0:00:25 > 0:00:27The Wye Valley.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32A landscape that combines drama with a real sense of tranquillity.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Wooded glades, a meandering river
0:00:34 > 0:00:38and spectacular views make up this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41The Wye Valley has some of the most beautiful walks in the country
0:00:41 > 0:00:45and I'm going to be taking on one of its most extreme. Wish us luck.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Straddling the English and Welsh border counties,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55the valley was, for centuries, shaped by industry.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But today, it's ideal for wildlife.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I'll be using some cutting-edge technology
0:01:01 > 0:01:03to get a badger's-eye view of the landscape.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10For many people, veal is still considered to be a cruel meat,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13but times have changed, welfare has improved,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16so, couldn't eating more veal prevent the wasteful deaths
0:01:16 > 0:01:21of many very young farm animals. That's what I'll be investigating.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Come on, then, pigs.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28'And Adam's in the mood for matchmaking on his Cotswolds farm.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Have a look in here. This is a nine-month-old Tamworth boar.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33We're just about to let him into the woods.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36He's got two lovely Tamworth wives waiting for him,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38so I can't wait to see how he reacts.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53The serenity of the Wye Valley.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Straddling the river here is Symonds Yat.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It's home to Herefordshire's most beautiful countryside.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The Wye has cut a deep gorge into the limestone here
0:02:14 > 0:02:20exposing the stunning cliff faces that make this place so special.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23And what better way to experience it
0:02:23 > 0:02:26than a winter walk to blow away the cobwebs?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Nothing too strenuous, just nice and gentle.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31That is, unless you're with this bloke. Sven, how are you doing?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- All right?- Pleased to meet you.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'Sven Hassall is trying to make people more aware of the countryside
0:02:37 > 0:02:39'by guiding them on walks with a difference.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41'I'm joining him on a stretch of the Wye
0:02:41 > 0:02:43'that requires nerves of steel
0:02:43 > 0:02:46if I'm going to discover it's real hidden gems.'
0:02:46 > 0:02:49All these ropes would suggest this is pretty extreme walking, Sven.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- What's going on here?- We're going to go for a walk down here.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55What, all the way down there, are we?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Which is a route called the Trip. It's about 100 feet.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- Unbelievable.- Happy with that?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Do you know what? I'll give it a go. Yeah, I'm happy to try it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08'Not sure what I've signed up for. Before I throw myself off a cliff,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11'Sven's quite literally showing me the ropes.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:14An abseiling device called belay device,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16depending on what we're using it for.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Last bit of terminology - we call this end
0:03:19 > 0:03:21the dead end. There's a bit of a clue in the name.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26- If you let go of it, guess what's going to happen?- Great.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Let's just run through that briefing one more time.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32THEY LAUGH
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Why is it, at this stage, you always need to pee?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37THEY LAUGH
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- Which brings me nicely into rule one of rock climbing.- Go on.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- Always look cool. - Right, OK.- Rule two?
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Got to be something to do with safety.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot. - OK, good.- And safety, third.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Safety, third. OK. As long as I'm looking cool, that's the main thing.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56'On a serious note, everything is safe as houses.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58'I think Sven's just trying to put me at ease.'
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Now, that is a canny drop.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'I can honestly say, a walk has never made my blood pump
0:04:03 > 0:04:05'as much as this.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07'The only way is down, as they say.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- OK, right, and this is the dead end, yeah?- Perfect.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13So, both hands on the dead end.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Bum back in a comedy fashion. Shoulders back.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Let yourself out slowly.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- So, remember rule number one. - Yeah.- Always look cool.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Yeah, I'm doing my best.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I'll tell you what, why don't you just stop there for a minute.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I'll hold you on the safety. It's worth taking a look.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37It's a pretty unique environment.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40I started climbed about 12 years ago
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and ended up in the Himalayas, Africa, Canada
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and this is the place I always kept coming back to.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50I'm not surprised. It's absolutely breathtaking. It's amazing.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54'And I've got about 100 foot of cliff-walking to enjoy the view.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- It takes a bit to look up and look around you.- Hard to look down.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59It's definitely worth it.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03As lovely as it is, I am just concentrating on the rope!
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Don't look down.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09There's quite a sense of loneliness, isn't there?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12To be this high up above the tree tops
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and just gently lowering yourself down.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Here comes the overhang. Whoa, lovely.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20HE LAUGHS
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Nearly got a fist planted in the rock, there.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Just hanging in space. Oh, that's lovely.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Nearly there now.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37And there's the ground. That's a beauty. That's it, Sven.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'Sven The Mountain Goat makes it look like a walk in the park.'
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Very invigorating.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49My feet were technically still in contact with the ground
0:05:49 > 0:05:51so, yeah, officially, I'm still walking.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Sven's larder here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Good one. That's an absolute belter, that, isn't it?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Oh, and you've got breakfast, as well.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06This is the crag that keeps on giving.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Right, what have you got there?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11One of the things I like about rock climbing is you notice things
0:06:11 > 0:06:13that previously, you would have ignored.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16One of the things I really like here is the edible flora,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18of which there's stacks in the valley.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21You can literally munch your way around the Symonds Vat valley.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But there's this thing. It's called navelwort
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and you can just about see, it looks a bit like a belly button.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32So, that's the navel bit and the wort is an old English name for leaf.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37I'll have that one cos that one's been in my mouth, but have a taste.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38I'm getting runner beans.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41No-one's ever said that before, but you're right.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43I thought it was like very strong cucumber.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45That's an interesting taste, that.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49It's not just about the edible flora. There's so much here, you know,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52so much detail and we've got a good example of that here.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55This is a thing called mapmakers' lichen -
0:06:55 > 0:06:58otherwise known as Matt Baker's lichen, if you like! -
0:06:58 > 0:07:01but this is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an algae.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04And what's really interesting about this one is
0:07:04 > 0:07:06it grows at a very measurable rate,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08so you can measure the size of it
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and that shows you how long they've been uncovered for.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Commonly used in studies of glaciation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17As the glacier retreats, these are the first things that spring up on the rock.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18But here, very useful to give us
0:07:18 > 0:07:21an indication of when the activity stopped on the cliffs.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29There are hundreds of walks for all abilities around the Wye Valley,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32but most don't involve throwing yourself off a cliff.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34This one continues for four and a half miles
0:07:34 > 0:07:36of slightly easier terrain
0:07:36 > 0:07:38but there are more challenges to come.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40You don't want to slip here, do you?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Look at that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Sven's heading off to rig my next surprise
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and all will be revealed later in the programme.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52But first, the chances are you've never tried veal before.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Either because you think the production of it is cruel
0:07:55 > 0:07:57or you just can't find it in the shops.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00This week, John is asking if it's time for that to change
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and you may find some of the scenes in this film upsetting.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Each year, nearly half a million unwanted animals
0:08:16 > 0:08:20are born on farms in the United Kingdom.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23They're male dairy calves, bull calves,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26effectively a by-product of the milk-producing process.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30As unwelcome offspring, their prospects aren't good.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35They're no use in a dairy herd,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38most farmers see no profit in them as beef,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41so many are simply slaughtered at birth.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45So, why can't they be used instead to produce British veal?
0:08:45 > 0:08:48They have less meat on them than animals bred for beef,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but if they're kept alive until they are suitable for veal,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55surely that could make economic sense.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57But there's a problem - public perception.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02- NEWSREEL:- Each section contains one week's intake, about 40 calves,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05each in its own cubicle - its home for a lifetime.
0:09:05 > 0:09:12Here, in 15 weeks, each calf will be fed to a massive 450-500 pounds,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15three times the size of a normal calf.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19In the past, veal hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23"White veal" used to be produced in the UK
0:09:23 > 0:09:25by putting calves into cramped crates.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28That, and the live export of animals,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32led to protests, and the tragic death of a demonstrator only served highlight the issue further.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Protest did make a difference
0:09:34 > 0:09:38and veal crates are now banned throughout the European Union.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40But here, in Britain at least,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44that doesn't seem to have changed people's attitudes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Talk to shoppers on the high street today
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and the controversy over veal is still fresh in their minds.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56I don't eat veal. Never thought to even buy it.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I think it's probably pretty unethical. That's my impression.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06I wouldn't buy veal, simply because of, you know,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09the farming of it and whatever that they do.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13In the past, I disapproved of the method of rearing it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I still don't eat it. I never have, and I just choose not to.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So those people might be surprised that even experts
0:10:20 > 0:10:24concerned with animal welfare are now backing UK-produced veal.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26David Bowles is from the RSPCA.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29We've moved on an awful long way in the last 20 years,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and now the RSPCA is saying to people, "Please eat veal,"
0:10:33 > 0:10:36not only because it's good, but also the standards are good,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and if you don't eat it, there's not a market
0:10:38 > 0:10:40for the farmer to put that animal into.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Then the other options are killing it
0:10:42 > 0:10:44or sending it to the Continent,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47where it's going to be reared in systems which are illegal here.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51And how does British veal vary from Continental veal?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Well, in the UK, we abandoned the veal crate in 1990,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58which is some 16 years before the rest of Europe.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Now, we don't, thankfully, have the veal-crate system in place.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It was a very intensive system,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and it was a great thing that it went out of production.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- So what happens now? - We still have differences
0:11:09 > 0:11:12between the way it's reared on the Continent, like in the Netherlands,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and here, particularly around bedding.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18So here you tend to find veal is raised with bedding.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20That's not necessarily the case on the Continent.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It's not just the lack of bedding.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25There are still serious concerns
0:11:25 > 0:11:28over the space given to veal calves in Europe
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and over their milk-based diet.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36But the way British rose veal is produced even gets the backing of Compassion In World Farming.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39In fact, many people now feel that, done properly,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42it's ethically correct to use bull calves for meat.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47In veal production, calves are slaughtered
0:11:47 > 0:11:49when they're between seven and eight months old.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53That's roughly the same age as most pigs and lambs.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57The wholesale price of veal is between that of beef and lamb,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01but sales are just a fraction of the other two.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Currently, of the half a million bull calves born each year,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10less than 1% are reared for veal.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13David Tory is a fifth-generation dairy farmer.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16He found himself shooting unwanted bull calves,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19but then he made the big decision to rear them for veal.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Thank you, David.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Now, on many, many dairy farms, bull calves like these
0:12:25 > 0:12:29would have been shot at birth, so why are yours still alive here?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We also, until about ten or 12 years ago,
0:12:32 > 0:12:33were shooting our bull calves,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36but I couldn't bear doing it. It was terrible for my sensibilities.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So we quickly stopped it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41We decided we had to try and find a viable alternative,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45so we started to rear the bull calves from the herd up for beef.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Then, through a local partnership,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50the opportunity came to start rearing for veal,
0:12:50 > 0:12:55so we started to market and rear for veal, which keeps production costs down.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- You could slaughter them earlier. - We could slaughter them earlier,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00so the cash requirement was much lower.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- And is it working? - It's working extremely well.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07No farmer likes to have to kill animals just as they've been born.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10No. There won't be a dairy farmer around
0:13:10 > 0:13:13who got into dairy farming to shoot bull calves. Of that, I'm certain.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Dairy farmers want to rear and look after their animals,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22they want to see them have a life of some sort, absolutely.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26The rose veal that we produce here today is very different
0:13:26 > 0:13:29from the veal that used to cause so much controversy.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33But persuading those of us who eat meat to consider veal
0:13:33 > 0:13:34is quite another matter.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So can it ever be a meat of the future?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40That's what I'll be asking later.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51ELLIE: The landscape here on the Welsh borders is simply beautiful.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55I'm walking on a hilltop nature reserve high above the River Wye.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00It's a great place for a stroll,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02but here, as in many parts of the UK,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06it's easy to walk past the signs of an animal
0:14:06 > 0:14:08that has a mystique all of its own.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15We seem to have a unique relationship with badgers.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18These elusive creatures are one of our biggest wild animals,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21but they command a range of emotions,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24from affection and respect to fear and distrust.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27And the controversy caused by the link between badgers
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and the spread of TB in cattle
0:14:29 > 0:14:33has only served to divide opinion even further.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37But how much do we actually know about these large animals
0:14:37 > 0:14:41that live unseen on our moors, hills and woodlands?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'Colin Gray has studied badgers
0:14:45 > 0:14:47'in this part of the world for 20 years.'
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- How are you doing? All right? - Very well, thank you.- Good!
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- So you're a fan of badgers, then? - I am indeed.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Good, good to meet a fellow fan.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58What makes you so passionate about them? Why do you like them?
0:14:58 > 0:15:02I got involved in badgers probably about 20 years ago and they were,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04to me, a very mysterious animal,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07because you never saw them much in the daytime
0:15:07 > 0:15:10but you could see them going underground at night.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15- Yeah.- And I took it from there. - So what kind of signs have we got?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- We've got a pophole here.- What do you call it?!- A pophole.- A pophole?
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- I've called them snuffleholes before.- Snuffleholes or popholes.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- I think I like yours better. - Probably, the badger's got a worm out of.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- You can see the scratching here. - That's right, yeah.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Digging away, and then underneath all this leaf litter,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- hopefully, he'll have got some worms out of that, snuffling away.- Yep.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- Some of the best diggers. - That's right.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Fantastic. And where are the setts?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- The main sett is here, in front of us here now.- Brilliant.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45- Shall we take a look?- Yep.- Great.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'In Britain, badgers are social animals.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50'They live together in groups called clans
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'made up of several adults and their cubs.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59'Their home is a subterranean maze of burrows known as a sett.'
0:15:59 > 0:16:01- That looks like something there. - Yes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Someone's been having a dig there quite recently.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Cos they clean out the setts quite often, don't they,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09so this might have been a bit of bedding cleared out.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13'An undisturbed sett like this can be centuries old.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:14More signs of digging,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and it's an important time of year at the moment as well, isn't it?
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It is, cos the young ones are being born now.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Any time onwards now, the young ones are underground.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It's quite amazing to think, isn't it, that they're so big
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and yet so well hidden and at this time of year,
0:16:29 > 0:16:30- looking after the cubs.- Yeah.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33'The badgers' sett lies within a wider territory
0:16:33 > 0:16:36'which the badgers patrol in search of food.'
0:16:36 > 0:16:38What about their territories?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Once they come out looking for food, how far might they go?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- They could probably go to about a mile.- Wow!
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- All the way down to the river, that is!- That's right.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- You have to remember, they have to get water.- Right, yeah.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's a huge territory!
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I am amazed to hear from Colin that the territory of the badgers
0:16:59 > 0:17:03and the sett here up on the hill extends all the way down
0:17:03 > 0:17:06to the banks of the river and I am keen to put that theory to the test,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08so Colin's gone off down to the river's edge
0:17:08 > 0:17:11to look for signs of badgers and I am going to catch up with him
0:17:11 > 0:17:15in a little while, but in the meantime, I want to find out more
0:17:15 > 0:17:19about their range and I am hoping that THAT is going to help.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- What is that, Rob, up there?! - Well, good question!
0:17:24 > 0:17:27This is called a quadcopter.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30As you can see, four propellers - basically,
0:17:30 > 0:17:35it's a gyrostabilised helicopter fitted with a live camera.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38We can move gently across the grass, inches above it,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40perfect for tracing badger trails.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'To navigate around their territories,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47'badgers have their own pathways crisscrossing the landscape.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'These paths are often hard to detect and follow on foot,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52'which is where the technology comes in.'
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- What's with the goggles? - The goggles?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Put them on and have a look.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Oh, wow! So that's my monitor right here?
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'The quadcopter gives us the chance to identify and track
0:18:03 > 0:18:07'the badger's numerous paths and its low-flying ability
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'allows us to experience the badger's journey
0:18:10 > 0:18:11'across their territory.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- That was amazing, Rob!- Excellent.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18It's a bit breezy up here but nevertheless,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- the potential is there to get really close in.- That's incredible.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I've sent Colin down to the river -
0:18:23 > 0:18:25what are the chances of you filming him?
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- Not with a quadcopter, but we'll give it a go with the plane.- Cool.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32'Rob's remote-control plane can fly higher
0:18:32 > 0:18:34'and further than the quadcopter,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37'enabling us to see the extent of the wider territory
0:18:37 > 0:18:38'covered by the badgers.'
0:18:46 > 0:18:48When you're walking on the hill,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51you can't really get a feel for how big their territory is,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54but when you're pulled back like that, up in the sky,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- you can really see how big it is. - Exactly, it's a bird's-eye view.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03'Time for us to catch up with Colin.'
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Hello, Colin. I can see you on the monitor. Any sign of badgers down there?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Unfortunately, there's no signs of badgers down here, Ellie,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14because I think the flood water's washed all the signs away.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16What about on the way down there?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Did you see any prints or runs or even any hair in fences,
0:19:19 > 0:19:20anything like that?
0:19:20 > 0:19:26I saw some runs and some marks of digging halfway down the hill.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- Good signs.- I'm going to work my way back to that point now
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and see what else I can find there.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Good work, you keep looking.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39'Before long, Colin's made his way back uphill.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42'Let's hope he's had more luck here.'
0:19:42 > 0:19:44We're buzzing over your head now.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45You're just over the brow of the hill.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Can you see any sign of the badgers?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I've found some evidence of a path coming up the bank, Ellie.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53There's a hole in the bracken here.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It comes across then and there's some claw marks on the grass
0:19:56 > 0:20:00that are quite visible here and then a very distinct path up the bank,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02going back to the sett.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- Fantastic. Thank you, Colin, that's great.- Thank you, Ellie.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07That's brilliant news.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Although we haven't concluded that badgers from this sett
0:20:10 > 0:20:12go all the way down to the river,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14certainly there are a myriad of paths around the sett
0:20:14 > 0:20:17that take them to where they need to go and that includes water
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and the most likely source would be the river, all the way down there.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23That's quite an impressive territory.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30After spending the day finding out about badgers -
0:20:30 > 0:20:32what they do, where they go and how they get there -
0:20:32 > 0:20:35the one thing I haven't done is actually see a badger,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38so I'm going to hunker down here, downwind of the sett.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It's dusk now and I'm going to keep my voice really low
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and hope that at least one of the clan comes out.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52(A lot of people think that badgers hibernate in the winter
0:20:52 > 0:20:54(but, in fact, they don't.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58(They are a lot less active and they do rely on stores of fat
0:20:58 > 0:20:59(to keep them going,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02(but they will come out and forage close to the sett.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04(Just not tonight for me!)
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Earlier, we heard how, in the UK at least,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15there's been a dramatic change in the way that we produce veal,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18so are we likely to start seeing it in our supermarkets?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Here's John.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Every year in the UK,
0:21:25 > 0:21:30hundreds of thousands of unwanted bull calves in dairy herds
0:21:30 > 0:21:31are shot at birth.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Using them to produce veal could stop their lives being wasted -
0:21:35 > 0:21:39trouble is, many people still associate veal with cruelty.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42These days, UK-produced rose veal
0:21:42 > 0:21:46even comes with the approval of animal welfare groups.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51With farmers now expected to apply very high welfare standards
0:21:51 > 0:21:53to what, after all, let's face it,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56is just a waste product of the dairy industry,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59how come we're not seeing much more veal on the shelves
0:21:59 > 0:22:01all around the country?
0:22:01 > 0:22:02That's partly down to farmers
0:22:02 > 0:22:05choosing to slaughter bull calves at birth
0:22:05 > 0:22:09rather than investing in the cost of producing veal.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Martin Brake is a dairy farmer in Somerset.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16For him, rearing dairy calves as veal is not a viable option.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20You've got a large dairy herd, Martin, lots of calves -
0:22:20 > 0:22:23why don't you go in for producing veal?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I haven't the space, initially. I'm quite constrained.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31I've only enough room to keep my young stock for replacements,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and it's something I've not done before,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36so I've really no skills as far as that's concerned.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Don't you think you could make a bit of money out of veal?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I mean, dairy farmers are having a bad time of it at the moment.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Probably, but I'd still need to invest in some facilities
0:22:46 > 0:22:47to do the job
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and I'd have to research
0:22:50 > 0:22:54to see if the level of investment was justified.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Do you think the industry should be doing more to encourage
0:22:58 > 0:23:03the likes of everyone to be eating veal?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I think we could, yes, yes, because there's something there...
0:23:07 > 0:23:11There's a food source that's not being used
0:23:11 > 0:23:13as well as it could be currently.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14And it's such a waste!
0:23:14 > 0:23:17A waste of a resource, so if you can find me someone
0:23:17 > 0:23:19who will take these calves, put them on through a veal unit
0:23:19 > 0:23:21and rear them on up,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24well done, I'd be well pleased.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'David Tory, who I met earlier is doing just that.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31'He buys 50 unwanted calves each week to rear for veal,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34'but a limited market makes selling hard.'
0:23:34 > 0:23:36This is our veal.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Veal producers like you are facing a real uphill struggle,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43aren't you, if you're going to find a mass market?
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Yeah, absolutely.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It's the perception of veal that's our greatest challenge, really.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Veal is a very tasty product, it's very tender,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53nutritionally speaking it's very good for you, very low in fat,
0:23:53 > 0:23:54very high in protein,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57so there's no reason why the product shouldn't sell,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59but we're overcoming huge perception issues
0:23:59 > 0:24:01from the old veal-rearing methods.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- And also, I think, from the retailers.- Absolutely.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07If we can get it onto the supermarket shelves
0:24:07 > 0:24:08and people can see it
0:24:08 > 0:24:11then hopefully that will give them confidence to buy it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'The way to change public perception is to convince everyone
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'the bad old days of white veal are gone.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20'Today, it's all about high-welfare British rose veal.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22'But will people actually like it?
0:24:22 > 0:24:25'Michelin-starred chef Russell Brown
0:24:25 > 0:24:29'has agreed to prepare some veal for us.'
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I hadn't had veal on the menu until three or four years ago
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and then we actively sought out a producer of English rose veal.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41We tend to cook it fairly rare
0:24:41 > 0:24:45because it's quite a dry meat that's very low in fat.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Texture-wise, people might say it's not quite as tender
0:24:50 > 0:24:54but I think what you lose on that, you gain in the flavour.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- There we go. - What have we got here, Russell?
0:25:02 > 0:25:06This is a chargrilled rump of Jurassic Coast rose veal,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10white bean casserole, pickled carrots and a veal jus.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Well, it looks delicious.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- And it tastes delicious as well. It's very tender, isn't it?- Yes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27- And you're right, a beefy taste to that.- Yep.- Quite a...
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- A stronger flavour than I thought. - Yeah. Yeah.- Lovely.- Good.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- I'd eat this any day.- Good.- Mmm.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Especially with a Michelin-starred chef preparing it for me!
0:25:36 > 0:25:38THEY LAUGH
0:25:38 > 0:25:42'It gets the thumbs-up from me, but what will our shoppers think of it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45'Back to the high street to put veal to the test.'
0:25:47 > 0:25:53- It's low-fat. - Low in cholesterol? Low-fat?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- It's very tasty.- It's absolutely lovely! Really, really nice.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01What do you think?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03That's very tasty, it's obviously been cooked very well.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07- Perhaps we don't know how to cook it properly.- Very succulent.- Yeah.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- Might you be converted? - I could eat that! Mmm!
0:26:12 > 0:26:15'It'll take more than the opinions of a few shoppers
0:26:15 > 0:26:16'to make a real change,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19'but major retailers are now taking this on board
0:26:19 > 0:26:23'and a forum has been created to get producers talking to sellers.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27'After all, making veal highly visible on meat counters
0:26:27 > 0:26:30'is crucial to building a market.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33'The people behind this push for veal are from the RSPCA.'
0:26:33 > 0:26:38If it's such a good food, why isn't there more of it on sale?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Because it has to be economically viable for the farmer.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43They have to have a route into market
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and it also has to make them money.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48The RSPCA understands that.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50What we've started to see is retailers
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and also some of the fast-food companies like McDonald's
0:26:53 > 0:26:56starting to take those animals and use them in their sales.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59That's important, because it encourages the farmer
0:26:59 > 0:27:01to go to market
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and it also drives up the price of the animal,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06so they start to make a profit and it's at that stage
0:27:06 > 0:27:09where you start to see the difference occurring.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The farmer decides to rear on rather than to kill the animal at birth.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17If food retailers really get behind it, veal could bring new profits
0:27:17 > 0:27:21to farmers and stop all that wasteful slaughter but the final decision
0:27:21 > 0:27:25is down to you and me - whether we develop a taste for British veal.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Later on Countryfile,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Matt explores the hidden heritage of the Wye Valley.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I'd love to look down but I can't quite tilt my neck!
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Down on the farm, the new arrivals are demanding Adam's attention.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Ooh, there's a lovely pig!
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And for farmers and everyone else,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46there's the Countryfile five-day forecast.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Now, while I've been throwing myself off sheer drops in the Wye Valley,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Jules is headed to a forest which has a surprise at its heart.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Deep in the woodlands of the Herefordshire countryside
0:28:08 > 0:28:12lies a bit of an oasis, something you might not necessarily expect -
0:28:12 > 0:28:13apparently!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17I say "apparently" because the powers-that-be at Countryfile HQ
0:28:17 > 0:28:18have given me nothing more
0:28:18 > 0:28:21than a grid reference and a brief description.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I'm looking for a forest in which - wait for it! -
0:28:24 > 0:28:26is a man called Sherwood.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29You couldn't make it up, really!
0:28:29 > 0:28:31And I am being honest with you here
0:28:31 > 0:28:35when I say I haven't got a clue what I'm going to find.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37HE LAUGHS
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It's a sawmill, it's got to be a sawmill.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46Of sorts.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53An old bus.
0:28:57 > 0:28:58Hello?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Sherwood! HE LAUGHS
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Nice to see you, sir! How are you?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08All right, thank you, yes.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Now, I've been told absolutely nothing about where we are,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16what you're doing here, but driving in, piles of timber everywhere,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18we're in this lovely forest - I mean, clearly,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20you must be some sort of woodsman.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Hmm, yes, haven't always been a woodsman.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27I was in industry for 19 years before I was lucky enough to escape.
0:29:27 > 0:29:34- Is this home?- It is home, yes. I've been in that bus now since 1989...
0:29:34 > 0:29:38- Fantastic.- ..and I've been here since 1996.- Come on, show me round!
0:29:38 > 0:29:42- Come on! Let's have a look!- OK. OK.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Erm, here we go, past the brewery. - The brewery?!
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- I'll explain everything shortly. - Home brew?- Yeah.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51You'll need plenty of that up here.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54How many acres have you got here in total, then?
0:29:54 > 0:29:5740 acres, which is plenty to play in.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Plenty to play in?! Plenty to get lost in!
0:30:00 > 0:30:03'Let's get this straight. Sherwood left the rat race 15 years ago
0:30:03 > 0:30:08'to live in a bus in a forest on his own.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11'He tells me he now makes his living making charcoal,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15'restoring buildings and he also runs training courses in woodland crafts.'
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- There's the hens.- I love it!
0:30:18 > 0:30:21But, I'm still in the dark about where he's leading me.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23You're joking, what is this?
0:30:26 > 0:30:32A workshop with a small space at the end for accommodation.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34This is the kind of thing I've always dreamt of.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36This clearing I've created,
0:30:36 > 0:30:41all of the timber that came from here is all going to go back into the house.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44I absolutely salute your ambition for this. I love it.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- Thank you very much. - I absolutely love it.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51When you get inside this, it really does start to come to life.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53That's when you can appreciate just how tall it is.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- And you haven't had to do it all on your own.- No.- Hi, guys.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58How are you?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01How'd you get them in, what's in it for them?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03I lured them in with the promise of beer and food. It seems to work.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05This is the homebrew we saw earlier?
0:31:05 > 0:31:10That's the reason for the brewery. I get a lot out of it, too.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I think we're all teaching each other.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15A lot of the skills that I've acquired,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18I've learned from other people, not from books.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Hopefully, some of what I know I can pass back to them.
0:31:20 > 0:31:26It's always a pleasure to work with wood. It's as simple as that.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Getting the tools out, selecting the right piece and seeing the joy
0:31:29 > 0:31:32when you deliver what it is you've made.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35How long is it going to take you to finish this off?
0:31:35 > 0:31:36I don't want to rush this.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39So much of my life is spent rushing to finish
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and meeting other people's deadlines.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43I haven't set myself a deadline.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I want this to be a joy and it won't be if I feel under pressure,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48even if it's self-imposed.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49I'll duck.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50HE LAUGHS
0:31:50 > 0:31:54'When finished, the workshop will boast three good-sized rooms,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'one for living accommodation and two for his woodwork
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'and the walls will be made of straw bales.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:04This looks like a job about to happen.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09This is a larch tree, which unfortunately got blown down in the last couple of days.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12I need a piece to make one of the beams in the house.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- It's done the hard work for us. - It's chosen the direction it's going to fall in,
0:32:16 > 0:32:17we don't have to decide.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Although, a good job it went that way and not that way?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23That would have ruined someone's sleep, wouldn't it?
0:32:23 > 0:32:27- Who lives in there?- That's Jack, he's one of the volunteers
0:32:27 > 0:32:29and fortunately he's not here this week.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Yes, it could have given him a nasty surprise.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34A very nasty surprise.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35What do we need to do with this?
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Clean off the branches, cut it to length and you can carry it out.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- All on my own?- All on your own. You might get a little bit of help.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53'Building materials don't get more locally sourced than this.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59'The only energy used today, apart from a couple of machines,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01'is mine and the team's.' Beautiful.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Teas up!- 'Music to my ears.'
0:33:04 > 0:33:06'It also gives me the opportunity
0:33:06 > 0:33:09'to catch up with the other folk helping in Sherwood's forest.'
0:33:09 > 0:33:13- This is fabulous. Wow! Hi, everybody.- Hello.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16This is clearly the centre of operations, isn't it?
0:33:16 > 0:33:20- It's where most of the work is done. - Who's in charge of the kitchen?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Ah, well, Tom today. - Is that right?- Yes.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Hello, Tom, nice to see you.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28What is in it for you, Tom, as a volunteer?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30The way of life. Everything is connected.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Everything that goes into the house comes out of the woods.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Waste, we stick on the fire
0:33:35 > 0:33:38and that goes into baking our bread and keeping our tea.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Not to draw out the Robin Hood analogy too far,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44but you are creating what seems to be a very happy band of men,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46and women in the corner there.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- Who have we got there?- That's another convict.- Hello, Jo.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50Did you say another convict?
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- See her ball and chain, she can't go far.- What are you making, Jo?
0:33:54 > 0:33:56I'm making a teaspoon.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- With so many visitors, I thought we needed some more.- Wonderful.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02That's terrific. Nothing goes to waste, does it?
0:34:02 > 0:34:05No, not even the small bits. We have an application for those.
0:34:10 > 0:34:11'But there's no rest for the wicked.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15'Tom's going to show me the structure from a different perspective.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18'Let's hope I've got a head for heights.'
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- Wow! How about it? Amazing! - A nice place to watch the sunset.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26You get a real sense of the architecture of the whole structure.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27Let's get the tape out.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Yes, four by two.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30Four by two.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32140 and a half.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34'As it's the middle of winter,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37'there's not enough light for a full day's work.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41'After a little more measuring and drilling, it's time to down tools.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44'And it's a chance for me to find out
0:34:44 > 0:34:46'why these last few months have been so special for Sherwood.'
0:34:46 > 0:34:48OWL HOOTS
0:34:57 > 0:34:58CHATTER
0:35:00 > 0:35:04I spent 15 years living and working in this woodland.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Mainly with one helper and they've gone home at five o'clock.
0:35:07 > 0:35:08But this summer,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13I've had people here, living in my world, without a break all summer.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17The evenings filled with music and laughter and people playing guitars.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21It's been quite a joyful time, really. I've been very blessed.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27You know, when I came out here this morning all I knew
0:35:27 > 0:35:30was that I was looking for a forest and a man named Sherwood.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34But, as you can see, I discovered a lot more than that.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45'It's not just Sherwood who's made his home
0:35:45 > 0:35:46'in these Herefordshire woods,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49'nestled deep in the forest in the Golden Valley,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53'a family of pigs are also thriving under the canopy of the trees.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56'Adam's taking a break from his normal farm duties to find out
0:35:56 > 0:35:59'what life is like for pigs living in the woods.'
0:36:08 > 0:36:10I've got about 70 pigs of four different breeds
0:36:10 > 0:36:11on my farm in the Cotswolds.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Some live outdoors and others we bring into the sheds to fatten up.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16When I heard about a man
0:36:16 > 0:36:19who keeps all his rare breed pigs out in woodland,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22I couldn't resist the opportunity to come and check it out.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Ray Harris has been farming pigs in these woods for over 15 years.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31He thinks there are real benefits to rearing them this way.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35- How are you?- Hello, Adam, nice to meet you.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- Good to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- What a lovely Tamworth sow, isn't she gorgeous?- Yes.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44She's getting on a bit now but yes, she's really good.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We've just weaned a litter off her.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48You're keeping pigs,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50but your background is forestry. How did it all come about?
0:36:50 > 0:36:53The idea is that the pigs are actually a tool
0:36:53 > 0:36:59we use in the woodlands to help the ecosystem of the forestry.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02In the spring, when you've got the shoots coming through,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05especially in the Herefordshire area, where we are now,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07you get a lot of bramble.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11If the woodland activities have opened up space in the forestry,
0:37:11 > 0:37:12the canopy has gone.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15If you can get in there and start to control the woodlands
0:37:15 > 0:37:19by using the pigs, hopefully a lot more of these flowers
0:37:19 > 0:37:22and a lot more different habitat is there for the wildlife as well.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26I keep Tamworths at home and they can be quite destructive.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29They'll wreck pasture. Do they cause a lot of damage?
0:37:29 > 0:37:30If they are left here for too long.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33That's the idea of sectioning different areas.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36If you put them into the wood to free range,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39then you've got no control on the areas that they are to manage.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43- Are they happy in the woods?- Take a look for yourself. They love it.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45This is their habitat.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51'In another woodland, high up
0:37:51 > 0:37:54'on the hilltop, Ray keeps two young female Tamworths.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58'Every five years, Ray starts a new bloodline to prevent interbreeding.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'Today, one fortunate Tamworth boar will be making this his new home.'
0:38:02 > 0:38:06- Why have you got the boar in here? - I've just recently purchased him
0:38:06 > 0:38:11and it's going to be his first time to be released into the woodland.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- Anything could happen? - It could do, it could do.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19I'm hoping everything goes to plan and he'll settle in really well.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21All right, then, fella.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25He's so lucky, he's got a lake, wonderful woodland,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28a fantastic view and two beautiful wives.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Come on then, boy, come and meet your lovely ladies.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Come on, then. That's it.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- He certainly seems very happy. - He's loving it, isn't he?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Already those instincts are kicking in,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50first time in the woodlands, first time to water.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55- Is he going to cross the water, do you think?- I don't know.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58There again, look at him now. He's actually in there, isn't he?
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- He is loving it. - He is really enjoying that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03I'm chuffed to bits with that.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06This chomping, and all the froth around the mouth,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09that's him asserting his dominance to the females, isn't it?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12It is, and there's been no nastiness about it.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14They've taken to him really well.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18He's been up to them, really smelling around them
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- and none of this argy-bargy which sometimes occurs. - They can fight, can't they?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Yes, a little bit of damage could be caused.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Looks like there's a bit of love in the air.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36- I think so. He's trying to mate up with her now, isn't he?- Goodness me!
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- Would she be in season, do you think? - I don't think she is yet
0:39:49 > 0:39:51but she is standing for him.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55We'll just have to mark the date down.
0:39:55 > 0:39:56THEY LAUGH
0:40:04 > 0:40:08It's paradise for pigs, isn't it? It couldn't be better.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12If I was a pig, this is where I would want to live.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Yes, I love coming up here and feeding them.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Look, he's in the water now.
0:40:16 > 0:40:17It's been an eye-opener
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- seeing pigs living like this.- It's been a privilege having you here.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24We'll have to see if we can fix something back at home,
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- get mine into the woods. - Best place for them.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29I've got lots of work to do so I better head for home.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- Thanks very much.- No problem.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I think Ray's got a wonderful set-up here.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46It's great way for those pigs to live.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47Pigs give birth all year round
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and I've got some sows at home that have given birth recently
0:40:50 > 0:40:53so I need to get back, there's plenty of jobs to be done.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I keep lots of pigs on this farm and every one of them
0:41:02 > 0:41:03presents a challenge.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Looking after young pigs
0:41:04 > 0:41:08is a bit like looking after a gang of misbehaving teenagers.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Come on, then. These are my kunekune pigs.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15They're a New Zealand bush pig
0:41:15 > 0:41:17and one of the smallest pigs in this country now.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21They're a great smallholder's pig - because they're little themselves,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24they don't take up very much room. They're very easy to handle,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28they're quite quiet and these piglets here are about a month old.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32They all belong to this sow. She's got ten of them. They're very sweet.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35They come in all sorts of colours.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36There's a lovely pig.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42I love keeping them, they're just great little pigs, really.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45They live out here very happily.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48We'll take them off their mother in about another month
0:41:48 > 0:41:50and then she'll go back to the boar
0:41:50 > 0:41:53and the gestation period of a pig from mating to birth
0:41:53 > 0:41:55is three months, three weeks and three days.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58They've got a shelter over there and water over there.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06'While the kunekunes enjoy the outdoors,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08'one of my Gloucester old spot sows
0:42:08 > 0:42:11'is in the comfort of the stable with her new litter.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15'Mike and I need to ear-tag the piglets.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20'As Mum's very protective of them, we need to separate her from her young.'
0:42:24 > 0:42:25PIGLETS SQUEAL
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Whoa, little one, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Just hold their noses so they don't bite me,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35and so they don't squeal too much.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Gloucestershire old spots are our county breed and they're famous
0:42:38 > 0:42:41for grazing the apple orchards of the Avon Vale and they say
0:42:41 > 0:42:44the apples dropping from the trees bruised their skin
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and gave them these black spots,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48so we put the tags in the ears. Mike's just put
0:42:48 > 0:42:51some surgical spirits on, and then it's just like
0:42:51 > 0:42:54having your ear pierced, hardly feels it going in,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56and on the tag is an individual number
0:42:56 > 0:42:58and on the back is our pig herd number.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02That's just a bit of antiseptic to stop it going septic.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06'With that job done,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09'it's time to turn my attention to some of my larger pigs -
0:43:09 > 0:43:11'they're almost ready for market.'
0:43:11 > 0:43:14These pigs here are about five months old,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16and back in the summer,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19my little ginger friend here had a bit of a rocky start.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24'Fortunately, one of my Gloucester old spots sows came to the rescue.'
0:43:24 > 0:43:26She's adopted this little Tamworth
0:43:26 > 0:43:29that was outside and got kicked by one of my Exmoor ponies.
0:43:29 > 0:43:30I thought it was going to die
0:43:30 > 0:43:33and I put it in with this sow who had recently farrowed,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35and she now loves it
0:43:35 > 0:43:38and it's suckling with all its new little brothers and sisters.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Because she's only had five, there's plenty of milk to go round.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44'And that was last summer.'
0:43:44 > 0:43:48This one was the one that was adopted onto her and this Tamworth is really lovely.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50It's doing very, very well.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52The Tamworths are different to the Gloucester.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55They've got pricky ears and they're quite alert -
0:43:55 > 0:43:57they're the same breed as Ray's got running around in the woods -
0:43:57 > 0:44:00and the Gloucester has these floppy ears,
0:44:00 > 0:44:02which means they're slightly more docile.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Often they can't see and they bump into things.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08PIGS GRUNT
0:44:15 > 0:44:20Right, this pig weighs about 58, 59 kilos.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25For pork, we want them to be 70, 75, so he's still got about three weeks to go.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29This is one of the adopted sisters
0:44:29 > 0:44:31to that Tamworth, she's a Gloucester old spot
0:44:31 > 0:44:34and she weighs about 10 kilos lighter,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37but she's a couple of weeks younger, so that makes about sense,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39and really, I suppose,
0:44:39 > 0:44:40it may seem a bit strange,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42trying to save a pig's life and then rearing it,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and sending it off for meat, but that's what farming's all about.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47We care for these animals
0:44:47 > 0:44:50and we love them and we want to do well by them
0:44:50 > 0:44:53during their lives and then produce a good product at the end of the day.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01'Next week, I'm heading to Wales to see how farmers moved livestock
0:45:01 > 0:45:04'before the time of motorised transport.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:11'Earlier, I was experiencing the beauty of the Wye Valley
0:45:11 > 0:45:13'in a rather extreme way
0:45:13 > 0:45:16'on a walk with a bit of a difference.'
0:45:16 > 0:45:18As lovely as it is, I am just concentrating
0:45:18 > 0:45:20on the rope. Don't look down.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'But I'm told, where we're heading, it's all going to be worth it.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28'Sven, my guide, has set up a little surprise at the end of the trek.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32'We're heading for Pancake Caves.' Right, so the "walk" continues!
0:45:32 > 0:45:34HE LAUGHS
0:45:34 > 0:45:38- I lied, actually, there's no walking on this one.- Oh, right, OK.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41- I'm going to lower you on this one.- OK.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I have to say, this is probably the most memorable walk
0:45:48 > 0:45:51- that I've ever been on. - OK, Matt, when you're ready.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52- Yeah.- Come on down.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- Just pop under there for me.- Yep.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Oh, my word!
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Are you lowering me into there, are you?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09That is a drop and a half. How far is that down there?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- You've got about 20 foot of squeezed chimney.- Yeah.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16And then at some point, your feet are going to dangle in space
0:46:16 > 0:46:18- and you're going to have another 20 feet to the cave.- OK.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21This is the ultimate in trust, then?
0:46:21 > 0:46:26There's obviously a limit of the people you can actually get into this bit.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Depends on how much you like your cake.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32I think there's a view down there, but I've never really looked.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35I was going to say, I'd love to look down, but I can't tilt my neck.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39- OK, mate.- Got a nice view of the rock, anyway!
0:46:39 > 0:46:41My feet are, my knees are...
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Right, so just let me know when you're on the floor.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48And whoo! Oh, my goodness me!
0:46:50 > 0:46:51Oh, yes!
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Look at this.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57That is incredible.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Look at this place. Cool.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03OK, so it wasn't walking, but it's pretty cool, isn't it?
0:47:03 > 0:47:07- It's some place, innit, this? - What do you reckon?- God!
0:47:07 > 0:47:11- So, this is Pancake Caves, then, is it?- Yeah, this is the Pancake Caves.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13- And why is it called Pancake Caves? - No idea!
0:47:13 > 0:47:15THEY LAUGH
0:47:15 > 0:47:18But it's pretty special, isn't it?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Yeah. I mean, there's gorgeous scenery outside,
0:47:20 > 0:47:22but you've saved the best till last.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30- So this is one of a number of caves in the valley.- Mm-hm.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33They're all naturally formed, but almost all of them have been subject
0:47:33 > 0:47:36- to some mining at some point or other.- Right.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Mining stopped here about 200 years ago.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39It wasn't just for the rock.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42We've been mining here for iron, coal, all sorts.
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Take a look at these.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48Oh, look. Mini stalactites.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51So what we've got here is, um... the rock is limestone.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55It's sedimentary rock made up of... the main thing is calcium carbonate.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58It's just the remains of billions of marine creatures
0:47:58 > 0:48:00and you can see the water seeps through it over time
0:48:00 > 0:48:03and dissolves the minerals and when it gets to a low point
0:48:03 > 0:48:05as it's doing here, it drops off,
0:48:05 > 0:48:07but, in doing so, leaves some of the minerals behind
0:48:07 > 0:48:09and that's where your stalactites grow.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12If you take a look at these, Matt...
0:48:12 > 0:48:17If you imagine the rate of growth of these, it's O.18 millimetres a year,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19so, something like this,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21you're looking at easily 200 years of history.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23It's incredibly humbling, actually.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26It's amazing. What's really cool as well,
0:48:26 > 0:48:28if you look at your feet, when the water drips off,
0:48:28 > 0:48:32it leaves some calcium carbonate behind, which forms a stalactite...
0:48:32 > 0:48:34- Yeah.- ..but not all of it is left behind,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36some of it continues onto the floor.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38That's where you can see the drops there.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Eventually you'll get the opposite building up,
0:48:41 > 0:48:46a lot slower, because less calcium carbonate is coming down, but you'll get stalagmites growing back up.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- And then they'll connect like columns eventually.- Fantastic.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- But we won't be here to see this one. - That's for sure.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10In a moment, Ellie will be taking to the water
0:49:10 > 0:49:12to find out how a restoration project
0:49:12 > 0:49:15is making the most of the valley's industrial past
0:49:15 > 0:49:17and creating a playground for canoeists,
0:49:17 > 0:49:20but first if you're planning on making the most of the landscape
0:49:20 > 0:49:21for the week ahead,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25let's see what the weather's got in store with the Countryfile forecast.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14'Matt and I have been exploring the wilds of the Wye Valley,
0:52:14 > 0:52:18'one of the most dramatic landscapes in Britain.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19'I've been finding out
0:52:19 > 0:52:22'about the secret life of one of our biggest native wild animals,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26'while Matt's been going to the extreme on a scenic walk,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28'but he's not having all the fun
0:52:28 > 0:52:32'because I'm going to be taking on the might of the River Wye.'
0:52:32 > 0:52:37It's one of the most popular rivers for kayakers in the UK.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40The navigable part stretches uninterrupted for 100 miles.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42I'm just going to paddle a small section of it.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45It's very windy today and, as you can see,
0:52:45 > 0:52:49the river's already swollen, so there will be some challenges.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53I've got a camera on my helmet and a couple on the boat so you can enjoy the journey with me.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57'I'm not doing this on my own.
0:52:57 > 0:52:58'Paul Howells is my guide.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03'He's been paddling this stretch of the river for over 40 years,
0:53:03 > 0:53:04'so I'm in safe hands.'
0:53:04 > 0:53:07So, Paul, you know this area incredibly well.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10How has it changed over the years?
0:53:10 > 0:53:12- Well, it's very much now a tourist destination.- Yeah.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- And, er...- How did it used to be?
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Well, just a very industrial, commercial area
0:53:19 > 0:53:21from iron ore smelting
0:53:21 > 0:53:26to the mining, shipping transport up and down to Hereford, etc.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29God, that's quite hard to imagine now - it looks so serene,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31it looks like it's always been this way,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33- but it looked different, didn't it?- Yeah.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35'I thought I might face some challenges
0:53:35 > 0:53:37'on the river today, and I was right.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40'It wasn't long before the elements got the better of me.'
0:53:40 > 0:53:42It's so windy today!
0:53:42 > 0:53:44ELLIE LAUGHS
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- Right, hang on, I need to right... - No.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54OK?
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Grab hold of the front of my boat.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01- That was, er, not quite intended. - Hang on to your boat.
0:54:01 > 0:54:06'I've kayaked a lot in the past but that was quite a moment.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08'The cold water really takes your breath away.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11'Thankfully, Paul was on hand to help.'
0:54:11 > 0:54:14So, Paul, apart from the fact that you can get a very fresh wash,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18what makes this area so appealing for canoeists and kayakers?
0:54:18 > 0:54:22Two things, really. One is the river's a free right of navigation,
0:54:22 > 0:54:25so that means you can just get on and paddle down the river,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27and then the other appeal is the Symonds Yat Rapids,
0:54:27 > 0:54:31and many of our great white-water paddlers
0:54:31 > 0:54:34have started at some point at Symonds Yat.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36'The rapids further downstream were formed
0:54:36 > 0:54:39'when iron-ore slag was dumped into the river
0:54:39 > 0:54:40'during the industrial era.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43'It created an island which forced the water into a channel,
0:54:43 > 0:54:46'but in recent years, erosion has threatened the island's
0:54:46 > 0:54:48'and the rapids' very existence.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51'Working with the Environment Agency,
0:54:51 > 0:54:55'an action group, chaired by Paul, set about protecting the island.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01'Time to get my feet on dry land.'
0:55:02 > 0:55:04Whoo! At least I've warmed up.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05ELLIE LAUGHS
0:55:05 > 0:55:09'I'm meeting David Holland to get a progress report
0:55:09 > 0:55:11'on the final phase of the project.'
0:55:11 > 0:55:14- Are you all right there, David? - Hello, Ellie, how are you?- Good.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16- It's a bit treacherous down here. - A bit slippy, yes, yes.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20- So what work are you doing? - We've been coppicing some of the larger trees
0:55:20 > 0:55:22to take some of the weight out of them,
0:55:22 > 0:55:25so they don't get pulled out during big floods.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Is that what you've got here, some of what's left of that work?
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Yes, these are live willow branches.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32We're going to be working on the island
0:55:32 > 0:55:34to try and stabilise the island from erosion.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36My goodness! That looks very vulnerable
0:55:36 > 0:55:38with the river flowing this fast and high.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Most of it is underwater, the water's flowing fast over it
0:55:41 > 0:55:45- and it's actively eroding at quite a rapid rate.- Let's take one of these -
0:55:45 > 0:55:47these willow bundles - what happens to this?
0:55:47 > 0:55:51As I say, this is a live branch, so when it's laid in the river or on the soil...
0:55:51 > 0:55:52We lay it down like this?
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Yes, we'll drop it in here, then we'll sink it down.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Willow has got the amazing ability
0:55:57 > 0:56:00to regrow where you lay it down and the branch touches the soil,
0:56:00 > 0:56:02the plant will start grow again from a cutting.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04In these big floods, the fine sediment gets trapped
0:56:04 > 0:56:07amongst the roughness of the branches,
0:56:07 > 0:56:08and then you'll get grasses coming in
0:56:08 > 0:56:11which will stabilise the bank and start to build up the island.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14It's critical to keeping the rapids going.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17- Yeah.- If the island goes, the rapids go.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20'And it's those rapids that draw
0:56:20 > 0:56:22'thousands of tourists here each year,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25'even a hardcore few on a cold day in January.'
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Well, they can't have ALL the fun.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32I definitely want a piece of that.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34After all, what's the worst that can happen?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36I've already been wet today.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Head for the waves now, on the left.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46THEY LAUGH
0:56:48 > 0:56:50- There's some white water! - SHE LAUGHS
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Whoa! Whee-hee!
0:56:53 > 0:56:55I'm telling you, it's fast!
0:56:55 > 0:56:56Whoa!
0:56:59 > 0:57:00Hee-hee!
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Whoa!
0:57:04 > 0:57:05Absolutely crazy!
0:57:16 > 0:57:18I thought I might find you here
0:57:18 > 0:57:21- by the emergency lifeline. - Yes, very funny.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24- It was very cold.- You dried off, then?- I have at last!
0:57:24 > 0:57:28I'm very happy to say that that's all we've got time for from the beautiful Wye Valley.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30The memories you're going take away from this place.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Next week, we'll be on Guernsey in the Channel Islands,
0:57:33 > 0:57:34harvesting a local delicacy.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36- Hope you can join us then.- Bye-bye.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:59 > 0:58:01E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk