0:00:32 > 0:00:36'From the hills of Preseli to the secretive valley of Gwaun,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'this is a truly rural place.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'A hidden gem in a remote part of north Pembrokeshire.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Man and beast have been roaming across these wild
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and mysterious hills for centuries.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56There's evidence of them all around,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59from these burial mounds to hill forts.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Why did our prehistoric ancestors choose to make this place home?
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I'll be finding out.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'Below the Preseli Hills, an ancient forest
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'has been given a new lease of life.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:15For many years it's been overgrown and unloved
0:01:15 > 0:01:18but now it's being carefully managed and thinned out,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22a new generation of broad leaved trees are being planted here.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Nothing goes to waste.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29All the timber that's felled is turned into picnic benches, tables,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31even woodland signs.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34So I'd better get my woodworking skills brushed up.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37'Tom's in the uplands of Cumbria.'
0:01:37 > 0:01:42Is farming enhancing or damaging this landscape?
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Maybe our uplands would thrive with fewer sheep and more wilderness.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48I'll be investigating.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53'And Adam's got a problem with one of the farm's biggest characters.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Eric the Highland bull here is one of my firm favourites
0:01:57 > 0:01:59but, unfortunately, he's had some major problems,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02which isn't good news for his ladies
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and not good news for him, either.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19'The brooding Preseli Hills of Wales
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'dominate a bleak and unforgiving landscape.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'Often shrouded in mist, these Hills are timeless,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28'forgotten,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30'dotted with relics of ancient civilisations.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'The Preseli range lie in west Wales,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41'just inland from the spectacular Pembrokeshire coast.'
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Despite its bleakness,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55man has worked this land since prehistoric times.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Their lives have been woven into this landscape.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06'Burial chambers, stone circles, standing stones
0:03:06 > 0:03:08'and Iron Age forts.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13'Over 200 scheduled monuments are scattered across the hillside.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:23And up here, on Foel Drygarn, it's one man's passion to preserve them.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27'Pete Crane's an archaeologist
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'working with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.'
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- Hi, Pete, how are you doing? - I'm fine, Ellie.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Wow, what are you doing among this enormous pile of stones?
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Well, this enormous pile of stones is one of the three burial mounds,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42presumably from the Bronze Age.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44What happens is visitors come up
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and actually make little holes in them
0:03:47 > 0:03:50but when somebody makes a small hole in this monument,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52possibly as a hide, in this case,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55then other people come along and do more of them.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Although we can replace it, as we are doing here,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01the actual archaeological integrity never grows back,
0:04:01 > 0:04:02it's permanently damaged.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05What are you doing, are you simply moving...?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Moving the stones back in.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08We are refilling it as best we can.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11So if we just roll some of the stones over.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14On three... One, two, three!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Yeah, good.- Good, good.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18This is where bodies were buried?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Yeah, probably cremation at that stage,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24probably a central burial in each one.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The chieftain, or some high-ranking people in the Bronze Age,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31about 2400BC.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33People would have lived up here around this barrow.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36There would have been settlements around it?
0:04:36 > 0:04:38By the time the Iron Age is coming up here
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- there's up to 200 huts up here. - Wow!
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Not necessarily all occupied, some of them could have been for storage.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48We're dealing with 100 to maybe 400 people up here.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Think of the area that they would have actually been utilising
0:04:51 > 0:04:53to feed themselves.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56'These days the hills are pretty open
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'but 6,000 years ago our prehistoric ancestors
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'would have looked out over woodland.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:03How would they have used it?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I think they've manipulated it for grassland
0:05:06 > 0:05:08so they can herd their animals out from here.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10All the trees were taken out for fuel?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Yeah, when you get 400 people living here,
0:05:13 > 0:05:14the only thing they'll burn is fuel,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16what they are going to construct with is wood.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- They would need some sort of shelter in this?- They would, yes.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23'Helping Pete restore this burial chamber
0:05:23 > 0:05:25'is park ranger, Richard Vaughan.'
0:05:26 > 0:05:29You're just picking up all the stones from the edge?
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Not all of them, just the ones you can see have been thrown down.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36'But Richard's real interest is in what grows on the rocks,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'lichens in all shapes and forms.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So there's more than one type of lichen, aren't there?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44There's a few colours on here.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46There is an absolute wealth of different types.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49They look to be a partnership between a fungi
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and an algae, very complex organism.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Show me a couple of the lichens you get growing up here.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- OK, can you see this one? - Yeah, the white crusty one.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59There's a couple of different types here
0:05:59 > 0:06:01but this is the crusty one, the Crustose.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04This literally will grow up to a millimetre a year.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06You just look at that and you think how old is that?
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Some of these lichens up here would have been many decades old?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- If not more, hundreds.- Wow!
0:06:12 > 0:06:14This is why we are doing the work we're doing
0:06:14 > 0:06:16to try and look after this site.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Lovely, I'll leave you to it. - Thank you.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Thanks, Richard, see you later. - Bye-bye.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'It's easy to see why people would assume these are just piles
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'of rocks, but thanks to the work of people like Pete and Richard, these
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'age-old sites remain an important feature of this ancient landscape.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:41While I'm delving deeper into this valley,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Tom is scaling the heights investigating the claim
0:06:44 > 0:06:47that farming could be harming our hills.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'Britain's uplands, sprawling areas with sparse populations
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'that make up 40% of the UK's landscape.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02'Although they may look pretty empty,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'they're incredibly important to all of us.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:1070% of our drinking water comes from the hills
0:07:10 > 0:07:14and, properly managed, they act as a natural carbon store,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16a barrier to flooding the towns below
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and a home to many species of plants and animals.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24An increasing number of voices are saying all this is under threat
0:07:24 > 0:07:26and farming is largely to blame.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'To find out more about these fears, I'm heading out
0:07:32 > 0:07:35'for a spot of bird watching with the RSPB's Pat Thompson.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:39What are we hoping to spot here today?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42I was kind of hoping we'd see a black grouse.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45What is it about them that makes them so relevant to the upland story?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Er, high priority bird,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51less than 5,000 males left in the whole of the United kingdom.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54'Pat's the organisation's uplands expert
0:07:54 > 0:07:58'and believes overgrazing has stripped too many hills bare,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02'harming the natural habitats of birds like the black grouse.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Look...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06that black blob that you can see.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I think you'll find that's a black grouse.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Yeah. In the distance it looks like any other bird
0:08:13 > 0:08:15but when you get through the binoculars, you can see
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- that classic grouse shape that isn't like most other birds.- Absolutely!
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is a bird that actually likes a patchy landscape,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26mosaics of habitat of heath, of bog, of grass and woodland
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and we've lost a lot of that kind of habitat structure and diversity.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Has heavy grazing of the upland areas been partly to blame
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- for their decline? - Almost certainly.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'The claim is that where thousands of years ago our uplands
0:08:41 > 0:08:43'would have been covered in trees,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'today these hills have become too heavily grazed, the forests lost
0:08:47 > 0:08:52'and with them the essential cover and food they provide for wildlife.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:54One needs to look at
0:08:54 > 0:08:58post-Second World War agricultural production subsidies,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02encouraging the improvement of these lands to produce loads more food.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04We can understand why that happened
0:09:04 > 0:09:07but I think now the context needs to completely change
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and we need to be looking at our uplands with fresh eyes.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13We need to be thinking about what these places produce
0:09:13 > 0:09:15for society as a whole and we ain't doing that.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- There he goes.- There he goes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28'Some voices are saying much of this heavily farmed land should be
0:09:28 > 0:09:33'left to go wild once again, a process known as rewilding.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36'Environmentalist and newspaper columnist, George Monbiot,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39'is a leading voice in this campaign.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42A lot of people really like upland pasture,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44they think it's a beautiful natural setting.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Yes, well, people do see it as natural and, in fact,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I did until I began to find out what used to be there,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53which was much more woodland, very rich wildlife habitats.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56All that has now gone.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Those pastures support just a tiny scraping of the life
0:09:59 > 0:10:02which used to be there.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04'He believes that farming in our hills
0:10:04 > 0:10:08'is endangering not only wildlife but all of us, too.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:11One of the big impacts from having animals
0:10:11 > 0:10:13grazing in the hills is flooding.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We are very prone to floods in this country
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and a major reason is that all the vegetation in the hills
0:10:21 > 0:10:24has been removed and the vegetation helps to absorb water
0:10:24 > 0:10:25and release it slowly
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and the soil is being compacted by the hooves of the sheep.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32That means that the water just flashes off it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So people are very obsessed by what happens in the flood plain
0:10:35 > 0:10:38but, actually, it's more important what happens in the hills
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and the catchment of the rivers.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43If the water isn't being absorbed, and slowly released in the hills,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45you're going to get floods downstream.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Sheep in the hills cause floods in the flood plains.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Really, so you're saying you could put the rising waters,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I don't know, in the Severn Valley, down to sheep hooves in Wales?
0:10:55 > 0:10:56Yeah, that's right.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'Much of George's most fierce criticism has been aimed
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'at the Lake District where he claims farming has created
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'a bowling green monoculture.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11'Local farmers like Carl Walter are coming out
0:11:11 > 0:11:13'to defend their way of life.'
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- Hi, there.- Hi.- You're making the hills look easy on that.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22So where are your sheep at this time of year?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- They are way up the fell. - Way up here?- Yeah.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29'Carl works land covering 250 windswept acres.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33'He believes the negative impact of hill farming has been blown
0:11:33 > 0:11:37'out of all proportion and ignore the many benefits it brings.'
0:11:37 > 0:11:38SHEEP BLEAT
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Ah, finally, we're seeing your beasts here.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Some people look at this landscape and say, why, it's a bit barren.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Naturally, it would have a lot more trees on it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50If you don't have the sheep grazing it,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53you'll end up like the common further down that we have
0:11:53 > 0:11:54where the gorse has taken over
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and you actually can't get onto parts of the common.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00There's a lot of people like to come and walk in the Lake District
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and people like to come here because it is a living landscape.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04It's, you know...
0:12:04 > 0:12:08A lot of the people we see that come here on holiday
0:12:08 > 0:12:12like nothing better than to see you gathering the fells with your dogs.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- Do you think this land really earns its keep?- Yeah, I think it does.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It's not just food production.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22We support a lot of local tradesmen, hauliers
0:12:22 > 0:12:27and there's all the machinery sales, the feed merchants, you know.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29People are here because of the farming
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and the minute you lose the farming,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33you lose everything else that goes with it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'This argument that livestock is the lifeblood of our hills
0:12:38 > 0:12:42'is central to the case to keep farming these slopes.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:46But others insist there is a credible alternative for the uplands,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51which would both heal the land and reinvigorate rural communities.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I'll be seeing what that future landscape would look like later.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04'Pembrokeshire's Gwaun Valley...
0:13:04 > 0:13:08'This steep sided gorge, a relic of the Ice Age,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10'has been shaped by torrents of meltwater
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'that flowed as the glaciers retreated.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16'Now the River Gwaun meanders through marsh,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'water meadows and dense, ancient forests
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'that cloak the valley sides.'
0:13:21 > 0:13:24These woodlands are classed as one of the most important
0:13:24 > 0:13:27natural habitats in the UK
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and now a project is under way to breathe new life into them.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38'The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority manages 500 acres.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40'Geraint Harries is one of the rangers
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'whose job is to safeguard this landscape.'
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- Hello, Geraint.- Oh, helo, croeso. Welcome.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- A Welsh welcome. - Oh, yes, absolutely.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51You must have a lot of birds around here
0:13:51 > 0:13:53if you're putting up these boxes?
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Well, yes, we're trying to enhance the habitat for many types of birds.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01This is particularly for the bluetit and great tit.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- Just behind us we have a raptor's nest.- I can see that there.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06I think it's a buzzard
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but we also have red kite within the valley,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13which is really quite exciting and fairly new to the area.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16If it is such a special place, why does it need
0:14:16 > 0:14:19a new breath of life blowing into it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I think over the past years it's been unmanaged
0:14:21 > 0:14:26and so we're trying to bring that management back into force
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and enhance the habitat, basically.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37'During both world wars,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40'the Gwaun Valley's forests were largely decimated.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42'Trees were felled and the majority of timber sent
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'to be used as pit props and axe handles
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'for miners aiding the war effort.'
0:14:51 > 0:14:54They were replaced by thousands of these quick growing,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58non-native conifers which were then left to grow wild,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01making the forest dark and inhospitable.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Now they're well past their sell-by date.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Plans are afoot to convert the forest
0:15:06 > 0:15:10back to some semblance of ancient woodland.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12And that means out with the conifers
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and in with native broad-leaf trees like oak, hazel and ash.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20So this scene is going to be transformed?
0:15:20 > 0:15:21It will over a period of time, yes,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and we intend to remove some more of these conifers next year,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29so in the end we will have a completely deciduous woodland.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32What puzzles me a bit, Geraint, is that recently on the programme
0:15:32 > 0:15:37another expert told me that a pine forest has more biodiversity
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- than a broad-leaf forest.- Possibly, if it was managed properly.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We believe that there is more biodiversity within the woodland
0:15:43 > 0:15:46if you're going back to what we had naturally,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49so that's what we will be trying to do as a national park.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'But conifers aren't the only trees being felled.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:56What have we got here, then?
0:15:56 > 0:15:58We've got some sessile oak
0:15:58 > 0:16:02that we've been thinning out of this woodland, Kilkiffeth.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So why do you want to take out broad-leaf trees?
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Yes, it's an odd one, isn't it, that you're removing some nice oak,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12but it's all grown up at the same time.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17And we need to try and thin out individual trees to give more space,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21open the canopy up, and of course leave more light down to the ground.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31But of course we don't want to decimate the woodland either.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It's trying to get that balance,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36which is why we come in and do little and often.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Well, there are lots of brambles around here. Are they going as well?
0:16:39 > 0:16:43They're quite good in terms of nature conservation
0:16:43 > 0:16:46because of course we've got the dormice.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51They love that, the bramble, to be able to crawl over and feed.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53And what's going to happen to these trees now, then?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So they're being collected now, loaded,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00and they'll be taken back to the sawmill at Cilrhedyn Woodland Centre,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02where they'll be processed to make woodland furniture.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04So that'll be full circle.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Yes, it will. It'll be used within the national park.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Well, the logs we saw being loaded are now in the sawmill.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14What's happening to them?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16They've just been brought here,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and they're loaded on to be cleft into fencing stakes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26'Nearly 200 tonnes of timber from forests around south Wales
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'ends up here every year, and it's turned to many different uses.'
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Apart from the fencing stakes, what else do you make?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Oh, all sorts of things. We can see in the shed.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Pretty fine gates here.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44We install these along the coast path.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Obviously it's got to be sturdy enough to...
0:17:47 > 0:17:51- Especially with the recent weather. - Especially. It's having a battering.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'And even the wood shavings don't go to waste.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That's also a product, because a local farmer comes
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and uses it as bedding for his livestock.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05And this looks a fine bench.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Yes, this is a bit of Douglas fir that's used as a memorial bench.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- And you also make signposts, by the look of it.- Yes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14All the signs that we use as a national park
0:18:14 > 0:18:16are made in this centre.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'Jim has been working at Cilrhedyn for 15 years.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26'In that time, all the signs in the national park
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'have been carved by his skilful hand.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:32That is, until now.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And this goes down just till I feel it making a connection?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- That's right, yes.- Like that...? - Yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44So how many of these signs do you reckon you've made in your time?
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Erm... A couple of thousand I should think. Over the years.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Not just in one language, but in two,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- so you have to work twice as hard as most signwriters.- That's right.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01I somehow imagined that all this would be done by computer, Jim.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Well, I think in a lot of situations now it is,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09but this machine is very good for doing one-offs,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and it responds well to wood as well.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18There we are. Now you just park your machine in that little hole.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- That one?- Yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Turn it off.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24So, marks out of ten, Jim?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- Nine, I think, for that.- Ah.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29It's a very good effort for the first attempt.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35- So, our little man has been painted now.- Yes.- And he goes in here?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- That's right, yes.- With a... - A couple of whacks.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Here's the afternoon post arriving(!)
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And...it gives me great pleasure to plant my sign.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I'll just leave you to fill it in, Geraint.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I'm off to the next location. I presume it's this way.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- ELLIE:- While John's been busy "delivering the post",
0:20:12 > 0:20:16I've been exploring the ancient landscape of the Preseli Hills.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22I'm now moving forward in time from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30This is Castell Henllys, an Iron Age village, but with a difference.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36It's a reconstructed village that's quite unique in Britain.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38It actually sits on the foundations
0:20:38 > 0:20:42of the original 2,000-year-old settlement.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Archaeologists began excavating the original Iron Age village
0:20:47 > 0:20:49nearly 30 years ago -
0:20:49 > 0:20:54and made some important discoveries about the people who lived there.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Like how they built their homes,
0:20:56 > 0:20:57what they made...
0:20:59 > 0:21:01..and what they ate.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I'm meeting Sally Hargraves to find out the answers.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- Hi, Sally.- Hello.- How are you? - I'm fine, working hard.- You are!
0:21:09 > 0:21:11So what's happening here?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14I'm making some flour to make into bread.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- So it's simply a case of turning this incredibly heavy stone.- Yes.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I shall put a little bit more grain in for you.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22You're making here a very small amount of flour,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26you have to keep at it and at it and at it, to make enough to make...
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- Food for the whole family.- Food for the whole family.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- What other things did they eat? - They were farmers.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38They foraged as well, but farming was how they survived really
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and it was hard, hard work.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42So you had to grow what you wanted to eat,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and it had to last you the year.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45So, bit of flour there -
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- is that enough to make something to eat?- It'll make a roll.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53'This will be my first-ever attempt at an Iron Age bread roll.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:58- Bit of kneading - and then break it off into little rolls?- Yes.- OK.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01So what would life have been like inside one of these houses?
0:22:03 > 0:22:04Cold, dark.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It's a family house.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07You've got the beds there,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10maybe the chief sister living in here with her family.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And would they all eat together round the fire?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Somebody would have the job of cooking for the village.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Everybody would gather and come back from their work,
0:22:18 > 0:22:19whatever their jobs were,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and they would all eat together, at a time where stories would be told
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and the work of the day would be talked about.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30And what sort of things would be in their meals?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Whatever was seasonal. But mostly vegetables.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36There might be some meat, some fish...
0:22:36 > 0:22:38So meat would be for a special occasion.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Meat is a special occasion, yes. Yes.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44'It's not quite The Great British Bake Off - but here goes.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Mmm. It's not bad.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51You'd certainly get some energy from it, wouldn't you?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Wouldn't mind a bit of chocolate spread on there.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Which I know is many years later! Many years later.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Wind forward a couple of thousand years,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and these ancient Iron Age skills are being revived.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Mark Bond heads up a project called Your Park.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16It aims to get local kids from all walks of life
0:23:16 > 0:23:19learning about the countryside on their doorstep.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Hi, Mark.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- How are you doing?- Good, thank you. - So what's happening in here?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28These guys are daubing the walls of the roundhouse.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32And they are repairing where bits of the daub have come away,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35using the same procedures they would have used back in the Iron Age.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And what about learning about prehistoric skills like this?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Well, no-one needs asking twice to get their hands muddy, I suppose,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46everyone likes to get stuck in.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48But throughout the time we've spent together,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51these guys have really forged a connection with the outdoors
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and Pembrokeshire and their home,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and the history is obviously a big part of that.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00And obviously being able to come and do days like this
0:24:00 > 0:24:03where they can actively involve themselves in repairing
0:24:03 > 0:24:06historical places like this is just fantastic.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09The group's drawn from the surrounding area,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11and is made up of teenagers
0:24:11 > 0:24:14from mainstream and special needs schools.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Right - time for ME to get stuck in.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19You all look like you're having far too much fun.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- What are you doing here, Ashley? - We're stamping on the cow muck.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24So what's the point of stamping on it?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Because it makes it softer then.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- A-ha. Makes it easier to use, does it?- Yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- Do you think this is ready under my feet?- Yeah.- Is that good?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- Yeah.- Fabulous. Right, let's stick it in the wheelbarrow,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- and then we'll get up to the hut. - Yeah.- Lovely.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- Is that the right texture, Lucy? - Yeah.- Is that looking good?
0:24:48 > 0:24:53- Put it on the cracks...- OK. - Put it on, and then...
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- hit it with your fist, to even it out.- Just splodge it on!
0:24:57 > 0:24:59So then, when that dries, it'll fill the cracks.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01This is completely new, I had no idea it was like this.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03But it's actually really hard work.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04So how's this looking?
0:25:04 > 0:25:08This is looking pretty good, yeah, you're doing really well.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- We'll build our own house yet, Lucy! - We will do it!
0:25:13 > 0:25:16As this lot head home after a hard day's graft,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I'm continuing my journey.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I'll be meeting a farmer whose land is home
0:25:21 > 0:25:24to a rather extraordinary breed of cattle.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Earlier, Tom investigated claims that our uplands are suffering,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and that damage from farming is largely to blame.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39But if these farms disappeared, what would replace them?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Think of Britain's uplands and you probably imagine rugged terrain,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51grand, windswept vistas and sheep dotted across the hills.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Well, there could be far fewer of these animals
0:25:53 > 0:25:55if some people were to get their way.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57But if farming disappeared from here,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59how would it affect the landscape,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and would the local community survive?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Well, according to some,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09this valley in the Lake District could be a glimpse of the future.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11This is Wild Ennerdale,
0:26:11 > 0:26:151,200 acres of former grazing land and commercial forest.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Ten years ago it was left to return to its wild state,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24as part of the UK's most high-profile re-wilding experiment.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26What we've got is a fantastic birch woodland,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30with some conifer regeneration, some big dead wood,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and wonderful pools of water that we're going to try and cross now.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38I may not think they're so wonderful in a minute.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Way-hay! Man down.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42'I'm heading into the wilderness
0:26:42 > 0:26:44'with the Forestry Commission's Gareth Browning,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46'to discover whether this project
0:26:46 > 0:26:50'has the potential to become a blueprint for healthier hills.'
0:26:50 > 0:26:52The river used to flow a completely different way,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and over time the river has decided it wants to come this way
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and in the past we'd have tried to stop it,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01but now we just stand back and are just amazed by it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It feels like a very geographically lively place,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05it's all happening around us.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's tangible, it's texture. It's full of it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10What about on the uplands themselves,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14what changes would you be expecting up there as the decades pass?
0:27:14 > 0:27:18We're hoping that the uplands will become more spongy.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20So they'll absorb and hold back water
0:27:20 > 0:27:22so that water's fed into the system at a slower rate
0:27:22 > 0:27:25as we move from the sheep grazing that we've had in this area
0:27:25 > 0:27:26to cattle grazing.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Then we're going to see changes in terms of the density
0:27:29 > 0:27:32of the vegetation, and hopefully the diversity as well.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35We've already seen over 100 bird species come here,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and we've got about 90 different habitats across the valley.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46'Environmentalist and author George Monbiot has a vision of many more
0:27:46 > 0:27:47'of these re-wilded landscapes
0:27:47 > 0:27:51'emerging from where farms currently stand.'
0:27:52 > 0:27:54So, would you like to see all the uplands
0:27:54 > 0:27:56covered in woodland like this?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I would like to see an awful lot more of it.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02'He claims that could reinvigorate not just wildlife,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04'but also rural communities.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08'Although he does acknowledge many living in the countryside
0:28:08 > 0:28:09'will take some convincing.'
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Let me quote something back to you from your book.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14You say, "Re-wilding should only happen with the consent
0:28:14 > 0:28:17"and enthusiasm of those who work the land."
0:28:17 > 0:28:19You haven't got that at the moment.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22No, we haven't got it yet, but I think that when people see
0:28:22 > 0:28:25what some of the benefits are, particularly the economic benefits -
0:28:25 > 0:28:28when you look at the possibilities for wildlife tourism,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31for the money that could be made through better carbon storage
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and flood management, then actually people could be doing
0:28:35 > 0:28:37an awful lot better by re-wilding the land
0:28:37 > 0:28:40than they do by keeping sheep there.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42And you think you can persuade the farmers
0:28:42 > 0:28:44to get their consent and enthusiasm?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46I'm an eternal optimist. Yes, I think I can.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Convincing many farmers
0:28:50 > 0:28:54their land should be left alone to re-wild
0:28:54 > 0:28:57would be a pretty hard sell.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00But here in Geltsdale, they think they might have found a solution
0:29:00 > 0:29:03that should be more appealing to all sides.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07According to the RSPB,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11sheep farming is largely responsible for damage to our uplands.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15But on this RSPB-owned land, sheep are welcome.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20Here the plan is to bring agriculture and a wild landscape into harmony.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Right, I see a lot of trees you've planted around here
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- but is farming relevant to what you're doing here?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29We're trying to farm in a different way
0:29:29 > 0:29:32that's more beneficial for the natural environment,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35whilst at the same time still with agricultural product -
0:29:35 > 0:29:37beef and lamb as part of that.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40But the natural environment is also an integral part
0:29:40 > 0:29:44of this high-nature value farming that we're really interested in.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48So this was, as you can see over there, bare grassland.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Heavily grazed, bare, with not much structure or diversity at all,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54and you can see what it looks like now.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58We've got a variety of dwarf shrubs coming back - bilberry, heather...
0:29:58 > 0:30:01So the birds are using this habitat already.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06So under your vision for the future, there would still be farming,
0:30:06 > 0:30:07but there would be less farming,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10and it wouldn't be the dominant industry that it is today?
0:30:10 > 0:30:14Absolutely. Any more than we think that forestry should dominate,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17or sport shooting should dominate. We're trying to secure
0:30:17 > 0:30:20multiple benefits from these upland landscapes.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- So farmer's friend or farmer's enemy up here?- Potentially both.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But there are those who profoundly disagree
0:30:29 > 0:30:31with letting nature reclaim farmland.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35Here in the Lake District, MP Rory Stewart represents many people
0:30:35 > 0:30:39who feel there are already too few sheep on the hills,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and that restocking, not re-wilding, is needed
0:30:42 > 0:30:44to preserve the local economy and the way of life.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Look at the entire fellside behind me.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51You're not going to be able to see a single sheep.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53You say that, but there are more than a million, I gather,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57in your constituency, so they're not exactly running out of sheep here.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58This is a sheep farming area,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01but what's happening is something really weird -
0:31:01 > 0:31:04essentially, a group of intellectuals
0:31:04 > 0:31:07are imposing their fantasies on this landscape,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and their fantasy is that they're living in a wilderness,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12and they're trying to create a landscape
0:31:12 > 0:31:14that hasn't existed here for 3,000 years.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17And how do you feel when you look at this kind of landscape?
0:31:17 > 0:31:18Well, I think it's a tragedy.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22I think there's a place for bits of forestry, there's a place
0:31:22 > 0:31:26for bits of birds sanctuary, but we have to protect the human.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32The debate on the future of our uplands is really just beginning.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Critics claim farming has pushed our hills to their limit.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Its supporters say it has both created and sustains
0:31:40 > 0:31:42the countryside we know and love.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47In this debate, both sides are claiming the moral high ground,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50believing they're protecting a sort of endangered species -
0:31:50 > 0:31:55small family farms on the one hand, and wildlife on the other.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59But it seems to me if we can get rid of the mistrust, there's enough
0:31:59 > 0:32:04room in our uplands to accommodate both visions of the future.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12As Adam knows only too well, nature plays a huge part
0:32:12 > 0:32:14in the success or failure of the farming year.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19And 2014 is already bringing him some unwelcome surprises.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24There are some images in this film that you might find upsetting.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34We farm 750 ewes. Today I'm moving a flock of them
0:32:34 > 0:32:37to some fresh pasture on the other side of the farm.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Last year was a difficult year for livestock farmers -
0:32:43 > 0:32:46a wet winter and then a very cold spring.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49And because of the snow and the cold weather, the grass didn't grow,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51so the ewes didn't produce much milk,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54so the lambs weren't putting on as much weight as we hoped,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and it was tricky all round, really.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01But this year, I'm hoping for a good crop of lambs that will grow well.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03All right, then, girls!
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Up the hill!
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Well, that should give these ewes a few fresh pickings on the grass here.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12And we have to look after our livestock as best as we can
0:33:12 > 0:33:14all year round, and a couple of years ago,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Schmallenberg came into the country,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21spread by midges, and it can affect sheep, cattle and goats,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23causing abortion, but also deformities
0:33:23 > 0:33:26in their young when they're born.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30And, thankfully, a vaccine came on the market, and although there was
0:33:30 > 0:33:33an expense associated to that, I didn't want to take any risks,
0:33:33 > 0:33:38so I vaccinated all 750 of my ewes to try and protect them.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39SHEEP BLEAT
0:33:39 > 0:33:41While the sheep are in pretty good health
0:33:41 > 0:33:43and are safe from the Schmallenberg virus,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47at the time, I couldn't vaccinate the cattle, which left them at risk.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51With the Schmallenberg vaccine, you're not supposed to use it
0:33:51 > 0:33:54in animals that are likely to already be pregnant,
0:33:54 > 0:33:55and back in the summer,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58all five of my cattle breeds were in that situation -
0:33:58 > 0:34:01they'd been running with the bulls and they could be carrying
0:34:01 > 0:34:05calves inside them, so we couldn't vaccinate them, which meant
0:34:05 > 0:34:09we just had to leave them to their own devices and take the risk.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Sadly, that risk didn't pay off,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14and it's not good news for one of my favourites.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I really love my Highland cattle, particularly Eric,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22the Highland bull over there. He's absolutely magnificent.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25And at this time of year, they've got their winter coats,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27that glisten in this sunshine.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32He's pushing his ladies around, asserting his authority.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35He's a big, strong beast, but actually he's very placid
0:34:35 > 0:34:37and he's lovely to work with.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39But back in the summer, we had some problems with the cows.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41They weren't getting in calf,
0:34:41 > 0:34:45so we decided to have the herd blood tested, and the first results
0:34:45 > 0:34:49that came back were from Eric, and he had Schmallenberg, but also IBR,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53which is infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, I think it's called.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56And both of those illnesses can cause a bull to be infertile.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It raises their temperature. And they can get over it -
0:35:00 > 0:35:05they can recover from that, so we had Eric fertility tested.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08They tested his sperm and examined his reproductive organs,
0:35:08 > 0:35:09and he's got some problems.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13There's been some trauma down there, his sperm count is low,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16and it may not have anything to do with the Schmallenberg
0:35:16 > 0:35:18or the IBR - it could be just a coincidence
0:35:18 > 0:35:22and something else has got to him or infected him,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24or it's just gone wrong, so, sadly,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27he's not a fertile working bull, so he's got to go.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31But he's my favourite, but he's also a bit of a nation's favourite,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34so I don't really want to send him to slaughter.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36So in this instance, I'm going to try to find a farmer who's got
0:35:36 > 0:35:39a few cattle that Eric could run with
0:35:39 > 0:35:42and retire and grow old in a field somewhere.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57Since arriving on the farm in early 2011, Eric's done us proud,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59producing some great offspring.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Last year, one of his sons, Nevis, was born silver in colour,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05something I'd never seen before.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08I was told he would eventually turn brown.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Eight months on, he's looking to be a pretty fine bull.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13There's a good boy.
0:36:17 > 0:36:18He's still a lovely colour.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22He's a little bit darker now, but when he was born,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25he was that bright silver colour, almost sort of nickel,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28and it's gone more of a cafe-creme colour.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33I think this is probably the colour he'll stay now. Come on, fella.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38And he's learning how to behave on the halter, which is important,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42because once they're big bulls, they can be a bit uncontrollable
0:36:42 > 0:36:45if they haven't learned their manners at an early age.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48And he's got good physique.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50He's got good width across the shoulders,
0:36:50 > 0:36:51right down his body.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54We've shaved his back here because we've got the Highlands indoors
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and this thick coat means they get a bit sweaty,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and if you shave their backs, it lets the heat out,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and then they carry on eating well and growing.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05We haven't tested the calves for Schmallenberg
0:37:05 > 0:37:07because there's no need to at the moment -
0:37:07 > 0:37:11while he's still a baby, it won't affect him in any way.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14It's just like getting a sickness and then getting over it,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17so hopefully he'll stay clear of it in his life.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Come on, mate.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30I'm pleased that Nevis is in tip-top condition.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32To ensure a high health status on the farm,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34we test and vaccinate regularly,
0:37:34 > 0:37:38and today the vet is testing our small herd of Belted Galloways.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42They're similar to the Highlands because they're so hardy.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47They originate from the west coast of Scotland. Really lovely cattle.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51And this is the Belted Galloway bull, and his name's Crackers,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and he's aptly named because he is a bit crazy.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57When I first got him, he was jumping over fences
0:37:57 > 0:38:00and getting in with the wrong cows and causing all sorts of problems.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04He was never halter-trained as a calf like I'm doing with Nevis,
0:38:04 > 0:38:05so he was a bit wild,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08but he's settled down now and he's doing all right.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10He's a bit stubborn, trying to get him up to the fence.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Go on, then! Go on, on you go! Trotting along well, now.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16We'll get there in a minute.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33All right, all right. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Will, the vet, is taking blood from Crackers now
0:38:36 > 0:38:38to test him for various diseases.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40We lost our Belted Galloway last year to TB,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42but the herd is now clear of TB,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45but we have to keep an eye on all sorts of other cattle diseases.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47So he's got a vacuum tube there -
0:38:47 > 0:38:50he puts a needle into the bull's tail, that finds the vein, and then
0:38:50 > 0:38:55the blood is sucked into the tube and that's sent away for testing.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- There you go. - Well, that's Crackers done.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00It's now time to find out if he's done his job
0:39:00 > 0:39:01and his ladies are pregnant.
0:39:03 > 0:39:04I've been nervous about this
0:39:04 > 0:39:07and I don't want the same outcome as the horrible moment
0:39:07 > 0:39:09we discovered Eric's infertility,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12when none of the Highlands were pregnant.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14So that's a fancy bit of kit you've got on there, Will.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Yeah, we've got goggles now rather than a screen,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19so you can see while you're working. It means you don't have to worry
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- about looking at a screen. - So you're not doing it manually -
0:39:22 > 0:39:24you're using an electronic scanner?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Yes, an ultrasound scanner,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29that means that we can tell when they're pregnant a lot earlier
0:39:29 > 0:39:31- and it's a lot more reliable than just feeling.- OK.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I'm running the scanner over the reproductive tract,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40initially looking for fluid, because in early pregnancy,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42the first thing you see is fluid in the uterus,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and then you'll find a little foetus floating in the fluid.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- Messy business.- It is.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52It's always a tense moment when we're pregnancy testing the cattle.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54We want them to be giving birth to a calf every year.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57The gestation period from mating to birth is nine months,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02so they give birth once a year, and we want to be, you know,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05improving the breed, getting more heifers to have in our herd,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08and then also producing some steers for beef, so it's an important
0:40:08 > 0:40:11part of the business that these cows are breeding every year.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- She's a no, I'm afraid. - This one's a no.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17COW MOOS
0:40:21 > 0:40:26Not good news. I hope it's not the same for the rest of the herd.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- Yes, she is pregnant.- Great. - We've got a foetus there.- Wonderful.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- Excellent.- Good news, excellent. Good old Cracker.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Thankfully, the whole herd is in calf apart from the first one.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48And, hopefully, the blood test results
0:40:48 > 0:40:51will show that our Belted Galloways are disease-free.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00One of the problems with farming is that you never know
0:41:00 > 0:41:02quite what's round the corner.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04One minute it might be bad weather,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07the next minute some kind of animal disease,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10but, as farmers, we're a pretty resilient bunch,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12so we've just got to get on with it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20COWS MOO
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Rising high above north Pembrokeshire,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32the dramatic hilltop of Carn Edward.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And from up here, there are breathtaking views
0:41:39 > 0:41:42of the valley just down there, and the Preseli Hills behind.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Tucked away on the side of Carn Edward
0:42:00 > 0:42:02is the home of the Vaughan family.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06They've been farming here for more than 600 years.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Today, eldest son Robert runs the 500-acre farm.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15He keeps 1,000 sheep, and ten years ago,
0:42:15 > 0:42:19he decided to diversify and introduced this lot -
0:42:19 > 0:42:20Longhorn cattle.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25So why have you chosen Longhorns, then, for your farm?
0:42:25 > 0:42:26We wanted a cow which would graze
0:42:26 > 0:42:29the areas which weren't being grazed on the mountain.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30It's quite a large family farm
0:42:30 > 0:42:34and I wanted something which was low-maintenance, calved easily,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37and we can crack on and do the sheep work and other jobs on the farm
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and not have to be following the cattle all day, worrying about them.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42So what's the history of this breed?
0:42:42 > 0:42:44One of the oldest native breeds.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Dual-purpose back in the day, and, from what I understand,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49it used to produce the red Leicester cheese.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51They're predominantly a beef breed now.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54There's a connection with this herd and Adam's farm, isn't there?
0:42:54 > 0:42:56There is. It's a small world in the farming community.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59We did buy a Bemborough sire, going back eight or nine years ago now,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- so there's a couple of his granddaughters here in the herd.- Aw!
0:43:02 > 0:43:04There's a great Countryfile connection.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06And this is quite a sizeable herd, isn't it?
0:43:06 > 0:43:08We're running around the 200.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10I'd like to keep them all, but where do you stop?
0:43:10 > 0:43:12It's true. There's only a limited amount of land.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- They do look fabulous up here, though, don't they?- They do.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17They look as if they've always been here, part of the landscape.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19They do look magnificent up here,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22but these beasts are prizewinners in the show ring,
0:43:22 > 0:43:26and Robert's got what he thinks are the next stars in the making.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- Yes, I'll go and get the other girl now.- All right.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31But if they're going to make an impression in the ring,
0:43:31 > 0:43:32they've got to look the part,
0:43:32 > 0:43:36so Robert's starting these newbies with a simple wash and dry.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38- Cold water?- Well, yes.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41You've got to let them know you're coming up to them.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Bit of a shock.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- Incredibly calm, isn't she? - Yes. That's the breeding.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49- That's the breeding. - Would you give them
0:43:49 > 0:43:52a full sort of salon treatment before they head off to the show?
0:43:52 > 0:43:56As good as, yes. But rustic-style.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58- Like this?- That's the way.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04'Now for the shampoo.' Just let her know I'm coming.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07From the front, let her know you're coming up to her.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Here I am. Here I am. Here I am.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13There we go.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15What do you get out of showing them? Why do you do it?
0:44:15 > 0:44:18You don't necessarily make money out of it, do you?
0:44:18 > 0:44:19It's a busman's holiday.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22It's catching up with fellow farmers and like-minded people,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24and we're proud of the cattle,
0:44:24 > 0:44:26so we're going to do our best to show them off.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30- A nice sort of massage, there. - It does. It sedates them.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33And for the full salon treatment,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36it's a quick blow-dry with the "livestock hairdryer".
0:44:36 > 0:44:39AIR WHOOSHES
0:44:39 > 0:44:40How's that?
0:44:44 > 0:44:47- There we go.- Thank you.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51You see how it lifts the coat up?
0:44:51 > 0:44:56- The full blow dry!- Yes.- It's really fluffy now.- Yes.- She looks fabulous.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58You are welcome.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05Keeping Longhorn cattle is proving to be a bit of a success story here.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09They're not only highly prized at shows - they're tasty meat, too.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- So you've got your own butchery here, then?- Yes, we have.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- It's a little gem, isn't it? - It's fantastic.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19And once you have butchered your own pieces, where do you sell them?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23We depend a lot on farmers' markets locally and up the M4 corridor,
0:45:23 > 0:45:25we do food festivals around the country...
0:45:25 > 0:45:27And Longhorns are pretty rare, then, out there?
0:45:27 > 0:45:30It's something a bit different, so it adds a bit of value, then,
0:45:30 > 0:45:34- because people want to try it as they've heard a bit about it.- Yes.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36I'm going to have a go, see if I can learn what I need to do.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39So what are the different cuts that you can get from beef?
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Well, when you start off with a hindquarter, you've got the fillet,
0:45:42 > 0:45:46the sirloin, the rump, then you're working up to the joints,
0:45:46 > 0:45:50the silverside, the top rump, or thick flank, as some people call it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53It's quite a skill to produce these cuts of meat.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56Fortunately, I'm only being let loose on a couple of steaks.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00So, Rob, what is it that makes the taste of the Longhorn so good?
0:46:00 > 0:46:03It's the marbling in the old native breeds which adds to the cooking,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07and I always joke you can kill it twice and it still tastes good.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08SHE LAUGHS
0:46:08 > 0:46:10- What cut is this, now? - Sirloin steak.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- Sirloin, that sounds good.- There we are. Just watch your fingers.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14All right. How thick? How wide?
0:46:15 > 0:46:19- How do you like it?- Yeah.- About there?- That's fine.- There we go.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21- That's a nice steak, there.- That is.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25How about that? Oh! Look at the colouring in there.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28That's pretty fabulous, isn't it?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- How about that?- Lovely. Lovely.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33All we need to do now is cook it.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43Probably the best steak in the world.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- Nearly ready? It's looking good, isn't it?- We'll give it a go.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Shall we serve it up? Let's get a plate.
0:46:52 > 0:46:58- And then...crack on!- Give it a go. - How about that?
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- Will you join me?- Please. Thank you.- Come on, then.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Let's give this a try. Ooh, wow. It cuts pretty smoothly, doesn't it?
0:47:05 > 0:47:07I hardly ever eat meat, you know.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09I only ever save it for the good stuff.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11I'll let you have a go on that one, then.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Oh, wow. That melts. Mm.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17SHE LAUGHS
0:47:27 > 0:47:31The village of Cwm Gwaun, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36In this remote Welsh valley, it feels as if time has stood still.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39And, in a kind of way, it has, because here the past plays
0:47:39 > 0:47:42an important part in modern everyday life.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44And in the local school,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48children are brought up to respect the old traditions.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Enfys Howells is head teacher of the tiny school
0:47:55 > 0:47:57at the heart of this deep valley.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Well, this is the school motto, Enfys, isn't it, in Welsh?
0:48:02 > 0:48:03Can you translate it for me, please?
0:48:03 > 0:48:06The roots of the past are the branches of the future.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10Gwreiddiau'r gorffennol canghennau'r dyfodol.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12And is that very true in this valley?
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Yes, very much so, because most of the people that live here
0:48:15 > 0:48:17have lived here all their lives.
0:48:17 > 0:48:22We're on the fourth generation of my family to come to this school.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Even if you move away, you've always got Gwaun Valley in your heart.
0:48:26 > 0:48:27And so there's no danger,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31really, in this valley losing its character, losing its people?
0:48:31 > 0:48:33Never - we wouldn't let it!
0:48:33 > 0:48:36And there is one very special tradition around here
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- that doesn't really happen anywhere else?- No, definitely.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42There's a very special tradition.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45- ALL:- Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
0:48:45 > 0:48:48Happy New Year!
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Well, that might sound a little strange,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52but here in the Gwaun Valley, it's perfectly normal,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55because when it comes to celebrating New Year, they've been
0:48:55 > 0:49:00out of step with the rest of us for more than 250 years now.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03That's because they still follow the Julian calendar,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05which was in common use everywhere
0:49:05 > 0:49:10until it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14So when it comes to New Year, we celebrate it, obviously,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17on 1st January, but here in the Gwaun Valley
0:49:17 > 0:49:19following the Julian calendar,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22for them, New Year doesn't start until the 13th.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30No-one knows local tradition and folklore
0:49:30 > 0:49:33better than historian Brian John.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Of course, it all goes back many centuries, doesn't it, to the Pope
0:49:36 > 0:49:41wanting to rearrange the calendar to fit in better with festivities.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46Yes, Pope Gregory, in the 16th century, wanted to get the calendar
0:49:46 > 0:49:49regularised in some way, because it was a little chaotic,
0:49:49 > 0:49:53partly related to the problems of fixing the date of Easter.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55When he introduced the Gregorian calendar,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58it was much more accurate than the old one, which had a rather
0:49:58 > 0:50:02unfortunate habit of losing three days every few centuries.
0:50:02 > 0:50:03But why was it, do you think,
0:50:03 > 0:50:08that just here, in this small little valley, they refused to change?
0:50:08 > 0:50:09BRIAN CHUCKLES
0:50:09 > 0:50:12I suspect there might have been a few other parts of Britain that were
0:50:12 > 0:50:15reluctant as well, but the old story is, of course, that people
0:50:15 > 0:50:20were very worried about losing 11 days of pay or whatever.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21It's a little bit of a myth, that, I think.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Maybe it's more that they just wanted to stay with the old ways.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27I suspect so, yes.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30Has Easter shifted as well, and other celebrations?
0:50:30 > 0:50:32No, they keep everything else.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Hen Galan is the big celebration.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38And, of course, there's the tradition of the calennig,
0:50:38 > 0:50:42from the original Latin root of the word meaning to call,
0:50:42 > 0:50:46because in the early days, the first day of every month was announced
0:50:46 > 0:50:50in the community, because people were not very good at remembering dates.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53- ALL:- Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Happy New Year. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02Children from the valley travel up to 18 miles from house to house,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06serenading local residents with traditional Welsh songs.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10In return, they receive their calennig - or New Year gifts -
0:51:10 > 0:51:12of sweets, fruit and money.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16- ALL:- # Rhowch yn hael i'r rhai gwael
0:51:16 > 0:51:19# Pawb sy'n ffyddlon i roi rhoddion...
0:51:19 > 0:51:25- What do you like best about Hen Galan?- The singing.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30- And we get money.- What do you spend your money on?- To have a tractor.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34When you go out singing, do you go in all weathers?
0:51:34 > 0:51:37We'll always go round, because it's so special to us,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40so it doesn't matter what the weather is -
0:51:40 > 0:51:44if there's rain or even if it's boiling hot, but we always go out.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48And I've got some pictures here of when it was really snowing.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51It was massive - about 12 feet, 10 feet.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55And what happens when you've finished all your singing?
0:51:55 > 0:51:59We go home and then about seven o'clock we go down to the hotel,
0:51:59 > 0:52:04down the road in Gellifawr, and have a little party there.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08THEY SING IN WELSH
0:52:13 > 0:52:17And it's not just children who celebrate. For grown-ups,
0:52:17 > 0:52:22the spirit of Hen Galan has for many years been home-brewed beer.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26Hedd Davies's family recipe has helped welcome in
0:52:26 > 0:52:28the festivities for generations.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32- Well, this is it, then - the special Hen Galan brew.- Yes. Yes, certainly.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36- How strong is it, any idea? - Well, it's a lot stronger
0:52:36 > 0:52:39than what you get in the pub. THEY LAUGH
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Well, I won't sip it yet, then.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45- You turn your kitchen into the brewery?- Yes.- To make this.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- Where did you get this from?- Well, this was my grandmother's boiler.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52- Really?- Yes. She used to do it years ago, and when she left this house,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54she left the boiler, so I had to carry on.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57I can remember my grandmother having something like this.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01- I think she boiled clothes in it, didn't make beer.- Ah!
0:53:01 > 0:53:03First, malt is poured into the water
0:53:03 > 0:53:06sourced from a well on the family farm.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10And how important do you reckon it is to be using the local water?
0:53:10 > 0:53:14I think it's a vital ingredient. It is water straight off the Preselis.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Now you can use my grandmother's spoon.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22- A good old beer-stirring spoon.- Yes.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25'Next, a special something is needed to strain the hops.'
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Get my sock...
0:53:27 > 0:53:29- A sock?!- A sock, yeah.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33My grandmother used to use an old stocking to put the hops in.
0:53:33 > 0:53:34I use a sock.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'Bring back to the boil for 40 minutes.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'After it's cooled overnight, yeast is added,
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'and in two weeks, it'll be ready to drink.'
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- That is very nice, isn't it? It's a very thick taste.- Mm.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51- It's more, to me, like an ale than a beer.- Yeah, it would be.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53A very dark, strong ale.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55THEY LAUGH
0:53:55 > 0:53:59- Happy Hen Galan.- Iechyd da! - Iechyd da!
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- ALL:- # Dydd i roddi, dydd i dderbyn
0:54:02 > 0:54:06# Yw y trydydd dydd ar ddeg o'r flwyddyn
0:54:06 > 0:54:07# Rhowch yn hael... #
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Ah, how lovely, singing in the New Year! Just a few days late.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14And now we've got to readjust our time machines, Ellie,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17because we're leaving the Gwaun Valley in North Pembrokeshire,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20and next week we're going to be in Worcestershire,
0:54:20 > 0:54:23where Matt will be exploring the remains of one of England's
0:54:23 > 0:54:27finest country homes that was destroyed by fire in 1937.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30And Helen will be with a woodland nature detective,
0:54:30 > 0:54:35seeking out bugs, slugs and shrews. Not easy to say. See you next time.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- And hwyl fawr. That's goodbye in Welsh.- Goodbye.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- ALL:- # Yw'r rhai hynny sydd yn cael. #
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!