0:00:30 > 0:00:32In a quiet corner of Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34lies a pretty little village,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38surrounded by beech woods and verdant valleys.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45With its Flinton brick houses,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48it looks like the perfect rural retreat.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Slindon is a lot more than just a pretty face
0:00:54 > 0:00:57because it has its fair share of claims to fame.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59But it's had its troubles, too.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Last year the Post Office closed, then the pub went.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It's an all-too common story.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09But here, they are fighting back!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Yes, with a growing tradition that involves these.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14You going to tell us what they are?
0:01:14 > 0:01:16They'll find out in a minute, keep sorting.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Don't mix the flying saucers with the Harlequins.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Heavens no! But we CAN tell them about the cricket.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Yes, while every sensible cricketer has left the crease
0:01:25 > 0:01:28we're having one final game against local rivals, Goodwood,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30putting Slindon's other claim to fame to the test.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35Round here they believe this village is the birthplace of cricket, but where's the evidence?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37We'll be finding out.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And with new sources of energy appearing all around our coastline,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44we're going to need lots of new power lines.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48But at what cost to the countryside? I'll be investigating.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Also on tonight's programme, it's breakfast time down on the farm.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57And Adam's got an ingenious way of making sure his hens get their share.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02This is a clever feeder, pour the food in here
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and the chickens stand on it to get at the food, fantastic.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Sussex, rolling chalk hills rolling down to the coast.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27It's wooded weald lying to the west.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Nestling in the foothills of the South Downs
0:02:29 > 0:02:32is the quintessentially Sussex village of Slindon.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35With its Saxon church and chocolate box cottages,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39it delivers everything you could want from a traditional village.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Traditional for 11 months of the year that is.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Once a year this quiet little village is transformed as visitors flock here
0:02:48 > 0:02:51to marvel at a unique display, and here it is.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Look at that, I can honestly say I've never seen anything like that!
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Crazy pumpkin mosaic,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02and 10,000 visitors will come here, stand where I am now
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and indulge in the fruits of the artist's labour.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12The Slindon Pumpkin festival was the idea
0:03:12 > 0:03:15of a man who earned himself the title, The Pumpkin King,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17the late Ralph Upton,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20a market gardener who was passionate about pumpkins.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Growing since the late '60s, it could be said that Ralph
0:03:23 > 0:03:24was a pumpkin pioneer!
0:03:24 > 0:03:28He initially put the pumpkin, squash and gourds on the roof to cure
0:03:28 > 0:03:32but people started flocking to see the displays.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34His son Robin has carried on the tradition.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- I'm intrigued by this one here, the Turk's Cap?- Yeah.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Wow! That's incredible, isn't it? Look at that!
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Of all of these here, which one is your favourite?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- I haven't eaten one yet! - HE LAUGHS
0:03:47 > 0:03:49What?! You've never eaten one yet?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- No, no.- Hang on a minute, so your dad started all this,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54all these pumpkins here,
0:03:54 > 0:04:00- you're in charge now of it and you've never eaten one?!- He didn't eat any for the first two years either!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Well, we'll try and tempt Robin's tastebuds later
0:04:03 > 0:04:06when I cook up some pumpkin treats.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Robin's partner here in all things pumpkin is Tony Smith
0:04:09 > 0:04:14who climbs up and down his ladder every year displaying around a tonne of fruit.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Tony, it's a fine piece of work. - Thank you very much.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- Are you pleased with it?- I am, yes.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23It's obviously very precise, there's no gaps at all, so how do you decide
0:04:23 > 0:04:26what you're going to do to start with and where all the fruits go?
0:04:26 > 0:04:30We have to wait and see what colour scheme we have in the crops we grow.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34We usually come up with the idea as early as we can in the season.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38And we draw it out, design it as best we can
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- and try and put it together. - Is it on straw, then, I suppose?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Yeah, straw in the background, there's about 40 bales of straw.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- The whole thing takes about ten working days to do.- Does it?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- I have to say, it's very endearing.- Thank you.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It's lovely, it really is.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Tony's displays add some autumnal colour.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- What are you going to do with that? - Look at it!- Just look at it? THEY LAUGH
0:05:01 > 0:05:05But the pumpkin festival plays a much more important role.
0:05:05 > 0:05:11It brings much-needed tourism into the village and keeps alive the businesses that are still here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17As with so many of our villages, the pub, shop and Post Office all recently closed down in Slindon.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22The pottery workshop is the only place to buy postage stamps now,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25bringing them regular visitors and keeping the community alive,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29something that Mike Imms is passionate about.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Mike, what are the wider benefits of the pumpkin festival for Slindon?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I think you need to understand that the one big issue
0:05:35 > 0:05:38in a village like this is sustainability, because,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42if you're not careful, it becomes a very beautiful place, with nothing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Economic sustainability is about having thriving businesses
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and jobs, and the pumpkin festival
0:05:48 > 0:05:50is an example of something which does that.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And social sustainability is about having things
0:05:53 > 0:05:56people can do to get involved, feel connected to the village.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And some of the other artists and photographers in the village
0:06:00 > 0:06:03sell their cards there, which helps their venture.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07In villages like this, even success can have its problems.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Andrew Turner Cross became the village baker after buying the local bakehouse.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Records for the Slindon bakery here
0:06:14 > 0:06:18date all the way back to the mid-16th century.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22His business really took off, but outgrew the tiny bakehouse.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Now the bread is made elsewhere.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30We knew we had to shut down or move production somewhere else
0:06:30 > 0:06:32because we just outgrew it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36We were falling out of the doors and windows in the little village bakehouse at the back.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So the casualty was production in Slindon.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41But the presence is still here.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Is that important to you, that you are still here in Slindon?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It is really important.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51It gives the bakery its identity, and gives the village fresh bread!
0:06:51 > 0:06:56And it's not just the villagers. Visitors like to see the stall, too.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The thing we get asked most often at this point in the village is,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03"Where are the pumpkins?" And then they buy a loaf.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08"While I'm here, I'll have a loaf of bread." In fact, while I am here, I'd love to have a loaf of bread!
0:07:08 > 0:07:09Go ahead, choose.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12As we're in pumpkin season, I'll go for the one with the seeds.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Delicious. Thank you very much.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Well, we need something to go with Ellie's bread
0:07:18 > 0:07:22so I'm acting as sous chef at the Pumpkin Cafe, run by volunteers
0:07:22 > 0:07:25from both village churches.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29What are the delights that are in front of us? It looks fantastic.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Yes, well, what I've done is I've cooked everything
0:07:32 > 0:07:33from a Crown Prince squash.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Everybody loves pizza, but why not make it with pumpkin?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Have you put pumpkin in the bread as well, then?- Yes.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I then wanted to amaze you with a pudding.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It's kind of an Eton Mess without the meringue.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Can I try that? I won't spoil that display, will I?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51No. Have you got the fruit as well? You can't just have cream.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53That's naughty, very naughty!
0:07:53 > 0:07:55I've met boys like you before!
0:07:55 > 0:07:58SOME LAUGHTER
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- Oh! That is my kind of pudding, that.- I mean, it's not too sweet.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04'But it's pumpkin pate I'm going to make with Rosemary.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06'Heaven help me!'
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Right, what's the plan here? - Just scrape that off the skin,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and pop it in here,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13in generous-sized chunks.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15We need a good wodge of that parsley.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- And how are you on chillies? - Yeah, go for it. Let's put some chillies in, definitely.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Shall I just show you how to do that?
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's just an excuse, so I can come closer to you!
0:08:24 > 0:08:26If you want to put your arms around me,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29so that you understand what I'm doing, it's OK.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31But if you're right-handed,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34you're going to hold the tip of the knife with your left hand,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and then you go all loose and floppy in your shoulder.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- And I shall put my arms around you, if you don't do it properly!- OK!
0:08:41 > 0:08:45'I think the spiciest thing around here is Rosemary!'
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Looks gorgeous, doesn't it? - Now, are you going to have a taste?
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Mmm!
0:08:52 > 0:08:56How are we doing on seasonings?
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Erm...
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Do you think it needs a bit of salt? - A bit more salt. I agree.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- Well done!- Yes!- I agree.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07That's pretty good.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- Yeah, gorgeous.- Yeah?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13'But there's one person who really needs to taste this.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Right, here we go. Robin?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Robin, you look nervous.- No, no. - LAUGHTER
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- So, this is pumpkin pate.- Yeah?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Pattie? Pate! - Well, depends on where you're from!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Well, "pat-ay", yes! There we are, then. It's all yours.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35Have a nibble and see what you think. There's pumpkin in the bread as well.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Pumpkin seeds in the bread, that's my bit. This is great.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Well, what's the verdict? - What do you think?
0:09:43 > 0:09:44It could be improved on!
0:09:44 > 0:09:49- "It could be improved on!" Robin! - It's a slur on your skills!
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I'm not referring to the recipe, I'm talking about the pumpkin!
0:09:52 > 0:09:54THEY LAUGH
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Now, from pumpkins to pylons.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Plans to build hundreds of miles of new power lines across Britain
0:09:59 > 0:10:02have already caused a huge amount of controversy,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05but what effect will they actually have on our landscape?
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Tom has been investigating.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10In our ever-changing world, there's more demand for everything -
0:10:10 > 0:10:14more cars, more food and more power.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16That's where the National Grid comes in.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21It provides the veins and arteries that supply our nation's lifeblood
0:10:21 > 0:10:23electricity.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26With a growing demand for energy,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and the government needing to hit set green targets
0:10:28 > 0:10:32over the next few years, the beast is only going to get bigger,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and that means more of these.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Pylons. Tens of thousands of them straddle our landscape.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43At 50 metres high, and weighing in at 20 tonnes,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46these familiar structures form a network that, arguably,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50is one of Britain's greatest engineering feats.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53We've got 4,500 miles of circuits,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56there are 22,000 pylons in the system,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00320 substations connecting over 70 generators.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04It is a vast network, stretching the length and breadth of the country.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But love them or loathe them, we're going to need more of them.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Partly, as John discovered last week, to connect up
0:11:12 > 0:11:15the vast, new wind farms springing up around our coast.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We have 1,500 megawatts of offshore wind capacity installed.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22But we'll need to go to about 12 times that amount, by 2020.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26And all that energy needs to be plugged in to the grid.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29The way we generate our power is changing.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32In the past, the sources of power and people dwelt pretty close together,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34from the central belt of Scotland
0:11:34 > 0:11:37down through the coalfields of the North and the Midlands,
0:11:37 > 0:11:38and on to the south.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42But, increasingly, our electricity is coming from the coast
0:11:42 > 0:11:44from wind turbines in the North Sea
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and nuclear power stations in East Anglia,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and much the same on the West.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52We've got wind turbines on the hills and mountains, more out to sea,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and nuclear power stations again, there.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And to link all these new sources of power to your home
0:11:59 > 0:12:00can't be done without wires.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04And these wires will be weaving their way through
0:12:04 > 0:12:07some of our most remote and beautiful countryside.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Likely locations include the Lakes, the Kent Downs, and in West Wales.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16One of National Grid's proposed new pylon runs is here,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19in the Vyrnwy Valley just outside the village of Meifod.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Come on, girls.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25'Jonathan Wilkinson is a dairy farmer here,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'and he's vehemently against the pylons being built.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:29So, Jonathan, describe to me
0:12:29 > 0:12:32what this place could look like in five years' time.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Worst-case scenario, in the far distance, on the horizon,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39you'd be looking at wind turbines around 600 feet,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and coming from them, pylons 150 feet tall,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46marching through the gap you can see there,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50which is a small valley, and then right through the middle of here.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Why is it that you find that such a distressing vision?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Firstly, obviously, it's a massive change,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02and nobody likes change, but it goes much, much deeper than that.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I've spent all my life here. People love this place.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07They keep coming back to this place,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10because of what it is.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12That natural beauty would be lost.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15You really think that is the core point for you,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19it would scar the pristine beauty of this farmed landscape?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Certainly that. It would massively disrupt,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24during the construction, my farming operation here.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Were the pylons to be here, they have a pretty large footprint.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29They're not put in hedgerows,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32they're just dotted indiscriminately through the fields.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36So, from a farming point of view, devastating.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39With very little compensation, as I understand.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The aesthetic beauty of the area would be lost.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45However you dress it up, doesn't it come down to a version
0:13:45 > 0:13:49of not in my backyard, which is "not in my Welsh valley"?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I think, were we trying to stop this
0:13:54 > 0:13:58at the expense of another corridor, yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But I wouldn't want to see it not going here,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04so that it went on somebody else's land, somebody else's farm.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It would give me no pleasure at all.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11Wherever it goes, I'd feel equally bad about it, to be honest.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Jonathan's views are echoed across the country.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Thousands of people are concerned about
0:14:16 > 0:14:19not only the blight on the landscape, but also the impact
0:14:19 > 0:14:23on places people go to recharge their own batteries.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Peter Ogden, a fierce campaigner
0:14:24 > 0:14:27for the protection of the Welsh countryside,
0:14:27 > 0:14:28is naturally in agreement.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I mean, what we're trying to do with landscapes is get things
0:14:32 > 0:14:35to fit in the right way, and in the right place.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40And putting in a great big Avatar-scale pylon system
0:14:40 > 0:14:44through what is a soft, rolling countryside, for me,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and for the thousands of people in this part of mid Wales,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49doesn't work.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54You've probably seen the number of placards that are around,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56demonstrating that people don't want this.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Tourism is very important.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Are people going to come to places which are blighted
0:15:01 > 0:15:04by transmission lines and power cables?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- Do you have electricity at home? - Of course I do.- How do you expect that to reach there?
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Well, I expect it to reach through the normal cabling systems,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15but where it actually is generated is another matter.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19But don't you have to accept that some sacrifices to our landscape
0:15:19 > 0:15:23have to be made, in order to get electricity to where it's needed?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Some sacrifice, but it should be at the right scale
0:15:26 > 0:15:27and in the right place.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It's inevitable that there's going to be a huge expansion,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34due to the increasing demand for power.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38And from what I've heard, not everyone's going to be happy.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40So, is there an alternative to that?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The answer could be beneath my feet.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And I'll be going underground to look for it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53While Ellie and I have been getting a taste of village life,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55here in Slindon, Katie has been helping to build
0:15:55 > 0:15:59an extraordinary eco-home for countryside volunteers.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05The lush pastures and woods of Swan Barn Farm.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09100 acres of National Trust land, in Haslemere in Surrey.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Popular with walkers looking for a taste of open country
0:16:13 > 0:16:15within the commuter belt. But lovely as this estate is,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18it doesn't look after itself.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22All this is made possible by the dedication
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and commitment of volunteers. 50,000 people across the UK
0:16:26 > 0:16:29give up their time for the Trust each year.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- And today,- I- am giving them a helping hand.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I'm going to be working on an exciting new project which,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40for a lucky few, will transform the experience of volunteering.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- Hi, Ben!- Hi, Katie.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- So, this is it?- Yes, it is.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51'Woodsman Ben Law made his name by building his own house on national television.'
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Made from trees in the wood where he works,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56the project captured the public's imagination.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Now, he's turning his hand to a new home for three National Trust volunteers.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- Come on in.- Wow! This is fantastic. It's quite roomy inside.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- It is. There's a real open space to it, isn't there?- Fantastic.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12'This is not a typical building.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'There aren't any steel girders here, nor a single brick in sight.'
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So, all this, this wood, where is it from?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22This is all from the estate, the National Trust estate at Blackdown.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's all been sourced within two miles of where we're building.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30It's all coppiced sweet chestnut, so this will be regrowing now, as we're using the wood.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33What about these walls? What are these made of?
0:17:33 > 0:17:37These are straw bale, so local straw from a farm near here.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41'There's even sheep's wool used for insulation.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'It's about environmentally friendly building,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48'using materials that are local, sustainable and biodegradable.'
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Now, if you take an architect
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and take them out of their comfort designing zone,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and take them out into the woods,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59and say, "What's available today is 33 chestnut trees, ten larch,
0:17:59 > 0:18:04"now go away and design your house," you start with resources first.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And that's the message I'm hoping to get across here.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10What about the expense? Is it more expensive to build out of wood?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14No. These type of buildings generally come in about 30% cheaper
0:18:14 > 0:18:17than a building built out of bricks and mortar.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Building began six months ago, and the house is nearly finished.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26I'm going to be helping out with some of the final touches.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Like plastering with mud.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36OK, so you just work the clay in your hands. Nice consistency.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38And then start at the bottom there.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I'm just going to work that into the lath.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Work it between your hands, straight onto the lath.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52And is this how they've been making walls for thousands of years?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Exactly how they've been making walls for thousands of years, yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- This is wattle and daub? - This is wattle and daub.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The chestnut lath is the wattle, and this is the daub.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- What do you reckon? Am I doing OK? - Yeah!- I'm a bit slower than you.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10No, I think you're doing fine.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12It's stuck, though, isn't it?
0:19:14 > 0:19:15I wonder how many weeks it'll take
0:19:15 > 0:19:18to get this out from underneath my nails?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21BEN LAUGHS
0:19:23 > 0:19:27'This is certainly unlike any house I've seen before
0:19:27 > 0:19:28'and in a break from work,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32'I'm eager to find out who's going to be living here.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:34There'll be three full-time volunteers.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37They're going to be living in that building and helping us
0:19:37 > 0:19:41to look after the land and the animals that we have here
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and the woodlands that provided the materials
0:19:44 > 0:19:46that made the house where they're living.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49We wanted a building that would connect people with the landscape,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and hopefully, by building something in this way,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54that's what we're getting.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And it's into the woods we're headed next,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01to harvest some sweet chestnut to make roof tiles.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Here, a chainsaw comes in handy.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10But knocking the tiles into shape is a job that has to be done by hand.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Looks pretty good. Are you going to have a go?- Yes, please.- OK.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- Are you left-handed? - Yeah, take it the other way round,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27and go a little bit thinner.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29OK? Just little tap.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- Oh, you have to keep it quite steady.- Yeah.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37- A bit of cradling.- I was not a woodman's wife in a former life!
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Your house might not be ready this year!
0:20:40 > 0:20:42This is looking so bad!
0:20:42 > 0:20:46If you hold my hand up, you can just push that away from you
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and that will split that up.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Push that handle away.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I don't think they'll be calling me back to volunteer!
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I've managed to break the equipment! That is so bad!
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- If you push it further back in there...- And do a bit more of this?
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- Can you freestyle a bit on this? - Yeah, that has gone well.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08That has got to be the worst roof tile ever! But it was my first.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- I don't think it's too bad. - Can I have another go?
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Yeah, have another go.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'Luckily, my second effort turns out rather better.'
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Oh, look at that! I think that was a bit chunky there.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- That was much better, that one. - Thank you.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23'But it's not finished just yet,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'and it's becoming clear that it takes a lot of work to make every tile.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29'There's no shortcut,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33'as using machine tools would spoil the wood's natural protective coat.'
0:21:33 > 0:21:36One down, only a few thousand to go!
0:21:38 > 0:21:40'Plenty of elbow grease later,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'and my lovingly-crafted tiles are ready to be fitted.'
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The thing about using wood, I would've thought it might rot?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53You have to pick the type of wood you're going to use - chestnut is brilliant.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Full of tannic acid, naturally durable timber.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59That's what gives it longevity.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I'd expect to get 45 years of life out of these.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- 45 years - people have to do their roofs sooner than that, don't they?- Quite often.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Let me get this right - this building is going to last
0:22:11 > 0:22:14a long time, is cheaper, it's more environmentally friendly?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17How come EVERYBODY isn't building their houses like this?
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Well, a lot more buildings are being built out of wood now.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Wood is being seen as a useful and renewable building material,
0:22:26 > 0:22:27but also, it takes time,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30because the building industry is quite set in its ways,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34and to make change happen, you have to re-educate people
0:22:34 > 0:22:39about the type of materials they use, and the way that they build.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41As for who will live in THIS house,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45the National Trust plans to begin its search for volunteers later this year.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50The lucky few will get to live in close harmony with the land
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and enjoy at home that'll be an experience in itself.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Well, if all of that has inspired you
0:23:00 > 0:23:02to get out and about into the countryside,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04the BBC has teamed up with a range of partners
0:23:04 > 0:23:07to offer activities right across the UK.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12For more information, log on to our website and click on "things to do".
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Earlier in the programme, we heard about the need
0:23:15 > 0:23:18for miles of new power cables across the British countryside.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But does that actually mean hundreds of new pylons? Here's Tom.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I've discovered that in order to get power to our homes,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28from new sources of energy, like wind farms,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31we're going to need lots more of these pylons.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36But that hasn't gone down too well with people who live near them,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39or those that fear for the future of our countryside.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46So, if these plans for over 200 miles of new power lines are to go ahead, then the people behind them
0:23:46 > 0:23:50will have to negotiate some significant obstacles.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Maybe the answer is staring us straight in the face.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56This familiar lattice design has hardly changed
0:23:56 > 0:24:00since the first one was erected in 1928.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05So, maybe a bold new look could make pylons more palatable.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'Design Guru Ruth Reid has been on the panel to decide
0:24:08 > 0:24:13'the winner of a national competition to restyle this controversial icon.'
0:24:13 > 0:24:17- 250 people actually submitted designs.- Wow.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20These are second stage development.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22They've been looked at by engineers and architects,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and developed to meet the brief that was set.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27I want to have a closer look,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30but as we do that, can you tell me what was the key brief?
0:24:30 > 0:24:33What were the things they had to do, or had to avoid?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Well, you have to carry different sets of conductors,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41so that they are isolated, both in terms of the cable swinging,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44to reduce arcing between them,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48so, there's a set distance you have to hold the conductors, the cables.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51They have to stay apart so that they don't clash in the wind?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Yes, because otherwise, they'd earth out.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They have to be adaptable in terms of height.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02For instance, this one, presumably, you just add extra height to it.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07The thickness of the structural member, the steel, gets finer,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- as you go up.- So, it's sturdy at the base, and as you go up,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14it has two support less weight, and it gets more and more delicate.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17This is the one that will be a mirror, I believe,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21so that you will tend to lose it in the landscape
0:25:21 > 0:25:26and you'll see, reflected, the landscape that it stands in.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But there's a bit of a dilemma here for an architect,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33as to whether these are supposed to be eye-catching or invisible.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I think that'll be the dilemma for the jury.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40It's wonderful to have individual sculptural statements, but if you repeat them
0:25:40 > 0:25:42across the landscape, can it be too much?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44But back on his farm in Wales,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47will any of these designs please Jonathan?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50What about that one?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54I think, as a piece of modern design, it's not,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56um, repulsive.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I'm not tempting you on that one?! What about this?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02A giant toothpick with... What's that hanging off it?
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Dental floss, maybe, in your metaphor, anyway!
0:26:05 > 0:26:09This one's slightly more outlandish.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Yeah, yeah.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15As a piece of individual design, I can see some artistic merit in it,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19but as Vyrnwy Valley's Angel of the North,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21it could maybe work as one.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24What would you think if you had a line of these through this valley?
0:26:24 > 0:26:29I would think little better of those than I would of...
0:26:29 > 0:26:32a whole line of conventional pylons, to be honest.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34To use an agricultural metaphor,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and that's what they're trying to do.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It might not make much difference to Jonathan,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45but in the end, this design was chosen as the winner.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49But that still doesn't mean the National Grid WILL use it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51But is it possible to change the routes
0:26:51 > 0:26:55to where fewer people live or the landscape is less valued?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58As you might have guessed, it's never as simple as that.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02TO me, it's like squeezing a balloon, isn't it?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06You squeeze it in one place, and it pops out somewhere else.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09So, changing the route of the pylon isn't going to solve the problem,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12because all you're doing is pushing the issue somewhere else,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and some other community will be affected.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I think we've got to downscale, basically. We've got to say,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22"These sort of developments are not really right for this area."
0:27:22 > 0:27:26So it's not the case that there is A route which is already spoiled
0:27:26 > 0:27:29and wouldn't matter if you put a load of pylons in it?
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Not in terms of where the actual wind energy is generated.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Those are remote areas, by their very nature.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39They are unspoilt, and therefore, transmitting electricity
0:27:39 > 0:27:43from those places back into the grid, into the central Midland area
0:27:43 > 0:27:46is going to be problematic, wherever you put those pylons.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50So, is there a way of delivering all this new power
0:27:50 > 0:27:54without the need for hundreds of pylons across the countryside?
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Could this deep trench near Ross on Wye in Herefordshire provide the answer?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Burying power lines seems like the obvious solution.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07In this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11they're in the process of replacing three miles of existing cables.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14What are the unique problems about being underground,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16as opposed to having your cables up in the air?
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Well, when you're shipping large amounts of energy, as we're doing,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24the circuit here is supporting a load of six billion watts,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26so three billion watts per circuit.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Even with the best conductors in the world, you'll generate heat.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- And heat's our issue. - Three billion watts
0:28:33 > 0:28:36can you give me that in lightbulbs or kettles, or something?
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Possibly a kettle in your home may be about a kilowatt, 1,000 watts,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43so that's three million kettles, full load, every kettle boiling at the same time.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45It's an incredible amount of power.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Despite the difficulties that come with putting power lines underground,
0:28:52 > 0:28:57National Grid can and will lay some cables beneath our feet.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00But there is another reason why they don't bury them all.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05We put our water underground, and our gas underground.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Why couldn't you do this everywhere?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10The simple technical answer to that is you can.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13You can build the entire network with underground cable systems.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15The issue is one of cost.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18In terms of what National Grid's earning, we're funded,
0:29:18 > 0:29:23we're paid to do that's required, but those costs come back
0:29:23 > 0:29:26to you and I, as consumers, in our bills.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Roughly, how much more does it cost, to put your cables underground?
0:29:30 > 0:29:32We use a figure of roughly ten times the cost,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34of undergrounding a cable system,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36compared to putting in overhead lines.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Typically, on a brand-new overhead line construction,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43it's anywhere between £1.6 million and £1.8 million per kilometre.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46On an equivalent underground cable system,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48it's £18 million to £22 million per kilometre,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50A sizeable difference in cost.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Not everyone agrees it costs so much,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55but the fact remains it is more expensive.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58So, it's a trade-off between the price of electricity
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and the purity of our landscape.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Uncomfortable sacrifices will have to be made.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08In the end, what underlies it is the question, what price, keeping the lights on?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Later on Countryfile -
0:30:15 > 0:30:18introducing Ellie to the joys of cricket, Sussex-style.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- I never watched cricket before today.- And?- LBW?
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- LBW?- Yeah.- Leg before...
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Watch?
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Adam's visiting a farm run with nature in mind.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33We've got a passion for the wildlife here.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I am also a keen wildlife photographer.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40Kestrel there, on icy branches. That photograph was taken just up there.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45If you're planning some wildlife watching of your own, you'll need the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59'A few miles away from the pretty Sussex village of Slindon,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01'where we have been exploring country life,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'are the broad parklands of an aristocratic estate.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Knepp Castle has a long and proud tradition.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12Aristocratic families have lived here since Norman times
0:31:12 > 0:31:15and over the centuries, there have been some drastic changes.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17But now, it's all about getting back to nature.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24The whole of this 3,500 -acre estate is part of a grand experiment,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26where the animals are left to do their own thing.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30The estate's been owned by the Burrell family
0:31:30 > 0:31:33for the last 200 years and until recently, current owner
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Charlie Burrell ran a dairy and arable farm here.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40But with agricultural prices falling and profits hard to come by,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Charlie came up with a drastic solution -
0:31:44 > 0:31:46re-wilding the estate.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49What did you do to get started and what have you got?
0:31:49 > 0:31:54For 17 years, I was farming intensively with dairy cows
0:31:54 > 0:31:58and sheep and beef and arable.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00And we have gone from that to...
0:32:00 > 0:32:04it's loosely known as a re-wilding project,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07but it's probably more precisely called a naturalistic grazing project,
0:32:07 > 0:32:13where you use herbivores to create an interesting habitat.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It's a new way of thinking, isn't it,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18having gone to agricultural college and learnt traditional farming,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21you have to think quite differently to make it work.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25If you're really interested in the bugs,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28which is what I am,
0:32:28 > 0:32:34you know, the thrill of seeing recoveries of butterflies
0:32:34 > 0:32:38and recoveries of beetles, and recoveries to such levels
0:32:38 > 0:32:42that you get more out of it every day that marches past,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45you get to see something new and something happening.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47That's very exciting.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53Grazing like this doesn't only create wonderful habitat for wildlife,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57it also earns farmers like Charlie money for looking after the countryside.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00The estate sells free-range pork, venison and beef,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and with a bit of rental income from farm buildings,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and it adds up to a gentle profit.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11It's all a very long way from the intensive farming of the past.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13What's been done here really does give a whole new meaning
0:33:13 > 0:33:15to the phrase "right to roam".
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Without the grazing, it could potentially just become wood again
0:33:20 > 0:33:24and the trees would grow, but all the grazing keeps it at this level.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Yes. If you didn't have the grazing and browsing animals,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30you would end up with woodland.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Putting those into the mix, you get this mantle,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37this appearance of the edge of woodland and scrub, coming down to grassland.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39That's where most of life lives.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43So, what are your hopes for how this will go in the long term?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47It's already sort of happening, because when I started this,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50I had no idea how quickly nature moves back into the countryside.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53The whole time, we're seeing new things happening -
0:33:53 > 0:33:56that's what's exciting to me. Every year is different.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03But there's another interesting idea round here - re-wiggling the river.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Over the centuries, the River Adur has been straightened,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09and now it's prone to flash flooding.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Charlie's hoping to create
0:34:11 > 0:34:15a more even flow all year round by rebuilding the natural flood plains.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18And he's using the estate's own resources.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21By putting the natural meanders back,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23or re-wiggling it, as Charlie calls it,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26The estate's hoping that invertebrates, birds and mammals
0:34:26 > 0:34:28will all take up residence.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35They're working hand in hand with the Environment Agency
0:34:35 > 0:34:38and Natural England to dig a new meandering river bed,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42and these trees are going to play their part, too.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45It's all looking terribly busy, Charlie. What's going on here?
0:34:45 > 0:34:49They're cutting young oaks out of a plantation
0:34:49 > 0:34:51which was planted probably 20 years ago,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55- so that we can create some blockages.- What's that for?
0:34:55 > 0:35:02The first action is to help the river perform more naturally,
0:35:02 > 0:35:03so you block up winter waters,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07so that the river floods the flood plain more frequently.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11'This is green engineering - no concrete or steel,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14'just taking the land back to a more natural state.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17'And it's hoped all this will make the river more manageable
0:35:17 > 0:35:20'and more wildlife-friendly.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22'Charlie Smith from the Environment Agency
0:35:22 > 0:35:24'is keen to show off the work being done here.'
0:35:24 > 0:35:29This is the bit that will carry the water, will have more flow,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32more things happening, more habitat.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34It should work how we want it to work,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36which is great for us.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- Fantastic, it's looking very good so far.- Great!
0:35:39 > 0:35:43'Of course, all this work's causing more than a little disruption
0:35:43 > 0:35:45'to the local fish stocks.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47'The few that are in the river are being moved to safety
0:35:47 > 0:35:53'using electro-fishing. It's all part of the bigger picture.'
0:35:53 > 0:35:59It's a massive project, and it has clearly already started, but what are your hopes for the outcome here?
0:35:59 > 0:36:03My hopes are that over the next five to ten years,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05you start to see a flood plain that is wetter,
0:36:05 > 0:36:10that has better wildlife on it, that's more interesting for people,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13and is just an exciting place to come and see wildlife.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16'If the work here at Knepp is a success, maybe we could see
0:36:16 > 0:36:19'more re-wiggling and re-wilding throughout the countryside.'
0:36:19 > 0:36:24What I think is remarkable about this is how untested it is, and what
0:36:24 > 0:36:28a punt Charlie has made, putting so much of his estate into it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32But seeing the livestock, they have THE most charmed life.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35They've the right to roam and they can eat whatever they want,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38and closer to my heart is that the wildlife have got
0:36:38 > 0:36:40such an incredible habitat.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Every year, at least two species of plants and animals
0:36:53 > 0:36:57become extinct in England, and many more are under threat.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Adam is always keen to find new ways to encourage wildlife on his farm.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03And as usual, that involves an early start.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17We've got a couple of thousand animals on the farm, and the first job of the morning is to feed them.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20I've had my breakfast, now it's their turn. First up is Dolly.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- HE WHISTLES - She is the house dog,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26she's a bit spoilt, and the sheepdogs live outside.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32The sheepdogs are an important part of the working farm team,
0:37:32 > 0:37:37and they work for you, because of their instinct, but also because they love you,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41because you give them food, water and somewhere dry to lie at night.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42There we go, good girls.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'But that's just the start.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51'With pigs, chickens,
0:37:51 > 0:37:55'geese, ducks, ponies, donkeys,
0:37:55 > 0:38:00'horses, cattle, sheep and goats,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03'I've got a lot of hungry mouths to feed.'
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Farm animals always know when it is breakfast time. They're always stood here,
0:38:11 > 0:38:15waiting, and the pigs are shouting, because when they're little,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19they scream to their mothers to lie down and feed them.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24Eventually, she does. And they carry on screaming as they get older.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Pigs will pretty much eat anything - they're omnivores.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29But it's important they get the right diet,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32and these pig nuts are full of all the essentials that they require.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Pig nuts are very expensive, so we have to be careful
0:38:35 > 0:38:40how much we feed them. The ration is essential, otherwise you're just throwing money away.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44We like to give them a few apples out of the garden, they love apples.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Chickens are fairly easy to keep, I've got about 30 laying hens.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Shut them up at night to keep them away from the foxes.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59There we are, chucks.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03I feed them on home-grown wheat, of which I've got
0:39:03 > 0:39:06thousands of tonnes, and layers' pellets.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08This is a clever little feeder.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11You pour the food in here, and then,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14the chickens stand on it to get at the food.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16It keeps it away from the rooks.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19The chickens are clever enough to use it,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21but the rooks aren't. It's fantastic.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And then, of course, they pay me back in eggs.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Poultry nutrition can be quite complicated,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29but it's not just about the health of the bird.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31It's about the egg they produce as well.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33What's in their diet has a lot to do with
0:39:33 > 0:39:36the thickness of the shell and the good quality of the yolk.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42So really, tasty eggs means healthy chickens. There's my breakfast for tomorrow!
0:39:51 > 0:39:53I've got a few pet geese in here.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57I feed them poultry pellets and wheat. Let them out.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Come on! Here's your food.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Although we feed the geese pellets,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12they're actually very good at grazing the grass, mowing the lawn.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15So, six geese will eat as much as one sheep.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19And some people keep them as guard dogs, so if a stranger turns up,
0:40:19 > 0:40:24they make a right old racket! The ganders can be very aggressive. But this one is really friendly,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27it's a bit of a family pet. Likes being stroked, don't you?
0:40:28 > 0:40:33There you go. Go and have a graze. There's other animals to look after.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50At this time of year, the grass is running out
0:40:50 > 0:40:52and it's not very good quality,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56so we supplementary feed the cattle with a bit of this barley straw.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Just take the string off.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01When we combine the barley,
0:41:01 > 0:41:06the straw is left behind and we bail it up, and it makes good fodder.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Tricky on a windy day!
0:41:16 > 0:41:20'Before the wind blows too much of the straw away,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23'I need to round up the cows so they can get stuck in.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25'Sometimes they like to play in it, too.'
0:41:27 > 0:41:29As well as farm animals,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I share this farm with a huge array of wildlife.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37And I love feeding the birds in the garden, but as a farmer, I have a big responsibility
0:41:37 > 0:41:40to look after ALL the wildlife across the whole 1,600-acre farm.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43At the moment, I'm in a scheme called
0:41:43 > 0:41:48the Cotswold Hills Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme, where we get paid by the government
0:41:48 > 0:41:51to put in areas that help the wildlife.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53That's coming to an end soon
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and it's being replaced by Higher Level Stewardship.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59It is quite complicated and it's a 10-year commitment,
0:41:59 > 0:42:03so it's a decision I'm going to have to make with my business partner, Duncan.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09'The Higher Level Stewardship Scheme aims to deliver the greatest possible benefits
0:42:09 > 0:42:13'for wildlife and the natural environment. How much grant you get
0:42:13 > 0:42:17'depends on how much work you do. To help inform our decision,
0:42:17 > 0:42:22'we're off to the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire to meet David White. He already farms under this scheme.'
0:42:24 > 0:42:28David, it's a really wonderful spot. How many acres do you farm?
0:42:28 > 0:42:29We farm about 1,400 acres here.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34We are predominantly arable, growing wheat, barley and rape.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38What proportion of your farm, the arable area, have you taken out of production?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40We've taken out about 7%.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44So, it's about 100 acres which have gone into,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47basically, areas for wildlife.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49And why did you go ahead with that?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Really, because we have a passion for the wildlife on our farm.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55I'm also a very keen wildlife photographer.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59So, the two go hand-in-hand. It's great to see the wildlife and take some photos.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01You have some photographs with you?
0:43:01 > 0:43:05OK, so, we have seen a really big increase in the numbers of hare
0:43:05 > 0:43:08- on the farm, since being in stewardship.- Beautiful photo.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16Goldfinch. They really like the rough areas of the farm -
0:43:16 > 0:43:19teasels, thistles, that sort of thing.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25- Lapwings, a real success story with lapwings on the farm.- Beautiful.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31Kestrel there, on icy branches. That photograph was taken just up there.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33- It definitely seems to be working, then?- Yeah.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- Goodness me, what's that? - That's a short eared owl.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40We get them here in the winter, beautiful, beautiful birds.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43The Higher Level Stewardship Scheme, which we're involved in,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46has helped with creating the right habitat for those birds.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50It's great you have got such a passion. Let's go and have a look.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57'David's clearly doing something right. We're off to look at the margins he has created
0:43:57 > 0:44:00'around the edge of his arable fields.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04'These margins provide habitat and lots of food for the wildlife on his farm.'
0:44:05 > 0:44:08I see you've got quite a few strips like this.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10What's this trying to achieve?
0:44:10 > 0:44:16Well, we've got 40 acres of this wild bird seeds mixture.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20And this is being grown specifically for birds.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23You can see there's loads and loads of seed here.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Absolutely just loads, look at that.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30This seed will stay right the way through the winter.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34It'll be a food source, so rather than planting it and hoping for the best,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37it is farmed as we would farm our arable crops,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39which I think is important.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42It's getting the right habitat in the right place
0:44:42 > 0:44:47and once you've got the right habitat, you will then get the wildlife.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50This is pretty good, productive land that you could be growing wheat on.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Farmers get paid for growing these kind of stewardship crops. Is it enough?
0:44:54 > 0:44:59If we can do everything we can to encourage the wildlife on the farm
0:44:59 > 0:45:04and if we can get funding from the EU to help offset the loss of income,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07that works well. It works for the wildlife,
0:45:07 > 0:45:09it works for us
0:45:09 > 0:45:12and it works for the farm as a whole, and that's great.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16- I've just picked a sparrow's dinner here. Oops! - THEY ALL LAUGH
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Put it back and let it ripen!
0:45:20 > 0:45:23It's important that Duncan and I make the right decision.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27We'd need to convert around 7% of our arable land,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31that's about 70 acres, for wildlife, rather than growing crops.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35But, of course, we'd be paid some money to compensate.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37On David's farm, there's lots more to see.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41Wild areas with nectar-rich plants to attract pollinators.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Wild grassland on the downs for mammals such as mice and voles,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47food for birds of prey.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51And fallow areas - perfect nesting grounds for birds like lapwings.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Is hedgerow management quite important for the stewardship.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03Yes, it is, because the rules of the scheme
0:46:03 > 0:46:06are that you can only cut the hedges
0:46:06 > 0:46:09one year in three at the most.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11If it was a neat, tidy hedge, cut every year,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14there wouldn't be any berries on there at all.
0:46:14 > 0:46:19We are creating a really good food source for a whole host of birds.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Do you think we could make this work for us?
0:46:21 > 0:46:24I do. I'm really inspired by what I've seen today.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28I think we can deliver some fairly immediate results and increase the wildlife on the farm.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32We should definitely progress with something on our farm, so thank you.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- Thank you very much. Brilliant. - Not at all.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Every year, we sell our Countryfile calendar
0:46:40 > 0:46:41in aid of Children in Need.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It all started when YOU sent your photographs in to us.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Here's John with a reminder of what it's all about.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53A huge thank you to everyone who sent in their pictures.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56The theme of best in show was our most ambitious yet,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59with finalists in 12 classes of pictures.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03Like the overall winner, Pulling Power, in the working animals class.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Or the judges' favourite from the leisure and pleasure class,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09By Hook Or By Crook.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12All 12 photographs take pride of place
0:47:12 > 0:47:14in the Countryfile calendar for 2012.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20The calendar costs £9 and a minimum of £4 from each sale
0:47:20 > 0:47:22will go to Children in Need.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25You can order it right now on our website:
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Or you can call the order line:
0:47:36 > 0:47:38You could also order by post.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Send your name, address and cheque to:
0:47:49 > 0:47:54Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57In a moment, Matt will be finding out
0:47:57 > 0:48:01what's behind this Slindon's claim to be the birthplace of cricket.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05We'll be holding our own local derby against neighbours Goodwood.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08But first, here's the Countryfile forecast for next week.
0:49:49 > 0:49:57.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10'In Sussex, Ellie and I have been
0:50:10 > 0:50:13'embracing the charms of village life.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16'Not to mention enough fruit and veg to last a lifetime.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21'But its quirky annual festival isn't the only string to Slindon's bow.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23'It also has a long association
0:50:23 > 0:50:26'with one of England's most quintessential sports.'
0:50:26 > 0:50:30This may be a small village of around a few hundred people,
0:50:30 > 0:50:31but back in the 18th century
0:50:31 > 0:50:34when cricket was just becoming a real sport,
0:50:34 > 0:50:36its team were among the big hitters.
0:50:36 > 0:50:41It's been labelled by some as the birthplace of cricket,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and at their peak Slindon were among the best in England.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Though if their latest recruit is anything to go by,
0:50:47 > 0:50:48their star has waned.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- Here he is. You look the part! - Yeah, I feel pretty good.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53You'd better be good!
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Don't worry, honestly, I play loads.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I play loads with my four-year-old son.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01- That's good.- And he's winning 3-0.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04In which case, you are going to need me to wish you good luck.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06Yes, absolutely.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08'We're up against nearby Goodwood.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11'The season has officially ended, but the teams are putting on
0:51:11 > 0:51:13'a final performance for Countryfile.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16'And I'm hoping not to let the side down.'
0:51:18 > 0:51:19As for me,
0:51:19 > 0:51:23given my sporting record, I'm staying safely out of harm's way.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27This is my kind of cricket - leather on willow,
0:51:27 > 0:51:28refreshments,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30sunshine.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'It's all right for some, because on the pitch, I'm certainly being put through my paces.'
0:51:34 > 0:51:36HE GROANS
0:51:36 > 0:51:38Where's it gone?!
0:51:38 > 0:51:41How come I'm the only one doing any work here?
0:51:43 > 0:51:45While Matt dives left, right and centre,
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I'm finding out more about Slindon's glory years
0:51:48 > 0:51:52and how a tiny village was at the epicentre of this new sport.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57How good were Slindon as a side?
0:51:57 > 0:52:00They were certainly the strongest side in Sussex
0:52:00 > 0:52:03and you could argue that they were just about the strongest
0:52:03 > 0:52:05village town team in England.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10In 1741, they went up to London and they played London and they won.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13A number of the Slindon players
0:52:13 > 0:52:16were good enough to represent the England team.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19It's said that Slindon is the birthplace of cricket.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23- Is that actually true? - No, it's not the birthplace,
0:52:23 > 0:52:28because we've got records of cricket in Sussex going back to 1611,
0:52:28 > 0:52:30so that's over 100 years before.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32But why it is special
0:52:32 > 0:52:36is because there was a team here in the 1730s and 1740s
0:52:36 > 0:52:39who played regularly and we know something about them.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43We know who the players were, where they played and so on.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45In that sense it's very special.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48You've got some information to show me.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Yes, I have here the earliest rules of cricket,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54drawn up in 1727 by the second Duke of Richmond.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Now, why it relates to Slindon
0:52:57 > 0:53:02is because the second duke becomes the patron of the Slindon club.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04So these are the earliest rules written down.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06- The earliest rules.- Good gracious.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09I certainly need to learn the rules. I'm new to cricket.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I'll have a look at this and see what I can pick up.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15The support of this influential sporting duke
0:53:15 > 0:53:18helped to cement Slindon's place in cricketing history.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I'm doing my best to live up to the reputation,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24but my lack of experience is definitely evident.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29Sorry, that was a bit wide!
0:53:29 > 0:53:31It gets better but just as I'm finding my aim,
0:53:31 > 0:53:35it's time for another cricketing institution - the cricket tea!
0:53:35 > 0:53:39And thanks to Matt's cooking earlier,
0:53:39 > 0:53:41we've contributed to the spread.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Though it doesn't seem to be going down as well as the cake.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- That is pumpkin pizza. - I don't like pumpkin.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51You don't like pumpkin and you live here? I can't believe it!
0:53:55 > 0:53:57'And the pate?'
0:53:59 > 0:54:02You don't have to say you like it just because he's here.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Hmm.- Do you not like it, Sandy?
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Sandy, you don't like it, do you?
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- Did you make that, Sandy?- Yes. - Can I try it?
0:54:09 > 0:54:13- It's got loads of nuts and hazelnuts and dates.- Wow!
0:54:13 > 0:54:16- So you've tried mine. - It's only fair.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Hmm, that's awful(!)
0:54:21 > 0:54:24No, that's lovely! That's really nice. Really nice.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Tea over, it's Slindon's turn to bat. Or so I'm told.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31I must admit, I'm still finding it all completely baffling.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Matt, I've been watching for a little while now,
0:54:35 > 0:54:37never watched cricket before today...
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- And?- LBW?- LBW?- Yeah. - Leg before...
0:54:40 > 0:54:44- Watch?- W...- Words?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- The thing you stand in front of. - Oh, the wicket!
0:54:49 > 0:54:52I on the other hand know just enough about the game
0:54:52 > 0:54:56to see that this one is going to be close.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58And I'm hoping to redeem myself with the bat,
0:54:58 > 0:55:01but the captain has a surprise in store.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05So, Matt, we have an awful lot of history at this club,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07going back nearly 300 years.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09What we thought might be quite nice
0:55:09 > 0:55:12is to perhaps introduce a bit of history
0:55:12 > 0:55:15in the shape of an 18th-century bat for you to bat with,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18rather than a nice, new modern bat.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20You're kidding me?!
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- How do you feel about that? - It's like an oar!
0:55:23 > 0:55:28Isn't it? It's like a didgeridoo or some kind of tribal instrument!
0:55:28 > 0:55:32We'll give you an extra five runs if you can get a tune out of it!
0:55:33 > 0:55:36'But with Slindon's honour at stake...' Look at this thing!
0:55:36 > 0:55:39'..there's nothing to do except take it on the chin.'
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Yes! It's a four!
0:55:47 > 0:55:51Not bad for a beginner swinging an 18th-century tree trunk.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54But my luck soon runs out.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Oh, he's got me! What a beauty. See you.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03'Moments after stepping onto the pitch, and it's all over.'
0:56:03 > 0:56:07- Not too bad. - I'm back quite quickly, though.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Nice to see you again so soon.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- I don't think your little boy's got too much to worry about.- No.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Luckily my underwhelming performance
0:56:16 > 0:56:20doesn't prove to be the team's downfall -
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Slindon goes on to scrape a win by just two runs.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25What a result!
0:56:25 > 0:56:27That's almost it for tonight.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Just time to tell you that if you want to get hold
0:56:30 > 0:56:32of one of our lovely Countryfile calendars,
0:56:32 > 0:56:34log on to our website for details.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Next week we'll be in Northumberland
0:56:36 > 0:56:38finding out about farming on the edge.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- And you'll be all at sea? - Looking for our favourite sea creatures. I can't wait.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Do you want to take this? It might help you paddle!
0:56:44 > 0:56:46I'm going to need it, I think!
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- Hope you can join us then. See you.- See you.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52- Do you want another cup of tea before we go?- Yes, please, I do.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:16 > 0:57:19E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk