Gloucestershire Countryfile


Gloucestershire

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The gently undulating Cotswold hills,

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picture-postcard stone villages...

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..miles of ancient woodland...

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..and the magnificent River Severn.

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This is Gloucestershire.

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And it's where I call home.

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This is my little apple orchard

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and I've got some pretty big plans for it.

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I want to bring in some cattle to graze it off,

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potentially make some cider with these ancient apple varieties

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and, most importantly, manage it for wildlife,

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so I'm going to start by planting my own little wild-flower oasis.

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And, tonight, you can join me because we're giving away

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200,000 packets of wild-flower seeds like these.

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How much exercise do you want to take?

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The Princess Royal has lived in Gloucestershire for four decades.

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Tom's been finding out about the challenges she faces,

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from breeding horses to bovine TB.

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How do you feel when you do get positive results in the sense

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that your cattle do have TB and some have to be put down?

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Well, you know, when you've got a cow and a calf of that size...

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it's more than deeply frustrating. It's really upsetting.

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Adam is on home turf, too.

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I'm a Gloucestershire boy born and bred,

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and I love living and working here.

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One of the great things about the county

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are our local breeds, like the Gloucestershire Old Spot here,

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one of my favourites.

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And, today, I'm looking at them all.

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PIG SQUEALS

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And John's celebrating the centenary

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of one of the county's favourite writers.

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Laurie Lee was born here in the Slad Valley near Stroud,

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and it was the place that inspired him to write his most famous novel,

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Cider With Rosie.

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I'll be meeting his daughter to find out more about the man

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and about his love for this beautiful landscape.

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Gloucestershire, a glorious gateway between the Midlands

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and southwest England.

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The Royal Forest of Dean guarding its western frontier.

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To its east, chocolate-box Cotswold villages.

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And, cutting deep through its centre, the River Severn.

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The Forest of Dean isn't the only piece of this county

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with royal connections.

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I've come to this 400-acre estate in the heart of Gloucestershire

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to meet someone who's been farming here for nearly 40 years

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and she's someone you might have heard of.

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ARCHIVE: Princess Anne and Captain Phillips

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are planning to become farmers in the grand manner.

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Today's announcement by Buckingham Palace said

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they would run the estate as a farming enterprise.

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Though you may associate farming more with her older brother,

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the Princess Royal Princess Anne is arguably the most rural of royals.

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Today, she runs Gatcombe with her husband, Sir Timothy Lawrence,

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and she's farmed livestock here for almost four decades.

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But she's also involved in nearly 50 countryside organisations

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and has recently hit the headlines

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with her opinions on rural housing and eating horse meat.

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Should we be considering a real market for horse meat?

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It's really nice to come back

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and be able to just be yourself in an area like this.

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I'll be delving deeper

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into her sometimes controversial views on the countryside.

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But, first, I want to discover

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why she's made these Gloucestershire hills her home.

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It seems a bit banal to be walking through here and saying,

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"What do you like about this place?"

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It's sort of screamingly obvious, isn't it?

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It's not bad, really. Not bad, really.

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But having now been here, it must be close to 40 years,

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-you must have got a real love for the place.

-Um...yes.

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We've been here long enough to have a bit of an impact on the place.

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We put it back to grass. We changed the way it's farmed.

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Introduced three horse trials now, occasional events.

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But, you know, we've done... These stone walls,

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they don't stay like that without a bit of effort

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and we've done a lot of stonewalling as well.

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Bit by bit, we've added value, I suppose.

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We started to manage the woodland, changed the farming here.

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And of course, as time's gone by, it's learning how to manage it

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and...

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If that's farming, it's the responsibility of landowning

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and land management to make the best possible use of the ground.

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And it's been really interesting.

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You must be aware of the danger that some people are saying,

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"Well, she's only doing this because of birthright,

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"because of privileged position."

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How do you counter that?

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I don't.... In this instance...

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I mean, being able to take on a place like this, for me,

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I've got to make it work.

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This is not something that comes free. This has got to pay its way,

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otherwise I can't stay here.

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The Princess's rural roots stretch back to childhood,

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where a young Princess Anne first encountered livestock

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and country life on the royal estates.

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She formed an early bond with horses,

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going on to become European Eventing Champion...

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COMMENTATOR: This is really a marvellous round by Princess Anne.

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..and competing for Britain in the 1976 Olympics.

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Today, this passion is very much part

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of the Princess's farming enterprise,

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with a stable of breeding horses,

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including a rare Suffolk Punch we're about to meet.

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Wow. She's tremendous. Who is this?

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This... Commonly known as Windy.

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Her proper name is Summer Breeze.

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I did breed her, actually.

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I did have her mother. So she's now five.

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And we've worked her already,

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so she's been in harness and she's log pulled,

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here in the woods and in other places.

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So we're happy that she has a good temperament and is...

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would be worth breeding from.

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The only trouble is we've now got to convince her of the same thing!

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Hence why they are rare, I think.

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Breeding is a mug's game, really.

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But if you've got mares, which you know have talent

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and good temperaments, then they're probably worth breeding from.

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Hopefully we'll got a foal off her at some stage.

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When she's finished interfering with the camera.

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When she's finished having a scratch on the camera.

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She's found herself a scratching post there, I think.

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-And then she can go back to work.

-THEY LAUGH

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These animals are prime specimens.

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But across the country,

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this could be the worst year for horses in living memory.

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Welfare groups are warning of a crisis,

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with thousands of horses left neglected or fending for themselves.

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As patron of the charity World Horse Welfare,

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it's an issue close to Princess Anne's heart

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and one in which she's taking a very direct interest.

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This is Annie. She is on loan as a rescue.

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Was she called Annie before she came here?

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Yes, literally. When they introduced her up here...

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When World Horse Welfare brought her, and I said, "What's her name?"

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They laughed, rather embarrassed, and said, "She's called Annie."

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I said, "OK, Fine."

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It's fate. It was meant to be, in that case.

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You thought it was a bit odd, didn't you, dear?

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Unfortunately, she is just one of thousands of horses

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who are now in trouble across the country.

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There's been a sort of steady flow, partly through ignorance,

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partly through changing circumstances that you get.

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And certainly with...recession,

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you are likely to get more.

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So the marginal situations get tipped very quickly,

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-where they really can't cope.

-Too many horses in Britain?

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Probably. Probably.

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And I think that is true in certain areas...there are too many.

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In fact, horses are now so common

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that you can pick one up for as little as a fiver.

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This glut, blamed largely on indiscriminate breeding,

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is fuelling the welfare problem.

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Princess Anne made waves by suggesting a radical solution

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might help this equestrian crisis.

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Princess Anne has said we should consider eating horse meat

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to improve the way horses are treated in Britain.

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Should we be considering a real market for horse meat

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and would that reduce the number of welfare cases,

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if there was a real value in the horse meat sector?

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I chuck that out, for what it's worth.

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In the light of your recent pronouncements, I have to ask,

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how do you think eating horses would help Annie here?

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Well, it's a good question. I mean, I do think...

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I threw the question out because an awful lot of the abandonments are

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because they don't perceive there to be any value in the animals.

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So...OK. Chuck them out.

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They survive or they die.

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But the meat trade has a way...

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It adds value to the animal,

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so there is some point in keeping it healthy

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if it's got an end point that it can go to.

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But you think it's something we should actively explore?

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I think it's something that is worth looking at.

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Do you think our famous attachment to horses in Britain,

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almost sentimentality, is actually not helping them in a funny way?

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Yes, in the sense that we are past the point

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of it being a working horse.

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For those who saw it as a working horse,

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there was always some value in it.

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And, of course, we've lost that connection.

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-Can I ask, have you ever eaten horse yourself?

-Certainly.

-And how was it?

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Good question. Very good actually.

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HORSE NEIGHS

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Annie isn't the only one seemingly alarmed

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by the thought of putting animals like her on the menu,

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and there are doubts about how practical a solution this is

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to the welfare crisis.

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Luckily, all the horses here have a healthy future ahead of them

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as part of Gatcombe's farming enterprise.

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But this farm's more than just a one-trick pony.

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There are enough rare breeds here to make our own Adam's eyes water,

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and the Princess is equally proud of them,

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but that doesn't give any royal immunity against the disease

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which has hit cattle across much of the country - TB.

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And, as I'll be discovering later,

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the Princess has pretty strong views about who the culprit is

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and what should be done about it.

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Gloucestershire is one of the richest

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and most diverse landscapes in England,

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not to mention my own home turf.

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And, as an ecologist, I love this place.

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There are signs of life all over my orchard.

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These badger runs just crisscross the entire place.

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And, down in this blackthorn thicket,

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there's openings for various mammals, I'm not sure what yet.

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There's lots of pop-holes down here,

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where badgers will sniff out juicy worms.

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There's some muntjac prints as well

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and that's what I love about living in the countryside.

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There's just so much wildlife on my doorstep.

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I've had this orchard for just under a year

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and it's very much a work in progress.

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I'm keen to encourage even more wildlife to stop by,

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so I want to do whatever I can to make it feel welcome.

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There are three main factors when it comes to attracting wildlife

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and I've only got two out of the three on my orchard.

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One is this, water.

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This is my freshwater spring, which I know is in really good shape

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cos there's freshwater shrimp in there.

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The other one is trees.

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I've got a few of those around because it's an orchard.

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But the third is big one is food and I don't have that much here.

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There's a few rotten windfall apples knocking around...

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and a couple of wild flowers.

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There's some buttercup, a little bit of sorrel

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and a tiny bit of meadow vetchling,

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but what I really need is lots more.

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And so does the rest of our countryside.

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Aside from being pretty, wild flowers are in serious decline.

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In less than a century,

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we've lost a whopping 97% of our wild-flower meadows,

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but does that really matter?

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Well, yes, it does.

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In fact, it really matters

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because these delicate little flowers are big hitters in the natural world.

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Their function is twofold,

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notably their role in underpinning the entire food chain.

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wild flowers feed insects that, in turn, feed the bats,

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birds and other small mammals around.

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And, of course, these then in turn support the larger ones.

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Not only that, the bees and butterflies

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that thrive on the wild-flower pollen

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then go on to pollinate our crops, resulting in food for us.

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But, after losing so many of them in the past century,

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how do we go about bringing them back?

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Well, you can start by planting one of these.

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I've come here to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to find out why.

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This little pack is part of Kew's Grow Wild campaign,

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and inside is the power to spread native wild flowers in gardens

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and on windowsills across the country.

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-This is quite a sight.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

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This is a sneak preview of a meadow in the summer.

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We had to perform a bit of a horticultural miracle to grow

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these plants indoors so we've got something to look at today.

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This whack of pink we've got is coming from the red campion.

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There's a tiny forget-me-not down there. A bit of sorrel...

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'Ted Chapman is from the UK Native Seed Hub,

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'and he's giving me the lowdown on the campaign.'

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Grow Wild, really, is all about communicating the beauty

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and diversity of our native plants

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and bringing them right in to where people live.

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So most of us are not fortunate enough to live right next to

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a fantastic wild flower-rich environment in the countryside,

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but we can use these species in cities, in our gardens,

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right where we live, to create beautiful places.

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And they're great for us and, of course,

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-they'll be great for nature, too.

-What's in this pack?

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Is it going to create what's in front of us?

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It's a mixture of annuals, perennials,

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native species that are going to,

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hopefully, perform well in your garden.

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They're going to look fantastic throughout the year.

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Kew's Grow Wild campaign has been running

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in community groups for nearly a year,

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but we're working with them to open it up to the masses

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by giving away 230,000 free wild-flower seed packs.

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And, to keep a natural balance, there are specific seed

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mixes for Scotland, Ireland, and England and Wales.

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These packs are full of variety.

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Each and every species laid out here

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is in this little packet for England and Wales.

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So there's the lovely sunny buttercup up there,

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the gorgeous open face of the ox-eye daisy,

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and, down here, the classic poppy of remembrance,

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which is particularly apt in this centenary year.

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You can find out later how you can get your hands on your pack.

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But, before I put mine in the ground,

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I want to know a little bit more about what's in here.

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The contents are not just features of our landscape.

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They're all native to this country,

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so they're also part of our heritage and have been for thousands of years.

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Get a bit of shelter with these precious samples...

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'Professor Monique Simmons is based here at Kew

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'and knows all about the methods our ancestors used

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'to extract the medicinal properties of wild flowers.'

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You've got a few plants,

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one of them is meadowsweet that we've got in here,

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and it's kind of to show you that we still use some traditional

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old methods. Start the process off with a good old mortar and pestle.

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I'll have a little go at doing some grinding. Here we go.

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It's actually quite hard work.

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Yeah, it is. These stalks are very fibrous, aren't they?

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And the seed mixes that we're giving away - I've got one right here -

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do any of the species in here have proven health benefits?

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Some of these species... Again, it's folklore about traditional use.

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And, yes, it does contain things like meadowsweet here.

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You've got the galiums,

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then you've got the cornflowers that we use for eye treatments, etc.

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Digitalis, now used for heart conditions,

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but now used for drops in other conditions.

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There's a whole range of different plants that were used,

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but we now go to the chemist and get something in the shop,

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and often forget that you can use some of these plants.

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What we're trying to do at Kew is not only conserve them

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for use in these seed banks,

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but also understand those traditional uses.

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So with every seed that's planted from these little packs,

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we're not only preserving our food chain,

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we're also preserving an important part of our past.

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And now, to make sure they have the very best chance of growing,

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I've come to the Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex.

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This place is home to almost every species of wild flower

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found in Britain

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and almost all of them are stored here at minus 20 degrees Celsius.

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I'm meeting a familiar face. It's Ted again, back in his natural habitat.

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It's been the job of his team from the UK Native Seed Hub

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to make sure that the seeds in the packs are actually going to grow.

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So what species have you got in the mix here?

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The nice big one is the corncockle,

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so that's a lovely pink cornfield annual.

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-The seed with the little spiky Mohican...

-Oh, yeah.

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That's a cornflower, so that will be really common again,

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a cornfield annual.

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You've got these little brown and black triangular-shaped seeds

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with a little beak on the top.

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-Oh, yeah, I see those.

-That's meadow buttercup.

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Fantastic.

0:18:250:18:27

And then the very tiny ones, little black seed, is poppy seed,

0:18:270:18:29

so a really small seed but familiar, obviously,

0:18:290:18:32

from loaves of bread.

0:18:320:18:34

But how can you guarantee that they will do well? That they will grow?

0:18:340:18:37

One way we can look at the quality of the seed

0:18:370:18:40

is by cutting it open and having a look to see what's inside.

0:18:400:18:42

Can I have a go at this? Do you think I'll be any good?

0:18:420:18:45

Absolutely. Yeah, let's give it a go.

0:18:450:18:46

I'm going to go for a big seed.

0:18:460:18:48

Right. Let's see if I can take a slice off this.

0:18:500:18:53

Oops.

0:18:550:18:56

Oof. That grip's all-important, isn't it?

0:18:560:18:59

Absolutely. Sideways...oops!

0:18:590:19:01

SHE LAUGHS

0:19:010:19:03

-Sorry about that.

-Have another go.

0:19:030:19:05

That one's done a runner somewhere... Somewhere in the room.

0:19:050:19:08

-Oh, there we go.

-Well, can you see?

0:19:110:19:13

Yes. I've got the white there. Solid white.

0:19:130:19:16

So that lovely healthy, white part is the food store for the seed,

0:19:160:19:20

so that's what the germinating seedling is going to use

0:19:200:19:23

before it starts photosynthesising and supporting itself.

0:19:230:19:26

You may be able to see a little green crescent

0:19:260:19:29

at the edge of the seed.

0:19:290:19:30

I can see exactly that. What is it?

0:19:300:19:32

That's the embryo of the seed.

0:19:320:19:34

That's the part that's actually going to produce the shoot

0:19:340:19:36

and the root, and develop into the plant.

0:19:360:19:38

So, just by slicing it open, you can tell

0:19:380:19:40

whether it's going to be a successful seed or not?

0:19:400:19:43

It is a nice, quick way of gauging the quality of the seed.

0:19:430:19:48

But there is a quicker way.

0:19:480:19:50

You can X-ray them with a medical X-ray.

0:19:500:19:53

This way, Ted can show me how many of my seeds are full of goodness

0:19:530:19:56

that's actually going to grow when I put them in the ground.

0:19:560:20:00

-They look good!

-You can see, right away,

0:20:000:20:03

the corncockle seed that we were dissecting earlier.

0:20:030:20:06

These look fantastic. There are hardly any empty ones.

0:20:060:20:09

This is a good hit rate in here.

0:20:090:20:11

This is a really nice collection of seed here. Yeah, looks good.

0:20:110:20:14

So the chances are good for my seeds.

0:20:140:20:16

I'm really excited about planting them now.

0:20:160:20:19

With all the care that's gone into selecting these seeds,

0:20:200:20:22

they should be pretty indestructible, tough enough to grow,

0:20:220:20:26

wherever you live in the UK.

0:20:260:20:28

I've brought mine home and, later on, I'll be planting them.

0:20:280:20:32

In the meantime, we've got 230,000 packets of these seeds to give away,

0:20:320:20:37

so log on to our website to get your hands on yours.

0:20:370:20:40

Here, on the edge of the Cotswolds, is Gloucestershire in all its glory.

0:20:430:20:48

Honey-coloured villages pepper the lush landscape.

0:20:480:20:53

This is the Slad Valley,

0:20:530:20:54

immortalised in the writings

0:20:540:20:56

of one of the county's best-known sons, Laurie Lee.

0:20:560:21:00

The village lies deep in one of the five wooded valleys

0:21:000:21:03

that runs like the spokes of a wheel to Stroud.

0:21:030:21:05

When I was a boy, we seldom left it.

0:21:050:21:07

We lived in that valley as snug as beans in a pod.

0:21:070:21:11

Laurie Lee put his beloved part of the Cotswolds

0:21:110:21:14

firmly on the literary map with his most famous novel, Cider With Rosie.

0:21:140:21:19

It's an almost autobiographical tale of growing up in the 1930s

0:21:190:21:24

amongst the fields and woods of this isolated valley.

0:21:240:21:27

As a boy and young man, Laurie would wander the hills above his home,

0:21:290:21:34

and his writing vividly captured the landscape he loved so much.

0:21:340:21:38

Today, it remains pretty much unchanged.

0:21:390:21:42

He grew up in this cottage

0:21:420:21:44

with his mother and seven brothers and sisters.

0:21:440:21:48

And, in later life, he was often to be found in his local,

0:21:480:21:51

The Woolpack, just a stone's throw from his house.

0:21:510:21:54

This year marks the centenary of Laurie Lee's birth,

0:21:560:21:59

and today I'm going to be walking in his footsteps,

0:21:590:22:02

experiencing for myself the landscape

0:22:020:22:05

that he made so familiar to so many people through his words.

0:22:050:22:10

To discover more about the local lad who became a world-renowned writer,

0:22:160:22:21

but always stayed loyal to his Gloucestershire roots,

0:22:210:22:24

I'm meeting his daughter, Jessie.

0:22:240:22:25

That's the fancy-dress parade, which is in the book.

0:22:260:22:29

-And there's Rosie.

-That's Rosie.

-Yes.

0:22:290:22:32

-There really was a Rosie, wasn't there?

-There was a Rosie.

0:22:320:22:35

There definitely was a Rosie, yeah. Yeah.

0:22:350:22:38

Well, the book has never been out of print since it was first published.

0:22:380:22:41

Do you think that, when he wrote it,

0:22:410:22:43

he had any idea of the impact it might have?

0:22:430:22:47

I don't think for one minute he ever expected that.

0:22:470:22:49

I think he sort of thought it would be a nice little gift

0:22:490:22:52

to give to his local friends and family,

0:22:520:22:53

but I think it was probably quite a big surprise for him.

0:22:530:22:56

-Why do you think he wrote it?

-He always said to me,

0:22:560:23:00

"Whatever you do, take a notebook, wherever you go.

0:23:000:23:03

"You don't want to lose anything."

0:23:030:23:04

That may be another reason why he wrote Cider With Rosie -

0:23:040:23:08

he didn't want to lose his childhood.

0:23:080:23:10

Laurie was a musician as well as a writer

0:23:110:23:14

and a talented painter.

0:23:140:23:16

A book of his previously unseen artwork, compiled by Jessie,

0:23:160:23:20

is being published later this year.

0:23:200:23:23

We've got lovely paintings of the landscape...

0:23:230:23:26

-Is that Slad?

-That's in Slad, yes.

0:23:260:23:29

That's at the bottom of the valley.

0:23:290:23:31

So these were paintings he did for himself.

0:23:310:23:34

He had them all hidden away.

0:23:340:23:36

In fact, they were hidden away under his bed.

0:23:360:23:38

THEY LAUGH

0:23:380:23:40

And, of course, on top of everything else,

0:23:400:23:43

he was also a wonderful poet, wasn't he?

0:23:430:23:46

Yes, he certainly was and...

0:23:460:23:48

I'm a great fan of his poetry. It is deep as well as celebratory,

0:23:480:23:53

and I think it really condenses his words.

0:23:530:23:57

And, of course, he's a great man of words.

0:23:570:23:59

Not only had Laurie Lee put this valley on the literary map,

0:24:010:24:05

he also helped preserve it for the future.

0:24:050:24:07

With royalties from Cider With Rosie, back in the 1960s,

0:24:090:24:13

he bought woodland here in the Slad Valley

0:24:130:24:16

to stop it being built on.

0:24:160:24:18

Last year, the Laurie Lee Woods opened as a protected nature reserve

0:24:180:24:22

thanks to donations from people who admire his work.

0:24:220:24:26

Roger Mortlock from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

0:24:260:24:29

was overwhelmed by the response.

0:24:290:24:31

We put out an appeal and, within six weeks, 1,000 people had donated

0:24:310:24:36

and we'd made almost twice what we'd asked for.

0:24:360:24:39

And we were able, not only to buy the Wood,

0:24:390:24:40

but to secure it and its maintenance going forward.

0:24:400:24:43

-That's fantastic.

-Yeah, it was great.

0:24:430:24:45

-What kind of people gave money, then?

-What was interesting...

0:24:450:24:47

We got some press coverage,

0:24:470:24:48

that meant that people heard about the wood from a long way away.

0:24:480:24:51

We had some donations from America, from Australia...

0:24:510:24:54

-So he was well-known in America?

-Yeah.

0:24:540:24:56

Interestingly, Cider With Rosie was taught on the high-school syllabus

0:24:560:24:59

for a long time, so this bucolic sense of the English landscape...

0:24:590:25:01

-As it was here.

-..travelled far and wide.

0:25:010:25:04

Keen to emphasise the link between literature and the landscape,

0:25:040:25:08

the Trust is launching the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way

0:25:080:25:11

to celebrate his centenary.

0:25:110:25:14

In conjunction with the family, we've have decided to construct

0:25:140:25:17

a poetry trail linking our reserves and liking the Slad village,

0:25:170:25:21

where Laurie had so many of his old haunts.

0:25:210:25:24

And we're actually going to construct ten poetry posts

0:25:240:25:27

that will actually allow you to see

0:25:270:25:29

his work on the landscape this summer.

0:25:290:25:31

Well, I've left Laurie Lee Wood behind and I'm crossing the valley

0:25:350:25:38

now to get a special preview of one of those poetry posts at Frith Wood.

0:25:380:25:44

The posts will punctuate walks that will join together

0:25:460:25:49

the nature reserves in a loop around the valley.

0:25:490:25:52

-Hello, Emma.

-Hi, John.

-And Pete.

-Hello, John.

0:25:520:25:55

'Emma and Pete Bradshaw are in charge

0:25:550:25:58

'of choosing the best spots for them.'

0:25:580:26:00

-It is heavy.

-It's quite a heavy beast, yeah.

0:26:000:26:03

What about that?

0:26:030:26:04

-Hmm... Might need to straighten up a little bit.

-Right.

0:26:060:26:10

This is going to happen all across the valley,

0:26:110:26:14

-and each one at a place which is significant for the poetry.

-Yes.

0:26:140:26:18

We've tried to choose poems that blend in well

0:26:180:26:21

with the countryside and Laurie's favourite places,

0:26:210:26:25

so we're putting one of the posts with the poem,

0:26:250:26:28

Apples, in an orchard...

0:26:280:26:30

We think one of the orchards that he wrote about in Cider With Rosie.

0:26:300:26:33

And Wild Trees is going in Laurie Lee Wood.

0:26:330:26:36

-This is April Rise.

-April Rise.

0:26:360:26:38

So this is a kind of perfect...

0:26:380:26:42

-Perfect...

-..late spring, early summer view.

-Absolutely.

0:26:420:26:45

And when will everything be in place and the Way officially opened?

0:26:450:26:49

Hopefully, we're going to open it on what would have been

0:26:490:26:52

Laurie Lee's 100th birthday, which is June the 26th.

0:26:520:26:54

HE READS THE POEM

0:26:580:27:00

Quite beautiful.

0:27:110:27:13

-I've just been reading a little bit of April Rise...

-Ah.

0:27:200:27:25

What do you think of that poem?

0:27:250:27:27

Well, actually... April Rise is my...

0:27:270:27:31

If I had to choose a favourite, it would be my favourite. And...

0:27:310:27:35

I actually chose the first few lines to go on the back of his gravestone,

0:27:350:27:40

and it was the last poem that he asked me to read to him

0:27:400:27:44

before he died. So it's very special to me, April Rise.

0:27:440:27:48

And obviously special to him as well.

0:27:480:27:51

Yes. I was surprised that he asked me to read it,

0:27:510:27:55

but it left me with something very profound. Mm.

0:27:550:27:58

Laurie Lee died in May, 1997,

0:28:030:28:06

at home in his beloved village of Slad.

0:28:060:28:10

He now lies in the local churchyard...

0:28:100:28:13

..overlooking the pub and the valley that he treasured so much.

0:28:150:28:20

-TOM:

-Just a few miles from the Slad Valley,

0:28:250:28:28

I'm on a prime piece of Gloucestershire countryside...

0:28:280:28:31

being run as a working farm by Princess Anne.

0:28:310:28:34

200 acres of woodland fall away to a tranquil lake below,

0:28:350:28:41

and grazed rolling hills form a timeless pastoral landscape.

0:28:410:28:46

Alongside the beauty lies plenty of hard graft,

0:28:480:28:52

and the Princess has been involved in the business of livestock farming

0:28:520:28:56

here for nearly 40 years.

0:28:560:28:58

And, like many farmers in that time, she's had to deal with

0:28:580:29:02

plenty of trials, particularly challenges from disease.

0:29:020:29:06

And, like many farmers, she's also chosen to diversify.

0:29:060:29:10

This is horse trials course.

0:29:130:29:15

This area has got two courses, two different standards of courses.

0:29:150:29:20

Gatcombe plays home to the Festival of British Eventing,

0:29:220:29:26

a major date on the equestrian calendar

0:29:260:29:28

and one of three horse trials held here.

0:29:280:29:31

In fact, to help the land pay its way,

0:29:320:29:34

everything from craft fairs to mountain biking marathons

0:29:340:29:38

take place on the estate.

0:29:380:29:41

They're absolutely insane.

0:29:410:29:42

CHEERING

0:29:420:29:44

It's quite exciting to watch.

0:29:440:29:46

-CROWD:

-Oh!

0:29:460:29:48

But the core business is farming rare breeds.

0:29:510:29:55

Gloucester Old Spot pigs rummage around the woodland,

0:29:550:29:59

and White Park cattle are corralled into the shelter of the barn

0:29:590:30:03

to see out the winter months.

0:30:030:30:05

Why does it matter to you that they're rare breeds?

0:30:060:30:09

I do think there's a responsibility

0:30:090:30:11

to maintain some of the bloodlines which go back a long way,

0:30:110:30:14

partly because the very fact

0:30:140:30:15

that they do come from a long way back, they've got some value.

0:30:150:30:18

-How do you find them to keep? Are they good to keep?

-I... Yes.

0:30:180:30:22

Having enough scope to keep the best is difficult,

0:30:220:30:25

but we try just to improve them bit by bit,

0:30:250:30:28

and fortunately, at the moment,

0:30:280:30:29

they're turning out to be quite popular with the local butcher.

0:30:290:30:33

With the resurgence in public appetite for local, traceable food,

0:30:330:30:37

these animals can command a premium for their meat.

0:30:370:30:41

But numbers can be difficult to maintain at the best of times,

0:30:410:30:45

and Gatcombe has recently seen the worst of times,

0:30:450:30:49

with bovine TB wiping out a third of this herd in the past two years.

0:30:490:30:55

How do you feel when you do get positive results

0:30:550:30:58

in the sense that your cattle do have TB

0:30:580:31:00

and some of them have to be put down?

0:31:000:31:02

Well, you know, when you've got a cow and a calf of that size,

0:31:020:31:07

it's more than deeply frustrating, it's really upsetting.

0:31:070:31:10

And, you know,

0:31:100:31:12

when you're struggling to keep the numbers going anyway -

0:31:120:31:15

some of these aren't the most efficient mothers -

0:31:150:31:18

it's really undermining your... your process.

0:31:180:31:21

Now, I gather you had a TB test this morning.

0:31:210:31:24

-We did, which was...good news for a change. So it was clear.

-Good. Good.

0:31:240:31:29

You say for a change. Give me the recent history of how that's gone.

0:31:290:31:32

Recent history hasn't been too good.

0:31:320:31:34

We've gone through phases, which I think, actually,

0:31:340:31:36

reflects the size of the population of the badgers,

0:31:360:31:39

which, in our woodlands, is quite considerable.

0:31:390:31:42

So you're of the opinion

0:31:420:31:44

that the badgers are basically giving the TB to the cattle?

0:31:440:31:47

Well, I think they're a source because of their success, in a way.

0:31:470:31:52

You think maybe the numbers are getting out of control?

0:31:520:31:54

I think in some areas they are.

0:31:540:31:55

Last year, part of Gloucestershire was one of the trial areas

0:31:580:32:01

for culling badgers by shooting them.

0:32:010:32:04

But, despite her belief

0:32:040:32:05

that badgers carrying TB have blighted her cattle,

0:32:050:32:08

Princess Anne is sceptical about this approach

0:32:080:32:11

and thinks there may be a better way to control badger populations.

0:32:110:32:16

Most of the people would argue, who did it in the past,

0:32:160:32:19

and even those, if you're talking about humane,

0:32:190:32:23

they will tell you that gas is a much nicer way of doing it,

0:32:230:32:26

if that's not a silly expression, because of the way it works.

0:32:260:32:31

And how it works is that you go to sleep, basically.

0:32:310:32:35

You'd favour gassing as an approach to tackling badgers?

0:32:350:32:38

Well, I don't believe that shooting

0:32:380:32:40

was ever a particularly good way of dealing with it.

0:32:400:32:42

Given that the size of our woods are not that big,

0:32:420:32:45

it's very easy to be in a very dangerous situation.

0:32:450:32:48

Do you think we're too sentimental about badgers

0:32:480:32:50

and we just need to get on with this problem and, you know...?

0:32:500:32:53

I think we're too single-issue about a lot of things.

0:32:530:32:55

When you look at the badger population,

0:32:550:32:57

if there are a lot of badgers, you're going to have no hedgehogs,

0:32:570:33:01

probably no wild bees and fewer ground-nesting birds.

0:33:010:33:05

Actually, even if you took the cattle completely out of this debate,

0:33:050:33:09

from a conservation issue alone,

0:33:090:33:11

you'd have to say that too many badgers,

0:33:110:33:13

a bigger growth of badger population,

0:33:130:33:15

is not good for the balance of conservation anyway.

0:33:150:33:18

The Government was considering the idea of gassing as a way forward

0:33:210:33:25

after the poor results from last year's trial culls.

0:33:250:33:29

They may have gone quiet on the issue,

0:33:290:33:32

but it seems Princess Anne is happy to speak out

0:33:320:33:36

in favour of trying gas over guns

0:33:360:33:38

to cull badgers in these woods and elsewhere across Britain.

0:33:380:33:43

A lot of people will find it difficult

0:33:430:33:45

to square your concern with wildlife, which you claim you have,

0:33:450:33:50

alongside a willingness to cull, indeed, you know, badgers,

0:33:500:33:53

possibly gassing as well.

0:33:530:33:55

-Do you find that incompatible yourself?

-No.

0:33:550:33:57

But that's partly because there is no simple answer,

0:33:570:34:01

and some of the answers are difficult and not necessarily comfortable.

0:34:010:34:04

It's an opinion with which many staunchly disagree.

0:34:060:34:09

The Badger Trust, for instance, believes that bringing back gassing,

0:34:110:34:15

which has been outlawed for 30 years,

0:34:150:34:18

would be inhumane and unpalatable to the public at large.

0:34:180:34:21

But Princess Anne's sometimes contentious views

0:34:250:34:27

aren't just confined to matters affecting her own farming.

0:34:270:34:31

Later on, I'll be finding out about her concerns

0:34:330:34:37

over the future of the countryside

0:34:370:34:39

and what can be done to solve some of our most pressing rural problems.

0:34:390:34:43

-ADAM:

-Gloucestershire has a special place in my heart.

0:34:490:34:52

It's where I was born and where I was brought up.

0:34:550:34:57

And while farming's always been part of my life,

0:35:000:35:03

it's always been part of Gloucestershire's life, too.

0:35:030:35:05

Gloucestershire's the only county in England

0:35:100:35:12

that can boast five local breeds.

0:35:120:35:14

We've got sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks

0:35:140:35:17

and, of course, my favourite, the lovely Gloucestershire Old Spot pig.

0:35:170:35:20

Go on, then. Go on, then, little ones. Follow Mummy.

0:35:220:35:25

This sow has given birth to her first litter

0:35:250:35:27

in the stables back at home, and we just turn them out

0:35:270:35:30

so that they can get a bit of fresh air and sunshine.

0:35:300:35:32

They're much happier out here.

0:35:320:35:34

And the Gloucestershire Old Spot is a lovely pig.

0:35:340:35:36

In fact, it's the oldest pedigree spotted pig in the world,

0:35:360:35:39

and they used to be known as the "orchard pig",

0:35:390:35:42

because they grazed the apple and pear orchards of the Avon Vale.

0:35:420:35:46

In fact, the old wives' tales say that these black spots were created

0:35:460:35:49

as the apples fell down and gave them bruises.

0:35:490:35:52

If you believe that, you believe anything.

0:35:520:35:54

The Old Spots went into decline

0:35:540:35:55

because they couldn't compete with the modern-day sow.

0:35:550:35:58

They run to fat too quickly, don't have big enough litters

0:35:580:36:00

and didn't really suit indoor pig production.

0:36:000:36:02

But, now, they're coming back into their own.

0:36:020:36:05

In fact, the Princess Royal is patron to the breeders' club.

0:36:050:36:08

These local breeds are some of my favourites on the farm

0:36:110:36:14

but, within living memory,

0:36:140:36:15

they almost disappeared from our countryside.

0:36:150:36:18

Gloucester cattle were on the verge of extinction in the 1970s,

0:36:180:36:21

but this local man wanted to save the breed.

0:36:210:36:25

Good old boy. Good old fella.

0:36:250:36:28

'Charles Martell believes that the milk from Old Gloucesters,

0:36:300:36:33

'which has a small fat globule,

0:36:330:36:35

'is ideal for cheesemaking,

0:36:350:36:36

'and he's trying to re-establish the breed.

0:36:360:36:40

'Note them well.

0:36:400:36:41

'There's only nine bulls

0:36:410:36:43

'and less than 70 cows left in the whole of England.

0:36:430:36:46

'Although their milk is first-class and high in solids -

0:36:460:36:49

'just the thing for cheesemaking -

0:36:490:36:50

'the yield isn't as high as in other breeds.

0:36:500:36:53

'Dairy farmers wanting more and more output wouldn't bother with them.'

0:36:530:36:56

Go on.

0:36:580:36:59

'If Charles Martell succeeds, he'll be the first man for 30 years

0:37:010:37:05

'to produce real farmhouse double Gloucester.

0:37:050:37:08

'Can it be done? And could it really be successful on so small a scale?'

0:37:080:37:12

40 years on and the proof is plain to see.

0:37:140:37:17

Charles has been making single and double Gloucester cheese ever since

0:37:170:37:21

and he still keeps a herd of his own.

0:37:210:37:24

-Beautiful. How many have you got now?

-About 17 at the moment.

0:37:240:37:27

-They're so calm, aren't they? Just...

-Yes.

-..very relaxed.

-Yes.

0:37:270:37:31

I think that's a lot through handling.

0:37:310:37:33

You know, I think if you go in amongst them,

0:37:330:37:35

talk quietly to them, and they respond to that,

0:37:350:37:38

cos cattle generally don't want a don't want a lot of hassle in life,

0:37:380:37:42

and as long as you don't hassle them, they don't want hassle.

0:37:420:37:45

-So, take me through the finer points of a Gloucester, then.

-Here we go.

0:37:450:37:48

Look. Look at those horns.

0:37:480:37:50

The breed standard says fine, wide and inclined to turn up.

0:37:500:37:54

Their black head and black legs, and the body is black-brown.

0:37:540:37:57

So, very, very dark brown, but not black.

0:37:570:37:59

And then you've got the white streak along the back and the white tail.

0:37:590:38:03

Classic, that white tail, isn't it? Beautiful.

0:38:030:38:05

Yeah. Most beautiful, yeah. Black teats.

0:38:050:38:07

People laugh but, actually, it's quite important,

0:38:070:38:09

because the teats can get sunburnt in the summer,

0:38:090:38:12

so black teats will actually protect them against that.

0:38:120:38:15

They've got to have a black top to their tongue.

0:38:150:38:18

-She's just licking...

-Oh, really?

0:38:180:38:19

..these trousers, so she'll stop now.

0:38:190:38:21

They've got a black top... There you are.

0:38:210:38:23

I knew about the rest, but I didn't know about the tongue.

0:38:230:38:25

And a black roof of the mouth, if you care to look. I never have!

0:38:250:38:29

Amazing! And why particularly this breed for you?

0:38:290:38:33

Well, we live in Gloucestershire. I mean, just no contest.

0:38:330:38:37

Plus they needed help, and my way of helping was to make cheese.

0:38:370:38:42

'The milk of Old Gloucester cows gives a rich curd,

0:38:450:38:47

'and those small fat globules produce a fine, even texture.

0:38:470:38:51

'After three pressings and up to six months maturing,

0:38:520:38:55

'the cheese should be mellow and slightly pungent in flavour.'

0:38:550:38:58

How did you know how to make the cheese?

0:38:580:39:01

Well, I didn't, but it was written down.

0:39:010:39:04

So, The Cheese Of Gloucestershire, by Avis Colnett,

0:39:040:39:07

and she wrote it down in 1931.

0:39:070:39:10

-Goodness me.

-And there it all is.

0:39:100:39:11

Double Gloucester, and the very rare and extinct at that time -

0:39:110:39:16

I met Miss Colnett - single Gloucester.

0:39:160:39:18

She went round and measured the temperature and acidities

0:39:180:39:21

that the dairymaids were using.

0:39:210:39:23

They didn't know what they were, because they did it by instinct.

0:39:230:39:26

The farmhouse double Gloucester had the personal touch,

0:39:260:39:31

the person who was dedicated to cheesemaking, in many cases,

0:39:310:39:35

and therefore produced a more mellow,

0:39:350:39:40

really fine type, typical double.

0:39:400:39:44

And the difference between single and double Gloucester, then?

0:39:440:39:47

Right, Adam. Well, here we go. Look, first of all, you can see.

0:39:470:39:50

This cheese is thicker - that's a double Gloucester -

0:39:500:39:53

because it has to last longer, it has to be matured longer.

0:39:530:39:55

-If it was too thin, it would dry out.

-Yeah.

0:39:550:39:58

So double's the long-keeping cheese.

0:39:580:40:00

The single was the short-keeping one.

0:40:000:40:03

In fact, the single was the cheese the farmer ate himself.

0:40:030:40:06

The double he never used to eat, because that was his income.

0:40:060:40:10

So let's try the single first, cos it should be the milder one.

0:40:100:40:13

There you are, you see? It's white in colour. Get a bit off there.

0:40:140:40:18

Mm. You're losing the recipe!

0:40:220:40:24

There's a song about that, Adam.

0:40:250:40:28

# Never have that recipe again. #

0:40:280:40:30

It's 1931!

0:40:300:40:32

ADAM CHUCKLES

0:40:320:40:33

-Goodness me!

-That's not too bad. I find that a bit bitter.

0:40:360:40:39

It was made, for example,

0:40:390:40:40

when the cows were in the yards in the winter.

0:40:400:40:43

When they went on grass - and the best...

0:40:430:40:45

best cheese is made off grass - then you'd make the double.

0:40:450:40:49

-Which has a higher acidity. You see it's coloured orange.

-Yeah.

0:40:490:40:53

That's to give the impression that it's got a lot of fat in,

0:40:530:40:56

which everybody wanted fat in the old days.

0:40:560:40:59

I hope it's as good as it looks.

0:40:590:41:00

Mm.

0:41:030:41:05

-That's really great.

-That's somewhere near.

-That's lovely.

0:41:050:41:09

So, when they used to sell cheese, then,

0:41:090:41:11

they went around with one of these, testing them and tasting them?

0:41:110:41:14

Up to a point, Adam.

0:41:140:41:16

But what happened, I mentioned the double Gloucester,

0:41:160:41:18

the farmer didn't eat it, it was the one he sent away for his income,

0:41:180:41:21

and people used to come on the farms buying the cheese,

0:41:210:41:23

-and they were called factors.

-Mm-hm.

0:41:230:41:25

And it was such a job, going every cheese,

0:41:250:41:27

you know, doing like we've just done,

0:41:270:41:29

they'd never get through them all.

0:41:290:41:31

So, what he'd do, he'd lay them on the ground

0:41:310:41:33

and he'd walk on them,

0:41:330:41:35

and if the cheese gave under his foot too much,

0:41:350:41:37

that was deemed to be hoven,

0:41:370:41:39

it had something wrong with it, and he'd reject it.

0:41:390:41:41

And we've been here, what, 42 years now.

0:41:410:41:44

We've never tried walking on the cheese.

0:41:440:41:49

And as we've...a fine Gloucestershire guest with us today,

0:41:490:41:53

-I wondered if you'd like to try.

-Yeah, why not.

0:41:530:41:55

I've never walked on a cheese either. Let's give it a go.

0:41:550:41:58

-Are you sure about this?

-Yes, Adam.

0:42:020:42:04

Now, don't forget, this has never been done in living memory.

0:42:040:42:07

So this is a unique occasion.

0:42:070:42:09

And, don't forget, the senses of the soles of your feet

0:42:090:42:12

-will judge the quality of each cheese.

-OK.

0:42:120:42:14

-So, you have to be clocking that as you go along.

-How quickly do I walk?

0:42:140:42:17

-Well, not long enough to sink in.

-OK.

0:42:170:42:21

Oh, God. Ooh, it's standing it. Brilliant. Oh, wow.

0:42:210:42:25

-Wow!

-And? Did they give?

-Only a little tiny bit.

-That's all right.

0:42:250:42:29

-Yeah.

-So they're not hoven?

-No. I think they're lovely.

0:42:290:42:32

-I'll buy the lot. Thank you very much.

-Can I just smell them now?

0:42:320:42:35

They smell a bit more cheesy!

0:42:350:42:38

-All right. That's improved them.

-Yes!

0:42:380:42:40

I'll be able to sell them for a premium.

0:42:400:42:42

Agriculture is very much at the heart of Gloucestershire's history,

0:42:470:42:51

with some wonderful old-fashioned breeds

0:42:510:42:54

and great farmers like Charles Martell,

0:42:540:42:57

who are preserving that tradition.

0:42:570:42:59

Now, for me, well,

0:42:590:43:00

Gloucestershire is a county that I'm very proud to call my home.

0:43:000:43:04

-TOM:

-I've been exploring 400 acres of land

0:43:080:43:11

farmed by someone else who's proud to call Gloucestershire home.

0:43:110:43:14

Princess Anne.

0:43:140:43:15

She's raised rare breeds at Gatcombe Park since the 1970s,

0:43:170:43:21

but her involvement in country life runs much deeper.

0:43:210:43:24

Much of the rest of her time is spent working with rural groups

0:43:260:43:30

to keep their concerns in the public eye,

0:43:300:43:32

and also tackle some of the big issues facing British farming today.

0:43:320:43:37

Farming doesn't have the profile that maybe it should have,

0:43:390:43:42

and I think that needs arguing.

0:43:420:43:45

Farmers are not here just to entertain other people

0:43:450:43:48

or, indeed, themselves.

0:43:480:43:49

What you do here is to add value, and that's what I hope you see it as,

0:43:490:43:52

is adding value to the land that you live on and work from.

0:43:520:43:56

It's a serious business, looking after the countryside,

0:43:580:44:01

and it's a much more serious business feeding people.

0:44:010:44:03

It's not just farming,

0:44:030:44:05

but the whole fabric of rural life she's involved with,

0:44:050:44:09

everything from the Worshipful Company of Butchers

0:44:090:44:12

to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

0:44:120:44:15

But before we tackle more thorny issues of the day, though,

0:44:150:44:19

there are some upstarts closer to home to take on.

0:44:190:44:22

-So what have you brought me down here for?

-Well, these are...

0:44:230:44:26

These ARE unusual. Not these, because these are willows.

0:44:260:44:29

But the thing in the middle here is a black poplar.

0:44:290:44:31

-We need to give them a bit more space now.

-A bit more freedom.

-Yes.

0:44:310:44:34

You tell me what to chop, I'll do some chopping.

0:44:340:44:36

Well, how much exercise do you want to take?

0:44:360:44:39

Because you can try the really thick one, or you can just take the...!

0:44:390:44:42

You've set me a challenge there now. I'm not going to wimp out of that.

0:44:420:44:46

We're both at it now.

0:44:460:44:48

'As we work in the shadow of the Princess's stately pile,

0:44:480:44:53

'it seems a good time to raise the issue of affordable rural homes.'

0:44:530:44:57

It's estimated our countryside needs a quarter of a million of them

0:44:580:45:02

and, as patron of the English Rural Housing Association,

0:45:020:45:05

Princess Anne's views on the subject recently made something of a splash,

0:45:050:45:10

as she shared her thoughts on the size and location of new housing.

0:45:100:45:15

What do you think's the key to getting more houses in rural Britain

0:45:160:45:20

that so many people who live in the countryside say they need?

0:45:200:45:23

It may pay to do it in smaller developments, not bigger ones,

0:45:230:45:29

say, in groups of 10, 15 houses,

0:45:290:45:34

as long as it came with space for community hub,

0:45:340:45:38

proper broadband, proper mobile phone coverage,

0:45:380:45:40

so people could do business there as well.

0:45:400:45:42

I can see the attraction of that,

0:45:420:45:44

but if you do it in lots of small pockets, do you not end up with,

0:45:440:45:48

you know, 2,500 planning battles, 2,500 NIMBY rows?

0:45:480:45:52

There are always some strong local voices and objection.

0:45:520:45:55

-Do you think...?

-Not always.

0:45:550:45:56

The secret of success was to go out and explain the value,

0:45:560:45:59

that for every pound you spend in affordable housing,

0:45:590:46:02

through social value and local benefit, you're making £6.50.

0:46:020:46:09

They can keep their school, they may keep the shop,

0:46:090:46:13

they may keep the pub, all of which are in danger of disappearing

0:46:130:46:16

if you don't have enough people to make them viable.

0:46:160:46:19

I can hear people saying right now, you know,

0:46:190:46:22

would you practice what you preach?

0:46:220:46:24

Would you offer land in your patch for housing?

0:46:240:46:27

I have done in the past.

0:46:270:46:29

I actually offered them some land here a few years back.

0:46:290:46:33

And, oddly enough,

0:46:330:46:34

the local village hadn't recognised that it had a problem at that stage.

0:46:340:46:39

So it seems Princess Anne's not someone

0:46:390:46:41

who's afraid of putting her money where her mouth is

0:46:410:46:44

when it comes to securing the future of our rural communities.

0:46:440:46:47

Attracting young blood to work in our countryside

0:46:480:46:51

is another hot topic the Princess is involved in.

0:46:510:46:55

She recently became the first chancellor

0:46:550:46:58

of Harper Adams University,

0:46:580:47:00

which trains young people for a future in farming.

0:47:000:47:03

And it's an issue which has recently taken on an even more personal tone.

0:47:050:47:10

One young man who's recently shown an interest in agriculture

0:47:110:47:13

is your nephew, who's doing a course in Cambridge.

0:47:130:47:16

Did you give him any advice and encouragement on that?

0:47:160:47:19

-Did I give him any?

-Yeah.

0:47:190:47:20

Well, I probably wouldn't have suggested Cambridge, but I mean...!

0:47:200:47:23

I couldn't possibly say that, could I?

0:47:230:47:26

No, I think, for the same reason...

0:47:260:47:29

I mean, they too were brought up, of course,

0:47:290:47:31

in very much a farming background, and...

0:47:310:47:35

My brother's farming is on a rather different scale to mine,

0:47:360:47:39

as you may have noticed.

0:47:390:47:40

So they've had plenty of experience, again, of a range of farming

0:47:400:47:44

and what it means to families,

0:47:440:47:46

and I think in the long run, he's going to see that

0:47:460:47:48

as a very important part of his future life,

0:47:480:47:51

and he'd like to understand a bit more about it.

0:47:510:47:53

The Royals may share a passion for working the land,

0:47:550:47:59

but how to do it is as contentious an issue within this family

0:47:590:48:03

as it is in the wider community.

0:48:030:48:06

Prince Charles is famously opposed to GM.

0:48:070:48:10

His sister may have other ideas.

0:48:100:48:13

What role do you think there is for genetic modification of crops?

0:48:150:48:20

-Well, I think it has a role to play, to be honest.

-Big role?

0:48:200:48:23

I think the claims are probably slightly greater

0:48:230:48:27

than most of the deliverables actually are.

0:48:270:48:29

They do add to our ability

0:48:290:48:32

to perhaps be more efficient users of the land that is good.

0:48:320:48:36

Because I think, in the long-term,

0:48:360:48:38

when you've got the prospect of nine billion to feed,

0:48:380:48:41

you are going to need some help in doing that, and to do it well.

0:48:410:48:46

Do you have some interesting chats with your brother

0:48:460:48:49

-about this subject?

-Seldom.

0:48:490:48:51

ADAM CHUCKLES

0:48:510:48:53

-But you do take a slightly...I mean, a different view...

-Yes.

-..on this.

0:48:530:48:56

Yes, I think we probably do.

0:48:560:48:58

-But that's all part of family life, would you say?

-I think so.

0:48:580:49:01

But I do think there are some things which,

0:49:010:49:03

even if you don't really like the sound of it yourself,

0:49:030:49:06

you know that's got to a point...

0:49:060:49:08

you're not going to stop it, because you can't,

0:49:080:49:10

so you really must focus on how you get the best out of it

0:49:100:49:13

and how it works for humans and the globe in the long run.

0:49:130:49:17

From housing, to agriculture, to energy, to wildlife.

0:49:200:49:23

Ever more is demanded from the finite land of rural Britain.

0:49:230:49:28

Opinions may be divided on Princess Anne's vision of how to get there,

0:49:280:49:32

but one thing few could argue with

0:49:320:49:35

is the value that she places on our countryside.

0:49:350:49:39

At the risk of a slightly philosophical question,

0:49:390:49:41

what do you think the countryside is ultimately for?

0:49:410:49:44

You see, I think that's a really strange concept.

0:49:450:49:48

What do you mean, what is the countryside for?

0:49:480:49:51

It's for our survival, isn't it?

0:49:510:49:53

The foundation of Princess Anne's beliefs do stem, to some extent,

0:49:570:50:02

from privilege and birthright.

0:50:020:50:04

But they've also been developed over the years by her experience here

0:50:040:50:08

and her engagement with farmers across the country.

0:50:080:50:12

Nonetheless, her opinions are very divisive

0:50:120:50:16

and there's no doubt that some well-informed people

0:50:160:50:19

would strongly disagree,

0:50:190:50:21

and we'll be exploring some of those views over the coming months.

0:50:210:50:25

This week, we've been exploring all things Gloucestershire,

0:50:360:50:40

and I've been finding out about the importance of wild flowers.

0:50:400:50:43

They underpin so much of our natural environment,

0:50:430:50:46

feeding the wildlife and, in turn, feeding us by pollinating our crops.

0:50:460:50:50

Yet they're in serious decline.

0:50:500:50:53

But these little packets of seeds from Kew Gardens

0:50:530:50:56

is going to help change all that.

0:50:560:50:58

We're working with them

0:50:580:51:00

to give away 230,000 of these little pods of life,

0:51:000:51:03

and I'm going to kick things off

0:51:030:51:05

by planting the first pack here at home.

0:51:050:51:08

I've enlisted the help of Dr Kate Hardwick,

0:51:140:51:16

a meadow restoration expert from Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.

0:51:160:51:20

I've got a fair few birds and mammals on my land already,

0:51:200:51:24

but I'm keen for Kate to have a look

0:51:240:51:25

and tell me how wild flowers will encourage more.

0:51:250:51:28

-Oh, yeah.

-Muntjac.

-That's my muntjac.

0:51:300:51:33

Well, they'll help to nibble, keep the grass down a bit,

0:51:330:51:36

but they might nibble your wild flowers as well.

0:51:360:51:38

-Oh, OK. I'll take that downside. I like having them.

-Yeah.

0:51:380:51:41

-Oh, yeah, badger.

-Crafty badger.

-Yeah.

-Birdlife.

0:51:420:51:45

-There's a great tit there.

-Oh, yes, OK.

0:51:450:51:48

No, I think this is going to be really good

0:51:480:51:50

-for increasing the birdlife on the site.

-Excellent.

0:51:500:51:53

Cos you'll be getting seeds from the plants,

0:51:530:51:55

the plants will encourage insects,

0:51:550:51:57

so you'll get the ground-feeding, insect-eating birds,

0:51:570:52:00

so I think that's one thing you could really expect to see improving.

0:52:000:52:03

-So it's looking good, but could do better.

-Absolutely.

0:52:030:52:06

There's lots of potential for improvement, I think.

0:52:060:52:08

Never one to take the easy route,

0:52:100:52:12

I'm planting my very first Grow Wild seed pack

0:52:120:52:15

in this scrubby area of my orchard.

0:52:150:52:17

Right, so the important thing here is to open up the soil,

0:52:170:52:21

get rid of the grass and weeds, get rid of the big lumps,

0:52:210:52:25

and rake it so that we've got a nice, smooth seedbed

0:52:250:52:29

that the seeds can germinate in.

0:52:290:52:31

-And how big a patch do people need to prepare for their seeds?

-Well...

0:52:310:52:36

One packet of seeds will cover about two square metres,

0:52:360:52:40

and that's roughly the size of a single bed.

0:52:400:52:43

-Good.

-So, I think we're nearly there.

0:52:430:52:46

'But the point of Grow Wild is to sow seeds

0:52:460:52:48

'in any spare growing space you may have, rural or urban.

0:52:480:52:52

'Even window boxes or buckets or paint pots.

0:52:520:52:56

'Whatever you can get your hands on.

0:52:560:52:58

'Just use compost or topsoil in a container.'

0:52:580:53:01

These are my first seeds going in.

0:53:010:53:03

This is the first active step I've taken on this land,

0:53:030:53:06

-so quite excited about this.

-Yeah.

0:53:060:53:08

Because it's got the sand in it, you can just about see where you've gone.

0:53:080:53:11

'There are two ways to sow the seed.

0:53:110:53:13

'Either just sprinkle it on, or mix it with sand.

0:53:130:53:16

'It makes it easier to handle, plus you can see where you've sown.'

0:53:160:53:20

Shake it on, and then a little bit of raking over.

0:53:200:53:22

Yeah, but we don't want to cover it up too much,

0:53:220:53:24

because some of the species

0:53:240:53:26

need access to sunlight in order to germinate.

0:53:260:53:28

'Finally, give the seeds a good drink.

0:53:280:53:32

'In a few months' time, this bare patch of earth

0:53:320:53:34

'should be full of flowers and buzzing with life.'

0:53:340:53:37

It looks as though you've almost finished there, Ellie.

0:53:370:53:40

-How about that, John?

-Sorry I arrived too late to help.

0:53:400:53:43

Yeah, that's perfect timing on your part. What's the wellies for?

0:53:430:53:46

Well, I've heard that these wild seeds can grow anywhere,

0:53:460:53:49

even in an old pair of wellies,

0:53:490:53:51

so here's a pair with some compost already in them.

0:53:510:53:54

All the hard work's been done for you. The compost's in there.

0:53:540:53:56

-Here's your seeds, then.

-Right.

0:53:560:53:58

Just put a few seeds in, scatter them in like that.

0:53:580:54:00

-That's it, mix them all in.

-And then mix them in the sand, like that.

0:54:000:54:04

OK. And just scatter a few in, like that.

0:54:060:54:10

So, while John waters those seeds in, we've got

0:54:100:54:12

nearly a quarter of a million

0:54:120:54:13

packets of seeds to give away,

0:54:130:54:15

so log on to our website

0:54:150:54:17

and see how you can claim

0:54:170:54:18

your free pack.

0:54:180:54:20

How's it going?

0:54:200:54:21

-Wellies deliberately getting wet on the inside.

-Yeah!

0:54:210:54:24

Love your work, John. Great.

0:54:240:54:26

Well, I'll take these home and see what happens.

0:54:260:54:28

Well, that's it from glorious Gloucestershire.

0:54:280:54:31

Next week, we'll be in Southport,

0:54:310:54:32

where Matt will be looking for shrimps

0:54:320:54:35

on a newly restored horse-drawn shrimping cart.

0:54:350:54:38

And I shall be looking at the history of bathing in the area

0:54:380:54:41

and meeting a local group determined to clean up the waters.

0:54:410:54:44

-But I won't be tempted to get in. It will be too cold.

-Oh, go on!

0:54:440:54:48

-Hope you can join us then.

-Bye for now.

-Bye.

0:54:480:54:50

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