0:00:24 > 0:00:26Wild and wonderful.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30The Yorkshire Dales are a magnet for those seeking solitude.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36This is a vast rugged landscape with spectacular waterfalls and rich farmland.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41At its heart, an impressive scenic railway. Cutting a swathe through the valleys.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47They say the Wensleydale Railway line
0:00:47 > 0:00:51is the finest way to explore the Yorkshire Dales.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55So, today, I'm going to be letting the train take the strain and it's full steam all the way.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03While I'm relaxing, James is exploring a once common feature of the Dales. The hay meadow.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Now, you might think, as diverse as hay meadows are,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09they've got nothing in comparison to say an Amazonian rainforest,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12but if you think that, you'd be wrong.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Adam's left his farm behind to catch up with the young farmers here in Yorkshire.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20- I think they've got an eye on his job.- It's a skill but I can see it's a passion.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25I really enjoy it and this is, apart from writing invoices, this is the best part of it!
0:01:25 > 0:01:30And as darkness falls, I'm looking to the skies.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Chinese lanterns may look beautiful as they float across the night sky.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38But now the fire service is urging people not to use them.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39So just how dangerous are they?
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I'll be investigating. And also on Countryfile tonight.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Jules gets his hands dirty on a farm that's going back to traditional methods.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Blaming your tools?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Do you know what, I bet the guy who last used this 100 years ago blamed it too!
0:02:05 > 0:02:08The imposing fells, limestone outcrops and remote settlements
0:02:08 > 0:02:13of the Yorkshire Dales make for some of the most scenic railway journeys in the country.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Last winter, Julia was here exploring the splendour of one of the world's greatest railway lines.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20The Settle to Carlisle.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26Well, now it's my turn to experience the lesser known but equally impressive Wensleydale Railway.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28HORN BLOWS
0:02:31 > 0:02:35At 22 miles, this is the longest heritage line in Britain.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38The passenger route snakes through the Yorkshire Dales National Park
0:02:38 > 0:02:40from Leeming Bar to Redmire.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It takes in some of the Dales' most breathtaking landscapes.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The line closed to passengers in 1954.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Along with hundreds of others as part of government cost-cutting.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57But all that changed back in the 1990s.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Thanks to a group of local volunteers dedicated to restoring the route to its former glory.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Today, it's become a much-loved part of community life.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13- Now then, Rob, how we going, all right?- Morning.- That looks mightily impressive in there.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Are we almost ready to leave?
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Pressure's good. It has 90 pounds of steam. We're not far off.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24And how much coal will you shovel?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28I'll shovel, there's three-and a-half tonnes in the bunker.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30We'll use the majority of that today.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And you do that on your own?
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- I'll do that. By hand. - Three-and-a-half ton of coal?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- You get a lot of exercise. - Yeah, keeps me fit.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40And you'll be looking forward to a nice hot bath at the end of the day?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Yeah. I won't be quite as clean after we're finished.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Aside from the romance of the Historic Railway, the volunteers
0:03:47 > 0:03:50have a very modern ambition to bring tourists into the Dales.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And help kick-start the local economy.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57They operate a diesel service on this line but now and again
0:03:57 > 0:04:00they take a step back in time to run a steam railway once more.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And it's the perfect way for me to travel the line.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09From Leeming Bar to Bedale to visit a community business that has been set up alongside the railway.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- See you later!- Goodbye!
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The spirit of the locals and the dedication of the volunteers
0:04:20 > 0:04:23really is at the heart of this railway's success.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29And the enterprising folk have turned part of this station into a community bakery.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Carol.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Oh, hi there, nice to meet you!
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- All right?- Fancy seeing you here!
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It smells absolutely gorgeous in here, doesn't it?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Yes it does, there's nothing like real bread, is there?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45The smell of baking bread.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I noticed this sign here, look,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49real bread made by the community for the community.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Absolutely spot on. We've been on a long journey over the last 18 months.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Trying to set up a community bakery.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And this is the outcome of it which we're very proud of.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06So your bread's made here in the old station house. There really is a major connection to the rail itself.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11There is because the water mill that's ground the flour is two miles outside Bedale.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Not far from the railway line.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18So, when they've finished grounding our flour
0:05:18 > 0:05:22the flour was loaded onto the train and it was brought in
0:05:22 > 0:05:27and unloaded at the station as it would have done years ago.
0:05:27 > 0:05:33So it's tremendous and of course local farmers have actually supplied the grain.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37For the job so, within five miles, we've got a food chain
0:05:37 > 0:05:40of growing the corn, milling it at Crayke Hall
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and then down here to bake so, we're very proud of that.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46In fact, the farmers in the area are even planning to grow an old
0:05:46 > 0:05:51traditional strain of wheat to keep the bread as authentic as possible.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56And head baker, Susie, is going to show this apprentice baker one of their specialities.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- This bread is what, rosemary and...? - Rosemary and black pepper.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Oh, right.- It's very nice with a bit of soup and some Wensleydale cheese.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And had you done any baking at all before this?
0:06:05 > 0:06:09No, not really. I was a care assistant before I started here.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I really wouldn't have thought that just making bread and food
0:06:12 > 0:06:15would be this important to me but it's obviously important enough
0:06:15 > 0:06:17for me to wake up at half past four in the morning.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Well that's the thing, it's a lot of work, isn't it?
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Just organising volunteers and getting them to arrive on time
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and training them up is work in itself
0:06:28 > 0:06:33but it just pays off so much when you see people chatting with each other and you see people.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Like, we did a course that the high school and we took the old people
0:06:36 > 0:06:39from the old people's home where I used to work
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and they were talking to the young people.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45It was so lovely to see the two extremes of the community
0:06:45 > 0:06:49coming together and sharing experiences and learning from each other.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54- And it was just really, really nice, and that's one of the highlights so far.- Yeah.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57At the minute, the 15 volunteers at the bakery bake
0:06:57 > 0:07:00three times a week, at around 100 loaves a time.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But they soon hope to step up production to six days a week.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05The dough's been left to prove
0:07:05 > 0:07:08but I'm not sure it's meant to look like this.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It does look a bit warty, but mine is exactly the same,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13so it's really not too bad. And we just...
0:07:16 > 0:07:20- ..like that. There you go. - So you just did that.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22So, you've got a 12 o'clock, a 3 o'clock, a 6 o'clock
0:07:22 > 0:07:26and a 9 o'clock, and then one in between each one as well.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- So I did too many there.- It's fine. It's your loaf. Do what you like.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- I just need a bit of symmetry in there now.- Fantastic.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- Are you going to put your name in the middle?- Can I do any more?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37You can put your name in if you want.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43- Maybe.- I'm trying for an M. - Fantastic.- It's a bit dodgy.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45It's all right. Don't worry.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48So, we get these in the oven, and you might want to stand back,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51cos we use steam with our baking because it gives them a nice crust.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- Great. It's a running theme, with the railway.- Oh, yes, steam engines and everything!
0:07:56 > 0:08:00The bakery's main aim is to produce a range of good, honest, traditional loaves.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Elderly residents of the town even submit recipes of the bread
0:08:03 > 0:08:04they used bake years ago.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08And now it's the moment of truth for my rosemary and black pepper.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- Oh, look at these! - The M's worked and everything! - Yeah, look at that!- Fantastic!
0:08:12 > 0:08:16You can take that home with you. Pop that on there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Thank you very much indeed. That was super. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Thank you very much. Great to see you.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27I tell you what, Baker by name, Baker by nature!
0:08:30 > 0:08:34I'm leaving Bedale behind to continue my journey on through the Dales.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Next stop, the water mill that made the flour I used to bake my bread.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Without the railway and its bakery, the mill would be nothing but a museum piece!
0:08:43 > 0:08:46And while Matt steams on ahead,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50I'm investigating a controversial new arrival to the countryside.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02If you're going to a wedding, party or even a festival this summer,
0:09:02 > 0:09:07there's a good chance you'll encounter something like this.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Easy to see why Chinese lanterns have become a bit of a craze in this country.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16There's something rather romantic about releasing one of these
0:09:16 > 0:09:20into the night sky and watching it blow away on the wind.
0:09:22 > 0:09:28It's reckoned that 200,000 lanterns were released in the UK last year alone.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But it's not as innocent as it might seem.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36For some, Chinese lanterns are a menace in the countryside,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38causing thousands of pounds worth of damage
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and putting the lives of animals and even people at risk.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46The big worry, of course is that they can start fires,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48but that's not the only problem.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Huw Rowlands is a beef farmer
0:09:51 > 0:09:55and has more than 140 Red Poll cattle on his farm near Chester.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58For him, the concern is the debris the lanterns leave behind,
0:09:58 > 0:09:59and with good reason.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Tell me what happened, Huw?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Well, not long after Bonfire Night, a Chinese lantern had landed in
0:10:05 > 0:10:09a field with some of our cattle grazing in it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12One of the cows picked up the remains of a Chinese lantern,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16chewed at it, swallowed part of the frame
0:10:16 > 0:10:21and eventually died about three days later, a very slow, lingering death.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23This is the actual lantern that killed her.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27You can see where she's been chewing and chewing at the frame.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31You can also see some of the very fine wire that holds
0:10:31 > 0:10:34the thing together, and that is the wire that punctured
0:10:34 > 0:10:37her oesophagus and caused her death.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41And over here is the remains of another Chinese lantern,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- where did this one land?- This one landed in this barn that we're in, only about two or three weeks ago.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51This one has string rather than wire holding it together, so maybe not as dangerous.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Perhaps not quite as dangerous.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56But I would say, equally bad news, because if it had been alight when
0:10:56 > 0:10:59it landed here, the bales of straw would have gone up, this would have
0:10:59 > 0:11:02all gone up in flames and we would have lost the two bulls as well.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05And you've still got the bamboo frame there.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And as you can see, where it's broken, it's still got a sharp point on it.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13That's enough to injure or even kill an animal,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15if they try to eat it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Incidents like those at the farm have led the National Farmers' Union
0:11:23 > 0:11:25to call for lanterns to be completely banned.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And it's not the only organisation that's concerned.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- Hello.- Hello, come in. - Thank you very much.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Now, you're all members of the Cheshire Federation
0:11:35 > 0:11:38of the Women's Institute, what are your concerns about these lanterns?
0:11:38 > 0:11:44It all goes back to May 2009, when we woke up on the
0:11:44 > 0:11:45May Day Bank Holiday morning
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and found 57 of them scattered over seven fields.
0:11:48 > 0:11:55- 57?!- Yes.- And were there animals in those fields?- There were.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57And of course, we hadn't cut our silage at that stage,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01so we were very concerned that we'd found them all, because
0:12:01 > 0:12:04if some were still in the fields, they were going to end up in the silage.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08And what other concerns do you have about these things floating around the countryside?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Well, the fire aspect is a great problem.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16People have had them land on their roof and set the wood
0:12:16 > 0:12:19on fire, a great deal of damage as well as danger to life and limb.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23So, what would you like to see done about these things then?
0:12:23 > 0:12:24We'd like to see them banned.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28They're banned in many countries around the world, so why not here?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31But are the risks posed really so great
0:12:31 > 0:12:33that the sale of lanterns should be stopped?
0:12:33 > 0:12:38What, for example, are the chances of them actually causing a fire.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41To stop it floating away, the lantern that you saw me launch
0:12:41 > 0:12:44at the start of this film was tethered to the ground,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47but when the wind got behind it, this happened.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52The frame, together with the burning fuel package, ripped from the rest
0:12:52 > 0:12:56of the lantern and fell straight to earth, still alight.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58But what about when they're used correctly?
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Here in West Yorkshire, the fire service was so concerned,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04they began carrying out their own research,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07in the safety of their training house.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11What will this experiment show, Chris?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14What we're trying to achieve is to see the type of heat release,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17the temperature that is coming out of the fuel package,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and ultimately, because we're in a very controlled environment,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26we can time the length of burn of the fuel package,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31and then, see what state the fuel package is in
0:13:31 > 0:13:34when the lantern starts to come back down to earth.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37What would you like to see being done about these lanterns?
0:13:37 > 0:13:41We'd like to see people stop using these lanterns,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44some real control, some licensing,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48very much similar to the fireworks licensing.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51But people buy these and release them
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- because they look beautiful, don't they?- People need to see beyond that
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and would they really be happy with people throwing
0:13:58 > 0:14:02a lighted piece of paper, maybe out of a car window,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05as they drove past some standing corn.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07It very much is the same outcome.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The test clearly shows that a lantern can fall to the ground
0:14:12 > 0:14:14while it's still burning.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And this is one reason why the Chief Fire Officers Association
0:14:17 > 0:14:20has now asked every fire-fighter in the UK
0:14:20 > 0:14:23to actively discourage their use.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25However, at the moment,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30there are no official plans to either ban or regulate Chinese lanterns.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32But some people in the industry are listening.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So, all of these boxes contain Chinese lanterns?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37They certainly do, John.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40James Cameron, from The Glow Company,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43has sold well over 100,000 lanterns in the last couple of years.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46You're one of the main importers, aren't you, of these lanterns,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50how concerned are you about claims that they're just not safe?
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Well, we've listened to the concerns, the feedback
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and the media, and in 2009, so it's a couple of years ago now,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00we looked at the design of them
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and we looked to take all of the wire out of the lanterns
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and make them fully biodegradable in the true sense.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09But many people are still concerned about the bamboo.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13We're now looking to replace the bamboo with another material.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14But we're still working on that.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18But you can't get away from the fact that a Chinese lantern is
0:15:18 > 0:15:21a flame, in a paper bag, blowing on the wind,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24no one knows where it's going to land.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27That's true, but what we do with every Chinese lantern that we sell,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29they are all individually packaged
0:15:29 > 0:15:33and each one comes with a quite detailed set of instructions
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and we believe that if people follow these instructions, then they can be safe.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Aren't they just purely and simply a danger?
0:15:40 > 0:15:44I think there are a lot of products on the market that can be
0:15:44 > 0:15:46dangerous if not used correctly.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Fireworks, for example, very dangerous,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52lots of accidents every year, many, many more than Chinese lanterns.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Chinese lanterns might seem like just a bit of fun,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and nobody wants to be a killjoy.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02But from what we've seen, they can cause real damage.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06If one could be developed that has no wire or bamboo,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11that would significantly reduce the danger to livestock.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But the threat of fire remains
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and it's difficult to know how that risk will ever go away.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The Wensleydale railway is a great way to take in the beauty
0:16:35 > 0:16:40of the Yorkshire Dales, but over the years, this countryside has changed.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Once, these fields were bursting with flowers.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47James is in the Western Dales, finding out what's being done
0:16:47 > 0:16:50to revive these traditional hay meadows.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Hay meadows give us the best of all worlds.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02This stunning colour from a carpet of wild flowers,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05they're stuffed full of bees and butterflies, habitats, all sorts
0:17:05 > 0:17:07of wildlife, and of course,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09they're useful too, because when the time comes,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13they're cut for fodder for a whole range of different livestock.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16But they are rare.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Here in the Dales, they were once as common as the field barns
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and dry stone walls that pepper the landscape.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24But since the Second World War,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28a staggering 98% of the UK's meadows have been lost.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31There are now just four square miles of upland hay meadows left.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35So, John, why have hay meadows become so under threat?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Well, it is agriculture intensification.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41We've been trying to produce food more cheaply since the Second World War,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44so a lot more artificial fertilisers have gone on the grasslands.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Most of them have been ploughed up and reseeded
0:17:47 > 0:17:49with a few productive species of grass.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53And that's just wiped out the diversity of the plants completely.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So we have lost 98% of our hay meadows in 50 years.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- What's this one still doing here? - Well, in places like the Dales,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02we've been lucky enough to have a range of agri-environment schemes,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05which have paid farmers to traditionally manage the meadows.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- So, this has been protected since about the '80s. - Is it just gardening though?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Are you just doing it to make it look beautiful?
0:18:11 > 0:18:13It's been scientifically proven livestock reared
0:18:13 > 0:18:16on these species-rich pastures, is better for us.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Farmers can charge a premium price for it, so it's better for the local economy and the farmers,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23and the health benefits, the social benefits,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27getting out in the countryside, seeing these fantastic meadows
0:18:27 > 0:18:29full of flowers on a lovely sunny day.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Now, you might think, as diverse as hay meadows are,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38they've got nothing in comparison to say,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43an Amazonian rain forest filled with exotic orchids and parasitic plants.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45But if you think that, you'd be wrong,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48because right here, in an English hay meadow, we've got a beautiful
0:18:48 > 0:18:55native orchid and right in front, yellow rattle, a parasitic plant.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02The average hay meadow has no less than 120 different plant species.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And I'm not the only one who's come to see them.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07For a group of school children from nearby Bainbridge,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11this is the perfect place to learn about the nature on their doorstep.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I'm dying to figure out what you're doing here, with this hula hoop!
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Oh, right, well, the idea is,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20for the children to have the opportunity to learn
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and recognise different wild flower species and hay meadow species.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28And they are going to count each of the different species in this hoop.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32And that will tell us how many different species there are
0:19:32 > 0:19:33and how abundant each species is.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37By focusing on that one patch, you really start to look in detail,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39whereas if you walk past, it might look like a sea of green.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43And maybe there might be some rare species in here
0:19:43 > 0:19:46that you wouldn't see if you just walk through a meadow.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Particularly with those cool magnifying glasses.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- I want one of those!- What you reckon that is that you've got there?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53We've got quite a few eyebrights.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57You'll notice, they look a little bit like little eyes. If you look
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- on the inside, there's almost like little eyelashes painted on. - They're beautiful.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04They're traditionally used to treat eye complaints,
0:20:04 > 0:20:09but I've always thought, they're so small, you'd actually have to have pretty good guys just to find them!
0:20:09 > 0:20:11So there's this huge mix of different plants in here,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13you're not going to find in the average lawn,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and it's presumably quite unusual for kids like you to see this.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19This isn't in your playing field at school.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Yes, this isn't really, but we live in a beautiful place
0:20:23 > 0:20:28and I've moved up here and I've only lived here for three years
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and I've seen some quite astonishing stuff.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And they are really beautiful, these meadow flowers.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38And it's not just the kids getting stuck in.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Because as a plant geek - this place is right up my street.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45These white, frothy flower heads are from meadowsweet,
0:20:45 > 0:20:50which as the name might suggest, tastes sweet and has this wonderful
0:20:50 > 0:20:54kind of almondy, elderflower flavour and I think more cooks should use it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58But the most exciting thing is, that it's traditionally used to treat pain.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03In fact, aspirin was originally developed on chemicals found in this.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07It's been shown that the effects of the chemical found in it last
0:21:07 > 0:21:10longer than aspirin and can be less harsh on your stomach.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16But just as important as the meadow's plants,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19is the wildlife that thrives among them.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Tanya, that's the biggest butterfly net I have ever seen. What have you got in there?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Well, not as much as I would have hoped, to be honest.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31On a day like today, it's quite cloudy,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33so we have quite a lot of flies that most
0:21:33 > 0:21:36people overlook, but also, really important pollinators
0:21:36 > 0:21:40of our meadows, we have the odd froghopper in here.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44And quite a lot of seeds. But generally, on a meadow like this,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47you'd expect to see butterflies such as common blue frequent the meadows.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51We've a lot of bumblebees as well that rely heavily on these meadows.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Five acres of hay meadow, they say, supports one tonne of bugs,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- that's a serious amount of insects. - It's amazing, you've only been flicking this around for
0:21:58 > 0:22:02a couple of seconds and there's a good couple of hundred in there.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07These are such tiny insects, but they're so important for the biodiversity,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10the swallows around us today, they'll be feeding off these insects,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14field mice, you've got the hares and rabbits that come,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18and that, in turn, leads to foxes that predate the animals.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And meadows might bring less obvious benefits too.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Researchers from Lancaster University are investigating their impact
0:22:32 > 0:22:36on the level of greenhouse gases, which have been blamed for global warming.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42I'm desperate to know what this very cool garden cloche attached to a bit of kit is doing?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46This is measuring the amount of carbon dioxide which is being given off by the meadows here.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49What we're really interested in is knowing
0:22:49 > 0:22:52how the different levels of management on our grasslands
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and hay meadows is affecting the carbon balance in the systems.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58So essentially, the results of this could be really important,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02because so much of the UK is covered in effectively grassland.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04The amount of carbon stored in the soil is higher
0:23:04 > 0:23:07in the grasslands which are more traditionally managed.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And also, the amount of carbon dioxide leaving the system appears
0:23:10 > 0:23:13to be less in the traditionally managed systems,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17so we think there is scope to develop some sort of sustainable
0:23:17 > 0:23:20management which would help with our carbon emissions in the future.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22After nearly becoming a thing of the past,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26the importance of the traditional hay meadow is now being recognised.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29If efforts to revive them are successful,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32future generations will enjoy both their beauty
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and their contribution to the wider environment.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Also in the programme,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Adam is meeting the young farmers of the future.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I have been told I am the youngest female sheep shearer in the country, so...
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Going underground, James gets kitted out for a spot of caving.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55Going to boldly go where no ethnobotanist has been before. This isn't too bad, actually.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00And we'll have the weather for the week ahead in the Countryfile forecast.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I'm on a journey through the Yorkshire Dales,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11on the Wensleydale Railway.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14The views are breathtaking. Along the way, I've indulged
0:24:14 > 0:24:17in a bit of traditional bread-making at a community bakery.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Now it's time to see the first part of the process.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I'm following this little flow to Crakehall Watermill,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25which, as Carol said back at the bakery,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29is where the raw ingredients come from for this lovely bread,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31which is still warm.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34'The watermill was bought to be run as a B&B,'
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'but hooked by the heritage in his garden,
0:24:37 > 0:24:42'Lionel Green has spent the past year restoring it to its former glory.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Lionel, how are you doing? - Hi, Matt.- What a place this is!
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- And what a beautiful sound.- Yes. - It's incredible.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52One watermill, very old watermill, in action here.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- The whole process starts over at the river?- Yes.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00- Quite a long way up there?- Yes, out across the road there, the river,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04we take our supply. Water feeds into the wheelhouse.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The transfer of energy, the water drive,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11through this main shaft up through here to the crown wheel.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I've got the finished product here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- This was my handiwork this morning.- Well done!
0:25:16 > 0:25:21But this has been around a lot longer than the community bakery.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24You must have been delighted to hear this was going to be sparked?
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Yes. It's a wonderful piece of heritage.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32This mill stands on the site of a mill mentioned in Domesday,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34so got a lot of history.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38It was really good news that the ladies down at Bedale
0:25:38 > 0:25:44were going to set up, and therefore we see crop to crust.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48It's some place this, I tell you. Thanks for showing us around.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- You're welcome.- See you later on. - Thank you.- Happy milling!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Lionel isn't the only one who's going back in time.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Jules has been to meet the farmer where it really is a case of
0:25:58 > 0:26:01out with the new, in with the old.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I'm east of the Dales, near Harrogate, on Thorpe Hill Farm.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11At 111 acres, it's a small mixed farm and home to Steve Newlove.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Recently, the family business was facing ruin
0:26:14 > 0:26:18after a company Steve was in partnership with went bust.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Overnight, 95% of his income vanished.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24In order to save his livelihood, Steve's had to come up with
0:26:24 > 0:26:28a cunning OLD plan to breathe new life back into this place.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33For this farm, going back in time could prove to be the way forward.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37The grand plan is to turn back the clocks and start working the land
0:26:37 > 0:26:3919th-century style.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44To fund it, Steve auctioned off all his modern farm equipment.
0:26:44 > 0:26:4760, have all done? At five. 60?
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I'm feeling really weird.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53On this field, I'm selling off part of my family
0:26:53 > 0:26:59that I know all the quirks and how to use all these different things
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and I'm thinking that on Monday morning,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03it's all going to be different.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07For Steve, the conveniences of modern mechanisation are no more.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10No big tractors, no fancy gadgets.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Just good old-fashioned farming basics.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17- Steve?- Jules?- How are you?- I'm good. How are you?- Nice to see you.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- Have you become a repository for anybody clearing out a barn?- Yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25This really paints the picture as to what you're trying to achieve here.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28You really are going back in time with this.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I've always said I was born 100 years too late.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34For me, the farming part is the connection with the land,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37which you get out of the way when you're in your air-conditioned cab.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40You're sat away from your crops, really.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I want to work amongst it and get back to real farming.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Your neighbours must be thinking, "He's nuts."
0:27:46 > 0:27:50They do. They think I'm absolutely bonkers! Absolutely bonkers!
0:27:50 > 0:27:54'Only time will tell whether Steve actually is bonkers,'
0:27:54 > 0:27:58but his intention is to run the farm as a working museum,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01demonstrating traditional farming methods.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05If anyone knows a thing or two about these, it's Frank Atkinson,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07who's been farming for over 70 years.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13Frank? How are you, sir? Very nice to meet you. This is Steve.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- Steve, hi, pleased to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18He's the brave soul trying to transform this place.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- Shall we have a look around? - Yes, please.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26When you started out on farms,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29this presumably was the sort of thing you would use?
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Well, this is a potato plough. This would be used
0:28:32 > 0:28:38at this time of the year, when, for the early potatoes especially,
0:28:38 > 0:28:43to not bruise them and to lift them to the surface,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46out of the ridge, and then pick them by hand.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51But I'm sure as a young man working on the farms that you did,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53you must have longed for the day
0:28:53 > 0:28:57when everything became more mechanised and easier and quicker?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- And he's going the other way! - Yeah, well, that's right.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06We didn't appreciate mechanisation cos it just crept up on us.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09And so we didn't appreciate what it was going to do.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13But to go backwards, you do appreciate what you're going to do.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- He's got his hands full, hasn't he? - Yeah, it's hard work, yes.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21'And that hard work is going to take some serious horsepower,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23'and I mean with hooves, not tyres.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27'Under the watchful eye of shire horse expert Rodney Greenwood,
0:29:27 > 0:29:32'Steve needs to learn how to handle his new steeds, Ruby and Audra.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'With them, he can expect to plough through an acre of land a day.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38'With a tractor, he could do about 17 acres.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42'That's about as far away from intensive farming as you can get.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46'And I suppose the cost of carrots is cheaper than a gallon of diesel.'
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Who needs air-conditioning when you've got this to go to work in?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55'But for some jobs, you need to rely on manpower, not horsepower.'
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Steve's plan is to eventually turn this field of maize
0:29:59 > 0:30:00into a maze. Amazing!
0:30:00 > 0:30:05Well, it's quite a big area. How big is this maze going to be?
0:30:05 > 0:30:08This is about nine-and-a-half acres, this field.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12We've got to cut a path around nine-and-a-half acres with these?
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Yeah!
0:30:17 > 0:30:21I do think we need a bit of a sharpener
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- just to get this working properly. - So, blaming your tools!
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Do you know what, I bet the guy that last used this 100 years ago
0:30:27 > 0:30:30blamed it too!
0:30:32 > 0:30:35'Aside from attractions such as as the maze,
0:30:35 > 0:30:39'Steve's keen for the farm to be part of village life again.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41'He's going to encourage the locals in to help out,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44'paying them with produce from the farm.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46'But if this is going to be a success,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48'he's got to keep his workforce happy.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51'Top of the list, Ruby and Audra.'
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Lovely.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57It's a nice way to end my visit here, I have to say,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01treating them to a welcoming gift of apple. Come on, girls!
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- Come on, girls! - First night in their new home.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08It is. Sort of five years in the planning and they're here at last.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11And when are you going to do what Rodney did?
0:31:11 > 0:31:14When are you first going to tack them up and get out there?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I'm in at the deep end now,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- so it's going to be tomorrow morning.- It's going to have to be!
0:31:19 > 0:31:22'There's no doubt that Steve's got a long road ahead,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24'and there's no going back now.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29'Although for this farm, the past actually IS the future.'
0:31:32 > 0:31:34This week, Adam is on the road,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36catching up with a couple of aspiring young farmers
0:31:36 > 0:31:39who've got their eyes on his job.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Last year, John met Gareth Barlow in Yorkshire.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50At just 20 years old, he was full of ambition for a career in farming.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54But without any land, he was keeping his sheep in his friend's garden.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57What's your chances of having your own farm?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59They may be stacked against me
0:31:59 > 0:32:03but I'll do everything to overcome them and to get it somehow, somewhere.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Since then, I've taken a keen interest in his progress.
0:32:06 > 0:32:12- You see?- Yes.- She's a well-bodied sheep, isn't she?
0:32:12 > 0:32:14With the average age of a farmer close to 60,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17it's great to see young people coming into the business.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Not being from a farming background, he's struggled to get started.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Come on!- But when I saw him last,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25the Castle Howard estate in Yorkshire had agreed
0:32:25 > 0:32:27to let him have some land to keep his sheep on.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And he's had his flock of Hebrideans for just over a year now.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I'm keen to see how he's getting on.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- Gareth, hi.- Hi, pleased to see you. - Lovely to see you.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- So how's it all going? - Busy, really busy.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Booming, I suppose is the best way of putting it. Hard work but booming.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48- And how many Hebrideans have you got now?- At the moment, about 130.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- Goodness me! So you've more than trebled in size?- Aye.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53It's been a busy few months. Had a few more, in fairness,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56but obviously there's the butchery side to keep happy
0:32:56 > 0:32:59so we've gone down. Peaked at about 150.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Now this is a difference spot to where I saw the Hebrideans last,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03so is your land area growing?
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Yeah, we've moved on to a bigger area,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08about 35 acres here and there's 10 in a separate site
0:33:08 > 0:33:10elsewhere in a couple of smaller paddocks.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Whereas when we were last here, it was two-acre paddocks everywhere.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14A lot of fuel, a lot of driving.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17We've got some more condensed units which are a lot more
0:33:17 > 0:33:18economical to run.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20And how's it going, then, with your customers?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23I know you were selling direct to the restaurants.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25When you last came I had one customer,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27just the farm shop at the castle. Castle Howard.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Now there's another five restaurants down in London,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31four or five in Yorkshire as well.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35So your dream is still a reasonable size farm of your own?
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Gets more passionate every day. A bigger dream every day.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41And slowly, slowly another step towards it each day.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46At this time of year,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Gareth sends five or six of his lambs to the abattoir each week.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56We're rounding them all up so he can select which ones are ready to go.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00So you've got a mixture of males and females in here, have you?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03It's a mixture of the two.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Obviously some of the females are kept for breeding but maybe
0:34:05 > 0:34:08some of the smaller framed ones we won't keep for breeding.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09They won't give birth as easily
0:34:09 > 0:34:11so they will be perfect for the lamb trade.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Lots of people think of lamb for the table as young lamb,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17but these look like they're about a year old?
0:34:17 > 0:34:18There's many definitions of what lamb is
0:34:18 > 0:34:21and I think it's dependent on the breed as much as anything.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Hebrideans don't put on the weight as quickly, so only after a year
0:34:25 > 0:34:28old do they show the properties of lamb that's fit for the table.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31I think that's the definition. It's a lamb that's fit for the table.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Before then, they're too lean, they haven't had time to mature.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36They look very well, Gareth.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39You've done very well with them. So just go in and feel them.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I suppose you've got the experience.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45So tell me what you're looking for cos you don't want them too fat, do you?
0:34:45 > 0:34:50You don't want them too fat. Nobody likes an inch of fat over their chops.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51She's a well fleshed ewe, isn't she?
0:34:51 > 0:34:54She's got the perfect amount of back cover.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56You can still feel the spine across the top
0:34:56 > 0:34:58but it's not too defined.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59- Take her out? - I would take that one out.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06- I shall pop her... Move these ones back. Come on.- Go on, girls.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11- It must have been quite a steep learning curve for you.- Yes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I've not got someone in the family that can teach me how to select lambs.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16But doing this every week,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20you do start to build up the skill set you need to select the best ones.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24- It's a skill but I can see it's a passion.- Yes, I really enjoy it.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28This is, apart from writing invoices, the best part of it!
0:35:30 > 0:35:35I'm really impressed with the progress that Gareth has made over the past year.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38Not only does he raise and butcher the lambs himself,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40he does the meat deliveries, too.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45Gareth recently drummed up some new business at an award-winning
0:35:45 > 0:35:47restaurant just half an hour away.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54- Hi, Gareth. How are you doing? - Not too bad. Adam, Tommy.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Nice to meet you. Let's have a look at this delivery.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- So what have you got, then, Gareth? - We've got your four breasts there.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- Fantastic.- And then you've got your four loins.- Fantastic.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11And then the shoulder.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14That looks like some great stuff.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Why is it you like Hebridean lambs so much?
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Actually, when I first met Gareth, I'd never heard of Hebridean lamb.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23But what really struck me was how he said it was over a year old,
0:36:23 > 0:36:27such a slow-growing animal. It's just a fantastic colour.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30You look at that dark, rich red and you can tell it's lived on grass for its whole life
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and it's lived for over a year old so it's had a good life.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37You're using quite a lot of unusual cuts in the restaurant.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38How does that work?
0:36:38 > 0:36:39I think it works really well.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's a great selling point when customers see they can try
0:36:42 > 0:36:45everything when normally they just have a rack of lamb or something.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It's great to utilise all the cuts. There's a lot of flavour.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- And if you'd like to try some?- Great.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- So here's the dish. - Wow, what a work of art.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- So tell me the different bits. - So we've got the loin here.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02We've got the square of shoulder, we've got the belly,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05with breadcrumbs, then we've got the neck fillet, and we'll just
0:37:05 > 0:37:09serve that with some peas, some bacon and some Jersey Royal potatoes.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- And it is it popular? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16- I think it's the best-selling dish. - Is it? Can't wait. Let's tuck in.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22- Go for a bit of a shoulder. - That is really lovely.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31- Wow! That's heaven on a plate. Thank you so much. Fantastic.- Cheers.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Keep the orders coming in.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42It's always encouraging to meet young people who enjoy farming
0:37:42 > 0:37:44and are finding ways of making a living from the land.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48I'm on my way now to meet someone who's even younger than Gareth,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51but she's just as enthusiastic about making a future from farming.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00At 18 years old, Pam Simpson is already a qualified shearer.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03But before meeting agricultural lecturer Charles Szabo,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05she'd never worked with sheep.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- You must be Pam, the shearer. - I am, hello.- How are you?
0:38:12 > 0:38:16- I'm fine, thank you.- Tell me, how on earth did you get into shearing?
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Last year, Charles said to me,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20would you like to go on a sheep-shearing course?
0:38:20 > 0:38:24From not being in a sheep farming background, I um-ed and ah-ed a bit.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27I decided to it as an extra skill, and the moment I went on my first
0:38:27 > 0:38:30accredited course and my first sheep, I fell in love with it straight away.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Well done, you. It's not that common for women to be shearing, is it?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38No, not really. But agricultural courses at agricultural colleges, there are
0:38:38 > 0:38:42a number of women on them and there's no reason why they can't shear.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Women are better at livestock anyhow, certainly when younger.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48- It is very much about technique, isn't it?- Definitely.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50You need to have some sort of strength
0:38:50 > 0:38:54but 10% is cutting the wool and 90% is handling the sheep.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57And what sort of speed are you doing now? What have you got up to?
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Between three of us, we can get about 500-plus done in two days.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- So you're pretty quick.- Quick enough. - Are you making a living, then?
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Yeah. I juggle between college and shearing,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10but all my spare time's taken up by shearing. That's all I do now.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13I have been told I am the youngest female sheep shearer in the country.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Amazing. Let's see you at your work, then. Let's grab a sheep.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Come on, then, missy.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38Good shearers are in high demand, and skills like this can take you
0:39:38 > 0:39:40as far afield as Australia or New Zealand.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- She's pretty good. - She's not bad at all.
0:39:42 > 0:39:48And it's only really this year that she's got to start shearing other people's sheep.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Farming needs a lot of young people to join the industry, doesn't it?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But I understand the agricultural colleges are full again.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56They're doing really well at the moment.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01We're talking of first-year courses of 40, 50, 60.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06Whereas ten years ago, you were only talking at 20s. But it needs people.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12- I reckon that's pretty good. Are you happy with that? - I'm pleased with that, yes.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16You could take those New Zealanders on in no time. I'll pop him back in the pen.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27It's fantastic to see keen young people getting into farming.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Agriculture has changed dramatically since I started out.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35And I wonder what it'll be like for the next generation.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38One thing's for sure, there are always going to be challenges.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41But also some fantastic opportunities.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44If you know a farmer who deserves recognition for the way they do their job,
0:40:44 > 0:40:50you can nominate them as Farmer Of The Year in this year's BBC Food And Farming Awards.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55For more information, go to our website.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01Later on Countryfile, James is exploring deep under the Dales.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05It's truly spectacular. It's like an ivory ice sculpture.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08And for everyone who's out and about in the countryside this week,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11we'll have the all-important Countryfile weather forecast.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Today I've been on a whistle-stop tour of the Dales.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25Next stop, Redmire, home to the majestic Bolton Castle,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and currently the last stop on the Wensleydale Railway.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Well, from here you get a real sense of a landscape
0:41:35 > 0:41:41that used to dominate the Dales, traditional hay meadows, something that James discovered earlier.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46But I'm about to meet a man who has spent a year literally watching the grass grow.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Amateur photographer Neville Turner has spent the last 35 years
0:41:51 > 0:41:54capturing the Dales in all their splendour.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57As a local vet, these fields and farms were his workplace.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- You're at it again!- Hello!
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- You can't stop taking photos of meadows!- I absolutely love it, yes.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05And when did this whole thing start for you, then, and why?
0:42:05 > 0:42:06It's a long-ish story.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09I had a wonderful job.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13I worked as a veterinary surgeon in rural practice in Upper Teesdale,
0:42:13 > 0:42:19and I carried a camera on the passenger seat for a million miles over 35 years in practice.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Oh, my word.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25So, whenever I saw something worth taking I'd wind the window down and take a picture.
0:42:25 > 0:42:33And then a year past February I was asked to record the year in the life of a hay meadow.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37It was to record every aspect, the insects, the flowers, the grasses,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41but a big part of the brief was to take sort of time-lapse shots.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46You see the snow disappearing and the grass growing and the flowers growing,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49and then the seed heads and then haymaking.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I really, really enjoyed it.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Do you have any advice for any budding photographers out there?
0:42:56 > 0:42:58- Go for an idea.- Yeah?
0:42:58 > 0:43:04Assuming you've mastered the basics of taking your picture, then I think you've got to use your imagination.
0:43:04 > 0:43:10An example, many years ago I noticed in a field near home a mound,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and there was often a horse standing on that mound.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16I thought, "Wow, that would be brilliant at sunrise."
0:43:16 > 0:43:19After three or four weeks it all came together,
0:43:19 > 0:43:23- and it's magic. - That sounds spectacular.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27That really is one of my favourite shots from way back.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30I'm going to leave you to it, keep taking photos, but thanks ever so much indeed.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- See you later. All the best.- Bye.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37This backdrop is a perfect example of something
0:43:37 > 0:43:41that would look wonderful in the landscape section of our Countryfile photographic competition.
0:43:41 > 0:43:47This year's theme is Best in Show, and thank you so much for all of the photos that you've sent in so far.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49We really have enjoyed looking at them.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53If you haven't sent your entry in yet, here's John with a reminder of what you have to do.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57And just in case you need a bit of inspiration,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00here are some of the wonderful entries we've received so far.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Please keep them coming in.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39The best photo in each class will be put to the viewers' vote.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43The person who takes the winning photo will be declared Best in Show,
0:44:43 > 0:44:47and gets to choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment
0:44:47 > 0:44:49to the value of £1,000.
0:44:49 > 0:44:56Whoever takes the judges' favourite photo will get to choose equipment to the value of £500.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Our competition isn't open to professionals.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Your entries mustn't have been offered for sale
0:45:02 > 0:45:06or won other competitions. That's because we want something original.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11You can enter up to four photos, which must be taken in the UK.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Please write your name, address and daytime and evening phone number
0:45:15 > 0:45:20on the back of each photo, with a note of which class you want it to be judged in.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Each photo can only be entered in one class.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29Then all you have to do is send your entries to -
0:45:36 > 0:45:39The full terms and conditions are on our website,
0:45:39 > 0:45:43as well as details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47Please write to us enclosing a stamped addressed envelope
0:45:47 > 0:45:49if you want a copy of the rules.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53The closing date isn't until Friday, 12th August.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56And, sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59I'm nearing the end of my visit to the Yorkshire Dales,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03but from here I'm going to be taking in the sights of the spectacular Aysgarth Falls,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07and James will be exploring the underworld of the Yorkshire Dales,
0:46:07 > 0:46:11but before that, here's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:47:49 > 0:47:57.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I'm coming to the end of my journey on the Wensleydale Railway.
0:48:10 > 0:48:16Ultimately, the volunteers on the railway would like to open up 18 more miles of the old track
0:48:16 > 0:48:22further into the Dales, but that's an ambitious plan and will cost around £1 million per mile.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Right now, the focus is on reopening just under three more miles of the line,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29extending it as far as Aysgarth.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34I've left the train behind to walk a part of the route that the volunteers hope to reopen.
0:48:34 > 0:48:39This is Aysgarth Station, and it feels really strange. It's deserted.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44There's no track at all, but at least you don't have to keep an eye out for trains!
0:48:44 > 0:48:50But I couldn't come to Aysgarth without experiencing the falls just over the road from the station,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52one of the natural wonders of the North,
0:48:52 > 0:48:56a triple flight of waterfalls carved out by the River Ure,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59stretching for almost a mile down into the middle of Wensleydale.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Oh, yeah!
0:49:03 > 0:49:07What a spot this is! Just brilliant.
0:49:07 > 0:49:12The water's so calm upstream, and then the water seems to explode into these torrents.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16The sound, it just wraps around you and it feels incredibly powerful.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19But it's not just what's going on above ground
0:49:19 > 0:49:22in these rock formations that seems to grasp the imagination,
0:49:22 > 0:49:28it's what's going on underneath that's equally as spectacular, as James has been discovering.
0:49:35 > 0:49:41There are over 4,000 caves in the Yorkshire Dales that cut through the underground layers of limestone.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44This is White Scar Cave.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Like several places dotted around the Dales, you can simply pay for a ticket,
0:49:48 > 0:49:52walk in and explore some breathtaking underground views.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57This place is absolutely amazing, but I'm about to take a much more difficult route
0:49:57 > 0:50:03to see the Dales from below, to see sights that only a handful of people have ever really seen.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05I'm going caving.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12White Scar was discovered nearly 90 years ago by a man with candles stuck to his hat!
0:50:12 > 0:50:17Today the techniques are very different, and as this will be my first time,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20I've been training with the local cave rescue team.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24A day later, and joined by veteran caver Mike Hale, I'm about to enter
0:50:24 > 0:50:29the vast Ease Gill cave network, starting with a 100-foot drop.
0:50:29 > 0:50:34This on TV looks like I'm just looking in a manhole, but I can see that goes down pretty damn far!
0:50:34 > 0:50:36You can see his light a bit further down.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Yeah! It's really disconcerting. Right.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43- And then you'll have to drop down until your weight comes on.- OK.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45- So, you're now on it.- Wish me luck!
0:50:57 > 0:51:01I've been practising my macho face in the mirror in the hotel.
0:51:01 > 0:51:02I still haven't got it!
0:51:09 > 0:51:13This is probably my worst nightmare.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17I'm afraid of heights and I'm afraid of small spaces,
0:51:17 > 0:51:21but I've got to boldly go where no ethno-botanist has been before.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23This isn't too bad, actually.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Yeah, I think the key is to take it a little by little,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and, jeez, not look down!
0:51:30 > 0:51:32'But it's down there that I'm heading.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36'And once my feet are back on firm ground, it's time to explore.'
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Now, watch your step over this slot here.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Gosh, that's quite a pothole!
0:51:44 > 0:51:46There's a big drop down there, isn't there?
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- It looks like a tiny crack until you get your light there and it goes down 50 metres!- It does.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55There are 47 miles of maze-like tunnels and passages around Ease Gill,
0:51:55 > 0:52:00making it the longest and most complex cave system in England.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03This is stunning. So, you've mapped all of this?
0:52:03 > 0:52:07How do you find your way around, because you've got no visual kind of reference points, too?
0:52:07 > 0:52:11You just learn the passages, really. You just come down here quite a lot,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13have a look around at the different passages,
0:52:13 > 0:52:16give them names as well, because that's often a good reminder.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19What, you name some of the geological formations?
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Yes. This is Bridge Hall, because you'll see when you come up to here,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26- there's a big bridge of rock right across the top of it. - You're kidding?!
0:52:28 > 0:52:32I thought I'd be crawling on my belly through tiny little tunnels. This is amazing.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36- No.- And I can see the bridge, as well. Aptly named.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Gosh, this looks like one giant piece of quartz crystal here.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- That's calcite.- Yeah.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44So, that's fallen off the roof somewhere.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47If you look up there you might see where it's come down from.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50That's reassuring(!) You mean the bit directly above my head!
0:52:50 > 0:52:51It wasn't there last week!
0:52:51 > 0:52:58'It's an example of how natural processes mean the caves are slowly but constantly evolving.'
0:52:59 > 0:53:05All over here there's evidence of the water that's created these caves over millions of years,
0:53:05 > 0:53:07literally dissolving this limestone.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11As rain falls it absorbs carbon dioxide, which creates quite a weak acid.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14And over a long period of time it starts, basically,
0:53:14 > 0:53:18eating into these passages, creating long tunnels and caves.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21'And much more besides, as I'm about to discover.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26'Because at the other end of this passage is one of Ease Gill's most spectacular sights.'
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Just a little bit of a crawl for about a few feet,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34and then we can stand up and walk into the Colonnade Chamber.
0:53:34 > 0:53:40'Inside the chamber, stalactites and stalagmites have formed over thousands of years,
0:53:40 > 0:53:46'some meeting to make vast crystal colonnades stretching from floor to ceiling.'
0:54:06 > 0:54:10It's truly spectacular. It's kind of like an ivory ice sculpture.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13If you look at this one up here you can see one in formation,
0:54:13 > 0:54:18where the stalactite is coming down off the ceiling and joining onto the pillar at the bottom.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Eventually, as that develops over the years,
0:54:20 > 0:54:24that'll become a thick column from floor to ceiling in the same way that these ones are.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29It's hard to believe. You see these three giant pillars and suddenly you see you've got
0:54:29 > 0:54:31all the different stages of the life cycle.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- Little baby ones. - Yes.- It's spectacular.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39That one in the middle is a beautiful white colour, which is the normal colour of them, really.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42Whereas the ones on these sides are slightly stained,
0:54:42 > 0:54:45and that could possibly be mud from people touching it,
0:54:45 > 0:54:50which has then become calcited over, and that will be permanently engrained in the column.
0:54:50 > 0:54:55That's a shame, because that could have taken hundreds of thousands of years to form,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- and it's permanently, like, tattooed onto it.- Yes, that's right, yes.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02So, now the path has been created down here which takes you away from the columns,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05and hopefully preserve them for generations to come.
0:55:05 > 0:55:11'Because of its unique environment, the cave network is considered a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
0:55:11 > 0:55:18'I'm used to exploring such protected landscapes, though usually above ground rather than deep under it.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21'But even down here there's conservation work to be done.'
0:55:21 > 0:55:24This is the last place on earth I thought you would need to conserve anything.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27You'd think it would be pristine hundreds of metres underground.
0:55:27 > 0:55:33On the surface paths and things overgrow again over the winter,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37but down here once you've stepped on something, it stays stepped on.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40'Muddy boots have damaged the surfaces,
0:55:40 > 0:55:45'so Ray and his team are painstakingly cleaning the crystal floor.'
0:55:45 > 0:55:50We're trying to undo 60 years' worth of caving feet wear.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55'It's great to see them preserving the caves for future generations.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59'It's a special place, and what I've seen is just a tiny part of it,
0:55:59 > 0:56:05'but what came down must go up, and since it's started to rain, it's not going to be pretty.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Hello!
0:56:12 > 0:56:18Every bit about caving is brilliant, except for coming back up again!
0:56:18 > 0:56:23If we could just figure out some kind of escalator I'd do it every weekend!
0:56:23 > 0:56:26'This is not an activity for the faint-hearted.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30'It's hard work, it's wet and it's very dirty,
0:56:30 > 0:56:36'but for the chance to see this incredible underground world, it's worth it.'
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Well, that's it from the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
0:56:39 > 0:56:44Next week John will be exploring the remote Welsh coast of the Llyn Peninsula.
0:56:44 > 0:56:45I hope you can join us then.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:09 > 0:57:12E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk