Bristol Countryfile


Bristol

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Bristol. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Bristol.

0:00:250:00:27

Step away from the hustle and bustle of city life

0:00:270:00:30

and there's beauty to be had.

0:00:300:00:32

A green and pleasant land right on your doorstep.

0:00:320:00:35

I'm going to be on the search for some of the rarest plants

0:00:370:00:39

in Britain, but I'm not going to find them up here.

0:00:390:00:42

Basically, what I've got to do is...

0:00:420:00:44

I tell you what, I'll leave that as a bit of a cliff-hanger.

0:00:440:00:47

But you don't have to go to the extreme to find wildlife here.

0:00:490:00:53

I've got wind of some very exciting news.

0:00:530:00:55

Apparently, this place, Bristol Docks,

0:00:550:00:57

has become home to one of our most elusive mammals, the otter.

0:00:570:01:01

I've got myself a camera and I'm going to try

0:01:010:01:03

and capture the evidence for myself. Fingers crossed.

0:01:030:01:06

Pigs are at the heart of Tom's investigation.

0:01:060:01:10

These two sows look very contented. We've discovered that

0:01:100:01:13

thousands of farms on the European mainland are ignoring new pig welfare laws.

0:01:130:01:19

It raises questions with echoes of the horsemeat scandal.

0:01:190:01:22

Could illegally produced meat be ending up in our shopping baskets?

0:01:220:01:27

I'll be investigating.

0:01:270:01:28

And Adam's in search of something special.

0:01:290:01:33

These are Vaynols, a very rare breed of cattle.

0:01:330:01:36

They can be quite nervous and jumpy so I can't go too close.

0:01:360:01:40

Around 20 years ago, they were virtually extinct.

0:01:400:01:43

I've come to this farm in Leeds where they've been doing a huge

0:01:430:01:46

amount of work to help preserve the breed.

0:01:460:01:48

# Well if you ever plan to motor west... #

0:02:020:02:06

Bristol.

0:02:070:02:08

Sandwiched between Gloucestershire and Somerset, just south

0:02:080:02:11

of the mighty Severn Estuary, it's a city wrapped up in countryside.

0:02:110:02:15

It took shape around the Avon, a river that carved the hilly landscape

0:02:160:02:20

that makes for strong thighs and distant views.

0:02:200:02:24

The water also carved out a corker of a chasm in this landscape.

0:02:280:02:32

This side of the Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suburb of Bristol,

0:02:320:02:36

the other is leafy countryside,

0:02:360:02:38

but I'm here for the bit in between -

0:02:380:02:40

the steep-sided abyss of the Avon Gorge.

0:02:400:02:43

Nearly 300 feet high, the gorge stretches for one-and-a-half miles.

0:02:480:02:53

I'm here in search of some of its rare inhabitants.

0:02:550:02:58

These rock faces are the last remaining stronghold

0:03:070:03:10

in the UK of some very rare species of plant, but even in this isolated place,

0:03:100:03:16

they're being overpowered by an unstoppable force...

0:03:160:03:19

..scrub.

0:03:210:03:23

Clearing it back is a perilous task that

0:03:230:03:25

falls into the hands of a group of extreme gardeners,

0:03:250:03:29

and later today, me.

0:03:290:03:30

But while they are getting ready for my vertical descent,

0:03:320:03:35

I'm meeting Mandy Leivers to find out why these plants

0:03:350:03:38

are worthy of all this attention.

0:03:380:03:41

So, Mandy, what are these rare plants?

0:03:410:03:43

Well, there are over 30 nationally rare and scarce plants

0:03:430:03:46

growing here in the Avon Gorge,

0:03:460:03:47

which makes it one of the top three sites for rare plants in England.

0:03:470:03:50

The site itself is internationally important.

0:03:500:03:52

It's what's known as a special area of conservation.

0:03:520:03:56

'Mandy has brought along photos of some of the rarest flora.'

0:03:560:04:00

We should really call it the round-headed leek,

0:04:000:04:02

that's its proper name,

0:04:020:04:03

but because it just grows here in the Avon Gorge and nowhere else

0:04:030:04:06

in the rest of the country, it's known as the Bristol onion.

0:04:060:04:10

And we've got another one which is called the Bristol rock cress,

0:04:100:04:13

and again, that's just found here and nowhere else in the rest of the UK.

0:04:130:04:17

But these plants are part of a community of limestone

0:04:170:04:19

grassland plants that strive here on the rocky ledges below us.

0:04:190:04:23

They're really well adapted to living in these harsh conditions.

0:04:230:04:29

The small rare plants are at risk from big ones taking over the cliffs -

0:04:290:04:33

brambles, weeds and vegetation

0:04:330:04:35

that escape from the city's gardens.

0:04:350:04:37

Mandy is going to show me one of the rare ones she is trying to protect.

0:04:370:04:41

-So, big drumroll. Here it is.

-Oh, that's it there?

-Yeah.

0:04:410:04:46

-It's quite a titchy little thing.

-It is, it's very sweet.

-It is.

0:04:460:04:50

So what is it, Mandy, about this gorge,

0:04:500:04:52

that allows these plants to grow here and nowhere else?

0:04:520:04:56

We think what happened is that after the last ice age,

0:04:560:04:58

there was an ice sheet that came down as far as the M4 corridor.

0:04:580:05:02

As the climate warmed, there was a land bridge between Britain

0:05:020:05:05

and Europe, and these plants would have come over from

0:05:050:05:08

southern Europe, and as the climate warmed, they would have covered

0:05:080:05:12

the whole of southern Britain.

0:05:120:05:13

As it got warmer still, trees would have come in behind them

0:05:130:05:16

and the trees would have grown in the flat places

0:05:160:05:19

and shaded out the grassland plants.

0:05:190:05:21

The only places that these plants were left were in these rocky places

0:05:210:05:24

like the Avon Gorge, so it's really the fact that we've got rocky ledges, thin soils,

0:05:240:05:29

green slopes and constant rock falls which have allowed these plants

0:05:290:05:33

to survive, really as little pockets of precious plants.

0:05:330:05:35

Apparently, I've got to go over the edge here today, and I noticed this

0:05:370:05:41

sign as we passed it - "Warning, cliff edge, risk of serious injury".

0:05:410:05:44

Well, it's a very long way down, it's about 90 metres.

0:05:440:05:47

-Have you been over yourself?

-I haven't personally, no.

-Oh, right!

0:05:470:05:51

-Well, I'll tell you all about it when I go over.

-Thank you!

0:05:510:05:54

-I've been too scared to go over there.

-Have you? Oh, great(!)

0:05:540:05:57

I'll also be finding out about some special agents who have been

0:05:590:06:02

recruited to help digest the scrub.

0:06:020:06:04

Now, the scandal over horsemeat in our food has shocked us all,

0:06:110:06:15

but as Tom has been finding out, it's not the only concern

0:06:150:06:18

over illegally-produced meat being imported from Europe.

0:06:180:06:21

With over 10,000 farms nationwide producing over nine million pigs

0:06:230:06:27

each year, the British pig industry is a vitally important part of our agriculture.

0:06:270:06:33

Pork production isn't just vital to the farming economy,

0:06:370:06:41

it's crucial to consumers, too.

0:06:410:06:44

Last year, we munched our way through around 200 tonnes of sausagemeat,

0:06:440:06:48

making bangers the nation's favourite meat-based dinner.

0:06:480:06:52

So, whether it's bacon, a joint of pork, sausages,

0:06:520:06:56

or even a nice pork pie, it seems we have a love affair,

0:06:560:07:00

in this country, with pork, in all its forms.

0:07:000:07:04

Our farmers adhere to some of the highest welfare standards in the world.

0:07:040:07:09

In 1999, that meant we banned the keeping of breeding sows

0:07:090:07:13

in closely confined pens, known as sow stalls.

0:07:130:07:17

Since January 1st, Europe's animal welfare laws have moved

0:07:190:07:22

more into line with our own,

0:07:220:07:23

which should mean pigs spending more of their time in contented groups

0:07:230:07:27

like this, rather than the majority of their lives in individual stalls.

0:07:270:07:33

Good news for pigs? Well, you might think so.

0:07:330:07:36

But many countries are still not complying with the new law.

0:07:360:07:40

For the British pig industry that swept away the sow stall system

0:07:410:07:45

14 years ago, this is frustrating.

0:07:450:07:48

For a start, it is more expensive to keep pigs in communal pens like these.

0:07:480:07:53

Young gilts that aren't in pig, gilts on this side, you can see for yourself,

0:07:530:07:58

they're a lot bigger. We like them in a really nice condition...

0:07:580:08:01

'John Rowbottom has been a pig farmer in the heart of Yorkshire

0:08:030:08:06

'all his life.'

0:08:060:08:08

What do you feel about the way Europe is or is not enforcing

0:08:080:08:11

-the new law?

-Well, it's a bit of a disaster.

0:08:110:08:14

We've spent a lot of money putting in a system like this,

0:08:140:08:17

taking out the old system.

0:08:170:08:18

A large amount of money - 14 years ago, we made the investment.

0:08:190:08:23

When we did it, the systems hadn't been tried and tested.

0:08:230:08:27

We've proved the systems.

0:08:270:08:28

We've spent all our money doing it, it's very simple for them

0:08:280:08:31

to do it now. They can pick the systems off the shelves and do it.

0:08:310:08:35

John converted his farm back in 1998, but he still has

0:08:350:08:40

some of his old derelict sow stalls left, awaiting demolition.

0:08:400:08:44

So, what am I looking at here?

0:08:450:08:47

You're looking at sow stalls that were banned in this country

0:08:470:08:50

14 years ago, and as you can see from the state of them,

0:08:500:08:53

-we haven't used them for 14 years.

-How did they work?

0:08:530:08:56

The sow went in there, board down the back,

0:08:560:09:00

-and that was it, she's in there and can't get out.

-For how long?

-Four months.

0:09:000:09:04

That's the whole of the gestation period, she'd be in there.

0:09:040:09:07

So, four months...in a place like this.

0:09:070:09:11

-Can't turn around?

-No.

0:09:110:09:13

-Eating that end. That feels very much like a cage, doesn't it?

-It...

0:09:130:09:19

Yeah, it does.

0:09:190:09:20

In the rest of the EU, a third of member states still haven't

0:09:200:09:25

fully complied with the new regulations.

0:09:250:09:28

It means that many farms on the Continent are still rearing

0:09:280:09:31

pigs illegally, caged in stalls like this,

0:09:310:09:35

despite having had many years to convert to the new system.

0:09:350:09:39

And this isn't the first time that mainland Europe has failed to

0:09:390:09:44

enforce new welfare standards.

0:09:440:09:46

Last year, new legislation banning battery cages was introduced,

0:09:470:09:51

but by the time the new law came into force, it was estimated

0:09:510:09:55

that as many as 50 million hens were still housed unlawfully.

0:09:550:09:59

The Prime Minister told Countryfile then that action had to be taken.

0:09:590:10:04

With other European countries, what we ought to do is take them to

0:10:040:10:08

court if they don't put in place the changes that they've signed up to.

0:10:080:10:11

We all sit there at the Agriculture Council

0:10:110:10:14

and we agree these rules on pig stalls

0:10:140:10:16

and these rules on hen cages and the rest of it,

0:10:160:10:20

and if they don't put those in place, they are in breach of the rules.

0:10:200:10:23

We should have no compunction in actually getting

0:10:230:10:26

the European Commission to really target those countries.

0:10:260:10:29

But a year on, history has repeated itself,

0:10:290:10:32

with the issue of banned sow stalls replacing battery cages.

0:10:320:10:35

Number 10 told us DEFRA ministers have now met with the EU Commissioner to stress

0:10:360:10:42

the importance of other countries abiding by the law.

0:10:420:10:45

For many British pig farmers, though, it's too little, too late.

0:10:450:10:49

We've been waiting for years for Europe to comply with

0:10:490:10:53

the same regulations that we have. We've spent a fortune.

0:10:530:10:56

They're due to catch up with us and it's not happening.

0:10:560:10:59

It was supposed to happen on January 1st, or be COMPLETED.

0:10:590:11:03

It was supposed to be completed by January 1st,

0:11:030:11:05

and it looks to me as if they are only just starting!

0:11:050:11:08

So, with millions of pigs still being reared in illegal

0:11:090:11:12

conditions, what are the authorities in Brussels doing about it?

0:11:120:11:16

Frederic Vincent is from the European Commission.

0:11:160:11:19

For us, the legal deadline for sow stalls was 1st January 2013.

0:11:190:11:24

We've been putting pressure for some months now on the member states

0:11:240:11:27

on the sow stalls issue.

0:11:270:11:29

It means that one third of the EU member states will get

0:11:290:11:33

a warning from the commission, saying, you have to comply,

0:11:330:11:37

you have to tell your farmers to comply with the directive.

0:11:370:11:42

But as these warnings are being issued,

0:11:420:11:45

our farmers are still losing out, while many of their counterparts

0:11:450:11:49

on the Continent continue to ignore the new welfare laws.

0:11:490:11:52

So how can we be sure that their pigs aren't ending up

0:11:540:11:58

in our sausages?

0:11:580:12:00

That's what I'll be finding out later.

0:12:000:12:01

Bristol claims to have more green spaces than any other British city,

0:12:060:12:11

so it stands to reason it should have a lot of wildlife.

0:12:110:12:14

And it doesn't disappoint.

0:12:150:12:17

Peregrine falcons, badgers, lesser horseshoe bats, kingfishers,

0:12:170:12:22

they all share a Bristol postcode.

0:12:220:12:24

We're all aware of urban wildlife.

0:12:300:12:32

Some people take a greater interest than others, but here

0:12:320:12:35

on the Bristol Docks, there has been a genuine wildlife surprise.

0:12:350:12:39

Here's nine seconds of proof.

0:12:390:12:41

It's an otter, right in the heart of the city.

0:12:420:12:46

Bristol City Council caught the footage completely by accident

0:12:460:12:49

as part of a general survey of wildlife in the harbour.

0:12:490:12:53

For a city centre-based ecologist like Becky Coffin,

0:12:530:12:56

the chances of seeing an otter were very slim. Until now.

0:12:560:13:00

So, they're right here, Becky, in your patch in Bristol.

0:13:010:13:05

-It's a bit weird, isn't it?

-It is. It's really exciting, actually.

0:13:050:13:09

Otters have been my favourite animal since I was really young,

0:13:090:13:13

so to even find out that they're here, it's really exciting.

0:13:130:13:17

And how many are there and where do you think they've come from?

0:13:170:13:19

We don't know entirely how they've come into the floating harbour area,

0:13:190:13:23

but we expect that as the wider populations have expanded, that some

0:13:230:13:29

of them have found their way in and now are fairly active in this area.

0:13:290:13:32

Otters are notoriously elusive -

0:13:320:13:35

we're not likely to see one splashing around here, are we?

0:13:350:13:38

No, they're actually nocturnal animals,

0:13:380:13:40

so you're very unlikely to see them here during the daytime.

0:13:400:13:42

What does their presence tell you about their habitat here?

0:13:420:13:45

It tells us two things, really.

0:13:450:13:47

First of all, the water quality is good enough to support fish,

0:13:470:13:51

-which is the main component of their diet.

-So that's why they're here.

0:13:510:13:54

Yep. But it also tells us that there are

0:13:540:13:56

features about the built fabric of the docks area that actually provides

0:13:560:14:02

them with nooks and crannies where they can rest up during the day.

0:14:020:14:06

-Do you suspect there's more than one otter?

-It's very difficult to tell.

0:14:060:14:11

The camera trap that we've got is only showing one otter.

0:14:110:14:15

Um... You can make assumptions, from the amount of spraint we found,

0:14:150:14:20

that there COULD be more than one otter.

0:14:200:14:23

Growing numbers of otters in urban and rural areas is cause for celebration.

0:14:230:14:28

Pollution almost wiped them out in England in the '70s.

0:14:280:14:31

Now they're back, which means our rivers are much cleaner.

0:14:310:14:34

But are they clean enough?

0:14:340:14:36

Research by Cardiff University's Otter Project has highlighted

0:14:360:14:40

serious concerns for the health of otters in the UK.

0:14:400:14:43

'Rose Moorhouse-Gann carries out post-mortems on otters found dead

0:14:440:14:48

'in England and Wales.

0:14:480:14:50

'She's meeting me in Bristol to share the findings,

0:14:500:14:53

'exclusively with Countryfile.'

0:14:530:14:55

And what exactly are the issues?

0:14:550:14:58

We have a new piece of research which suggests that there

0:14:580:15:01

are reproductive abnormalities that are becoming more and more common.

0:15:010:15:06

-Baculum weight has decreased with time.

-What's the baculum?

0:15:060:15:10

The baculum is the penis bone of a male otter.

0:15:100:15:13

-I have one here to show you.

-OK, so this is of a mature male otter?

0:15:130:15:18

-That's from an adult male.

-And these are getting smaller?

0:15:180:15:21

They're getting lighter.

0:15:210:15:23

Presumably that might have an impact on the reproductive health of the otter?

0:15:230:15:26

We can't say for sure what the consequences of this are,

0:15:260:15:30

-but they are likely to be negative.

-That's quite worrying.

0:15:300:15:34

It is quite worrying. It is quite worrying.

0:15:340:15:37

The exact cause of this change is a mystery, but studies point towards

0:15:390:15:43

modern hormone-disrupting chemicals making their way into river systems.

0:15:430:15:47

They're found in pesticides and chemical waste

0:15:490:15:53

-and pharmaceuticals, as well.

-So pretty prolific?

-Yeah.

0:15:530:15:57

What's next for the Otter Project? Where do you want research to go?

0:15:570:16:00

We'd like to broaden the suite of chemicals that we

0:16:000:16:03

test for in the otter tissues.

0:16:030:16:05

It's really important that we keep on top of anything that might be

0:16:050:16:09

-affecting our wildlife.

-I'll let you have that back, Rose.

0:16:090:16:12

Thank you very much!

0:16:120:16:14

Well, Rose's project is fascinating, but today,

0:16:150:16:18

I'm more interested in live otters.

0:16:180:16:20

I'm still amazed otters are here in the centre of Bristol.

0:16:220:16:25

I'd love to catch a glimpse of one.

0:16:250:16:27

So I've got hold of some BBC kit to help me.

0:16:270:16:29

You may know that Bristol is home to the world-renowned

0:16:310:16:35

Natural History Unit, so from the city that brings you Planet Earth,

0:16:350:16:39

Planet Earth Live and Africa, I'm going to attempt to film

0:16:390:16:43

one of the world's most elusive mammals with this.

0:16:430:16:46

Small beginnings.

0:16:460:16:48

Local skipper Ron Bygott is assisting in our otter experiment by

0:16:490:16:54

letting us put a camera on his boat, bang in the middle of the harbour.

0:16:540:16:58

-Where is she going?

-Just here.

-OK. And why have you picked this spot?

0:17:020:17:06

Why do you reckon this is the right one?

0:17:060:17:09

Well, the camera can be angled down towards the pontoon down there and

0:17:090:17:14

it's possible that any otters in this area might come up to that pontoon.

0:17:140:17:19

-If they get out onto it, you'll get a really good shot.

-OK, there we go.

0:17:190:17:24

She's fairly fixed on there.

0:17:240:17:26

How valuable is video footage to you, Becky?

0:17:260:17:29

The camera trap footage we've got from the survey

0:17:290:17:32

we carried out was time-stamped,

0:17:320:17:34

and that told us it was actually present quite early in the evening,

0:17:340:17:38

which suggests that it's probably resting up somewhere very close by.

0:17:380:17:42

-So it's teaching you about patterns and behaviours?

-Exactly.

0:17:420:17:45

You're very secretive about where you put your cameras, aren't you?

0:17:450:17:48

Yes, we are. Otters are a protected species and we need to protect them

0:17:480:17:52

as much as possible.

0:17:520:17:53

We also need to protect the equipment whilst it's out.

0:17:530:17:56

-You'll look after our camera, won't you, Ron?

-I certainly shall.

-Thank you.

0:17:560:18:00

I'll find out if it films anything later on.

0:18:000:18:03

Meanwhile, as night falls, my search for urban wildlife continues.

0:18:040:18:09

Maybe I'll have more luck in the dark.

0:18:090:18:12

Some people dedicate hours and hours to the wildlife on their doorstep.

0:18:120:18:16

Not because they're being paid, but because they're passionate

0:18:160:18:19

and a little bit kooky.

0:18:190:18:21

Graphic designer by day, wildlife photographer by night.

0:18:230:18:27

Meet Ian Wade.

0:18:270:18:28

He crossed paths with a wild resident of Bristol

0:18:280:18:31

during a stroll to his local curry house.

0:18:310:18:34

It was his first encounter with an animal that is adapted to

0:18:340:18:37

city living as well as any human...

0:18:370:18:39

..the urban fox.

0:18:400:18:41

A lot of people think foxes are scary,

0:18:440:18:46

a lot of people think they are a pest, they're dangerous.

0:18:460:18:50

It depends on their experiences, really,

0:18:500:18:52

and what they read and what they believe.

0:18:520:18:55

Obviously, it's a wild animal, it needs to be treated with respect.

0:18:550:18:59

You've identified certain foxes, you know certain foxes now.

0:18:590:19:02

Yes, definitely. The one I started with was called Freddie,

0:19:020:19:05

I named him Freddie. That's the one I spent a year photographing.

0:19:050:19:09

The one which is around tonight is called Charlie.

0:19:090:19:11

What are the chances, do you think, tonight?

0:19:110:19:14

Pretty good, I'd say really good.

0:19:140:19:16

I've smelt the scent marking from him. Here.

0:19:160:19:19

-What have we got here?

-Fox smell.

-Is this the smell?

0:19:200:19:24

-Yeah, if you come here, you can smell it.

-Oh, yeah!

0:19:240:19:27

-Oh-ho-ho! Oh! Whew!

-SHE COUGHS

0:19:270:19:30

-It stinks, doesn't it?

-Oh, that really stinks!

0:19:300:19:33

Yeah, that's fresh, so he's probably done that as he's come down here.

0:19:330:19:37

Bristol used to have one of the largest fox populations in the world.

0:19:370:19:42

Mange disease killed 95% of them in the mid '90s,

0:19:420:19:45

but numbers are now recovering.

0:19:450:19:48

There's no denying that foxes are more controversial

0:19:480:19:51

than ever at the moment.

0:19:510:19:52

But for Ian, at least, they're endlessly fascinating.

0:19:520:19:56

Everybody says you see loads of urban foxes in Cotham,

0:19:560:19:59

you're bound to catch one. Typical Countryfile luck - not a sausage.

0:19:590:20:04

Let's hope we've had more luck with our otter cam

0:20:080:20:11

down at the harbour side. Here's the premiere.

0:20:110:20:15

We all got very excited by that splash in the top right-hand corner.

0:20:150:20:19

Let's have another look.

0:20:190:20:21

Hm... I think it's a fish.

0:20:210:20:23

Oh, well, at least we know there ARE otters in the city.

0:20:250:20:29

Hello!

0:20:290:20:30

I've been exploring the Avon Gorge,

0:20:360:20:38

home to rare plants that you won't find anywhere else in the UK.

0:20:380:20:43

Later, I'll be stepping over the edge to clear scrub that's

0:20:430:20:46

pushing these small cliff dwellers from their home,

0:20:460:20:49

but first, I'm off to meet some four-legged special agents

0:20:490:20:53

who have been brought in to assist.

0:20:530:20:55

Only a tough, robust and adaptable animal could possibly handle

0:20:560:21:00

this sheer terrain to consume this scrub. So, what have we got?

0:21:000:21:05

Well, ponies, no - the sides are just too steep. Sheep?

0:21:050:21:09

Well, it's the wrong food and they'd just get caught up in all of the brambles.

0:21:090:21:13

No, no - there was just one animal fit enough for the job...

0:21:130:21:17

the goat!

0:21:170:21:18

Cashmere goats. Their mission - to graze this.

0:21:210:21:24

I'm joining the team on their daily check-up,

0:21:260:21:29

to try and catch a glimpse of them.

0:21:290:21:30

They tend to prefer up at this end where they've got further views

0:21:300:21:34

and they don't feel so constrained with trees around them.

0:21:340:21:37

In 2011, a ten-acre steep-sided gully was fenced off for them.

0:21:370:21:42

The goats were brought in - code name, Operation Cashmere.

0:21:420:21:45

Ben Skuse and Chris Westcott were the lads who helped them to move in.

0:21:470:21:51

-There they are.

-Oh, they're up there, are they? Some bonny lads amongst them.

0:21:520:21:56

They are indeed, aren't they?

0:21:560:21:59

So, how many goats have you got involved in Operation Cashmere,

0:21:590:22:02

and where did they come from?

0:22:020:22:04

There's six billy goats here, and we got them from another conservation

0:22:040:22:08

project on the Great Orme, that's run by Conwy Council.

0:22:080:22:12

Ben and I went up in June 2011 and we helped round up all their goats.

0:22:120:22:19

In return for that, they gave us

0:22:190:22:21

the six billy goats we've got here today.

0:22:210:22:24

And are they doing a good job?

0:22:240:22:26

How does their maintenance technique differ to what you'd be doing with power tools?

0:22:260:22:29

They're doing a fantastic job.

0:22:290:22:31

Ten years ago, this area would have been entirely wooded,

0:22:310:22:34

and we've been in and been cutting down the scrub,

0:22:340:22:39

and it's been growing back and it's been a real management headache.

0:22:390:22:43

We really needed a sustainable

0:22:430:22:45

and more natural solution to dealing with this scrub.

0:22:450:22:48

-That's where the goats came in.

-And they kind of stunt the growth?

0:22:480:22:53

Yeah, absolutely. You can cut something off at ground level

0:22:530:22:56

and it will soon come back quite vigorously,

0:22:560:22:58

but in the summer, any new leaves that will come on these stems

0:22:580:23:01

and stalks, they'll come along and strip them and strip them and strip them.

0:23:010:23:05

Gradually, they're stunting the health and vigour

0:23:050:23:08

of this scrubby stuff more and more and more,

0:23:080:23:10

and just allowing the rare grassland to compete more.

0:23:100:23:15

How does it work out that they're leaving the stuff that's really important to you at the moment?

0:23:150:23:19

You never see them, head on the ground, like a sheep would,

0:23:190:23:22

eating the grass, pulling the grass out,

0:23:220:23:24

it's always off the ground, the leaves and the bark,

0:23:240:23:27

and that's the kind of stuff we want gone.

0:23:270:23:30

-There's a bit of butting going on behind you.

-Oh, yeah!

0:23:300:23:33

Well, later on, I'll be doing my own impression of a mountain goat

0:23:380:23:42

as I scramble down the side of the Avon Gorge.

0:23:420:23:45

But first, here's what else is coming up on tonight's programme.

0:23:450:23:48

'Adam's got his hands full of fancy fowl...'

0:23:480:23:51

My little Pekins are really lovely.

0:23:510:23:54

Ornamental chicken, really.

0:23:540:23:57

There's a cockerel and a hen.

0:23:570:23:59

'..Julia challenges some hardy souls to brave the winter waters.

0:24:010:24:05

'But will she follow suit?'

0:24:050:24:06

I like that, gloves and a hat, that's the way I would do it.

0:24:070:24:11

'And will it be any warmer in the week ahead?

0:24:140:24:16

'We'll have the Countryfile five-day forecast.'

0:24:160:24:19

Now, earlier we heard about the European pig producers

0:24:230:24:26

ignoring legal requirements on welfare.

0:24:260:24:29

So, given the currant scandal over horsemeat, how confident can we be

0:24:290:24:32

that meat from these pigs won't be turning up on our shelves, too?

0:24:320:24:36

Here's Tom.

0:24:360:24:37

We used to think processed food with beef on the label contained,

0:24:410:24:45

well, meat from a cow. Now, we can't be so sure.

0:24:450:24:50

So, has confidence shifted in processed food?

0:24:500:24:54

Do we now trust less things like processed meals and burgers?

0:24:540:24:58

To find out, we've commissioned our own Countryfile consumer survey.

0:24:580:25:02

We asked the British public...

0:25:050:25:07

The results were pretty compelling.

0:25:170:25:19

We found that 62% of the British public still had

0:25:210:25:25

confidence in processed food from the UK, but that figure dropped to 28%

0:25:250:25:29

when we asked about food from the rest of the European Union.

0:25:290:25:34

That's still better than food from the rest of the world,

0:25:340:25:37

where there was just 14% confidence in the safety,

0:25:370:25:40

ingredients and welfare of the products.

0:25:400:25:43

Whichever way you look at it, the level of trust in processed meat products isn't great,

0:25:430:25:48

but what really surprised us was the lack of trust in food from

0:25:480:25:51

the rest of Europe, a major source of meat for the British consumer.

0:25:510:25:55

So, are we right to be worried,

0:25:560:25:58

and how could we regain some of that consumer confidence?

0:25:580:26:02

For a start, it would help to know exactly where our food comes from.

0:26:020:26:06

We already know that the European supply chain has not

0:26:080:26:11

done its job in stopping horse getting into the beef products, but

0:26:110:26:15

I've discovered another problem with European food production -

0:26:150:26:19

pigs being reared under illegal welfare standards.

0:26:190:26:23

What is to stop meat from those animals ending up in the UK, as well?

0:26:230:26:28

I'm on my way to ask one of Britain's major pork pie

0:26:280:26:31

manufacturers if he is confident that the way

0:26:310:26:34

he sources his meat is robust enough.

0:26:340:26:37

This is where we do ale, one of the largest pies, yes.

0:26:450:26:48

The company Vale of Mowbray makes more than a million pork pies

0:26:490:26:53

every week.

0:26:530:26:54

John Gatenby is the man in charge.

0:26:540:26:56

Roughly what proportion of what comes through here

0:26:560:26:59

comes from the Continent?

0:26:590:27:00

-About 70%.

-About 70%.

0:27:000:27:02

Mostly from Holland and some from Germany.

0:27:020:27:05

When it comes to Germany, I gather that 30% of their farms still

0:27:070:27:10

use sow stalls. Does that trouble you?

0:27:100:27:12

We obviously talk to the factories and they

0:27:120:27:15

assured us that 100% of their pigs come from stall-free herds.

0:27:150:27:21

We buy from these people every week and so

0:27:210:27:23

if we had any doubt about them, we would not be buying from them.

0:27:230:27:26

John is confident about the European producers who supply him,

0:27:300:27:33

but is trust in your suppliers enough?

0:27:330:27:36

With hundreds of thousands of tons of pig meat imported from the EU

0:27:390:27:43

every year, can we really guarantee that nothing is getting through?

0:27:430:27:47

Zoe Davies from the National Pig Association thinks not.

0:27:480:27:52

Do you think illegally reared pork could still be entering Britain?

0:27:520:27:55

We import 60% of the pork that's eaten in the UK,

0:27:550:27:59

so it is inevitable that some of that pork product

0:27:590:28:02

coming in will come from illegal systems.

0:28:020:28:05

We know that 25% of sows in Europe are still being reared in stalls.

0:28:050:28:09

So, who is to blame for the fact that we could still be getting this

0:28:090:28:12

illegally reared meat into the country?

0:28:120:28:14

It is the responsibility of the entire food chain to make sure

0:28:140:28:18

that only pork that comes from legal compliance systems enters the UK.

0:28:180:28:24

The National Pig Association may not have faith in the supply chain,

0:28:240:28:27

but the British Retail Consortium does.

0:28:270:28:30

It told us that their retailers will only import meat from animals that

0:28:300:28:34

have been raised to British welfare standards,

0:28:340:28:36

and they have the documents to prove it.

0:28:360:28:39

Peter Loggie from the National Farmers Union in Scotland also

0:28:390:28:42

had his doubts, so he challenged the supermarkets to verify

0:28:420:28:46

the source of their fresh pork.

0:28:460:28:48

Tell me how you went about investigating

0:28:480:28:51

the whole pork supply chain.

0:28:510:28:53

What we were aiming to find out was whether the supermarkets could prove

0:28:530:28:56

their claims that they were buying only pig meat from compliant

0:28:560:29:00

farms in Europe.

0:29:000:29:02

So we went to the supermarkets, bought some product,

0:29:020:29:05

took them the labels and asked them to trace it.

0:29:050:29:08

They all did provide us with information.

0:29:080:29:10

It's complicated,

0:29:100:29:11

there are some that are certainly better than others.

0:29:110:29:14

In the case of the tracings that were going back to Denmark

0:29:140:29:17

and to the Netherlands,

0:29:170:29:19

there was a fairly robust trail that went back to quality-assured farms,

0:29:190:29:23

farms that are members of schemes where they are checked.

0:29:230:29:26

With the French material, that was not the case

0:29:260:29:29

because they don't have a quality assurance scheme in France.

0:29:290:29:32

Overall, Peter was pleasantly surprised by the amount of evidence

0:29:320:29:36

provided by the supermarkets,

0:29:360:29:38

and according to the British Retail Consortium, they can all back that up

0:29:380:29:42

with regular and comprehensive auditing on the pork supply chain.

0:29:420:29:46

But as we all know, that type of thoroughness did not stop

0:29:470:29:50

horse turning up in beef products.

0:29:500:29:53

Now we're having to resort to forensic science to find out

0:29:540:29:57

what is in our processed food.

0:29:570:30:00

We've got some samples of burgers here.

0:30:000:30:02

What we can do with these is extract the DNA from them

0:30:020:30:06

and find out what species are actually present in them.

0:30:060:30:10

At Worcestershire Scientific Services,

0:30:100:30:12

Paul Hancock and his team DNA-test everything from steak and kidney pies

0:30:120:30:16

to beef burgers, and recently,

0:30:160:30:18

they have been asked to take part in the nationwide screening for horse.

0:30:180:30:23

It looks distinctly unattractive now, doesn't it?

0:30:230:30:25

Have you actually found any horsemeat in this lab?

0:30:250:30:28

We have had a couple of positive samples in the last week or so.

0:30:280:30:31

Obviously, we are doing our bit to reassure consumers

0:30:310:30:34

and ensure that the meat going into the food chain is appropriate.

0:30:340:30:39

But the very fact that we have to resort to forensic testing

0:30:400:30:44

raises questions about the traceability of our food.

0:30:440:30:47

What do you think about the fact that in order to be sure about what

0:30:470:30:51

is in our food, we have to rely on science like this?

0:30:510:30:54

Obviously, there are systems in place to ensure traceability of meat,

0:30:540:30:59

but unfortunately there will always be people who will take advantage of

0:30:590:31:02

that, so it then comes down to us as the enforcement laboratories

0:31:020:31:06

to police it.

0:31:060:31:08

Science can give us hard facts, but it's simply not practical to

0:31:080:31:11

test every meat item on Britain's shelves.

0:31:110:31:14

For us to have confidence in the system, we need to trust the law

0:31:140:31:19

and be sure that it is being properly enforced at every stage.

0:31:190:31:23

In the UK, that is being applied by the Food Standards Agency,

0:31:240:31:28

but what about the rest of the EU?

0:31:280:31:30

How can we be certain that our European neighbours aren't

0:31:330:31:36

supplying us with horse dressed up as beef, or sending us

0:31:360:31:39

meat from pigs reared under an illegal welfare standard?

0:31:390:31:43

When it comes to food operators, it is up to the member states to check

0:31:430:31:47

what is being done on the ground in the respective member states.

0:31:470:31:51

We don't have a kind of EU army of inspectors

0:31:510:31:53

going all over Europe to check.

0:31:530:31:55

It is up to the member states with their respective food authorities,

0:31:550:31:59

the FSA in the UK, for example, to check what the

0:31:590:32:01

food operators are doing and if they are respecting the rules.

0:32:010:32:04

Whenever you have a problem at EU level,

0:32:040:32:06

the European Commission intervenes and helps the member states

0:32:060:32:09

to work together to try to solve the problem.

0:32:090:32:11

But the big question is, are our European neighbours checking

0:32:130:32:16

and policing food production in their own countries properly?

0:32:160:32:20

The FSA told us that when it comes to the EU, it is...

0:32:200:32:24

We must be careful not to get things out of proportion, though.

0:32:310:32:34

There is no suggestion at all of any adulterated pork meat and also

0:32:340:32:40

no evidence so far of illegally produced pigs entering Britain.

0:32:400:32:44

And when it comes to the horsemeat contamination, it is

0:32:440:32:48

only in a tiny fraction of beef products.

0:32:480:32:51

But what we are seeing are European laws which are failing to

0:32:520:32:55

deliver, and serious concerns about the effectiveness

0:32:550:32:59

and complexity of the EU supply chain.

0:32:590:33:02

Plus, of course, there is the issue of trust.

0:33:020:33:05

Our survey shows there is greater confidence in meat produced

0:33:060:33:10

and processed in the UK than that coming from Europe,

0:33:100:33:13

or indeed the rest of the world.

0:33:130:33:15

That may be good news for British farmers,

0:33:170:33:19

but it is bad news for the retailers

0:33:190:33:21

and food processors in the UK who rely so heavily on meat from Europe.

0:33:210:33:26

If you want to know more, you can find the full

0:33:280:33:30

results of our consumer confidence poll on our website.

0:33:300:33:34

Preserving and conserving native rare breeds is Adam's real passion.

0:33:380:33:43

This week, he is off to see a herd of cattle that is so rare,

0:33:430:33:46

only a few years ago, they almost became extinct.

0:33:460:33:49

But he's got his chickens to sort out first.

0:33:490:33:52

Just as the weather drifts through the seasons,

0:33:580:34:01

so do the animals on my farm. At the moment, it is

0:34:010:34:04

my chickens that are sensing spring is in the air.

0:34:040:34:07

I've got a lot of my chickens in here.

0:34:070:34:09

They are a mixture of lots of different breeds

0:34:110:34:13

and we've got cocks and hens, males and females, mixed up together.

0:34:130:34:17

At this time of year, the hens are starting to lay

0:34:170:34:20

and the cockerels will be mating with the hens.

0:34:200:34:23

What I want to do is to sort them out into their breeds,

0:34:230:34:25

so that the chicks that hatch from the eggs are pure of that breed.

0:34:250:34:30

I've just got to catch them.

0:34:300:34:31

And my little Pekins are really lovely. Ornamental chickens, really.

0:34:370:34:42

They come in all different colours. These ones are lavender.

0:34:420:34:45

They lay a very small egg, although they are quite good mothers -

0:34:450:34:48

they will sit on the eggs and incubate them themselves.

0:34:480:34:50

So there is a cockerel and a hen.

0:34:500:34:53

And this is the Indian Game cockerel. He is only a young one

0:34:590:35:03

but his plumage is looking beautiful.

0:35:030:35:05

It's really shiny, and at this time of year, in the spring,

0:35:050:35:09

the cockerels are thinking about mating

0:35:090:35:11

and they start crowing a lot,

0:35:110:35:13

and they are warning off the other males, "This is my territory.

0:35:130:35:16

"These are my ladies," as well as calling to the hens to attract them.

0:35:160:35:20

Just like you hear song birds singing in the spring,

0:35:200:35:23

they are doing exactly the same thing.

0:35:230:35:26

Spring has sprung. Babies are on the way.

0:35:260:35:29

This is the Buff Orpington cockerel.

0:35:360:35:38

That's the spur that the cockerels use to fight each other with.

0:35:380:35:42

You can see his spur is very long and thick and strong,

0:35:420:35:47

and incredibly sharp.

0:35:470:35:48

Look at the way it's making a hole in my finger.

0:35:480:35:52

Amazing when they fight, how they can hurt each other,

0:35:520:35:55

and he is a smart-looking fella.

0:35:550:35:58

So there we are. These hens will start laying in the next

0:36:150:36:18

couple of weeks, I hope.

0:36:180:36:19

The cockerel will be mating with them, so the eggs will be fertile,

0:36:190:36:22

and when we hatch out the chicks, they will be pure Indian Game.

0:36:220:36:25

Some of the chickens I keep are quite rare,

0:36:280:36:31

but there is another animal on the farm that's very rare.

0:36:310:36:34

These are my Bagot goats.

0:36:350:36:37

They are the rarest breed of goats in the country.

0:36:370:36:40

They came from Blithfield Hall in Staffordshire,

0:36:400:36:44

that was run by Lady Bagot, and she gave a handful of goats to my dad

0:36:440:36:50

way back in the '70s, and we have had them ever since.

0:36:500:36:53

But it is thought they may have originated from

0:36:530:36:56

Richard the Lionheart's crusade and he brought them back from that.

0:36:560:37:00

With only around 300 nannies left in the country,

0:37:010:37:04

there are not very many people that keep them, and I have sold four

0:37:040:37:08

up to a farm in Leeds, so I'm going to load them up now.

0:37:080:37:11

And these are the ones I have selected.

0:37:140:37:16

I have just got to catch them.

0:37:160:37:18

It is really important

0:37:230:37:25

when you are preserving rare breeds that they are spread

0:37:250:37:28

around the country geographically,

0:37:280:37:29

because if there is an outbreak of disease like foot and mouth,

0:37:290:37:32

if they are all in the same district, they might get wiped out totally.

0:37:320:37:36

My Bagots are off to Temple Newsam, near Leeds.

0:37:410:37:44

It is a beautiful, Tudor Jacobean house that has had ties

0:37:440:37:47

with Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots and garden designer Capability Brown.

0:37:470:37:52

When they arrive, they soon settle in nicely and as a bonus,

0:37:550:37:58

all these goats are in kid, so, hopefully, a herd of Bagots

0:37:580:38:02

will soon be established here.

0:38:020:38:04

It is also home to many rare farm animals, but one breed of

0:38:040:38:08

cattle in particular is so scarce, it is in danger of being lost for ever.

0:38:080:38:12

I'm meeting farm manager David Bradley and one very special lady.

0:38:130:38:18

Goodness me, David. I never thought I'd seek a Vaynol on a halter.

0:38:180:38:22

You don't see many of them and this is it.

0:38:220:38:24

When they first came down to the farm at home,

0:38:260:38:28

that was a long time ago. When was that?

0:38:280:38:30

That would be 25 years ago with that. I'd gone down to

0:38:300:38:34

buy a Gloucester bull off your dad and he showed me these on your

0:38:340:38:37

farm there, and I just thought, "My heck! I don't want any of these!"

0:38:370:38:40

They were wild, crazy.

0:38:400:38:42

It has taken a good lot of years to get them quieter,

0:38:420:38:45

then each generation of calves that comes on

0:38:450:38:47

-gets that little bit better.

-Lovely.

0:38:470:38:50

This one is a black one but generally they are white, aren't they?

0:38:500:38:53

Most of the herd, overall, is white

0:38:530:38:55

with the exception of about four black ones in the herd.

0:38:550:38:58

-How many Vaynols are there now?

-About 35 altogether and that is it.

0:38:580:39:02

-That is it?

-That is it.

-Goodness me! That's almost extinct!

0:39:020:39:06

I thought my Bagots were rare but with just 35 Vaynols in existence,

0:39:080:39:12

the team here are keen to do all they can to ensure their survival.

0:39:120:39:17

Like my goats, they want to establish satellite herds across the UK

0:39:170:39:21

but they also want to take part in the Rare Breed Survival Trust's

0:39:210:39:24

embryo-flushing project in Scotland. It is a type of IVF for cows.

0:39:240:39:29

Before they can do that, the vet has to carry out one important check.

0:39:290:39:34

Right. We have sorted out the Vaynols, a few other cattle have come

0:39:340:39:37

with them but that doesn't matter,

0:39:370:39:38

and now we have to get them into the cattle crush for the vet.

0:39:380:39:41

These girls had been running with a bull, so a week ago,

0:39:470:39:50

the vet examined them and two were given the equivalent

0:39:500:39:53

of the morning-after pill to make sure they were not pregnant.

0:39:530:39:58

The vet is back to make sure it's worked.

0:39:580:40:00

When most farmers bring their cattle in to be

0:40:010:40:04

pregnancy-tested by the vet, they want the cows to be in calf.

0:40:040:40:08

But here, they want the opposite.

0:40:080:40:09

They want these cows to be empty because they are going up to

0:40:090:40:12

a farm in Scotland, where they will do a thing called embryo transfer.

0:40:120:40:16

And what they're going to do is flush the cows,

0:40:160:40:19

remove the eggs from them

0:40:190:40:22

and then they will mix those eggs with sperm from Vaynol bulls,

0:40:220:40:26

and they will take the fertilised embryos and put them into other

0:40:260:40:30

cows from a different breed and use those cows as surrogate mothers.

0:40:300:40:35

Therefore, the calf that then is born is a pedigree Vaynol.

0:40:350:40:38

A cow can only give birth to one calf a year, so this cow could

0:40:380:40:43

only have one Vaynol calf every year, but by flushing her,

0:40:430:40:47

they will be able to get half a dozen Vaynol calves

0:40:470:40:50

and, therefore, accelerate the expansion of the breed much quicker.

0:40:500:40:54

-What is the result on this one, Sophie?

-She's negative.

0:40:540:40:58

She's not pregnant. So she can go to Scotland now.

0:40:580:41:01

Wonderful. Good news.

0:41:010:41:03

-So that one is OK, too?

-Yes, she's fine, she is ready to go,

0:41:220:41:25

-she is empty.

-Wonderful.

0:41:250:41:27

So that is number two ready to go to Scotland.

0:41:270:41:29

This is quite a special cow.

0:41:320:41:34

She was born to artificial insemination

0:41:340:41:36

and from a bull that produced a semen 30 years ago.

0:41:360:41:40

What's the situation with this one, Sophie?

0:41:400:41:44

Well, the third one is in calf, actually.

0:41:440:41:46

She's about 60 days in calf, so she will have to stay here.

0:41:460:41:50

Because the last cow is pregnant, she will calve on the farm here

0:41:500:41:54

and join the other two next spring.

0:41:540:41:56

So two out of the three cows can go to Scotland,

0:41:570:42:00

but they can't go yet.

0:42:000:42:01

Because I bought the Bagot goats on to the farm,

0:42:010:42:03

because of movement restrictions and quarantine,

0:42:030:42:06

they can't move any animals off the farm for six clear days.

0:42:060:42:09

So they will be going up in a week or so's time.

0:42:090:42:12

Hopefully, next time I catch up with these ladies,

0:42:120:42:15

they will be part of a much bigger national herd of Vaynols.

0:42:150:42:18

Next week, I'll be finding out how science is helping to protect

0:42:180:42:22

and preserve another special breed -

0:42:220:42:24

the Hackney horse.

0:42:240:42:26

Just on the edge of Bristol, I've been exploring the Avon Gorge,

0:42:300:42:33

an internationally important conservation site.

0:42:330:42:37

Home to 30 rare species of plant.

0:42:370:42:39

For some, it's their only habitat in the whole of the UK.

0:42:390:42:44

Despite the vertical cliff faces, the rare plants here

0:42:440:42:47

are under threat from rapidly encroaching scrub

0:42:470:42:50

stealing their food and sunlight. It could kill them off.

0:42:500:42:54

To aid them in their fight for survival,

0:42:540:42:56

I'm taking to the ropes under the watchful eye of Angus Tillotson.

0:42:560:43:01

He's a rock-climbing gardener.

0:43:010:43:03

Right then, Angus, so what is the plan here?

0:43:040:43:07

What we are going to do, Matt, is drop down on the ropes a bit

0:43:070:43:13

and just clear a bit of vegetation off and try to open up some of

0:43:130:43:17

the little ledges so that the tiny, little plants which are native here

0:43:170:43:21

don't get shaded out by more competitive species.

0:43:210:43:24

It seems like you go to quite an effort to help out those

0:43:240:43:27

tiny, little plants.

0:43:270:43:29

It seems ridiculous sometimes,

0:43:290:43:30

but they are all small cogs in a big machine.

0:43:300:43:34

It's like that scene in Karate Kid

0:43:350:43:37

where they are looking for that lone bonsai.

0:43:370:43:39

Now, glad to see you are keen with the loppers.

0:43:500:43:52

There are a couple of things to think about

0:43:520:43:55

before we start doing that.

0:43:550:43:56

The second most important thing you have to be careful of is

0:43:560:44:00

-cutting these two ropes.

-Yes!

0:44:000:44:02

The most important thing you've got to be careful of is cutting

0:44:020:44:05

-these two ropes.

-MATT LAUGHS

0:44:050:44:08

-OK.

-So when we are working,

0:44:080:44:11

-we tend to try and work to the side of us.

-I see.

-OK?

-Yeah.

0:44:110:44:16

-Once you get a handful of ivy, do you just let it drop?

-Yes.

0:44:160:44:20

Phwoar! This is the way to enjoy this gorge.

0:44:200:44:23

It is nice enough in a car to come through it

0:44:230:44:25

and I'm sure everybody who drives along are constantly looking up,

0:44:250:44:28

but to see from a bird's eye view is pretty special.

0:44:280:44:31

No time to hang around, though. We have a job to do.

0:44:370:44:41

Let's drop down another level. Just be careful where you are treading.

0:44:410:44:45

You don't want to be doing any damage with your feet.

0:44:450:44:47

Yes, you've got to be careful

0:44:470:44:49

-when some of these plants are the size of a 5p piece.

-Yes.

0:44:490:44:53

Ding-ding! This is unwanted shrubbery.

0:44:530:44:55

This is looking a little bit more interesting down here.

0:44:570:45:00

Matt, we've got a bit of a bigger ledge and a bit more soil

0:45:000:45:03

and there's some rock rose just in there, looking

0:45:030:45:06

a little bit sad for itself.

0:45:060:45:08

Rock rose is one of the plants we are here to protect.

0:45:080:45:11

You can see all the leaves that have been dropped on top of it.

0:45:110:45:16

A case for clearing out, then.

0:45:160:45:17

Sometimes, it's just a case of brushing away

0:45:200:45:23

some of the leaves that build up.

0:45:230:45:25

I'm sensing the start of a new business here.

0:45:270:45:30

Weeding hanging baskets. What do you reckon? Extreme ones.

0:45:300:45:34

-It could be a goer.

-Giant hanging baskets. Coming across!

0:45:340:45:36

-Careful now.

-What was that?

-Are you OK?

0:45:420:45:45

-Must have just twanged a bit of the rope up there.

-Quite exciting.

0:45:450:45:49

-What a difference.

-That is great and that has really opened it up.

0:45:510:45:54

Considering we are only using these, there is quite a lot to do

0:45:540:45:57

-when you look along there.

-It is a long-term project I think, yeah.

0:45:570:46:02

-Patience.

-That is right. Persistence.

0:46:020:46:05

It is an enormous task,

0:46:050:46:07

part of a five-year plan. From autumn to spring each year,

0:46:070:46:10

a team of five climbers work the cliffs, trying to

0:46:100:46:14

save the special plants that live here.

0:46:140:46:16

Do you ever garden at home?

0:46:160:46:18

-Not very much, really.

-So this is your garden?

-Yes. That's right, yes.

0:46:220:46:29

I would like my wife to appreciate that point,

0:46:290:46:32

that I do some gardening.

0:46:320:46:33

I think that's a great job on the ledge,

0:46:330:46:36

and the face below is all quite clear so...

0:46:360:46:39

-A tidy up job now, is it?

-Yes, I'm afraid so.

0:46:390:46:43

Let's drop down and tidy up at the bottom, shall we?

0:46:430:46:46

-It is gorgeous now, isn't it? It really is.

-Really lovely.

0:46:470:46:51

I feel the need almost just to hang here and have a gin and tonic,

0:46:510:46:55

-or something.

-Yes. That would be great, wouldn't it?

0:46:550:46:58

Seems like Rob, our cameraman, has already had one.

0:46:580:47:01

Even though that whole exercise was quite a bit of effort,

0:47:040:47:08

it does feel good to give those special plants that are still

0:47:080:47:11

clinging on there, just that extra chance of survival. Right.

0:47:110:47:17

Let the clean up operation begin.

0:47:170:47:18

In a moment, Julia will be finding out how a bunch of hardy

0:47:220:47:25

locals found a new use for a disused quarry,

0:47:250:47:28

but it feels like rain here, and speaking of which,

0:47:280:47:31

let's find out what the weather has got in store for the week

0:47:310:47:33

ahead with the Countryfile forecast.

0:47:330:47:35

.

0:52:500:52:57

Just three miles outside Bristol City Centre

0:53:080:53:11

lies a disused limestone quarry.

0:53:110:53:13

In 1912, the same year the Titanic sank,

0:53:170:53:20

the quarry closed and was left to fill up with water.

0:53:200:53:23

The sides of the lake are steep,

0:53:260:53:27

plunging to six metres at the deepest point

0:53:270:53:32

The old quarry holds up to 11 million gallons of water.

0:53:320:53:37

I'm going to do a little temperature check now.

0:53:370:53:40

I don't think it's going to be very balmy.

0:53:400:53:42

Let's have a look.

0:53:440:53:46

Oh, yes. Lovely.

0:53:460:53:47

So that is just over five degrees centigrade,

0:53:470:53:50

which is about 41, 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

0:53:500:53:54

Back in 1919, someone took a look at all of this and went,

0:53:540:53:57

"That's a great place to swim."

0:53:570:53:59

Might want to reconsider that today.

0:53:590:54:02

It was the beginning of the Henleaze Swimming Club.

0:54:040:54:08

Since 1919, thousands of swimmers

0:54:080:54:10

have been for a dip or a dive in the lake.

0:54:100:54:13

The club is still going strong with nearly 1,800 members

0:54:150:54:18

and another 720 names on the waiting list.

0:54:180:54:22

The lake's only open for wild swimming between May and September.

0:54:240:54:28

It's February now, but don't worry. By the end of the programme,

0:54:280:54:32

there will be some brave, or should I say foolish, bodies in that water.

0:54:320:54:37

MOUTHS: Not me.

0:54:370:54:39

'First, I want to find out

0:54:400:54:42

'how the swimming club has kept going for 94 years.

0:54:420:54:46

'Long-serving members Derek Klemperer and Janet Cocks

0:54:460:54:49

'are going to fill me in,

0:54:490:54:50

'and where better than inside the club's most historic building?'

0:54:500:54:54

Hello, hello!

0:54:540:54:56

-Good morning.

-Hello, good morning.

0:54:560:54:57

It is very, very cold in here, and this is the ladies' changing room.

0:54:570:55:01

-It is.

-You must be made of stern stuff.

0:55:010:55:03

-Yeah, but it's winter at the moment.

-This is true.

0:55:030:55:06

But of course, it hasn't always been a changing room, has it?

0:55:060:55:09

No, it was a First World War troop billet,

0:55:090:55:12

and also a first aid centre,

0:55:120:55:14

which the club managed to buy in the early '20s,

0:55:140:55:17

so it is a historic building.

0:55:170:55:18

-Very much so.

-And it should really be Grade II listed.

0:55:180:55:21

-Incredible history that goes with it, doesn't it?

-Oh, yes.

0:55:210:55:24

And you've been involved since, actually before day dot, for you?

0:55:240:55:29

My parents actually were founder members of Henleaze Swimming Club,

0:55:290:55:33

and this is where they met.

0:55:330:55:35

My childhood memories are, that's all we ever did,

0:55:350:55:38

came here everyday, we didn't do anything else, I don't think.

0:55:380:55:41

Derek, when was the last time you took a dip?

0:55:410:55:43

Oh, he always goes in every summer, don't you?

0:55:430:55:45

I'm a great summer swimmer,

0:55:450:55:47

but I don't go much for the cold water in winter.

0:55:470:55:49

Now, talking about expert swimmers

0:55:490:55:52

and lovely-looking people all around,

0:55:520:55:54

who's this handsome fellow here?

0:55:540:55:57

This is David Prowse, isn't it? Dave Prowse is...

0:55:570:55:59

-Isn't he the Green Cross Man?

-He is the Green Cross Man.

0:55:590:56:02

-He's Darth Vader!

-Darth Vader as well.

0:56:020:56:05

He was a local lad, you see.

0:56:050:56:07

Who would think that underneath all those black cloaks

0:56:070:56:10

-was that gorgeous body?

-He's a lot older now, of course.

-Yes, yes.

0:56:100:56:13

But that is a lovely picture of Dave Prowse, who used to come down here.

0:56:130:56:17

-He was one of our superintendents.

-So he worked here?

0:56:170:56:19

-The girls loved it.

-Darth Vader...

0:56:190:56:23

HEAVY-BREATHING GROWL: Move to the side of the lake.

0:56:230:56:26

Do the breaststroke now.

0:56:300:56:32

That's fantastic!

0:56:340:56:36

The lake's closed for swimming over the winter

0:56:500:56:53

but we've found some crazy - sorry, willing - volunteers

0:56:530:56:56

who want to break the rules and brave the water out of season.

0:56:560:57:00

Let's meet them.

0:57:000:57:02

-Luke.

-Jackie.

0:57:020:57:04

Jenny.

0:57:040:57:05

Ellie.

0:57:050:57:06

Alan.

0:57:060:57:08

David.

0:57:080:57:09

Mark.

0:57:090:57:11

Julia. And I couldn't let our volunteers get into the water

0:57:110:57:15

without some expert advice.

0:57:150:57:17

George Cselco and Robin Hunter-Coddington

0:57:170:57:20

laugh in the face of cold water.

0:57:200:57:23

They swim in the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park all year round.

0:57:230:57:27

Yes, even when it snows.

0:57:270:57:30

Good day, isn't it?

0:57:300:57:32

-Lovely day for it.

-Oh, the sun's come out. How lovely. Good.

0:57:320:57:35

-Robin, George, welcome.

-Hello.

-Hello.

0:57:350:57:38

I'd like to introduce you to our volunteer swimmers for the day.

0:57:380:57:42

So Robin and George are winter water babies.

0:57:420:57:45

This is what they do all year round,

0:57:450:57:47

so I thought they might be able to offer some useful tips and advice.

0:57:470:57:50

Mark, why don't you swim all year round here?

0:57:500:57:52

Well, historically, we have had people who swam through the winter

0:57:520:57:56

but we are looking at reintroducing it,

0:57:560:57:58

and it would be really good to hear your tips on how we should do it.

0:57:580:58:01

-Start in the summer!

-And keep going.

0:58:010:58:05

Every day and you'll get used to it, eventually,

0:58:050:58:07

after about three years.

0:58:070:58:09

George, what's your tip for keeping my hands and my feet warm

0:58:090:58:12

because, unfortunately, I can't swim with my boots,

0:58:120:58:14

but that's my part that always freezes immediately!

0:58:140:58:17

Well, I'd suggest, just wriggle your toes and fingers.

0:58:170:58:20

I'd recommend double-hatting.

0:58:200:58:23

-Really?

-Yeah. Most of the heat comes from the head.

0:58:230:58:26

Well, we've got towels and tea.

0:58:260:58:27

We're going to keep you warm when you do get out.

0:58:270:58:29

-I look forward to that.

-Best of luck!

0:58:290:58:33

Our winter swimming expert is in!

0:58:340:58:37

A nice, steady motion down the stairs.

0:58:370:58:39

I like that, gloves and a hat. That's the way I would do it.

0:58:390:58:42

Whoo!

0:58:450:58:47

GASPS

0:58:490:58:50

JULIA: Oh!

0:59:000:59:02

How was it?

0:59:070:59:08

Cold! Very cold, but lovely.

0:59:080:59:11

Lovely? Is that the coldest you've ever been in?

0:59:110:59:13

I think it's the coldest I've ever been in, yes.

0:59:130:59:16

The temperature is...

0:59:160:59:19

according to my watch, 5.8 degrees.

0:59:190:59:22

Very vigorous stroke there.

0:59:240:59:26

Wow! This man looks like he's planning on spending

0:59:260:59:29

-quite a bit of time in there.

-Mr Baker, you are just in time.

0:59:290:59:32

-Am I?

-Yeah.

-What's going on?

0:59:320:59:35

Get yourself a towel.

0:59:350:59:37

There we are. I'm not going to use these. These are just for people

0:59:380:59:41

-when they come out?

-No, these are their towels.

-Oh, right.

0:59:410:59:43

-Are you coming out, sir?

-I think that will probably do, won't it?

0:59:430:59:46

Yes, sir. Come on out, come on out.

0:59:460:59:48

That's it from a very nippy Bristol, a very beautiful lake.

0:59:480:59:51

Next week, we're in Northumberland

0:59:510:59:53

and I'm discovering the origins of your accent, actually.

0:59:530:59:56

Hol', man. What you talking about, like?

0:59:560:59:58

-Yeah, that one.

-OK.

0:59:580:59:59

Come on, sir. Very good, sir. And I'm going to be finding out

0:59:591:00:02

about the first country pile that was powered by hydro-electricity.

1:00:021:00:07

-You could do with a bit of warming up, couldn't you?

-I know.

1:00:071:00:09

He's powered by hydro-electricity! Come on, luvvie!

1:00:091:00:12

-Thank you.

-Very good.

-Good work! Well done!

1:00:121:00:15

-Let me shake you by the hand.

-Thank you.

-That was lovely.

1:00:151:00:17

-I enjoyed it too.

-Your hands are surprisingly warm!

1:00:171:00:20

Well, yours are cold. That's why!

1:00:201:00:22

-That's what you call a hardy perennial.

-There you go.

1:00:221:00:26

-See you next week!

-Good.

1:00:261:00:27

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

1:00:481:00:51

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS