0:00:28 > 0:00:31Wealth, scandal, art and culture -
0:00:31 > 0:00:36it's all there in the long history of Britain's great country estates
0:00:36 > 0:00:39and the changing fortunes of those who own them.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Today, many are looked after by charitable trusts
0:00:42 > 0:00:45rather than family dynasties, but their role as landowners
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and custodians of large swathes of our countryside
0:00:47 > 0:00:51is as important as ever.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Here at the Fairford estate in Gloucestershire, I'll be discovering
0:00:55 > 0:00:57how an unassuming travel agent from the city
0:00:57 > 0:01:00fell in love with the countryside
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and went on to create a legacy here that would last for generations.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07This estate is putting education first,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and I'll be going back to the classroom
0:01:09 > 0:01:12at a school deep in the woods.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Who likes marshmallows?
0:01:14 > 0:01:15- ALL:- Me!
0:01:15 > 0:01:18With the help of the Countryfile team,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I'll also be delving into the archives to see what makes Britain's great estates tick,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25from Matt's trip to the gardens of Tatton...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I'm not kidding, that's the nicest apple I've ever tasted.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..to Julia's day at the races...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Goodwood's finest, there you go, my love.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Lovely, thank you.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37..and for sheer splendour there's Adam's visit
0:01:37 > 0:01:39to one of the grandest estates of them all.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41What a stunning view. You must be very proud.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43It is, it's wonderful,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I wake up to this view every morning, which is fantastic.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00The Fairford Estate.
0:02:00 > 0:02:024,000 acres of woods, park and farmland
0:02:02 > 0:02:05on the banks of the River Coln.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Lying on the southern edge of the Cotswolds,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10this is an estate without pomp or ceremony.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13The stately home which once graced it is long gone,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17leaving a scattering of buildings cast in the famous local stone.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23Today, it's in the hands of a trust founded by its last owner -
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Ernest Cook.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28If you haven't heard of him before you will have heard of
0:02:28 > 0:02:31his grandfather, Thomas - as in the travel agent, Thomas Cook -
0:02:31 > 0:02:36where Ernest spent his whole working life in the banking department.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38So far, so dull.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41But Ernest had a surprise up his sleeve.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'When he retired, he sold the family business, making him a fortune.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'He then began buying up country estates,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'including this one just after the war.'
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Nicholas, how was it Ernest Cook came to buy,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57not just one estate, but some estates?
0:02:57 > 0:02:59He bought them, and indeed he bought 17,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03so he rose from owning virtually no land at all to being one of
0:03:03 > 0:03:06the largest landowners in the country in a short space of time.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11And he bought them because he cared passionately about rural England,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13about the communities and the landscape,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16which were being sold off and broken up at the time
0:03:16 > 0:03:18he was doing that, in the '30s, '40s and early '50s.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21And he therefore bought them to preserve them.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23But he was an urbanite, wasn't he?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26He lived in London, so why did he care about country living?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28He saw that way of life being threatened
0:03:28 > 0:03:30by the continuing urbanisation,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33which he could see, obviously, from living in a city,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and wanted to make sure that that way of life did not disappear completely.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39'But some of this is guesswork,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43'as very little is known for certain about the man himself.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47'Even in the archives of the trust which bears his name,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50'there are just three photographs of him and few clues to how
0:03:50 > 0:03:53'this city gentleman came to champion the countryside.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:55So this was Ernest Cook?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Yes, and I always think it's slightly sad
0:03:58 > 0:04:03that one of the best-known pictures of him is as a really old man.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05It's terribly easy to paint a picture of him
0:04:05 > 0:04:09as being a dry, Edwardian bachelor, recluse, philanthropist,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13which he wasn't, but he was so unassuming and shy
0:04:13 > 0:04:17that he did not want and didn't write anything down about what he was doing.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Gosh, for such a huge legacy it's surprising there is so little
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- to give us a clue about what he was like.- It's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:26And you have to read between lines,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31- but he was about as far as you can get from today's celebrity culture, really.- Yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37'Ernest, it seems, is destined to remain an enigma.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:39At the heart of many estates is the manor house,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42traditionally home to the Lord and his family,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44not to mention a whole army of staff.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47But what does running a stately pile involve today?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50As Dunham Massey in Cheshire opened for the season,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Katie was there to find out.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05I don't know about you,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08but I do enjoy a beautifully-shot costume drama,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12giving a snapshot of how life used to be for the upper classes,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16who lived in houses like these, and the lower classes, who worked for them -
0:05:16 > 0:05:18a life upstairs and downstairs.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26'This year marks the 30th anniversary of the house being open to the public,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'but as the covers come off for a new season, there's change afoot.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'The National trust wants the traditions of the past
0:05:33 > 0:05:37'to meet demands of the future by bringing their houses alive,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'and that's the responsibility of the staff -
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'the modern downstairs people.'
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Hello, Stephen. - Hello, Katie, good to see you.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- This looks like something I can help with.- You certainly can.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- OK, removing the dust covers. - Ready for a new season.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56500,000 visitors a year come to Dunham,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58so we've got to actually
0:05:58 > 0:06:01show the house in a completely different way,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and I like to think we've radically changed.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06In what way?
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Well, in those days it was basically "Come in, look, don't touch, don't get involved,"
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and nowadays, really, we want to involve and interact with our visitors.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- Sit on some of our furniture... - Really?!
0:06:18 > 0:06:20..play the piano upstairs,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23go into the kitchen at a weekend, meet the cook,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27go into the dining room, the footmen preparing for a great party.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31So, people coming here can really experience their own slice of a costume drama?
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Absolutely. Upstairs, Downstairs lives at Dunham Massey.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'Keeping the house in pristine condition
0:06:39 > 0:06:42'whilst throwing open the doors to visitors isn't easy.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'The devil's in the detail, and knowing the boundaries.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:50So, why are there ropes in some of the rooms partitioning bits off?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Sometimes it's small areas like this,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58but other times the carpets may be 100 or 150 years old
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and those in themselves are fragile - the carpets would disappear.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Over the centuries, just like the houses in our favourite television period dramas,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Dunham Massey has witnessed a fair few scandals
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that would have made even the servants' heads turn.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The 7th Earl of Stamford married Catharine Cocks -
0:07:21 > 0:07:23a former bareback circus rider.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27And the 2nd Earl of Warrington loved his wife so much
0:07:27 > 0:07:33that he wrote a book anonymously on the desirability of...divorce?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35You just couldn't make this stuff up.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38'Of course, these upstairs folk are ghosts of the past.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- ECHOING:- Or are they?
0:07:40 > 0:07:45'Memories of the real family live on through the elaborate outfits they left behind.'
0:07:45 > 0:07:48What a beautiful dress. What are you doing here?
0:07:48 > 0:07:52I'm checking the fastenings and seams, making sure it's strong enough to go on this mannequin.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Who would have worn this?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57This dress was worn by Lady Jane Grey in about 1924,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and she wore it to a party in London.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01She was dressed as her ancestor, Lady Jane Grey,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04who was the Nine Days' Queen.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'Now, any house worth its costume drama bonnet
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'needs gardeners and aspirational grounds, and a project
0:08:11 > 0:08:16'to restore the rose garden is establishing a new pecking order.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So, Damian, what have you got here? Puppies? Kittens?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- No, they're chickens.- No!
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- These are our eco-warriors. - Oh, hello.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- So are we going to let them out? - Yeah.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- There are seven in total. - And what's the idea here?
0:08:28 > 0:08:33These are literally going to clean up all the weed seeds
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and any weeds that come through.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Oh, hello!
0:08:37 > 0:08:42So you're expecting these few chickens to clear this large area of weeds?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45No, we're actually bringing in another 50 ex-battery chickens,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49so we're going to a battery farm and we're going to liberate them.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'These batteries will have to power-peck for months
0:08:52 > 0:08:55'if the rose garden is to be restored to its former glory.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'And the clock's ticking for the grand opening, much too fast.'
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I'm going to the clock mechanism, I need to wind it every week, check it hasn't gained time.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Here we go!
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- That should do it. - Is that it? OK.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- RATCHETING - Oh, oh!- That's fine.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19I was very worried for a minute there!
0:09:19 > 0:09:23'Well, like the folk that once lived here, today I've seen it all.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Do you know what?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28After a hard day working on the estate,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I feel I could fit right in here.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But it can't have been easy in days gone by,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and it's certainly not easy now getting ready for the visitors coming in two weeks.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39BELL RINGS
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Oh, excuse me.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42KNOCK AT DOOR
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Come.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49- Your tea, Lady Stamford. - Thank you. That will be all.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Just a few miles away from Dunham Massey
0:09:54 > 0:09:58is another great Cheshire estate - Tatton Park.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It may be famous for its annual flower show,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04but it was the fruit and veg keeping Matt busy at harvest time.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09'I've come to help out in the kitchen garden,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12'a dedication to Edwardian horticulture.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'It's the legacy of the late Lord Egerton, Tatton's last resident.'
0:10:16 > 0:10:21It's incredible how much you've got in what is quite a small area.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Well, it's less than an acre. You've got 350 trees in less than an acre.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27That was the skill,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31to compact as many different varieties into a small area.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- We've got about 60 in this small space.- Have you really?
0:10:34 > 0:10:39And is the idea to keep them quite contained? They are quite quaint.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42They're eight years old, but they should never get any bigger.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44The idea is you can get a lot into a small space,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48but you've got to think of it as her ladyship doing some pruning,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51a bit of picking. It was there for them to play around with,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52as well as the gardeners.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55It was very much a place of recreation.
0:10:55 > 0:11:01In its day, there were 2,000 varieties. We now have about 200.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04One reason we were looking at restoring an orchard of this period
0:11:04 > 0:11:08was to hold onto some of those varieties before they get lost.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11This is the Duchess' favourite here.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Isn't that beautiful-looking?
0:11:14 > 0:11:18That was a really popular Victorian variety.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Dates from around 1700.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It was grown for the Duchess of York.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24It's got a great flavour.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Strawberry, kind of pear drops flavour.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Let's have a go at that.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- A really popular Victorian variety. - How about these days?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34No. You just never find stuff like this.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38You can just imagine a Victorian commuter chomping on his apple.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- Oh, that is special! - What do you reckon, eh? Hm?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47That's lovely! There's all sorts of things going on in there.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- That's the nicest apple I've ever tasted.- Thank you very much.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56It is! Beautiful. Oh, man! Right.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I tell you what, I'll get one more for luck.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00THEY CHUCKLE
0:12:00 > 0:12:04'Although this garden was designed just eight years ago,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08'all the trees here were sourced from 1911 catalogues.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11'In fact, everything grown here dates back to that era.'
0:12:13 > 0:12:17So, is this a very traditional plan that you've worked to
0:12:17 > 0:12:19with the path going around as a border?
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Very much. It's a standard pattern for great country houses.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26These walled orchards and the walled vegetable garden.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It has to be a productive garden,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31but it also is ornamental.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Lord and Lady Egerton would be here on a Sunday with their guests,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39viewing all the fruit as they walk down for their Sunday walk.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42And it has to provide many functions.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45It has to be very highly productive,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48producing stuff all times of the year,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50but highly ornamental, as well,
0:12:50 > 0:12:56such was the Victorian need for beauty.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'Tatton's keeping this tradition of the Victorian garden alive.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08'There's a wonderful array of colourful fruit and veg here.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'With preparations for harvest well under way,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15'we're gathering the pick of the crop to take to the estate's farm.'
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- Elly, how are you doing?- I'm all right, Matt. How are you?- I'm good.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I've got some lovely bits and pieces for you.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27From the gardens. It looks lovely.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This is where the harvest festival will take place?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33That's right. We're busy cleaning and starting to set up.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36It's a wonderful rare-breeds farm.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37We are.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40We've held Rare Breeds Survival Trust's
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Approved Conservation Centre since 2007.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47So we've got a variety and a large number of rare-breed animals,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51including our Clydesdales, a little flock of Leicester Longwool sheep.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- And some very springy Angora goats. - Yes.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56My word! Hello.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00They're just waiting here, ready for shearing. Do you fancy having a go?
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- I've never sheared a goat before. - It's much the same as a sheep.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07What lovely fleece they have.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Yeah. They've got a lot of tummy wool on there.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'The wool from the goats
0:14:17 > 0:14:21'will be used in a spinning demonstration during the festival.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'These goats are tricky to shear.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30'Unlike sheep, their fleece comes off in bits and pieces.'
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Well, I'll tell you what, you're certainly the wrinkliest
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and hairiest thing that I've ever shaved.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40He doesn't look like he's going to win any prizes.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44'The animals are also prepared in other ways for the harvest festival.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48'Next up, Reverend Andrew Bradley's busy carrying out a blessing.'
0:14:48 > 0:14:52We thank you for the part they play in our lives and in this world
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and in all you've created. And now, Father, we pray you bless them.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58'Every single animal on the farm gets blessed,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'another Tatton tradition that's stood the test of time.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Matt enjoying the harvest at Tatton.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Those giddy summer months might seem like ages ago,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12but the chill in the air here in Fairford
0:15:12 > 0:15:15isn't enough to put off some of its regular visitors.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17And they should be arriving any minute now.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Hello!- Hi.- Done a bit of walking already?- We have.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26You're dressed up for the occasion, for the weather.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30'25 pupils from a local school
0:15:30 > 0:15:33'are coming for a morning of outdoor learning.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36'The classroom's very different to my school days,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'but the story has a more familiar ring.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:40- ALL:- Then I'll huff
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and I'll puff
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and I'll blow your house down.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50So I wondered if we could build some houses in the wood.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- Do you think we could?- ALL:- Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'That's houses for the three little piggies, of course.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00'At this school, though, you can't rely on the stationery cupboard.'
0:16:01 > 0:16:04The pig's getting squashed now.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Shall we move the sticks?
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Where shall we put this?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Oh, that's far too big!
0:16:10 > 0:16:14I'm surprised you can carry that. Aren't you strong?!
0:16:15 > 0:16:18'The Ernest Cook Trust is all about education.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'45 schools make these visits to the Fairford Estate.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'Some now and then, others every week.'
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I'd have loved this when I was a kid. We didn't do anything like this.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Do they perform differently in their classrooms to out here?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Children are very different outside.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Without the restriction of those four walls,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40which is not where children are designed to be,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42they act much more naturally,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46they actually develop different skills outside.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48They're more aware of each other.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And their own self-esteem is raised because whatever they do,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54they can achieve at whatever level they want to do.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Children are very happy outside.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58What about today? It's really chilly.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I could see my breath this morning. It feels really bitter.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04- Do you bring them out in all weathers?- All weathers.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The old saying - there's no such thing as bad weather,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09only bad clothing, is very true.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15'How much the children are enjoying all this is plain to see.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19'The teaching also includes valuable lessons about the countryside.'
0:17:19 > 0:17:23So the roots go into the ground and they take...
0:17:23 > 0:17:25What?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They take the water up.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29So the roots of the tree are really important
0:17:29 > 0:17:33because they are the pieces that take the water into the tree.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34What did we say the leaves do?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- They're going to take in the...? - ALL:- The sun.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41The sun, to give the tree energy in which to grow. That's right.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Why is this a good lesson for the little ones?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Well, as part of every lesson we do, whatever subject we're doing,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54we always incorporate into that some care for the environment.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Hopefully, this will lead on to the fact
0:17:57 > 0:18:00that they'll be interested in the environment and care for it.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04And as part of looking after their piece of the woodland here,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06they're going to plant this tree.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09As the children visit regularly though the year,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12we'll measure it and see how it's developing
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and whether it's getting everything it needs.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It comes into part of their science and nature learning,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19as well as looking after the environment.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22A little bit wonky, but essentially good.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28'But before things all get too serious,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'the highlight of the morning is bound to keep the punters happy.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'Marshmallows around the campfire.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:38I'm terrible at making fires. I'm going to take notes.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39LAUGHTER
0:18:40 > 0:18:45- Are you having a bad hair day? - I'm laughing at Casper's hat hair!
0:18:45 > 0:18:48This is the best bit! The bit we've been waiting for.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50The food!
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Who likes marshmallows? ALL:- Me!
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's Guide camp, circa 1990-something.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16All in one! Down in one!
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Mmm!
0:19:23 > 0:19:26With over 250 acres of woodland here at Fairford,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30it's the perfect place to witness the changing of the seasons.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32And when Julia was in search of some autumn colour,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36she went to another estate, Ashridge, in the Chilterns.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44'The Chilterns may only be a short drive
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'from the bright lights of London, but it feels much further.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49'These hills are covered in dense woodland.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'There are trees everywhere.'
0:19:52 > 0:19:54The most famous tree here is the beech,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57surely one of the nation's favourites.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01And as autumn kicks in, its blaze of amber igniting the canopy,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04what better time of year to hug a tree?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The Bridgewater Monument on the Ashridge Estate
0:20:22 > 0:20:24provides the perfect view of the canopy.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Chrissie, marvellous views from up here,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and it looks as nature intended, but it's not, is it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33No, you're right. It's all man-made, really.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35It's been planted over many hundreds of years
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and managed for many hundreds of years by people.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44- That's what a lot of the woodlands in the Chilterns are about.- Absolutely.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48High Wycombe, Chesham, Amersham, that's where all the sawmills were.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52The beech was the popular timber for making furniture.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55What qualities does beech have to make good furniture?
0:20:55 > 0:21:01It's very durable and it's perfect for indoor furniture.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03By the end of the 18th century,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06chair-making was a thriving industry here.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10The Chilterns were famous for the Windsor chair,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12exported all over the world.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16But as fashion moved on and imports became cheaper,
0:21:16 > 0:21:17the industry declined.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21- So the market's changed? - Absolutely, it has.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24In many ways that's our gain because we manage this estate
0:21:24 > 0:21:28for conservation and for recreation
0:21:28 > 0:21:33and the public get to enjoy the wonders of this beautiful scenery
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and this wonderful place.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41As you look around, you can see how wonderfully tall and straight
0:21:41 > 0:21:43these trees grow.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46They've been managed specifically for that,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and it makes them the perfect crop, really,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52when they're this straight and unblemished.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56'But not all beeches grow straight and true.'
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Just around this corner, Julia,
0:22:02 > 0:22:07we have one of the most beautiful trees on the Ashridge Estate.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It's a wonderful tree for filming.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It's been used in Harry Potter's Goblet of Fire,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14it's been used in Sleepy Hollow.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Oh, my word!
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- Look at all its tentacles. - Isn't it just fabulous?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24How old is it?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27We don't know for definite, and the only way we could find out
0:22:27 > 0:22:29would be to fell it and count the rings.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34It's got to be 500, 600, 700, hasn't it?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- Look at the size of the trunk. - Yeah, the girth of it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41She's so gnarly, isn't she?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44She is, and in many ways that's a product of the fact
0:22:44 > 0:22:49she's a pollarded, tree which means that it's been cut above head height
0:22:49 > 0:22:55and allowed to grow, but we don't think the tree's been pollarded
0:22:55 > 0:22:57for probably 100, 200 years.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01You can see from the size of the stems we now have coming out,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06- they're huge.- Gigantic!- They're the size of a mature beech tree.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It's amazing the tree still has the strength
0:23:09 > 0:23:12to keep the weight of those limbs.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Once again, this is nature and man together that have created this.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Yeah, it is.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27The beech tree has been allowed to retire gracefully in these parts.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The larch, however, is still on active duty,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34being turned into everything from fence posts to bird boxes.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53On a small scale, this serves as a reminder of an industry
0:23:53 > 0:23:56that once dominated the landscape.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04But humans aren't the only species who shape the trees here.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11There's another beast doing its fair share of pruning.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16The deer go way back in Ashridge.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19They were farmed here by monks in monastic times,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and there's been a deer park in Ashridge through until about 1926.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Until the fences of that park came down,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28the deer became wild and roamed free.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Now, woodland and deer don't necessarily, erm,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- marry up very happily, do they?- Yeah.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Well, as deer increase in numbers, and they are going to do that,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42because we now have six species of deer in the UK
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and none of their predators exist any more, they're all extinct.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Their numbers will increase, the behaviour of the deer isn't the same
0:24:50 > 0:24:52as when predators are in place.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Inevitably the woodland's affected.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58As the deer numbers increase, the habitat starts to become affected,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and you can see that at Ashridge very clearly
0:25:00 > 0:25:03with what we refer to as the browse line.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06If you look around any of the areas in the woodland,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09you can actually see a very clipped vegetation height
0:25:09 > 0:25:12up to about five or six feet.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Which is...- Exactly- ..deer height!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's not the staff going round with a hedge trimmer,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21it's actually the presence of large numbers of fallow deer.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They're still quite active. What are they doing? They're prancing around.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- Rutting season's over, isn't it? - It is. It's winding up now, really.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34We have got a larger buck there and he's sort of calming down.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36He's not making the groaning sounds any more.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39But there are younger males there which you can see,
0:25:39 > 0:25:40and they're sparring.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43They're the males that are about two years old,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and they're practising to become mature bucks
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and own a stand of their own.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57While Julia was enchanted by the woods of Ashridge,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01it was the Lees Court Estate in Kent which grabbed me
0:26:01 > 0:26:05when I visited this summer, all thanks to the fruits of the sea.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10A Countryfile presenter's life isn't always that glamorous.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Not usually, anyway.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15They've had me doing all sorts from sniffing otter poo...
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It's not a bad smell.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20They've even had me being chased by a pack of dogs.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- They're here, I can hear them. - Yeah?- Oh, God!
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But today, thankfully, things are altogether different.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Champagne, madam? - Oh, don't mind if I do!
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- You see, it's all about these things. - Oysters?- Maybe later.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Between you and me, I'm not particularly fond of them,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43but I am fascinated by how this stretch of the Swale estuary in Kent
0:26:43 > 0:26:44has become an oyster hotspot.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'Countess Sondes, a native New Yorker,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49'married into the British aristocracy
0:26:49 > 0:26:52'and has managed the whole estate for the last 15 years.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'A formidable job for a formidable lady.'
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So what can we see here? How much is part of the estate?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I can best answer that with some folklore.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05The story goes, in the old days they would define
0:27:05 > 0:27:10the Sondes' estate on the Swale, a horseman, and it was always a man,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14would ride his horse as far as he could and where his spear lands.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I don't know if that would work today but that's a bit of the story.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20That's quite a sizeable area.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24It must be unique, because the estate owns part of the seabed,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27and that's the unique part, isn't it?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29It's usually assumed the Crown owns all of that.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33I think there are three or four privately owned.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38I'm from New York, but the only place I feel I belong
0:27:38 > 0:27:41is on the Lees Court Estate.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43This is so much part of that now.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It's brought another culture and dimension to Lees Court.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's very different from New York.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It certainly is. I don't understand a lot of today's culture,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57or feel I fit into it, but here's where I do feel I fit and belong.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02'Someone who also belongs here is Bluey Walpole.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06'He's been fishing these waters for 50 years.'
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- Hello, Lady Sondes.- Hello, Blue.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'He's effectively a tenant farmer here,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'but the oysters aren't harvested in the conventional way.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15'They're hand-picked,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18'and Bluey and his crew are certainly not short of them.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:21So, where are these oysters, then, Bluey?
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Well, they're here, there and everywhere,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26but there's millions of them.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29We've got two or three patches up the river here a bit.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Have they always been here, the oysters?
0:28:31 > 0:28:36No, no, '82 I believe was the first lot that were put in.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38And they flourished then?
0:28:38 > 0:28:42They've flourished more in the last 15 years.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45We had lots of problems in the early days
0:28:45 > 0:28:49because we had bad pollution problems
0:28:49 > 0:28:51in the upper reaches of the Swale.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56'Bluey campaigned hard to improve the water quality
0:28:56 > 0:28:57'in this stretch of water.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02'30 years ago you'd be hard pressed to find many oysters at all.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'He managed to revitalise both native and rock oysters,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08'and it's the rock we're looking for today.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Right, then, Blue, what am I looking for?
0:29:15 > 0:29:20- What we're looking for is a nice medium-sized oyster. - What about this one?
0:29:20 > 0:29:24- These are the ones we're looking for, for our market.- Too small?
0:29:24 > 0:29:25No, that's all right.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29What is the advantage of hand-picking oysters
0:29:29 > 0:29:32rather than using machinery or dredging?
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Well, if you dredge the oysters when they're covered by water.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39they're feeding and they're open
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and they knocked into the ground by the dredge blade
0:29:42 > 0:29:46and then you get an oyster with a lump of mud
0:29:46 > 0:29:48and shell and bits in it.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51It's difficult for them to clean.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55'Bluey and his crew will pick about 2,000 oysters in just a few hours.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58'At 30 pence a piece that's not a bad harvest.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01'Any that don't make the grade are left to reproduce,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03'keeping the stocks alive.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:06They have a fascinating reproductive biology.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09They're protandrous alternating hermaphrodites.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12In one reproductive cycle, it can produce eggs
0:30:12 > 0:30:16and in the next reproductive cycle, they can produce sperm.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Pretty amazing!
0:30:19 > 0:30:23'Once picked, oysters have to be purified for 48 hours.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26'But that doesn't stop Bluey and Lady Sondes sampling their wares.'
0:30:26 > 0:30:28You're going to eat that here?
0:30:28 > 0:30:35I wouldn't do this anywhere else, but everything is so clean and the water is wonderful.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- You'll never have a better oyster. - There you are, madam.- Thank you.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Mmm!
0:30:45 > 0:30:51- Wow! Straight out of the water. - Wonderful. How about one for you?
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Well, erm, I might have one in a while.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- I'll leave it for now.- Sure? - I'm sure!
0:30:58 > 0:31:00'I think I got away with that one.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08'With a fresh batch on board, we're heading for dry land.
0:31:08 > 0:31:14'On the short journey back, it's plain to see why this place is so special to Lady Sondes and Bluey.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25'I've tried my best all day not to eat an oyster,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28'but Lady Sondes is trying to convince me.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32'Her butler is preparing some of Bluey's delicacies.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36'Hopefully, the surroundings of our dinner date will take my mind off it.'
0:31:36 > 0:31:40I can smell a very delicious smell coming through the cave.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46We've tried very hard during the course of the day in different types of oysters.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49I'm very excited to see your reaction.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Wow! I shall have an oyster.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Delicious! And one of these? Thank-you.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00- That's an oyster rolled in Parma ham.- Wow!
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Is this a "down the hatch" as they are when they're raw?
0:32:04 > 0:32:10You could, or maybe it's easier to have a go.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12The moment of truth, then!
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Mmm!
0:32:19 > 0:32:23That's lovely. I feel I'm tasting seafood
0:32:23 > 0:32:25rather than throwing something down my throat.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27That's very good to know.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32'Well, who'd have thought it? Me enjoying eating an oyster!
0:32:32 > 0:32:37'The Swale Estuary has had a profound effect on me and my palate.'
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Coming up on this celebration of our country estates -
0:32:43 > 0:32:46has Adam met his match?
0:32:46 > 0:32:51- It's a blend of temptation and firm persuasion!- Yep.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Will Julia have any luck at the races?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Give me a little tip?
0:32:56 > 0:32:58I'm not allowed to tip or back, actually,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00being the clerk of the course!
0:33:00 > 0:33:04And there's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Now, estates come in all shapes and sizes.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16It's the responsibility for managing the land that's common to them all.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20At Fairford, that can mean anything from agricultural land to woodlands.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23But when Matt visited an estate in Cumbria,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28it was its dramatic coastal location that set it apart.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Between the shifting sands of Morecambe
0:33:30 > 0:33:35and the hills of the Lake District lies the Cartmel Peninsula.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36Jutting out into the bay
0:33:36 > 0:33:41with views to die for, most of this land is owned by the Holker Estate.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45And at the heart of the estate is the stunning Holker Hall,
0:33:45 > 0:33:50which has been home to the Cavendish family since the 1700s.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59The Cavendishes throw open the doors to their home
0:33:59 > 0:34:00and garden to the public.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05There's more to the estate than a visitor attraction. It also supports a number of farms.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10'Harry Wilson was originally a dairy farmer.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14'He was struggling after foot and mouth, so for the last ten years,
0:34:14 > 0:34:19'he's also been grazing sheep on the coastal marshes behind his farm.'
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Do you often come to this spot to look out, because it's great spot?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Yes, to look stock and to glance over,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28and I know if there's any trouble.
0:34:30 > 0:34:36- It must be a challenging area to farm.- A lot of walking.- Yes!
0:34:38 > 0:34:42'I'm about to find that out myself as we head down towards the shore.'
0:34:42 > 0:34:47- This is the marsh, then?- This is it. All the way out there!
0:34:47 > 0:34:51It just goes on and on and on!
0:34:51 > 0:34:57'The fertile salt marsh is rich in herbs, making it fantastic grazing for the lambs.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59'It allows Harry to sell the meat at a premium.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02'But farming near the sea isn't without its difficulties.'
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Here we are at the gullies. Goodness me!
0:35:06 > 0:35:09This is the problem you've got.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13You can see all the footprints here of the sheep and the lambs.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15If it's restricted to one place it's not so bad,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19but then they go in between, they can get stuck easily.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24- How many lambs have you had stuck in there?- Lambs haven't been too bad.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28A couple have got out. Sheep have been worse.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31This year, we've had a lot of sheep stuck.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36- And it's difficult to get down here. You can't use vehicles. - You can't cross these with quads.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40'Farming in such a challenging environment may seem a hassle,
0:35:40 > 0:35:45'but ultimately it's the taste and price tag of the lamb that makes it worth it.'
0:35:46 > 0:35:48It's this grass here.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51It looks quite arid here towards the edge of the gully
0:35:51 > 0:35:53but there's some magic in there.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- I don't know what the magic is, but they like it.- Yeah.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00'I'm in a hurry to see what all the fuss is about.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04'I'm heading back to the farm where I'm meeting another fan of Harry's lambs.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09'Simon Rogan owns a Michelin-starred restaurant in Cartmel.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13We're going to do some nice chops, quite simply. Beautiful, thick chops there.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17What I thought I'd do is to coordinate it with coastal herbs
0:36:17 > 0:36:20so we're going to enhance the flavour of the lamb
0:36:20 > 0:36:22with what it's been eating.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24That's what you've got down here?
0:36:24 > 0:36:27We've got rock samphire, sea asters
0:36:27 > 0:36:31and sea arrow-grass, which we picked this morning.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35'Into the pan goes some butter and the fresh coastal herbs.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38'While they simmer, it's on to the sauce.'
0:36:38 > 0:36:39Chopped shallot.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43How do you find the flavour of salt marshland?
0:36:43 > 0:36:48It's got a very sweet, mild flavour. Not over-salty.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Because like any good cooking technique, beforehand,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55you should salt the ingredient first,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57because it brings out the flavours in the cooking.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02As the sheep have been feeding on herbs which have been under the sea,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06it's actually starting the cooking, the salting process at an early age.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- They're actually doing it for you! - Exactly, yes.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Look at that.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Pour the sauce over the top.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Brilliant. Absolutely first class. It looks terrific.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25- Nice and rustic. - Who wants to play table?
0:37:25 > 0:37:28You go on, you go first.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Saltmarsh lamb on the saltmarsh.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38That's a dream. That is beautiful. Really is lovely.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48'Back in Gloucestershire, farming is part and parcel of the Fairford Estate too,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50'and I'm on my way to meet one of the tenants.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54'Doubt I'll be getting any fresh lamb, though.'
0:37:54 > 0:37:58- Hi, Jeremy.- Pleased to meet you. Welcome to the farm.- Thank you.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'Jeremy Iles farms a mixture of arable and livestock.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05'He's by no means the first in his family to call this estate home.'
0:38:05 > 0:38:09How long have you farmed here?
0:38:09 > 0:38:13I'm actually the sixth generation to be a tenant on this estate.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15- Farming is definitely in your blood?- It certainly is.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So what breed have you got here?
0:38:18 > 0:38:21It's a breed called the Stabiliser.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24They're a composite breed of Red Angus, Hereford, Simmental
0:38:24 > 0:38:28and Gelbvieh. They produce a good cow with really good maternal instincts.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32- Nice and calm, which is important for us.- They look hungry.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Yes, let's give them a feed.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I'll stick to the other side of you.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Here we go. There's some hungry girls there.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52- How many did you say there were? - 46 here. They're all in calf.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55There's one bull in here as well.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59There he is. He's a beast. Wow.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03What are the benefits of being on a tenant farm here in Fairford?
0:39:03 > 0:39:06The Ernest Cook Trust are long-term holders of the land,
0:39:06 > 0:39:11so it gives us confidence to invest in the farm ourselves because we know we have a long tenancy here.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15So very much, we treat the farm as our own
0:39:15 > 0:39:17and keep it in condition as if it were our own.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22And that means not standing still.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Since taking over, Jeremy has merged his farm with a neighbour's.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Together, they've invested in an anaerobic digester,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33which uses manure to generate electricity to sell to the National Grid.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Even though it's quite a historic estate,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40you feel that there's plenty of room for innovation and modern thinking?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Absolutely. From there, who knows where it will grow?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I'm sure we'll be going back to the trust in a couple of years,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49maybe with an idea to use renewable heat.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Do you think you'll stay and pass it on to your children?
0:39:53 > 0:39:54I sincerely hope so.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I'll continue investing in the estate and the farm,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00assuming one of my children might want to take it on.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06Our very own Adam is himself a tenant farmer.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08But on a trip to the Castle Howard estate,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12he found the tenants enjoying much grander surroundings than his own.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16If you like beautiful, sweeping views,
0:40:16 > 0:40:21gentle hills and picture-postcard villages of honey-coloured stone,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23this might be just the part of the world for you.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27These are the Howardian Hills in Yorkshire. It's a beautiful spot.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31The best thing about it is it feels like you've got it all to yourself.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37Covering 79 square miles, they're designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42At their heart is the magnificent centrepiece of Castle Howard.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46It's been a setting for many films including Brideshead Revisited.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49The house and gardens attract around 250,000 visitors a year,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and it's certainly easy to see why.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Home to the same family since it was built 300 years ago, it took more than a century to complete.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02The effect today is awe-inspiring.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07But how has the presence of such a grand estate shaped its environment?
0:41:07 > 0:41:10With its creamy limestone buildings and its rolling hills,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14the landscape around here reminds me of my home in the Cotswolds.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16This house is a bit grander than mine, though.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Hello, sir.- Hi, how are you?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22'Who better to ask than a member of that family,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26'the Honourable Simon Howard, who still lives here on the estate.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32'And where better to ask him than from up high?'
0:41:34 > 0:41:36What a stunning view. You must be very proud.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40It is, it's wonderful. I wake up to this view every morning, which is fantastic.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45You've got a lot of staff and people living and working on the land here.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47We have.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50We have about 13 tenant farmers, there's 185 properties,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52and they all help make this gel.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54The tenant farmers are incredibly important,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57because they help shape the landscape too
0:41:57 > 0:42:00with cropping and hedging,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03and, indeed, the way they look after some of their buildings.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04They are very important.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11And there's no better illustration of that than Mike Fargher -
0:42:11 > 0:42:15his dad and his grandad both farmed on the estate before him.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Now he's hoping his son Ben will follow in his footsteps.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24'To see how the estate's shaped this land, we need to get out and see it.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28'The legacy of one family's continuous care over the hills is clear,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30'from a lush and well-stocked arboretum
0:42:30 > 0:42:32'to gracefully sweeping driveways.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35'There can't be many farmers' fields which are overlooked
0:42:35 > 0:42:38'by buildings like these.'
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Here we are, we've made it.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- What an amazing spot! - Fantastic, isn't it?- Goodness me.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50- With this in the background! - This is the Temple of Four Winds.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53These are some of the Aberdeen Angus.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55This sight we're looking at now,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59that view has never altered for the last 350 years.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01It's kept as it was in the Enclosure Act,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- and let's hope it can stay like that for another 350 years.- Crikey.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10'This farmer is certainly playing his part in managing the landscape.'
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Just wanted to check that one. She's due to calve, but she's a bit off yet.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- But they look all right. - They do, yeah.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21'It's not just the estate and its workers who helped shape these hills.
0:43:21 > 0:43:27'Over the years, conservation organisations have become very involved.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31'I've left Mike checking his herd and come to see one of the area's
0:43:31 > 0:43:33'more surprising success stories.'
0:43:33 > 0:43:37It seemed like a long drive for me coming up the M1 from Gloucestershire.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42But I've come to meet a group of countryside workers who are all the way from Devon.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46But not people - they're these guys, Exmoor ponies.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48'If these ponies weren't here,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52'this field would be choked in scrub and coarse grasses.'
0:43:52 > 0:43:56When I first saw this site about ten years ago,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59it would be waist-high, and so we were looking for
0:43:59 > 0:44:02some livestock that would help us to graze it.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05The Exmoor ponies came along, and that seemed the opportunity to use them.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09- Why not just let it run to scrub? - Well, in the Howardian Hills
0:44:09 > 0:44:13what we don't have is very much unimproved grassland
0:44:13 > 0:44:14or fen-type habitat,
0:44:14 > 0:44:18so the bits that we do have left are particularly important.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21So if we left this, it would just scrub over with hawthorn and elder
0:44:21 > 0:44:23and it would lose all its value
0:44:23 > 0:44:27for the plants and insects that are found on this type of habitat.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30'Today, two of the ponies are being moved from here
0:44:30 > 0:44:34'to a new spot that's in need of grazing just a few miles away.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37'Vet Clare Sutton is on hand to advise.'
0:44:37 > 0:44:40- Which ones are we taking? - We're taking a pony called Sidney,
0:44:40 > 0:44:44who's up by the gate, and also his friend Skylark, who's the only mare
0:44:44 > 0:44:47of the six ponies we've got here today.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49- This is an important part of what they do.- It is.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53It's what they're designed to do. Exmoor's a very bleak place,
0:44:53 > 0:44:58and the ponies thrive in this kind of harsher environment.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- I'll just see if I can get round the left-hand...- I'll wait here.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04I've got Exmoors at home, and they're very lively,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08so I'd be surprised if we just walk up and load them up into a trailer.
0:45:09 > 0:45:10Oh, there we go!
0:45:10 > 0:45:13'Amazingly, they're totally calm.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18'It seems so easy. But not so fast...'
0:45:18 > 0:45:21- Walk on!- Come on.- Walk on.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22Good boy.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24Walk on. Good boy.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27'He know what he wants, and it doesn't involve
0:45:27 > 0:45:29'getting into a van.'
0:45:30 > 0:45:31Come on, little man.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35It's a blend of, er, temptation
0:45:35 > 0:45:38- and firm persuasion.- Yep.
0:45:38 > 0:45:39Come on!
0:45:42 > 0:45:46'At last they're in and we're off.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51'For me, the drive is another chance to enjoy this special landscape.'
0:45:51 > 0:45:52So, then, just let them go?
0:45:52 > 0:45:57- Yeah, we usually just let them go. - Together?- About the same time.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01- OK.- So when you're ready, just... - OK, one, two, three.- One, two, three.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02Go on, then.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04'And they're free.'
0:46:04 > 0:46:05There we go. They're very happy!
0:46:05 > 0:46:10'Hopefully, the Exmoor ponies will continue to help maintain
0:46:10 > 0:46:13'the natural beauty of the Howardian Hills.'
0:46:13 > 0:46:17And if you're inspired by the beauty of the British countryside,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20don't forget the Countryfile calendar for 2012,
0:46:20 > 0:46:22sold in aid of Children in Need.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24Here's how you can get your hands on one.
0:46:28 > 0:46:29The calendar costs £9,
0:46:29 > 0:46:36and a minimum of £4 from each sale will go to Children in Need.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39You can order it right now on our website:
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Or you can call the order line:
0:46:50 > 0:46:55You can also order by post. Send your name, address and cheque to:
0:47:02 > 0:47:07And please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14If you're planning on working off that turkey and getting out this week,
0:47:14 > 0:47:18you'll want to know what the weather's going to be like. Here's the Countryfile forecast.
0:49:50 > 0:49:57.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14'I'm at Fairford in Gloucestershire,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17'where, with the help of the Countryfile archives,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20'I'm finding out what makes Britain's great estates tick.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22'This one's all about education,
0:50:22 > 0:50:25'but there's plenty of other work to do
0:50:25 > 0:50:26'to keep the estate in good shape,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29'not least for woodman Steve Boulton.'
0:50:32 > 0:50:36- All right there, Steve?- Hello. - You're a busy man!- Very busy.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- Why has this one had to come down? - It's dead. We take deadwood down
0:50:39 > 0:50:43- because of the children playing. We like to be safe. - And what happens to the deadwood?
0:50:43 > 0:50:46The larger pieces will go back to Fairford for firewood.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50The smaller pieces are left in the woods for bugs and for children to play with.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53- This is a dream job. Do you love it? - I absolutely love it.
0:50:53 > 0:50:58- I've done it all my life. This is my 31st year of being a woodman.- Wow!
0:50:58 > 0:51:00- You'll get your carriage clock soon. - Hopefully!
0:51:00 > 0:51:02- This one's going off for wood? - Yes.- Righty-ho.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03I shall leave you to it.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07SAW BUZZES
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Life on the modern estate isn't all about work,
0:51:15 > 0:51:19and there's one estate in particular for which sport is its beating heart,
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Goodwood.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22So at the start of the season,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25Julia headed to Sussex for a day at the races.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Because of its high position perched on the top of the Downs,
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Goodwood is often described
0:51:33 > 0:51:36as the most beautiful racecourse in the world.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39It's also unusual, as it's formed within the natural landscape.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43And although racing is described as flat rather than over fences,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45it's anything but,
0:51:45 > 0:51:49as the horses have to cope with severe undulations and sharp turns.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54It's played host to the sport of kings for over 200 years.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57The racing season here starts in May and runs till October,
0:51:57 > 0:52:01and I'm here to get a sneaky peek behind the scenes.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Preparation starts early at the course.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10A few miles away in Pulborough, Amanda Perrett's getting ready.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11She's a trainer.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Today, she's got four horses running at Goodwood, her local course,
0:52:14 > 0:52:19and she's keen to get some of her charges into the winners' enclosure.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21This is Blank Czech, who runs in the 2.40.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24It's his first race of his life.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28A little bit nervous. He was very nervous to be broken in.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31He's been gaining confidence, so we just hope that he'll relax
0:52:31 > 0:52:35and behave himself and run a nice first race today.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Amanda, Blank Czech and the rest of the team
0:52:40 > 0:52:43leave the stables for the 15-mile trip to Goodwood.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Before the racing begins,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52I'm heading to the course to meet the man in charge of the whole day.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54This is Seamus, the clerk of the course.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- Hello!- Hello! - So, how's it looking, Seamus?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00It's looking all right to me, plenty of moisture down there.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- And what is the going?- I'm calling it officially good to firm.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05That's the perfect flat-racing going.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09If it's any firmer than that, the horses don't like to gallop on it.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12And as the clerk of the course, what is your job today?
0:53:12 > 0:53:16Well, to make sure the show gets running and everything goes well
0:53:16 > 0:53:19with jockeys, horses, doctors, vets and all that lot.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21- The whole shebang. - The whole shebang.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Anything that's between these rails is sort of under my jurisdiction.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Give me a little tip. Whisper.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30I'm not allowed to tip or back, actually,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33being the clerk of the course. I'm not allowed to.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36In the weighing room is local jockey Jim Crowley.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39He's going to be riding Blank Czech.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43- Here's the man. Hey, Jim. How are you feeling?- Yeah, good, thank you.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Do you think your local knowledge gives you an upper hand?
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- I think it helps, yeah. - And how's Blank Czech feeling?- Good.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52I sat on him the other morning for the first time,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54and he seemed to give me a nice feel.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56He's a bit of a nervous horse, so we're just hoping
0:53:56 > 0:53:58he takes it all in his stride today.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01It's like his first day at school. Looking forward to it.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05- And you're the teacher.- Well, I hope so.- Good luck.- Thanks very much.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13I'm about to meet one of the unsung heroes of racing, a jockey valet.
0:54:13 > 0:54:14The job of the jockey valet
0:54:14 > 0:54:18is to make sure that the jockeys are spick and span, ready for the races.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20- Chris is Jim's man. Hello. - Hi there. How are you?
0:54:20 > 0:54:24- Hello?! What are we doing with tights?!- Well, it's a little secret.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28- All the jockeys actually wear tights. - They don't?! I never knew that!
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Just because they like the feel of them, I think!
0:54:31 > 0:54:34But it's because they're light and they keep you warm.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36We're in charge of bringing all the kit,
0:54:36 > 0:54:40most importantly the owners' colours. That's the silk. Goes on the helmet.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44These belong to the owner, go everywhere with his horses,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- and it's my job not to lose them. - Do you have to iron them as well?
0:54:47 > 0:54:50I don't. Thank goodness - I'm not very good at that.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55While Blank Czech enters the parade ring under the watchful eye of the punters,
0:54:55 > 0:54:59I should really show a bit of confidence in him, shouldn't I?
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Time to put some money down.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Excuse me.- Sorry. - That's all right. Hello!
0:55:06 > 0:55:08See, he's my man.
0:55:08 > 0:55:13- There you go.- Big Jim, how could I resist a man with such a fine tie?
0:55:13 > 0:55:16- How are you doing?- How are you? - Very good, thank you.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19So, I'm interested in Blank Czech, 8/1. Can I go £10 each way?
0:55:19 > 0:55:22Certainly can. And seeing as you walked all the way down here,
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- give her eight and a half.- Oh, look at that! I knew I liked this gent!
0:55:27 > 0:55:28- Fantastic.- There we go.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31- Thank you very much. - Goodwood's finest. There, my love.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Lovely. Thank you! Right...
0:55:39 > 0:55:40And they're off!
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Hmm, but Blank Czech's not exactly leading the field.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59In fact, there he is, bringing up the rear,
0:55:59 > 0:56:03as he has done for most of the way. Come on, lad!
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Well...
0:56:19 > 0:56:21he wasn't last.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Wasn't first, second or third either.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29Never mind, it was his first time out, and Goodwood is a tricky course
0:56:29 > 0:56:31for the most experienced runners and riders.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37Hopefully, the team behind Blank Czech aren't too disappointed.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Blank Czech may have lost me my 20 quid,
0:56:40 > 0:56:42but soaking up the racing atmosphere
0:56:42 > 0:56:46while enjoying the setting on the Sussex Downs is what it's about.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49Since Julia was at Goodwood,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52I'm pleased to say that Blank Czech has been on the up.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55No wins, but a couple of second places. Not bad!
0:56:56 > 0:56:58And that's all we've got time for.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Next Wednesday, Adam will be taking a look back at the farming year,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06and he'll be splashing out on some jewellery for his prize bull.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08- You have a choice of ring sizes. - Yeah?
0:57:08 > 0:57:11That's a difficult-to-get-hold-of three-and-a-half-inch.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14It's like matching up a lady's earring, isn't it?
0:57:14 > 0:57:16See you then.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:38 > 0:57:40E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk