0:00:26 > 0:00:30The Isle of Wight. England's largest island.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33A mosaic of contrasting landscapes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Clifftop trails, sandy beaches
0:00:35 > 0:00:39and lush meadows make this a walker's Paradise.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Love is in the air,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and with Valentine's Day just a couple of days away,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'm going to be meeting some hopeful singles
0:00:46 > 0:00:48taking part in speed date walking.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53But is it possible to find love on an island in a five-minute walk?
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- It worked for me!- Did it? Oh!
0:00:58 > 0:01:03And, while Matt is romantically engaged, I'll be seeing how,
0:01:03 > 0:01:0750 years ago, the Isle of Wight's wild side brought a new sport
0:01:07 > 0:01:09to this part of the world.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It may seem unlikely, but winter is the perfect time
0:01:12 > 0:01:15to go surfing off the south side of the island,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19but how would this original wooden surfboard fare against those waves?
0:01:19 > 0:01:21We'll be putting it to the test.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Back on the mainland, John uncovers the dangers of our country roads.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29New statistics compiled for Countryfile reveal that
0:01:29 > 0:01:34young drivers in rural areas are far more likely to be killed or injured
0:01:34 > 0:01:36than those living in towns and cities.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I'll be investigating why and discovering how, using tactics
0:01:40 > 0:01:45like this skid car, safety experts are trying to reduce the dangers.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Meanwhile, Adam is taking a trip away from the farm.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52This ship is being loaded with 3,750 tonnes of barley,
0:01:52 > 0:01:53and some of it's mine.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'll be seeing why my crop is being exported
0:01:56 > 0:01:59to the brewing giants of Germany.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11The Isle of Wight lies off the Hampshire coast
0:02:11 > 0:02:14between the Solent and the English Channel.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20It's just 23 miles by 13, but, in sheer variety of landscapes,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22it punches way above its weight.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27West Wight is the less populated, remoter side of the isle.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This is a landscape that has been walked
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and enjoyed by some eminent people.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Alfred Lord Tennyson and Queen Victoria to name just two.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40But, as well as being a haven for walkers and Victorian nobility,
0:02:40 > 0:02:45these downs have bred countless generations of horses.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49One of which was to become a legend.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52His name was Warrior, and his fame was forged
0:02:52 > 0:02:54in the turmoil of the First World War.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59This was the so-called Great War.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Man and animal, fighting side-by-side
0:03:01 > 0:03:04in the most devastating conflict the world had ever seen.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Millions never returned.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Michael Morpurgo's book, War Horse, adapted for the stage,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and more recently, a Spielberg film,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16depicted this man-made hell from an equine point of view.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Well, the war horse that everyone is talking about at the moment
0:03:22 > 0:03:26is a work of fiction, but the Isle of Wight's Warrior is true.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Racing journalist and former jockey Brough Scott
0:03:33 > 0:03:36knows the story of this heroic horse better than anyone.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40It was Brough's grandfather who owned Warrior, and took him to war.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44So, this is the horse you're going to be riding out on then, Brough.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46This is Laddie, the massive Laddie.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48And this is Sky, your very own Warrior.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So we're going to take a little ride
0:03:50 > 0:03:52out over the landscape that Warrior would be used to?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Yes, this is Where warrior was born,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and it's a gorgeous place to ride in.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- Wow.- Sea and downs.- Yeah! - Lifts the heart.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Warrior was born here in West Wight in 1908.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12He soon lived up to his name.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16This is quite an iconic field that we are in now, I understand.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Sidling Paul, it's called.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Warrior was here from yearling right through to three year-old
0:04:21 > 0:04:25And, just here, grandpa would have got on him the first time
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and he bucked him off, three times running.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And he sat there and said, "Now, listen,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34"you're going to have to make this work for me."
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Anyway, they then rode on together for the next 30 years.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The feisty young Warrior enjoyed his early years
0:04:47 > 0:04:50in the idyllic surroundings here in West Wight.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But, with the coming of war, Brough's grandfather,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56by this time a cavalry general,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59decided to take his precious six-year old into combat.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02What kind of situations were these horses riding into?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Well, they're riding into shells landing
0:05:05 > 0:05:08literally in front of you, and bullets knocking them over.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And, of course, horses are very big targets.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15And remember, this is mud, a lot of it, horrible.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17A lot of the horses were pack horses, pulling things.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21And because the mud all got churned up,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and they would literally sink in and die where they were.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27And Warrior, at Passchendaele, he sank right into the mud
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and only, but for the luck of the people around him, who got him out.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Escaping the mud at Passchendaele wasn't the only time
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Warrior survived when many around him perished.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51His front-line service took him to all the major battlefields,
0:05:51 > 0:05:52from Ypres to the Somme.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55But, his bravery and fortune were legendary,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and carried him through the duration of the war.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Soldiers must have wanted to come and see this horse, you know,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03as he went into battle after battle,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and everyone suddenly realised that this horse was just invincible.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Well, that's the thing,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12that he became the ultimate mascot.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14And he stands still when the shells fall,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and there would be bullets whirring, you can imagine
0:06:17 > 0:06:20the sort of inspiration he would give other people.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23When he died in 1941, his obituary in the Times,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27the headline said, The Horse The Germans Could Not Kill.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31What had sealed Warrior's status as a war hero
0:06:31 > 0:06:35was his leading of a cavalry charge in 1918 near Amiens,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38which crucially checked the German advance.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43But, even after his war exploits, Warrior still wasn't finished.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45When he came home, he still wanted to run.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48He became a racehorse. He won the Isle of Wight point-to-point.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50And he won it, four years to the day
0:06:50 > 0:06:54when he led the cavalry charge at Moreuil Wood.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58And what was rather sweet, normally, after a race, the horse is led away,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and the owners all pat each other on the back and go and have a drink.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And my grandfather said, no, set him up again,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and the two of us are going home together.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09He rode him up over the downs, and home.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It was too important an anniversary.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13To share it with anybody else.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Warrior saw out his days in peace,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23on the island where he'd been born and raised.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Over 70 years have passed since he died.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Warrior had destiny on his side.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34And he seems destined to be remembered for many years to come.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Now, every day, more than 70 people are killed or seriously injured
0:07:39 > 0:07:43on Britain's roads, but there's a far greater chance
0:07:43 > 0:07:46of being involved in an accident if you live in the countryside.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48John has been to find out why.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Cheers, Sky. Really enjoyed that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Britain's roads are some of the safest in the world.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Despite the massive rise in the number of vehicles we're using,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06in the last 40 years, deaths have fallen by more than two thirds.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11But there are still problems that are proving difficult to crack.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15You might think that our quiet country roads are far less dangerous
0:08:15 > 0:08:17than those in towns and cities,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20where the traffic can often be bumper-to-bumper.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23But, in fact, the opposite is true. And, on rural roads,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26it's younger drivers who are in greatest danger.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Now, for the first time,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Countryfile can put a figure on just how much greater those risks are.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36We're working with a company called Road Safety Analysis,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39who've put together a detailed study of rural accidents,
0:08:39 > 0:08:45based on the number of drivers on a particular kind of road.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46The results are pretty stark.
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Young drivers living in the countryside are 47 % more likely
0:08:52 > 0:08:55to be killed or injured in a road accident
0:08:55 > 0:08:57than those living in urban areas.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01So, why are the risks on country roads so much greater?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Two teenage friends killed by a disqualified driver...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Paramedics were called but the driver was pronounced dead...
0:09:08 > 0:09:11..facing the wrong way up the carriageway
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- and was struck by another car... - In Lincolnshire, serious accidents
0:09:15 > 0:09:18are a regular feature on the nightly news bulletins.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Most roads here are surrounded by farmland.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24There's no motorway and few dual carriageways.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28In the past, it's had one of the worst road safety records in the UK.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32I can see the white lines in the centre of the road have got longer
0:09:32 > 0:09:34indicating I'm approaching a hazard.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37On patrol today is PC Jim Wollaton.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The area he looks after is very different
0:09:40 > 0:09:44from the busy streets covered by his urban colleagues.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48We've got such an eclectic mix of vehicles and drivers.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53From vehicles moving at higher speeds,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56obviously, a passenger car at 60 miles an hour,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00right down to the agricultural vehicles at 15, 20 miles an hour.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03And we've got some very fast roads.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08This one in particular, the A15, is a very straight road all the way,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11this stretch, from Lincoln to Sleaford.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15You would think that visibility is good.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17But it is single carriageway here as well?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It is and whilst cars can be doing 60 miles an hour,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22HGVs shouldn't be doing more than 40.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Time and time again, officers like Jim have seen driving here
0:10:26 > 0:10:27that simply beggars belief.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Their own figures show that the faster you travel,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34the more likely you are to be killed or injured
0:10:34 > 0:10:36or to do the same to someone else.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Despite the county's long, straight roads,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40bends are a particular problem,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42as is overtaking.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Within the last couple of years, I've attended a collision where
0:10:45 > 0:10:49a young driver performed an ill-advised overtake
0:10:49 > 0:10:51on a slower moving vehicle,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55on quite a good stretch of road, although it was a rural back road.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Unfortunately, he came into collision head on
0:10:58 > 0:11:01with a young lad on his motorcycle.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04The young man who died was John van Spike.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07His mother Emma has agreed to talk to us.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I believe that he had left late that day
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and it was the week after the clocks had gone back
0:11:14 > 0:11:17so it was dark and it was raining.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22He set off on his motorbike from home.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Probably a third of the way into the journey,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31a car overtaking a taxi,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35in fairly bad driving conditions,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38just hit him straight on.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43John was just 18-years-old when he was killed.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Another young and inexperienced driver was charged
0:11:46 > 0:11:51with causing his death but Emma felt he had suffered enough.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53When the young driver appeared in court,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56you did what many people will think, perhaps, is a remarkable thing.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58You wrote a letter to the judge
0:11:58 > 0:12:01asking him not to send this young man to prison.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Yes. I couldn't see that, on top of everything he had been through,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11being in jail away from his family and support network,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14was going to help him.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18He was obviously very, very contrite and he just kept on saying,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20"I didn't see him, I didn't see him."
0:12:20 > 0:12:25- And he didn't go to jail, did he? - No. He didn't.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I believe he had a driving ban
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and community service.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Do you think anything can be learnt
0:12:31 > 0:12:34from accidents like the one that killed your son?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36It seems that the onus has been on speed,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and obviously, I don't know enough about that,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42but I have observed a lot of careless driving.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48Having driven myself for quite some years,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I am surprised at the overconfidence that I see on the roads.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57That overconfidence combined with inexperience is a dangerous mix
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and our research shows that young people are two thirds more likely
0:13:01 > 0:13:06to be involved in serious accidents than older drivers,
0:13:06 > 0:13:11maybe because they just don't realise how vulnerable they are.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15I think to some extent once people get into their vehicle,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18they're in their own little bubble and feel protected.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Whilst they might consider that they don't want to get caught speeding,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I don't think people appreciate they're also at risk from having
0:13:25 > 0:13:27a serious or even fatal collision.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This can be a problem anywhere,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32but the nature of rural roads seems to increase those risks,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35especially as people in the countryside
0:13:35 > 0:13:36tend to make longer journeys.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Kevin Delaney is from the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45Is part of the danger, do you think, the fact that people have the thrill
0:13:45 > 0:13:47of an open road in the countryside?
0:13:47 > 0:13:50I think the big danger, John, is that if you look at it,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55this road looks safe. If you think about city streets or the motorways,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58there is something about them which makes us feel uneasy.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00They seem inherently unsafe.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04So we actually take a lot more care about how we use them.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07You come to a road like this, and especially on a day like this,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11it looks so safe that nothing bad could ever happen here.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13It lulls into a false sense of security
0:14:13 > 0:14:15because, of course, roads like this
0:14:15 > 0:14:19do have their hazards. They're just different hazards.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23So exactly how do we persuade young people to take more care
0:14:23 > 0:14:28on country roads? That's what I'll be asking in a few minutes' time.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38This week, Matt and I are taking in
0:14:38 > 0:14:41the rugged scenery of the Isle of Wight.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'I'm exploring its wild west coast and I couldn't help but notice
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'one feature that just keeps recurring.'
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Come and check this out.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53We've got Cowleaze Chine, Shepherd's Chine,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Whale Chine, Ladder Chine
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and they carry on all the way across the back here.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01But what are they?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Geologist Trevor Price is going to show me.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09If we have a look at the map, they are tiny, little, short,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12steep-sided valleys and the clue is in the rivers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16There's a little stream approaching each one of these things
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and basically they dive over the top of the cliff
0:15:18 > 0:15:20very, very quickly down to the sea
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and they leave a very steep-sided, very short, little valley.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25We call those chines.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28'So this is a little baby one, this is a new one'
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It's probably going to get bigger as it eats its way into the cliff.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36If we look at the map from about 30 years ago,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40it's not here. It's actually marked as being a little waterfall.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Wow!
0:15:42 > 0:15:46But it's not only the chines that are exciting geologists.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49As erosion by the sea causes the chines to cut deeper
0:15:49 > 0:15:52into the cliff face, they are revealing prehistoric treasures.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- Any ideas at all?- It looks like a rock.- It is a rock.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Trevor's taken local school pupils on a journey back in time.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07We are looking here at an object that is about 126-million-years-old.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10We can see that it's got a point here and a point there
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and another point there.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14That makes it really special.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It's a foot cast and it's a foot cast from a very large dinosaur.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Whoa! That's really awesome.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- It's amazing, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28The fascination with chines and their hidden secrets
0:16:28 > 0:16:31goes back some 200 years.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Shanklin Chine was the island's first tourist attraction.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Wow!
0:16:39 > 0:16:45This is so much bigger than the one I've seen.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's like a tropical paradise in winter.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It's lush forest drew famous Victorian admirers...
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Keats, Turner, Jane Austen.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Today, the chine is owned by Anne Springman.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's been in her family since 1705.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12It's got a unique microclimate here
0:17:12 > 0:17:16so a lot of people compare it to a tropical rainforest.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It's very famous for its flora
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and fauna and we have all these liverworts
0:17:24 > 0:17:25and mosses and lichens
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and some of them have never been discovered anywhere else.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Is this all natural or have you planted anything here?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37No, it's completely natural.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I've had to uncover all its history, gradually.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I've always known about it but we came down after the war
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and it was the first time. It was just known as
0:17:46 > 0:17:48a shortcut to the beach.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Is there a lot of responsibility
0:17:53 > 0:17:55that comes with having a feature like this?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Yes. You do have a great responsibility to maintain it.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04It is so unique and it's got this wonderful, magical quality.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Here at Shanklin, work has been done
0:18:07 > 0:18:10to prevent the chine from cutting further inland.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13But elsewhere, it's a different story.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15The Military Road runs
0:18:15 > 0:18:17all along the cliff top on the south side of the island
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and it's a major tourist attraction. People come here to drive it,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24to walk it and to cycle it because the views out there are stunning.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32The trouble is, as these chines or valleys cut deeper into the island,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36over time, they will literally take out the road.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40But conservationists are worried that holding back the sea
0:18:40 > 0:18:44could threaten me chines and the wildlife that call them home.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48These cliffs are protected. They're internationally important
0:18:48 > 0:18:51for their geology and their invertebrate interest.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55There's potter wasps and mining bees and mason bees
0:18:55 > 0:18:59and they like all this water coming out with the mud and the sand.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03They build their little cells
0:19:03 > 0:19:05that they lay their eggs in on this stuff.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11With the island's chines causing wildlife to thrive
0:19:11 > 0:19:13but our infrastructure to crumble,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16the scene is set for an interesting conflict.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Earlier we heard how there's a greater chance of being injured
0:19:21 > 0:19:25or killed while driving in the countryside than driving in cities.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29So is there anything that can be done to make our rural roads safer?
0:19:29 > 0:19:31John's been investigating.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Countryfile has been given figures that illustrate for the first time
0:19:38 > 0:19:40just how much more dangerous it is
0:19:40 > 0:19:43to drive on rural roads, particularly if you're young.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48The statistics from road safety analysis show people under 30
0:19:48 > 0:19:52are 37% more likely to be killed or injured in the countryside.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Young rural drivers are the highest risk group so what can be done?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The biggest problem is the actual lack of driving experience.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05As you might expect, the riskiest time for any new driver
0:20:05 > 0:20:08is during the first year after they've passed the test.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12These students from Kesteven and Sleaford High School
0:20:12 > 0:20:14in Lincolnshire are all new drivers.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Do they realise the dangers they could be facing?
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Once you pass your test, you're really confident
0:20:20 > 0:20:23and you want to go out and show your friends that you can drive
0:20:23 > 0:20:25so you probably don't think about the safety.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Although your test teaches you how to pass your test,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I don't know if it teaches you how to drive. Experience,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33you don't get much of it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35You maybe get a bit cocky and think you know everything,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40but really, you've not got much experience on the road.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43In Lincolnshire, young drivers are singled out
0:20:43 > 0:20:47by the county's Road Safety Partnership for special training.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It was set up a decade ago with the aim of
0:20:50 > 0:20:52making the roads safer for everyone.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Since then, the number being killed or seriously injured has dropped
0:20:56 > 0:21:01by more than 40% and the figure is even greater for young people.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Young drivers in Lincolnshire represent 30% of the casualties.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09We've reduced that by 50%,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14just by educational programs and the things we interact with them.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18And by things like this. A skid car. How does this work?
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Well, this is almost a technical innovation.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26Rather than an oily pan that we would normally use,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31we can make the car rear-steer and over steer and under steer.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- On a normal surface like this? - Yes, on a normal surface.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39We don't have to train them to make it skid. We can do that for them.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41We just have to train them how to recover the car.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47So, what will our students learn from a session in the skid car?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I'm scared. What do I do?!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54You'll feel the steering phone, OK?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56SHE SCREAMS
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It can seem like a bit of fun but this training is teaching Olivia
0:22:00 > 0:22:02what it's like to lose control of a car
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and how to recover it before she has an accident.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11So, has the experience made an impression?
0:22:13 > 0:22:18- How was it?- That was so weird. I don't even know how to explain it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21It was so strange. It was like driving when there was ice there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Seeing those two in the back... It's an eye opener,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29but it was scary. I thought I was going into the cones a few times.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Methods like this are increasingly being used across the country.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36They're even more effective when put together with better enforcement
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and improvements to the roads.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42But some groups would like to go even further.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44We want the Government
0:22:44 > 0:22:47to reduce the default speed limits on rural roads to 50.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51But we also need drivers to change their attitudes towards rural roads.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55The road safety charity Brake wants to see not only lower speed limits
0:22:55 > 0:22:59but also a new way of introducing young drivers to our roads.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02You would have a minimum learning period, say, of a year.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- Before you get your licence? - Before you can take your test
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and get your licence, yes. Then, after you get your licence,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11you would have a restricted licence for the first year.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14There would be restrictions such as, zero tolerance drink drive limit.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So that's no alcohol before driving.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And a curfew, a night-time curfew,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24and also restrictions on having young passengers,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26people who are your age in the car with you.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The reason we're calling for this is we know it works in other countries.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33This is when all the crashes happen for young people.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37But what about the roads themselves? Could they be made safer?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Part of Lincolnshire's success has come from better signs
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and safer junctions, but that all costs money.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So why don't we just bring down the national speed limits?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51There is obviously some scope for reducing speed limits
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- on local roads like this.- What about reducing it from 60 to 50 everywhere?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57If speed limits are going to be effective,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59they've got to be virtually self-enforcing.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02They have to be logical to road users.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06If they don't see the logic, they're less likely to respect them,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08they're less likely to keep to the speed limit.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So the idea of reducing from 60 to 50 everywhere,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I think is going to be counter-productive
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and what it will actually lead to is people not obeying the speed limit
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and then possibly disobeying the next speed limit they come to
0:24:21 > 0:24:24which otherwise might have seemed logical.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The success they've had in Lincolnshire clearly shows
0:24:27 > 0:24:31the dangers of rural roads can be reduced even for young people.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Across the UK, we may never be able to make driving in the countryside
0:24:36 > 0:24:41as safe as it is in towns and cities, but we can make it safer.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Still to come on tonight's Countryfile,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52Adam's following his barley to the great brewing houses of Germany...
0:24:52 > 0:24:56So we leave the police boat behind and now we're motoring upstream
0:24:56 > 0:24:57and my barley's on board.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Ellie gets a crash course in surfing...
0:24:59 > 0:25:04Paddle, paddle, paddle, push, off, go. Perfect.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08But will she be able to handle the Isle's Whitewater?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And if you're heading to the coast this weekend,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13we'll have the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25The Isle of Wight may be part of England,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28but as an island it feels removed from the mainstream world
0:25:28 > 0:25:30in its affairs, a kind of retreat.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34So maybe it's not surprising that here on its north coast
0:25:34 > 0:25:38is one of the UK's few Benedictine monasteries.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The abbey has kindly allowed James to spend a day getting an insight
0:25:41 > 0:25:43into the life of the monks here.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And monastic life starts early.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51I can tell you the first thing about being a monk, it means 8pm lights out
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and a 5am wake-up time, which, I can tell you,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58for someone who doesn't really get to bed before 1am,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I haven't had a huge amount of sleep.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So I'm really looking forward to seeing what this day has to offer.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07BELL CHIMES
0:26:07 > 0:26:10CHOIR SINGS
0:26:17 > 0:26:21'Quarr Abbey was founded on this site in 1132.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25'For 400 years, the monks lived a peaceful life of seclusion,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28'prayer and devotion to God.'
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So being a severely lapsed Catholic
0:26:36 > 0:26:40who hasn't been to church in pretty much 20 years or so,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44that brought back lots of memories but was strangely unfamiliar,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48so I'm really looking forward to catching up with the monks
0:26:48 > 0:26:52over breakfast and finding out what's in store for me the rest of the day.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'Unfortunately, the monks prefer to have breakfast away from the cameras,
0:26:56 > 0:27:02'while I have to respect the rules and have mine in absolute silence.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'After a contemplative breakfast...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13'..it's service number two.'
0:27:16 > 0:27:19After morning services, the monks return to their rooms
0:27:19 > 0:27:21to read scripture and to pray.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24And as this is something I've not really done before,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I'm really happy to have the guidance of Father Luke
0:27:27 > 0:27:32who's offered to be my mentor to guide me through the whole process.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The whole purpose of our life here is to open our hearts to God.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38And we do that in the silence, really.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41God speaks in the silence more than in anything.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45I'm going to suggest psalm 62
0:27:45 > 0:27:51because that actually rather nicely sums up what we're trying to do.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55- Thank you very much. Psalm 62? - 62, yes.
0:27:55 > 0:28:01"For God alone my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04"He alone is my rock and my salvation,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07"my fortress, I shall never be shaken."
0:28:15 > 0:28:20'In 1536, King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23'The mediaeval Quarr Abbey was dismantled
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'and the remains fell into ruins.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29'Then in 1901, an order of monks in exile from France
0:28:29 > 0:28:32'came to the Isle of Wight seeking a new home.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37'It was they who built the abbey which graces the skyline today.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42'Centuries had passed but the purpose remained and remains the same.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44'To seek and praise God.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:55So far today, it's all been about service, silence and prayer.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59But now the day starts properly, so does the work.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Work is a big part of abbey life, presumably?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It's a big part of Benedictine life.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12There's a tradition that working is a sort of prayer.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Labora est ora. To work is to pray.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- So what did you do before you were a monk?- I was a teacher.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25I'm very interested to find out about how you become a monk
0:29:25 > 0:29:28if it isn't part of your careers guidance you get in school.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33Perhaps we should introduce it. It's not a career though.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34It's more a way of life.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38It's perhaps closer to getting married than to having a job.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43Would you consider it a sacrifice, leaving the wider world?
0:29:43 > 0:29:49It's also a gift. There's a saying that in God nothing is neglected.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53If everything's kept in being with God, if you've got God,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55you've got everything.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58So it's a net gain, really.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Along with the fruit trees, Quarr Abbey has a vegetable garden
0:30:04 > 0:30:06and also rears its own pigs.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Any pig farmers out there...
0:30:08 > 0:30:11I know a lot about plants, nothing about animals.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Any produce the monks don't eat
0:30:14 > 0:30:17goes to their cafe which is open to the public.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21The fourth service of the day is short,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24a quick reminder of the monks' higher calling.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34At lunch, speaking is not allowed.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38But I'm kind of getting used to that.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Next, there's some downtime
0:30:40 > 0:30:44and Father Luke takes me to a place he finds especially inspiring.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47This is an amazing view at the bottom of your garden path.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Yes, there's the mainland over there. I actually prefer it
0:30:50 > 0:30:52when it's shrouded in mist
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and we can truly feel that we're on an island.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The sea is, for me, a sort of symbol of eternity.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Many of the most important moments that I've spent here
0:31:03 > 0:31:06have been down here by the sea
0:31:06 > 0:31:10and they've been on bits of land that have now crumbled into the sea,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14just as moments of our life fade into eternity.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19- Do you know the poem by Tennyson, Crossing the Bar?- No, I don't.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22It's a poem about crossing to the mainland from here
0:31:22 > 0:31:28and he develops that as a symbol of the journey into the next life.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30and he says,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32"At the end of it,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36"I hope to see my pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar."
0:31:38 > 0:31:40And that really is our aspiration too,
0:31:40 > 0:31:45one day to go beyond this life
0:31:45 > 0:31:47and to see God face to face.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05My extraordinary day finishes with one last chore
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and one last service.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16You know, before coming to a place like this,
0:32:16 > 0:32:21it's so easy to think of a monk's life as a spartan existence,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24almost a form of self punishment, in many ways.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26But having only been here 12 hours,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30you suddenly stop seeing just what it deprives you of,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34but what it offers you, this feeling of contentment,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37a sense of purpose, a feeling of peace
0:32:37 > 0:32:41and this really tight-knit community, which so many people just don't have,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45these guys have got it in bucket loads.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57ELLIE: Life's a lot less serene on the south side of the island.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Here in winter, it's wild.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Crashing waves are whipped up by Atlantic storms.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15When there are waves like that,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18there's always someone willing to take them on.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28And I'm going to be joining them in February.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31I must be out of my mind.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37At this time of year and in this weather,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40it's only the pros out there. I'm really not one of those
0:33:40 > 0:33:43but, thankfully, I'm going to be in good hands.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- How are you doing there, Scott? - Hi, Ellie. How are you?- I'm good.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54I'm amazed that this is the time of year people would come out surfing.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56I know, it's pretty cold, but as you see today,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58there's a few waves behind us.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Is this the time of year that you'd only get the pros out there?
0:34:01 > 0:34:02The really passionate ones?
0:34:02 > 0:34:05You've got to be die-hard to surf in England.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I've never surfed successfully before. Can I have a lesson?
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Sure, we can see if we can get you standing up.- You reckon?!- Yeah.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17When we're on the water,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20what do you think will happen if you lay too far forward?
0:34:20 > 0:34:21I'll fall off the front.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30Put your hands under your chest, put your toes up first, push up pull.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32I haven't got the abs for this!
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, push, hop, go.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Perfect.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41OK, let's go.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45'That's the basics out of the way. Time to hit the surf.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53'But nothing could have prepared me for this.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:58This is lazy surfing by Ellie Harrison.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01I've got to get on my feet.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11SHE WHOOPS AND CHEERS
0:35:17 > 0:35:21'That was awesome. Scott has taught me well.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25'But I'm still not quite ready to join the league of pro surfers
0:35:25 > 0:35:26'this island has turned out.'
0:35:26 > 0:35:29That was amazing fun. To find out how
0:35:29 > 0:35:32this Isle of Wight surf scene started,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36we need to travel back in time to the 1960s.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43# Listen to the king of the surf guitar... #
0:35:43 > 0:35:46The craze may have kicked off in sun-drenched California,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50but it wasn't long before it swept the shores of the Isle of Wight.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52# Listen to the king. #
0:35:55 > 0:35:58In the '60s, the only way to get a surfboard on the island
0:35:58 > 0:35:59was to make your own.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Pioneer surfers hit the waves on home-made wooden boards,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07and at the heart of that scene was this man, Archie Trickett.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Sadly, Archie died last year, aged 89, but his wife Betty remembers
0:36:13 > 0:36:17their surf days here at Compton Bay like they were yesterday.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20So, Betty, how did Archie get into surfing in the first place?
0:36:20 > 0:36:25- Heaven knows! We started with the belly boards.- Right.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28We came down here one day, nobody else has belly boards,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30and somebody had been on holiday in Torquay
0:36:30 > 0:36:31and brought the belly boards.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34So Archie said, "We'll go home and make them."
0:36:34 > 0:36:39And then his friend came and he said, "Let's do surfboards."
0:36:39 > 0:36:42So I don't know where he got the design from or anything.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44How long did it take him to make that board on top of your car?
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- A few weeks, I expect.- Really?
0:36:47 > 0:36:48It's pretty sizeable.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51How did you get it down to the beach?
0:36:51 > 0:36:53We had a motorbike and sidecar.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57- He fixed it so it stood over, it lay over the top of the sidecar.- Oh, wow!
0:36:57 > 0:36:59And then we put it on our car.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04But he used to have a towel on his head and carry it on his head.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06There's a photo of you on the motorbike there.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- He taught me to ride his motorbike.- Wow!
0:37:09 > 0:37:13350 Velocet, very tough bike to ride.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- And look, there's you surfing! - That's on the board.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18That's my wetsuit in action.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20That's what we got here. Let's have a look.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21Aren't they fantastic?
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Where on Earth did you get a design like best from?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Well, it wasn't a design.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Just the material, the zip and those two fasteners
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and the tape and the glue.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35So how would you feel, Betty,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37if we got one of the surfers out there today...
0:37:37 > 0:37:39It would be lovely to see it launched again!
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Oh, I think it would be lovely! It's been waiting for somebody to use.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Excellent.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Archie and his contemporaries' pioneering spirit
0:37:51 > 0:37:53is still alive and kicking.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55The island surf club is thriving.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Every winter, they run frostbite competitions,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03so they are pretty used to surfing on a day like today.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Here it is! Look at that!
0:38:05 > 0:38:09So, Matt, you've just carried that. What do you make of its weight?
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Yeah, pretty heavy piece of kit, actually, compared to modern boards.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16For the time, it's an amazing thing
0:38:16 > 0:38:18to have built in a home and then used,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and for it to be functional and to work is incredible.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26It's in amazing nick, isn't it? How about this?
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- Any takers for Archie's old wetsuit? - Maybe on a summer's day.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Well, I'm not going to make you try the wetsuit on,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35but are there any takers for Archie's board on the waves?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- I think I'll have a go at that. - You're going to have a go, Alan?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41You're a longboard champion, aren't you?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Yes, British Longboard Masters Champion 2011.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- So you'll be a dab hand at one of these, maybe?- Ooh, hope so.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54So how does it feel now to see Alan take out Archie's old board?
0:38:54 > 0:38:58- It just looks like him going out there.- Does it?- Yeah. Lovely.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Here he goes. How about it?! That board's doing amazingly!
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Oh, well done!
0:39:07 > 0:39:11He's got it and he's up. Yes, that's great.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- Doing a great job. - Oh, look at them! Brilliant!
0:39:18 > 0:39:23- Just looks like him out there. - Still surfing well, that board.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34- Yeah, that was great, Alan! How was the board?- Absolutely brilliant.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- Really?!- Great fun. A privilege and an honour.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Oh, it's lovely! - A wonderful board.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43The Isle of Wight's new surf generation
0:39:43 > 0:39:45owe a lot to these pioneers.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49This '60s craze has certainly stood the test of time.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Over to the Cotswolds now, where Adam's discovering
0:40:00 > 0:40:03why his barley is the toast of drinkers across the world.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06And with all that hard work down on the farm,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08he's certainly worked up a thirst.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15We grow quite a lot of grass on the farm for sheep and cattle,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18but most of the fields are used for growing arable crops,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20wheat, oilseed rape and barley.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25Last year, we grew about 400 acres of malting barley for making beer,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28and today, some of that is about to start an incredible journey.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'Elved Phillips is my grain trader.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'It's his job to get the best price for my crops.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41'He's managed to sell this lot, barley,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43'to a country famed for its beer.'
0:40:43 > 0:40:47- So why are we selling it to Germany? - It's going there because we have
0:40:47 > 0:40:50a 300,000 tonne surplus malting barley crop in the UK each year.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53It's got to go somewhere, and the Germans need the barley.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57They can't rely on Denmark and France always, because although
0:40:57 > 0:40:59they produce big surpluses,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02sometimes the quality, like this year, isn't very good,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04so they spread their risk by buying from the UK.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Well, the shed's getting empty now. It's pretty good stuff, isn't it?
0:41:08 > 0:41:12It certainly is. You've got some good grain size, some good colour.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14I'm going to just put a bit through
0:41:14 > 0:41:17these old barley cutters of mine. Used to use these 20, 30 years ago
0:41:17 > 0:41:20when I started going to corn exchanges and buying barley,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24because it would give you a quick cut and a good guide
0:41:24 > 0:41:26as to what the barley nitrogen is.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Then you finish up showing a bed of barley which,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32if it was white in colour, like a hound's tooth, you'd know
0:41:32 > 0:41:35the barley was going to be low enough in nitrogen to make malt.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40So, along with my barley, I'm heading 50 miles south
0:41:40 > 0:41:44to Avonmouth docks, where the ship Merit awaits her cargo.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Here it is! This is the barley from my farm
0:41:49 > 0:41:51being unloaded out of the grain hatch there.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It goes up the elevator, up that conveyor and then into the ship.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59It really feels quite satisfying to be down here seeing it
0:41:59 > 0:42:01on the second leg of its journey.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06In a couple of hours' time when the tide is right,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09the ship will set sail, and it's an amazing journey for my barley
0:42:09 > 0:42:11that was planted on the farm about a year ago.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14It's now being joined by barley from 20 other farms
0:42:14 > 0:42:17into the hull of the ship that will go through the English Channel,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20into the North Sea, all the way to the port of Rotterdam.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24This 660-mile crossing will take two days.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26At Rotterdam, the barley will be transferred
0:42:26 > 0:42:30to a river barge on the Rhine. Four days later, it will reach Bonn.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32That's where I'll be joining it
0:42:32 > 0:42:34for the final leg of its journey to Gernsheim.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Over there is Bonn, the original German capital,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39but I've got no time for sightseeing.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40I've got a boat to catch.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48- Hello.- Hello.- Hello. - Nice to meet you.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51We're getting some very extra-special treatment.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53We're being taken out to the barge on this police boat.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56The Rhine is running incredibly fast
0:42:56 > 0:43:00and there's a huge amount of traffic going up and down the river.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01But we're in good hands.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16We leave the police boat and Bonn behind,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18and now we're motoring upstream.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20My barley's on board.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The family that run this barge live on it and work on it.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26They've even got the family car going with them.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31'I'm meeting Kase, a Dutchman who's charted the barge which is
0:43:31 > 0:43:33'taking my barley to the malting house.'
0:43:33 > 0:43:36So, getting my barley from Avonmouth to Gernsheim,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39what part is your responsibility?
0:43:39 > 0:43:43Our part, our responsibility is to take the cargo over to
0:43:43 > 0:43:47Rotterdam and bring it to Gernsheim. It's for the Rhine area.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50It's quite a long way, but we seem to be going quite slowly.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Yes, we are very slowly now, because of the level of the river.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57We are around eight kilometres.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01These barges take around four days to come into Gernsheim
0:44:01 > 0:44:02where you will unload this cargo.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08You can really see why
0:44:08 > 0:44:11so many tourists took flock to the Rhine during the summer.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Beautiful vineyards along the hillside
0:44:13 > 0:44:15and castles dotted along the top,
0:44:15 > 0:44:19and of course, during the World War, the Rhine was a huge barrier
0:44:19 > 0:44:21and there were some fierce battles fought here,
0:44:21 > 0:44:23so it's steeped in history.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Evidence of war scores the landscape here.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Black pillars mark the point where the Allies crossed
0:44:29 > 0:44:32the Ludendorff Bridge into mainland Germany.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34It was later dismantled to accommodate cargo boats
0:44:34 > 0:44:37like the one I'm travelling on today.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39A boat like this cost around 1 million euros.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42For the family that live on board,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45it's not only the way they make their living,
0:44:45 > 0:44:46but their second home too.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49'Right, time for a quick catch-up with the family over lunch.'
0:44:52 > 0:44:55- And how long have you lived on the barge?- Always.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58- As a child, I was always on the barge.- Incredible!
0:44:58 > 0:45:03- And so you're going to stay here all your life too.- Yes.- Amazing life.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Yes.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14The evening's setting in now, and there's not enough room
0:45:14 > 0:45:18for me to hunker down on the barge, so I've joined the police boat again
0:45:18 > 0:45:21and I'm heading to shore to find myself a B&B for the night.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23It's just been incredible joining my barley
0:45:23 > 0:45:27and meeting the family on the barge and finding out what goes on.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32In the morning, I'm off to the malting house,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34the final destination for my barley.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41It takes a week for my barley to cross the Channel
0:45:41 > 0:45:44and come up the Rhine to Gernsheim here
0:45:44 > 0:45:47which is slap-bang on the banks of the Rhine,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50very convenient to unload the barley through a series of pipes
0:45:50 > 0:45:55and conveyors that takes it over to that massive building.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57These storage towers, apparently,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00will store a whole barge-worth of barley.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05Inside this monolith of a building is a hugely technical malt house.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07I'm off to meet the manager.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Berthold's taking me right to the top of the plant
0:46:15 > 0:46:17where the barley begins its conversion to malt.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22So we're right at the top of the building now.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24What's happening to the barley in here?
0:46:24 > 0:46:26It's the first step of malt production.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29It's called steeping. This is the steeping house.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34We raise the water content from 14% in the barley
0:46:34 > 0:46:36up to 40% in the first step here.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I have it at 14% in the barn at home, so it stores,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42but here you want to get it wet so it germinates and starts to grow.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45It will start the germination to build the enzymes
0:46:45 > 0:46:48for later for the brewing process.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51So how long will it take you to use up the barge load?
0:46:51 > 0:46:53- It's one week.- Amazing.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57'The barley is now gravity-fed through pipes
0:46:57 > 0:47:00'until it arrives below in the germination box.'
0:47:01 > 0:47:03So for the barley's life with you,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06this is day two and the next level down.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Yes, it's day two of the steeping.
0:47:08 > 0:47:13And we see here the germination box, the second step of malt production.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17So now the barley has started to germinate.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19It's putting out all its little roots.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Yes, you can see the roots.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23I know the barley we produce on the farm has to be grown
0:47:23 > 0:47:27to a high germination, because that's important to you.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30The germination capacity of barley is a big point for us,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33so we can only produce from germinated barley.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34Is this called malt now?
0:47:34 > 0:47:38No. If you smell it, it smells a little bit green.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Now it's no longer barley. We call it now green malt.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48The living seed now goes to the kiln room,
0:47:48 > 0:47:50which is the last stage of the process.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53It's absolutely boiling in here!
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Yes, we have over 60 degrees here
0:47:56 > 0:48:00and that's the final step of malt reduction. It's called kilning,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04and it's a place where we build, smell and taste,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08and we remove the water and dry it up to 4% of moisture content.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10So it's very, very dry.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Yes, it's very dry and you can see the dry rootlets
0:48:14 > 0:48:17and you can have a smell...
0:48:18 > 0:48:21..and a taste. And that's for the character of the beer,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25and if you stay a little bit longer in your mouth,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28it goes sweet so the enzymes are working now.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30It's crunchy like a biscuit. It's lovely.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Really lovely. Great stuff.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34So this is malt.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36This is now malt.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40And after this process, we do it in malt storage silos
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and it's ready for delivery to our customers all over the world.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Barley from my little, old farm in the Cotswolds.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Here in Germany, turned into malt,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50and then it could get exported anywhere in the world.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54I sold my barley for £200 a tonne.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57By the time it's made into beer, it's worth around £40,000 a tonne.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Amazing.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02It's been really fascinating following my barley
0:49:02 > 0:49:05from the farm down to Avonmouth when it went on the ship,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09and then picking it up coming up the Rhine here, all the way to the malt,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12and so many farmers load grain onto lorries on the farm,
0:49:12 > 0:49:14and never really know where it ends up.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Just one last thing to do though - try the local brew.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24Prost.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26ALL: Prost.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36MATT: Back on the Isle of Wight, I'm developing a taste
0:49:36 > 0:49:39for these wonderful views
0:49:39 > 0:49:42but for some romantic souls, views aren't enough.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46The Isle of Wight is a walker's paradise.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49It's criss-crossed by over 500 miles of footpath
0:49:49 > 0:49:53and every year, it holds the largest walking festival in the UK.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57Now this week, I'm going to be trying a walk with a difference.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00I'm joining this lot, who are speed-date walkers,
0:50:00 > 0:50:02and they're ready to go!
0:50:02 > 0:50:05You're very adventurous! You're like mountain goats!
0:50:05 > 0:50:08I tell you what, anything could happen on this walk!
0:50:08 > 0:50:11But before that, let's see what the weather centre is predicting
0:50:11 > 0:50:14for the week ahead with the Countryfile forecast.
0:52:49 > 0:52:57.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11I'm on the Isle of Wight's south coast,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13a setting for love in the landscape.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Now, I couldn't be happier with my wife
0:53:16 > 0:53:19but for all of those people that are looking for love, this is for you.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22We have a line for the ladies and a line for the men
0:53:22 > 0:53:25and stand next to your appropriate number.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29So Liz, you'll go with number one, who will actually be Matt.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34If Liz decides she likes Matt, basically she'll put a big tick.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37If Matt likes Liz, he'll tick also.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40If there's two ticks, that's a perfect match.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43After two minutes, Den will blow his whistle...
0:53:43 > 0:53:47and then the gentlemen in the front will move to the back of the queue
0:53:47 > 0:53:49and everybody moves forward.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55This is speed-date walking and in honour of St Valentine,
0:53:55 > 0:53:59I'm going to be meeting a succession of charming ladies.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Until the whistle blows, I'll be with Liz.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05People come because they like to walk in the countryside
0:54:05 > 0:54:08and they like to see the nice landscape,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11so you've automatically got shared interests.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13So what is the best chat-up line you've heard?
0:54:13 > 0:54:16What was my first car was probably a memorable one?
0:54:16 > 0:54:17WHISTLE BLOWS
0:54:17 > 0:54:21What's your first car? I'll try that one. Nice to see you.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23We're swapping over now.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- Oh, hi. I'm Fran.- Hello, Fran.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37It's quite a bizarre thing, this, isn't it.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39It is a bit weird. It's fun though.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41It's a really nice way to meet people
0:54:41 > 0:54:43cos everyone gets a bit of a giggle out of it.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46- How's it going so far. - 0K! It's good.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48I've met somebody I already know.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Oh, right!
0:54:49 > 0:54:51No. Some nice friendly people,
0:54:51 > 0:54:54but I don't think quite potential, I'm afraid.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Roxy's from Spain.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07How did you end up in the Isle of Wight on a speed-dating walk?
0:55:07 > 0:55:08I don't know!
0:55:08 > 0:55:09LAUGHTER
0:55:09 > 0:55:11How did you hear about this?
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Well, long time ago, you know, because I came originally in 1996
0:55:15 > 0:55:18and then I moved to Jersey with my ex-husband,
0:55:18 > 0:55:22and it's now nearly five years that I'm divorced.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24I just can't find love in this island!
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Do you fancy a tall gentleman, like Paul?
0:55:27 > 0:55:33I think he's too young for me! I like more mature!
0:55:33 > 0:55:34LAUGHTER
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Things seem to be going swimmingly.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Maybe there is something in this speed-date walking.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46How did this all start then? Where did it come from?
0:55:46 > 0:55:51Basically, having organised the Isle of Wight Walking Festival,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54a lot of people walk on their own, singles,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56and it was suggested we did a speed-dating walk.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58That was seven years ago.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01During that seven years we've had three weddings,
0:56:01 > 0:56:05we've had one speed-dating baby, born in August,
0:56:05 > 0:56:07and we've got another wedding coming up in May.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18And here they are. The happy couple. June and Mike.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- Lovely to see you both.- Hi.- Hi.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23How long ago was it that you first met?
0:56:23 > 0:56:25About three years, I think.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Take me back to that moment when the whistle went
0:56:28 > 0:56:31and you swapped partners and that was it. What happened, Mike?
0:56:31 > 0:56:34We started to talk near the end and the walk finished,
0:56:34 > 0:56:37and we went to the pub with everybody else and had a drink
0:56:37 > 0:56:39and the pub closed and I said to June,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41"Do you want to get something to eat?"
0:56:46 > 0:56:48And June went back to the hotel where she was staying
0:56:48 > 0:56:51and I started to drive home and halfway home I thought,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54"No, I don't want to leave it any longer", so I phoned you,
0:56:54 > 0:56:56and said, "what are you doing tomorrow?"
0:56:56 > 0:56:59she said "I'm going on a walk", so I said, "can I come with you?"
0:57:04 > 0:57:06He actually proposed at the place where we first met
0:57:06 > 0:57:08which was quite nice.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11So it does work. What would you say to people out there
0:57:11 > 0:57:13who may be thinking of this as an option?
0:57:13 > 0:57:16If you don't try, how are you going to know?
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Give it a go. See what happens.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33That's all we've got time for from the romantic Isle of Wight.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Next week, Ellie will be in Ennerdale,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37delving into the Countryfile archives
0:57:37 > 0:57:40to find the wilder side of life. Hope you can join us then.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd