0:00:27 > 0:00:31Sheltered coves and tumbling waves, sea spray and surf.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34This is the glorious coastline of Cornwall.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And it's more than just a feast for the eyes,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42because along this coastline, underneath the waves,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44there is plenty of food to be had.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47You've just got to know where to look.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51And it's amazing what you can find with a bit of expert help.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Wow! Even from here, that perfume coming out of there.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- That's wild oregano.- I mean, certainly the earlier machines...
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Helen's going back to a day that changed the world.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Tomorrow, it will be 100 years since Britain joined the First World War.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Here at the Lost Gardens of Heligan,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12they've turned the clock back to 1914, and I'll be finding out
0:01:12 > 0:01:15what happened to the gardeners caught up in the conflict.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Tom asks if new towns can tackle an old problem.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Garden cities are back on the agenda
0:01:24 > 0:01:28as a solution to our national housing shortage,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32but what impact would these 21st-century towns have
0:01:32 > 0:01:34on our countryside?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And Adam's helping his new bull to settle in.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Because he's much younger than they are,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and quite small in stature,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47what he has to do is assert his authority,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52and he's doing that with all those big bellows, deep grumbles.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Tropical green creeks... golden beaches...
0:02:05 > 0:02:07and picturesque fishing villages.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12This can only be Cornwall.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I'm going to be exploring the coast near Newquay in the north
0:02:17 > 0:02:23and St Austell in the south, looking for food for a fabulous free lunch.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24For centuries,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28fishermen have eked out a living along this rugged coastline,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31but now there's a new generation with a whole new approach.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Ian Donald forages for food beneath the waves,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41and he does it by just holding his breath.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44They call it freediving, and Ian is going to show me how.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50So, Ian, what exactly is the concept of freediving?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Well, basically what we're doing is, we're holding our breath for,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55- hopefully, an extended amount of time.- Yeah.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00Enough time to be able to get down, you know, enjoy what's around us.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02What really started me in a lot of this
0:03:02 > 0:03:07was the fact that I could pick up my own sustainable, easily caught food,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10delicious seafood, you know, right here.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The whole point, obviously, is to be holding your breath.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- I guess that's where we start.- Yeah.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16We're going to get you to try holding your breath.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18We're going to see how long you can do now,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- and then we'll see how long you can do after some training.- Yeah.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- All right?- Yeah.- Comfortable? - Yeah.- In your own time.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32No pressure, but I'm never going to make it as a freediver
0:03:32 > 0:03:34if I can't hold my breath.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40HE EXHALES Well done, that was good.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42All right, so that's a baseline at around 40 seconds.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Oh, that is pretty rubbish. - Well, it's not that bad.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- Right.- I've had worse. - How long can you hold yours for?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- About seven minutes.- Oooh!- Yeah. - Do you practise in the bath?
0:03:55 > 0:03:5740 seconds.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Well, I'll have to do a lot better than that
0:03:59 > 0:04:01if I'm going to go in the water.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Ian reckons, with a bit of training, he can double my time.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Here goes.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Slightly deeper than normal breath in.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Then full exhale. Just get rid of everything. Spit, spit, spit, spit.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Deflating.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Then into your chest, in that big, wide open mouth.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29That's it. And hold and relax.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Just keep loose. Keep loose. That's it.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43You're going to start feeling those contractions coming.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Just relax. Don't shake. Just relax, relax, relax. Loose, loose, loose.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49HE PANTS
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- Well done.- Wow.- Do you want to know how long you did?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54That is different. Yeah, go on.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Two minutes, one second.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Really? Did I?!
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- There you go.- Oh, man. Wow.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Before I hit the water, I need to get kitted out.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But first, I've got to figure out how to get the suit on.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13So, you're going to have to pull it down now, so just... Right, head up.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15That's it. Right...
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- 'I don't remember Spider-Man finding it in this difficult.'- Keep going.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- And breathe. - That's it, well done. Right...
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- Good job we did all that breath-holding earlier.- That's it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30The hooded suit and extra-long fins make me more efficient in the water.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35Now to put my new-found skills to the test and go in search of lunch.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36That way.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52My first ever freedive, and I think I'm going to like this.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06That felt great.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It's so liberating, I can't tell you, just swimming along the bottom
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and the fish are coming up and having a little look.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20There's a lot of life down here,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22but we're looking for something we can eat.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30The freediving mantra is take only what you need
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and select animals of the right size and species.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- He's quite young.- He's small.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- There won't be much meat in him either.- Right.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48'Brown crab is delicious,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50'but this little fella is too small to eat,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52'so we're going to put him back.'
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Now, this looks more promising. A full-grown lobster.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It looks like it's been in the wars,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but even with one claw, it'll put up a fight.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18Got it. That's one claw for me and... Sorry, Ian.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26It's not a banquet, that's for sure, but I did manage to grab a lobster.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Quite a feisty little thing, he was.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31A lovely way to get your food, and cos you're face-to-face with it,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34when you take it off the sea bed and you're going to eat it,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36you have a lot more respect for your food that way.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38You know exactly where it came from.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Well, I'm pretty pleased with my haul.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Later, I'll be scouring the shoreline for edible plants
0:07:46 > 0:07:49to go with my freedived feast.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Now, new housing and where to put it
0:07:51 > 0:07:55is one of the most controversial issues in the countryside,
0:07:55 > 0:08:00So, could a new wave of garden cities be the answer? Here's Tom.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08The British landscape is a precious commodity
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and many believe we should do everything possible
0:08:12 > 0:08:14to protect it from development.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But having somewhere to live, a plot of land
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and a home to call your own,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22well, that's also a very precious commodity.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27According to the latest statistics, we need to be building
0:08:27 > 0:08:30around a quarter of a million homes a year to meet demand.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32At the moment, though,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35we're managing to construct less than half of that.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So, how are we going to make up for this shortfall?
0:08:41 > 0:08:48The latest solution is an old idea, to build a wave of new garden cities,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and I've come to the world's first, Letchworth in Hertfordshire,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53to meet the man championing the idea,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59So, what's your plan for garden cities?
0:08:59 > 0:09:03I think if we return to the old tradition, if you like,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05of Ebenezer Howard, Raymond Unwin,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08those great pioneers who built places like this.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Beautiful, green, settled communities
0:09:10 > 0:09:13with the right amenities, the right transport links,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15places where people want to bring up children,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17where they want to grow old.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I think if we do that, with local support,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23you can actually stop this endless aggravation around urban sprawl
0:09:23 > 0:09:25and, instead,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29build on a scale which also helps build the number of homes we need.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31'The Deputy Prime Minister's initial plan
0:09:31 > 0:09:36'is for three new garden cities, each with around 15,000 homes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38'But he says they'll only be built
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'if local people propose and support them.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Isn't there a danger, though, you'll replace, as you call it,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46a rash of planning battles with, let's say, a handful,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50three, four, five, really big ones, really iconic ones?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Well, that's why it's important that I'm saying
0:09:52 > 0:09:56this will not go ahead unless there is local support.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00It cannot be imposed from...you know, from the top, from the centre.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02We're not going to just sort of drop a garden city
0:10:02 > 0:10:04on top of a community that don't want it.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Garden cities were first proposed at the end of the 19th century
0:10:11 > 0:10:14as an antidote to urban overcrowding.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The idea was to blend the very best of the town and the countryside
0:10:18 > 0:10:20in a single community.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Letchworth came first, in 1903.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28A step back in time with a little slide show of Letchworth.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33This is Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the place,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36the real godfather of the garden city movement in Britain.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42After World War II, a fresh wave of so-called new towns were built,
0:10:42 > 0:10:4632 in all, each inspired by garden city principles.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49'The satellite town scheme
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'is planned to reduce the congestion in London
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'and give workers employment in pleasant surroundings.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:00But who is going to want to build one now?
0:11:00 > 0:11:02It's still early days,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04but one place that has already expressed an interest
0:11:04 > 0:11:08in learning more about the scheme is Bicester, in Oxfordshire.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Councillor Michael Gibbard is the lead member for planning.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15So, what have you got in mind for Bicester?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17We do have the existing Bicester.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21We are now well under way with North West Bicester,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23which is an eco-town.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25We have housing where we are now.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29We have South West Bicester, and Graven Hill.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30But hang on.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34This is a long-standing plan to expand Bicester
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and give it 15,000 new greener homes.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Now the council want to call it a garden city.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42So, what is going on?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And what is it you think entitles this to be called a garden city
0:11:45 > 0:11:49rather than a bunch of new housing developments round a town?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52We have the opportunity to reshape Bicester
0:11:52 > 0:11:55to fully integrate these new areas
0:11:55 > 0:11:59and to do it in an eco-friendly way...
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Really? A garden city? Honestly?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06In order to create that, we do need additional investment.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09We would look for the Government in promoting garden city.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Does the change of title simply give you a way
0:12:11 > 0:12:13of squeezing more money out of the Government?
0:12:13 > 0:12:17If need be, I will do that, but it's a garden city by design.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So, being accepted as a garden city
0:12:21 > 0:12:24may help Bicester unlock Government cash and support
0:12:24 > 0:12:27for its housing expansion, but you don't have to go far
0:12:27 > 0:12:31to discover what the impact of that expansion might be.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Wendlebury, a small rural village to the southwest of Bicester.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41It's currently surrounded by green fields,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43but that could be about to change.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Well, we've seen, haven't we,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47from the developments that are going on, that the map is...
0:12:47 > 0:12:51the road is coming all across this fantastic countryside over here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53'Julian Cordy heads up a protest group
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'against one of the proposed Bicester development sites.'
0:12:56 > 0:13:01- Hello. This must be campaign headquarters.- Yes, it is indeed.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04'The group is not against the housing.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'It's fighting a road that goes with it.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- What am I looking at here? - Well, this is a map of Wendlebury.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The big problem for us is this the proposed relief road.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It's proposed to come in right against our village over here,
0:13:15 > 0:13:20within maybe 150 yards of houses, and it's there for no good reason.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Our big concern is the loss of our rural identity,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26the potential impact of increased traffic coming through the village,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29noise, and, really, losing our rural way of life
0:13:29 > 0:13:31is a really big concern for us.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33'To see how the area could be affected,
0:13:33 > 0:13:38'Julian's taken me to one potential route for the planned road.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Well, this is a lovely bit of countryside,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42a footpath that a lot of the villagers use,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and this is actually the very site
0:13:44 > 0:13:46where this proposed road may be going.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48As you can see, it's fantastic countryside
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and it's going to be under tonnes and tonnes of concrete.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Does this make you think that they're sort of...
0:13:52 > 0:13:55they don't consider villages, they don't consider your feelings?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I don't think there's any doubt about that. They definitely do not.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Everything is tunnel vision, it's all about houses, houses, houses,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03don't think about the villages,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06don't listen to the impact, and it's not at all joined up.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The district council, to the county council,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10to the Highways Agency, to the Environment Agency,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12the whole thing is a complete muddle,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and we're the villages that are suffering as a result of it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17The Wendlebury protest
0:14:17 > 0:14:20illustrates one of the biggest potential problems
0:14:20 > 0:14:23for new garden cities - local opposition.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26And now this scheme's come through,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30it looks like losing our home and everything we've worked for.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Post-war new towns attracted protests, but in more recent years,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38even relatively modest plans for new rural housing
0:14:38 > 0:14:40caused major controversy.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The Deputy Prime Minister, though, has a plan
0:14:42 > 0:14:47to make garden cities more palatable for existing communities.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51We could maybe give deductions on their council tax
0:14:51 > 0:14:55for the period of time during which the garden city's being built.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We could possibly also say to those homes
0:14:57 > 0:14:59where they think the price of their home will be affected,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02we will guarantee the price of their home
0:15:02 > 0:15:04by buying it, if you like, up front.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Wow, so if their home value is blighted by a nearby garden city,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09you're saying the Government will step in and compensate them?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- We could. We could.- Really? That would be a big bill.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Well, I actually don't think it will be as big as people think.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17All I'm saying is, we're actively looking at things like that
0:15:17 > 0:15:20to show that we will go the extra mile
0:15:20 > 0:15:23to allay those concerns of people who feel that their property
0:15:23 > 0:15:26or the price of their home might be affected.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- We don't want people to lose out. - You buy them off?
0:15:28 > 0:15:29This is something that we do anyway.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32As a country where you have big infrastructure projects,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35where people are affected, we make sure that they don't lose out,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and I think the same principle can and should apply to garden cities,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42but to really give that belt and braces assurance
0:15:42 > 0:15:44we are actively looking at those kind of things.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47So, the Deputy Prime Minister is banking on local support
0:15:47 > 0:15:50to make the new garden cities a reality
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and, as we just heard, he's open to using public money
0:15:54 > 0:15:58to win opinion round, but what would we get for that money?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I'll come back to this subject in a couple of weeks
0:16:02 > 0:16:04to see whether present-day town and country
0:16:04 > 0:16:06can ever sit happily together.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Back in Cornwall, the latest addition to the Countryfile team,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Anita Rani, is about to make a big entrance.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Stand by, Anita. In three, two, one.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Oooh!
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Oh, my goodness!
0:16:34 > 0:16:3928,000 tonnes of rock have just been blown up,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and this is the largest china clay pit in the world.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45That was seriously impressive.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47SHE LAUGHS
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Wonderful!
0:16:51 > 0:16:57Over 500 acres in size and 450 feet deep.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02Three million tonnes of clay are excavated from this mine every year.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03But where does it all go?
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Ivor Bowditch has worked here for nearly 50 years.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13So, Ivor, we all know that a china cup makes the best cup of tea.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15But what else is it used for?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Today, 50% goes into paper manufacturing.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20It is the supplement which would have the higher...
0:17:20 > 0:17:22The shiny, glossy magazine paper?
0:17:22 > 0:17:25..quantity, and you would be looking at, probably, 25% by weight,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30that Saturday or Sunday supplement is containing china clay.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33A quarter of the weight of my weekend paper.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37The poor old paperboy. But clay is more versatile than that.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It's also used in pharmaceuticals,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45rubber, paint, plastics, cosmetics - the list goes on.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49What happens to all the waste? Presumably it's not 100% clay.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Every tonne of china clay, we have up to nine tonnes of by-products.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57This very plant here supplied aggregate to the Olympic Village.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00So, next time I'm cycling through the Olympic Village,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I will think about this very pit.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But to understand the true scale of this pit,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I've got to get down there.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12This pit has been continuously mined since 1830.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16300,000 tonnes of china clay are mined here annually,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and the work goes on around the clock.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Meeting such big demand requires big toys.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It's huge!
0:18:27 > 0:18:32If you stand by the wheel, it'll give you some indication of how big it is.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39- There you go.- £5,000 a tyre.- Don't want to get a puncture, do you?- No.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- Can I get up there?- Yes. - Off to have a go in a dump truck.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Hello.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Carrying 65 tonnes in one load,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54these monstrous trucks make light work of the huge quantities of clay.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56OK, Chris, tip it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03About 65 tonnes just dumped.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Easy as that.- Easy as that.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15I didn't think it could get any better, but now for the best bit.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Firing water at the rock is the easiest way
0:19:19 > 0:19:22of separating out the valuable china clay.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Up she goes.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29This water cannon fires out 14,000 litres of water a minute,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31or the equivalent of eight
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Olympic-sized swimming pools a day...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41..and at a force that's enough to blast a 4x4 clean off its wheels.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Ivor, do you think I've got a job?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I think you're shaping up. You're doing a proper job,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49as we would say in Cornwall.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51This is brilliant.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55But I think I should probably leave this to the professionals.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59It's an impressive landscape -
0:19:59 > 0:20:03a white gouge beneath a soft blue sky.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Local artist Jenny Beavan
0:20:06 > 0:20:09takes inspiration form the landscape around her.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12She uses a variety of natural materials
0:20:12 > 0:20:17found in the Cornish landscape, not least the china clay.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Here is the china clay, which has been processed
0:20:23 > 0:20:27- so it might be a bit...- Ah, in powder form.- ..loose in this wind.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30It's so fine, isn't it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:31So delicate.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33It's like talc.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34One minute I'm blasting it,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37next minute helping Jenny make art with it.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40We're going to work with the idea of what water does.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Water flows as a whirl.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46She doesn't just take inspiration from the natural world,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48she also uses it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50- What's in here? Wild flowers?- Yes.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Things that are seasonal.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54So this is all local?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56You just work with the earth, then, you really do.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59They will go into the clay,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and they will eventually combust out
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and they'll leave gaps so that the glaze can then fill.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I've travelled. I've worked in Japan and Finland and places
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and I've seen bags of this china clay
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- from Cornwall.- From Cornwall? - Yeah.- In Japan?- Yes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I feel so proud and I think, "How many other people
0:21:18 > 0:21:22"know that this comes from this small little area of England?"
0:21:22 > 0:21:26So this is 100% Cornish art.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Everything is set but Jenny's left me the tricky bit.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32(She's going to let me pour it on.)
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I don't know if that's wise!
0:21:36 > 0:21:37Easy does it.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40This thick clay will hold it all together.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Are there any beauty properties... Will I live for ever
0:21:43 > 0:21:44if I cover myself in it?
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Everyone who works around here looks a lot younger.- Do they?- Yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I'm figuring it's something to do with the clay.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Oh, my goodness!
0:21:52 > 0:21:54This is just the start of the process.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Our piece will be left to dry for three months,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58then it'll be fired and glazed
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and maybe one day look like this,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06taking its place alongside all of Jenny's inspired artwork.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11There's something about this landscape
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and the way the light's reflecting off the water.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18It just looks beautiful. It's industrial and it's a wasteland
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- but it's gorgeous.- It is.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21What an absolute pleasure.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I've loved it.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27What a better place to come and have my first ever ceramics lesson.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- This is pretty special. - It's perfect.- Thank you.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31It's perfect.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43In the spring, James Wong was in the countryside
0:22:43 > 0:22:45looking at all the plants and flowers
0:22:45 > 0:22:46bursting back to life.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48A riot of life and colour
0:22:48 > 0:22:50that we all know and love.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54But there is one plant that's perhaps
0:22:54 > 0:22:56captured our hearts more than any other -
0:22:56 > 0:23:00the native bluebell, one of Britain's favourite wildflowers.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03But there is more to this plant than meets the eye.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I've come to meet a scientist on a mission
0:23:07 > 0:23:09to unlock the secrets of the bluebell.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Hello?
0:23:13 > 0:23:14- Hello.- Vera?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- James.- Good stuff. Good to meet you.- And you.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Originally from Germany, Doctor Vera Thoss
0:23:20 > 0:23:22is a chemist at Bangor University.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25She specialises in the study of plants
0:23:25 > 0:23:26on a molecular level.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Vera, you're a chemist, not a botanist.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30What's led you to study bluebells?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Because they've got interesting poisonous chemicals in them.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36So you're not looking at them from the point of a plant,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38you're looking at them from the point of, like,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- a cocktail of chemicals that's within theirselves?- Yes.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45We are trying to chemically take apart to look at the individuals.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51What Vera is trying to do is explore the chemicals within bluebells
0:23:51 > 0:23:53by breaking them down into their component parts.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55To aid her research,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58she is licensed to manage a wild colony of bluebells.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01She is the only person in Wales with such a licence
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and one of only a handful in the entire UK.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Much of Vera's work has looked into
0:24:09 > 0:24:11how bluebell conservation can be improved.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Along the way, she has also explored
0:24:13 > 0:24:17how bluebells spread to form those magical carpets.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18What you've got is
0:24:18 > 0:24:20the flower.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Those flowers on here
0:24:23 > 0:24:25will turn into seed capsules.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27The seed will ripen in them.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It stays in them and at the end of the life, they fall down.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32So you have got a little bit, just a short distance
0:24:32 > 0:24:34away from where the flower was.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36If that happens year in, year out,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38if you've got a high density,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40eventually you get a bluebell carpet.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But bluebells, like woodlands,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45take decades or centuries to grow
0:24:45 > 0:24:48because that spread continues.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50This is why, where you see a bluebell carpet,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it's taken as an indicator of an ancient woodland.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56It's amazing how these enormous things can start from
0:24:56 > 0:24:57very small beginnings.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59But her research into these flowers
0:24:59 > 0:25:02goes far beyond increasing the number of bluebells.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Look at this! It's like some kind of blue landslide.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- Painting the mountains blue.- Amazing.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11When you look at this as a geeky chemist,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14you're not looking at it in terms of being beautiful,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16you're more interested in the chemicals that go on inside.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20About half of all medicines that we use today
0:25:20 > 0:25:23come originally from plants, also from a biological source.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Bluebells are mostly described as poisonous.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29But there are potential future medicines in there.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33We know there is immuno-sugars in there.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Those immuno-sugars are potential anti-cancer drugs,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40anti-TB drugs, so we still have to try to
0:25:40 > 0:25:44tease them apart and see what are the individual ones,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47what are their structure, what could they possibly do.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49We're still scratching the surface
0:25:49 > 0:25:51when it comes to the medicinal potential of the plant world.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55But with around 300,000 plant species on Earth,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57that's a lot of testing.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Medicine aside, Vera reckons there may be even more uses
0:26:00 > 0:26:01for bluebells.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04How do you go from this
0:26:04 > 0:26:07to finding out its potential future applications?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Well, the first thing we have to do
0:26:09 > 0:26:12is look at the different components which are in the plant.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The oil, the carbohydrates,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16the scent, the pigment.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19What are they and how we can get them out.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21And if you want...
0:26:21 > 0:26:24we can maybe get the pigment out of these flowers.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28First of all, though, we need to pick some.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It's not illegal to pick bluebells for your own use
0:26:34 > 0:26:37but you would be breaking the law if you took the blubs.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39And always get the landowner's permission
0:26:39 > 0:26:41before you pick any wildflower.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44How much do we need?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Oh. How much have you got?
0:26:46 > 0:26:50That'll do. That will do. We can use those.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- OK, OK. - Just to illustrate the principle.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Having collected a few handfuls,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58the next step is to add some solvent,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00in this case, methanol.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05What we should begin to see after a few minutes
0:27:05 > 0:27:08is that the bluebells will begin to go pale.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Right. So we've added the solvent to the flowers.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Pigment travelled into the solvent.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19What we do is we leave it for a day,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22take it back to the lab,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24take off the flowers
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and distil off the solvent.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27What we are left with then
0:27:27 > 0:27:29is something which looks like that.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Unbelievably, when you concentrate it down,
0:27:32 > 0:27:37you get this really intense, almost like grape jelly kind of pigment.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40So much darker than the flowers themselves.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42So much darker than I ever imagined.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Vera is hoping to reveal
0:27:47 > 0:27:48just how versatile bluebells can be.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50But I've got an experiment of my own
0:27:50 > 0:27:52that I'm keen to put to the test.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Just across the Menai Straits
0:28:00 > 0:28:02lies Anglesey, home of an artist known for capturing
0:28:02 > 0:28:05some of the most picturesque scenes of North Wales,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Janet Bell.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08I'm hoping that she'll be able to use
0:28:08 > 0:28:11this pigment in her latest creation,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13a bluebell wood.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Janet. What a great place to be creative in!
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Isn't it just.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I'm painting bluebells at the moment.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23My painting's more about colour and form
0:28:23 > 0:28:26rather than the detail of the flowers
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- but I adore flowers so this is a great place to be.- Great.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32In terms of capturing the hue of something,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I've got a little surprise for you.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36I've got this pigment here,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38which, believe it or not,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41is a pure extract from the bluebells that you are taking
0:28:41 > 0:28:43images of right now.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46I'm wondering - I'm no artist -
0:28:46 > 0:28:48whether you can paint with this.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50I'm led to believe you can.
0:28:50 > 0:28:51- OK.- Shall we have a go?
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Absolutely. Let's have a go.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59Wow. It really is quite strong purple, isn't it?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Unusual texture. - An Indian ink kind of colour.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06If I add white paint to it, let's see what happens.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11That's quite a good purple.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14BIRDSONG
0:29:16 > 0:29:18That's real bluebell!
0:29:18 > 0:29:20You're painting bluebells using bluebells!
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Using bluebells.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25The other interesting thing about this pigment,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28is...it doesn't have a fixative in it,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30so we don't know exactly how long
0:29:30 > 0:29:32it'll keep its colour for.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35So...the flowers in this painting
0:29:35 > 0:29:38may be as fleeting as the real flowers
0:29:38 > 0:29:40that you're taking pictures of!
0:29:40 > 0:29:42OK. The bluebells are here for three weeks.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45The painting might just be here for three weeks!
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Yeah! It looks great as it is! We'll see what happens.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51This may have been just a bit of fun,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54but there is no denying that Janet has really captured
0:29:54 > 0:29:56the beauty of these bluebells.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04It never ceases to amaze me
0:30:04 > 0:30:06about how even the most familiar plants
0:30:06 > 0:30:09can still harbour this enormous range
0:30:09 > 0:30:11of unknown properties.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Maybe one day we'll unlock the secrets
0:30:14 > 0:30:16behind this fantastic little flower.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Earlier on, I learned to freedive and bagged myself a lobster
0:30:22 > 0:30:25in the clear waters off Newquay.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Now I'm on the south coast,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32looking for a seaside side dish.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38There's plenty of foodie things to be found along the Cornish coast,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40without even getting your feet wet.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Local wild food expert Tom Hunt
0:30:45 > 0:30:48is going to help me put together a tasty side dish or two.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Tom, how are you doing?
0:30:51 > 0:30:52Nice to see you.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55You've obviously been very busy here.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56Where do you get all this stuff from?
0:30:56 > 0:30:58This has been all over.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00I've been everywhere from my home this morning,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02which is on the estuary, right round the coast
0:31:02 > 0:31:03and a bit of the fields.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06This time of year is a great time of year for foraging.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09There's heaps of stuff - everything from flowers,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12shoots, roots, berries, nuts.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14It's just a great way of living.
0:31:14 > 0:31:15It's a great lifestyle.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Has it ever gone wrong for you? Have you ever eaten the wrong stuff?
0:31:18 > 0:31:20- No.- You must have done! Come on!
0:31:20 > 0:31:22I get asked that question quite a lot.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24It's an important point because
0:31:24 > 0:31:26certainly at this time of year,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28there's a hemlock water dropwort,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31which is the most dangerous plant in the whole of the Northern Hemisphere.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34It's fully in bloom and if you were to eat some of that,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36you wouldn't get much past about three hours
0:31:36 > 0:31:38before we'd wave you goodbye into the next world.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39It's pretty potent stuff.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42That's why I always tell people
0:31:42 > 0:31:44get handbooks, cross-reference on the internet
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and get yourself on a course.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49That's how we can just incorporate the wild
0:31:49 > 0:31:51into our everyday lives.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54When it comes to wild food,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57the saying is what grows together goes together.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Tom thinks we can get some great things
0:32:01 > 0:32:04to go with my lobster right here on this beach.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07We're going to start with quite a potent plant.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09This is actually black mustard.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11- OK. Definitely.- Brassica nigra.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13It's in flower at the moment.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14OK?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Pop that in your mouth.- All of it? - Yeah. Whole thing.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19It's pretty potent. Tell me what you think.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21- Do I chew it?- Yeah. Certainly.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Yeah. I'm definitely getting that mustard straightaway.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27Now it's getting spicy.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28Very spicy?!
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Now it's getting... Yeah, now it's hot.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Wow.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Yeah, that fills your whole mouth.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I tell you what, I was having a few problems equalising earlier on
0:32:38 > 0:32:41but that's clearing my sinuses beautifully!
0:32:41 > 0:32:42It's pretty potent stuff.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44This is the reason that English mustard
0:32:44 > 0:32:46is the strongest mustard of all
0:32:46 > 0:32:48because we've got so much black mustard.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Tom's introducing me to some basic plants
0:32:54 > 0:32:55I can seek for myself.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01There's an incredible range of things to choose
0:33:01 > 0:33:03just metres from the sea.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05And in no time at all,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08we've got ourselves a feast.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Look at this. Some beautiful stuff as well.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12On a plate, I mean, you know...
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It just looks delightful.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Well, it looks good. Have a smell.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Rub one of the leaves.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19You've got to mash it up a touch.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Wow!
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Even from here that perfume coming out of there.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27That's wild oregano.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30It's actually quite rare. We're quite lucky.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33That's the first spot I've found of that in quite a while.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Foraging may be subject to local bylaws
0:33:36 > 0:33:39so check for permission before you go gathering.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Above all, use common sense.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Don't damage plants or habitat
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and don't eat anything if you're in any doubt.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50What about this stuff? That looks quite interesting.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52You must eat in posh restaurants.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54I don't, to be honest with you.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I'm not, honestly! I hardly ever do, but go on.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59- This is one that most... - Should I know what that is?
0:33:59 > 0:34:03..most people, I would say, would recognise that one.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- Marsh samphire.- Hm.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07I love that stuff.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Hopefully, that lobster's going to taste
0:34:10 > 0:34:13absolutely exquisite with a little bit of whatever we decide
0:34:13 > 0:34:14to put next to it.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17It beats popping to the local shops.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Or one of those posh restaurants.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22We've easily got enough to make a proper fish supper.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Later, I'll be putting my culinary skills to the test
0:34:25 > 0:34:28by cooking up that free-food lunch.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34On Countryfile, we travel far and wide
0:34:34 > 0:34:36to cover every corner of the UK.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38But sometimes
0:34:38 > 0:34:41it's just nice to have a little time in familiar surroundings.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43This week, Adam's doing just that,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47spending the day at home on his farm.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49- Cheers. See you later. - See you later.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53It's eight o'clock in the morning and I've been up for about an hour,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55checking through e-mails and planning the week ahead.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Now I'm going to spend a day doing what I enjoy most
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and that's getting out and about on the farm.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Although it's generally a quiet time of year now,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06there still seems to be a lot going on on the farm. Everyone is busy.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08But at least the sun is shining.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20The first job I've got to do is turn one of my new bulls out
0:35:20 > 0:35:21with the cows.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23A few months ago, I had the great pleasure
0:35:23 > 0:35:26of going up to the Queen's estate in Scotland, to Balmoral,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28to see her wonderful herd of Highland cattle.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31I met up with he farm manager, there, Docky.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Being a good Scotsman, he soon persuaded me
0:35:33 > 0:35:35to buy one of his bulls.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36- I want him.- Good!
0:35:36 > 0:35:37THEY LAUGH
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Thank you very much.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Here he is. One of the lads has got him tied up for me
0:35:47 > 0:35:49so I'll lead him out to his cows.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52GATE CLANGS
0:35:52 > 0:35:54He likes having his neck scratched.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Archie, like any new arrival onto the farm,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00had to be quarantined, to make sure he wasn't carrying any
0:36:00 > 0:36:02nasty diseases or infections.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05I'm pleased to say this little fella
0:36:05 > 0:36:06got a clean bill of health
0:36:06 > 0:36:09so he's ready to finally meet his new lady friends.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12BULL BELLOWS
0:36:12 > 0:36:14He's certainly asserting his authority,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16sounding very manly.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21BULL BELLOWS
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Go on!
0:36:27 > 0:36:30BULL BELLOWS
0:36:32 > 0:36:34I'm quite worried about him.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Because he's much younger than they are,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and quite small in stature,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42what he has to do is assert his authority
0:36:42 > 0:36:45and he's doing that with all those big bellows,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47deep grumbles.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52He's just checking out there's not another bull in the field.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58BULL BELLOWS
0:37:01 > 0:37:03The girls are actually very impressed.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05BULL BELLOWS
0:37:05 > 0:37:07They look like they're a bit nervous of him.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10BULL BELLOWS
0:37:17 > 0:37:18HE LAUGHS
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Dirty fella!
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Now he knows there's no-one to fight with,
0:37:22 > 0:37:24he's got something else on his mind.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31BULL BELLOWS
0:37:32 > 0:37:33Best to leave Archie to it
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and take stock of some of our other beasts.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Just checking on some of my young bulls we've got here.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Belted Galloway, White Park,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44and then this silvery Highland,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46is Nevis.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48He's Eric's son, my old Highland bull.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Unfortunately, he broke his horn off when he was younger.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53He's still looking good.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02We check around all the livestock at least once a day.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04It's something I enjoy doing.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06There's a group of sheep down here under the trees in the shade.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09I'll drive round and get them all up.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10It's important to see
0:38:10 > 0:38:12all the animals up on their feet, walking about,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14to make sure they're happy and healthy.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16HE WHISTLES
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Come by, sheep. And again. Come on.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26They all look well so I'll check around the perimeter
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and make sure the water trough is full, then this field's done.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39It's all looking good for the animals I've seen so far.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43But at this time of year it's our arable land,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45which is really on my mind.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49This is a field of our winter wheat.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51We grow about 350 acres of wheat.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54That makes up about a third of our cropable area.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56It's a very important crop to us.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59We invest a huge amount of money and time and energy in it.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Martin, our arable manager, is here just checking it over.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- Hi, Martin.- Hi, Adam.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08This crop looks tremendous.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10There's hardly any disease in it at all.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12It's really good. Really pleased with it.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15We're going to check and see how the nitrogen is going on in the plant
0:39:15 > 0:39:17so we get good proteins.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19We've been monitoring this now for two weeks.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Hopefully, we've still got plenty in the plant.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27- You just squeeze some sap out... - That's it.- Like that.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29You should just run in there.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32We are looking for it to go purple pretty quick.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36If you had low nitrogen, that would mean low proteins
0:39:36 > 0:39:39and this would get rejected from bread-making and go into animal feed.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- That's it, yes.- This is perfect, isn't it? That's really good.- Yes.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Well done, you. Let's hope for a bumper harvest.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49The crops are looking excellent.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53A little later, I will be taking delivery of a new piece of kit
0:39:53 > 0:39:56which I hope is going to make this year's harvest a breeze.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01But before that, there are some sheep that need a bit of attention.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- Hi, Becka.- Hello.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07So these are some lambs that Becka is treating for lameness.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08A few weeks ago, we had an expert
0:40:08 > 0:40:10come to the farm and advise us not to trim
0:40:10 > 0:40:12our sheep any more with foot trimmers,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14so we have avoided doing that.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18We now spray their feet with this anti-biotic, antiseptic spray.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Then we will be putting a vaccine programme in place
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and we have put in lime around the gateways. Hopefully,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28in time, we will get on top of the problem. How are they looking, Becka?
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Really well, actually, they are growing really well at the moment.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33- Their feet are getting a lot better. - Good.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36It is so difficult trying to keep the sheep's feet clean
0:40:36 > 0:40:39in a situation like this in the pens, where they get mucky.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41There is a risk of cross infection
0:40:41 > 0:40:44so the lower the incidence of foot rot in the flock,
0:40:44 > 0:40:49the less chance there is of that. Well done. Catch up with you later.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55We are slowly getting on top of the feet problems
0:40:55 > 0:40:58but I am finding it quite difficult not trimming their feet, it is
0:40:58 > 0:41:00something I have done for ever.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04When their toenails get long, the temptation is to trim them back.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08But the advice is, leave them be. It goes against the grain a bit.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14It is time to meet Martin again, to check out our brand-new beast.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18An enormous combine ideal for the bumper harvest
0:41:18 > 0:41:20we are really hoping for.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Goodness me, Martin, boys and their toys.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27- You have been treating me again, haven't you?- Spoiling you.- I know.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31So this cutter bar which cuts the wheat in the field, how long is that?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34That is 30 feet this time.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- I think that is the biggest we have ever had on this farm.- It is, yes.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40The header goes on the front of the combine and it cuts the crop
0:41:40 > 0:41:43that then goes into the guts of the machine for threshing.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50- She cost us, what, 250,000?- Yes.- So put that on finance over five years.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51She has got to cover some acres.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53How many acres are we going to be cutting?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It's got to cut at least 1,500 acres a year.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59It's capable of maize, grass, seed, sunflowers, everything.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Tell me about these, tracks like you get on a tank.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Yes, we put tracks on this one this time.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07The weight of the combine is over 20 tonnes, that is
0:42:07 > 0:42:11without any grain in the tank. So that we can get up the hills easier.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Brilliant. It is really smart.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I can't wait to see it working in the fields.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17- Won't be long. - Catch up with you later.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Come on then.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32It is six o'clock now.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Just doing the evening feed, the animals indoors get fed twice a day.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39This is Meredith, my lovely White Park bull I bought recently.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41He'll be going out with the cows soon.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It's been a good day on the farm, the crops are looking good,
0:42:44 > 0:42:45the lambs are all sorted
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and Archie, my new Highland bull, settled in well.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Just a few things to sort out in the office and then home for tea.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Imagine a summer 100 years ago.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Crops ripening in the fields,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09the sun beating down on farmers making hay.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16Here, the gardeners of the Heligan estate were busy cutting,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19pruning and tending vegetables.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22But that idyllic summer would soon be shattered.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25For a conflict like none before was coming.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Exactly 100 years ago tomorrow,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31Britain declared war on Germany as part of the First World War
0:43:31 > 0:43:33and nothing would ever be the same again.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38It would cost millions of lives,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41a whole generation of young men would be wiped out.
0:43:42 > 0:43:4712 Heligan gardeners went to war but not all of them came home.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50To find out more about the lost heroes,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I am meeting Heligan historian Peter Lavis.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56- Hi, Peter.- Hello, Helen.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00So what do we know about the 12 men who went to World War I from here?
0:44:00 > 0:44:04We have got the Heligan estate labour book here
0:44:04 > 0:44:06which dates from April 1914
0:44:06 > 0:44:12and it gives, under each day, the jobs that the men were allocated.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15We have got a family called the Paynters.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18We have got Richard Paynter, Frederick Paynter
0:44:18 > 0:44:23and William Paynter. William was the father, he was a stonemason.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Richard was one of his sons, he was the carpenter here.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30Here we have Fred, and there it is written, "Left to enlist".
0:44:34 > 0:44:40- We know that 12 went. How many came back?- Only three. Nine perished.
0:44:40 > 0:44:4475%. It is a big proportion.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47Hearing that Britain had joined the war, they would never have
0:44:47 > 0:44:50known how significant that was going to be, would they?
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I think a lot of young lads thought it was an adventure
0:44:52 > 0:44:57and didn't realise the implications of what they were going to fight in.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Why do you think it is important to pay tribute to these men,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03and why do you think it is important to get the gardens back to how
0:45:03 > 0:45:07- they were?- We pay tribute to these men because they gave their lives.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09With the help of the families, we are
0:45:09 > 0:45:12slowly putting those stories back together which means that
0:45:12 > 0:45:15the men are coming back to life in people's memories.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21There are echoes of those old gardeners at every turn.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Here and there are vegetable beds they laid out,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26trees they planted and even old buildings
0:45:26 > 0:45:31they would have used are just as they were back in 1914.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38The gardens have undergone massive restoration.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40They have been returned to their original splendour
0:45:40 > 0:45:43and the methods and techniques would be familiar still
0:45:43 > 0:45:45to the gardeners of 100 years ago.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Nicola Bradley is their modern-day equivalent,
0:45:50 > 0:45:52keeping alive those old traditions.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58- Nicola, hello.- Hello. - You look busy there.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02I am, yes, just putting on some kale to go out in the winter brassica bed.
0:46:02 > 0:46:07How close is this to how it would have been in 1914?
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Pretty much as close as it could be, really.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12They are so atmospheric, these buildings.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15You can almost feel the gardeners of time gone by.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Let's get this kale on the next stage of its journey
0:46:18 > 0:46:20so that we can enjoy it.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Will just pop them in this cold frame here
0:46:30 > 0:46:33and we will make sure we put a net over them later.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35- Keep the pigeons off. - Are birds a bit of an issue?
0:46:35 > 0:46:36They are a nightmare, yes.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Of course, they would have had the same problem back in 1914,
0:46:39 > 0:46:40they would have had pigeons.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43But I think they would probably have had a lot of pigeon pie
0:46:43 > 0:46:45- back then as well.- Win, win.- Yes.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49I can imagine people ask you about why you do things in a certain way.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51As far as we are concerned, it is a good way to garden.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53It is very labour intensive, obviously.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55People look at us like we're crazy sometimes
0:46:55 > 0:46:59but we have got amazing soil and we can grow parsnips,
0:46:59 > 0:47:02you know, that long, because we have got beautiful rich topsoil
0:47:02 > 0:47:05and because we dug it that way.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Is there anything that they did in 1914 that you wouldn't do now?
0:47:08 > 0:47:12They did use, believe it or not, cucumber straighteners.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Nicola, take me to the cucumber straightener.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16A sentence I never thought I would say!
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Completely derelict 25 years ago, the beautiful greenhouses
0:47:26 > 0:47:29have been fully restored to their former glory.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37- This is a cucumber straightener. - Of course!
0:47:37 > 0:47:42You have got to attach it to a relatively small cucumber.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47Back then, it was a matter of pride, you know, in the produce you produce.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51Also, probably quite high expectations of your employer.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54It said something about them, the produce that was on their table.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57If it wasn't perfect, the guests would go away
0:47:57 > 0:48:01and probably gossip about that. So it was very much a matter of pride.
0:48:01 > 0:48:06- What are the little boxes?- They are basically natural predators.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10They would have been spraying really horrible stuff like nicotine
0:48:10 > 0:48:13and arsenic as pest control. Hideous chemicals.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Didn't that poison the plants?
0:48:15 > 0:48:19Well, some of it would have gone into the plants, yes.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23- Perfectly straight cucumbers with a side helping of arsenic!- Yes!
0:48:27 > 0:48:30The summer that the First World War broke out was perfect.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34The conditions were ideal for growing crops.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35In the fields,
0:48:35 > 0:48:37the gardeners of Heligan would have been harvesting hay.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49To get a sense of how different that process was, I am turning
0:48:49 > 0:48:54the clock back with the help of David Jones and Bumble, his horse.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Up until the First World War,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00most of the jobs on the farm would have been done by horses.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02They worked the hay pole, they ploughed,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05they did pretty much all the jobs on the farm.
0:49:07 > 0:49:12100 years ago, hay making was time consuming and labour intensive.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15From scything the hay to cocking it for drying
0:49:15 > 0:49:18required many man-hours and lots of elbow grease.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Today, we are trying our hand at some of those old methods.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28I feel a little bit naive because when I see
0:49:28 > 0:49:31pictures of my grandad doing this, exact thing in the fields,
0:49:31 > 0:49:32I think, how romantic,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36he was probably there enjoying the sunshine, moseying along.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38But actually, you can't switch off.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42It was hard work and relatively dangerous as well.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47- This time I am going to concentrate and get it right.- Right, excellent.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51- Do you want the reins as well?- Do you trust me?- Yeah, yeah.- Walk on!
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- He probably won't listen to you. - Not many men do.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Bumbles. Come on, fella. Bumble.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01- There you are.- Off he goes. Go on, Bumble. Walk on. Walk on.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07It's so heavy!
0:50:07 > 0:50:09Bumble!
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Hey, look at you!
0:50:18 > 0:50:22- Good boy!- And again. - Thank you, Bumble.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34I am in Cornwall, where I have been foraging above
0:50:34 > 0:50:38and beneath the waves for the ingredients for a seaside feast.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40So far, I have caught a lobster with my bare hands
0:50:40 > 0:50:45and plucked an array of herbs and sea vegetables from the shoreline.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47All that is left is to cook it.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Simon Stallard runs a beach restaurant
0:50:51 > 0:50:53and is a dab hand with foraged food.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02There is a vision of a man who likes to be prepared. Simon, how are you?
0:51:02 > 0:51:03Hi, Matt, how are you doing?
0:51:03 > 0:51:05- Good to see you. - Welcome to Porthcurnick.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09- Look at all these goody stuff that I have for you here.- Wow, wicked.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13- That comes from Thom. This here is the result of my freedive.- Wow!
0:51:13 > 0:51:15It's a lobster, as you can see, with just the one claw.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18- Maybe a bit more practice? - I think so!
0:51:18 > 0:51:22- Can you do something with that?- Yes, yes, we will get him on the grill.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31What's it like for you to be out here cooking with
0:51:31 > 0:51:34the sound of the water coming in, knowing that all of this stuff
0:51:34 > 0:51:38has just been foraged from a matter of miles?
0:51:38 > 0:51:40I don't think it gets any better, really.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43I gave up my life living and working in London kitchens to come and
0:51:43 > 0:51:49actually just cook and work around these waters with this produce.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53We try to cook as much as we can over wood, coconut coals.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Just really about that sort of flavour, realness,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59certainly unpretentious style of cooking, really.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04'Simon has brought along the king of sustainable Cornish seafood,
0:52:04 > 0:52:05'the spider crab.'
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Look at the size of that one. That's huge.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13'There are loads of them in our seas but we usually export them abroad.'
0:52:13 > 0:52:17The majority, I think about 80%, goes to Spain.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19The Spanish value it as much as lobster.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Unfortunately we don't seem to see the same value.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26'Speaking of lobster, Mine is done.'
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Look at that!
0:52:28 > 0:52:32- I think you should just have a bit of your fruits.- Just to try it.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34- Yeah, just get straight in. - Here we go.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42That tastes absolutely beautiful.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47The spider crab is cooked.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Now for the delicate task of getting at the meat,
0:52:49 > 0:52:53which it turns out is anything but delicate.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01My basket of leaves has given Simon food for thought.
0:53:02 > 0:53:07I see that as my lemon juice, this here has lovely saltiness to it.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Just shredded down.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13So I have got my saltiness, these can go in, we'll just roll them up.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15My foraged sea beet is blanched
0:53:15 > 0:53:17and is filled with the other ingredients.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22In goes the spider crab, my lobster and all my hand-picked herbs.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25The bite-sized parcels are then seared on the griddle.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Does it bring a different perspective to it that this
0:53:29 > 0:53:30is all free?
0:53:30 > 0:53:33It always tastes sweeter when it doesn't cost anything.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Looks like these fabulous cooking smells have attracted
0:53:36 > 0:53:38a few scavengers.
0:53:38 > 0:53:39This looks very productive.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43Would you believe it, just in time! Here they come. Hungry bellies.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- Nice to see you all. - What have you got for us?
0:53:46 > 0:53:51Well, this is an absolute delight. This is basically my day in a bite.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54So we have got sea beet all round the outside.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Inside there you have got spider crab,
0:53:56 > 0:54:01you have got hand-foraged and grabbed one-armed lobster.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04- Right.- By my good self!
0:54:04 > 0:54:07That is delicious. Really nice.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11That is just perfect.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13I might just lie down here on this beach
0:54:13 > 0:54:16and just listen to the waves and fall fast asleep.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19That is all we have got time for from Countryfile this week,
0:54:19 > 0:54:20from the Cornish coast.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Next week the whole team will be in the Cotswolds,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24where it is no-holds-barred.
0:54:24 > 0:54:25Look at this.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- Did we say no mercy?- No mercy.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Come on! Oh!
0:54:36 > 0:54:40- That is not like you, to be competitive.- Anyway, who wins?
0:54:40 > 0:54:44- Find out next week. That is it from us. Goodbye.- How's that?- Delicious.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Hands off!