0:00:25 > 0:00:30Flat, fertile fields lying low against the vast sky.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Farmland so rich, it's some of the most productive in Britain.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38We're in the Lincolnshire Fens,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41a man-made landscape taken back from the sea
0:00:41 > 0:00:43by centuries of hard work.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This all used to be part of a trackless mire,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50full of foul streams and fetid pools.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Not anymore though. After 300 years of draining,
0:00:54 > 0:00:55this is what's left.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Some of the finest soil around.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03It may well be October, but here it's still harvest time.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09While Matt's exploring the fens, I'm heading further north
0:01:09 > 0:01:12to learn about a very different kind of farming.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Check out these girls. They're... Ooh!
0:01:14 > 0:01:16They're some of Lincolnshire's finest pigs.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21I'll be finding out how they help make some of our best bangers.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Oh, easy ladies!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But do those sausages deserve special protection?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I'll be asking if only ones made in the county
0:01:30 > 0:01:33should be called Lincolnshire sausages.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I think it's a good idea. It should have happened a long time ago.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And I'll be investigating the boom in wind power.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Will hundreds, even thousands, of extra turbines
0:01:44 > 0:01:46help secure our future energy needs?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Or will their main impact be, as some people claim,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52to ruin the landscape and hit us deep in our pockets?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And also tonight, Adam's farm
0:01:55 > 0:01:58plays host to the Cotswolds annual dry-stone-walling competition.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Go on ladies, stop faffing about. No time for talking.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18The rich soil of the Fenlands, some of the most fertile land around.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23Locals like to think of this countryside as England's farmstead.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26This is Lincolnshire.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And we're in an area of the county called South Holland.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31The potato harvest has already ended,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34but there's plenty more to do.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36At this farm, they harvest crops virtually all year round,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40getting full use from these fertile fields.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45So Robin, this is THE finest soil in Britain, you think?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48You are standing in just about the best field in the country.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- OK.- Probably.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Let's have a look at it. You've got a spade. Let's have a dig.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Show us why this soil is so incredible.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Well...
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Oh, yeah. - Just look at that, Matt.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05You could go to bed in that, couldn't you?
0:03:05 > 0:03:07MATT LAUGHS
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It's deep soil, so the roots do go down.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14It's easily worked, it's moisture-retentive.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18There's nothing you can't grow here. You can grow absolutely anything.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20And they do. Robin grows all sorts here,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25including one crop that isn't necessarily a popular choice for the average shopper.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Right, Robin, so what delights have you got growing in here?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Well, this is celeriac, Matt.- Oh!
0:03:31 > 0:03:35It's very much like a celery, but it's the best bit,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36the rooty bit of it.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Yeah, yeah. It's...
0:03:38 > 0:03:42To the eye, it's not remarkably attractive, is it?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Mm...no.- To be honest.- No.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It is a bit off-putting, I'll agree with you, until you taste it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But before I get to do that, I need to help harvest it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57And they're letting me loose on nearly half a million quid's worth of kit to do so.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59No pressure, then(!)
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Neil's got it all set up for you, I think.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05So all you've got to do is make sure you don't chop the crop up,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08or drop that elevator down into the cart,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11That would be a very expensive mistake. But good luck.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- I'll have my fingers crossed. - Thank you.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17- And can you hold that whilst you're crossing your fingers?!- I will!
0:04:17 > 0:04:22All right! Hopefully I'll see you in a bit, with a nice crop of celeriac.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28- Right, so...faced with a lot of controls that looks like an aircraft.- Yeah.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Well, they look worse than what they are.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33ENGINE STARTS
0:04:33 > 0:04:39- So, how sensitive is this arm? - Move it side to side, you'll get the feel of it.- Straight across?
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- OK. And then we just, um, gently forward, gently forward?- Yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Right, Neil. Well, I REALLY hope I don't make a mess of it.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Well, we'll get you by, we'll get you by. That's it, off you go.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Let your clutch go. - Are you happy with that?- Yeah.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53'Here we go.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58'A high-tech harvester in my hands, lifting three rows at a time.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03'I've got to keep that elevator arm at just the right height, too.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:07- A bit wide?- No, you're all right. They're going up.- There they go.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12'Luckily, there's satellite guidance to keep the tractor going dead straight.'
0:05:12 > 0:05:14That's it, you're on GPS.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'But there's still plenty of scope for operator error.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20'If I don't keep those blades in just the right place,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23'it's thousands of pounds' worth of crop chopped in two.'
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Just this way a little bit. You're taking bits off the sides.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- You've only got a little bit each side of your celeriac.- Yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Looking down, there's, what, two inches maybe?- That's it, yeah.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37'So far, things are going OK.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Going like the clappers! I tell you what,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44do we dare go up to two?
0:05:44 > 0:05:49- Oh yeah, we haven't done that. - Ready?- Yeah.- Here comes two.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Whoa!
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Now we're moving!
0:05:56 > 0:05:58'After harvesting, the celeriac will be carted off
0:05:58 > 0:06:00'to be cleaned, washed and dried
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'so it can be sold out of store nearly all year round.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08'It seems I've got to the end of this row without causing too much damage.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'I think I'll quit while I'm ahead.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Robin, what did you make of that? Was that all right?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16You were all right, Matt.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I'd like to say you're rubbish but you're quite good, really!
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Just these at the beginning, look. Just these. What happened here?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- Is that me?- Yeah, that's you. - Oh, dear me.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It's part of the service. I slice them for you as well.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Semi-prepared!
0:06:30 > 0:06:34'Now I've done my bit, I'm keen to try out this versatile veg.'
0:06:34 > 0:06:38This is like the Lincolnshire version of a ploughman's lunch.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- It's a celeriac supper. - Celeriac's the order of the day.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46- These are celeriac oven chips. These have curry powder on them.- Oh, right.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- These have got paprika on. - They're gorgeous.- Good, aren't they?
0:06:50 > 0:06:55- Half the calories of potato chips. - Wow.- Here's some soup.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Cheers.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01That's lovely.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- It's a very versatile vegetable, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08It isn't the only unusual crop here.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11In the next field, they're hand-harvesting fennel.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16They're also the UK's largest producer of root stock for chicory,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20a crisp salad leaf grown in complete darkness in a pack house down the road.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It's intensive farming but with a difference.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Robin hopes more customers will share his pioneering spirit.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33- Here's to the celeriac. Celeriac toast - there's a new one for you! - Celeriac! Cheers.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Now, Lincolnshire has its fair share of wind turbines,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47which we'll see more and more of across the UK in the coming years,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but is wind the right choice for the clean energy that we need?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53John has been to investigate.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05When it comes to wind power, Britain rules the waves,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08boasting nearly 500 offshore turbines,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10more than any other country.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Add to that the ones built on land, and you've got power
0:08:15 > 0:08:18for more than three million homes.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22But the Government's decided that's nowhere near enough.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26It's planning to vastly increase the amount of wind farms
0:08:26 > 0:08:29to try to meet European energy targets
0:08:29 > 0:08:32that are aimed at cutting our greenhouse gas emissions.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35And that means using fewer fossil fuels and more renewables.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39In fact, the Government wants 15% of all the power that we use
0:08:39 > 0:08:43to come from renewable sources by 2020.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46At the very heart of that strategy is wind power,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51which is growing at an astonishing rate, as I'm about to discover.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'But this policy is far from being free of controversy.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59'While supporters say it's creating a cleaner and more secure energy supply,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05'critics claim harnessing the wind can be costly and inefficient.'
0:09:05 > 0:09:07So, is wind power all it's cracked up to be,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09or are we all being conned?
0:09:09 > 0:09:13I'm starting my investigation 10 miles off the coast of north Norfolk,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18where the Sheringham Shoal wind farm is now being built
0:09:18 > 0:09:20at a cost of a billion pounds. When it's finished,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24it'll cover an area about the same size as the city of Norwich.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26That's a big stretch of sea.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'The companies building these wind farms
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'are guaranteed a generous price for their electricity
0:09:32 > 0:09:37'but getting them up and running is a vast and expensive task.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Today, they're filling the blades on this turbine.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Those are 50-metre blades.- How did they get the blades there, then?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46That vessel is a self-propelled vessel.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- It comes out...- It's a ship?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It is a ship, with legs.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- A ship with legs?!- Yep. Jacks itself up
0:09:52 > 0:09:58- next to the turbine, then the crane on board can lift all the pieces up. - It's all very impressive,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01but the huge cost of building an offshore farm,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and all the effort, is it going to be worth it in the long run?
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Absolutely. At the moment, we're just scratching the surface.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11We have 1,500 megawatts of offshore wind capacity installed.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16That's about enough to generate the electrical energy of about three-quarters of a million homes -
0:10:16 > 0:10:21pretty impressive - but we're looking to go about 12 times that amount by 2020.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Sheringham Shoal is just one site. Another is here
0:10:25 > 0:10:28at Greater Gabbard, 70 miles down the coast,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30where work is also going on round the clock
0:10:30 > 0:10:34to try to meet this massive 1,200% increase.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40Whilst critics say it'll all come at great cost for questionable results,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43supporters believe that any problems will be overcome.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's a fair comment that it's expensive at the minute.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Certainly with offshore wind, we are very focused on bringing the cost down.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55We've all driven past wind farms and seen the blades not turning.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Yeah, well, sometimes the wind doesn't blow,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but 70-80% of the time, a wind farm will be producing some power.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09To cater for the colossal increase in offshore wind power
0:11:09 > 0:11:12which the Government wants, a building boom is underway.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19This project, the London Array off the Essex coast,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21will house 340 turbines,
0:11:21 > 0:11:26nearly doubling the UK's capacity at a single stroke.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30In fact, it'll be the biggest wind farm in the world.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36But if we're going to generate 15% of our electricity this way by 2020,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38we'll need many more like this,
0:11:38 > 0:11:43and it seems no obstacle is too big to overcome.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Much of the sea around the UK is off limits
0:11:47 > 0:11:49when it comes to building wind farms.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53That's because RAF radar signals from places like this get confused
0:11:53 > 0:11:56when they encounter the spinning blades of a turbine.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00To overcome this, a whole new radar system is being introduced,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03paid for by the wind farm companies.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Once this new system is in place,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11hundreds of extra miles will be opened up for new wind farms,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15ensuring that Britain remains the front runner in this new technology.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But some say we're heading full speed down the wrong path.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I think the problem is, we are trying to replace
0:12:23 > 0:12:27power sources like coal and nuclear, which are on whenever we need them,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and can be turned off when we don't need them,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33with a weather-dependent, intermittent energy form like wind,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35which we can't manage.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36So what's the solution, then?
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Well, the solution has to be developing the ability
0:12:40 > 0:12:44to store renewable energy, especially wind, especially solar,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47so we can use that energy when we need it. We can't at the moment.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53'Electricity, whether from fossil fuels or renewables, can't be stored,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55'and wind presents an added problem.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59'No-one can be sure exactly when it's going to blow,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01'or how strong it's going to be.'
0:13:03 > 0:13:07This is the control room of the National Grid,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09the beating heart of our nation's energy supply,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13pumping electricity to homes and businesses.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16On this vast screen, you can see just how much electricity
0:13:16 > 0:13:19is being sent around the country at this very moment.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25The Grid was designed in the 1930s to handle power from a consistent source - coal.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30So how's it coping these days with an increasing amount of electricity
0:13:30 > 0:13:34coming from an unpredictable and erratic source - the wind?
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Well, just recently, the UK caught the tail end of a hurricane,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and the wind turbines were spinning around like mad.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47So much power was being produced that you couldn't cope. You had to close them down.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50There was too much wind for the transmission system to cope,
0:13:50 > 0:13:51and in those circumstances,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56we issue balancing actions, which are instructions from here to curtail generation,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and we do that for wind, thermal and coal.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03It does seem crazy, when you've got a new source of energy like wind,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06proving to be very efficient, and then you have to close it down.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10That is a challenge, and of course we do need to expand the Grid,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14and what we also need to do is build more capacity to Europe,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18so we can ship power across when the wind blows in the UK here,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and possibly even import it when, for example, it's blowing hard in Germany.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Is that likely to happen?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Yes, there's lots of plans in place for new interconnection,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and as well as that, in the UK alone, the National Grid
0:14:29 > 0:14:33is spending over £1 billion per year on expanding the Grid.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37It seems that, whatever the cost,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41wind power is going to play a big part in our future energy supply,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44so who will the winners and losers be?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47That's what I'll be discovering later on.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57This is the Lincolnshire Wash, where the tide's ebb and flow
0:14:57 > 0:15:02creates an ever-changing landscape of water, mud and marsh.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's one of the highest tides of the year right now,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and that means that the thousands of birds that call this place their winter home
0:15:09 > 0:15:14could be on the wing all together, and if we time it right, we're in for a real treat.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19We're on Freiston Shore, where the flood defences have been adapted
0:15:19 > 0:15:21to create a real haven for the birds.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26- Morning, John.- Hi. Are you all right? - Good, you?- Very well.- Excellent.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29You're looking out over this lagoon. That hasn't always been this way.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31No, it's been here for ten years.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34We've landscaped it, put islands in, and the birds are loving it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- Let's take a closer look. - OK, let's go.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'At high tide, native birds roost here in their thousands,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43'alongside some winter visitors from Scandinavia.'
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- Wow! This is the front row, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52What an amazing place to be. There's plenty out here. How many do you reckon, already?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54It's difficult to count.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56We've probably got 3,000 or 4,000, first guess.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Are any particular to the Lincolnshire Wash?
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Yeah. The one that I think we're probably best known for is the black-tailed godwit,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08- which comes from Iceland. There's probably 1,000 of those. - Oh, my goodness.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- They're the ones on the far bank? - Yeah.- What else have we got here?
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Yeah, we've got oyster-catchers, 600 or 700 of those.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- They've got incredibly long, strong bills.- Yeah. Yeah.- Beautiful.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25We've got dunlin, we've got knots, and lots of redshanks as well.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30We want to catch them as they flock back out to feed,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and the tide's already going out fast.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Before long, they're on the move, heading right out over our heads!
0:16:40 > 0:16:45This is amazing. Because we're so high, they feel like they're right on top of you.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- Almost makes you fall over backwards!- It does.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Oh, wow! Right overhead!
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It's an incredible experience
0:16:59 > 0:17:03as wave after wave soar over the salt marsh.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09They go out to feed on the mudflats. What a perfect group to end on.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- A lovely, big flock.- Yeah.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Ah, amazing.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25I did get treated to a beautiful, close-up experience of these birds,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and there's more than just wading birds to this part of the country.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34As the marshes along the coast become flat fenlands further in,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36intensive farming increases,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39but surprisingly so too does the population of a much-loved
0:17:39 > 0:17:43and rather elusive native bird - the barn owl.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48They love to hunt along the grassy corridors
0:17:48 > 0:17:50that separate these wide, open fields,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55and local farmers have been encouraged to allow that habitat to grow to boost their numbers.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- Hi, Colin!- Hello!- So you've got some barn owl chicks for me to see.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04I have. We'll look in this nest box, and hopefully, find some chicks.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- I'll give you a hand with the bag. - Thank you. I'll take the ladder.- OK.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Why is Lincolnshire so good for barn owls?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14These dishes and dykes provide their lifeline for food.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19The short-tail vole is their favourite prey. That lives in this rough grass and habitat.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22There's a lot of conservation effort gone in and, as a result,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25population now about 1,000 pairs in Lincolnshire.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- This is what we call a pole box. - I can see why you call it that!
0:18:29 > 0:18:34They're good in Lincolnshire, because when we look across this habitat and landscape,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37there's so few buildings suitable for barn owl,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40so we have to provide these artificial sites.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'Barn owls had been in long-term decline, but since boxes were introduced over 20 years ago,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'numbers have trebled here in Lincolnshire,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50'and this one is home to a healthy young brood, ready for ringing.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Ah, now that's too cute.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56SHE LAUGHS
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Gently in the bag. Yes, we've got three.- Three!
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Are you all set?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Oh, look, a bag of chicks!
0:19:06 > 0:19:11That's ridiculously sweet. Shall we have a go at this ringing? What's the best thing to do?
0:19:11 > 0:19:12If we sit down on the grass...
0:19:12 > 0:19:18'To keep track of the local population, the chicks are ringed every year. Carefully, of course.'
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- And that'll stay on the barn owl all its life?- It will.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23We'll check the weight. That's what we'll do now.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27I just pop them in the cradle. They don't need to go in a bag.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30They're usually happy to sit there.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35- So, if you could read that off of the scale.- 460, I'd say.- 460.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41- So the bag weighs 100, so it's 360.- 360. Right. Any other measurements we need to take?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45What we're going to do is measure the wing and get an idea of the age.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50By saying idea, we can be accurate to plus or minus a day with this measurement.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52That's incredible! How do you do that?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55These are the primary feathers here, and there's ten of these,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59so we put the ruler on where it's breaking through to the tip of the feather.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- That's 65... - 65, 65, 66... Bob?
0:20:03 > 0:20:0565.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Well, it's six weeks old tomorrow.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11These little ones are this year's second brood of chicks,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14something which only happens every three or four years,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19when the vole population peaks, and they certainly seem fairly content.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Barn owl chick babysitting service!
0:20:25 > 0:20:28'They'll be ready to fledge in a couple of weeks,
0:20:28 > 0:20:33'and hopefully they'll be strong enough to make it through the winter.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Earlier in the programme, we were looking at
0:20:35 > 0:20:38the expected huge rise in wind power across the UK,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41but in the race to create more of our energy this way,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45who will win, and who is set to lose out? Here's John again.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Earlier, I discovered how the plan to put wind power
0:20:55 > 0:20:57at the heart of our future energy supply
0:20:57 > 0:21:02is creating a building boom in wind farms, both on land and out at sea.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05With billions being poured into wind power,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09and with it being at the centre of the Government's strategy on renewables,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11the future seems certain.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16So, who will the losers and winners be, in this wind revolution?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The most obvious winner is the environment, as less fossil fuels are burnt.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24But who else benefits?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Well, another clear winner is big business.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33Companies building the wind farms get a generous price for the electricity they produce.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37To learn more, I'm meeting a man whose Norwegian company
0:21:37 > 0:21:41is creating the wind farm that I visited off the Norfolk coast.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44What kind of incentives does a company like yours
0:21:44 > 0:21:48get from the Government, to set up big wind farm at sea?
0:21:48 > 0:21:52All the investments upfront is paid by ourselves,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but after we start producing electricity,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58we are paid by selling the power into the market.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01We also receive a bonus from the Government,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04because it is renewable electricity.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10Electricity is bought from producers at an average price of five pence per kilowatt hour.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12But wind farms get bonuses.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16For offshore wind, that's around nine pence extra per kilowatt hour,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18guaranteed for 20 years,
0:22:18 > 0:22:25and when you're talking about nearly three million of these units every day, that figure soon adds up.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Is it going to make your company very rich?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29No, not very rich compared to other investment,
0:22:29 > 0:22:34but it's a fairly good return on £1 billion investment, yes.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39So, big firms may be cashing in, but are they British businesses?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Well, in most cases, no,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and for opponents of the push for wind power, that raises concerns.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I don't have a massive issue with the fact that these are foreign firms.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Four of the big six energy companies are now foreign owned.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54I think the key issue is, do we get high-skilled
0:22:54 > 0:22:57British manufacturing jobs involved in this sector?
0:22:57 > 0:23:01At the moment, a lot of this material is manufactured overseas.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Nick Clegg talks about a green jobs revolution.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05We need to see that starting to develop.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09But how many jobs in Britain is it going to create, this industry?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12We are now in the process... we are transforming
0:23:12 > 0:23:16from a pan-European project into a local business.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19A year from now, around 70 people will be directly involved
0:23:19 > 0:23:22in operating and maintaining the wind farm,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and 95% are recruited here, locally.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Even if a lot of the big business profit goes abroad,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33at least some much-needed jobs will be created here in the UK.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36But while a handful of people might benefit from new employment,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40critics say it's the majority of us, already feeling the pinch,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43who'll pay a high price for embracing wind.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46So, what's your prediction, then,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50about how much fuel bills will rise, because of green power?
0:23:50 > 0:23:55Fuel bills, up until 2030, could double. The Government acknowledges there will be an increase.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It claims there will then be a decrease.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00But for every 1% increase in fuel bills,
0:24:00 > 0:24:0444,000 households slide into fuel poverty, which is a social crisis.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Supporters of wind farms say that,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09although we do pay a green premium in our electricity bills,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12those figures are vastly exaggerated.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Just how much we'll really end up paying seems uncertain.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Other winners are the landowners, who get paid thousands of pounds a year
0:24:20 > 0:24:22to have wind farms on their fields,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and livestock can still graze underneath,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and crops can still be sown.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Here, for example, they grow wheat and oilseed rape under the turbines.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35But while those owning the fields enjoy good rental income,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38for others, there's an age-old problem -
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- having something right on your doorstep.- See this road?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44At the end of it, it's a nice, typical scene.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47But soon there will be eight wind turbines put in,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and if I can show you a picture on here.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51That's an impression, is it?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55You'll see, here, that we have got
0:24:55 > 0:24:57a huge wind turbine at the end of the road.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01This is one of the eight, which is about a kilometre away.
0:25:01 > 0:25:07But, if I may say so, it does seem rather like "not in my backyard".
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Well, it's got to be in somebody's backyard, yes, you're right,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15but if they had a two kilometre rule in this country,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19as is the case with many other countries, and it's increasingly so,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22the two-kilometre rule would get rid of all this problem,
0:25:22 > 0:25:27and people would accept wind farms more. I'm all in favour of renewable energy,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30but putting wind turbines this close is just too much.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Love them or loathe them,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36wind turbines look set to become an increasing feature of our landscape,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40as the race to meet Britain's renewable targets gains pace.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45What also seems certain is that the controversy
0:25:45 > 0:25:48surrounding wind power will continue to rage,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52especially as a minority cash in, while the rest of us pay the price.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Next week, we'll be investigating controversial plans
0:25:57 > 0:26:00to connect these wind farms to the Grid, using hundreds of new pylons,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04something you can also hear about
0:26:04 > 0:26:07on Radio 4's Costing The Earth, this Wednesday night at 9pm.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13'Later in the programme, I'll be learning how to speak Fen...'
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Seeing you ain't found no proper Lincolnshire stuff charn.- Say again?!
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'..Ellie's got some feeding to do...'
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- They don't like when you get in the way of breakfast. - No, quite. Who does?
0:26:24 > 0:26:28'..and Adam's looking for a dry-stone-walling champion.'
0:26:28 > 0:26:30It's looking really smart.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I've got money riding on you that's looking pretty impressive.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36'Plus, if you want to find out what the weather's up to,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40'then we've got the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.'
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The waters of the Lincolnshire Wash flow along a man-made landscape
0:26:54 > 0:26:56reclaimed from the sea over the centuries.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Katie's been to find out who's putting this new land to use.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06These rich, coastal flats are in the heart of
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Lincolnshire's farming country - prime land for cultivating crops.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20But there's something a little different about these farmers.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24This may look like a farm. It produces food like a farm.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26But actually...it's a prison.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It's one of a handful of our open prisons.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36For the men working here, it's an opportunity -
0:27:36 > 0:27:41the first chance many of them will have had, in decades, to start over.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53North Sea Camp has over 350 inmates.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It's also home to 791 sheep and 151 pigs,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02all looked after by the prisoners.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And they take pride in their animals here.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- Hello, Dan.- Hello. - What are you doing here?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12We're just getting these pigs ready to show.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16'Dan's been here six months, after spending eight months in a closed prison.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:21- Anywhere in particular?- Anywhere you like!- Are they quite friendly? - They're OK. This bites!
0:28:21 > 0:28:24But not all the pigs here get this special treatment.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27The destination for most is a prison kitchens.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29What you eat at breakfast...
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- ..Is what we rear on the farm. - Ohh!- The majority of it. - What's that like?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Well, it's all right, I suppose!
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Was it strange coming from somewhere where all your minutes
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and hours were accounted for, to coming here?
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Definitely, because you've got to think for yourself here.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Before, they're telling you what to do, when to get up, when to go to bed, sort of thing.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52But here, as long as you toe the line, it's a good job.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57- Do you think you'll keep pigs when you get out?- I'm thinking about having a couple, yeah.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02- I've got a 14-year-old daughter, so the chances of having a pig, rearing it...- She'd love that.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- Until it's time to eat him!- Do you think she'd get on with that?- No!
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Open prisons like this are made to test if inmates are ready for release.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Every day, 80 or so are allowed out to work in the local community
0:29:17 > 0:29:19and on the odd family visit.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21The rest work here in prison.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26The success that hard graft like this can have has been witnessed
0:29:26 > 0:29:29over the years by the prison's farm manager, Bob Betts.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Do you really think that this work will help these men in the future?
0:29:33 > 0:29:37It does, a lot of them. It gives them a sense of worth,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and when they go outside, some will go into farming.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43You've got this land, you're producing pigs and sheep
0:29:43 > 0:29:45and hen's eggs and all sorts of things,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- is this commercially viable? - Yes, it is.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51We supply the kitchens and the staff mess.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56We just wouldn't be able to manage without the produce from the farm.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02North Sea Camp's rich farmland produces enough to feed the prisoners...and some.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04The remainder gets sent to local market.
0:30:06 > 0:30:12And it's all down to prisoners this fertile land is here in the first place.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17If you follow me up this mound and look out, you can see the sea.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22And on an average high tide, the level of the water over here
0:30:22 > 0:30:26is two metres higher than the land on the other side of the mound.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29This farmland was once the sea bed
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and the tough job of reclaiming it from the sea
0:30:32 > 0:30:34was given to borstal boys.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43In the 1930s, 20 borstal boys, the young offenders of yesteryear,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48set up camp here after a long march from Stafford Prison.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52They were made to painstakingly build sea wall after sea wall,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55using just basic hand tools.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The work carried on into the 1970s,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02until 1,000 acres of salt marsh had been reclaimed.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13Today's workers, though, are no longer the boys of the borstal days.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Two-thirds of them are long-term offenders,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18often on life sentences with no release date.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20They have to earn it.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25This inmate spent 20 years behind bars before arriving here.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30For the sake of victims connected to his crime, we can't show his face.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34What was it like the first time you came from a closed prison to here?
0:31:35 > 0:31:40It was daunting, absolutely daunting. In closed prison, everything is done for you.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43You come to these places, it's all about motivation for you to be
0:31:43 > 0:31:47more responsible for your own actions. That's what they do.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50They give you more responsibility, to see how you handle it.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55For this inmate, that means taking care of the farm's sheep.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57- You're becoming like a sheep farmer? - Yeah.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02A stockman they call it, because you're looking after the general welfare of the animals,
0:32:02 > 0:32:08- making sure they're well, healthy, fed, they've got no injuries. - You sound quite passionate about it.
0:32:08 > 0:32:14I absolutely love it. At first, I thought, "Stink of the farm," but now it doesn't even bother me.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19- "What are they on about? Stink of the farm?"- How do you feel looking after these sheep?
0:32:19 > 0:32:24- Does it give you a sense of pride? - Yeah. What it is, you feel human again.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Someone is thinking, "You're quite capable of doing it."
0:32:27 > 0:32:33- Is this something you'd like to do? - Without a doubt, yeah. I wish I'd discovered it years ago.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36All I want to do is go out and lead a law-abiding life.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40I'd do this from first thing in the morning until last thing at night if I could,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and let the whole world pass me by.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Hearing stories like that may make these prisons seem worthwhile,
0:32:46 > 0:32:51but in recent years, open prisons have courted a lot of controversy.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54After all, with no walls or fences,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57if they want to misbehave, what's to stop them?
0:32:57 > 0:33:03North Sea Camp is one of nine open prisons in the countryside around England and Wales.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08Earlier this year, riots at Ford Prison in rural Sussex hit the headlines.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Four years ago, North Sea Camp found itself at the centre
0:33:12 > 0:33:15of a drugs and alcohol scandal.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19It's been governor Graham Batchford's job to turn the place around.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Open prisons can be quite controversial - do they work?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I see them as an essential part
0:33:26 > 0:33:29in reintegrating long-serving prisoners back into the community.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32A lot of our guys have spent 10, 15, 20, 25 years in prison
0:33:32 > 0:33:34before coming to an open establishment.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Those are the ones that will benefit most from this.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Prisons are all about carrot and stick.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Open prisons provide a huge carrot for the right sort of prisoner.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It may be a gamble, but if it does work,
0:33:48 > 0:33:53then the results can be, quite literally, life changing.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02The Cotswolds are well-known for their gentle hillsides
0:34:02 > 0:34:04and honey-coloured limestone,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and this week Adam's farm is hosting a competition
0:34:07 > 0:34:09that couldn't do without them.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13ADAM: Come on, lambs.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15These dry-stone walls are a really important
0:34:15 > 0:34:18part of the look of the Cotswold Hills.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21They've been the field boundaries for centuries.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24We're about 1,000 foot up here, so for my animals in the winter,
0:34:24 > 0:34:28they provide shelter from the rain and the sleet and the snow,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31and on a hot day like today, provide a bit of shade.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33With the onset of winter,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37my walls need to be in good shape to provide that protection.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Luckily, my farm has been chosen to host the 10th anniversary
0:34:40 > 0:34:45of the Cotswolds dry-stone-walling competition this year, but more about that later.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51The farmland round here is known as Cotswold Brash.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57It's made up of this very thin topsoil that's full of limestone.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58Because it's so thin and stony,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02it droughts out, and it can be quite difficult to farm.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07But in days gone by,
0:35:07 > 0:35:12the presence of all this accessible rock on and under the surface,
0:35:12 > 0:35:17was the reason why you see the estimated 4,000 miles of dry-stone walls in this area.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Rocks like this are obviously a pain for me, in arable farming,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25but you can understand, in the mediaeval times,
0:35:25 > 0:35:30that they were seen as a good natural resource for building things like the sheep cots,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33that were enclosures that kept the famous Cotswold Sheep in,
0:35:33 > 0:35:38that are well known for their wonderful wool.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42It was a job for the farmers in the winter, building dry-stone walls and enclosures.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Now that the fields are mainly arable crops,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49they're not needed as a barrier to keep livestock in,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and so, because they're so expensive to repair,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55often they're falling down, and you get gaps like this.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Look at those deer!
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Before the dry-stone-walling competition can begin,
0:36:06 > 0:36:08I've got to get some supplies.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Fortunately, I don't have to venture too far.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15There are numerous quarries a stone's throw away from my farm.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18They've been quarrying round here for centuries.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26This is Tinker's Barn Quarry, which is on the edge of my farm,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30and they shift about 40 tonnes of walling stone a day.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35There's about 20 tonnes here, so I need all of this, and more, for my walling competition.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37- Gary, hi. - Hi.- Good to see you.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- Good to see you.- Still producing some good stone?- Absolutely.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Stone from this area, around your farm,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44has been producing walling stone
0:36:44 > 0:36:49and Cotswold roofing slates for 400 years.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53There are a number of very skilled wallers in this area.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58So, as a general rule of thumb, how much stone do you need of a metre of wall?
0:36:58 > 0:37:02We would say you would get 2 to 2.5 face metres to one tonne of stone.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06So, to build a one-metre stretch of wall,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10you'll need about a tonne of stone, costing about 85 quid.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18Back on the farm, the competitors are ready for a day's hard graft repairing my wall.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Sorry, competing for first prize!
0:37:21 > 0:37:26And this is their task - to dismantle and then rebuild this stretch of wall
0:37:26 > 0:37:30that probably hasn't been touched for well over 100 years.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35This year's 21 participants have come from all over the UK.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39Each of them will work on an average two-metre stretch of wall.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Yorkshireman Trevor Wragg is one of the judges.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Now, your stone, up with you, is rounded and knobbly,
0:37:46 > 0:37:47- very different to this?- Yes.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Every area has got their own style of walling.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53How long do you think this wall has been here, then?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56- I should say it's over 200 years old.- Incredible!- It is.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00- Hopefully what they build today will well outlive me?- I hope so.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04If it falls down at the end of the week, I'll be making phone calls!
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Not to me, I haven't built it!
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Ready, wallers?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11WHISTLE BLOWS
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Well, the whistle's gone,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and everyone is now frantically pulling the wall down.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24I didn't realise how fast they were going to work.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Why do they have to go so fast? What's the rush now?
0:38:30 > 0:38:34You've only got about seven hours to build the wall in that time,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- so you have got to knock on.- The quicker you get it down, the more time you've got to build it?- Yes.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Come on, ladies, stop faffing about. No time for talking.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53- < You know what you can tell him to do, don't you?- We would, but this is a family programme!
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Now the old wall is down, the new one can start going up.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00I wouldn't even know where to begin,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03so what are the judges looking for at this stage?
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It's important putting the length into the wall,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09that gives it its strength as well.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12And as you can see, they're nearly all back to back.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13Hardly any middle fill.
0:39:13 > 0:39:19Once they start building up, they won't have all the stone that will reach back to back,
0:39:19 > 0:39:24- so they've got to use the hearting, or the packing, as we call it. - It's pretty technical.- It is.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Is it right, once you've picked a stone up to put on the wall,
0:39:27 > 0:39:32- you shouldn't be putting it down again?- That's the sort of old story they used to say.
0:39:32 > 0:39:39They see the stone on the ground that WILL go into the place that you're looking for.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42- How many years have you been walling? - 50 years.- Goodness me!
0:39:42 > 0:39:43Have things over the years?
0:39:43 > 0:39:47This last sort of 25 years, a lot of people learn how to do it,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49even if they're not going to be professionals.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54They're interested in maintaining traditional rural crafts.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55While you're here,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58if you just fancy finishing it down to the road, that'd be good for me!
0:40:00 > 0:40:03As you drive around the countryside,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06you see these miles of dry-stone walls, and I don't think
0:40:06 > 0:40:11we think about the effort and work that went into putting them up. And still goes into it now.
0:40:11 > 0:40:17Four hours in, and I think it's about time I found out how they choose the choice material.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21How do you tell the difference between good and bad stone? Cos it's got a ring to it.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26It has. Especially quality stone. Let's pick up a couple of pieces,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28This is stone that is freshly quarried.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33It has a higher-pitched sound to it, so you know that stone is good.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37This is some stone we've taken from the wall behind us,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41and you can see the laminations running through the stone.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Those pockets are there, cause a much more duller sound.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48That stone is really useful for the skip.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51You wouldn't even put this stone in the middle of the wall.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57What are you looking for there?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I'm just seeing if all the stones are tight.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Especially when you've got little ones, like that.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08- Ah! So that should be stuck in nice and tight?- Shhh.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- How are you getting on? - Not too bad, nearly there.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18It's looking really smart.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23- I've got some money riding on you - that's looking pretty impressive. - Thanks.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24ADAM LAUGHS
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- You haven't got any clear winners yet, then?- No.- Right.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33No, just have to wait a little bit longer.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35THEY ALL LAUGH
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Are you husband and wife?
0:41:39 > 0:41:43Yes, we are. And we're still speaking to each other!
0:41:43 > 0:41:46You don't end up throwing stones at one another?
0:41:46 > 0:41:47No, we've heard it hurts!
0:41:47 > 0:41:53These are the coping stones going on now, they go up vertical.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56They act as a really good barrier to stop the sheep
0:41:56 > 0:41:58jumping over the top of the wall and knocking it down.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07WHISTLE BLOWS
0:42:07 > 0:42:10That's it. Final whistle.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13What happened? You haven't got your coping stones on.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- No, I ran out of time. 15 minutes short.- Oh, no!
0:42:17 > 0:42:22It must be so frustrating, because you worked so hard, and the wall looks great.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26As long as it's right. There's no point going quicker because it wouldn't have been right.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32- Are you going to stay and finish it off?- Yes. I won't leave you with a hole in your wall.- Thank you!
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Although some didn't finish in time,
0:42:37 > 0:42:42everyone here has put their own individual stamp on a new stretch of Cotswold wall.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46The only thing left is for the judges to pick their favourite bit.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51The winner of this year's Cotswold Conservation Board dry-stone-walling competition,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54professional class, is Andrew Mason.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56APPLAUSE
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Andrew Mason - aptly named - took top spot for his wall.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07His sheer attention to detail in the early stages of the foundations certainly paid off.
0:43:07 > 0:43:12I'm delighted with this. I've got 36 metres of brand-new walling.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13Some good and some very good.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Even though I've been around dry-stone walls all my life,
0:43:16 > 0:43:20today has been an insight into not only a craft, but an art.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Think of Lincolnshire, and the vision you're likely to conjure up
0:43:28 > 0:43:32is one of crop-filled fields under big skies.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36But when it comes to putting food on our plates,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40it's got another claim to fame.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43The county has a proud tradition of pork production.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44About 100 years ago,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47most families would have had a pig or two in the back yard.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50They fed on scraps, so they were pretty easy and cheap to keep,
0:43:50 > 0:43:54and when it came to the eating, you could use every single bit.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59But Lincolnshire's most famous pork product is, of course, the sausage.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04The renowned Lincolnshire sausage has been produced here
0:44:04 > 0:44:08for well over 100 years, not on a commercial scale,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12but as good old-fashioned, home-made grub to feed the family.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17Terry and Jane Tomlinson are working to keep that artisan tradition alive.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- Are they hungry ladies?- Yes.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Come on, girls.
0:44:28 > 0:44:29Oh, stand back!
0:44:29 > 0:44:36- They don't like it when you get in the way of breakfast.- Well, quite. Who does? Let's be honest!
0:44:36 > 0:44:41Their pig farm may be just a tad larger than the old-style family setup,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45but they're staying true to the free-range tradition. The pigs live entirely outdoors,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48sheltering and sleeping in these huts.
0:44:48 > 0:44:54- And this is to keep it all nice and dry?- Yes, so they clean their feet before they go into the huts.
0:44:54 > 0:45:00- So what breed are these, Terry, these pigs?- The pigs we have here, they're Duroc-cross-Landrace -
0:45:00 > 0:45:03- that's why you get the different colours.- Why those breeds?
0:45:03 > 0:45:09The Duroc is a very, very hardy animal, fantastic mothers, and the eating quality's brilliant as well.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Their 72 sows have two litters a year,
0:45:15 > 0:45:20so the farm has a constant flow of pigs of all ages.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Look how small they are!
0:45:23 > 0:45:26These guys here are about a fortnight old.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29They like to come out and do a bit of exploring,
0:45:29 > 0:45:34but we like to keep them in for about the first fortnight.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38If they're let out altogether, you get a lot of cross-suckling,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42so the big boys get all the milk and the little ones get pushed out.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46The farm produces 700 kilos of sausages a week,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48which they sell at market.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49- Hi, Jane.- Hello, Ellie.
0:45:51 > 0:45:57Jane is obsessed with keeping the tradition of real Lincolnshire sausages alive.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00So much so, that for the last seven years,
0:46:00 > 0:46:05she's been backing a campaign to get them protected status under European law.
0:46:05 > 0:46:11The PGI status is to protect the geographical indication of our Lincolnshire sausages,
0:46:11 > 0:46:16which means they can only be made in Lincolnshire, and also, to protect the specification.
0:46:16 > 0:46:22They're made like this. They're natural skins. They're coarse, open texture.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26- They're not overly minced.- Why does it matter to YOU to get PGI status?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30It's part of our heritage, and stays within the county for generations to come.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34I'm going to leave Jane and Terry to it now,
0:46:34 > 0:46:38because I'm off to make a Lincolnshire sausage the old-fashioned way,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41with a woman who's so passionate she's written a book about them!
0:46:43 > 0:46:47Every family in Lincolnshire has its own closely guarded sausage recipe,
0:46:47 > 0:46:49handed down through the generations,
0:46:49 > 0:46:54but I found a lady who's prepared to divulge her family secrets...
0:46:54 > 0:46:57local chef Rachel Green.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58Come on, then, how do we do it?
0:46:58 > 0:47:02You need some coarsely ground shoulder, rusk,
0:47:02 > 0:47:06or it could be breadcrumbs, if you want. And I've got sage,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09lots of, because that's what Lincolnshire sausages are about.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12So, is this your secret?
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Well, it is, actually, it's from my great-great-grandmother,
0:47:15 > 0:47:20so there's one ingredient that people generally don't put into Lincolnshire sausages,
0:47:20 > 0:47:22- and that is freshly ground nutmeg. - Ooh!
0:47:22 > 0:47:26- I know. It's different. - Quite a bit?- Yeah, quite a bit.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30And I remember, as a girl, you used to have pig parts on the side.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33We kept pigs, obviously, and we'd make sausages,
0:47:33 > 0:47:39and the head would be there, and the trotters there, and it would be a real family thing.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Making the sausages was the fun bit for me,
0:47:41 > 0:47:45because I could relate to that as a girl. Get passionate with it.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49- You got to really work hard at it. - Work hard.- Harder, Ellie! Put your back into it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Do you want to stuff a bit in, then, first?
0:47:54 > 0:47:58The skins are made of pig intestines,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00so the end product is entirely natural.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03I'm doing Lincolnshire a very bad service here!
0:48:03 > 0:48:07- Do you know why sausages are called "bangers"? - Because of the way I made them?- No!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10No, after the Second World War, they put a lot more water in,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13so the moment you cooked them, they'd explode.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16Here we go. Brace yourselves!
0:48:16 > 0:48:21- You've just got a bit of air in them.- A bit of air!?
0:48:21 > 0:48:24- A bit of air in the bottom!- I'm so sorry, Lincolnshire.- No, no.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30Thankfully, I don't have to eat my handiwork. Rachel's got some of her own ready and waiting.
0:48:30 > 0:48:35The best thing in the world - a really good Lincolnshire sausage before the dogs get it.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Mmm. You can taste that texture. And lots of sage. Mmm, really good.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- Thank you very much.- My pleasure.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Now, in a moment, Matt will be at Sleaford Farmers' Market
0:48:47 > 0:48:52finding out what locals think about the attempts to win protection for the county's humble sausage.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54But first, the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:50:49 > 0:50:56.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11From the vast, flat fields of the fenlands
0:51:11 > 0:51:15to the rural tranquillity further north, we're in Lincolnshire,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18and we couldn't have come here at a better time,
0:51:18 > 0:51:19cos it's Lincolnshire Day.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22I'm getting into the swing of things.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26With the help of a sat-nav that's got a real local lilt.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32LINCOLNSHIRE ACCENT: 'After 300 yards, turn left.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38'At the end of the road, turn right. Then turn right.'
0:51:38 > 0:51:42I'm going to be meeting the man behind this voice a bit later on.
0:51:42 > 0:51:47- 'Cross the roundabout, third exit.' - I think we're nearly there.
0:51:47 > 0:51:48'You've landed, mate.'
0:51:48 > 0:51:49HE LAUGHS
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Thank you.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57And I've landed in the historic market town of Sleaford, on this rather special day.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02Hear ye!
0:52:03 > 0:52:10Welcome, one and all, on this day, Lincolnshire Day!
0:52:10 > 0:52:14Celebrating all things Lincolnshire.
0:52:14 > 0:52:19Recently, Lincolnshire was voted Britain's favourite food county.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24Wandering around Sleaford's Farmers' Market, it's easy to see why.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26- I think it's a wonderful county.- Yes.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30And if you are going to celebrate it, it's got to be with its food.
0:52:30 > 0:52:36We have a history in Lincolnshire of keeping ourselves to ourselves.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41- We don't blow our own trumpet. - You ring your own bell, though. - We ring our own bell!
0:52:41 > 0:52:45And we are proud of Lincolnshire.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49Lincolnshire Day actually marks a very short-lived rebellion
0:52:49 > 0:52:50against Henry VIII.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Well, it may not be the best excuse I've ever heard for a celebration,
0:52:54 > 0:53:00but while I'm here, let's get into the swing of things by meeting a real-life yellowbelly.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03I'm not being rude - that is apparently what they call the locals.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Remember that voice on the sat-nav?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Well, I'm about to meet the man himself.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Well, Farmer Wink, I have you to thank for getting me here safely and efficiently.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15Did you come on sat-nav, mate?
0:53:15 > 0:53:19- I did, even though I did think I was listening to the Scandinavian voice.- Did you?
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Your dialect and your accent and all of that,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25it was born within the land and the fens.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27STRONG LINCOLNSHIRE ACCENT: Oh, aye.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29I've never changed, mate.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I still talk the same because I've gone to work in the morning
0:53:32 > 0:53:37and I've got on my tractor and gone to work and never seen nobody all day, and I've gone home at night.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41That's why I've never changed. I've never seen nobody to talk to.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45I've lived here all my life. This is the first time I've ever been in Sleaford.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48This is long-distance for me, 20 mile away from home!
0:53:48 > 0:53:51- What do you think of it? - It's all right, innit?
0:53:51 > 0:53:52Will you be back?
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Oh, I don't know about that.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58'And Wink teaches me a few choice phrases.'
0:53:58 > 0:54:01Don't go off the course when you're walking down here.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04You'll get in all that scrad and blather.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08Erm, don't veer from the preferred route,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12because you're going to get covered in mud and water.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- Scrad and blather.- Farmer Wink, it's been super. It really has.
0:54:15 > 0:54:20- All the very best.- All right. Seeing you ain't found no proper Lincolnshire stuff charn, are you?
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Say again?
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Well, from one local speciality to another,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28and I've just spotted Jane Tomlinson,
0:54:28 > 0:54:33who Ellie visited earlier to find out about the true Lincolnshire sausage.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37- Jane, it smells absolutely gorgeous over here.- Thank you.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41- So these are the sausages that Ellie was packing - Yes, our Lincolnshire sausages.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45I thought it'd be nice if you wanted to give people some samples
0:54:45 > 0:54:49- of a proper Lincolnshire sausage and see what they think. - I'm just going to try that end bit.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54- Just make sure they're not too hot. - Oh, man.- You enjoying that?- Yeah.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58Right, let's get these little sausage samples out to the masses.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03- I'm sure I'll be back very quickly. For more!- OK.- All right.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Would you like some sausage?
0:55:06 > 0:55:09'With these plans to protect the status of the Lincolnshire sausage,
0:55:09 > 0:55:14'just like the Cornish pasty, what do the locals make of a true Lincolnshire banger?'
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Is that the best sausage that you've ever eaten?
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Would you like some of this? - I would.- You would?!
0:55:19 > 0:55:22- I like my Lincolnshire sausages. - Oh, right.- Thank you.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- I'm not all that keen.- Why do you say that?- They're a bit spicy.- OK, try that.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30- It's jolly nice. - Oh, lovely! We've got a convert.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31You have, actually, yes.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34As a retired pork butcher, what do you think of the news
0:55:34 > 0:55:37that they're aiming for protected status?
0:55:37 > 0:55:39It's a good idea. Should have happened a long time ago.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44'I can see why the sausages are so popular, but now I've got a product of my own to show off.'
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- Everybody, how are we doing? All right?- OK.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51This is our brand-new Countryfile calendar for 2012.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54I'm going to flick through the pictures. Tell me which ones you like.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58- I like that. - That was my personal favourite.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- And December.- ALL: Ah!
0:56:01 > 0:56:06Ohh! On that note, you obviously like what you see, and if you like it too,
0:56:06 > 0:56:10here's John with all the details of how you can get your hands on one.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17The calendar costs £9, and a minimum of £4 from each sale
0:56:17 > 0:56:18will go to Children In Need.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22You can order it right now on our website.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Or you can call the order line.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38You could also order by post. Send your name, address and cheque to...
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58Right, well, I've made my way round to the beer tent,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01and what a great place to finish, because that is all we've got time for.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Next week, we'll be in rural Sussex,
0:57:04 > 0:57:09discovering why one of its villages has two very different claims to fame. Hope you can join us then.
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Right, what do you recommend?
0:57:27 > 0:57:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:31 > 0:57:35E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk