.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36For centuries, Herdwick sheep have grazed the slopes of the Lake District,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38and Adam went to help one farmer
0:41:38 > 0:41:42bring his herd down for their annual shearing.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Lying in the south of the Lake District,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50Coniston Water is flanked by dramatic fells and countryside
0:41:50 > 0:41:52and it's home to a rather woolly character.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Herdwick sheep are an icon of the Lake District,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58and are vital in helping shape this landscape.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02The Fells rise up to 2,500 feet, and the Herdwicks can roam across
0:42:02 > 0:42:06thousands of acres, so rounding them up is different to working on
0:42:06 > 0:42:07my farm in the Cotswolds,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10where the fields are relatively flat and small.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21Anthony Hartley is the fourth generation of his family to run this Herdwick flock.
0:42:21 > 0:42:2595% of all Herdwick sheep are found around the Coniston Fells.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32So these sheep have a huge responsibility for the way this place looks.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35They do, yeah. They keep it looking like it is.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40- Keeping it grazed.- All those little grazing mouths.- That's right.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42How many sheep have you got?
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Um, well, about 1,200 ewes.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Crikey, it's quite a flock.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54So when you're gathering the Fell, you do a little at a time, really.
0:42:54 > 0:43:00We do. Two of us gather together, and we just gather a section we can manage between us
0:43:00 > 0:43:02to gather the sheep off that area.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07- What have we got here today? Couple of hundred?- About 200, yeah.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10And their hardiness, a lot of it is to do with the fleece.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13It is, yeah. It keeps them warm. It's like got two layers on.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16When you open into it, you can't see through to the skin.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20A jacket and a waistcoat, we call it! That keeps the weather out.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29It's amazing. Anthony's like a mountain goat, the way he runs around,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32and sheep know all the nooks and crannies to hide in!
0:43:32 > 0:43:34I'm going to whiz over here and get these.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40Hey, hey!
0:43:40 > 0:43:41HE WHISTLES Come on, sheep!
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Anthony has called in freelance shearers
0:43:52 > 0:43:55to give his sheep their annual buzz cut.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01It's incredible watching these guys shearing. They're so fast.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07I always struggle with shearing, so this is my chance
0:44:07 > 0:44:10to improve my technique with advice from an English champion.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Pop that leg there like that. Just hold that one.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17- Then straight down there like this? - Down the left side.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22The Herdwicks are quite woolly, aren't they?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- OK. All right?- Yeah.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44You'd've thought that coarse wool, you know,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47that they'd be more difficult to shear,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- but it glides easily, doesn't it? - Yeah, they do, yeah.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56I might give you a job!
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Oh, there. Lucky sheep.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- This is really rough.- You'd've thought it'd be silky, but it's not.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09It's like a scouring pad.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Does he go down that? Yeah.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24What's this worth to you, then, this wool?
0:45:24 > 0:45:29Um...they're paying us seven pence for the dark wool
0:45:29 > 0:45:31and eight pence for the light fleeces.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35- Goodness me. A kilo?- A kilo, yes. - And how heavy is a fleece?
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Well, um, kilo, kilo and a half. Not much more than that.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42- You're not getting much more than ten pence a fleece.- No.- Goodness me!
0:45:42 > 0:45:45What do you pay the guys to shear them?
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Um, around 80 pence to £1 a sheep.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54- Crikey! So you're losing 70, 80 pence a sheep!- Yes, we are, yeah.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58We shear them for the welfare of the sheep.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03So what's the loss? If you've got a few thousand sheep and are losing, what, 70p a sheep...
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- That's right, 70p a sheep.- £1,400. - That's right. It's a lot of money.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08Amazing!
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Why can't anything be done with it, just because it's so coarse?
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Yeah, it's very coarse fibre and very difficult to dye,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21so it's just carpet wool, really.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25They use it for insulation as well.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30As a way of farming, this all seems pretty unsustainable.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33We need to find more ways of using British wool.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37Right now, the very survival of the Herdwick sheep as a breed
0:46:37 > 0:46:40relies on the dedication of hill farmers like Anthony.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45The mountains of Scotland might be having their fair share
0:46:45 > 0:46:49of rain this year, but elsewhere, we've had prolonged dry spells.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Parts of the country are still experiencing drought conditions.
0:46:52 > 0:46:58It's leaving farmers praying for more rain. Whatever the weather, we're fascinated by it.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00It's a national obsession.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Here, we like to think our forecast for the week ahead is one of the best on television.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08It helps us decide whether to take a brolly or sun cream, or both.
0:47:08 > 0:47:13Although we all talk a lot about the weather, how much do we understand?
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Where do clouds come from?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Do we really get tornadoes in this country?
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Where's the wettest spot, and where can we go for the most sunshine?
0:47:22 > 0:47:28A brand new show to BBC One called The Great British Weather will reveal all.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30It goes out this Wednesday at 7.30pm,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34and I've been learning about it from three people in the know.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40BBC Breakfast's Chris Hollins
0:47:40 > 0:47:43and comedian Alexander Armstrong.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46So, a new weather show on BBC One instead of just a forecast.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50That's right. It's a live show. We'll do it every week from a different location,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54talking about a different weather topic as well in front of a live audience.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58- A live audience?- Yes! - They kept that quiet!
0:47:58 > 0:48:02It's a fascinating subject. We're all obsessed with weather.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06All of us. We talk about it every day, don't we? None of us know what it holds.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- Steady on, Xander!- Oh, sorry!
0:48:09 > 0:48:13But yeah, we're obsessed with it.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16It's shaped our character, shaped our history.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18It plays a massive part in our lives.
0:48:18 > 0:48:23Stepping out of the safety of the BBC studio, Carol heads for the clouds.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Here we go! Ooh! Yee-ha!
0:48:26 > 0:48:28It's just great!
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Oh, I love this!
0:48:30 > 0:48:35It's beautiful and cold and it's very windy.
0:48:35 > 0:48:42- What were you doing that for?!- To collect one. If you watch the show, you'll find out how to make a cloud.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46- We will help you.- Did you have a bottle to collect a cloud in?- Yes!
0:48:46 > 0:48:47We scooped up that cloud.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52Chris dons his walking boots to trek up Lake District Fells
0:48:52 > 0:48:55in search of a good drenching in England's wettest place.
0:48:55 > 0:49:00- When does it rain? 211 days every year.- Where's this?
0:49:00 > 0:49:03In the Lake District, and we had a scorcher!
0:49:03 > 0:49:04It was like, oh, no!
0:49:04 > 0:49:07What about all these myths about the weather, Alexander?
0:49:07 > 0:49:10We're going to try to uncover these myths.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14How delightful for shepherds are red skies at night? Really?
0:49:14 > 0:49:18What's the other one? Cows, do they sit down when it's about to rain?
0:49:18 > 0:49:22- I think they're lazy.- They are! Lazy cows. It's a massive problem.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27You missed out on a few adventures. Swimming with sharks.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30- You've been swimming with basking sharks.- Yes.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32Did you see any basking sharks?
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Well... I can't tell you, John.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38I can't tell you. You'll have to watch. We haven't given up yet, let's put it that way.
0:49:38 > 0:49:44If someone said to me, I'd be looking for sharks in a wetsuit in the water, they'd be mad!
0:49:44 > 0:49:49What have they got to do, basking sharks, with the weather?
0:49:49 > 0:49:52All to do with the Gulf stream, that warms up the water
0:49:52 > 0:49:55and that helps plankton to grow, and who feeds on plankton?
0:49:55 > 0:50:01- Basking sharks!- They love it.- I got there in the end!- Well, sort of!
0:50:01 > 0:50:04You can watch The Great British Weather
0:50:04 > 0:50:06this Wednesday on BBC One at 7.30.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10It's live, so let's hope they get some good weather.
0:50:10 > 0:50:11Here's the main man,
0:50:11 > 0:50:12getting in a bit of practise.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14This is a real treat for me.
0:50:14 > 0:50:19Thank you very much, John, a phrase that has passed into legend, much like the man himself.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23Can't believe I'm about to say this, but if you're out and about in the next few days,
0:50:23 > 0:50:28perhaps you'd like to know what the weather has in store. Here's the forecast for the week ahead.
0:52:50 > 0:52:57.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11The Cairngorms. Five of the six tallest mountains in Scotland.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14All framed by still, glass-like waters.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19It's been the perfect setting to look back at some memorable moments
0:53:19 > 0:53:23that have taken us up to the highest peaks and down our most beautiful rivers.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28There are no mountains in Cambridgeshire, but they do have plenty of water on the Fens.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32And Matt and Julia found a great way to explore these man-made waterways.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39The lodes, which criss-cross the fens with water, were once bustling,
0:53:39 > 0:53:43transporting goods from the fenlands out to nearby Cambridge and Ely.
0:53:43 > 0:53:50Nowadays, though, they are peaceful backwaters, a small oasis for budding sportsmen.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Right, I've got my shorts on, and I'm holding this paddle
0:53:53 > 0:53:56cos I'm off for a different view of the Fens.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Not from a boat, but from a board.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Now, the surf certainly isn't near.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07We're nearly 40 miles inland, but apparently, this is one of the best ways to see this place.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11- Roly, how're you doing, all right? - Very well, thanks, Matt.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15- Look at you, man of the reeds! - Yep.- Are you jumping on the side here?- Certainly am.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17All right.
0:54:17 > 0:54:22- Brilliant stuff. So this is a really unusual way of getting around.- Yeah.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25I think when people see it for the first time, they're surprised,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28but it's a fantastic way to see the Fen.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30I fancy having a go.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34I've got the board here. I want to learn how to do it.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38Yeah, you're fine. Spread your feet out a bit now.
0:54:38 > 0:54:43- That's pretty good, actually. - Keep your knees bent!
0:54:43 > 0:54:47That's your first lesson about having straight legs.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Keep your knees bent and look ahead, you'll be fine.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59- Quite responsive, isn't it? - Very much so.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01If you keep paddling on that left-hand side as we go over those lilies,
0:55:01 > 0:55:04just keep your knees bent, that's it, so if you look ahead,
0:55:04 > 0:55:08you should be able to see down through the water as you go along.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11- You should see the fish. - Oh, we're going, we're going!
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- It's like a fish tank.- Yeah.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20That's what most people say when I take them for a paddle.
0:55:20 > 0:55:25It feels like you're floating over the top of a giant aquarium.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31You must come across loads of wildlife as well,
0:55:31 > 0:55:36- cos you sort of creep up, you're so silent.- Very much.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40I think we get to paddle from spring through to autumn,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43so you see all the migrating nature that comes through here.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47What kind of big fish have you got in here?
0:55:47 > 0:55:52We've got pike and perch, a lot of roach.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Occasionally, there'll be tench or carp along here.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00Hey, talking of wildlife, look what we've got here!
0:56:00 > 0:56:02A lesser spotted Bradbury!
0:56:02 > 0:56:04- Hello, Baker boy! - How're you doing?
0:56:04 > 0:56:07You're looking very good on that. He's got it all sorted out.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I knew he would have, a couple of hours, like a little otter!
0:56:11 > 0:56:14I'm really enjoying it. You've had a little go.
0:56:14 > 0:56:15I had about three minutes.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19- It's a bit like being on a door on water.- Very much so.
0:56:19 > 0:56:25- I wonder if it'll come flooding back to me. Do you reckon I'll go overboard?- Hang on. It's good.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28- Right.- Are you on? - Feet wide apart, yeah?
0:56:28 > 0:56:33- Bend the knees. There we go.- That's good. You're there, you're doing it.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38- Yeah.- Hang on, I'll move back. - There we go. Avoid the lilies! Don't get caught.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- Look at you! - It's all coming back to me now.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- Where are we going to go? - Where do you want to go?
0:56:45 > 0:56:47- Let's head up there. - Have you seen any eels?
0:56:47 > 0:56:53I haven't, but it's like gliding along the top of an aquarium.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57It's lovely. I could be wearing a long skirt to do this in.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03That's about it from the special edition of Countryfile.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07This is one of the most photographed views in Scotland.
0:57:07 > 0:57:13Which reminds me, don't forget to enter our photographic competition with its theme of best in show.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15You can find the details on our website.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Next week, we'll be in Bedfordshire,
0:57:18 > 0:57:19exploring the landscape
0:57:19 > 0:57:23that inspired John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25Hope you can join us then. Goodbye.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:39 > 0:57:42E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk