0:00:27 > 0:00:30The Isle of Purbeck, where steep cliffs fall to the sea,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33and where the rich and varied landscapes
0:00:33 > 0:00:36present endless opportunities for adventure.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41The charming, typically English countryside of Dorset,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44fuelled the imagination of children's author, Enid Blyton.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And I'm going to be celebrating the 70th anniversary
0:00:47 > 0:00:50of the first Famous Five book with...my brand-new friends
0:00:50 > 0:00:53ALL: And lashings of ginger beer.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Come on, you lot, let's get exploring.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57The Isle is really a peninsula,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01and when it comes to wildlife, it boasts some hidden wonders.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04This is one of the very few places in the UK
0:01:04 > 0:01:06you can see all six British reptiles.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I'm going to be trawling the area, trying to track them all down,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14including the notoriously elusive smooth snake.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18And wherever you live, Tom's got a question for you.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Put your hand up if you want nuclear waste buried beneath you.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24That's what councils around Britain are being asked to do,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27but is that a good idea? I'll be investigating.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'While Adam's pigs are making the most of the sun.'
0:01:32 > 0:01:35This is Dolly, my Gloucestershire Old Spot sow
0:01:35 > 0:01:38that I bought a few weeks ago with her eight piglets
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and they're all settling in really nicely.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But they can get a bit sunburnt sometimes.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Oh, there's a good old girl.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48So I'm armed with a bucket and a bit of suntan lotion.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49That should solve the problem.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02'The stunning Isle of Purbeck in Dorset,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'where rolling hills and heathland meet the sea.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'It's called an isle, but it's not an island.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09'It's a peninsula,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14'a small piece of classic English countryside on our southern coast.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'It was to this area that children's author, Enid Blyton,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'first came on holiday in the early 1930s.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'She fell in love with the place, and it became the inspiration
0:02:23 > 0:02:27'for a series of books, featuring those plucky young adventurers.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:31'Dick,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33'George,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'Anne, Timothy the dog
0:02:36 > 0:02:37'and Julian.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:41The Famous Five.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43WHISTLE BLOWS
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'No mystery was too large for these kids to solve
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'and 70 years after the first Famous Five novel was published,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'I've come to Dorset to do a spot of detective work of my own.'
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I'll be catching up with that lot for a little bit more
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Famous Five-style fun later on
0:03:00 > 0:03:04but first, I'm off to find out what an impact Dorset had on Enid Blyton
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and the legacy that she left behind.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The story goes that Blyton first came here in 1931,
0:03:10 > 0:03:15when she visited the pretty, picture book village of Corfe Castle.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16A decade later, she returned
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and the following year, her first Famous Five novel was published.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25In Five On A Treasure Island, there's a castle, Kirrin Castle,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and Enid describes it like this...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31"On a low hill, rose the ruined castle.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34"It had been built of big white stones.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38"Broken archways, tumbledown towers, ruined walls,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41"that was all there was left of a once beautiful castle,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43"proud and strong.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45"Now, the jackdaws nested in it,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49"and the gulls sat on the topmost stones."
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Seem familiar?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But it's not just the old ruins of Corfe Castle.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Other places in Purbeck pop up in Blyton's work.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And who better to tell me more than perhaps her number one fan,
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Viv Endecott?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06She runs a shop dedicated to the author.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09She's a walking, talking Enid encyclopaedia.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14And it's your theory then that this track here was used,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18or was the inspiration of Five Go To Mystery Moor?
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Anyone who was going down to Swanage on the mainline steam train
0:04:22 > 0:04:25would have been able to see this track.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It was largely disused. The rails were still down.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33Yes, it was there to be used for someone
0:04:33 > 0:04:35who was looking for a good story.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39You can see why, can't you,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42why this place was such an inspiration for Enid Blyton?
0:04:42 > 0:04:44You couldn't half have an adventure in here.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48She liked adventures that happened over several days in big landscapes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And what's so special about this corner of Purbeck
0:04:51 > 0:04:54is that we've got so many different types of habitat.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56It's all to do with the underlying geology.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59But for someone who's just looking at landscapes,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02it gives you the great variety of the water, the sea, the marshes,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07the chalk down and the heathland. It's fantastic.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Blyton's work was shaped by landscape
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and she also played a part in shaping the landscape she loved.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Back in the 1950s,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19she and husband Kenneth bought the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23They expanded the course and looked after it for more than 13 years.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Enid loved to swing the clubs.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29In fact, she was even spotted up here writing,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33but this place was an inspiration for her Famous Five books,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35because as she played golf or wrote,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39she would look out onto Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island -
0:05:39 > 0:05:42her island in Five Have A Mystery To Solve.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It's thought that Lucas, the groundsman in that book,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51was based on Enid's caddie, Johnny James.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Now unfortunately, I don't have a Johnny James today.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I have to carry my own bag.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57But I do have a guide, David Hodge from the National Trust.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59David, good to see you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01You can see why Enid fell in love with the place.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Oh, it's absolutely fantastic.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So these days, it's owned by the National Trust?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07That's right. It came to the National Trust in 1981.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09We've got the National Nature Reserve
0:06:09 > 0:06:11at Godlingston Heath immediately next door
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and almost all of the golf course is actually SSSI.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16There are scheduled ancient monuments here too.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It must be a real challenge to have this recreation
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- sitting alongside all that conservation?- Well, yes.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25But actually, that's what the Trust do at our best,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30is managing conservation, conservation needs,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33but also providing access for people to enjoy the wildlife we look after.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Right. Let's try and find my ball.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Did it go in the rough?
0:06:39 > 0:06:40No, it was in the middle.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Ooh...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- FAINT APPLAUSE - Thanks, chaps.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Nice little ripple of applause at the bottom.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52What's happening here, David?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Oh, these guys, they're spot weeding on the green.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Can I introduce you to Chris? He's the course manager here.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- Chris, how are you doing? - Very nice to meet you.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03You've got your work cut out, haven't you, managing this?
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Yes, it's quite a challenge, but really enjoyable.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11It's quite a big course, and with all the restrictions of the SSSI...
0:07:11 > 0:07:13So, you don't use fertiliser or anything like that?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16No, none of the fairways are irrigated or fertilised.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19We simply manage the greens and the tee tops,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22they're the things that we intensively manage
0:07:22 > 0:07:25but even then, we only use very minimal fertiliser input
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and very little pesticides, as little as we can get away with,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31which is why we hand weed the greens.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Well, I'll let you continue. What's the camber like on here?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's quite an even green, to be perfectly honest.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Slightly right to left.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Is it fast or slow? - Reasonably quick, yes.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44- I think you'll be surprised. - All right, then. Here we go.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45OK, good luck.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Oh, it was far too fast and it's gone an absolute mile away.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54That's down in Poole Harbour.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Some of the most beautiful parts of our countryside
0:08:01 > 0:08:03are being eyed up at the moment
0:08:03 > 0:08:05as potential burial sites for nuclear waste,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07but what does this mean for the landscape above?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Tom has been finding out.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17The western edge of the Lake District. A remote place,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20less travelled, but beautiful just the same.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25This landscape has been an inspiration for poets
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and artists for centuries.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32But, part of it could become the biggest building site in Europe.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35The reason? Nuclear waste.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Down the last 60 years,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41we've piled up enough of the stuff to fill the Albert Hall to the rafters.
0:08:41 > 0:08:47# And did those feet in ancient time
0:08:47 > 0:08:52# Walk upon England's mountains green? #
0:08:52 > 0:08:55At the moment, most of our high level nuclear waste
0:08:55 > 0:08:59is kept in facilities like this one here at Sellafield in Cumbria.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Some of it is stored near the surface in vertical storage tubes,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06marked out by these yellow discs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10But in total, there's nearly 300,000 cubic metres
0:09:10 > 0:09:12of high and medium level waste in the UK.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17No-one's worked out a permanent solution for dealing with it,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19but that could be about to change.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23The Government wants us to think again about burying it
0:09:23 > 0:09:27in "underground geological disposal facilities".
0:09:27 > 0:09:30That's a big hole in the ground, to you and me.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35West Cumbria, home to the Sellafield plant seen here,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37is one of the places being looked at.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The idea is to take our nuclear waste
0:09:40 > 0:09:45and dump it thousands of metres down, in a specially dug storage facility.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49It will then be filled in and sealed for all time
0:09:49 > 0:09:50and it will be a huge job.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Can you give me any idea of the potential scale of it,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57both underground and above ground?
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Underground, it could be anywhere between six square kilometres
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and 20 square kilometres, so it's a major facility underground
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and on the surface, round about one kilometre squared.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It will certainly be a long-term project,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13over 100 years, from start to finish.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19The idea of having a huge nuclear waste dump in your back yard
0:10:19 > 0:10:21has always been a tough one to sell.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Four years ago, the government hit on the idea
0:10:24 > 0:10:26of asking councils to volunteer.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Cumbria County Council has done just that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Why has this area, Cumbria, chosen to put its hand up and say, "Yes,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34"We want to be considered for nuclear waste"?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37The main reason is that we already host 70%
0:10:37 > 0:10:39of the nation's higher level nuclear waste
0:10:39 > 0:10:42just down the road at Sellafield.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45So whatever happens to it, involves Cumbria and Cumbrians.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Now, what could it mean for this area if it goes ahead?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52What's in it for you in terms of maybe jobs or economics?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Well, there are potentially jobs, yes.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's a very large project, if it happens.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Some say it's about the size of the Channel Tunnel,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04so we're talking about thousands of jobs and considerable benefits.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Aside from the jobs and the investment of the actual project,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10are you hoping for a little bit extra from the Government?
0:11:10 > 0:11:13If it does go ahead, we'd be hoping for a lot extra.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Certainly investments in things like health, education,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18transport, infrastructure,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20that sort of thing would be vital.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Sounds like you're looking for a bung, alongside the actual jobs.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27You want a bit of brown paper that's going to help the services here.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Those are your words, not mine, but I think, yes, certainly,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I would expect the area to benefit significantly, if we go ahead.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38That's a big if - but locally, public opinion
0:11:38 > 0:11:40seems to be warming to the idea.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44A recent telephone poll of people living in Copeland Borough,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47where Sellafield is, showed a majority in favour.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Though not everyone who lives in Cumbria is convinced.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54In this area, Copeland, 68%, more than two thirds,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57were in favour of further investigation of underground storage.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59That is a clear majority.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00It is for Copeland,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04but you can't forget there is the other local authority, Allerdale,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and Cumbria County Council,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and if they were to site an underground dump here,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13it is not just this community here that suffers the detriments,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16plus any benefits that may be,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18it's the county as a whole.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20But doesn't the waste have to go somewhere?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22We've already got it and we're generating more.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It does indeed, and most of it is here at Sellafield.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Everybody knows that, it's well-documented.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30But in our view and many other people's view,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32underground dumping is simply the wrong option.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35It is a matter of putting it out of sight, out of mind.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42The bulk of our nuclear waste nationally comes from power plants
0:12:42 > 0:12:45where nuclear fuel is used to produce electricity.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And it's not just working nuclear power stations which are a problem.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56We've still got to deal with the waste from places like this,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59which are decommissioned and now being dismantled.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Chapelcross, the first nuclear power plant to be built in Scotland.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12Electricity was first generated here back in 1959, and ceased in 2004.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14You're no longer generating electricity here,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but there are still fuel disposal issues
0:13:16 > 0:13:19which you're handling in this building. How does it work?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Yes, this is a dummy of the nuclear fuel
0:13:21 > 0:13:25that we're currently removing from the four reactor cores here.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29There were 38,075 when the cauldron was shut down,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and we're gradually filling these flasks
0:13:32 > 0:13:35with about 150 of these
0:13:35 > 0:13:36and shipping them down to Sellafield.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39So, in a reactor, these are in effect the heating element,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43the hot rod that's generating the heat that's required
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- to generate electricity... - Yes, that's right.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48A live one of these would contain a uranium bar,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50which is the heat generator in the nuclear core.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54The spent fuel rods get bundled up
0:13:54 > 0:13:58in these specially designed containment flasks.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Checks are done on the water inside to make sure no radiation
0:14:01 > 0:14:04is seeping out, then they're loaded onto secure trucks
0:14:04 > 0:14:07for the two-hour trip to Sellafield.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Although as you say, its first stop is Sellafield,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13some of what's in there, if they go ahead with geological disposal,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15is the sort of thing that will end up underground.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18That's right. Essentially, what they do at Sellafield
0:14:18 > 0:14:23is to recycle the reusable uranium from that fuel bar I showed you,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26but there's also some waste and that small amount of waste
0:14:26 > 0:14:31is potentially what's going to end up in the disposal facility.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Burying nuclear waste deep underground is a big leap.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Nobody really knows what the geology is like that far down.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So, are we be right to be pressing ahead?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Is it safe to bury nuclear waste in Cumbria?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I'll be finding out later.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55We're on the Isle of Purbeck,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58a beautiful, windswept peninsula on the Dorset coast.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02There are few places in Britain where all six of our native reptiles
0:15:02 > 0:15:07can be found in one place and one of them is here at Arne.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Sand lizards, common lizards, legless lizards or slow-worms,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15grass snakes, smooth snakes and adders live on these heathlands.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19My challenge today is to try and find all six of them.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- 'My guide is RSPB warden Rob Farrington.' Morning, Rob.- Morning.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- All right?- How are you? - Good, thanks.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31'Birds may be the big thing here, but Rob's got an eye for reptiles.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34'He's also got a licence because these animals are protected
0:15:34 > 0:15:38'and you need special permission to disturb some of them.'
0:15:38 > 0:15:42What is it about this habitat that gives us
0:15:42 > 0:15:44a good chance of finding all six?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Arne's brilliant because we've got a huge mix of habitats.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50We're on lowland heathland here now,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54which is really good for smooth snakes, sand lizards,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57but then we've also got farmland, scrubland, woodland.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01On the edges, it's where you'll find things like adders and grass snakes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03So we've got a huge mix of habitat
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and that's where you get the most biodiversity.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09'First up, we're checking metal sheets used as reptile shelters.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13'We're looking for the rarest of the bunch, the smooth snake.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18'It's proving to be elusive, but in the end, Rob does find something.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- What have you got? - I've got a female slow-worm.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Slow-worm. Legless lizard.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Indeed. Whoever named the slow-worm needs a bit of a kicking.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31They're quite fast and they're not a worm, they're a lizard.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Eyelids as well, that's the other lizard feature.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38If we played a game of staring into the eyes, see who'd blink first,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42she would probably beat us, but she has eyelids, yes, like all lizards.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46She can blink. Snakes don't have eyelids. They're always open.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'We may not have found a smooth snake,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'but I can tick off one of the six.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56'Next, Rob's on the lookout for sand lizards.'
0:16:56 > 0:16:58So, just down here in the grass,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01you can just see the wonderfully camouflaged...
0:17:01 > 0:17:06- What incredible camouflage! - That's a female sand lizard.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09The males this time of year are much brighter.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- The males can get quite green. - Electric green.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16They've stolen David Bowie's make-up case!
0:17:16 > 0:17:19That's just for them to compete with each other
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and show off to the girls.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- This one's likely to have eggs in her at the moment.- Quite possibly.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28We don't like to handle the females around this time of year,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30in case we disturb them.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35'Two down, four to go. Next, Rob's taking me to the RSPB's farm.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39'Believe it or not, it's another snake and lizard hotspot.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'Local reptile expert Nick Moulton's here,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45'carrying out conservation work.'
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Tell me a bit about your work, including what you're doing there.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51We're trying to get some more monitoring sheets down.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Very good at bringing the reptiles in.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58They can hide underneath, it's a non-threatening situation.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00They pick up the heat from it.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03You've chosen a really different subject matter in reptiles.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06They're so elusive. You haven't made it easy on yourself.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Sometimes you can tear your hair out trying to work with them.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14It takes a long time to build up some kind of quality information.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18We've got a lot of basic data, but we need to improve.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Reptiles are notoriously tricky to work with.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24You can't take anything for granted.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27It's a tricky business searching for reptiles,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30but it looks like Rob's come up trumps again.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34He's found a grass snake and it's not too pleased about being handled.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39- Can I smell that already?- You can. - That really stinks.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41It's a kind of fish smell.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45- Grass snakes have got three main defence mechanisms.- That's one.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Number one is that smell. They can flick and squirt that as well.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53They'll also hiss and flatten themselves out to make them
0:18:53 > 0:18:56look like they're venomous.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58This guy is doing this.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02The last one, this guy hasn't done it, they pretend to be dead.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- Tongue outside the mouth... - Excellent.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08They can stay that way for ten minutes, more.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15Wow! He's slightly rougher on the old skin there.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Well, I'm on a reptile hunt and I'm not doing too badly.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Adam is on the Purbeck coast looking out for marine wildlife.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Kimmeridge Bay in Purbeck. As secluded a spot as you can find.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37It's all very peaceful, but this area is simply teeming with life.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40You just need to know where to look. To find out more,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44I've come to join a volunteer group for something called a welly survey.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48I've no idea what a welly survey is, but I've come prepared.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Julie Hatcher from the Dorset Wildlife Trust is going to tell me
0:19:54 > 0:19:57what the Welly Zone project is all about.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02The Welly Zone project is a project to get local people out
0:20:02 > 0:20:06onto their beach, getting in touch with the wildlife that lives there
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- and starting to record it. - Why's that important?
0:20:09 > 0:20:14We're recording wildlife on beaches that hasn't been recorded before.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17We're finding there are things that can tell us
0:20:17 > 0:20:20about climate change, invasive species, some quite rare
0:20:20 > 0:20:23and unusual things that are only found on beaches.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Then we can start to try
0:20:25 > 0:20:31and get protection for these areas where these creatures live.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35'So there's a serious reason for the project, but there's no denying
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'it's also a lot of fun and takes me back to rock pooling as a kid.'
0:20:40 > 0:20:45- This is a ferocious looking fellow. - This is a spiny spider crab.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50- Amazing.- You can see all the camouflage seaweed on its back.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- It's very difficult to see. - He's certainly very spiny.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56You can see where they get their name.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Let's pop him back.- Yeah. Good idea.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02They like people to put them back where they found them.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'You don't have to be a marine biologist to take part.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'Volunteers are all given a handy guide.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- Hi. Any joy? - I'm quite a beginner at this.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15These guides are pretty useful to me.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21Down here, I've already spotted the peacock's tail seaweed.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26We've also got the Japanese seaweed, this one just here.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- The pretty one. That's quite an invasive species.- That's great.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34I'm completely landlocked where I live, so it's all new to me too.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Lovely.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40That's enough yomping about in wellies.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I'm off to the other side of the bay for a kayak safari.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48These aren't any ordinary kayaks. They're glass bottomed.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50As you're floating through the water,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53you can see what's going on beneath.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56If you want a detailed view, these are goggle viewers.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00You put your head in and you can see what's going on.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04The kayak safaris are available to anyone who fancies
0:22:04 > 0:22:08this unique way of glimpsing beneath the surface.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Today, I'm getting a tour of the highlights from guide Mark Smith.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18The snakelocks anemones, they almost look like plants,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21but they've got thousands of stinging tentacles.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24If a small fish goes into those tentacles,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28it fires loads of harpoons into the animal and injects venom,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32which then paralyses the fish and then it can eat it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Goodness me! Sounds ferocious!
0:22:35 > 0:22:39There's dozens of types of urchins and seaweeds
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and goodness knows what down there.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Yes. There hundreds of different species of seaweeds recorded here
0:22:46 > 0:22:48in Kimmeridge Bay.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51This is a rocky reef under the water here.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56They provide lots of nooks and crannies for animals to hide in
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and they provide a hard surface in which seaweeds
0:22:58 > 0:23:01can anchor themselves to.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05The seaweed itself provides a bounty of food for different animals.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Kimmeridge is a real hotspot for marine wildlife.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17All this and I'm not even getting wet! It's great!
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I've had a rare glimpse into this fascinating world.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24You could stay out there all day and still not see everything,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27but I'm heading back to dry land.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I've never been on a safari like that before. Great fun!
0:23:30 > 0:23:34I've been told there's one more very rare species I've got to find
0:23:34 > 0:23:38while I'm in Kimmeridge Bay. It's the elusive lagoon snail.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44At just 2mm fully grown, the lagoon snail takes some finding.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Coastal photographer Steve Trewhella
0:23:46 > 0:23:48is one of the few people ever to have seen them.
0:23:48 > 0:23:55- Hi, Steve.- Hi, Adam.- Have you found some?- I have. They're tiny.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00You can just about see them with your naked eye. There's one there.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03They're fully grown. They don't get any bigger than that.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07They're miniscule! Are they found anywhere else in the country?
0:24:07 > 0:24:12There are a few locations on the south and south west coast.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16But they're not widespread, by any stretch of the imagination.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- Can I take a closer look?- You can. Would you like to borrow these?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Let's try these babies!
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Tiny golden snails.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I never thought I'd get so excited about such a small animal!
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Are we getting this on telly? This is special!
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Never been filmed before, as far as I know.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41People don't like creepy crawlies and flies, but without flies,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44we have no swallows coming over from Africa. It's the biodiversity.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Everything has a role to play in nature. Even 2mm long snails.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52They're part of this habitat, which makes it unique.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55It's a long way removed from the cows and sheep on my farm.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00It is. It's a microscopic world and this is their world.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04They're not aware of any of this. They live under this boulder.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Every little crack, every little thing, that's their universe.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Look at that. A tiny lagoon snail.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Like a pin prick on the end of my finger.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But still an important part of this valuable ecosystem.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26It's been a real joy discovering what lies beneath the waves here.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28I've only been here a day,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32but I've gained a real sense of what a rich marine habitat this is.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The beautiful Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Earlier, I took a tour of some of the places here that inspired
0:25:45 > 0:25:47children's author Enid Blyton.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I'm deep in real Famous Five country and when those children weren't off
0:25:51 > 0:25:55solving mysteries, more often than not, they were eating picnics.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So when in Dorset...
0:26:02 > 0:26:07Hello. How are you? I'm trying to create a Famous Five picnic.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- Have you got anything local to the area?- Absolutely!- Oh, good!
0:26:11 > 0:26:16- A picnic basket!- I'll start you off with that.- What would you recommend?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- Obviously, you've got to have some boiled eggs.- Chuck the eggs in.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25And then we've got a couple of varieties of local pork pies.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I'll take two of them, I think.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32We can halve them. Biscuits? What do you recommend?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- I would have thought ginger. - Oh, yes. Good one!
0:26:35 > 0:26:40Will we over-ginger things if we have rhubarb and ginger chutney?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- I don't know. Can you over-ginger? - I don't know.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48- Maybe not with the Famous Five! Have you got any ginger beer?- Oh!
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- Of course!- You have. Oh, yes! Brilliant!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- How many do I need? Lashings! - Lashings!
0:26:55 > 0:26:59How many is lashings? One, two... I'll take five.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Brilliant. That's me sorted.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Later, I'll be continuing my journey through the Purbeck landscape
0:27:06 > 0:27:10and finding out why Enid Blyton loved this place so much,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and I'll be meeting up with three friends and a dog
0:27:13 > 0:27:16to devour this lot. I just hope they like ginger.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And here's what else is still to come on the programme.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Adam's back on his farm, keeping his piglets out of the sun.
0:27:25 > 0:27:31I do sometimes squirt a bit of sun tan lotion... Urgh! ..on their ears.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34And will there be sun in the week ahead?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36We'll have the Countryfile forecast.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Now, as we've been hearing, the Government wants us
0:27:47 > 0:27:50to consider putting our nuclear waste under some of the most
0:27:50 > 0:27:53picturesque parts of the countryside.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57But is that safe? Tom's been investigating.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Nuclear power has been part of our lives for nearly 60 years.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It provides almost a fifth of the electricity we use at home
0:28:09 > 0:28:15and at work, but that creates waste and it's really starting to pile up.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17So what do we do with it?
0:28:17 > 0:28:21The Government would like us to stick it deep underground,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25buried thousands of metres deep and sealed for all time.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29And here, Western Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31is one of the prime candidates.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35But would it be safe?
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Scientists here at Manchester University are doing experiments
0:28:39 > 0:28:41to find out.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47This is a tube of actual uranium dissolved in water.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50The kind of thing you might find underground if the protection
0:28:50 > 0:28:55around the waste failed and the groundwater got to it.
0:28:55 > 0:29:01You can tell it's radioactive by the reaction of the Geiger counter.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04We take a sample of it and then, it goes into this,
0:29:04 > 0:29:09which is a mixture of rock particles and water.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14This is just the kind of test that will be performed on Cumbrian rocks
0:29:14 > 0:29:16if the project gets the go-ahead.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20I'm going to take this to a man who can tell me whether it suggests this
0:29:20 > 0:29:22kind of rock is the kind of thing
0:29:22 > 0:29:24that will help keep radiation locked in.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29You've got a range of different types of minerals in here.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Some of those are known to be good at taking uranium out of water
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- and holding it up. - So what you want to see
0:29:36 > 0:29:41is these are the kind of minerals that the uranium could bond to
0:29:41 > 0:29:45and could be held there, rather than flowing out through the rocks.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Yes. You want to understand that the uranium will stick to these minerals
0:29:49 > 0:29:55and ideally will also stay stuck so it doesn't come off again.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59And so this looks like at least a promising sample.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I'd be quite interested in it, certainly.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04These tests are vital
0:30:04 > 0:30:07because if you've buried all that nuclear waste and then
0:30:07 > 0:30:11the man-made containment fails, your last hope is the rock around it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15So is the geology of West Cumbria up to the job?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Originally, this was rivers
0:30:18 > 0:30:22flowing through a desert about 240 million years ago.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Professor Stuart Hazeldine from Edinburgh University has his doubts.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31You can see these cracks go all the way up through the cliff.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33You can see there's lots of vertical cracks.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37Those are shortcuts for water going vertically.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41How critical or worrying could cracks like this be
0:30:41 > 0:30:44if they choose to bury nuclear waste over there?
0:30:44 > 0:30:50We're in a fault zone here. These cracks don't just stop here,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54they go down two or three kilometres, as far as a waste dump would be.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58The water which goes past the dump site can come up,
0:30:58 > 0:31:03carrying the radioactivity and get into the drinking water.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08Nuclear waste isn't just toxic, it stays hot for thousands of years.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Some scientists believe that will only make things worse.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Radioactive water will come up to the surface within a few hundred years
0:31:16 > 0:31:19and that'll crack the rock, before that,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23lift the ground surface up around here by about a metre
0:31:23 > 0:31:27and radioactive gas will come out, right up to the surface.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31The confusing thing is that we already know this
0:31:31 > 0:31:35because burying nuclear waste in Cumbria has been looked at before.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40In the mid '90s, they mounted a big geological survey of this area
0:31:40 > 0:31:45and this was one of the fields where they sank a borehole
0:31:45 > 0:31:49to investigate what's going on beneath. And what did they discover?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53That this area was not suitable for the burial of nuclear waste.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58Over £400 million was spent drilling holes and doing tests.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03If they didn't find the right kind of geology then, what has changed?
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Does Cumbria, as far as we know, have the best geology
0:32:07 > 0:32:10in Britain for the burial of nuclear waste?
0:32:10 > 0:32:13We've not done that assessment in that way.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17A lot of people say that they can see it has the right politics,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21because people know about nuclear and they're not opposed to it,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23but it doesn't have the right geology.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Surely this is a question that should be based on geology.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31It's a question that is dependent upon two key parameters.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33One is that you have a willing community.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38The second one, that you have a geology that you can work
0:32:38 > 0:32:43with your engineered systems to make a safe disposal system.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47So it won't be a case of the politics dominating the geology
0:32:47 > 0:32:50and saying, "If people accept it, we'll put there."
0:32:50 > 0:32:51Absolutely not.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56A Cumbrian nuclear dump is by no means a done deal.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01Romney Marsh in Kent is being considered as a potential site too.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06But in all cases, the people living there have to get behind it.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Over the next few decades, the debate is likely to rage over impact
0:33:09 > 0:33:14on the landscape versus jobs and economic growth.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19But in the long term, and surely that's what matters,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23the question will be should it go where it's popular
0:33:23 > 0:33:24or where it's safe?
0:33:30 > 0:33:34The Isle of Purbeck has a real mix of landscapes.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Katie's been exploring its Jurassic coast.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43These fossil rich cliffs are a World Heritage Site,
0:33:43 > 0:33:49showcasing 185 million years of geological history.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53But it's not just geologists who bow down to these Dorset cliffs.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Artists too have been seeking inspiration here for centuries.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Old Harry Rocks, these magnificent chalk sea stacks
0:34:02 > 0:34:05mark the Dorset end of the Jurassic coastline.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10One man who's been inspired to paint them is local artist Ben Spurling.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14- Hi, Ben.- Hello. - Can I have this chair?- Go for it.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- What a fantastic spot.- It's lovely.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19So what are you doing?
0:34:19 > 0:34:22I'm painting in oils, trying to capture the light
0:34:22 > 0:34:26- and painting towards Old Harry. - Why is it called Old Harry?
0:34:26 > 0:34:29A lot of people say it's a pirate from Poole who came over here,
0:34:29 > 0:34:34or a smuggler, but I'm sure myself.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Does it always come out the same way?
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Surely there's only so many ways you can paint a scene.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44- It's different every time.- Really? - Yeah. I don't really get bored.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48The light changes. You get an east wind which comes in.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- Have you got some you can show me? - Yeah.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57So this one was a September light, with the highlights on the cliff.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00This is towards midday when you get different light on the cliff.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Beautiful.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04I particularly like the mornings and the evenings
0:35:04 > 0:35:05cos the light's a bit lower
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and you get different colours in the cliffs.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10So that's exactly the same scene that you're painting today.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12- Very different. - Very different, yeah.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17You sort of look at the cliffs and think it's amazing,
0:35:17 > 0:35:18these have been here for years.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Even though they're steep and strong they change quite a lot,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24so Old Harry might be gone some day.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26- Awful thought. - I better keep painting it.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Absolutely, yes.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33'Whilst Ben likes to take his time capturing the essence of the cliffs,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'there are other ways you can enjoy them too.'
0:35:36 > 0:35:38And they're slightly less sedate.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40It should come as no surprise
0:35:40 > 0:35:44that Purbeck is a popular place with rock climbers.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45I think I'll take the steps.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50'It's not just traditional rock climbing that's in vogue here.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54'I've come a few miles down the coast to a little known spot
0:35:54 > 0:35:56'called Conner Cove to find out about
0:35:56 > 0:35:58'something called deep water soloing.'
0:36:00 > 0:36:04I'm here to meet one of Britain's top climbers, Neil Gresham.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Neil travels the globe looking for some of the world's toughest climbs,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09but today he's somewhere down there.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12And luckily it's him that's coming up to see me
0:36:12 > 0:36:15rather than the other way round.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Although I'm not climbing, I'll be going close to the edge,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22so I'm leaving nothing to chance.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24But in case you hadn't noticed already,
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Neil down there isn't attached to anything.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32And that's the primary attraction of deep water soloing.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44- Well, nice to meet you, Neil. - Nice to meet you too.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47So what is deep water soloing?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50In a way it's the simplest form of climbing.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52You don't need ropes or safety equipment.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55You're just climbing using your hands and feet on the rock
0:36:55 > 0:36:59and if you fall off, you obviously get wet, so the main thing is
0:36:59 > 0:37:01you need to make sure the water's deep enough.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- So the water is effectively your kind of safety mat?- Exactly. Yeah.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08You said you're climbing without ropes,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10that sounds just so dangerous.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Well, it would be really dangerous for a non-climber
0:37:12 > 0:37:15to rock up at a place like this and try and do it.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17There's a lot of considerations.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20You don't want to get stranded at the bottom of one of these cliffs.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22It can be really difficult to get out.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24So it's important to be with experienced people
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and to work up gradually.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29So where did deep water soloing start?
0:37:29 > 0:37:31It actually started right here at Conner Cove
0:37:31 > 0:37:33in Dorset in the late '80s.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36A chap called Crispin Waddy was trying to do one of these climbs,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38but the ropes were really getting in the way,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41they were going in the sea and weighing him down.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44He just had this brainwave and thought, "Why don't I just get rid
0:37:44 > 0:37:46"of all this gear, the water's deep enough and if I fall off,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48"I'll just get wet and swim out."
0:37:48 > 0:37:52All the climbing community thought he was absolutely crazy,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54but sure enough he attempted this climb, fell off it a couple
0:37:54 > 0:37:57of times, got out of the water, was perfectly safe.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59That was the start of deep water soloing
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and loads of people copied after that.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04It might make some people think of tombstoning,
0:38:04 > 0:38:05is it the same in any way?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Deep water soloing is 100% about the climbing.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13If you fall in, it's just because you made a mistake,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15but you're not setting out to deliberately
0:38:15 > 0:38:18fall in the water like you would if you were tombstoning.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21So are there any rock types that are better to climb?
0:38:21 > 0:38:25The limestone we have here in Dorset is fantastic for climbing,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28it's really solid, you can get a good grip on it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30The nice thing about deep water soloing is you don't
0:38:30 > 0:38:32have to drill it or bang bits of metal in it,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34you don't spoil it, so it's actually
0:38:34 > 0:38:37a really eco-friendly way of climbing, which is a bonus.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Dorset will always be special,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42it is the spiritual home of deep water soloing.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Deep water soloing must surely be one of the most extreme sights
0:38:46 > 0:38:49these cliffs have ever seen.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52I'm content just enjoying the view though.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54I'll leave the adrenaline rush to other people.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Adam enjoys the occasional day away from the farm,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07like his trip to Purbeck earlier,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10but summer's a busy time in the farming calendar.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12The crops are flourishing
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and so are the animals as they feed on the fresh pastures.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17With all that activity going on
0:39:17 > 0:39:20he can't afford to be away for too long.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Part of the joy of living on a farm is watching the seasons change.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37From month to month the jobs out in the field vary
0:39:37 > 0:39:39depending on the time of year.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44As we approach mid-summer there never seems to be enough hours in the day.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49It's a great time of year and everything on the farm
0:39:49 > 0:39:52is really benefitting from a bit of sunshine.
0:39:52 > 0:39:53I love getting out and about,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56I'm very privileged to have such a lovely outdoor office.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Even when you come into the woodland here, where it can be quite dark,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02there's a changing array of colour through the seasons.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08The bluebells that carpet the woodland
0:40:08 > 0:40:09took advantage of the spring light
0:40:09 > 0:40:13and they transformed over the course of a couple of weeks,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16producing a mass of blue flowers.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Just as they started to fade, the beech trees burst into leaf
0:40:20 > 0:40:21bringing the woodlands to life.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30When the trees turn green, I know summer's on its way.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35This is one of my favourite parts of the farm,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37it's really stunning with a natural valley running through it
0:40:37 > 0:40:42and a stream providing drinking water for the animals all year round.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Buttercups are in flower now and it's looking stunning.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47This old oak tree is one of my favourites.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49It's probably 150 to 200 years old
0:40:49 > 0:40:54and it's seen generations of farmers and will certainly outlive me.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56It's one I keep a careful eye on.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57It's laid dormant all winter
0:40:57 > 0:41:01and it finally came into leaf at the end of May.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19And these big mature trees in grazing fields like this
0:41:19 > 0:41:23work very well for the animals, they're like nature's umbrella.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25The sheep get underneath and huddle round
0:41:25 > 0:41:28to get into the shade, you can see them all under the tree there.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30My Highlands, that are very good in cold weather,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32don't really like the heat,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34they are taking full advantage of the shade.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38There's an old saying about the oak tree and the ash tree
0:41:38 > 0:41:40and when they come into leaf, and it goes,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43"Oak before ash, you're in for a splash.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46"Ash before oak, you're in for a soak."
0:41:46 > 0:41:47It may not be very scientific,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49but this year the oak came into leaf first
0:41:49 > 0:41:53so as far as I'm concerned we're in for a splash and a nice summer.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Sometimes nature needs a helping hand, especially
0:42:00 > 0:42:05when I've got over 2,000 animals that like to graze the pasture.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09After a long winter, fresh green grass was in short supply.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14So back in February we fertilized the fields to boost growth, and
0:42:14 > 0:42:18at the end of March, Eric the bull was already appreciating the results.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21By mid-April, lambing was in full swing
0:42:21 > 0:42:25and my ewes and their offspring were moved into the pastures too.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Now we've turned the corner into June,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35the growing conditions are perfect for my grazing animals.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38They really don't have to worry about those harsh winter conditions
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and the snow any more, there's plenty of grass under their feet.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Although the cold weather earlier on in the year has meant that
0:42:45 > 0:42:47the grass hasn't grown as well as I might have liked
0:42:47 > 0:42:50for cutting hay and silage, so we are a bit delayed on that.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53But it isn't just about the grazing animals on the farm here,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55the crops are very important too.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58And like all farmers I want the perfect conditions -
0:42:58 > 0:43:00nice bit of rain, but also lots of sunshine.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08I farm 1,000 acres of arable crops,
0:43:08 > 0:43:12and as the seasons change from winter to the growing seasons of spring
0:43:12 > 0:43:15and summer, I keep my fingers crossed for the right weather conditions.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18But it's something I can't control.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23This is my oilseed rape, it's grown really well.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26It's almost over my head, it's quite difficult to walk through.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29The growing conditions for it have been very good this year.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32We did get a bit of a drought back in March,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35but it didn't affect us here as much it did on some farms.
0:43:35 > 0:43:36We really got away with it.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39And then the rain came, which did the crops a lot of good,
0:43:39 > 0:43:43and now all we need is lots of sunshine.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Oilseed rape is a relatively new crop to the country,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48it's only been grown commercially for the last 30 years.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50It's part of the brassica family,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52you sometimes get that cabbagey smell -
0:43:52 > 0:43:55cabbage and rape are the same family.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58And it's certainly one of the fastest growing crops on the farm.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06At the beginning of March, the crop was barely a few inches tall,
0:44:06 > 0:44:10and on a daily basis you could almost see it growing.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13It benefitted from ideal conditions and by mid-April,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16the rape had grown to about three foot.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18A few weeks later, it was in full flower,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20transforming the whole landscape.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26The flowering is now pretty much finished.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30It's got a single stem with lots of branches coming off that stem,
0:44:30 > 0:44:32and on the stems are the seed pods -
0:44:32 > 0:44:36where there was a single flower a seed pod has formed.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39The seeds are now setting inside those pods.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42The plant will eventually die off and go brown
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and the seeds will turn from green to black and we'll harvest it in August.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50The seeds go to a neighbour of mine who crushes them to make oil,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53and the oil goes for cooking and for dressings.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Rapeseed oil is lovely stuff to eat.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Just across the wall there we have a bit of a wildlife strip with
0:44:58 > 0:45:00cow parsley and a broken down wall.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Then it goes into my winter wheat
0:45:02 > 0:45:05that's been grown for milling, for making bread.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09And winter wheat is a different crop altogether, it's much, much shorter.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14'As the spring weather conditions improved,
0:45:14 > 0:45:16'the winter wheat also started to grow,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18'but much slower than the oil seed rape.'
0:45:19 > 0:45:22And the wheat now has come up quite nicely.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24It's about up to my knee,
0:45:24 > 0:45:26but in comparison to the rape, it's very short.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29This stuff is about five foot tall. They're very different plants,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33but both looking good and hopefully we're in for a bumper harvest.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39The crops and the animals enjoy the sunshine.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41But sometimes it can be too hot.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44These are some of my rare breed pigs.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Over the fence here is a Tamworth sow with her litter.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51And unlike me, being a redheaded person who suffers from sunburn,
0:45:51 > 0:45:55the Tamworth's got very dark skin and reflective hair
0:45:55 > 0:45:57and do very well in hot conditions.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00In fact, they ended up in Australia
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust went over there to bring back
0:46:03 > 0:46:06some of the boar lines because they'd become so rare in this country.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10But the Gloucester Old Spots, on their bodies they're quite hairy,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14but on their ears they do get sunburnt on the back.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18So what we do is give them a bit of a wallow.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21There you are, missus.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23'Pigs lack functional sweat glands,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26'and wallowing is a natural behaviour to help them
0:46:26 > 0:46:29'regulate their temperature and cool down.'
0:46:29 > 0:46:32There you go. Oh.
0:46:35 > 0:46:42They like getting all this muddy water on themselves. Oh, Dolly.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44And then with the piglets,
0:46:44 > 0:46:50I do sometimes squirt a bit of suntan lotion - eugh! - on their ears,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52just on the pink bits.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55There you go.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57A little bit of that.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Do you want some, Dolly? Yuck!
0:47:06 > 0:47:11She's just such a lovely, quiet, friendly sow. Oh, she's happy now.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19'The job us farmers do plays a key part in all our lives
0:47:19 > 0:47:21'because we produce food for the plates.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24'Every year, the BBC gives an award to the farmer
0:47:24 > 0:47:28'who's made a standout contribution at its Food and Farming Awards.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31'Now, if you know a farmer that deserves recognition
0:47:31 > 0:47:34'for the way they do their job and for inspiring the rest of us,
0:47:34 > 0:47:36'you can nominate them as Farmer of the Year.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40'You can find the details on our website.'
0:47:40 > 0:47:43And as one of the judges, I look forward to seeing your suggestions.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I'm continuing my search for all six British reptiles
0:47:54 > 0:47:57here at Arne, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01Now, Rob, the reptile expert, has taken me to a house on the edge
0:48:01 > 0:48:04of the reserve, where we've got special permission to film
0:48:04 > 0:48:08and where it's known to be a bit of a reptile hotspot.
0:48:08 > 0:48:09Wait up, Rob.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12This overgrown garden's an ideal place for adders.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14But to give them a helping hand,
0:48:14 > 0:48:18RSPB warden Rob Farrington has also put down a few metal sheets.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Ah, my goodness. One, two, three, four, five. That's a grass snake.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27One, two, three, four and a grass snake.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29There we go.
0:48:31 > 0:48:32So it's pretty normal for the males
0:48:32 > 0:48:34and the females to be hanging out together?
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Yeah. They hibernate communally, adders.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39You can get loads and loads and loads of adders together.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42So we'll just back away now, just in case we stand on one.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Oh, we don't want to do that. That was ace.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- Was there six adders and a grass snake?- And a grass snake, yeah.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52'That's four of the six British reptiles.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55'Just the common lizard and the smooth snake to go.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56'And Rob's not done yet.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59'He wants to take one last look for that rare snake.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01'We couldn't find any this morning,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04'but this time his persistence pays off.'
0:49:04 > 0:49:08- Oh, fantastic. Rob, look at this! - This is a young male smooth snake.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10Male because?
0:49:10 > 0:49:14On his underside, check out that lovely orangey-red colour.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17- Oh, yeah, wow.- The females are just dark on the underside there.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20The only way I can handle this is because I'm with you
0:49:20 > 0:49:22- and you have a licence. - That's right, yeah.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24I'll hand this one back to you, Rob.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28Well, I've managed to find five out of the six British reptiles,
0:49:28 > 0:49:32which I think's incredible given the time and the size of the area.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34They'd make the perfect subject for this year's
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Countryfile photographic competition,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38with its theme - a walk on the wild side.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45'But don't forget, these animals are protected.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48'Make sure you don't inadvertently harm any wildlife, and remember,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51'smooth snakes and sand lizards have special protection,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54'which means that disturbing them, even to take a photograph,
0:49:54 > 0:49:56'may require a licence.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58'There are links on our website
0:49:58 > 0:50:02'with the information you need to take your photos responsibly.'
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Remember, we're after pictures of wildlife,
0:50:05 > 0:50:08wild landscapes or even wild weather.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11The best 12 will be put together in a calendar for 2013
0:50:11 > 0:50:13sold in aid of Children In Need.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Here's John with a reminder of how to enter.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Our competition isn't open to professionals,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29and entries must not have won any other competitions
0:50:29 > 0:50:33because what we're looking for is original work.
0:50:33 > 0:50:38'You can enter up to four photos, which must have been taken in the UK.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41'Please write your name, address,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44'and a daytime and evening phone number on the back of each photo,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46'with a note of where it was taken.'
0:50:46 > 0:50:49And then all you have to do is send your entries to...
0:50:59 > 0:51:03'Whoever takes the winning photo, as voted for by Countryfile viewers,
0:51:03 > 0:51:07'can choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment
0:51:07 > 0:51:09'to the value of £1,000.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12'And the person who takes the picture the judges like best
0:51:12 > 0:51:17'gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.'
0:51:17 > 0:51:19The full terms and conditions are on our website,
0:51:19 > 0:51:22where you'll also find details of the BBC's code of conduct
0:51:22 > 0:51:24for competitions.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26The closing date is July 22nd,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29and I'm sorry but we can't return any entries.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32So, the best of luck.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34So if you're thinking of heading out and about with your camera
0:51:34 > 0:51:37this week, here's the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:53:50 > 0:53:57.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09The beautiful Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13Earlier, I took a tour of some of the places here
0:54:13 > 0:54:15that inspired children's author Enid Blyton.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18She holidayed here for more than 20 years,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20staying at a hotel not too far from here.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23And Enid's Famous Five would spend their holidays
0:54:23 > 0:54:26on a bay much like this.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28"'Come on, let's have a jolly good swim!'
0:54:28 > 0:54:32"They all plunged through the big curling breakers,
0:54:32 > 0:54:36"squealing as the water dashed over their bodies, cold and stinging.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38"They chased one another, swam underwater
0:54:38 > 0:54:40"and grabbed at the legs swimming there
0:54:40 > 0:54:43"and wished they hadn't forgotten to bring the big red rubber ball."
0:54:43 > 0:54:46I think it's a little bit nippy for a swim today,
0:54:46 > 0:54:49but the good news is I've remembered a ball.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Time for a good old-fashioned game of beach cricket.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56'It's all part of a scheme to bring people
0:54:56 > 0:54:59'to Studland Beach and Nature Reserve.'
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Yes, catch! Oh!
0:55:01 > 0:55:07'1950s beach activities for a spot of Famous Five fun.'
0:55:07 > 0:55:10OK, this is Emma
0:55:10 > 0:55:15from the National Trust, who's now wading deep in.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19It was Emma's idea that we came here.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23Promoting beach cricket, look at that, that's brilliant.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24Nice one, Emma.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28This is all part of the idea, to get people down onto the beach, Emma?
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Yeah, definitely. To come down, have a great day out,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34get sort of into the old-fashioned sports and activities
0:55:34 > 0:55:35and really enjoy themselves.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39So what else are you doing, then? You say old-fashioned activities.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42We've got some beach cricket that's going on, obviously.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44We've got quoits,
0:55:44 > 0:55:48which is going on, sort of throwing hoops onto structures on the ground.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50We've got beach huts to hire
0:55:50 > 0:55:53and explore and enjoy those sort of activities as well.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56Yeah. How popular is this beach?
0:55:56 > 0:56:00It's incredibly popular. Not today, but it's a really popular beach.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04We have up to 25,000 visitors on a busy day with the sunshine.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06- Yeah, yeah.- So yeah, it's great.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08So what are you finding the best ways of kind of marrying
0:56:08 > 0:56:10tourism with conservation?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13Obviously tourists are incredibly important to us
0:56:13 > 0:56:15because all the money that tourists bring into this area,
0:56:15 > 0:56:18that's what we use to spend in our conservation work.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21The beautiful landscapes that you see in front of you,
0:56:21 > 0:56:23that's paid for by the tourists coming in.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26So there is a complete sort of synergy of the two of them.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31Oh, look at that! That was brilliant, tremendous.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Right, come on, you lot, I'm sure you've worked up an appetite.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38OK, right, grab a plate, everyone.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42'Good, old-fashioned fun, and lashings of ginger beer.'
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- It's quite nice now. - Yeah, see, I told you, didn't I?
0:56:45 > 0:56:49'The spirit of The Famous Five lives on in the Isle of Purbeck,
0:56:49 > 0:56:51'a place Enid Blyton held so dear.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53'And talking of the spirit of The Famous Five,
0:56:53 > 0:56:55'there's just one more thing to do.'
0:56:55 > 0:56:59The dog's asleep, we're all relaxed. There we are. Cheers.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01- ALL:- Cheers.- Happy 70th. There we go.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03That's all we've got time for
0:57:03 > 0:57:05from Enid Blyton's beloved Isle of Purbeck.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08Next week we're going to be delving into the Countryfile archives,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10looking at the British countryside from above.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Hope you can join us then.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd