0:00:25 > 0:00:29The Antrim coast. There is a wild beauty about this place.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Rugged cliffs stretching for 80 miles,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37broken only by nine deep green glens, each with a character all of its own.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43This has to be one of my favourite parts of the British Isles.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45The coastline is stunning
0:00:45 > 0:00:48and the glorious glens reach down to it like giant fingers.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53I will be discovering just how the way that these glens have been farmed
0:00:53 > 0:00:55has helped shape this landscape.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02While John is exploring the Glens of Antrim, I'm taking to the water.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05This coastline is home to some of Northern Ireland's most
0:01:05 > 0:01:08glorious scenery, and what a way to take it in!
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'm lucky enough to be one of the first people
0:01:11 > 0:01:13to try out a new kayaking trail,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and I've been promised some hidden gems on the way.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Meanwhile, Tom is investigating the controversy over
0:01:20 > 0:01:23the use of antibiotics on farm animals.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25But is it really a concern
0:01:25 > 0:01:27for human health? Well, earlier this year,
0:01:27 > 0:01:32a scientific discovery put that question very much in the spotlight.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And Adam is keen to add to his herd of Irish moiled cattle.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41My dad has passed on a lot of rare breeds of cattle to me,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44but these are the first that I've introduced to the farm myself.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48They hold a special place in my heart. I need to get them in calf,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51so that means looking for another bull.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04County Antrim lies in the north-east of Northern Ireland.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Its nine glens are splendid, remote valleys,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11which many visitors just pass by as they head along the famous
0:02:11 > 0:02:15coastal road, one of the best in the world.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18As well as the stark beauty of these glens,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21there is a sense of timelessness here.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26A feeling that not very much has changed for many centuries.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I've travelled to a village at the foot of one of the glens
0:02:31 > 0:02:33to meet someone who can tell me
0:02:33 > 0:02:37more about what makes this place unique.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41'Andrew McAllister's family have been living and working in the glens
0:02:41 > 0:02:42'for over 400 years.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47'He runs a grocers shop and funeral directors in the village.'
0:02:47 > 0:02:51That's quite a combination, Andrew, grocer and funeral director!
0:02:51 > 0:02:53You look after them when they're living,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and when they pass on to the next stage.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57The great thing about an area like this
0:02:57 > 0:03:00is the same families have tended to live here
0:03:00 > 0:03:01for multiple generations.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03These same families have owned the same land,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08owned the same businesses, and have lived in the same area.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10It is very unusual in the UK and Ireland today
0:03:10 > 0:03:12to have this continuity of population.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14You're quite close to Scotland here,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- aren't you?- Yes, about 15 miles.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The coast road was built in the mid 19th century
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and until then, this was a very remote place indeed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26And it was much easier to get to the Mull of Kintyre
0:03:26 > 0:03:28than it was to get to Ballymena or Antrim.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Up until then, it was horses on narrow tracks, over mountain passes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34It is a very beautiful area.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Are you making the most of it as far as tourism is concerned?
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I think we still have a lot of work to do.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44We have a landscape, a culture, wildlife, the sea,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45which means that this area
0:03:45 > 0:03:49has to be one where tourism will become more and more important.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Leaving Andrew and the coast behind,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I'm heading into the glens themselves.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Andrew's cousin, James McHenry,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04is a hill farmer in the spectacular Glenariff.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07He and his wife, Anne, have just over 200 acres
0:04:07 > 0:04:13of wild terrain near the mouth of the glen, just three miles from the sea.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17James is a third-generation farmer. He learned how to manage
0:04:17 > 0:04:20this extreme landscape from his father.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26- You are very much a Glensman, aren't you?- Yes, born and reared here, yes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- Do you reckon this is the best one? - Glenariff? Of course it is.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Of course it's the best glen.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- They all have different characters. - Glenariff's known as
0:04:34 > 0:04:37the Queen of the Glens. The others haven't got the view,
0:04:37 > 0:04:38they have no waterfalls.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41What is it about this place that appeals to you still?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Just the beauty and the tranquil situation.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And I think most of the farms like yours
0:04:47 > 0:04:51have been owned by the same family for many generations?
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Many generations.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57It is very rarely that any land would come up for sale here.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Subsequently, if any smallholdings would come up for sale,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03they'll get some price, like!
0:05:04 > 0:05:09With land coming onto the market so rarely, the farms here
0:05:09 > 0:05:12are valuable assets. But it is a harsh place to work,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and sheep are obviously the mainstay on these hills.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19The sheep have actually helped shape the look of this landscape.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21They have surely, John.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26With sheep being here, it helps to keep the gorse in control.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30In some places, the gorse has got out of control.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Is that because some of the farms have been abandoned?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36With unemployment being very high here and the economic downturn here,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39some young people have been forced to leave.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Four or five young people in this valley have gone to Australia.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44There are two or three more in the Middle East.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48And if this trend continues, it will lead to land abandonment.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51So, what is going to happen to your farm, do you reckon, James,
0:05:51 > 0:05:52when you decide to quit?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I just don't know what is going to happen.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Because I don't have any family coming at all.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00We have got quite a nice piece of land here
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and I'm thinking of looking at a young chap to come to run the farm.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Think you'll find one? - It will be difficult.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21This impressive waterfall is just next to James's farm.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23And there are lots of them here,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26because one thing this area certainly isn't short of is water.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It rains a lot in the Glens of County Antrim.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And while this can spoil an afternoon out for the visitors,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38some of the locals, like Eamonn Matthews, are making the most of it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Eamonn's family have a long history here.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45He has a full-time job, but works in the evenings and weekends
0:06:45 > 0:06:47on the family farm in Glenarm. He is keen to show me
0:06:47 > 0:06:51his latest project, which actually welcomes the rain.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Well, it's certainly wet enough today!- It certainly is, John.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Just the place for water and rain.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And just how are you utilising all this water?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Well, this has been called the spring field.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Our family have been here for 400 years.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11We have a spring. My father has looked
0:07:11 > 0:07:13at doing something with it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15It is a free resource we have on the farm.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19With the renewable ethos, we are looking at a hydroelectric scheme,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and we have actually installed one.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The spring is lifted over there, then taken where it's filtered.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It goes straight down to a turbine house,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28to a wee turbine at the bottom.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- Shall we go into the turbine house? It might be a bit drier!- OK.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'The force of gravity alone brings the spring water down to the bottom
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'of the farm, where it powers the turbine, producing electricity.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Thank you.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It is actually an awful lot smaller than I thought it would be!
0:07:45 > 0:07:49It is a very compact wee unit, so it is. It definitely does the job.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It powers everything on the farm?
0:07:51 > 0:07:53The power generated is about 11.7 kilowatts.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55So that is enough for the farm,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and the excess is then sold back to the grid.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00From that, I am paid for every unit I produce.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04So you are actually seeing the meter going the other way round.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06It's pound signs, John, so it is!
0:08:06 > 0:08:09On a wet afternoon in County Antrim, it is easy
0:08:09 > 0:08:12to see why Eamonn is proud of his mini power station.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15This kind of entrepreneurial spirit
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and enthusiasm amongst his generation is what is needed
0:08:18 > 0:08:23to keep farming alive in the glens for years to come.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26The farm has been here for 400 years, and I will certainly not be
0:08:26 > 0:08:29the first to sell up and end 400 years of tradition.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Now, most of us know that these days,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39doctors are far less likely to prescribe us with antibiotics.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But is the same kind of restraint being shown
0:08:42 > 0:08:45when it comes to treating the animals that we eat?
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Tom has been investigating.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'Modern farming is big business,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57'working to low margins on a large scale
0:08:57 > 0:09:00'to feed our insatiable appetite.'
0:09:00 > 0:09:03When we go shopping, many of us expect cheap food.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Chicken for a fiver, a couple of quid for some pork,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11and maybe some reasonable steak for under a tenner.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13We demand competitive prices,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17but one of the things that make that possible is antibiotics.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22They are a vital tool in keeping animals free from disease
0:09:22 > 0:09:27and the vast majority go straight into their food and water.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30In fact, figures for the most recent year suggested
0:09:30 > 0:09:35we use 349 tonnes of these drugs in our farm animals.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40That's about the same as 250,000 of these chickens.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Some of these are exactly the same drugs
0:09:43 > 0:09:44used to treat us when we get sick.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48In the last decade, antibiotics, which are critically important
0:09:48 > 0:09:52to human health, have been increasingly used on animals.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54The advantages are obvious.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Fewer sick animals is better for welfare,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01down the line means cheaper food and greater profits for farmers.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04So, everyone is a winner. Well, maybe not.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Because some experts are now warning that the routine use
0:10:07 > 0:10:11of antibiotics is breeding drug resistant bacteria,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13superbugs, in effect,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17which could threaten the health of not only animals, but us, too.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, why do farmers need all these antibiotics?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Well, on Adam's farm,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29they are specifically used to treat infection.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32We routinely check our animals every day
0:10:32 > 0:10:37and if there are any sick ones, we will administer antibiotics then.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40We have to get permission from the vet, he has to sometimes
0:10:40 > 0:10:43inspect the animal, and it is prescription medicines only.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Once Adam has that prescription, it is up to him
0:10:46 > 0:10:48when he carries out the treatment.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51But he feels he does that responsibly.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53There's no reason that we can't use too much -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56if we are given a bottle and told how much to administer,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59we could overdose. But we would be fools if we did,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02because it is very expensive stuff, so we use the right amount
0:11:02 > 0:11:05to do the right job, and are advised by our vets to do so.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10But when you have a lot of animals, treatment only
0:11:10 > 0:11:12when they get sick isn't always an option.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15'Vet Keith Warner tends to hundreds of thousands
0:11:15 > 0:11:17'of chickens on this farm in Herefordshire.'
0:11:17 > 0:11:22- Wow! This is quite something, quite a spectacle.- Yes.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24How many birds are in here?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27There will be 30,000 birds in this building.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Under British law,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31antibiotics are only available on prescription.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33So, for animals, it is down to vets like Keith to decide
0:11:33 > 0:11:37when and where to use them.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40On antibiotics themselves, what is the regime here?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The regime in this company, in this building, will be
0:11:43 > 0:11:46to use antibiotics in the event of any disease,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48where we, as vets, identify the bacterial cause.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Is the critical thing, when you've got quite a few birds
0:11:52 > 0:11:55living close to each other like this, you've got to get on top
0:11:55 > 0:11:58of the disease before it starts, because otherwise,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- it'll spread very quickly? - As a poultry veterinary surgeon,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06my job in the main is in prevention, rather than cure.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Across the UK, though, the majority of antibiotics
0:12:10 > 0:12:13are administered before an animal is actually sick.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It is this preventative use that is concerning many critics,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19including the European Commission,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21which is now considering a ban on the practice.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So, does that mean in an environment like this, antibiotics
0:12:25 > 0:12:29are being used as a preventative measure routinely, or not?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31No, not routinely.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33There is preventative medication used.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35But it is used on a risk based analysis.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37If we understand that there is a risk to animals
0:12:37 > 0:12:41of getting disease, we may use antibiotics to prevent that.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45But the more antibiotics are used,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48the greater the chances of diseases becoming resistant to them.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So, is prevention really better than cure?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55No, I really don't agree with that. That suggests that all humans
0:12:55 > 0:12:58might as well take antibiotics all the time as well,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00in case we got ill. We have seen
0:13:00 > 0:13:02a general trend towards using more
0:13:02 > 0:13:04of the critically important antibiotics,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07those which are highly important in human medicine.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And that has happened because we have got resistance to
0:13:11 > 0:13:13some of the drugs that have been overused,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16but also, there are commercial advantages in the sense that
0:13:16 > 0:13:18with one of these drugs in particular,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21there is no withdrawal periods, so the farmers can inject the cow
0:13:21 > 0:13:25in the morning, and still put the milk into the tank in the afternoon.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26So, a bit of a vicious circle on farms.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29The bugs become resistant to one antibiotic,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32so you have to use a stronger one, and so on.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35We have seen several new types of antibiotic resistance
0:13:35 > 0:13:38develop in the last decade. New types of E coli,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42new types of salmonella, in pigs, for example,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46and E coli in almost all farm animals,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50which are highly resistant to antibiotics.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00'But where is the proof that antibiotic resistant superbugs
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'really are developing in animals?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'To find out, I'm visiting a lab at the University of Cambridge
0:14:06 > 0:14:11'to meet veterinary scientist Mark Holmes.'
0:14:11 > 0:14:14We are currently surveying over 1,000 dairy farms
0:14:14 > 0:14:17up and down the country, including Scotland,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and we are looking for MRSA in the unpasteurised milk
0:14:21 > 0:14:24that is collected in the bulk tank on those farms.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26And what we're looking for is evidence
0:14:26 > 0:14:29that they are resistant to the type of antibiotics
0:14:29 > 0:14:32that are used on farms.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Each milk sample is tested for antibiotic resistant bacteria.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37In this case, MRSA.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And Mark has got the results from two different farms to show me.
0:14:41 > 0:14:49So what we've got here are plates with a special agar
0:14:49 > 0:14:53that changes colour when there's a colony of MRSA there,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55so if you look at this plate,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00you can see there are some purpley or dark blue coloured colonies,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02they are MRSA.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and here, I think it's another sample,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10so that is a similarly a same amount of milk plated out onto the dish
0:15:10 > 0:15:14and you can see there, there's actually hooching with MRSA.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Every one of those blue dots is a colony.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20How worried should we be, because I look at that and think,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24my goodness, you've put milk on this and look at the evidence of MRSA,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27which is something people are frightened about, in milk!
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Well, I think one of the interesting things is if I had shown you
0:15:30 > 0:15:35the same amount of milk from a supermarket plated onto a plate,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37we wouldn't have found any growth at all
0:15:37 > 0:15:40because pasteurisation or the heat treatment of milk
0:15:40 > 0:15:42that normally goes into the human food chain
0:15:42 > 0:15:45completely kills all the bacteria in milk.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48So what you're saying is there is virtually no risk at all
0:15:48 > 0:15:50from pasteurised dairy products?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Very small risk that you might get colonised with, say, MRSA
0:15:54 > 0:15:55if you drank unpasteurised milk,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59but pasteurisation of milk kills the bacteria.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Elsewhere, similar results have been found
0:16:05 > 0:16:10with antibiotic resistant bacteria in meat and poultry.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Bacteria like E coli and salmonella
0:16:15 > 0:16:18are quite common on raw meat and chicken,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21but so long as these products are cooked properly,
0:16:21 > 0:16:26the bacteria will be killed whether it was drug resistant or not.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Now, the danger might come from bacteria on undercooked meat
0:16:30 > 0:16:32that was then beaten.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34If that were a drug-resistant strain,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36it would be much more serious.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40So, are these drug resistant bugs
0:16:40 > 0:16:43actually making the jump from animal to us?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And if so, just how serious is the threat to human health?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50That's what I'll be investigating later.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00We're exploring the enchanting County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Whilst John's taking a drive inland through the glens,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I'm up on the rugged north coast
0:17:06 > 0:17:09discovering what makes this area so spectacular.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Later, I'll grab a paddle
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and take to the sea to witness some of its hidden gems.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But first, like a million visitors every year,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I've come to the Giant's Causeway.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It's a geological jewel in Northern Ireland's crown,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and its only World Heritage site.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28It's made up of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30that were formed during the cooling period
0:17:30 > 0:17:34after a volcanic eruption 50 million years ago.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Now, if legend is to be believed,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40it was created by a giant called Finn McCool,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43who built these enormous steppingstones
0:17:43 > 0:17:46to walk over to Scotland to do battle with a rival giant.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Giant's Causeway has placed a mystical charm over this landscape,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54but in the last few years, it's been a bit of a building site
0:17:54 > 0:17:57with the creation of a brand-new visitor centre.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Creating a 21st-century structure
0:18:00 > 0:18:02on a World Heritage Site is always tricky.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Plans to design a building to complement the landscape
0:18:05 > 0:18:08began in 2006.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Five years on, and the solution is half built.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Graham Thompson is the a project director.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21What considerations did you have to take into account
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- with this building?- This building is small and modest in scale.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28It needs to be part of the landscape and blend into the landscape,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30so the design is very resonant of that.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And that's the clever part, because the building materials
0:18:33 > 0:18:37being used to blended into the landscape is simply glass and grass.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40One of the most exciting things about the building is the roof.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The roof's going to be accessible, but it's also going to be grassed.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47The difficulties are compounded by the need to have local grasses
0:18:47 > 0:18:49because this is a World Heritage Site,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52so we've collected lots of grass seeds from local fields
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and also mixed those with other grasses
0:18:54 > 0:18:56so there will be something for people to walk over.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00The new centre is due to open in July, 2012.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02As well as promoting the Causeway,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06it will also be used to showcase the whole of Northern Ireland.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Most people appreciate the Giant's Causeway
0:19:08 > 0:19:11by taking a walk onto it, standing on a hexagonal column
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and drinking it all in.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17But that's so last year!
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Why see it by land when you can enjoy it by sea!
0:19:21 > 0:19:24I am off to get a giant's eye view.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28A new canoe and kayak trail is being launched along the rugged coastline,
0:19:28 > 0:19:33opening up 70 nautical miles of Irish watery adventure.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Experienced kayaker and local Robin Ruddock is going to be my guide.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- Welcome to the North Coast and the trail!- Thank you very much!
0:19:42 > 0:19:46So tell me, how did this trail come about?
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Over 30 years ago, I wrote a guide for sea kayakers up here,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53but really it's only purists, specialists who have done that,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55so what I've done is recently put together this trail.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58How many people have done this route, then?
0:19:58 > 0:20:02You would be the first to actually follow the guide,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05so we'll use the guide today, and you're breaking new ground.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Wonderful. I'm the guinea pig! - You are the guinea pig.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- Do you need to be quite experienced to go at it?- It can be.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13We are open to the North Atlantic,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and you'll see today conditions aren't perfect.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This will give people a good idea of what it's like on the Causeway Coast.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21It is a bit breezy, isn't it, today?
0:20:21 > 0:20:25So life jackets on and we're set.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I feel like a pioneer!
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The plan is to hug the coastline and paddle about 15 miles of the trail.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I've done some kayaking before, but Robin's promised
0:20:34 > 0:20:38some unrivalled views, even through the mist.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Our first stop is the foreboding Dunluce Castle.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Robin, this is amazing!
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It's actually part of the old Kingdom of Dalriada.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- See up above the cave, where the wall's missing?- Yeah.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53There were having a huge banquet in the castle,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and in a storm, that whole wall fell into the sea,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59along with the cooks.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06A few more paddles away and we reach the dramatic white cliffs.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08These are old limestone cliffs.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11These are much, much older than the basalt.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13You can see weaknesses in the chalk.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- There's a cave on your left coming up.- Oh, yes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17That's an old volcanic vent.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20That's where the lava broke its way up through the chalk
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and poured out onto the surface.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26You'd never get these views from the road on top of the rocks above us.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29That honour only comes from a boat.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32And you can get even closer in a kayak.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34We call this the Wishing Arch.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It's the biggest sea arch on the Causeway Coast.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39So if you want to have a wee private wish
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- as we go through... - You know, I sure will.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47It's so huge. You're paddling under it, you really feel dwarfed.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52On we go, and the views keep coming at us.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Although I get the feeling we're being watched,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and not just by the wildlife.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02There's a beautiful feature coming up, called the giant's face.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Every time you paddle on, you reveal something new, something amazing!
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- You see a big nose up to your left? - I sure can.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- You see the mouth and the lips? - Yeah, and a funny chin.- Yes.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We're setting quite a pace now,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and just as we round the headland, I get my giant's eye View.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The Causeway. What a way to see it.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It's mind-boggling that I was standing there earlier on today,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and it looks like an entirely different place
0:22:28 > 0:22:30seeing it from the seaward side.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's a different landscape altogether
0:22:32 > 0:22:35when it's set in this geological context.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- There's more basalt columns there, just on the right.- Yeah.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Those are the organ pipes.
0:22:40 > 0:22:46When you look at them, it's just exactly like a cathedral organ.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Whoa! That was a face for the sea.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56The Atlantic has suddenly got choppy, and the rain's coming in
0:22:56 > 0:23:00but we're undeterred. We've reached Port Moon.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It was used as a base to transport crates of fresh fish out to ships
0:23:03 > 0:23:05en route to the Liverpool markets.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09There's still evidence of that industry all across the landscape.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13That used to be a salmon fishery, and about 10 or 15 years ago,
0:23:13 > 0:23:18that shut down and the building started to fall into disrepair,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22so we were able to get permission from the landlords,
0:23:22 > 0:23:23the McNaughton family,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28and that's going to be on the trail for kayakers and for walkers.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31They'll be able to stay there for about a fiver a night.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Our final stop is Carrick-a-Rede, which means rock in the road.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40The rock is connected to the mainland by an 80ft bridge.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41This is no extreme walk.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The bridge was originally erected by fishermen
0:23:45 > 0:23:48to get across to catch salmon in their nets.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The island of Carrick-a-Rede is actually an old volcanic plug,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and this was their way of getting the nets out,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57off this rock out into the sea.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's been an amazing day.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06It's like Ireland's been hiding this beautiful secret,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11this epic coastline that you just cannot get a sense of from the land.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16I feel so jammy to have been one of the first people on this trial.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Awesome.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I need no further inspiration
0:24:21 > 0:24:24to tempt me to discover more of this coastline.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I hope the new visitor centre at Giant's Causeway
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and this new kayak trail will inspire more people
0:24:29 > 0:24:33to explore it to ensure its rich history stays alive.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Earlier, we had fears that the use of antibiotics in animals
0:24:40 > 0:24:45is putting human health at risk, but how real is that danger? Here's Tom.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I've seen how the amount of antibiotics used on farm animals
0:24:54 > 0:24:55is leading to fears
0:24:55 > 0:24:58about the emergence of drug resistant superbugs.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02But is it really a concern for human health?
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Well, earlier this year,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08a scientific discovery put that question very much in the spotlight.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Mark Holmes is leading research at the University of Cambridge.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16He's already shown me how he's found MRSA bacteria in cows' milk,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18which is resistant to antibiotics.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20But in June his tests revealed
0:25:20 > 0:25:23something else that he hadn't expected.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27We have discovered a new version of MRSA,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and what I've got here are some genetic fingerprints.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35I have got seven that are human, seven that come from cows,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and what you'll see here is, if you look at number four for the human
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and then we look at number 12 for the cows,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46those have an identical set of bands.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And from that, we know that the bug is travelling
0:25:49 > 0:25:51between people and cows.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So you've discovered there is an overlap between some strains
0:25:54 > 0:25:59of cow MRSA and human MRSA, but do you know which way it's travelling?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Well, to be utterly sure, positive about it, no,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04we don't know which way it's going.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07We're currently doing the research.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The circumstantial evidence is that it's coming from cows
0:26:10 > 0:26:11and into people.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15This is some of the strongest evidence yet
0:26:15 > 0:26:20that drug resistant superbugs like this new form of MRSA
0:26:20 > 0:26:22can be passed from animals to us.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24It does sound a little bit worrying,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27because this whole area of bugs moving from animals to humans,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29we know from pig flu and bird flu,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34is a big public health concern, isn't it? Does this feed into that?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I don't think the work we are doing here is direct,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39in-your-face evidence that there is a problem there,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42but to me it is hinting that there may be a bigger problem
0:26:42 > 0:26:44around the corner,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and if this happened to an antibiotic
0:26:46 > 0:26:48that was absolutely essential to human survival,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51then we would have lost irrevocably
0:26:51 > 0:26:56one of the antibiotics that we depend on for human health.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00So if antibiotic resistant bacteria can make the jump from animals
0:27:00 > 0:27:03to humans, how concerned should we be?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06According to the Health Protection Agency, at the moment,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08we shouldn't be too worried.
0:27:08 > 0:27:15I don't think that disease outbreaks as a result of resistant bacteria
0:27:15 > 0:27:19selected in animals are likely, but at worst,
0:27:19 > 0:27:24the individual person's gut gets colonised by resistant bacteria,
0:27:24 > 0:27:30and then individually later have those bacteria in an appendicitis
0:27:30 > 0:27:32or in a urinary tract infection,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36which as a result is harder to treat.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But that's not an outbreak.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41So, as things stand,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45its unlikely we'll get an epidemic of untreatable superbugs
0:27:45 > 0:27:48spreading across the population.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52However, drug resistant bacteria
0:27:52 > 0:27:56could become a much more serious threat in the future,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58if we over-prescribe antibiotics.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Strange, then, that we seem to be encouraging their use.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Britain is the only country in Western Europe
0:28:06 > 0:28:08that allows the advertising of animal antibiotics
0:28:08 > 0:28:10direct to farmers,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13and here are some of their tempting sales techniques.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17This once suggesting it would be like a cosy drink down the bar,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21or we've got three difficult targets, one simple solution,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25conjuring up the idea of a cure-all magic bullet.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Whilst the National Farmers Union
0:28:30 > 0:28:34believes that as animal professionals,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38their members have the expertise to interpret the facts from the froth,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40other groups aren't as convinced.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42We really shouldn't be allowing this to continue.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47It's counter-productive, and I'd far rather farmers were given
0:28:47 > 0:28:49sober, factual information rather than emotive images
0:28:49 > 0:28:53in order to sell something to them which they don't always need.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Richard's not the only one concerned.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59The British Veterinary Association
0:28:59 > 0:29:01also wants these sorts of adverts banned.
0:29:01 > 0:29:07But not everyone feels the arguments against them are quite so clear cut.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10It's positive points are that it increases people's knowledge
0:29:10 > 0:29:12about what the tools are in the toolbox.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Like you say, the potential negative is that people get overexcited
0:29:16 > 0:29:18about a particular product.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21But we as vets sit there in the middle to control that.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26We've certainly found no evidence
0:29:26 > 0:29:30that vets are unnecessarily prescribing antibiotics.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32But these adverts do illustrate
0:29:32 > 0:29:35the difference between the use of drugs in animals
0:29:35 > 0:29:37and the way doctors prescribe antibiotics to us.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41The question is whether that needs to change.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46The regulation of the use of antibiotics in the UK
0:29:46 > 0:29:49is fairly robust, and although there's some evidence
0:29:49 > 0:29:51of resistant superbugs emerging,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54there's no real immediate threat to public health.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Perhaps the bigger concern is what could happen in the future.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Striking the balance between animal health today
0:30:01 > 0:30:04and human health tomorrow is difficult.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08But the fear is if we use too many antibiotics on farms,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12then a drug-resistant superbug could emerge
0:30:12 > 0:30:14that really would have a widespread impact on us.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Later on Countryfile,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22I'm heading to the treetops to find out what's being done
0:30:22 > 0:30:27to preserve one of Northern Ireland's most mysterious features.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28Oh, what a view!
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Ellie is taking a salty soak
0:30:30 > 0:30:33to discover the healing properties of seaweed.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I might get used to this.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38And there's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51In the Cotswolds, one of Adam's most prized herds is weighing on his mind.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55For months, he's been on the lookout for a new bull.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57But could the search finally be over?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06The thick haze that surrounds the farm
0:31:06 > 0:31:09is a reminder that winter's fast approaching.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15We check round the stock every day, but on a foggy day like today,
0:31:15 > 0:31:16I have a job to find them.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21Soon, I'll be moving most of the animals into winter housing,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24including one of my rarest herds.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31These are my lovely Irish Moiled cattle.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35They were an Irish smallholder's breed,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39so an animal that's quite small that could convert rough forage
0:31:39 > 0:31:41into good quality milk and beef.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43So they were a dual-purpose animal.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46After the war, we streamlined agriculture and went
0:31:46 > 0:31:49for the black-and-white dairy cow, producing masses of milk
0:31:49 > 0:31:51and big Continental beef breeds.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54These little dual-purpose animals couldn't compete,
0:31:54 > 0:31:55so they became rare.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58At one time, there were only 20 left in the world.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Now there are about 500 breeding females,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04so they're coming back, and I really like them.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07My dad passed on a lot of rare breeds of cattle to me,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10but these are the first ones I've introduced to the farm.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14They have a special place in my heart.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16But if I'm going to keep this herd going,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19there's a problem that needs solving.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22This is my Irish Moiled bull. And I've got him here,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25shut away from those other two cows,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28because he's related to them. And I need to get them in calf,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32so that means looking for another bull. I could buy semen
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and artificially inseminate the cows instead,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37but it doesn't always work,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40so I'd rather find a new bull to do the job properly.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44After months of searching, I've made some progress.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46I've found an Irish Moiled bull
0:32:46 > 0:32:49for sale in the village of Honeybourne, close to where I live.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51I'm very lucky to find one so close.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54It could be the answer to my problems.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00The bull's at a smallholding belonging to Clive Landshoff,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and I can't wait to check him out.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09- So how old is he, Clive?- He was born in 2006, so he's five years old.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12He's lovely, isn't he? He's a nice-looking bull.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14And he's very beefy round the back end.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19Quite good for a Moilie. What about his markings? He's a bit pale.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- I prefer the dark ones. - To be honest, so do I.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26He's all right, though. He's got a nice red nose and red ears.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29'I like the look of this bull, but there's more.'
0:33:29 > 0:33:31So if you're selling the bull, Clive,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33what will you do next year for the cows?
0:33:33 > 0:33:35I'm going to crossbreed them.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38- Are you?- Probably with Aberdeen Angus.- Why's that?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41I want to make life easier. I'm not getting any younger.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I want an animal I can take at any stage of its life
0:33:44 > 0:33:47into the local market, sell it and get a good price.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51I can see where Clive's coming from, but when the breed's so rare,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54it seems a shame not to keep the bloodline pure.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55I'm starting to wonder
0:33:55 > 0:33:58if there's room for a few more cows at my place.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01How much do you want for them?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03- 900-ish?- Yeah?
0:34:03 > 0:34:04I'm tempted.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10£3,500 later, I've got myself a deal.
0:34:10 > 0:34:11I'm really pleased with that.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15A bit more than I bargained for, but I got a fantastic-looking bull
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and three cows to go with him. That'll boost my herd at home.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20All I have to do now is check
0:34:20 > 0:34:22that the cows haven't got TB before they're moved.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24But Clive's never had TB on this farm before,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26so it shouldn't be a problem.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Clive's isn't the only farm I'm visiting this week.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31It's on a more personal note
0:34:31 > 0:34:34that I'm heading to the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Every winter, I get my ewes scanned to find out if they're pregnant.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41For years, I've entrusted the job to Richard Chantler.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46A farmer himself, he sold me a few sheep too.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50But on a trip to New Zealand earlier this year, Richard sadly died.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55I've never had a chance to visit Richard's farm before.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57It's now being run by his wife, Penny.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00I'm heading there now to see how she's getting on.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Penny, hi. Lovely to see you.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10- It's fantastic to be here.- Great to see you. Pity about the day, though.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12- Shall we look at your sheep?- Yes.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16'Richard and Penny have specialised in New Zealand Romneys,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18'the same breed as my own commercial flock.'
0:35:18 > 0:35:20So you've recently shorn them.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Yes, we sheared them about two-and-a-half weeks ago.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25It's so lovely to see the ewes.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28I've been buying rams off you and Richard for a long time,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32- but to see where they came from is fantastic.- Yeah.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Now, I understand that on Richard's last trip to New Zealand,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41he had found two rams, and you've had them imported.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Yes, they came in on September 9th, into Heathrow,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49cargo hold of a passenger plane coming to Britain.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52And we went and picked them up from Terminal 4.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Richard bought the rams just before he died,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59so they're his final contribution to the farm.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00They're also the product
0:36:00 > 0:36:04of one of the most advanced sheep breeding programmes in the world.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Here they are. Let's have a look. Hello, boys.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- If we can get them into this pen, you can have a closer look.- Great.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26Let me jump in and have a look. How old are they?
0:36:26 > 0:36:28They were born in September 2010.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32So they're only just a year old. They're well grown.
0:36:32 > 0:36:33They certainly are.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Let's have a look at your fleece. There's a good boy.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Beautiful wool.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48Lots of crimps to the inch, indicating fine fleece. Lovely.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55- And he's still got his baby teeth. - He has, yes.- You're still a baby!
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- They are well grown!- Yes.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Richard was always telling me a Romney ram will serve a lot of ewes.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- What sort of numbers are you working with?- 120 is what we'd recommend.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Crikey.- And many will serve more than that in one service.
0:37:08 > 0:37:14At college, we were taught 40 ewes to the ram,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17- but 120! Lucky boys!- Yes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20And it's today that the boys become men.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24We're introducing them to the ewes for the first time.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32He doesn't want to leave his friend. Where's this one going?
0:37:32 > 0:37:34This one's going in the other field.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Now, I know you're best friends.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42But you've got a bit of business to do.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44'Though it doesn't quite go to plan.'
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Go on, go with your girls.
0:37:46 > 0:37:52'Maybe it's jetlag, but the rams are completely unimpressed.'
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Go and find love.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- He's not interested at all! - He's not, is he?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Doesn't seem to be working.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10It doesn't at the moment. Maybe they don't like the audience!
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Perhaps that's the problem.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14I hope it is.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15Come on, boys.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Oh, look, there we go. That's a good sign, that one there.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25- He's being quite polite. - He is, he's being a gentleman.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30There we go. That's it, yes! Fantastic.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35Excellent. So that's one down, only 102 to go.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40'Joking aside, it's an important moment for Penny.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42'A lot's been invested in these rams,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44'and she's counting on them to continue
0:38:44 > 0:38:46'what she and Richard have started here.'
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Richard would be proud.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51This is his last bit of Romney breeding, isn't it?
0:38:51 > 0:38:53But it'll definitely go on.
0:38:53 > 0:38:59'I'm glad Penny remains so positive about the future. Before long,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02'I'll definitely be back to buy some offspring from the new rams.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11'Meanwhile in the Cotswolds, there are some new faces on my farm too.'
0:39:11 > 0:39:13In this shed is one of my donkeys,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16who's been pregnant now for 11 months.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Last night, I had a bit of a treat.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24This little donkey foal was born. And it was here this morning.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Thankfully, she's got this shelter, and she came in.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31It's a lovely little female. Aren't you sweet?
0:39:36 > 0:39:40At a day old, this baby's settling in just fine.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44'But along with the highs on the farm, there are also the lows.'
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Oh, no. The bull's got it?
0:39:47 > 0:39:51'A few days before my new Irish Moileds are due to arrive,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53'I've had some devastating news.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:56So just the bull has failed and the cows are OK,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59but you can't move them off the farm now, can you?
0:39:59 > 0:40:04And the bull will just have to go for slaughter. Oh, what a disaster.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10All right, Clive. Bye-bye. Well, that's an absolute disaster.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11That was Clive on the phone.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15They've had the results of the TB test for the cows and the bull,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19and unfortunately, the bull has TB and he has to be slaughtered,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22so I can't have him. And I can't have the cows either,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25because now Clive's farm has closed down.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Absolute disaster. I can't believe it.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37Farming's never easy, but some days are harder than others.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Hopefully, next week won't be so tough,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46as I follow the journey of my wheat from farm to plate.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Earlier, I got a taste of farm life
0:40:52 > 0:40:55in the beautiful nine glens of County Antrim.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Now I'm heading further west,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01on my way to one of Northern Ireland's most spectacular features.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10This incredible avenue of beech trees is known as the Dark Hedges.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13It stretches for about half a mile.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Just look at the way the branches form strange,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20almost sinister patterns as the trees mingle together.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It makes you wonder why on earth it's here.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26All around, the hedges are just normal length
0:41:26 > 0:41:28on all the country roads around here.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33But here, you have this strange procession of trees.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35If it looks familiar to you,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38that's because a picture of the Dark Hedges
0:41:38 > 0:41:40is in the new Countryfile calendar.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46And here's the man who took that photograph, Bob McCallion.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47- Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49When we were judging the competition,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- that picture really stood out. - I was pleased with it.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Quite surprised to get it into the calendar.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Well, you're a local man.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00- Is this a favourite location?- Yeah.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02I would normally photograph the north coast,
0:42:02 > 0:42:07but I came down here one evening and saw a similar scene to this.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10With the snow?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Yeah, you've got the evening light in December and a bit of snow
0:42:13 > 0:42:15and the symmetry of the trees.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I was impressed, and decided to come back a few more times
0:42:19 > 0:42:22through the seasons and record what was happening.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Which was what you did with the winning photo.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26That is quite something.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30The tractor, to me, helps to make the photograph.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34The sun was setting, and I wanted to bring out the red of the tractor.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35I couldn't believe my luck,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37because the driver's face appeared in it.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40He was quite pleased with...
0:42:40 > 0:42:43It has a sort of mystic quality about it.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46People do compare it to something
0:42:46 > 0:42:50like a scene from Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter, Sleepy Hollow.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52It can feel quite spooky.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57There's a local story of the Grey Lady, the ghost of the Dark Hedges.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00It may have been a story put about by the local farmers
0:43:00 > 0:43:02because they didn't want
0:43:02 > 0:43:05their daughters coming here at night for courting.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07But do people actually believe in the ghost?
0:43:07 > 0:43:09They believe it to the extent
0:43:09 > 0:43:13that some people won't come up the avenue at night.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15OWL HOOTS
0:43:15 > 0:43:18Here's the stump of a tree. Quite a lot of stumps along here.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21They do come down quite often.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26This was in 2007 on New Year's Day, after a storm.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Just broke above the root.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31I think, on average, one every year comes down.
0:43:31 > 0:43:36It was the danger of falling trees which led the local farmers
0:43:36 > 0:43:40on whose land the Dark Hedges stand to take action.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43They called in tree surgeon Dominic Harrison,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46and together, they've set up a preservation trust
0:43:46 > 0:43:49to conserve this outstanding natural feature.
0:43:49 > 0:43:55- That looks easy.- It does. Give it a go!- My turn now.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Go on, John.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00'I want to get a fresh perspective on the hedges,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04'so I'm going to follow Dominic high into the treetops.'
0:44:06 > 0:44:09- Oh, what a view! - Spectacular, isn't it?
0:44:09 > 0:44:12What are they doing here?
0:44:12 > 0:44:16Well, they were planted originally as an avenue
0:44:16 > 0:44:19that went up to the house at the end of the road.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23No-one knows whether it was a hedge that got out of control
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and was neglected or whether they were trees that were planted.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29So how many were there originally?
0:44:29 > 0:44:33There would have been over 200 when the avenue was complete.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35Now there are about 100 remaining.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38And what is the average life of a beech tree, then?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40It is said 300 years.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45100 years to grow, 100 years to live and 100 years to die.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47So all of these are approaching death?
0:44:47 > 0:44:50They're approaching the end of their life, yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54What we are trying to do is implement a replanting programme,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57where, as the trees blow down, we'll then start to replant.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Will you bring in some full-size trees from elsewhere?
0:45:00 > 0:45:03We're running tests at the minute to try and grow from seed
0:45:03 > 0:45:07the progeny of these original trees, to try and preserve their genealogy.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11But from seed, that is going to take a lot of time, isn't it?
0:45:11 > 0:45:13It's going to take a long, long time, yes.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16What is to be done on this particular tree?
0:45:16 > 0:45:18The focus today is dead-wooding, really.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21There's a dead limb there that's right over the road
0:45:21 > 0:45:24so we have to remove that. There's another one up above my head.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27So, there are several bits and pieces to do.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30I think it might be better if I got out of the way, then, don't you?
0:45:30 > 0:45:31I'll leave you to it.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44It would certainly be a tragedy
0:45:44 > 0:45:47if the Dark Hedges were to gradually disappear,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50not least for Bob McCallion whose photograph
0:45:50 > 0:45:53is one of the highlights of next year's Countryfile calendar.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55While I've been up in the trees, Bob has been searching
0:45:55 > 0:45:58for new angles down on the ground.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02I just took some during the day, looking down the avenue.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- I usually would take up the way. - That's the big house?
0:46:05 > 0:46:10- Yeah. Nice bit of dappled light. - Lots more lovely pictures, Bob.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14- Do you plan to enter the competition next year?- I'll enter it, yes.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16You'll have to find a new location.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20My wife said I should go somewhere else.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22If you would like to buy a Countryfile calendar
0:46:22 > 0:46:25with Bob's photo in it and lots of other lovely ones,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28we sell it in aid of Children In Need and here's how you get one.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35The calendar cost £9, and a minimum of £4 from each sale
0:46:35 > 0:46:38will go to Children In Need.
0:46:38 > 0:46:44You can order it right now on our website.
0:46:46 > 0:46:52Or you can call the order line.
0:46:53 > 0:46:59You can also order by post. Send your name, address and cheque to...
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15In a moment, Ellie is going to be going in search of
0:47:15 > 0:47:19one of the oldest living species on the planet, and that's seaweed.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21First, whatever your plans are for the week ahead,
0:47:21 > 0:47:24you'll want to know what the weather will be like.
0:47:24 > 0:47:25Here's the Countryfile forecast.
0:49:49 > 0:49:56.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15John and I have been discovering the diverse and spectacular sights
0:50:15 > 0:50:18of County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21I've paddled along this stunning coastline to enjoy
0:50:21 > 0:50:24its most precious geological jewel, the Giant's Causeway,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28while John's taken a scenic drive through the Antrim countryside.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32After all the sightseeing, I've worked up a bit of an appetite
0:50:32 > 0:50:35and I've been told that I can't leave here until I've tried
0:50:35 > 0:50:40a local salty delicacy that's guaranteed to impress my palate.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Algae - or seaweed, if you prefer.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47It's been harvested off these shores for hundreds of years.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Mac O'Neill has eaten it all his life.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52His favourite picking spot
0:50:52 > 0:50:54is off a group of islands called The Skerries.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58Mac says he's too old to row out to The Skerries these days,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01but he's keen to show me his favourite harvest spot,
0:51:01 > 0:51:06so he's organised a lift. This promises to be a rare treat.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Mac's used his Irish charm to hitch us a ride.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14I just realised what is going on, we're getting a lift.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16We're getting a tow.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19You're going to go on a bit of Irish waterskiing.
0:51:19 > 0:51:20Out of a rowing boat, you know.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26A fisherman by trade, Mac used to fish off The Skerries.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28He worked on a big motorboat,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30but used his rowboat to get closer to the shore
0:51:30 > 0:51:33to pick dulse - a type of seaweed.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Did you ever row the distance from the land?
0:51:35 > 0:51:40Yes, lots of times. It's not a hard row, only a mile-and-a-half.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43If you work it out with the tide, the tide takes you there
0:51:43 > 0:51:46and the tide will bring you back again, you know.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48We have arrived at The Skerries
0:51:48 > 0:51:51so we are ditching our ride to get in closer.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54The temperature of The Skerries during the summer is warmer
0:51:54 > 0:51:57than other parts of Northern Ireland so the rocks are home
0:51:57 > 0:52:00to a particularly interesting flora like laver -
0:52:00 > 0:52:03an algae traditionally eaten on bread.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05But there's also some diverse fauna.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10- Legend has it that there are some rabbits out here.- Rabbits, yes.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14- How do they get here?- I picked a few tame ones and put them on it.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16They've stayed on it ever since.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20So, tell me what you used to do when you used to harvest the seaweed.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24If we can little bit closer, there are a couple of big sunk rocks there.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28When the tide goes out, the dulse comes up, lying on the top
0:52:28 > 0:52:30and you can gather it, you know.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32We're just not getting the right tide today.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- This is a wee bit too breezy now. - It is.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38So what would you do on those sorts of days?
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Pick the dulse straight from the rock?
0:52:40 > 0:52:41Picked the dulse and then go ashore.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45Then throw it up on the rocks there and let the sun dry it.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47And once it's all dry, how do you eat it?
0:52:47 > 0:52:52We would eat it just the way it is, you know. Salty. Drinking pints.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Best served with a pint!
0:52:54 > 0:52:58'So seaweed can make a tasty bar snack, but that is not all.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01'Back onshore, GP Prannie Rhatigan is a self-confessed
0:53:01 > 0:53:05'seaweed fanatic, particularly when it comes to eating it.'
0:53:05 > 0:53:09- Hi, Prannie, how are you doing? - Hello, very well.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10So, what are you harvesting here?
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Well, I just spotted some absolutely beautiful nori.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16The slimy-looking one?
0:53:16 > 0:53:20Well, it is, but you would recognise it if you enjoy sushi.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22That's what's wrapped around your sushi roll.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Gosh, how many different types of seaweed have we got here?
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Oh, there are 600 around the coast of Ireland.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- Wow.- Yes, and most of them would be edible,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34but palatable would be a different matter.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38There are probably 14, or so, around this coastline
0:53:38 > 0:53:41that we would harvest easily and in season.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43That's dulse and that's an absolutely
0:53:43 > 0:53:46beautiful seaweed as well.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- If you'd like a little nibble of that one.- Really?
0:53:49 > 0:53:50Straight from the rock.
0:53:53 > 0:53:58Mmm. It's strange. It has a sort of blood, iron taste.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Oh, that is incredible because this seaweed has the highest
0:54:02 > 0:54:06content of iron of any of them that we'll harvest today.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09In fact, they say, with the research that is done,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11they say it is higher than steak.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Well, the proof's really in the tasting.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17To show me just how versatile seaweed can be,
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Prannie's prepared a picnic feast on the beach...in November.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23So, what type of soup is this?
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- It's a very seasonal pumpkin and squash...- Wow.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29..along with lots of seaweed, and I brought you
0:54:29 > 0:54:34- a condiment which is a mixed seaweed, to sprinkle on top.- Wow.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38You could almost wrap yourself in a blanket with it.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- It is just so thick and so warming. - Oh, that is lovely.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44It is really good with a little bit of bread which, of course,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46has the dulse in it.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50- So this is being treated as a herb in this case?- Yes it is. It is.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53The soup and the bread is fantastic,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55but what else have we got for our picnic meal?
0:54:55 > 0:54:58OK, we have the little dulse and cheese scones, here.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01And this is a local cheese which has dulse in it, as well.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04And then, if we still have a bit of room,
0:55:04 > 0:55:07we are going to have a little bit of carrot cake.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08It's packed with the nori.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12'And it doesn't just taste good. Scientists are exploring
0:55:12 > 0:55:15'the potential health benefits of seaweed too.'
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Just here in the University of Ulster, there's some
0:55:17 > 0:55:21very interesting research going on in the area of osteoporosis
0:55:21 > 0:55:23and in the area of inflammation,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and I hope that those results will contribute further
0:55:26 > 0:55:30to our understanding of just how seaweeds work
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and just how important they are.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37But there are some that don't need scientific approval.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40They've already declared seaweed a superfood
0:55:40 > 0:55:42that can help with weight loss and even stop your hair thinning.
0:55:42 > 0:55:48So could this slimy sliver of marine weed be the secret of health,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51happiness and eternal youth?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53The Victorians thought so.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56They regularly took seaweed baths because,
0:55:56 > 0:55:58if it purified the sea, it could purify them too.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Apparently the oils in seaweed can help with joint pain,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06skin conditions and can relax you after a very hard day.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09In the name of holistic therapy,
0:56:09 > 0:56:14I am prepared to undergo a clinical trial of my own...
0:56:14 > 0:56:16all by myself.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21This is Fucus serratus, and the hypothesis is that it's going to
0:56:21 > 0:56:26make me feel younger and, with any luck, look younger.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28The things I do for Countryfile.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48Normally on Countryfile, we are up hill and down dale
0:56:48 > 0:56:51just head to toe in full wet weather gear
0:56:51 > 0:56:55and not lying in a hot bath listening to power chords,
0:56:55 > 0:56:57but I might get used to this.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00'As for the results of this experiment,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03'I think I'll have to do a bit more research.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05'And as for the aching bones...'
0:57:05 > 0:57:07perfect antidote.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16Well that is it from the beautiful Antrim coast.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18Next week we will be in the Vale of Aylesbury
0:57:18 > 0:57:20looking at how the landscape has inspired
0:57:20 > 0:57:22some of our best loved writers.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25John will be investigating the fuss over fracking,
0:57:25 > 0:57:27finding out why this method of getting gas
0:57:27 > 0:57:30out of the ground is so controversial.
0:57:30 > 0:57:31Hope you join us then. Bye-bye.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:55 > 0:57:58E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk