0:00:27 > 0:00:29BIRDSONG
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Our rivers are our lifeblood.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Refreshing us, restoring us,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38a means of recreation,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40a way of trade,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43a home for some of our most precious wildlife.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49They shape our landscape and our lives.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51In this special edition of Countryfile,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'll be telling the story of one of our greatest.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59The mighty River Humber.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It's a big river,
0:01:01 > 0:01:06widening on its way to the North Sea to form the vast Humber estuary.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11But the story begins miles inland on one of its many tributaries.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Like this, the River Derwent,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16sliding quietly by in North Yorkshire.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Even flooded, it's a tiny, tinkling stream by comparison.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But it plays its part in the story of the Humber.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Whilst I'm telling that story, I'll be looking back
0:01:29 > 0:01:31at some of Countryfile's finest moments on our rivers.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Like when Matt went on manoeuvres with the RNLI in Scotland.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Woo! Yes!
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Remember when Matt and Julia went head to head on the Thames?
0:01:44 > 0:01:49I knew that Baker was a dirty player, but really!
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Do you need some help with your engine, there?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Turn it off, quick!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And what happened when Jules took the plunge
0:01:58 > 0:02:00on a hike with a difference?
0:02:04 > 0:02:08HE GASPS AND LAUGHS
0:02:22 > 0:02:24The River Humber flows into the North Sea
0:02:24 > 0:02:27separating Yorkshire from Lincolnshire.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31It begins where two other great rivers, the Trent and the Ouse meet.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37It's a river of superlatives.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40It handles a quarter of the UK's seaborne trade.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It boasts the largest coastal plain in the east of Britain,
0:02:43 > 0:02:49and it drains a staggering fifth of the land area of England.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56It all begins pretty small-scale, like here at the River Derwent.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00It's one of hundreds of tributaries that winds up in the River Humber.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It's pretty enough.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03It's not why I'm here.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08I'm on the look out for one of the Derwent's strangest creatures.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Pretty blooming ugly, hey?
0:03:13 > 0:03:15That's a lamprey.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17A fish. Sort of.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20No bottom jaw, just a frightening array of teeth
0:03:20 > 0:03:24that it latches onto its prey before sucking the life out of them.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26That hasn't put off Dr Martin Lucas, though.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29We can't just go on looks, can we, Martin,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31with these funny-looking lamprey?
0:03:31 > 0:03:36No. Looks aren't everything. But they are really important animals.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38They're part of the biodiversity of rivers,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43and the Humber and the Derwent are special areas for them, of course.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So, they have backbones, they are vertebrates.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50What kind of animal are they? They look so odd, don't they?
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Well, we've got jaws, they haven't. That's the big difference.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And they are essentially fish.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01They've got a backbone. But they don't have paired fins.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05They look a bit like eels. Eels have paired fins, lampreys don't.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Eels have jaws, lampreys don't.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Otters love them as food.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13So do predators, like pike, so do fish-eating birds,
0:04:13 > 0:04:18and they take lots of them, so, because they are important
0:04:18 > 0:04:23in terms of prey for other species, that is a key reason
0:04:23 > 0:04:26why we should be worried about them being in good numbers.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And if they're in good numbers, that also tells us
0:04:29 > 0:04:32that the river is doing well in terms of its health as well.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38In a moment, I'm hoping to get up close to one of these strange fish.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40But first, here's a look back at what happened
0:04:40 > 0:04:44when Matt joined the RNLI for a gentle day out on the river.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48They asked him to Scotland, to the River Awe,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50for a day he'd never forget.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58On average, the RNLI save 22 people a day at sea,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02but flood training, well, that's a whole different loch full of fish.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Today, members of the RNLI are here
0:05:04 > 0:05:07to practise their search and rescue skills in flood conditions.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09And I'm joining them to see if I've got what it takes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'I'll be in this safe but wet hands of Robin Goodlad.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16'Quite a reassuring name.'
0:05:18 > 0:05:20This is the sort of training that we need to find in the country,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23that realistic water, that's why we're here, really.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24So what's going to be going on?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I see that a couple of lads are ready to go now.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Basically, what we're going to be doing
0:05:29 > 0:05:31is what we call swift water rescue training.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33All of our crew members have got seagoing experience,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36but working in a flood environment is completely different.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40You've got hazards such as park benches, fences, railings,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43things like that, that you don't get at sea.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46So we have to train them with a realistic environment.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Goodness me! That was Nige going through like an absolute rocket.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52And you've chosen this section of the river because it's quite fast.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Yes, it replicates the flood environment.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Two years ago, 12.5 inches of rainwater fell
0:06:00 > 0:06:04in just 24 hours in Cockermouth in Cumbria.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06The RNLI, along with other emergency services,
0:06:06 > 0:06:12help to rescue 300 people cut off or swept away by flood water.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Carl Sadler was on the front line.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16How much does this kind of thing prepare you
0:06:16 > 0:06:20for those real situations? Flood is quite different to rivers.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Yeah, it's, erm, well, when I was in Cockermouth,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28it was the volume of water coming straight through the high street
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and it just reminds me of this situation here.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Does it really?
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Yeah, the actual rocks underneath the water here represents the cars
0:06:36 > 0:06:37and the trees underneath the water.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42You were in the floods in Gloucester - what was that like?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46We didn't have quite the same speed of water as Cockermouth,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but it was the sheer scale, over a number of counties,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and the resources were very thin on the ground.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57So, we were continuously on the go for about 72 hours.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And when you first meet a situation like Cockermouth,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02you go straight into RLNI mode.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03You don't really have time
0:07:03 > 0:07:06to get shock or anything, because it's straight in.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08At Cockermouth, our recce was just to get in there,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10see what's happening,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13because we were the first boats into Cockermouth high street.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Before they can think about rescuing people from fast-moving water,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21these guys have to learn to survive it themselves.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So, swift water training is vital.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Well, the time is getting closer when I'm actually going to get
0:07:27 > 0:07:29into the water, so tell me the best way to get out.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30THEY LAUGH
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Over the other side we got a big, flat section of water here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34This side is called eddies.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36The main flow is that jet in the middle.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38We're working between the eddies.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40In the water, keep your upper body pointing upstream.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43As soon as your upper body and your head goes into the flow,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46the current will whip you around and try turning you downstream.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48What you've got to do is a lot of backward paddling.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Keep going. Once the momentum is taken out of the water,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55you'll find that it's flat and calm. You're not going anywhere.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58And at that point, if you try rolling towards the other side,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01like a log roll, that will take you over into the eddy.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Right, let's see what happens.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07The lovely thing about this is that the RLNI is an arm's reach away.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Here I go.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16The current is incredibly strong.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I have to fight to get to the other side.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's just a wall of water, man.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33You're paddling away, doing a little turn,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36spot the shore, dig in and go.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40But what a feeling. That's invigorating. I tell you what.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But I'm so happy to be doing it in this environment
0:08:44 > 0:08:47with the protection of these lads.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Because it doesn't bear thinking about,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51that happening for real in a flood situation.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Matt there, riding the rapids with the RLNI in Scotland.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I'm on the River Derwent in North Yorkshire
0:09:04 > 0:09:05in search of the elusive lamprey.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Lucky for me, expert Brian Morland is on hand.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13These are the juvenile lampreys these are amesites.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14Amesites?
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Yes.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I'm really keen to see one. Can I see them in the clear water?
0:09:18 > 0:09:25- OK, we'll get one out. That's about three-year-old one there.- Wow!
0:09:25 > 0:09:29If you look carefully, the head end of it, you see it?
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- It's the dark section.- Yes.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36All their major organs, the hearts, livers, they're all in the top end.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It's like an enormous tadpole.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41You can see, still, that it hasn't got that jaw,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45and you can see the gill pores, a little bit.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I'll let it out and put it on my hand.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- Gosh!- And, at this stage, they're actually blind.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54They have no eyes at all.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58These young lampreys will spend about four years
0:09:58 > 0:10:00in this river before heading out to sea.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Then the whole secretive cycle of life begins again.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Struggling up rivers like this is what lampreys are designed to do.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Not quite so easy for a TV presenter, as Jules found out
0:10:14 > 0:10:17when he took a hike with a difference.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25The rugged surrounds of the Brecon Beacons,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29one of the most breathtaking places on our shores.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31There are plenty of ways to take in the scenery.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36And this is one of them.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38This is gorge walking,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42and it involves navigating through steep-sided gorges like this one
0:10:42 > 0:10:46using a range of pretty exciting methods.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Anything from paddling, scrambling, climbing, you name it.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Even jumping off things like that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56I'm going to give this extreme adventure a go,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58but first, I need to get kitted up.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Gary Evans, who's been gorge walking for 25 years,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04is showing me the ropes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10So, Gary, what got you into gorge walking? It's a fantastic sport.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Yeah, it's great, just the chance to be outdoors
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and to experience the environment first-hand.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20You're interacting with the water and with nature itself.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Plus it's important to go with someone that is experienced in this.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27There are dangers. There is deep water. There are loose rocks.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- So being led, important. - I'm in good hands. After you.- OK.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33- Look at this.- That's great.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Pretty slippery, isn't it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Ah! Happiness is a handhold.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41THEY LAUGH
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Nice little warm-up, isn't it? - Indeed.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Yeah, good, that means we can move on to some of the tough stuff now.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48'Tough stuff? Lovely!
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'Gorge walking is traditionally frowned upon by environmentalists,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54'but here they do it differently.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56'This is green gorge walking.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'A code has been set up to reduce the amount of damage to the surroundings.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:04So, what should I be looking to avoid as I follow you up this gorge?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It's what to do rather than what to avoid. Stay in the watercourse
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and avoid the banks and the edges.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14That's where all the plant life is that we are protecting.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16You are so determined to get me wet!
0:12:16 > 0:12:19At some point, it's inevitable.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- Yeah, of course, right. Let's head towards inevitability.- OK.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34This one, we're going to traverse around the front of it,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37so we're going to make use of these slippery, and I stress
0:12:37 > 0:12:41the slippery rocks in front, and make our way out on the other side.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43OK.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47That's really slippery.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It is, yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50THEY LAUGH
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Now it gets interesting!
0:12:54 > 0:12:55Argh!
0:12:55 > 0:12:57THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Ready?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Yeah.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- OK. You're going to go straight up here now.- Great.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Great!
0:13:04 > 0:13:09One waterfall safely out of the way, now for the advanced version.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11This could be tricky.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- This is the real thing, though, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18- OK! This is proper gorge walking now, isn't it?- Now we're talking.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Just like this.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22WATERFALL HISSES AND CRASHES
0:13:22 > 0:13:24And the noise, of course.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- I mean, it's a real sight-sound experience, this, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Now, despite Gary's best efforts, I have remained pretty dry
0:13:37 > 0:13:39up to this point, but all that is about to change.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43I'm up here on top of this pretty high ledge.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Gary's down there acting as safety man in case anything happens
0:13:45 > 0:13:48when I jump in. Hopefully it won't.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52So, what I'm going to do is jump off here and go and join him.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54I must be mad!
0:13:57 > 0:13:59JULES LAUGHS
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Jules, you'll be fine. Just one small step for man!
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'One giant leap for Countryfile!'
0:14:12 > 0:14:15JULES GASPS AND LAUGHS
0:14:17 > 0:14:22There are words to describe how cold I am!
0:14:22 > 0:14:25But I can't use them on the telly!
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Wow! Whoa!
0:14:26 > 0:14:27JULES LAUGHS
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Woo!
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Cheers, Gary.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38I'm telling the story of the River Humber.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It begins on tributaries like this,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42the Derwent in North Yorkshire.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51This is a whimbrel, a winter visitor to our shores, and very rare,
0:14:51 > 0:14:52seen here feeding on the coast,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55but they are sighted at these wetlands near the river.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Wheldrake Ings National Nature Reserve is one
0:15:00 > 0:15:02of only a few places in the UK you can see them.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Our problem is that the river has burst its banks.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The whimbrel's roosting sites have flooded.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Craig Ralston and his team have been capturing those that do roost
0:15:14 > 0:15:17to find out more about them.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21So, what is the exact purpose of catching them in these nets?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23The reason for catching them is so that we can fit them
0:15:23 > 0:15:26with small metal rings and, in this case, a radio tag,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29so we can track them when they're not on the reserve and we know
0:15:29 > 0:15:33what they're up to and which parts of the countryside they're using.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36These are those radio tags being fitted.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39This whimbrel was caught recently in one of the nets.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The tags are telling Craig and his team
0:15:43 > 0:15:45more about the bird's feeding habits.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- That's that one in. One for the other end?- One for the other end.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51OK.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And the net basically hangs between them.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56If we can just pull this back as far as we can
0:15:56 > 0:15:58so that the net is really tight.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- Looking good. - And another push in.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02There it goes.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- Brilliant.- So, all the data you collect from tagging them
0:16:05 > 0:16:09with rings, the colourings and from the radio tracking device,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11how can that help them?
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Because we know that they roost on the reserve
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and spend the night here, the reserve is obviously protected
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and is a safe area for them. What isn't protected is the fields
0:16:19 > 0:16:23where they spend the daytime feeding, which is equally important,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25so, because we have been able to track them to those fields,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28we can now work with the local landowners to make sure
0:16:28 > 0:16:30that they are in agri-environment schemes
0:16:30 > 0:16:32so they're being managed sympathetically,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and the birds can continue to feed and come this way,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36as they have done for hundreds of years.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Could they not just change their course,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40or go and feed somewhere else?
0:16:40 > 0:16:43No, the fields that they are using are very specific fields.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47They are a certain type of grassland on a certain soil type,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50so there are only about 12 of those fields round the reserve,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53so if anything happened to those fields, the chances are,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55we might lose our whimbrel.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's a serious as that? Lose that field,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and they just won't stop here and they'll just not come.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Disappear.- Disappear completely.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Whimbrels are real long-haul birds.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09They migrate all the way from Africa to Iceland.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Having these fields
0:17:10 > 0:17:14as stopping-off points to fatten up is absolutely vital.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18If you put it into human terms, you're going on holiday.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22You're going to Australia. The plane needs to refuel on the way.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Suddenly, you find the airport's closed. What's the end result?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It's the same for the birds.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's a matter of being able to get from the wintering areas
0:17:30 > 0:17:33to the breeding areas, so this is absolutely crucial.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And there are other species of birds
0:17:35 > 0:17:37very similar to the whimbrel, like the Eskimo curlew
0:17:37 > 0:17:41and the slender-billed curlew that are now actually either extinct
0:17:41 > 0:17:44or thought to be extinct in the world, because we lost
0:17:44 > 0:17:47some of these feeding areas that they needed for their migrations,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51so this is really important conservation on a landscape scale.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Whimbrels would struggle to survive without reserves like this.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Without the river, the reserve would dry out.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03But parts of our country are losing their life-giving rivers,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06as I found out last autumn when I went to Derbyshire
0:18:06 > 0:18:09in search of the lost River Lathkill.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I should be knee-deep in water,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16but nearly half of its 6.5 mile course is dry,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and has been since the summer, but why?
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Well, to answer that, we need to understand
0:18:21 > 0:18:23how the river SHOULD work.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We may not realise, but rivers can flow underground as well,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29so when it rains up in the hills,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31some of the water is absorbed by rocks
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and goes into groundwater streams.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Usually there is enough water to re-emerge as springs
0:18:38 > 0:18:41to form the river, but here, clearly, something has gone awry.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Across the Midlands, it's been the driest 12 months
0:18:49 > 0:18:52since records began in 1910,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56leaving a number of rivers at dangerously low levels.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58For the Lathkill, though, it's getting worse.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Historically, what's happened to this river?
0:19:02 > 0:19:07Well, it's dried up for about 100 years,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09but it's getting much worse currently.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The river dries up earlier, dries up more quickly
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and a longer length of river is affected each year.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18What impact does this have on the local ecology?
0:19:18 > 0:19:23Birds and mammals are quite capable of moving to wet areas.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Fish, however, get isolated by the receding water,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28so we have to help them.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Every year, the Environment Agency has to rescue
0:19:32 > 0:19:36the population of brown trout, moving them downstream
0:19:36 > 0:19:39from isolated puddles so they can return to spawn when it refills.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42This year, though, the water still isn't back.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49One man who might be able to help is hydrogeologist,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Professor John Gunn.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54He's been commissioned by Natural England to investigate
0:19:54 > 0:19:57if and how flow could be restored here,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00and he thinks he may have the answer.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- Hi, John.- Hello, Ellie.- How are you doing?- Very good, thank you.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04So, can I assume these buildings
0:20:04 > 0:20:07are something to do with the disappearing river?
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Yes, this is the remains of an 18th-century lead mine.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14And underneath here is the drainage level,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16a sough, a Peak District term,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20and that is where we're going to find some of the water.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22So, down there, I'm afraid you have to go.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- Oh, really? Hence your outfit. - Hence my outfit!
0:20:31 > 0:20:34This dale was extensively mined in the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37These shafts would have been used to ferry valuable lead
0:20:37 > 0:20:40up from the mines below.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45Now, I'm the precious cargo heading the other way. Wish me luck!
0:20:51 > 0:20:57- Ooh! My word, John, that's quite an entrance.- Yes! Well done, indeed.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Welcome to Lathkill Dale Sough.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Thank you. What's a sough?
0:21:02 > 0:21:06A sough was a drainage level that the lead miners constructed.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08This one started about 1743.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14So, right up on the top was where the pump was.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16They used to pump the water up from depth
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and let it flow away, down this level here.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22And that allowed them to go deep and follow the lead.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27- So is this the water that should be running up in the Lathkill?- Yes.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30This is the lower bit of the Lathkill.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Further up, the Lathkill is suffering
0:21:34 > 0:21:36because of a completely different sough, the Magpie Sough.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38We have got a double whammy.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41We've got one sough that's taking the upper flow,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46and what little bit is left is being captured by this sough.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48So where does this water go now?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50There are some springs down there. The bubble springs.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54And that's where I think the water's going to come out.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56But, somehow, we've got to try and find out,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and one way we might do that is putting a dye into the water.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'John's placed his fluorimeter downstream on the river,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'which can detect traces of this harmless dye, to tell us
0:22:07 > 0:22:08'if that's where the water is flowing
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'and how long it's taking to get there.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:13It's bright orange.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It's bright orange there,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but when you put it in, you see something rather special.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Oh, my goodness!
0:22:21 > 0:22:23That is '80s green!
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I'm sure I had some socks that colour in the '80s!
0:22:26 > 0:22:28I had some shoes that colour!
0:22:28 > 0:22:29ELLIE LAUGHS
0:22:29 > 0:22:33'It'll take a day or so for the die to flow through,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35'so I'll be relying on John for the results.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Is there anything that can be done
0:22:37 > 0:22:40about trying to make sure that it flows most of the year?
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The only way that we could get the Lathkill permanently back
0:22:43 > 0:22:47on the surface, would be to block the Magpie Sough,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51which is the main impacter on the system,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and we also have to seal the bed of the river.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Unfortunately, it's a big job.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04'It's not a simple solution. And neither is getting out!
0:23:04 > 0:23:06'But a few days later,'
0:23:06 > 0:23:08the results prove John right.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12The dye emerged 12 hours later at the springs further down the river,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15confirming that the underground stream bypasses the dry stretch
0:23:15 > 0:23:18of the River Lathkill.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The Lathkill may be dry,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36but here, at Wheldrake Ings in North Yorkshire, it's anything but.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Recent heavy rains have caused the nearby River Derwent to flood,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42but that's what's supposed to happen.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It's nature's own flood defence system.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50And it's just the way the thousands of birds that visit here like it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54When the river floods, it restores these wetlands.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57But these conditions have thrown the whimbrel,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01the rare visiting bird that roosts on this part of the reserve.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Flooded fields are perfect for ducks, though,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07mallard ducks especially.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09This one needs a ring on it. OK.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15So, if we just pop the leg in there, and squeeze that closed.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- Just to about there.- That's fine.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23And then we turn the ring through 90 degrees.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Let me snip it that way. Yes!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Sorry! Is that all right?- Yep.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30And it's interesting to figure out where they go
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and where they've been when they eventually come back?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Absolutely. It's nice to know from a conservation viewpoint,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and this is international conservation,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40because obviously we only have a responsibility for these birds
0:24:40 > 0:24:44while they're here during their winter, but in the summertime
0:24:44 > 0:24:48they're in Arctic Russia, Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50so, by being able to plot exactly where they go,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52we can work on an international level
0:24:52 > 0:24:55to make sure these populations are still here next winter.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- This one's ready to go. Would you like to let it go?- I'd love to.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Here we go. Are you ready? Into the wind.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Give him a good launch.- Really?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07One, two, three. Oh!
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Ha-ha!
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Well, I've got many more miles on my journey, too,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16to the River Humber, but stay with me along the way
0:25:16 > 0:25:19because there's much more still to come in the programme.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Like the time Matt packed a surfboard for a day
0:25:23 > 0:25:25on the River Severn.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28look how calm everything is on this side.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32It's just carnage at the other side of the wave!
0:25:32 > 0:25:36And if you're out on the river in the coming week, stay with us
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to catch the Countryfile weather forecast.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Take two presenters, put them on two handsome boats
0:25:49 > 0:25:52and see if it brings out their competitive side
0:25:52 > 0:25:54and their sense of fair play.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Let's find out what really happened
0:25:56 > 0:25:58when we set Matt against Julia on the River Thames.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The Thames estuary is much more than just a gateway to London.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It's an area steeped in history and tradition
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and they don't come more traditional than a Thames barge.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14These boats were the workhorses of their day.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Now, just a handful remain.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20But there's no retirement for these girls. Oh, no, not today.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Right, well it's grudge time here on the Wivenhoe.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28We're about to go head to head, or keel to keel with Team Bradbury.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30And they're definitely team B!
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Really?!
0:26:31 > 0:26:35The plan is to race each other up the River Medway to Upnor Castle.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40I'm aboard the Cabby, the last wooden barge ever built.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Matt's aboard the Wivenhoe, a steel-hulled boat with an engine.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45But today it's all about sail power.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Bradbury calling Baker, come in, Baker, are you there?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50How you doing?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Very well. Your crew better be ready.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56We'll just spin round. We'll be ready to go.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It takes a moment to swing the boats into position.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04We've got four miles ahead of us. May the best team win.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Tell them we're off.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Three, two, one...
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We're off!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14These are definitely not speedboats.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16We'll be lucky to hit ten miles an hour.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Winning is going to be in the tactics.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Right, we're nicely to windward, so any wind he gets
0:27:22 > 0:27:24has already gone through our sails,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27so we've already taken all the sting out of it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29We're passing him already.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Like your style, Charlie!
0:27:30 > 0:27:33We are stealing his wind!
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And we're about to steal some more.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39What we are doing is we are now putting up the foresail,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42so that gives us an extra sail, so we have one more sail than he has.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44JULIA CACKLES EVILLY
0:27:44 > 0:27:48And this little sail could make all the difference.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Hang on, lads, how many sails have they got up?
0:27:51 > 0:27:53So, is this our secret weapon?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56This is our secret weapon, this is, Julia.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- An extra sail! I knew you had it in you!- We have the power!
0:28:01 > 0:28:02Now we're overtaking 'em!
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- They're overtaking us. - They're cheating.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06We don't have the thing sticking out the front.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08With a sail on it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Oh, what a shame(!)
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Barge racing goes back 150 years.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20It was started by a wheeler dealer called Henry Dodds in the 1860s.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26So, how did this Henry Dodds fellow get the racing started, Charlie?
0:28:26 > 0:28:31Well, he was the prince of dustmen in London, Victorian London,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and a lot of the rubbish was taken from London in the barges
0:28:35 > 0:28:37and dumped out at sea.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41So, he decided to offer a prize, I think it was in 1863
0:28:41 > 0:28:45was the first barge match, because he thought that barges
0:28:45 > 0:28:49racing against barges would improve the way they sailed,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52would improve the rig, make them faster and therefore more efficient.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55He was a smart cookie, old Dodds.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58He knew that barge racing would keep his crews fit
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and his boats profitable. Racing like this is his legacy.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07And so what's the key of racing her fast and winning these races?
0:29:07 > 0:29:11It's all about the way the barge is rigged
0:29:11 > 0:29:15and how clean she is and how well she's sailing.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- Have you got high hopes for today? - I had high hopes until they cheated.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20It's just taking advantage.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's so unfair.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Right, the gloves are off. We can play dirty too.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27Start the engine!
0:29:27 > 0:29:30ENGINE RUMBLES
0:29:32 > 0:29:33Do you think they'll hear it?
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Unfortunately, I think they'll hear it
0:29:35 > 0:29:38and they'll see our exhaust coming out the side.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I smell a rat. Or is it diesel?
0:29:42 > 0:29:46I knew that Baker was a dirty player, but really?
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Do you need some help with your engine there?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Turn it off, quick!
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Can't you hear me over the ENGINE NOISE?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56No, the wind's too strong!
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Well, that's big-time cheating.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05OK, we've had a laugh. Fair dos, Julia.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08We'll switch the engine off and beat you fair and square.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11When you do feel the wind behind you
0:30:11 > 0:30:15and it fills the sail, you don't half get some speed up in these barges.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17It's really surprising, actually.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19All the noises, the clunking,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21the ropes, the sails,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23it's exciting.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's not looking good. They're right on our shoulder.
0:30:28 > 0:30:29Yeah, but it's not over yet.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33We're neck and neck in the home straight.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Could this be one last gasp for Team Baker?
0:30:36 > 0:30:39I think it'll be a close finish, but I think we'll get it.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41- You think so?- Yeah, I reckon.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Well, we're coming around now, into the last corner, right,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47and then it's the final stretch up to the finish line.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50We're that far ahead now.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52He is actually in a faster barge
0:30:52 > 0:30:55but I did say we had the professionals on this barge!
0:30:55 > 0:30:59I can see the castle. I can see the finish line.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Come on, lads!
0:31:02 > 0:31:05We're on the home straight now, and we're inching ahead.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Look at them go. Wow!
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Yeah, we got him.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Wahey! That's it, guys! We're over the line!
0:31:12 > 0:31:15BOAT BLOWS ITS HORN
0:31:15 > 0:31:18In the end, it was Team Bradbury's superior sailing skills
0:31:18 > 0:31:19that won the day.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Matt and Julia there, messing about on the river.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27But there's more to rivers than just fun and frolics.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31They've shaped our industries too, as Julia found out
0:31:31 > 0:31:35when she visited the woollen mills of West Yorkshire.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41These peaks are the birthplace of a multitude of streams.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46The thing about mountain streams
0:31:46 > 0:31:49is that they turn into fast-flowing rivers
0:31:49 > 0:31:52and the ones around here once powered great industry.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55This area was the textile capital of the world.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58These valleys echoed to the sound of hundreds of textile mills
0:31:58 > 0:32:01employing thousands of workers.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02The mills stretched
0:32:02 > 0:32:05from the cotton metropolis of Manchester in the west
0:32:05 > 0:32:08to the woollen mills of Bradford and Leeds in the east.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14The mills may now be silent
0:32:14 > 0:32:16but wool is on the up.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Beate Kubitz is going right back to pre-industrial days,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22running a cottage industry.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Come on, sheepies.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25Come on, sheepy-sheep!
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Come on! - You're calling them like dogs!
0:32:30 > 0:32:32So, I've got to ask,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35why Shetland sheep here in the Pennines, Beate?
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Well, as you can see, they're all these lovely different colours.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- We've got a moorit here and a fawn katmoget.- Yeah.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44The black one. And so basically,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47we can create a coloured yarn without having to dye it.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51I put it to you, it would be easier just to buy the fleeces.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52Oh, absolutely!
0:32:52 > 0:32:55But, you know, then I'd miss out on all this!
0:32:55 > 0:32:57So that's part of the appeal as well?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Yes, yes. My little 30-strong fan club here
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and coming out into the moors
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and the wind and the rain
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and even the snow.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Beate's on a mission to bring home-grown British wool back into fashion.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17From sheep to chic.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Beate's business partner Nicola and her team of knitters
0:33:20 > 0:33:24are busy putting the finishing touches to their collection.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It's a cottage industry, just like the good old pre-industrial days.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32But they're moving with the times, giving woollen clothes a new twist.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36If you're thinking blushing bride, think again -
0:33:36 > 0:33:37more like the fairy godmother in my case!
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Well, I've never tried on a woollen wedding dress before!
0:33:42 > 0:33:45In fact, I've never tried on a wedding dress before!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Especially not in THESE kind of shoes!
0:33:48 > 0:33:50It's unusual - how did you come up with it?
0:33:50 > 0:33:51We'd had brides come to us
0:33:51 > 0:33:56and say, "Can you do me something for my wedding?" and we realised
0:33:56 > 0:33:59that we needed to market it better, create a full-on collection.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And they come from all over - it's really flattering
0:34:02 > 0:34:05when I get brides from London, who've got all the choice there,
0:34:05 > 0:34:06and they choose a little shop in Todmorden.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10So much for wedding frocks - in true Countryfile fashion,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13it's back out into the cold to find out how the waters
0:34:13 > 0:34:16that once powered those mighty woollen mills
0:34:16 > 0:34:18are being harnessed now.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21This is slalom canoeing.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It's wet, it's cold, and it's fast,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28but these boys don't mind having a go.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Why is this such a good spot, then, for kayaking and canoeing?
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Obviously, we've got the river here and that's what brought the mills,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and the water raced through behind us and powered 100 looms in that mill,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42but that's being developed into a white water course.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46All right. On a scale of one to ten, today, it's freezing cold,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49it's been raining, the water is quite high - how mad are they?
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Pretty mad! It's high-level, just about as high as we can get on,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54but it's not raining, so we'll only give an eight.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58An eight?! Definitely a ten from me!
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Slalom coach Les knows how to use the power of these waters
0:35:01 > 0:35:04to his advantage. He reckons he can complete
0:35:04 > 0:35:07the 300-metre slalom course in just 100 seconds.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Right, OK - I have a stopwatch.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- I'll time you.- OK!- We'll see!
0:35:14 > 0:35:16I'd better get a shift on, too -
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I've got to get to the finishing line!
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Still got lots of pep in his step!
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- I THINK you might be quite chuffed with that.- Go on, then.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- What do you reckon, how did it feel?- Oh!
0:35:44 > 0:35:47- 85, something like that?- Ooh!
0:35:48 > 0:35:52- 75 seconds!- Whoah!- Well done!
0:35:52 > 0:35:54They're happy!
0:35:54 > 0:35:56THEY CHEER
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Well, you can certainly see how these rivers came to power
0:36:00 > 0:36:02so many massive mills back in the day.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06It's great to see all that energy isn't going to waste.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Now, if you've been inspired by any of the wildlife
0:36:11 > 0:36:14or wild landscapes you've seen on the programme so far, perhaps
0:36:14 > 0:36:17it's time to get your camera out and let us know
0:36:17 > 0:36:18what "wild" means to you.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22This year's Countryfile photographic competition is under way
0:36:22 > 0:36:24and its theme is a walk on the wild side.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The very best entries will make it into our calendar,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30sold in aid of Children In Need.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Here's John to tell you how to get involved.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36You can enter up to four photos
0:36:36 > 0:36:38which must have been taken in the UK.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Please write your name, address
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and a daytime and evening phone number
0:36:43 > 0:36:46on the back of each photo, with a note of where it was taken.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50And then all you have to do is send your entries to...
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Whoever takes the winning photo, as voted for by Countryfile viewers,
0:37:03 > 0:37:09can choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment to the value of £1,000.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12The person who takes the picture the judges like best
0:37:12 > 0:37:15gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19The full terms and conditions are on our website,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23where you'll also find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25The closing date is July 22
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and I'm sorry, but we can't return
0:37:28 > 0:37:31any entries. So, the best of luck.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36There's many ways of getting downriver.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38You could sail,
0:37:38 > 0:37:39kayak,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41or even swim...
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Or you can make like Matt when he packed his surfboard
0:37:44 > 0:37:46and headed for the River Severn.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50At the moment, it's calm, it's tranquil -
0:37:50 > 0:37:52all you can hear is the sound of the birds.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56But it is six o'clock in the morning and I'm dressed in a wetsuit
0:37:56 > 0:38:00as I'm about to embark on an experience that I will never, ever forget.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03And it's all thanks to that.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09It's the Earth's incredible relationship with the moon
0:38:09 > 0:38:13and the sun that helps create one of the natural wonders of the world.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Here comes the science bit(!)
0:38:15 > 0:38:19The moon and the Earth are constantly rotating around each other.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20As they spin, both the moon
0:38:20 > 0:38:25and the sun exert a powerful gravitational force on the Earth,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28physically pulling the oceans back and forth,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30creating high and low tides.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33But when the sun, moon and the Earth line up together,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36something truly remarkable happens.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Their combined force creates extra-high, or spring tides.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45The effect on the River Severn at certain times of the year
0:38:45 > 0:38:47is so astonishing
0:38:47 > 0:38:51that people are prepared to get up at the crack of dawn to experience it.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Like most of the planet's miracles,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00if you want to see it, you've got to put a bit of effort in.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Steve and I are going to go and meet it where it starts - way out there.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Known as the Severn Bore, it's a tidal wave which sweeps up the river.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18But why does the spring tide create a tidal wave here?
0:39:18 > 0:39:22One of my guides for the day has lived alongside this bizarre phenomenon all his life
0:39:22 > 0:39:25and if anyone can explain it, it's him.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28It's going to be a lot of water,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30that's the thing
0:39:30 > 0:39:31that people don't understand.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34The whole of this area that you can see, it's going to raise
0:39:34 > 0:39:39by about ten metres in the space of 40 minutes.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44As it comes into this channel, it's funnelled between Wales
0:39:44 > 0:39:47and Land's End and it just gets squeezed and squeezed
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and it'll build into a big tidal wave.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52'It's freezing and the sun is only just up.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55'But we're not the only ones mad enough to be out.'
0:39:55 > 0:40:00There's a couple of surfers here, we're just zipping alongside now.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04All waiting for the ominous arrival of the Bore.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07'But I'm very privileged -
0:40:07 > 0:40:09'I'm getting a lift to meet the Bore at its source.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12'Constantly shifting sand banks makes this one of the UK's
0:40:12 > 0:40:16'most dangerous rivers and I've never even surfed before.'
0:40:18 > 0:40:21There's a real feeling of anticipation, though, isn't there?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Especially for us, but seeing the surfers as we're coming down,
0:40:24 > 0:40:26everybody is waiting for this moment.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29'We're minutes away from the Bore now and it's time for me
0:40:29 > 0:40:31'to get into the water.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35'Luckily, I'm not doing this alone. I'm with Steve King -
0:40:35 > 0:40:38'he's the record holder for the longest unbroken surf on the Bore -
0:40:38 > 0:40:43'7.5 miles non-stop, so he's definitely the right person.'
0:40:44 > 0:40:48What you want to do is just try
0:40:48 > 0:40:52and let the tide take you, rather than you fight against it. OK.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'And suddenly, it's on us.'
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Oh my word! I can see it! That is absolutely...
0:40:58 > 0:41:02It's coming. If you get in now, just hop in.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Yes.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Oh, she's fresh! Oh!
0:41:10 > 0:41:15- Paddle as hard as you can. - And we're up and on it!
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Oh, I've missed it!
0:41:17 > 0:41:19I've gone with the second one!
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It's...
0:41:21 > 0:41:24That was it! And it's gone!
0:41:24 > 0:41:26HE LAUGHS
0:41:26 > 0:41:30What happened, it's broken, but it's broken onto the sand bar,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32because it will only break in shallow water.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- Right.- So where we were, was a bit too deep.- Was it? OK.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Because obviously I'm not that brilliant at paddling
0:41:38 > 0:41:41and keeping up with it, we do have a little RIB that's
0:41:41 > 0:41:45going to take us a little bit further upriver, so we can catch it again.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49'It's a race to overtake the wave.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52'I'm determined to have another go,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55'but unless we get ahead of the tide, I've got no chance.'
0:42:12 > 0:42:15One, two, three -
0:42:15 > 0:42:17now!
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Perfect!
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- Right, OK.- Whoo-hoo!
0:42:22 > 0:42:26That's it. All right?
0:42:26 > 0:42:28MATT WHOOPS
0:42:28 > 0:42:30That's it.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35- Come over this way. Come over this way with me.- This is unbelievable!
0:42:35 > 0:42:36Wow!
0:42:38 > 0:42:42'So frustrating! Just as I hit my stride, I was off the wave.'
0:42:45 > 0:42:48What a feeling that is!
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Honestly, it's so high, even though the wave looks really quite small,
0:42:52 > 0:42:57when you're up, there's a brilliant view right across.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Right, let's get back in the boat and catch her up!
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I want to do that again.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07'We're in pursuit of the wave and we're not the only ones here,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09'as this is one of the best access points.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12'The surfers are flocking - there must be 150 people in the water
0:43:12 > 0:43:15'and 1,000 on the bank.'
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Yay! Go on, lads! Wicked!
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Oh, here we go!
0:43:28 > 0:43:31'At last - after travelling 13 miles, we're past the wave
0:43:31 > 0:43:33'and ready to try again.'
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Look how calm everything is on this side.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40It's just carnage on the other side of the wave!
0:43:41 > 0:43:44'The pressure's on - we're nearly at the spot where the wave
0:43:44 > 0:43:47'is at its biggest, but this is my last chance.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51'After this, the river gets too narrow and we'll have to stop.'
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Yay!
0:44:05 > 0:44:09'I'm on such a high, I manage to surf it for over a minute,
0:44:09 > 0:44:13'but the nearest I get to standing up is this...'
0:44:17 > 0:44:20'And as quickly as it began, it's all over.'
0:44:22 > 0:44:24Matt there, making his own way downriver.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26I'm on a river journey too,
0:44:26 > 0:44:30telling the tale of one of our greatest - the River Humber.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34My journey started on the Derwent -
0:44:34 > 0:44:37a tributary which joins up with the River Ouse.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40The Ouse in turn joins up with the Trent,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43where the Humber River proper begins.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46Here, the story is one of commerce, how the shape
0:44:46 > 0:44:50and character of a river can play such a big part in the lives of men.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55The Humber is one of the busiest trading routes in Europe.
0:44:55 > 0:45:00It's deep, wide channels mean big ships can pass with ease.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04The tankers and commercial crafts of today cannot compare with
0:45:04 > 0:45:08the traditional working boats of yore - the Humber sloops.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13These beautiful craft were the workhorses of their day.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15Thousands would have plied their trade up and down
0:45:15 > 0:45:18the River Humber, carrying all sorts of cargoes.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Now, just a few remain.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24The Amy Howson is one of only six still afloat.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27In a moment, I'll take to the water on her, but before that,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30I'm off to meet one of the last men alive to have worked on one.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Cyril Harrison is 90 now.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39He first sailed on a working Humber sloop back in the 1930s.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44He's still sailing and building boats. With a little help!
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- Are you ready, Cyril?- Yep.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Go on, go on, go on.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- That's it.- Yeah?- It's solid. - That's it?- Yes.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59So tell me about life on the sloops. How old were you when you were working on them?
0:45:59 > 0:46:03- Oh, well, I went aboard when I was about 15.- A young lad.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Yes, well, I left school when I was 13.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11- And what was life like, working on them?- Well, it wasn't a bad life.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14You got your good days and your bad days.
0:46:14 > 0:46:20It was a lot better you sailing about than having a motor. It was...
0:46:20 > 0:46:21more gentle.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23- What was your cargo?- Anything.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Your market goods and then we went on to sugar beet and sugar.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32- Were you living on board at the time?- Yes.- How was it?
0:46:32 > 0:46:38- Good memories?- Yes, it was all right. Not a bad life at all.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42- It's how you made it.- Do you miss those days, working on the sloops?
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Well, I do sometimes.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48You get into a way of life.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53But I've been ashore too long now to...bother about it.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58By the 1950s, the day of the sloops had passed.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01Road and rail had taken away their trade.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05But thanks to a bunch of dedicated enthusiasts,
0:47:05 > 0:47:09it's still possible to get a flavour of life under sail.
0:47:09 > 0:47:10That's what I'm going to be doing.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13But before that, will the weather do us any favours?
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Let's find out with the Countryfile forecast.
0:49:49 > 0:49:57.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15On this special edition of Countryfile,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18I've been telling the story of one of our greatest rivers -
0:50:18 > 0:50:19the River Humber.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24I started out on one of its many tributaries, the River Derwent.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29Now, I'm taking to the Humber itself and I'm doing it in style.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33This is a Humber sloop,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37a traditional workboat that played a big part in the story of the Humber.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Once, this river would have thronged with them -
0:50:43 > 0:50:46thousands of boats, both sloops and keels -
0:50:46 > 0:50:49the ones seen here with the square sails,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51all carrying precious cargoes.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Before the Humber Bridge over there was built,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57they were one of the main ways of getting goods from here,
0:50:57 > 0:50:59in Lincolnshire,
0:50:59 > 0:51:00to Yorkshire, over there.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07And much further afield - on sea or river or canal,
0:51:07 > 0:51:08these boats were a workaday sight.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11They've all gone now.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Well, nearly all -
0:51:13 > 0:51:17the Amy Howson here is just one of six left afloat.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- Hi, Derek.- Hello, Ellie.- Good to meet you.- Welcome to the Amy Howson.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23- Thank you very much.- Step aboard.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Gosh, isn't she a beauty? Over here?
0:51:25 > 0:51:29Yes, just step down onto there and then you're in. Nice and safe.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Look at all the space down here.
0:51:31 > 0:51:36- Mind your head as you come down. - Gosh, it's huge down here!- It is.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39So this is where the cargo went?
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Yes, from the ship's bay to the hatch tops.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43So there was no living that went on in here?
0:51:43 > 0:51:45No, it was purely about cargo.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48There's a cabin at the fore for the crew
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and a cabin at the rear where the family - skipper,
0:51:51 > 0:51:53wife and however many children they had would live.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57- What sort of things would have been carried in this one?- Everything.
0:51:57 > 0:52:02Whatever would earn some money, but mostly coal, grain, chalk, bricks.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06So this space has seen some serious variation in its goods.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09And all had to be loaded in by hand and loaded out by hand,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11so it was physical, hard work.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22By the 1950s, road and rail
0:52:22 > 0:52:25meant there was no call for these slow-moving beauties.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29Amy Howson was finally laid up in 1973
0:52:29 > 0:52:32and that should have been the end of her story.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36So what sort of state was she when you got hold of her?
0:52:36 > 0:52:39She was basically derelict. All the hatchings had been smashed.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42She was just a rusting hulk, really. She was just scrap value.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46- Did you get her for a song, then? - We got her at scrap value.
0:52:46 > 0:52:52- £300 it cost us in 1976.- A bit more than that to do her up?
0:52:52 > 0:52:54It's cost us a lot more, and it still does cost.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Once we're out into the open channel,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09the engine is switched off and the sale is hoisted.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14We glide silently and effortlessly into the tide.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29The crew are all volunteers, getting out when they can
0:53:29 > 0:53:31and taking whatever the weather throws at them.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37The wind today has really picked up and it's westerly, which isn't
0:53:37 > 0:53:40ideal for us, so the sail, as you can see, is going ten to the dozen.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42We need to drop it a little bit,
0:53:42 > 0:53:46cos we're being thrown all over the place.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Skipper Alan decides it's safer to lower the sail.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54We switch back to the engine, which should make steering easier.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Basically, we're heading for the shore.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59- That's really got some kick, hasn't it?- It has, yes.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03And you should have been on it when we had the sails up!
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I noticed you leaning against it with all your might,
0:54:06 > 0:54:07trying to keep it going!
0:54:07 > 0:54:10- Goodness, that's really quite tough work.- It is tough work, yes.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14You can never underestimate the power of the water and the wind.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- Feeling that now. - So much stronger than ourselves.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23This is my full weight against this!
0:54:26 > 0:54:31- Start easing off now. - Back to the middle?- Yeah.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34And you want to be aiming for... the factory there.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40It's a struggle on the open water, but with the sail down,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43these boats could easily navigate the canals.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47This meant cargo could be shipped as far inland as Sheffield.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51What they used to do with these on a lot of the canals,
0:54:51 > 0:54:56they would take the lead boards off, take the boom off,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00and occasionally drop the mast and then they would be pulled
0:55:00 > 0:55:02by horse marines, which were chaps
0:55:02 > 0:55:05who used to ply their trade up and down the tow path of the canals
0:55:05 > 0:55:07with a big shire horse.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10They would put a harness on the horse and a rope on the bow,
0:55:10 > 0:55:13and the horse would pull the barge up to where it wanted to be
0:55:13 > 0:55:15to discharge its cargo.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Some of the skippers, who didn't want to pay for the horse marine,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21or if the horse marine wasn't available,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24they would put the harness on either themselves, or usually the wife.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30I see! OK... Seems a woman's work was never done.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Man and wife teams were the order of the day.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Whole families would live aboard the boats,
0:55:35 > 0:55:37the bulk of their lives spent on the river.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Ooh, this is snug!
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Very cosy. So how many people would have lived in here?
0:55:46 > 0:55:49You'd get, Mother and Father would have lived in here
0:55:49 > 0:55:52and possibly two or three children, depending.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54A family of five!
0:55:54 > 0:55:57That was the only place, the only means of cooking was on there.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01- So that was their heat and their cooking, from the fire?- Yes.
0:56:01 > 0:56:07- Where did they sleep?- There was two... One bunk there.- Oh, look!
0:56:07 > 0:56:09That's quite cosy, actually.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11That would be possibly two children in there.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15This is where mother and father would have slept, in here.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- Oh, that's a bit bigger. - Rather a large one, you see.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21We'd probably call that a single size bed today.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Yes, but don't forget mother and father
0:56:23 > 0:56:26- had to be very friendly to sleep in there!- They sure did!
0:56:26 > 0:56:29There's the drawers - that would be for clothes
0:56:29 > 0:56:32and things like that, down here.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35They would have kept provisions and personal articles
0:56:35 > 0:56:40in the cupboard, and there was drawers all over.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45- Every single inch is used.- Yes, it is.- I must say, it's very ornate.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48I had sort of expected poorer,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51perhaps more spartan conditions, but it's actually very beautiful.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53It feels like a miniature version of a captain's room.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57I don't know whether they would have had carpet on the floor before,
0:56:57 > 0:56:58but...
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- I should think luxuries were few and far between.- Yes.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15Up on deck, the wind has eased just enough for another go under sail.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19Which is fine by me, because there's not much better than being
0:57:19 > 0:57:22on the Humber in the boats that bear its name.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26What a spectacular way to finish my river journey
0:57:26 > 0:57:29on this special edition of Countryfile.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Next week, we'll be in Northern Ireland -
0:57:31 > 0:57:33a place the Queen visited
0:57:33 > 0:57:36on her first official tour after her coronation.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38See you then.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd