0:00:26 > 0:00:29From its highest mountains to the sea,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33its fertile plains and wild spaces,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36the Isle of Man is alive with echoes of the past.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41All over the island,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43you'll find ruins like these.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But they're so much more than just broken-down piles of stone.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51They tell the story of the island's farming heritage,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53if you know how to read them.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Joe's stepping back in time, too, to a gentler age of transport.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Can I jump on board?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Fantastic! Look at this!
0:01:07 > 0:01:08He'll be hitching a ride
0:01:08 > 0:01:11on the oldest horse-drawn tram in the world.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Tom's asking if a ban on building second homes
0:01:17 > 0:01:21could give our most popular rural communities a second chance.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25- Is it quite simply quieter than it was?- Definitely, definitely.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30But, during the summer, it's heaving with tourists.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Erm... But it's not the same feel... a community feel.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And Adam's got his hands full with his newest recruit.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I'm going to drop her down and see how she reacts.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45So, she's quite nervous of them.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- DOG BARKS - Ah! Ah! No. No, Olive! No!
0:02:00 > 0:02:04The Isle of Man sits halfway between Britain and Ireland -
0:02:04 > 0:02:08a green jewel in the wild, grey Irish Sea.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I'm in Douglas, the island's capital, built on a glorious bay.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18For an island of this size,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19it's certainly packed plenty in -
0:02:19 > 0:02:22a high mountain, fertile farmland,
0:02:22 > 0:02:23a beautiful coastline,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26not to mention its own government and its own flag.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36When you're in Douglas, there's only one way to travel about.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'This is the oldest surviving horse-drawn tram service
0:02:39 > 0:02:41'in the world.'
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Wow, look at this!
0:02:43 > 0:02:45WHISTLE BLOWS
0:02:45 > 0:02:49'A relic of a time when working horses were as familiar a sight
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'in our towns and cities as they were on our farms.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:01When this tram started running 141 years ago,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04there were more than a million working horses in Britain,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06pulling ploughs, hauling logs,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10delivering milk and powering trams and omnibuses.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14These tram horses are amongst the last still working.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Thanks very much.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But the heart of the operation is just there,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22through that arch - a very rare sight indeed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'Working stables were once a feature of backstreets in many towns.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'This is thought to be the last.'
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's here the tram horse - or trammers, as they're known -
0:03:36 > 0:03:40live, sleep and even get fitted with new shoes.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Mike Crellin has held the reins here for 44 years.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50There's one!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- They're all eager, waiting for their food.- Absolutely ready.- Yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Oh, wow!
0:03:55 > 0:03:57What a sight that is, all these faces!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The trammer's day begins at 8am with a giant bowl of cereal.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- This is barley, it comes from the local brewery.- On the island?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09On the island, yes. In the summer,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14they'll go through about eight tonnes of oats during the season.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Eight tonnes?- Eight tonnes of oats, yeah.- Goodness me!
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And what goes in must come out.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27There's more than a tonne of manure a week produced by the horses,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29much to the benefit of the local allotments.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- That's Keith. - Hello, Keith. Morning, Keith.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Here's your brekkie.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Hello, Douglas. Good morning.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Douglas needs his hearty breakfast, because he's taking me
0:04:45 > 0:04:49on a preseason warm-up run along the prom.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Beautiful, isn't he?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55But, first, he's got to get dressed for work.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58That's a job for Kiera Anderson.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Pop it over his head. - OK. There we go.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- Just hold that in place.- Do you want me to hold that in place?- Yeah.- OK.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Just watch your fingers.- Yeah.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12The harnesses used are just the same as they were in Victorian times.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- So, are you happy? Everything ready? - Yeah, he's ready to go to work.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Fantastic. Let's walk him out.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Along the promenade, just a stone's throw from the stables,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29the tram's very own fan club is spring cleaning,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32ready for the tourist season.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33It's a very popular thing.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35We have followers from around the world.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Some people will come for a ride on the historic tram,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42or other people will like to take in the Clydesdales
0:05:42 > 0:05:43and the Shire horses there,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and obviously just try and see as many as they can.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48And tell me about YOUR passion.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51It's part of the island's social history and also its heritage,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and it's something we would like to see for many more years to come
0:05:55 > 0:05:56along the seafront here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Time to make tracks,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and maybe even take the reins!
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Are we ready to go, then?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Come on, boy! Good lad.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Come on!
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I love this - people taking pictures. It's a wonderful sight.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Wherever you go, up and down the prom,
0:06:19 > 0:06:24there's always people wanting to take photographs and whatnot.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28These now rare Shires and Clydesdales were born for this role.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I suppose it's good for them, in a way,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33because they're at risk or they're vulnerable breeds, aren't they?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Yeah.- So it's great they can find work here.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38And they're two working breeds.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The gentle giants aren't fazed at all by busy traffic.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Do you ever get sick of this? I mean, so many years on,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- do you still love it? - Yes. It changes.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54There's something to do all the time, when you're going up and down,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and then you've got the young horses to train and things like that.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- On a nice day, it's a nice job.- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06'The trip along the prom is just over a mile and takes 20 minutes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'At the end of the line, it's the horse that turns round,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11'not the tram.'
0:07:11 > 0:07:12Come on, Douglas.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Even got a bit of sunshine.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Now we're speeding!
0:07:21 > 0:07:23'Time for a driving lesson.'
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Hold the reins like that. In I come.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27There we are.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34So, this is your brake?
0:07:34 > 0:07:38This is the brake, yeah. Just pull on to slow the tram down.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40This is fantastic! What a treat.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50You chose Douglas today cos he knows what he's doing?
0:07:50 > 0:07:52He knows what he's doing, yeah.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Even when there's a novice behind him?- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Later in the programme,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I'll be visiting the trammers who finally hung up their shoes.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10For years, a row has been bubbling away about second homes
0:08:10 > 0:08:13in some of our most beautiful rural locations.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Now a court ruling means things could be about to change,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20but will it be the success campaigners hope?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Here's Tom.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30The end of another busy day for the trawler Freedom,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35working across Cawsand Bay on the Cornish south coast.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- How's today's catch? Is it going all right?- Yeah, average.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45'Skipper Tony Edwards has been fishing here
0:08:45 > 0:08:47'most of his working life.'
0:08:47 > 0:08:48I had a right fight with him!
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Well, I can imagine!
0:08:51 > 0:08:52- STRAINING:- Lift him up.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- That is a big old beast.- Yeah.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- How much fishing is there round here these days?- Erm...
0:08:58 > 0:09:00There's not as much as it used to be.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04There was 25, 30 fishermen when I first came here 30 years ago.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05- And now?- Four.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Nowadays, fishing's given way to tourism
0:09:10 > 0:09:12as the main industry for much of Cornwall.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17It brings in money, but some people here say it's hurting the community.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19And what about the town of Cawsand itself?
0:09:19 > 0:09:24- How's that changed since you've been there?- Oh, it's, erm...
0:09:24 > 0:09:26There's not so many working-class people there, of all trades,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28not just fishermen.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Used to be a lot of painters and decorators and builders.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33They've all gone. It's too expensive to live there.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34And there's no youngsters.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38And how does that make the actual feel of the place change?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It's not as close-knit as it used to be.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44You used to walk down the street and everyone would speak.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Strangers, I'm sorry to call them strangers,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49but they look the other way.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51They're not used to the closeness of the...
0:09:51 > 0:09:53especially the Cornish, they're very friendly people.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- Is it quite simply quieter than it was?- Definitely, definitely.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01But, during the summer, it's heaving with tourists.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Erm...but it's not the same feel... a community feel.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11The picture-postcard image of the twin villages,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Cawsand and Kingsand, with their pretty, winding alleyways
0:10:15 > 0:10:18masks a deep-rooted problem.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25This is a beautiful, quiet street, but it's quite clear
0:10:25 > 0:10:28that, at this time of year, many of these homes are not being lived in.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33In fact, only 17 of the 64 houses on this street
0:10:33 > 0:10:35are occupied all year round.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41'And while holiday cottages can bring in tourist pounds,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'people in communities like this argue that second homes,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48'empty for most of the year, don't contribute much at all.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'And high demand pushes up house prices
0:10:51 > 0:10:53'beyond the reach of local families.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59In the parish that includes Cawsand and Kingsand,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01out of every three houses,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04one is either a holiday cottage or a second home
0:11:04 > 0:11:09and, in other regions around the country, it can be even worse.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11In one parish in Wales,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14almost half of all houses are not lived in permanently.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Those figures make it tough for people like Tony's son, Ross,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23who happens to be working as an electrician
0:11:23 > 0:11:27in a house in this very same street, where he can't afford to live.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So, Ross, when it comes to your work,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33how much of it do you think is for second homes?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36To be honest, it's always a mix, you know?
0:11:36 > 0:11:42I'd say I probably get maybe 50% people who live here full-time
0:11:42 > 0:11:47and the other 50% can be made up of second homes and holiday lets.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51'Ross and his partner, Robyn, both work full-time.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:55They married last year and have just bought their first home together,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58but it's 20 miles away.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I've lived in eight places in the last ten years.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06You know, you have to make do - live on a couch, or whatever it might be.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Really? You've had to do some couch surfing in your time?
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Of course, yeah. Most people have, or you live at friends'
0:12:11 > 0:12:14or move in somewhere for a short time until you can find somewhere.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Housing's a real problem round here, isn't it?- It is a real problem, yeah.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Your roots and your cultural identity is where you're from,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and most people will tell you you're tied to that.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Where you're brought up - that's part of, like, who you are.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29So, the further you have to move away,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32then the more of that you kind of lose.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39So, our rural seaside towns are changing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Pilchards and pots have all but been replaced
0:12:42 > 0:12:44with pasties and ice cream,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and that tourism is causing a huge imbalance
0:12:47 > 0:12:48in local housing markets.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53And not just here but in parts of Yorkshire, Wales and Scotland,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54to name just a few.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59But one Cornish town, St Ives, has a solution.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Tourists, including those with second homes,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04are clearly helping the economy here.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06This shop seems to be doing pretty well.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08But people here say they want a balance.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10They don't want to be overrun,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and that's why they've brought in this new planning restriction.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22In December, St Ives did something really radical
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and became the first place in Britain
0:13:24 > 0:13:27to ban new-build second homes.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It means anyone moving into a newly-built house
0:13:30 > 0:13:33will have to prove they live there for three quarters of the year.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Communities in many holiday hotspots
0:13:39 > 0:13:44have been waiting for the St Ives plan to clear various legal hurdles
0:13:44 > 0:13:48and now it has, many of them may be tempted to follow suit,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51so is that the end of the problem?
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Chris Balch is Professor of Planning at Plymouth University,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and he's not so sure.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I think it's got an opportunity to have some impact,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06but it's not going to solve the whole second home problem
0:14:06 > 0:14:08in places like St Ives.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10It only applies to new property,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and therefore much of the property that you see here,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17you know, is available for people to buy as a second home still.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And what about enforcement of it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Well, that...that can be tricky,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and I think that may be one of the difficult elements.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28You know, how do you know whether somebody is occupying a house
0:14:28 > 0:14:31as a, sort of, permanent resident or, you know, maybe
0:14:31 > 0:14:34they're sneaking away to London for a while and then coming back?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37What about the rest of the country? What should they be taking
0:14:37 > 0:14:39from this? I mean, a lot of places are interested.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Well, I think there's inevitably
0:14:41 > 0:14:43a lot of interest in any rural community.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44Affordability's the big issue,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46so I think a lot of people are looking at
0:14:46 > 0:14:49what the effect of this policy is going to be in St Ives
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and seeing whether they can adapt that to their circumstances.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54But I think it's going to take five or ten years
0:14:54 > 0:14:57to really work out whether or not this policy's
0:14:57 > 0:14:59delivering what people had hoped for.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Wandering around St Ives at this time of year,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08you do see plenty of building work.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12But look closely and you'll notice they're just doing winter repairs.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16That's because developers here have delayed new projects
0:15:16 > 0:15:19until they see how the land really lies.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23No new homes have yet been built under the new policy,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27so we don't have the hard evidence of how it'll work in practice,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31but this plot here will see one of the first homes built
0:15:31 > 0:15:34where the buyer has to live here permanently.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It's a pretty good view.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40And while we wait for work to begin,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43greater forces are starting to take notice.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The Government is allocating £60 million -
0:15:46 > 0:15:49raised from a new high-rate stamp duty on second homes -
0:15:49 > 0:15:53to areas hardest hit by second homes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55It's expected to be spent on affordable housing.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And it's hoped the recent White Paper on housing
0:16:01 > 0:16:04will help Cornwall's own local plan,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08which includes 52,000 new homes between now and 2030.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But back in Cawsand and Kingsand,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15those changes can't come soon enough,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18so they're planning a referendum, which could make them
0:16:18 > 0:16:23the first community to introduce a similar ban to St Ives.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26County councillor George Trubody is leading that campaign.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29If we've got too many that are not lived in all year round,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32then we could put pressure and strain on what is remaining
0:16:32 > 0:16:35around schools, the shops, the services.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37We need to make sure there's a local community here
0:16:37 > 0:16:39that keeps that going throughout the year.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I mean, is it about that feeling of you come down here sometimes,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and it feels a bit dead because most of the houses aren't lived in?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47That's the way it's been. That's the way it's going.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50We're trying to have some control to keep that balance.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And where are we with this? What's the timescale with this policy?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Well, the whole neighbourhood plan,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58we're looking to go to referendum some time later this year.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01We need over 50%, so 51% of the people that vote,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03if they vote in favour,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06then we'd get it adopted as a local planning policy.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Is it about you not liking incomers?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11No, not at all and there's a lot of people portray that,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14especially in Cornwall in general,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16but we can't just have a carte blanche
0:17:16 > 0:17:20where it creates this massive divide between those
0:17:20 > 0:17:23that are able to live here and those that can't afford to.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'And he says stopping new build second homes is just the start.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:33There's an argument that there could be a new planning classification
0:17:33 > 0:17:35if government were to change legislation,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38which would mean that you'd have to apply for planning permission
0:17:38 > 0:17:41if you wanted to buy a property to use as a second home.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It's about drawing a line in the sand. It's about doing something.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It may take years for any of this to help the people here in Cornwall
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and in other parts of the country, but clearly the game is on.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58People love to visit the Cornish coastline
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and some of them want to own a piece of it,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05so this residency requirement isn't instantly going to make homes
0:18:05 > 0:18:08in a place like this affordable to locals,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and it does worry developers.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13But other places around the country are watching,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18aware that it gives locals an element of control
0:18:18 > 0:18:21over the otherwise rampant housing market.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Ghostly ruins.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Tumbledown buildings.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Broken walls.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Echoes of a different time.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57They're known as tholtans, literally the ruins of abandoned homes.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Relics of the Isle of Man's farming past.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Here in the shadow of Snaefell is a cluster of buildings
0:19:07 > 0:19:10that were home to generations of Manx farmers.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15They lived a rudimentary, harsh life in these foothills.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18But one man is determined that these lives are not forgotten.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Photographer Ray Kelly
0:19:20 > 0:19:24is painstakingly recording the island's 200 or so tholtans
0:19:24 > 0:19:26before they crumble away for good.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- Ray, it is beautiful here, isn't it?- Hello, Ellie, how are you?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- I'm all right, you?- I am.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33What have we got here?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Is this a hamlet or just one farm?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It's just one farm. It's called Killabrega.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Abandoned in the early '60s.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And the main house is there.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And the rest of the buildings are basically for livestock.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- It would've been tough living up here.- Absolutely.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Most of these places didn't even have windows.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They would just have sacks, so there's no glass.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You seem to know a lot of detail about life up here.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- Is there good records kept from this?- No.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01No, people have the records.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Erm... And it's amazing,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06because this really was the backbone of most Manx people.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09And what evidence is there up here of what went on?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Oh, there's quite a few little items around here.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I can show you, if you follow me. They're just round the corner.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Yeah, let's take a look.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'From a few remnants, Ray's been able to piece together
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'what life must have been like in these homesteads.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- This is the threshing machine. - How did it work?
0:20:27 > 0:20:31This area here would have been used for separating the grain,
0:20:31 > 0:20:32or the chaff from the grain,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- and the oats would drop through these holes...- Yeah.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37..and the chaff would be blown away.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It's got the quick, stop and slow.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Which is quite rare. Most of them just didn't have any of this.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- It's quite a posh threshing machine. - A high-end threshing machine,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- if you please. - This is the deluxe version.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50So, these guys were doing all right if they had one of these?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Yeah, yeah. They weren't the poorest in the valley.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's interesting, because there isn't really records,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58but you're able to tell quite a lot just by the fact that this is here,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00by interpreting what's here. There must be more on this site
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- that we can see?- Oh, yeah, there's lots more to see, lots more to see.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Shall we take a look?- We will.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Right, we'll come through the garden now, Ellie,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- where they would have grown vegetables.- Yeah.- And the fruit,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17which they stored through the winter to keep the family going.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- What's that, this? - Yes, this is it, Ellie.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- All the way for this? - Absolutely.- What is it?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25It is, believe it or not,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28an old grinding stone that's long since gone.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Grinding stone for what, though?
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Well, they would have sharpened their knives, their spades.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34My wife and I could never work out
0:21:34 > 0:21:36why they were so far away from the house.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39And then my wife said, "It's quite simple, really.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43"Because these places are thatched. And that would be sparks and fire."
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Maybe wrong, maybe right, but...
0:21:44 > 0:21:48More interpretation, but actually, it's so plausible, very plausible.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- Sounds right. It does.- And when did this way of life begin to decline?
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Between the wars, mostly.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55The tourist industry took off in the Isle of Man
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and the parents stayed and the kids left.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- It's quite sad.- Yeah.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04And with the people gone, these simple buildings,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07made of nothing more than earth and stone,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09began to crumble and disappear.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15But there's still one place perfectly preserved in time.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Here at Cregneash village,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20you can see homestead life as it would have been.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Site manager Helen Ashcroft
0:22:24 > 0:22:28has really got under the skin of this old way of life.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Quite a few of these buildings look different to each other.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Why is that?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Well, it's different responses to lifestyle changes, really.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39So, you see the one behind us, they've taken the roof off,
0:22:39 > 0:22:40and they've built up.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42They've got a typical two-up, two-down house there.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45More space, because it just became unpopular
0:22:45 > 0:22:47to live in these really small, cramped conditions.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49So, why did some of these stay in their old state
0:22:49 > 0:22:51while others modernised?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The people that lived here, they probably moved into the cities
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and maybe bought a guesthouse and serviced the tourist industry,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59which was really big on the island at the time.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01And then they would let this one out?
0:23:01 > 0:23:03They'd keep it as a holiday home, because obviously,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06when the summer season comes, you don't want your children
0:23:06 > 0:23:08taking up valuable bedrooms, so they'd come up here
0:23:08 > 0:23:10with Granny and Grandad and spend the summer holidays.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Do you think we could look inside one?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Yeah, we've got one over here that's still in its original condition.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16Let's have a look.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This is Harry Kelly's cottage.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Come in and have a brabbag by the fire.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29A brabbag? Sounds like a bakery product.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It is! Toasting your buns by the fire.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- Warm the derriere. Don't mind if I do. It's cold out there.- Exactly.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Gosh. Incredibly simple living. Pretty much just two rooms, right?
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Well, it's three, really.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So, you've got the mum and dad and an infant there,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and upstairs in the loft, you would have all the other children,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and they'd go the smallest at the far end,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53leading towards the largest children at this end,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56at the closer end, and it would be their job to make sure that
0:23:56 > 0:23:59everybody stayed in and nobody rolled off the deck.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- Wow! Very practical! And this roof on the inside.- Yeah, it's turf.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- But you can see where the turf joins up.- Yes.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08You'll find tucked in between those folds little Victorian games,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11you know, where siblings have obviously tried to hide them
0:24:11 > 0:24:15from their brothers and sisters, like private treasure.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Amazing discovery to see that, so many years on.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I know. Isn't it?
0:24:21 > 0:24:22I'm going to leave you to your brabbag.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- OK!- I'm going to keep exploring.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- See you later.- OK, thank you. - Cheers.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Just seeing the cottage set up like this
0:24:35 > 0:24:37really gives you a sense of what life was like
0:24:37 > 0:24:39for those old crofters.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42CHICKENS CLUCK
0:24:44 > 0:24:48And now I'm off to meet a woman who grew up on a homestead
0:24:48 > 0:24:49and farmed her whole life.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55She's called Florrie Kinvig, and she's 93.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- Florrie, this is a cosy spot. It's nice to meet you.- Yes.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04So, can you tell me what life was like growing up on a smallholding?
0:25:04 > 0:25:09Well, yes, very... Very different to what it is today.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13There was no mains water, no electricity.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15No, it was paraffin lamps and candles and...
0:25:15 > 0:25:20You had to work in the harvest fields, the hayfields,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and that was the mainstay, really. That was our lifeline.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27- And was it seven days a week, 365 days?- Oh, yes.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Seven days a week, yes.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- All night sometimes. - It was tough living.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37It was, but I don't think the young people believe it, really!
0:25:37 > 0:25:39It's hard to imagine that that wasn't very long ago.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- It's so different.- No, it wasn't.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46As running water came and as electricity came,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48how did you greet each of those new things?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Well, I think the water was the most wonderful thing.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Because if we had a very dry summer, water was at a premium.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59You had to walk a long way.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02And what did you think when electricity came into your home?
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Oh, that was wonderful, yes.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06We had to start spring cleaning then!
0:26:06 > 0:26:09THEY LAUGH You could see the cobwebs!
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Amazing.- Well, it's fascinating hearing about it.- Thank you.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Florrie is one of the last living links
0:26:17 > 0:26:19with the island's agricultural past,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21but thanks to people here at Cregneash
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and the photographs of Ray Kelly,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27it's now a past preserved for future generations.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Now, a few months ago,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Sean headed back to his old stomping grounds in Wales,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38but he'd never experienced them quite like this before.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44The Black Mountains,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46or Mynyddoedd Duon, as they're known in Welsh,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47are close to my heart.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51One of my favourite places to relax, unwind...
0:26:53 > 0:26:55..and go downhill mountain biking?!
0:27:02 > 0:27:05In an era when Welsh hill farms must diversify or die,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I've come to a farm that's not just surviving, but thriving.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15When it comes to diversification,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17sheep farmers Joe and Gwenda Binns
0:27:17 > 0:27:19were determined to do something special
0:27:19 > 0:27:22to turn around their struggling business.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN WELSH
0:27:24 > 0:27:26There's a warm welcome.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Joe, good to see you.- Nice to meet you.- What are you up to?
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Yeah, we are just taking the rams out
0:27:31 > 0:27:33that have been running with the ewes for the last six weeks.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- Can I help? - Yeah, we need to sort them out.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- What are we doing, getting them in here?- Into the pen here. Yes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- Brilliant.- If you come with me, and we'll just gently push them through.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44So, how long have you been on the farm?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We've been here 34 years now, and it's gone very, very quickly.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It doesn't feel like 34 years at all.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54We've tried lots of different things and now we've suddenly...
0:27:54 > 0:27:56cut down on our sheep numbers,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and so we've had to find other sources of income,
0:27:59 > 0:28:00and this is where we are today.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Turned it round into a success story.- Well, let's hope so.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06It's beginning to look that way.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09This isn't the first time
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Countryfile has visited Joe and Gwenda. Far from it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14When John was first here, sheep prices had dropped,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and Joe was weighing up his options.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Have you ever felt like quitting?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Yeah, I've thought about it over the years.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Diversifying then meant a holiday cottage and a mobile phone mast.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I've reduced the numbers of sheep and planted up
0:28:28 > 0:28:31an area of the farm with broadleaf trees, which I got a grant for.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Mountain biking wasn't on their radar,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37but that initial patch of woodland became the key
0:28:37 > 0:28:41to possibly unlocking a financially secure future for the farm,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44as Matt saw when he visited.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47They've been testing out this steep slope through the trees
0:28:47 > 0:28:48for the first time today.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Argh!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And it's proving to be quite a challenge.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- They will pay to do that.- How much for a day, roughly?- About £20 a day.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57- OK.- Yeah, so...- So, that is...
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I mean, potentially, it's a good business, isn't it?
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Yeah. I reckon, yeah. I see it as a business, definitely.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Today, that business is a reality.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08We can't believe how popular it's getting,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and how far people travel to come and see us.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And they are just enjoying being in the national park,
0:29:15 > 0:29:16which is really important.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19And we employ local boys.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21In fact, they're all boys that I taught at school.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23They're farmers' sons.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Did they teach you about mountain biking in agricultural college?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29I don't think mountain bikes were invented then!
0:29:30 > 0:29:33But to create mountain bike Nirvana,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36you need to call on a mountain biking master.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Sean Bevan has been building bike trails professionally for 15 years.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Do you have a plan of what you're going to do,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52or do you just start creating?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55When I'm in the digger, I kind of picture in my head, you know,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58what I would like to ride, and where I would like to go with the trail.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01And, yeah, I think that's the best way of designing
0:30:01 > 0:30:03a good mountain bike trail.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Get inspired by the Skirrid mountain.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09- It's like a jump, you know. - Isn't it? Yeah.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11- We've got the landscape as well for it.- Yeah.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Who are the sorts of people who come here?
0:30:13 > 0:30:17We get all types of riders, from novice to world champions.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18There's riding here for everyone.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21It's getting a lot of attention worldwide now,
0:30:21 > 0:30:26which is pretty cool - a little hillside in Wales!
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I think we're wired completely differently.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- You love this sort of thing.- Yeah. - I'm really nervous about it.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Give me some advice. What do I need to know?
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Hold on, use your brakes.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36- I have total faith, Sean! - SEAN LAUGHS
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Well, I can't put it off any longer.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43I have to sample Sean's handiwork for myself.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Hopefully, the pro riders can soothe my jangling nerves.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51You can't... You can't think of the fear.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52The fear doesn't come into it,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54because if you are scared of something,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- walk away and don't do it. - Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58- So, can I walk away now?- No.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01'Looks like I've got no choice.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03'Luckily, I've got all the gear.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05'I still have no idea.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I've ridden cross-country plenty of times,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11but downhill trails like these are going to be a whole new challenge.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- Wish me luck! - THEY CHEER AND WHOOP
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Top riders take just 120 seconds to descend this one-mile-long trail.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25I may not make that, but I'm giving it my best shot.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38HE PANTS
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Well, that was absolutely fantastic.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43What a brilliant day!
0:31:43 > 0:31:45We're losing the light now, which is such a shame,
0:31:45 > 0:31:46so we're going to have to end it.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50If it was up to me, I'd be straight back up there for more.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59So, Gwenda and Joe have capitalised on this beautiful countryside,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02bringing adrenaline to the heart of the Brecon Beacons,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and turning their business around. I'm really pleased for them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Now, with spring just around the corner,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Adam's getting ready for his new arrivals.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18But one's made an early appearance,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20and she needs some special attention.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31I love working with all the livestock on the farm,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35and I particularly like having all the various dogs about.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37You may remember at the end of last summer,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40we sadly lost our pet dog, Dolly, to cancer,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43and Boo, the other house dog, was pining.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47So, we decided, about four months later, to go out and buy a puppy,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51and once I've got these sheep sorted, I'll go and let her out.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52Come on, then!
0:32:53 > 0:32:54Come on, sheep.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Come on!
0:32:59 > 0:33:04This is Olive, our new Hungarian Wire-haired Vizsla.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06You wouldn't think it now,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10but when we got her two months ago, she was a tiny puppy.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Like all young dogs, she's been eating us out of house and home.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16At a little more than four-months-old,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19it won't be long until she's the same size as Boo.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Boo, Olive, here!
0:33:24 > 0:33:25HE LAUGHS
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Hello! There she is!
0:33:27 > 0:33:30She's a really sweet-natured little puppy.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- DOG BARKS - The family adore her. Shush, Boo!
0:33:32 > 0:33:35And she get on really well with the other dogs.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39She loves Peg, and runs over to say good morning to her in her kennel.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Here, Olive, where's your mate?
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Here she is. Here she is!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Here's a good girl. Peg's very tolerant of her.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53But there's so many dangers and so much to learn on the farm,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and the only way to do that is to acclimatise her nice and slowly,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59so I just take her with me and teach her everything that goes on.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01DOG BARKS
0:34:01 > 0:34:02ADAM WHISTLES
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Boo!
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Hup!
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- HE LAUGHS - There's a good girl.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Come on, then. Do a little jump up.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19As the days begin to lengthen,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23it's time to think about the new life that will soon be born here.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28I've got a flock of pregnant ewes out in the fields,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30which I need to check on.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35These are some of my little primitive sheep.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36We've got North Ronaldsays, Borerays,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38the brown ones are Castlemilk Moorits.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41And they're quite hungry. It's been cold this morning.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44They want their breakfast, which is why they're running along after me.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46And I am going to take them back to the farm,
0:34:46 > 0:34:48sort them into their breed groups,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and then put them in small paddocks near the house
0:34:50 > 0:34:52where I can keep an eye on them, ready for lambing.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59As well as getting Olive used to travelling in the vehicles,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02it's important to introduce her to the livestock.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04And Boo and Peg are obviously very used to the sheep,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07but I'll just get Olive out. Here, Olive!
0:35:07 > 0:35:08Come here.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Stay there, Peg.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Come on!
0:35:12 > 0:35:16These little primitive sheep out here can be quite flighty,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18so when they see a dog, they might run away
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and I don't want her to chase them, thinking it's good fun.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23But also, they might come over and give her a bit of a butt
0:35:23 > 0:35:26and she needs to learn that respect.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28I don't want her to think of sheep as a toy,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30something to mess around with.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33I'm going to drop her down and see how she reacts.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37So, she's got her tail tucked between her legs.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39She's obviously quite nervous of them.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- OLIVE BARKS - Ah, ah, no! No, Olive. No.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45So, there, it was turning into a game.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49So, I'm just telling her off, just, "That's not what I want you to do."
0:35:49 > 0:35:50Olive! No!
0:35:50 > 0:35:52No!
0:35:52 > 0:35:54This is a bit of a critical moment,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56the sheep is moving away and Olive's followed
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and then the sheep turned around and stamped at her and she stopped.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01She's got to learn that respect.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Here, she's more interested in eating the sheep nuts
0:36:08 > 0:36:10than anything else.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14Oh!
0:36:14 > 0:36:17See, that Herdwick has just knocked her back now
0:36:17 > 0:36:18and that hasn't hurt her,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22but it's taught her a lesson not to mess around with these animals.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Perfect reaction, really.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27She's not getting overexcited, she's not trying to chase them,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30she's backing off when they approach her.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32It's very good. Here, Olive.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Right, that's that lesson done.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Time to get the proper sheepdog out!
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Peg would have gone through similar challenges when she was a pup.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52If you can trust your dogs around other animals,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55it makes training much easier and, before long,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58man and his best friend are working as a team.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03With the sheep rounded up,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05I can start splitting them into groups.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Right, while I sort these sheep out,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I've left the dogs in the back of the truck.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12I know that Olive is safe and contained there -
0:37:12 > 0:37:14she can't get into trouble.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16So, if I try and get the Castlemilk Moorits out first -
0:37:16 > 0:37:19these brown ones - I'll try and run them through this gate.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Go on, then - in you go.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23I think they all speak the same language.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24That's it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Not you.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29'These ewes were pregnancy scanned several weeks ago.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'Hardy breeds like these usually only have single lambs.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'We've marked them red.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36'But, this year, a few are carrying twins.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38'We've marked these blue.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40'This is time-consuming work,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44'but when the lambs start to be born, we'll be well prepared.'
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Sometimes Peg yaps a bit when I'm working the sheep
0:37:48 > 0:37:50and she wants to join in,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52but it's important the dogs learn to be patient and quiet
0:37:52 > 0:37:54in the back of the buggy like this.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55And Olive's doing really well -
0:37:55 > 0:37:57in fact, she's having a little lie down.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Right, time to get these sheep dropped off.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Right, I've put the singles next door
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and then these are the Castlemilk Moorit twins in here.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Come on, then, girls.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22There.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26So, these primitive breeds can lamb perfectly happily on their own,
0:38:26 > 0:38:30outdoors, need very little care, whereas my commercial sheep,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33I tend to lamb indoors, just so I can look after them more carefully.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44BLEATING
0:38:50 > 0:38:54These are our commercial ewes with some of the larger rare breeds
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and they CAN lamb outdoors, but in comparison to the primitives,
0:38:57 > 0:39:02they do need more assistance - they have bigger lambs and more of them.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03What we have is twins in here,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06triplets in here and singles in the far pen.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08They've all been scanned, like the primitives have,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10so we know how many lambs they're carrying.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13And we feed them the appropriate amount of food
0:39:13 > 0:39:15to keep the sheep in the right condition.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Because we've got all the pregnant ewes in here,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20they can get stressed in the presence of a dog,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24so we leave the dogs out of the lambing shed, keep them well away.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Right, these are the triplets, so they're getting plenty of grub.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Olive's coped brilliantly so far,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42but how will she fare with some of my larger livestock?
0:39:42 > 0:39:46I've got to take these cattle back to the handling pens
0:39:46 > 0:39:47cos I've got the vet coming,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49but before I do that, I'll just get Olive out.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Here, Olive.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Right, I'll just pop a...
0:39:54 > 0:39:56a lead on her.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Cattle can be very inquisitive around dogs
0:39:59 > 0:40:02and quite aggressive, particularly if they've got calves,
0:40:02 > 0:40:07and so I just want her to learn what cattle are about.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Learn what they look like, how they behave,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11because she's going to be around cattle all her life.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14But I won't go too close.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- OLIVE BARKS - No, no, no, shh.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Shush.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20You can see this cow here now, look -
0:40:20 > 0:40:22she's got her ears facing forward.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24She's not looking at me, she's looking at the dog.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Olive doesn't really know what's going on!
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Thinks they're a bit scary and a bit threatening,
0:40:30 > 0:40:31so she's barking at them.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34I don't want to let her go, otherwise she might get hurt.
0:40:34 > 0:40:35And so might I.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Come on. Let's get back in the truck.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Here! Come on.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45'That's a good introduction to cattle for Olive.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47'Time to round them up and get back to the yard
0:40:47 > 0:40:49'for the last bit of feeding of the day.'
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Olive, here.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56'It's more than just sheep and cattle
0:40:56 > 0:40:57'young Olive will have to get used to.'
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Here, good girl.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02'Living on a farm is exciting and scary for a puppy.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06'But spending time out and about should help her find her place
0:41:06 > 0:41:08'in our family of dogs.'
0:41:11 > 0:41:12Right, that's the goats sorted.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Time to put the dogs away and get this puppy fed.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Here, dogs.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18- HE WHISTLES - Boo!
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Winter months on the farm can be pretty hard work,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27particularly when the weather's miserable.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30But having a young dog around really brightens up my day,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and Olive certainly puts a smile on my face! You're lovely, aren't you?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35You've done very well today.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Good girl.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42SHE BARKS
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Sitting about halfway between Great Britain and Ireland,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53the Isle of Man is a world apart -
0:41:53 > 0:41:57a place where farmers and fishermen have shaped the landscape
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and its cultural heritage for centuries.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Now the Isle of Man is fast becoming a foodie destination.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08The island's government has hooked up with farmers
0:42:08 > 0:42:12and food producers to put Manx goods on the map.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16So, when a baker...
0:42:16 > 0:42:20wanted to use locally-produced rye flour,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23he spoke to the government,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25who found a farmer...
0:42:27 > 0:42:31..willing to grow the rye.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33All he needed next...
0:42:33 > 0:42:34was a mill.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40And he found one.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Laxey Glen Mill, which for the last 150 years
0:42:43 > 0:42:48has been milling the oats and wheat more usually grown on the island.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Milling rye is something new.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I'm meeting the boss, Sandra Donnelly,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59to find out more - if I can hear above the noise!
0:42:59 > 0:43:00MACHINES WHIR
0:43:00 > 0:43:02These are very different to the old machines!
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Sandra, what's the difference in the process
0:43:04 > 0:43:07when you're milling wheat compared to rye?
0:43:07 > 0:43:10It's basically the shape of the grain.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Rye is much thinner and smaller than wheat grain,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17so you have to slow the mill down, coming onto the mill,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20and make the rollers grind harder,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22so you push them closer together
0:43:22 > 0:43:26and it is trial and error - we're still trying to get it right.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28To get it dead-on. Can we see some of the rest of the process?
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Yeah, I'll start it up for you.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33All right, lovely. Let's go and have a look.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37'First, the rye is ground up by special serrated rollers.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40'This releases most of the flour, which is then sieved.'
0:43:40 > 0:43:42It's getting finer.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47'The process is repeated on a series of smooth rollers
0:43:47 > 0:43:49'until you have the finished product.'
0:43:49 > 0:43:52So, this must be the very last stage of the process?
0:43:52 > 0:43:56Yes, this is where they're bagging the rye and hand-stitching it.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58- That's neat, isn't it?- I know!
0:43:58 > 0:44:02And why did you decide to take on rye, if you hadn't done it before?
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Well, it was one of our newer customers,
0:44:05 > 0:44:08who's opened an artisan bakery on the island.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11He said, "Is there any chance of growing it here?"
0:44:11 > 0:44:14So, we got one of our local farmers to grow it,
0:44:14 > 0:44:15and this is the end process.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18- Miles is somewhere about here, checking some of the flour...- Is he?
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Let's go and find the man responsible for all this then,
0:44:21 > 0:44:22shall we?
0:44:22 > 0:44:24Miles Pettit runs that bakehouse.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27All this was his idea.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29So, here he is here, Miles.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- Ah, YOU'RE the man responsible! - Oh, I'm afraid so!
0:44:32 > 0:44:33How did it all come about, then?
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Well, rye bread's been more and more popular at the bakehouse
0:44:37 > 0:44:38over the last couple of years,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41and I guess I had a bit of a crazy idea one day.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45We import quite a lot of rye onto the island and I suddenly thought,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47"Wouldn't it be great if someone could grow it here for us?"
0:44:47 > 0:44:50And then Sandra to mill it for us...
0:44:50 > 0:44:51And here we are!
0:44:51 > 0:44:55We've now got a product and we're now using it at the bakehouse.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57It was a bit of a risk for you, though, Sandra.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Did it take a bit of persuading?
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Well, it didn't, because the Isle of Man government
0:45:02 > 0:45:06offered to underwrite the whole project, so there was no risk.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08We were quids-in, really, so we gave it a shot and it worked out.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Now, I can think of nothing better, Miles,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13than coming to your bakery and helping you sample your bread.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- It's a tough job, but I will do it for you.- Right! Come with me, then!
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- Let's go and have a look.- See you again.- See you later, Sandra!
0:45:19 > 0:45:20Bye-bye.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30This is a dream job for me.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Right, well, let's try some. This is 100% rye,
0:45:32 > 0:45:36which is made using the local Manx rye, so...
0:45:36 > 0:45:40- Dig into this.- That's raisin and walnut loaf, so try that.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Oh, it's lovely. Very moist,
0:45:43 > 0:45:44very doughy in the middle.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Why does it matter to you that it's produced locally?
0:45:47 > 0:45:48One of the things that stuck with me
0:45:48 > 0:45:51is every pound spent in the local economy,
0:45:51 > 0:45:5390 pence stays within that economy.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55You cut down on food miles,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57you cut down on food waste
0:45:57 > 0:46:00and us being a local producer,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04it's sort of quite important that we keep feeding each other, really.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09But alongside the trendy, there's still room for the traditional.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14And when it comes to bread, nothing is more Manx than bonnag.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17This was the daily bread of the Manx people.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23A legendary loaf that even has its own World Championships.
0:46:24 > 0:46:29Miles may be an award-winning baker, but when it comes to bonnag,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32he's a beginner compared to World Bonnag Champion,
0:46:32 > 0:46:3311-year-old Tom Keig.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36- Congratulations, Tom!- Thank you.
0:46:36 > 0:46:37This is your trophy, is it?
0:46:37 > 0:46:41- Erm, yes!- Had your celebratory drink out of that?- Erm...!
0:46:41 > 0:46:43ELLIE LAUGHS
0:46:43 > 0:46:46- So, do you think you could teach me how to make bonnag?- Of course.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Well done, what have I got to do first?
0:46:49 > 0:46:52You need to put in ¾ lb of flour.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54OK, let's put some of that in over here.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58- So, you must have started cooking really young?- Erm, yes.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00I started cooking at about eight
0:47:00 > 0:47:04and, actually, I got the recipe off my nan,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07through a recipe that went through my family.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11- She must have been very proud, then, when you won?- Yeah.- What's next?
0:47:11 > 0:47:15You need to put half a pint of buttermilk.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Just pouring it in?
0:47:17 > 0:47:21'Then a teaspoon of baking powder and bicarb of soda.'
0:47:21 > 0:47:23- Now the big mix, yes?- Well...
0:47:23 > 0:47:28There is one secret ingredient as well, which...erm...
0:47:28 > 0:47:31I'm afraid it can't be shown on telly.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33You'll just have to look away, it's top-secret!
0:47:33 > 0:47:37Look away now, here comes the secret ingredient.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39No looking...
0:47:39 > 0:47:41No looking!
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Yeah, you can look - you can look, now. Your secret is safe, Tom.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46No-one will steal that crown.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50- So, have you got one you've made earlier for us?- Yeah.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52You have, let's have a look - where's that, then?
0:47:52 > 0:47:55So, this will be the perfect consistency when cooked
0:47:55 > 0:47:57and HERE is an award-winning...
0:47:57 > 0:47:58How about that for a bake?
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Look at that! Beautifully made.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03SHE GASPS I'm looking forward to this.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07Mmm.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09That is lovely.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12- This has been one of my best days ever - you know why?- Why?
0:48:12 > 0:48:14I've eaten bakery products all day!
0:48:14 > 0:48:16It's been brilliant!
0:48:16 > 0:48:18- Well done, you.- Thank you. - Very nice.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34We're on the Isle of Man,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37where Ellie's been exploring the ghostly relics
0:48:37 > 0:48:40of its agricultural past
0:48:40 > 0:48:44and I hitched a ride on the world's oldest surviving horse-drawn tram.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49The Shires and Clydesdales that haul the trams
0:48:49 > 0:48:50are tough, strong workhorses,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53but even they need to call it a day sometimes,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55and when that day comes,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58there's a special place with peace and quiet...
0:48:58 > 0:49:00and pampering!
0:49:02 > 0:49:04This is Bulrhenny Farm,
0:49:04 > 0:49:08better known as the Isle Of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses -
0:49:08 > 0:49:13a 90-acre retirement village for former tram horses and others.
0:49:13 > 0:49:19It was set up in 1955 by sisters Mildred Royston and May Kermode.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22Today, it's run by a dedicated team,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24including vet Raymond Cox.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31This is a haven for all those ponies and horses
0:49:31 > 0:49:33that deserve a long and good retirement.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36In the summertime, we keep our laminitics in here.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39The horses here get grouped according to size
0:49:39 > 0:49:41and quickly make friends.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45They roam free, but there's shelter when they need it.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49This field is particularly ex-riding ponies, family ponies,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51ponies that show jumped, did all sorts.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55But the real draw for me
0:49:55 > 0:49:57is the 20 gentle giants
0:49:57 > 0:50:00that once pulled the island's trams.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03This is where we keep the heavy horses now
0:50:03 > 0:50:05for their winter quarters.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08This must be one of the biggest collections of rare horses
0:50:08 > 0:50:09you can get - it's incredible.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Well, it's great to see them, isn't it?
0:50:11 > 0:50:15There's something very statuesque and proud about the big horses,
0:50:15 > 0:50:17and even when they're old,
0:50:17 > 0:50:1920, 30 years of age,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22they still retain that majestic look, don't they?
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Typically, these tram horses are retired at 20
0:50:25 > 0:50:29and can enjoy up to a decade of well-earned rest.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33Sometimes, with old age comes infirmity,
0:50:33 > 0:50:37and Ray's expert eye has spotted a gelding called Jubilee
0:50:37 > 0:50:40who's suddenly become painfully lame.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42You can see from the way he's trying to move,
0:50:42 > 0:50:44and take the weight off the right fore
0:50:44 > 0:50:47to alleviate obviously the sore foot that he's got.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49I would say this is probably a foot abscess.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52- First, catch your patient!- Yeah!
0:50:53 > 0:50:56'Easier said than done when your patient weighs nearly a tonne.'
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Steady, now. Steady.
0:50:59 > 0:51:00Steady.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04He's one of the more feisty horses here, Ray said,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06so catching him clearly isn't going to be easy.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Come on... Jubilee, come on.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Come on, sweetie.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16- Down towards the gate, lads. - 'But, with a bit of help...'
0:51:16 > 0:51:17Come on, Jubilee.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19'..Ray has Jubilee in hand.'
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Good boy.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Good boy. Good boy.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30Good boy. Come on, sweetie. Come on. Come on. Come on.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35Back in the farmyard, resident farrier Andrew Dooley gets to work.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38It looks like Jubilee's foot is infected.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43The wonderful thing about horses is they're all walking around
0:51:43 > 0:51:46on their third fingers, OK?
0:51:46 > 0:51:48The entire weight of this horse
0:51:48 > 0:51:51is being borne on one finger.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54And its hoof is the fingernail,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56which is why horses' limbs and feet
0:51:56 > 0:51:59- are so susceptible to injury and whatnot.- OK.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01And why would a horse get infected in this way?
0:52:01 > 0:52:04- Bruising maybe, from going over on a stone.- OK.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08- Wet makes them more predisposed to getting infection.- I see.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12It's just a matter of...
0:52:12 > 0:52:14..examining all the black areas
0:52:14 > 0:52:17and see what...what comes out.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21A bit more clipping and Andrew locates the infected area.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26So, we've found the source of the infection.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29- So, Andrew, instant relief now for Jubilee?- Yeah.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Once you break the pressure and it eases,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36the natural gravity and force of the foot will push everything out,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39so it'll take him a couple of hours to forget about all the pain itself,
0:52:39 > 0:52:40but, yeah, he'll be grand.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44We can get a poultice on this next, start this horse now on painkillers.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46He'll be in for two, three days
0:52:46 > 0:52:49and then, eventually, back into his group
0:52:49 > 0:52:51and running around within a week.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Lucky horse.
0:52:54 > 0:52:55'Finally, the hoof is bandaged.'
0:52:57 > 0:53:00- You're pretty handy, Ray - you can come round mine at Christmas.- Yes!
0:53:00 > 0:53:02I've got a few things you could wrap!
0:53:15 > 0:53:18It'll just take three days for Jubilee to be fully healed
0:53:18 > 0:53:20and back in his field.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23And that's what this place is all about, isn't it?
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Keeping these animals fit and healthy.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27They've done their work, they've pulled the trams
0:53:27 > 0:53:29and now it's about a great retirement.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Yeah, it is, yeah. That's what we're here for
0:53:31 > 0:53:35and keeps us doing the job that we like to do and the horses need.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42- Just the one interested, then, Joe? - I've been trying, but...
0:53:42 > 0:53:45They've all got their heads down! It's just Biggles, here.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47- Biggles, Ellie - Ellie, Biggles. - Hello, Biggles.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50I might have the answer - look at this! Some juicy carrots.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53- I've got treats for them and for you. - Oh, yes!- Biggles, how about a carrot?
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Oh, yeah! You know it. Now, how about this? This is a local speciality,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58special to the Isle of Man - bonnag.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01- Ooh, let me try!- If you've been out in the freezing cold,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03a bit of that might warm the cockles!
0:54:03 > 0:54:06- That is good.- It's got some spice in there.- Oh, very good!- Very nice.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08We could finish this off.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11And that is all we've got time for from the Isle of Man this week.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Next week, we're going to be on the South Downs,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16where we'll be meeting a very special pony blazing its own trail.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And hopefully, we'll be getting a spectacular glimpse
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- of our breathtaking night sky. - Wonderful.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23We'll see you then. Bye-bye!
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- Right, come on - a bit more of that. - Go on, help yourself.