0:00:31 > 0:00:33Broad, sweeping skies,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37which roll over mile upon mile of flat, arable land.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Looking out over this broad,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44fertile landscape is the splendour of Cambridge.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But how is this historic city and its world-renowned university
0:00:48 > 0:00:51connected to our Great British countryside?
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Well, I'll be finding out.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Ellie's been discovering the World War II history of the Peak District.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03This was the standard armour-piercing shot
0:01:03 > 0:01:05used by British and American tanks.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Crumbs. So not only did it have the power to fire something that heavy,
0:01:08 > 0:01:09but also that the armour was so thick,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- it needed something like this? - Exactly.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Tom's hanging out in Wales.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The Welsh Government is keen to make it easier for people
0:01:20 > 0:01:24to get outdoors and enjoy some of the health benefits that can bring,
0:01:24 > 0:01:29so they're considering bringing in Scottish-style open access.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32But not everybody thinks that is a good idea.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And Adam's getting in the festive spirit.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Now, JB here from the boyband JLS
0:01:41 > 0:01:43has got five number ones under his belt.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But even though his farming business is now taking priority,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49he's still got his sights set on that elusive Christmas number one.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But we're not talking the singles charts. We're talking turkeys.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08The flat, open Fens of Cambridgeshire,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10once one of the greatest wetlands in Europe.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18As we explore the county, we'll head north to see how the Great Fen
0:02:18 > 0:02:22is being restored as a wildlife habitat.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But, first, I'm heading for the so-called Silicon Fen
0:02:25 > 0:02:30and a city where great minds have been hard at work for centuries.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Cambridge.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Beautiful old university, hundreds of cycling students
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and millions and millions of books.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Eight million, in fact.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Founded in 1209, Cambridge University
0:02:43 > 0:02:47is the second-oldest in the English-speaking world.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49So, what has it got to do with the countryside?
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Well, quite a bit, in fact.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The university reaches out in many ways
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and this oasis in the middle of the city is one.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08The beautiful university botanic garden doubles as a science lab.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13At every turn, students are busy conducting all sorts of experiments.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14146.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18As well as 8,000 living plant specimens,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20there's a million dead ones,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24all kept in the university's herbarium, a kind of plant museum.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29This is just the most fascinating array of historical stuff, isn't it?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31It's absolutely brilliant.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I've been granted a rare glimpse
0:03:33 > 0:03:35at one of the most important collections here.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37That of John Henslow,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40a botanist who lectured here in the early 1800s.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41Isn't this beautiful?
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- It's an original watercolour painted by John Stevens Henslow...- Right.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48..of some fungi that he collected in the Gog Magog Hills
0:03:48 > 0:03:50which are just south of Cambridge.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Now, you may not have heard of Henslow, but you will have heard
0:03:53 > 0:03:59of his star pupil, Charles Darwin, who came here to study in 1828.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- So Darwin would have been looking and learning from...- Absolutely.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- ..this very sheet?- Yes, absolutely.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And Henslow used to use illustrations in his lectures
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and this was quite new.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Prior to that, we had used really sort of dry, dusty Latin textbooks.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Henslow stepped aside to let the young Darwin
0:04:19 > 0:04:22take his place on the Beagle, the famous ship that
0:04:22 > 0:04:26embarked on a journey that changed science and made Darwin's name.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Plants picked by Darwin on that trip
0:04:29 > 0:04:32are the centrepiece of the collection.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36So what is the key, then, Christine, in kind of drying, preserving,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40pressing a specimen like this to make it last for hundreds of years?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42The important thing is to dry it properly.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44So you would pick your specimen and place it
0:04:44 > 0:04:48between sheets of blotting paper and those sheets of blotting paper
0:04:48 > 0:04:51would then go into a wooden press, much like you have as a child.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- And, importantly, there is a specimen right at the end which is...- Yes.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- ..well, it's invaluable, isn't it, now?- It is, yes.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00This is called sicyos villosus
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and it is in the squash or cucumber family of plants.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06This is probably the most famous cucumber in the world.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07That's a title.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09LAUGHTER
0:05:10 > 0:05:12When Darwin collected this,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15he made a note that it was injurious to other vegetation.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17You know when you grow squashes and cucumbers,
0:05:17 > 0:05:18- they are really rampant.- Yes.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And yet, decades later, it was world extinct.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Now there is no other specimen of this in the world,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29so it is vitally important we preserve these for the future.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32If there is an emergency, a fire or a flood,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36the firemen are instructed to take the Darwin specimens first.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38This is a global heritage.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42We look after them here in Cambridge but they belong to everybody.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Today, there's a new generation of Darwins
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and Henslows heading out into the world.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Scientists of tomorrow learning new things today.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05- Could you take the, um, bottle for a minute?- This bottle here?- Yeah.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Paivi Perhonen is on the outskirts of the city
0:06:08 > 0:06:11taking water samples from the River Cam.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14She's measuring the nutrient run-off from farmland.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Nearby, Dr Andrew Tanentzap is using a hi-tech gadget
0:06:21 > 0:06:24to measure the growth of algae caused by the run-off.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It is kind of like a giant flashlight.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31So it has got a bunch of different LEDs in here that it flashes onto
0:06:31 > 0:06:35the water and they algae that are living in that water
0:06:35 > 0:06:37then reflect back that light and,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40based on the type of light that is reflected back,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45we can actually estimate how much of that algae is living in the water.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47It's interesting from Paivi's perspective
0:06:47 > 0:06:49because she is a student, she's learning.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51But you are also discovering at the same time,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53so how important is it for you as a university
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- to be doing this kind of research? - Exactly.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59So this type of research is really at the forefront
0:06:59 > 0:07:02of what the University of Cambridge is all about
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and it is trying to find ways, ultimately, to better society.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10And this research here is trying to look at how we can manage
0:07:10 > 0:07:15the natural environment in a way that is more sustainable.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19And maybe some new discovery will be made at the university that changes
0:07:19 > 0:07:24the world, just like former student Darwin did all those years ago.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Now, while we are exploring Cambridgeshire, Tom is
0:07:27 > 0:07:32looking at whether the Scottish style of open access would work for Wales.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42Wales - home to majestic mountain ranges, sweeping valleys
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and a dramatic coastline.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50This stunning landscape seems to have something for everyone.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Little wonder, then, it attracts 11 million visitors a year
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and has long been a magnet for hill walkers, cyclists
0:07:59 > 0:08:03and climbers alike, all looking to enjoy it in their own way.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07It is not a free-for-all, though.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10There are restrictions on what people can do
0:08:10 > 0:08:11and where they can do it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Wales is a country of more than 8,000 square miles,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19but only about a quarter is designated open land -
0:08:19 > 0:08:23areas where people are free to walk and ramble, but little else.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27There are also more than 20,000 miles of designated footpaths,
0:08:27 > 0:08:28bridleways and cycle tracks.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Now, though, that could all change with plans to open up
0:08:33 > 0:08:37more of the countryside to a wider range of activities,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39allowing people to enjoy the outdoors
0:08:39 > 0:08:42in a way they already do in Scotland.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45In Scotland, there is
0:08:45 > 0:08:48what is known as responsible access to land for recreation.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Simply put, you can go almost anywhere
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and do what you want, as long as you behave responsibly.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58So could that work for Wales?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Well, this summer, the Welsh government published
0:09:00 > 0:09:03its green paper on countryside access reform
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and asked the people to say what they wanted.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12And more than 5,500 people, and quite a few groups,
0:09:12 > 0:09:13did just that.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19'Carl Sargeant is the Welsh Assembly Minister for Natural Resources.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21'It's his job to oversee any change,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'whether it's full Scottish-style open access,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'or changing the rules over the current rights of way.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:31What are you hoping to do to improve the access to the countryside
0:09:31 > 0:09:33for the people of Wales and its visitors?
0:09:33 > 0:09:37We think that opening access to areas is the right thing to do.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39The health and wellbeing agenda of this government
0:09:39 > 0:09:43is about inclusion, making more people have opportunities,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and we see the countryside, rural areas,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48are giving people more opportunity.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Why not just call for full access, Scottish-style?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Well, it's too early to say yet. We may do that.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I think Scotland's rules are for Scotland,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and we'll have the appropriateness here for Wales.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00We'll just go through the consultation.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We just need to work through that and see what works best for Wales.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05I think the issue, from me,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09about presumption of the right to roam is really an important one.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11You favour that idea, you like that idea,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13instinctively, from what's happening in Scotland?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Well, I think it just feels right, and we can control a lot of that
0:10:16 > 0:10:18with bylaws and other actions if we need to,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20but what we need to do is work through that process.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25I would pre-empt that consultation, but what I'm really keen on
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and what the first minister is keen on is opening access.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33In Wales, as in England,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35access to the countryside is complicated.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38It's governed by different legislation,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41including the Countryside and Right Of Way Act,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43or CROW, as it's known,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48and it's CROW which is responsible for much of the current access.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Like this, which has been designated as open land for walking,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56meaning I can wander at will.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But it only grants a right of way on foot -
0:10:59 > 0:11:04it doesn't permit activities like cycling or horse riding,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09unless that existing right of access has been already granted,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13allowing activities not normally permitted by CROW.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17If that's not complicated enough,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22landowners can dedicate any area permanently to walking,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25or maybe other, more adrenaline-fuelled activities.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29In Northern Ireland, it is different again.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33There are between 100 and 200 miles of rights of way,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and the CROW Act doesn't apply.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Confusing, isn't it?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40That's why many groups are in favour of change
0:11:40 > 0:11:45and some see the green paper as a chance for a radical overhaul
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and to deliver something similar to the Scottish system.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Ramblers' organisations have campaigned
0:11:53 > 0:11:56for many of the rights we now enjoy, so it's not surprising
0:11:56 > 0:11:59they are lobbying for sweeping changes in Wales.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'Angela Charlton is from Ramblers Cymru.'
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So, if you look over to your left,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10imagine the top of that is open access.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- Yep.- And look over to your right, and imagine that is open access.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18We have places in North Wales where, actually, they don't join up.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- It doesn't make sense. - You can't bridge the two.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- You can't.- So, what is it you'd like to see happen?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26We'd like to see a similar approach with Scottish-style access,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28where you do have that right to roam,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31but also the responsibilities to be able to do that,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33so that it's very clear for everybody,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35it's not complicated,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39but the important thing is that we maintain our rights of way.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42But Scotland is a much bigger country than Wales,
0:12:42 > 0:12:43with more wilderness.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Is there a danger if you apply the same open access here,
0:12:46 > 0:12:47it could be overwhelmed?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Oh, no, I don't think that is the case.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52If we look back to when we first introduced open access,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55there was a real concern then that all of a sudden,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57thousands of people were going to dash out into the countryside,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and that hasn't happened.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You say that people should know how to behave -
0:13:01 > 0:13:04a lot of them don't, and they do irresponsible things.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05I think that is why it's important
0:13:05 > 0:13:08that we have a code that's well promoted
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and getting it into schools is something we would advocate for,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13so that it's actually part of our culture,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15that we grow up knowing and understanding
0:13:15 > 0:13:18the environment we are walking in and how to behave in it.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25While it is easy to see the recreational benefits
0:13:25 > 0:13:27open access to the countryside should bring,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30it could come at a price.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32And that's leading many to question
0:13:32 > 0:13:36whether Scottish-style open access is really right for Wales.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Later on, I will be meeting those who believe such sweeping reforms
0:13:40 > 0:13:44could damage their business, and asking if there is another way.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Vast, open landscapes.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Huge skies.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08And horizons that seem to stretch on for ever.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11These are the Cambridgeshire Fens.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17For hundreds of years, great swathes of this fenland
0:14:17 > 0:14:20were given over to arable farming,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23but now they are undergoing a dramatic restoration.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27There is a wren ticking away somewhere.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Can you hear it? That?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32BIRDS WARBLE
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Kevan Wolstencroft has walked here for 50 years
0:14:36 > 0:14:37and has witnessed first-hand
0:14:37 > 0:14:41how the Great Fen project is transforming this landscape.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45The Great Fen project started off, I guess, as a kind of dream.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Five years ago, I was standing on the corner
0:14:48 > 0:14:51which is now where the hide is sitting
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and see just total arable crops -
0:14:55 > 0:14:59corn crops, sugar beet, potatoes...
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Look at it now.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05You can see lapwings, carrion crows, rooks, jackdaws,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07all flying over and...
0:15:08 > 0:15:09Red kite.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Really, a red kite, there.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21The wildlife here depends on this changing environment to thrive.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Fenland is a very rare habitat in the UK now.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28The are small fragments that remain, and so vulnerable
0:15:28 > 0:15:29that it's really important to act now
0:15:29 > 0:15:33and create these kind of areas for wildlife to move into.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Josh Hellon from the Wildlife Trust
0:15:35 > 0:15:39is helping monitor the progress of the Great Fen project.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43The total area we're hoping to restore is 9,000 acres.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46What we are doing here is very experimental.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49We are creating fenland almost from scratch.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54It's been centuries since this was wetland in its natural state,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57but water is now being gradually reintroduced.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02First, to prepare the soil, the land here is being grazed.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The hope is that this hard work will see once-common species
0:16:07 > 0:16:09come back to the Fen.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And so far, it seems to be working.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17We've just seen a large flock of lapwing.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19The changes in the birdlife in the area
0:16:19 > 0:16:21are probably the most obvious changes,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23apart from how the landscape has changed.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25You see new species coming in every year,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28which is one of the exciting things about working on the project.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39The team here use camera traps and bird surveys
0:16:39 > 0:16:42to monitor the success of the scheme.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44An otter feeding on an eel.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48That's just out the back of this office.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50It's important to keep track of the changes,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55as this ambitious restoration is planned to continue for 50 years.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59A project of this scale is mind-boggling.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03For me, starting at the beginning, it's wonderful,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06because that data will be used when I am long dead and gone,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09people will be saying, "Oh, yeah, that's what we started with."
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Well, I'll be one of the guys who started it. It's great.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Short-eared owl, over there.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23What a beautiful bird - it's come all the way from Scandinavia
0:17:23 > 0:17:27just to spend its winter here on the Great Fen in Cambridgeshire.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's the sort of bird that makes your day.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50A while back, Ellie visited the Peak District.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52On this Remembrance Sunday,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55we thought it fitting to show the film.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59This is Langsett Reservoir on the edge of the Peaks.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04It may look serene now, but rewind to the beginning of World War II,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and things were very different.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10'Historian Mike Kirby is here to let me in on the secret history.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:13So, Mike, why is the history of this area so special?
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Well, during World War II, the dam itself was used
0:18:17 > 0:18:20as one of the training routes for the Dambusters raid
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and after that, Churchill got worried
0:18:23 > 0:18:27that the Germans would attack these dams in a reprisal raid,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31because if one or two of these dams had been breached,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34then that would have flooded the entire Don valley
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and taken out most of the important industry in Sheffield.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41It is well known that the bouncing bomb
0:18:41 > 0:18:44was invented by Barnes Wallis, but what isn't as well known
0:18:44 > 0:18:46is that he had to invent a defence
0:18:46 > 0:18:49against his own ingenious bouncing weapon
0:18:49 > 0:18:52to protect our reservoirs against reprisal attacks.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56His solution was a giant steel net.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59So, Mike, what did this giant fence really look like?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02It was called a catenary defensive system.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06It was actually a steel curtain of cables
0:19:06 > 0:19:10stretched from one side of the reservoir to the other.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16These were suspended on 325-foot steel lattice masts
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and every 75 feet, there was another vertical steel cable
0:19:20 > 0:19:23being held taut by a concrete weight.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26So it's like a giant tennis net. But how tall would it have been?
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Exactly like a giant tennis net. 325 feet high.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36- I can't imagine that. So that's... - Something like a 30-storey building.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- That's unimaginably big! - It's enormous.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41And they would have suspected something like a bouncing bomb
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and then caught it in the net.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Exactly, and it would stop a German aircraft in mid-flight.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's incredible that a structure would have started from here,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54spanned all the way across the reservoir,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56to what looks like the horizon from here.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Yes, all the way across to the other side of the reservoir.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'But this landscape has more to reveal.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:08What has almost been forgotten is that this quiet rural community
0:20:08 > 0:20:12was taken over by American GIs in 1942
0:20:12 > 0:20:14and used as a tank training ground.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, Mike, why was this area so good for tanks?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Well, geography, really - it's open moorland
0:20:22 > 0:20:26stretching for quite a few miles down to the south
0:20:26 > 0:20:32and it's perfect for training tank drivers and tank gunners
0:20:32 > 0:20:33in live fire skills.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37This open moorland was one of only 12 places across the country
0:20:37 > 0:20:41deemed suitable by the military for tank training.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Mike has some explosive evidence to show me.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46EXPLOSIONS
0:20:46 > 0:20:50At the beginning of the war, British tanks were shooting this.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52You found this out here, on the moor?
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Yeah, there are loads of those out there.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57That's a two-pounder, solid armour-piercing shot
0:20:57 > 0:21:01and at the beginning of the war, that was perfectly adequate
0:21:01 > 0:21:04for penetrating enemy tanks.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Perfectly sure it's safe? - Absolutely safe.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Wow - that's pretty weighty, isn't it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Yeah - by the end of the war, we'd moved up several grades
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and tanks had got thicker armour and what we needed then...
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- Oh, my word! Look at the difference. - ..was this.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22This was the standard armour-piercing shot
0:21:22 > 0:21:24used by British and American tanks.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29This is a 75 millimetre, solid armour-piercing shot.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Crumbs. So, not only did it have the power to fire something that heavy,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35but also the armour was so thick, it needed something this size.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- Exactly. And even this was thought inadequate.- Really?
0:21:38 > 0:21:42In Normandy, these things were bouncing off the front
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- of some of the German heavy tanks. - Oh, I can barely lift it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- If you feel the weight of that... - Good grief.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And that was travelling at something like 2,000 feet per second.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53How can that be bouncing off anything?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Langsett's role in the war won't be forgotten.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'People from around the village are keen to tell their stories
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'of their experiences during the war.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07'83-year-old Ramon Higgins is one of them.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:08What are some of your memories
0:22:08 > 0:22:10about the time that the soldiers were here?
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Oh, I were about 14 - nearly ready for leaving school -
0:22:14 > 0:22:16when all this happened,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18and I were int' yard
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and I saw a plane coming over
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and it was on fire.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It was one of them planes that Germany set off without a pilot.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28And it landed on the moors.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32We went looking for it, but, you see, it was occupied -
0:22:32 > 0:22:36the police were here, round it, saying to everybody,
0:22:36 > 0:22:37"Keep away, keep away!"
0:22:37 > 0:22:39But we knew that it had come.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- But we couldn't get any nearer it at all.- Wow.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46But we knew it had dropped there and that's what they told us.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47It was a plane without a pilot.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53'Ramon's memories of the V1 German bomber are precious,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56'and now, thanks to the efforts of Mike and local rangers,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58'they've been recorded, so future generations
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'can now listen to his and other locals' tales
0:23:01 > 0:23:03'of how the Peak District did its bit
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'to help win the Second World War.'
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Earlier, we heard how sweeping land reforms could change the way
0:23:14 > 0:23:16we enjoy the Welsh countryside.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20But is access all areas the right way forward?
0:23:20 > 0:23:21Here's Tom.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The Welsh landscape is a playground for many,
0:23:27 > 0:23:33but it's also a living landscape, home to around 17,000 working farms.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So any land reform has to consider the needs
0:23:37 > 0:23:41of business as well as recreation, and that's a tricky balance.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47The Welsh government is considering a new law for Wales
0:23:47 > 0:23:50that could allow access to almost all land -
0:23:50 > 0:23:53something similar to the Scottish system.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56In Scotland, the law guarantees
0:23:56 > 0:23:59a statutory right of responsible access
0:23:59 > 0:24:02to land and inland waters for recreation -
0:24:02 > 0:24:03in broad terms, that means
0:24:03 > 0:24:06you can go where you want and do what you like,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08so long as you behave yourself.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12But opponents say what works in Scotland
0:24:12 > 0:24:15won't necessarily work here in Wales.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16They're different countries -
0:24:16 > 0:24:20it would be like comparing thistles and leeks.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Not only is Scotland bigger, it has more wild, remote places,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29whereas here in Wales, quite a lot of people
0:24:29 > 0:24:31live quite close to the countryside.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Opponents say there is a danger
0:24:33 > 0:24:35this country could simply be overwhelmed.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41While Scottish reform essentially put into law what was already
0:24:41 > 0:24:44happening in practice, there have been tensions
0:24:44 > 0:24:47since the legislation was passed in 2003.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Wild camping, where people can pitch a tent anywhere they like,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54has caused problems in popular areas,
0:24:54 > 0:24:55like Loch Lomond.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59It's not just the numbers of people, but their behaviour, too.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Trees have been chopped down, litter scattered,
0:25:02 > 0:25:03and tents just abandoned.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Now, some Scottish local authorities are introducing bylaws
0:25:09 > 0:25:12to restrict activities in certain locations -
0:25:12 > 0:25:16in effect, partially reversing the open access legislation.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Wales is nearly four times smaller than Scotland,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and there are those who fear that opening up the countryside
0:25:25 > 0:25:28to all would be disastrous.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31John Davies runs a 500-acre farm in Breconshire,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33rearing beef cattle and sheep.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38His land is crisscrossed by footpaths and bridleways,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40allowing people across his property,
0:25:40 > 0:25:45'but he is against any further rights to roam.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:48This is a business that we're in and this is a factory floor.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49This is my factory floor, you know?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I could not operate my business
0:25:51 > 0:25:54if people were allowed to go... every field and everything.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58This field here has a bridleway going through it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Now, I can't have a bull in this field.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02I have to be careful
0:26:02 > 0:26:04if I have cows and calves freshly calved in this field.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07I can plan for that. I know that that is a risk.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10So, what do you think about extending access
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and allowing full public access, like they've got in Scotland?
0:26:13 > 0:26:19We have 1.1 million acres of open access here already in Wales
0:26:19 > 0:26:23and we don't see a massive rise in the number of people using it,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26so we need to improve what we have at the present time, I would say.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29When you say "improve" what is here currently,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30what do you mean?
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Would you actually want to restrict some parts?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Well, I would like to change certain parts
0:26:34 > 0:26:37which go close to slurry pits, go close to working farms, yes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40You are talking about wanting to close some paths, are you?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Divert, yes, yes, divert. You know, from danger.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48But when I hear you talk about both changing or closing existing paths
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and not wanting open access, it ends up casting you a bit
0:26:51 > 0:26:53as the classic "get off my land" farmer.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I don't think I've mentioned closing any paths, have I, Tom?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59We are talking about working together in a workable way, here,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and delivering what the general public want
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and what our industry needs.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08But for those campaigning for change,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11simplifying the current system isn't enough.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14They want meaningful moves to give them
0:27:14 > 0:27:16better access to the countryside.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21So, is there another way - one where people are free
0:27:21 > 0:27:24to enjoy their countryside hobbies
0:27:24 > 0:27:27without damaging the livelihoods of others?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- When did you last go climbing, Tom? - Well, that is good question.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37'Elfyn Jones from the British Mountaineering Council
0:27:37 > 0:27:40'thinks access in Wales is currently pretty good,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42'but there are still some weak spots.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:46So, what problems do you have with access as organised at the moment?
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Access on the whole in Wales is really good,
0:27:50 > 0:27:55but there are certain places where we just haven't got
0:27:55 > 0:28:00secured access, and, in particular, access to the sea cliffs.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04We do, at the moment, negotiate with individual landowners,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07but that is all down to the goodwill of that landowner.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09If that land ownership changes,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12that access is not secured in perpetuity.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15We think it should be as of right to the people of Wales
0:28:15 > 0:28:18to be able to use those sites for recreation.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21So certain designated places to which you would have access
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- as a matter of right. - Absolutely, yes, yes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Right, we have more of this cliff to do.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28It won't get climbed with us talking, will it?
0:28:32 > 0:28:37So while most people are in favour of overhauling the current system,
0:28:37 > 0:28:38if only to make it clearer,
0:28:38 > 0:28:43there is little agreement about the need for radical reform.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Any change to the rules around access here
0:28:46 > 0:28:50won't happen until after the Welsh Assembly elections in May,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and then it will be up to the new government
0:28:53 > 0:28:57if they want to change who can go where in their country.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11The sweeping farmland of Cambridgeshire -
0:29:11 > 0:29:13well known for its arable and sugar beet,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16but it does have some livestock, too.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Not much, though.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21This is one of just five dairy herds left in the county.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23It belongs to Cambridge University
0:29:23 > 0:29:27and is used to help train student vets.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Come on. Well, today,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I'm joining the trainee vets with one of their animal-handling sessions.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35They do everything here from guinea pigs to horses,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37but today's patients
0:29:37 > 0:29:39are the Holstein Friesians from the dairy.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43WHISTLING Come on.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49This lady is about to see her world turned upside down,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52thanks to a piece of kit called a rollover crush.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58The crush makes it easy to examine her underside and hooves.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Put the rope in the hook.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04And, as you can see, she's calm, it's not bothering her.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05We are going to measure from...
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Vet and lecturer Paul Wood is taking the class.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12We want our students to be confident with some of these routine tasks
0:30:12 > 0:30:15so that when they graduate and go out onto farms,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17they can say to the farmer,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19"Let's have a little look at what's going on.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21"Where are they walking? What are the turning points?
0:30:21 > 0:30:25"Are there any areas where she is having extra pressure on her feet?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27"What are your farm tracks like?"
0:30:27 > 0:30:29That one animal can open up a lot more questions
0:30:29 > 0:30:32about what's going on on the farm.
0:30:32 > 0:30:33Had either of you ever been on a farm
0:30:33 > 0:30:35before you started on this veterinary course?
0:30:35 > 0:30:39I did a little bit, but not a very commercial farm,
0:30:39 > 0:30:40so it wasn't...
0:30:40 > 0:30:42They didn't have anything like this.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46So do you envisage doing larger animals or smaller animals
0:30:46 > 0:30:47when you qualify?
0:30:47 > 0:30:49I'm undecided at the moment - I quite enjoy everything.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52So I am going to see, the next couple of years, what I enjoy.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54But you can see how, you know,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56what an advantage this is to have animals,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58to get so close to them.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00It's nice to get hands-on experience
0:31:00 > 0:31:02and be able to actually feel it and see it.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04- Yeah, of course. - Put it into practice.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08In another cow shed nearby,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12students are getting to grips with some smaller patients.
0:31:14 > 0:31:15We do run it as a working farm
0:31:15 > 0:31:18and then our students can be aware of all the processes
0:31:18 > 0:31:20that are going on in a working farm -
0:31:20 > 0:31:23they're aware of all the dangers, all the potential hazards, but we...
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Because we keep the animals ourselves
0:31:25 > 0:31:28and we are involved in it, then we can use them
0:31:28 > 0:31:31for different teaching tasks, different training tasks,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34as well as making sure that we are involved in their health.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Handling live animals builds the students' confidence -
0:31:39 > 0:31:43there's a certain knack to handling young animals, though.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46One thing you can do now, if you've got a leg in front of her leg,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- and then your other leg in front of her chest...- Yeah.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Just in front of her chest, so it's in front of her,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53you can kind of let go of her with your hands
0:31:53 > 0:31:55and then you got two hands free.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57And the thing is, Paul, it's so important, isn't it?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Even just the handling here,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01just so that the animal is nice and relaxed
0:32:01 > 0:32:04as soon as this qualified vet turned up at the farm
0:32:04 > 0:32:05at the end of the day.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08We want to make sure that all of our students know the best way
0:32:08 > 0:32:11to approach animals, to keep themselves safe,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14keep the animals safe and, also, it's good for farmers to see
0:32:14 > 0:32:17that that's something that the vets feel is important, you know?
0:32:17 > 0:32:19- Not stressing their animals.- Yeah.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Good, well, I think you've got the all-clear, my dear.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26These are vital lessons that the young vets are learning,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29and there's lots of hard study ahead,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32but as far as classrooms go, this isn't a bad one.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Now, back in June, we told you
0:32:40 > 0:32:43about the Tree Of The Year competition 2015.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45It's run by the Woodland Trust
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and the aim is to find each of our home nations' favourite trees.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Well, the nominations were made, the votes were cast and counted,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and this lot are hanging on my every word,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57because we can now reveal the winners.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04As one of the country's largest and oldest fruit trees,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07you've chosen the Cubbington pear tree in Warwickshire
0:33:07 > 0:33:09as England's Tree Of The Year.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Scotland's winner is the historic Suffragette Oak,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16planted in Glasgow in 1918
0:33:16 > 0:33:20in commemoration of the fight for the right for women to vote.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Survival at the Cutting Edge has won the Welsh vote.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28This beautiful tree proudly stands in what used to be farmland,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32but is now the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37The Peace Tree has been crowned Northern Ireland's winner.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Planted in remembrance of the First World War,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41it is now an important focal point
0:33:41 > 0:33:42for generations of veterans.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46These four special trees
0:33:46 > 0:33:48will now go up against the very best
0:33:48 > 0:33:50in a Europe-wide contest.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Christmas is still a few weeks off.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06But for some farmers,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10the preparations are already underway,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14as Adam discovered when he went looking for a festive favourite.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17I'm talking turkeys - big business.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Now, the majority of them are reared indoors,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22but as the demand for free-range has grown,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24more and more farmers are keeping them outdoors
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and they have moved away from the standard white bird
0:34:27 > 0:34:29to the more traditional bronze turkey.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I've come to Chelmsford in Essex to meet turkey farmer Paul Kelly.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39'He might be breeding more traditional birds,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'but to meet the massive demand for his turkeys at Christmas,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46'the farm's facilities are about as hi-tech as they can get.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:53So this is a massive hatchery where you incubate turkey eggs.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Yes - we can do 220,000 eggs a week here.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Incredible! So, when do you have to start thinking about Christmas?
0:34:59 > 0:35:03I never stop thinking about Christmas. It consumes me.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05We start our production, egg production, in April,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07put the eggs in the machines here,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09it's 28 days to incubate them,
0:35:09 > 0:35:11so we get the first chicks at the end of May.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13And what sort of numbers are we talking about?
0:35:13 > 0:35:15How many turkey chicks leave this place?
0:35:15 > 0:35:17We're all about producing for Christmas Day,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20so it's in June, July, August, 1.3 million chicks.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- A lot of turkeys. - It is a lot of turkeys, isn't it?
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- Can I have a look inside?- Of course.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28There's 10,000 eggs in this machine at the moment.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30These hatch in ten days' time.
0:35:30 > 0:35:31And how does it work, then?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Every hour, the machine automatically turns them
0:35:34 > 0:35:35through 90 degrees
0:35:35 > 0:35:38and that's to stop the embryo sticking to the shell membrane.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40- Like a hen would turn the eggs in a nest?- Exactly, in a nest.
0:35:40 > 0:35:41It's just replicating nature.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And the turkeys that hatched out of here in May, June time
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- are now a fair size. - They certainly are.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48- Can we go and see them? - Of course we can.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Of the hundreds of thousands of turkeys hatched here,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00the majority will be reared outdoors using free-range techniques.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Not just on Paul's farm, but on farms up and down the country.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12This is a lovely sight, Paul. How many turkeys have you got in here?
0:36:12 > 0:36:15There's 1,600 in this flock and that's in eight acres.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18It sounds like a lot, but there seems like plenty of room.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Yeah, when you say 1,600, people think,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23"Oh, that's an enormous flock," but once you actually get amongst it
0:36:23 > 0:36:25and see the space they've got, it's not at all.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Why do you choose this system, why free-range?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Cos I love it. It's just a great way of growing turkeys.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33You get these slow-growing breeds, they grow into maturity
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and that's what has the single biggest impact on flavour.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Cos they're walking around, getting under the trees,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- into their feeders and drinkers? - That's right,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and eating lots of nettles - they love nettles.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46So this system wouldn't suit your standard white turkey?
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Uh, no, these are very much specialist breeds
0:36:48 > 0:36:50for the free-range market.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52- Shall we take a closer look at them? - Yeah.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Why would it be more difficult to keep whites out here?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It would be more difficult to keep whites out here,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03because to do that, you'd have to put them out here in late August.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Then when they go into September, they're not fully feathered
0:37:06 > 0:37:07when you start to get the rain,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09so they wouldn't be able to cope with the elements,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12whereas the slower-growing breeds, you put them in June,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14they can cope with all the wind and rain.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Is it very much a niche market, or are you saying,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18"This is better than the whites"?
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Absolutely not.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22What we're doing, we're producing turkeys for those lucky few
0:37:22 > 0:37:25that can afford 60 quid on a turkey at Christmas.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26Yes, they do have more flavour,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29but the British turkey industry has done an amazing job
0:37:29 > 0:37:32of putting really good-quality turkeys on the plates
0:37:32 > 0:37:35for people at Christmas that they can afford.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37All this talk of turkeys is making me look forward to Christmas -
0:37:37 > 0:37:41- I'm quite excited now.- That's good news, it's been a day well spent.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47One of the farmers rearing Paul's turkeys has more experience
0:37:47 > 0:37:50topping the singles charts than he does rearing poultry.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56Last winter, JB from former boy band JLS visited my farm
0:37:56 > 0:37:58just as he was starting out.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Do you think where I am I'd be able to have cows,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02or would I need a larger plot?
0:38:02 > 0:38:06It might be worth just getting a few steers, a few castrated males,
0:38:06 > 0:38:07and see how you go.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09OK, maybe I'll start with some small ones,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11cos if it's going to be this cold,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14I don't know if I'm going to get on with it!
0:38:14 > 0:38:16I think I might have put him off cows,
0:38:16 > 0:38:17but he's been quick to realise
0:38:17 > 0:38:20the potential of rearing a few of Paul's turkeys.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I'm meeting him on his farm in Kent to see how he's getting on.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- JB, great to see you again.- Hello, Adam. Welcome back.- Thank you.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Now, when we were back at my place, it was freezing.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- What was it, just over a year ago?- Yes.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37And here we are now in the rain!
0:38:37 > 0:38:39I know, we haven't picked the best day for it, have we?
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- All this bad weather hasn't put you off being a farmer?- You know what?
0:38:42 > 0:38:46I think it's a bit of a guilty pleasure to be out here in the rain.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48As long as it's not too cold, I can handle it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:49So what's been going on?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Loads has been going on. We've had some new additions to the farm.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53We've got a big flock of turkeys in,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56- so we should go and check those guys out.- Yeah, let's have a look.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03JB's birds don't look their best in the wet,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05but when the weather takes a turn for the worse,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07this hardy outdoor breed is perfect.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12How many turkeys have you got?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14This year, we've got 170 turkeys.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Last year, we sold about 85.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18We didn't do too much heavy promotion,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21so I'm hoping that this year we'll do double that.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23- JB Turkeys!- There you go!
0:39:23 > 0:39:26They're looking really well, despite the wet. Are you pleased with them?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Yeah, I'm really pleased and, to be honest,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30I think they're going to be really big this year.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33And as a farmer, here we are, we're thinking about Christmas
0:39:33 > 0:39:35a long way before most people start thinking about it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36You've got to plan ahead.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39To be honest, I'm usually good with Christmas,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42so I like to get my Christmas shopping done early.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46But it's not just turkeys that JB's planning to sell this Christmas.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51I'm pleased to see you got into pigs.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Yeah, well, we started with one pig,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- one Tamworth, aptly named Ginger. - THEY CHORTLE
0:39:58 > 0:40:03- Now we've got about 50 here on site. - Goodness me. How many breeding sows?
0:40:03 > 0:40:05We've got about six breeding sows.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Six sows can produce a lot of piglets.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10It can, we recently had a litter which had ten in it,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12which is the biggest that we've had on the farm.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16So six sows breeding twice a year, ten piglets per litter -
0:40:16 > 0:40:18that's 120 pigs every year!
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's a lot to move, as well.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22What do you do with them all?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Well, we tend to do sausage and bacon
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- and we like to sell that alongside the turkeys at Christmas.- Yeah.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31But throughout the year, we get people who just request half a pig
0:40:31 > 0:40:35or a quarter of a pig and we just sort of cut it down, break it down.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Pigs make a lot more mess than turkeys.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41A lot more mess. They're very destructive, but they're fun.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44We've had a lot to learn over the last couple of years,
0:40:44 > 0:40:45but it's been great.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47It's great to see you've got the turkeys,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49brilliant to see you've got the pigs, too.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51One thing - when you came to the farm,
0:40:51 > 0:40:52you had a few chickens from me.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- Yes.- How are they getting on?- Ooh, erm, Fantastic Mr Fox got those.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Oh, no!- Yeah, I know.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Have you replaced them?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02We have, yes. We've got five chickens in at the moment.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- Great, so you've got a few fresh farm eggs for the house?- Absolutely.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- And plenty of bacon to go with those eggs.- There you go.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12I don't think there's a farmer in the country
0:41:12 > 0:41:14who hasn't lost a hen to a fox,
0:41:14 > 0:41:15so JB's in good company.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And I'm sure his turkeys...
0:41:20 > 0:41:21and pigs...
0:41:21 > 0:41:23will be both be smash hits this Christmas.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Earlier, we heard how Cambridgeshire's Great Fen
0:41:34 > 0:41:37is being restored as a haven for wildlife.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Well, the work has given new urgency
0:41:39 > 0:41:42to the recovery of something special from the peat.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Joe has been along to help out.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52In a distant corner of the fen, digging is well underway.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54The team know what they're looking for,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57but it's been hidden for 75 years.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01I'm getting my wellies on, because they're letting me join
0:42:01 > 0:42:04the archaeologists for this very important excavation,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and this being fenland, I'm expecting a fair bit of mud.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12They're looking for this plane.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16It's a Mark Ia Spitfire, number X4593.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20It crashed here just weeks after the end of the Battle of Britain.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Spitfires played a central role in that battle,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26repelling waves of attacks by the German fighters
0:42:26 > 0:42:28and bombers throughout the summer of 1940.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It was one of the most important victories of the Second World War
0:42:34 > 0:42:38and a first major defeat to be inflicted upon Nazi Germany.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43Therefore, the RAF's aircraft and the nearly 3,000 men who flew them
0:42:43 > 0:42:45became British heroes.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50The Battle of Britain was won, but the war was far from over.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- The RAF still needed pilots. - BELL RINGS
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Harold Penketh was just 20 when he joined up,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58leaving a comfortable job in insurance
0:42:58 > 0:43:00to train as a Spitfire pilot.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06He had barely 13 hours' flying time when, on a routine training flight,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10his aeroplane fell from the sky and crashed into the fen.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11Harold was killed instantly.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Children on nearby farms saw it happen.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Maxey Stacey was just ten years old.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23We saw these planes up in the sky
0:43:23 > 0:43:29and they were darting and diving about, and then, all of a sudden,
0:43:29 > 0:43:34we heard a revving sound and it dipped straight down
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and it spiralled to the ground.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39When it disappeared behind the trees,
0:43:39 > 0:43:43it wasn't long before there was a thud
0:43:43 > 0:43:45when it hit the ground.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49- Did you realise at the time a young man had lost his life?- Yes, I did.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53- And it brought quite a lump to your throat.- Yeah.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57Harold's body was recovered at the time,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00but the crashed Spitfire was abandoned.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Archaeologist Stephen Macaulay is in charge of the operation
0:44:03 > 0:44:05to dig it out.
0:44:05 > 0:44:0975 years ago, when Harold Penketh's plane crashed into the ground,
0:44:09 > 0:44:10rather than exploding on impact -
0:44:10 > 0:44:12which is what you get on a harder soil, chalk,
0:44:12 > 0:44:14or something like that -
0:44:14 > 0:44:16the plane has ploughed straight through the soil,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19through the peat, and has lodged itself in the clay
0:44:19 > 0:44:23which is sitting three, four, five metres beneath our feet
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and so something like that means that the preservation
0:44:26 > 0:44:28can be very good, but getting to it is an issue.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32And in a fitting touch,
0:44:32 > 0:44:36modern-day service personnel are helping uncover the past.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38They're part of Operation Nightingale,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41a project to help rehabilitate injured servicemen and women.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Like former RAF helicopter engineer Anouska Osborne,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50who was injured in Afghanistan
0:44:50 > 0:44:54and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57Anouska has a good working knowledge of Spitfires
0:44:57 > 0:45:01and is using this expertise to help identify parts of the wreckage.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05We have a nice little structure here,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08which just fits on the aircraft with the aerial attaching on top,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11and then the cable goes from the front to the back.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- Oh!- Then that is what his communications would be.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19But there are more human reminders of the tragedy.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24This is Harold's leather flying helmet,
0:45:24 > 0:45:27claimed by the fen on that fateful day 75 years ago.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35It's an unexpected find, and it's left a deep impression on the team.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40What was it like for you, seeing that bit of the helmet?
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Because I wasn't really expecting that,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- that seemed a very personal artefact to come out.- It was.
0:45:45 > 0:45:46It was a bit gut-wrenching, really,
0:45:46 > 0:45:49because, obviously, you know that he passed away.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52So everybody was kicked out of here while I did that.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53- Right.- A bit of respect to him, really.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56- Really? So you had a sort of personal moment with him?- Yeah.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58You're a service person in the armed forces, he was as well,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- and there's that connection, I suppose, isn't there?- There is.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03He was only 20 years old when he passed away
0:46:03 > 0:46:05and he was the last of his line as well -
0:46:05 > 0:46:07his brother passed away a few years before that,
0:46:07 > 0:46:11so his mother and father, basically, they lost both their sons.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13The respect for Harold
0:46:13 > 0:46:16is shared by all on the Operation Nightingale team.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Veteran Chris Headon is another former serviceman
0:46:19 > 0:46:21working here at the dig.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24He was injured while serving with the Royal Logistics Corps.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27This Operation Nightingale, the legacy of it for you,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30is it improved self-esteem, is it helping your recovery?
0:46:30 > 0:46:31It does help, it does help.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33I have good days and bad days
0:46:33 > 0:46:38and I can't guarantee what I'll feel like tomorrow morning,
0:46:38 > 0:46:40but being here,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43staying in RAF Wittering,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45will urge me to get out of bed tomorrow morning,
0:46:45 > 0:46:47cos I'm with my brothers and my sisters
0:46:47 > 0:46:49and I feel a part of something.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Back at the dig, there's a buzz of excitement.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57The team have hit something large and metallic.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Could it be the propeller from Harold's Spitfire?
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Only the merest tip is poking up through the clay.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10All you've got here is the cone of the engine and the propeller.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12- That's the propeller there.- Wow, OK.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15So we're on the absolute cusp of it.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17This is the moment you're getting very excited about, yeah.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20As you can see, we're getting quite excited.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25But just as the team make the breakthrough,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27work is brought to a sudden halt.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Events have just taken an unexpected turn.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35They think they've found some human remains, a fragment of bone,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38which means this is now a very different dig.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39Everything has to stop and the police
0:47:39 > 0:47:41and the coroner have to be involved.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48These could be the last of trainee pilot Harold Penketh's remains.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54It's a given the team here pause to reflect
0:47:54 > 0:47:58and adds poignancy to the moment a Spitfire flies past.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12We have excavated this site
0:48:12 > 0:48:15on the location of one individual's sacrifice, and, in doing so,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17we wish to honour him.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19Let us remember for a moment,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Pilot Officer Harold Penketh.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43When digging resumes, the team finds Harold's silver cigarette case,
0:48:43 > 0:48:45clearly engraved with his initials, HEP.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Once the dig's complete, they leave a small marker.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53The crash site will be eventually filled back in.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00And there will be a permanent memorial close to the site
0:49:00 > 0:49:02where young Harold lost his life.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11I'm just getting set, cos I'm about to go for a run
0:49:11 > 0:49:15with the Cambridge University Cross-Country Running Club.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18But before I do, I would like to remind you that there is still time
0:49:18 > 0:49:22to get your hands on the Countryfile Calendar for 2016.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25It's called Colours of the Countryside and this is why -
0:49:25 > 0:49:29just look at some of those beautiful images.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32And here is how you can get your hands on one.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40The calendar costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43You can buy yours either via our website at...
0:49:45 > 0:49:48..or by calling the order line on...
0:49:57 > 0:49:59To order by post, send your name,
0:49:59 > 0:50:00address and cheque to...
0:50:13 > 0:50:16A minimum of £4 from the sale of every calendar
0:50:16 > 0:50:18will go to BBC Children in Need.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23Last year's calendar was a record breaker, raising over £1.5 million,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26so with your help, this year we hope to do even better.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38This week, we've been enjoying Cambridgeshire.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41We've seen how its world-famous university has shaped
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and continues to shape the world around us
0:50:44 > 0:50:46through its teaching and research.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49But the students here take it all in their stride.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58We've all heard of the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race.
0:50:58 > 0:50:59Well, let me tell you,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03the annual cross-country battle is just as competitive.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06In fact, on the men's side, it's 62-62 at the moment.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08- Hiya, Joan.- Hi.- Are you all right?
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Just about, they're a bit fast for me.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- These days!- I'm joining them for some final preparations.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16I'm delighted that they're in such fine fettle.
0:51:16 > 0:51:17They are indeed.
0:51:17 > 0:51:18Yeah.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24Dr Joan Lasenby helped set up the Women's Hare & Hounds running team
0:51:24 > 0:51:26when she was a student here in the '70s.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Now, she's a senior lecturer and club president.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Where does the name "Hare & Hounds" come from?
0:51:32 > 0:51:35In the early days, before the varsity match as well,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39what people used to do is have one or two pioneers, they were called,
0:51:39 > 0:51:42who would go out and lay a trail.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46They were the hares and they would lay the paper trail, or flour,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48so it was washed away by the rain
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and the hounds would run around,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54so in the early days, it was a recreation.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Lots of people listening to you talk now and seeing these runners
0:51:58 > 0:52:01doing what they're doing will just have flashbacks
0:52:01 > 0:52:04to being at school, horrendous cross-country runs
0:52:04 > 0:52:06and this just goes up a level when you're at university
0:52:06 > 0:52:08and up even more when you're at Cambridge!
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Yeah, I think cross-country running,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- you either love it or you hate it, basically.- Yeah.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16I think a lot of runners are very obsessive about running,
0:52:16 > 0:52:21and these guys are. The competitive aspect is huge here, as well.
0:52:21 > 0:52:22Almost every sport...
0:52:22 > 0:52:27You see the boat race and the rugby, but most sports have a varsity match
0:52:27 > 0:52:30and that's the most important match of the whole year.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34The Cambridge men's team are level-pegging
0:52:34 > 0:52:37with bitter rivals Oxford University.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39Both teams are on 62 wins each,
0:52:39 > 0:52:42so this year's contest is more fierce than usual.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46How are you feeling, then, about this big race?
0:52:46 > 0:52:48We're hoping we're going to train hard,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52we're going to give it our best shot against the other place.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- You can't even say it, can you?- No.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57The O word. Yeah, but it's this thing -
0:52:57 > 0:53:02people don't realise that this grudge match has gone on for so long.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05Everybody knows about the boat race, but the cross-country run...
0:53:05 > 0:53:07You have to remember,
0:53:07 > 0:53:10you're running around a course the guys have run since early 1900.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12It's been going on since 1880.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15That drive that that must instil in you,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18when you're coming down that final straight
0:53:18 > 0:53:20and it's neck and neck,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24- every ounce of energy that you've got left in you...- Oh, yes.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28- Yes.- There's a reason we're out an hour a day, every day.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30- Yeah.- Come rain, come shine.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33It must be a good stress relief, as well, with all of your studies.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35It's essential. People quite often say to me,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37"How do you manage to fit the running in with the work?"
0:53:37 > 0:53:40My answer is, "I wouldn't manage the work without the running."
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Great, well, I think we're going to go for a little pootle around.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46I know you've got a race tomorrow, as well, in the big build-up,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48so I don't want to tire you out, all right?
0:53:48 > 0:53:50So I think you should just take it nice and steady.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52All right? Just think of tomorrow.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54We don't want any heroes here.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55HE CHUCKLES
0:53:55 > 0:53:58MUSIC: Chariots Of Fire by Vangelis
0:54:04 > 0:54:06The big race is in just a few weeks' time,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09and even skipping through the nettles and thistles,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11this lot seem pretty fast.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15Right, you better say goodbye, everyone.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17- ALL:- Bye!
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Because that is all we've got time for for this week.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Next week, Ellie is going to be in Somerset,
0:54:21 > 0:54:25in the market town of Frome, discovering the food revolution.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Mmm! Oh, wow!
0:54:29 > 0:54:31That is so lush! You're not having any.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Ah, what a shame. They're just too far away to catch up.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37Well, we can join Ellie next week.