Isle of Man Countryfile

From its highest mountains to the sea,

its fertile plains and wild spaces,

the Isle of Man is alive with echoes of the past.

All over the island,

you'll find ruins like these.

But they're so much more than just broken-down piles of stone.

They tell the story of the island's farming heritage,

if you know how to read them.

Joe's stepping back in time, too, to a gentler age of transport.

Can I jump on board?

Fantastic! Look at this!

He'll be hitching a ride

on the oldest horse-drawn tram in the world.

Tom's asking if a ban on building second homes

could give our most popular rural communities a second chance.

-Is it quite simply quieter than it was?

-Definitely, definitely.

But, during the summer, it's heaving with tourists.

Erm... But it's not the same feel... a community feel.

And Adam's got his hands full with his newest recruit.

I'm going to drop her down and see how she reacts.

So, she's quite nervous of them.

-DOG BARKS

-Ah! Ah! No. No, Olive! No!

The Isle of Man sits halfway between Britain and Ireland -

a green jewel in the wild, grey Irish Sea.

I'm in Douglas, the island's capital, built on a glorious bay.

For an island of this size,

it's certainly packed plenty in -

a high mountain, fertile farmland,

a beautiful coastline,

not to mention its own government and its own flag.

When you're in Douglas, there's only one way to travel about.

'This is the oldest surviving horse-drawn tram service

'in the world.'

Wow, look at this!

WHISTLE BLOWS

'A relic of a time when working horses were as familiar a sight

'in our towns and cities as they were on our farms.'

When this tram started running 141 years ago,

there were more than a million working horses in Britain,

pulling ploughs, hauling logs,

delivering milk and powering trams and omnibuses.

These tram horses are amongst the last still working.

Thanks very much.

But the heart of the operation is just there,

through that arch - a very rare sight indeed.

'Working stables were once a feature of backstreets in many towns.

'This is thought to be the last.'

It's here the tram horse - or trammers, as they're known -

live, sleep and even get fitted with new shoes.

Mike Crellin has held the reins here for 44 years.

There's one!

-They're all eager, waiting for their food.

-Absolutely ready.

-Yeah.

Oh, wow!

What a sight that is, all these faces!

The trammer's day begins at 8am with a giant bowl of cereal.

-This is barley, it comes from the local brewery.

-On the island?

On the island, yes. In the summer,

they'll go through about eight tonnes of oats during the season.

-Eight tonnes?

-Eight tonnes of oats, yeah.

-Goodness me!

And what goes in must come out.

There's more than a tonne of manure a week produced by the horses,

much to the benefit of the local allotments.

-That's Keith.

-Hello, Keith. Morning, Keith.

Here's your brekkie.

Hello, Douglas. Good morning.

Douglas needs his hearty breakfast, because he's taking me

on a preseason warm-up run along the prom.

Beautiful, isn't he?

But, first, he's got to get dressed for work.

That's a job for Kiera Anderson.

-Pop it over his head.

-OK. There we go.

-Just hold that in place.

-Do you want me to hold that in place?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Just watch your fingers.

-Yeah.

The harnesses used are just the same as they were in Victorian times.

-So, are you happy? Everything ready?

-Yeah, he's ready to go to work.

Fantastic. Let's walk him out.

Along the promenade, just a stone's throw from the stables,

the tram's very own fan club is spring cleaning,

ready for the tourist season.

It's a very popular thing.

We have followers from around the world.

Some people will come for a ride on the historic tram,

or other people will like to take in the Clydesdales

and the Shire horses there,

and obviously just try and see as many as they can.

And tell me about YOUR passion.

It's part of the island's social history and also its heritage,

and it's something we would like to see for many more years to come

along the seafront here.

Time to make tracks,

and maybe even take the reins!

Are we ready to go, then?

Come on, boy! Good lad.

Come on!

I love this - people taking pictures. It's a wonderful sight.

Wherever you go, up and down the prom,

there's always people wanting to take photographs and whatnot.

These now rare Shires and Clydesdales were born for this role.

I suppose it's good for them, in a way,

because they're at risk or they're vulnerable breeds, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-So it's great they can find work here.

And they're two working breeds.

The gentle giants aren't fazed at all by busy traffic.

Do you ever get sick of this? I mean, so many years on,

-do you still love it?

-Yes. It changes.

There's something to do all the time, when you're going up and down,

and then you've got the young horses to train and things like that.

-On a nice day, it's a nice job.

-Yeah.

'The trip along the prom is just over a mile and takes 20 minutes.

'At the end of the line, it's the horse that turns round,

'not the tram.'

Come on, Douglas.

Even got a bit of sunshine.

Now we're speeding!

'Time for a driving lesson.'

Hold the reins like that. In I come.

There we are.

So, this is your brake?

This is the brake, yeah. Just pull on to slow the tram down.

This is fantastic! What a treat.

You chose Douglas today cos he knows what he's doing?

He knows what he's doing, yeah.

-Even when there's a novice behind him?

-Yeah, yeah.

Later in the programme,

I'll be visiting the trammers who finally hung up their shoes.

For years, a row has been bubbling away about second homes

in some of our most beautiful rural locations.

Now a court ruling means things could be about to change,

but will it be the success campaigners hope?

Here's Tom.

The end of another busy day for the trawler Freedom,

working across Cawsand Bay on the Cornish south coast.

-How's today's catch? Is it going all right?

-Yeah, average.

'Skipper Tony Edwards has been fishing here

'most of his working life.'

I had a right fight with him!

Well, I can imagine!

-STRAINING:

-Lift him up.

-That is a big old beast.

-Yeah.

-How much fishing is there round here these days?

-Erm...

There's not as much as it used to be.

There was 25, 30 fishermen when I first came here 30 years ago.

-And now?

-Four.

Nowadays, fishing's given way to tourism

as the main industry for much of Cornwall.

It brings in money, but some people here say it's hurting the community.

And what about the town of Cawsand itself?

-How's that changed since you've been there?

-Oh, it's, erm...

There's not so many working-class people there, of all trades,

not just fishermen.

Used to be a lot of painters and decorators and builders.

They've all gone. It's too expensive to live there.

And there's no youngsters.

And how does that make the actual feel of the place change?

It's not as close-knit as it used to be.

You used to walk down the street and everyone would speak.

Strangers, I'm sorry to call them strangers,

but they look the other way.

They're not used to the closeness of the...

especially the Cornish, they're very friendly people.

-Is it quite simply quieter than it was?

-Definitely, definitely.

But, during the summer, it's heaving with tourists.

Erm...but it's not the same feel... a community feel.

The picture-postcard image of the twin villages,

Cawsand and Kingsand, with their pretty, winding alleyways

masks a deep-rooted problem.

This is a beautiful, quiet street, but it's quite clear

that, at this time of year, many of these homes are not being lived in.

In fact, only 17 of the 64 houses on this street

are occupied all year round.

'And while holiday cottages can bring in tourist pounds,

'people in communities like this argue that second homes,

'empty for most of the year, don't contribute much at all.

'And high demand pushes up house prices

'beyond the reach of local families.'

In the parish that includes Cawsand and Kingsand,

out of every three houses,

one is either a holiday cottage or a second home

and, in other regions around the country, it can be even worse.

In one parish in Wales,

almost half of all houses are not lived in permanently.

Those figures make it tough for people like Tony's son, Ross,

who happens to be working as an electrician

in a house in this very same street, where he can't afford to live.

So, Ross, when it comes to your work,

how much of it do you think is for second homes?

To be honest, it's always a mix, you know?

I'd say I probably get maybe 50% people who live here full-time

and the other 50% can be made up of second homes and holiday lets.

'Ross and his partner, Robyn, both work full-time.'

They married last year and have just bought their first home together,

but it's 20 miles away.

I've lived in eight places in the last ten years.

You know, you have to make do - live on a couch, or whatever it might be.

Really? You've had to do some couch surfing in your time?

Of course, yeah. Most people have, or you live at friends'

or move in somewhere for a short time until you can find somewhere.

-Housing's a real problem round here, isn't it?

-It is a real problem, yeah.

Your roots and your cultural identity is where you're from,

and most people will tell you you're tied to that.

Where you're brought up - that's part of, like, who you are.

So, the further you have to move away,

then the more of that you kind of lose.

So, our rural seaside towns are changing.

Pilchards and pots have all but been replaced

with pasties and ice cream,

and that tourism is causing a huge imbalance

in local housing markets.

And not just here but in parts of Yorkshire, Wales and Scotland,

to name just a few.

But one Cornish town, St Ives, has a solution.

Tourists, including those with second homes,

are clearly helping the economy here.

This shop seems to be doing pretty well.

But people here say they want a balance.

They don't want to be overrun,

and that's why they've brought in this new planning restriction.

In December, St Ives did something really radical

and became the first place in Britain

to ban new-build second homes.

It means anyone moving into a newly-built house

will have to prove they live there for three quarters of the year.

Communities in many holiday hotspots

have been waiting for the St Ives plan to clear various legal hurdles

and now it has, many of them may be tempted to follow suit,

so is that the end of the problem?

Chris Balch is Professor of Planning at Plymouth University,

and he's not so sure.

I think it's got an opportunity to have some impact,

but it's not going to solve the whole second home problem

in places like St Ives.

It only applies to new property,

and therefore much of the property that you see here,

you know, is available for people to buy as a second home still.

And what about enforcement of it?

Well, that...that can be tricky,

and I think that may be one of the difficult elements.

You know, how do you know whether somebody is occupying a house

as a, sort of, permanent resident or, you know, maybe

they're sneaking away to London for a while and then coming back?

What about the rest of the country? What should they be taking

from this? I mean, a lot of places are interested.

Well, I think there's inevitably

a lot of interest in any rural community.

Affordability's the big issue,

so I think a lot of people are looking at

what the effect of this policy is going to be in St Ives

and seeing whether they can adapt that to their circumstances.

But I think it's going to take five or ten years

to really work out whether or not this policy's

delivering what people had hoped for.

Wandering around St Ives at this time of year,

you do see plenty of building work.

But look closely and you'll notice they're just doing winter repairs.

That's because developers here have delayed new projects

until they see how the land really lies.

No new homes have yet been built under the new policy,

so we don't have the hard evidence of how it'll work in practice,

but this plot here will see one of the first homes built

where the buyer has to live here permanently.

It's a pretty good view.

And while we wait for work to begin,

greater forces are starting to take notice.

The Government is allocating £60 million -

raised from a new high-rate stamp duty on second homes -

to areas hardest hit by second homes.

It's expected to be spent on affordable housing.

And it's hoped the recent White Paper on housing

will help Cornwall's own local plan,

which includes 52,000 new homes between now and 2030.

But back in Cawsand and Kingsand,

those changes can't come soon enough,

so they're planning a referendum, which could make them

the first community to introduce a similar ban to St Ives.

County councillor George Trubody is leading that campaign.

If we've got too many that are not lived in all year round,

then we could put pressure and strain on what is remaining

around schools, the shops, the services.

We need to make sure there's a local community here

that keeps that going throughout the year.

I mean, is it about that feeling of you come down here sometimes,

and it feels a bit dead because most of the houses aren't lived in?

That's the way it's been. That's the way it's going.

We're trying to have some control to keep that balance.

And where are we with this? What's the timescale with this policy?

Well, the whole neighbourhood plan,

we're looking to go to referendum some time later this year.

We need over 50%, so 51% of the people that vote,

if they vote in favour,

then we'd get it adopted as a local planning policy.

Is it about you not liking incomers?

No, not at all and there's a lot of people portray that,

especially in Cornwall in general,

but we can't just have a carte blanche

where it creates this massive divide between those

that are able to live here and those that can't afford to.

'And he says stopping new build second homes is just the start.'

There's an argument that there could be a new planning classification

if government were to change legislation,

which would mean that you'd have to apply for planning permission

if you wanted to buy a property to use as a second home.

It's about drawing a line in the sand. It's about doing something.

It may take years for any of this to help the people here in Cornwall

and in other parts of the country, but clearly the game is on.

People love to visit the Cornish coastline

and some of them want to own a piece of it,

so this residency requirement isn't instantly going to make homes

in a place like this affordable to locals,

and it does worry developers.

But other places around the country are watching,

aware that it gives locals an element of control

over the otherwise rampant housing market.

Ghostly ruins.

Tumbledown buildings.

Broken walls.

Echoes of a different time.

They're known as tholtans, literally the ruins of abandoned homes.

Relics of the Isle of Man's farming past.

Here in the shadow of Snaefell is a cluster of buildings

that were home to generations of Manx farmers.

They lived a rudimentary, harsh life in these foothills.

But one man is determined that these lives are not forgotten.

Photographer Ray Kelly

is painstakingly recording the island's 200 or so tholtans

before they crumble away for good.

-Ray, it is beautiful here, isn't it?

-Hello, Ellie, how are you?

-I'm all right, you?

-I am.

What have we got here?

Is this a hamlet or just one farm?

It's just one farm. It's called Killabrega.

Abandoned in the early '60s.

And the main house is there.

And the rest of the buildings are basically for livestock.

-It would've been tough living up here.

-Absolutely.

Most of these places didn't even have windows.

They would just have sacks, so there's no glass.

You seem to know a lot of detail about life up here.

-Is there good records kept from this?

-No.

No, people have the records.

Erm... And it's amazing,

because this really was the backbone of most Manx people.

And what evidence is there up here of what went on?

Oh, there's quite a few little items around here.

I can show you, if you follow me. They're just round the corner.

Yeah, let's take a look.

'From a few remnants, Ray's been able to piece together

'what life must have been like in these homesteads.'

-This is the threshing machine.

-How did it work?

This area here would have been used for separating the grain,

or the chaff from the grain,

-and the oats would drop through these holes...

-Yeah.

..and the chaff would be blown away.

It's got the quick, stop and slow.

Which is quite rare. Most of them just didn't have any of this.

-It's quite a posh threshing machine.

-A high-end threshing machine,

-if you please.

-This is the deluxe version.

So, these guys were doing all right if they had one of these?

Yeah, yeah. They weren't the poorest in the valley.

It's interesting, because there isn't really records,

but you're able to tell quite a lot just by the fact that this is here,

by interpreting what's here. There must be more on this site

-that we can see?

-Oh, yeah, there's lots more to see, lots more to see.

-Shall we take a look?

-We will.

Right, we'll come through the garden now, Ellie,

-where they would have grown vegetables.

-Yeah.

-And the fruit,

which they stored through the winter to keep the family going.

-What's that, this?

-Yes, this is it, Ellie.

-All the way for this?

-Absolutely.

-What is it?

It is, believe it or not,

an old grinding stone that's long since gone.

Grinding stone for what, though?

Well, they would have sharpened their knives, their spades.

My wife and I could never work out

why they were so far away from the house.

And then my wife said, "It's quite simple, really.

"Because these places are thatched. And that would be sparks and fire."

Maybe wrong, maybe right, but...

More interpretation, but actually, it's so plausible, very plausible.

-Sounds right. It does.

-And when did this way of life begin to decline?

Between the wars, mostly.

The tourist industry took off in the Isle of Man

and the parents stayed and the kids left.

-It's quite sad.

-Yeah.

And with the people gone, these simple buildings,

made of nothing more than earth and stone,

began to crumble and disappear.

But there's still one place perfectly preserved in time.

Here at Cregneash village,

you can see homestead life as it would have been.

Site manager Helen Ashcroft

has really got under the skin of this old way of life.

Quite a few of these buildings look different to each other.

Why is that?

Well, it's different responses to lifestyle changes, really.

So, you see the one behind us, they've taken the roof off,

and they've built up.

They've got a typical two-up, two-down house there.

More space, because it just became unpopular

to live in these really small, cramped conditions.

So, why did some of these stay in their old state

while others modernised?

The people that lived here, they probably moved into the cities

and maybe bought a guesthouse and serviced the tourist industry,

which was really big on the island at the time.

And then they would let this one out?

They'd keep it as a holiday home, because obviously,

when the summer season comes, you don't want your children

taking up valuable bedrooms, so they'd come up here

with Granny and Grandad and spend the summer holidays.

Do you think we could look inside one?

Yeah, we've got one over here that's still in its original condition.

Let's have a look.

This is Harry Kelly's cottage.

Come in and have a brabbag by the fire.

A brabbag? Sounds like a bakery product.

It is! Toasting your buns by the fire.

-Warm the derriere. Don't mind if I do. It's cold out there.

-Exactly.

Gosh. Incredibly simple living. Pretty much just two rooms, right?

Well, it's three, really.

So, you've got the mum and dad and an infant there,

and upstairs in the loft, you would have all the other children,

and they'd go the smallest at the far end,

leading towards the largest children at this end,

at the closer end, and it would be their job to make sure that

everybody stayed in and nobody rolled off the deck.

-Wow! Very practical! And this roof on the inside.

-Yeah, it's turf.

-But you can see where the turf joins up.

-Yes.

You'll find tucked in between those folds little Victorian games,

you know, where siblings have obviously tried to hide them

from their brothers and sisters, like private treasure.

Amazing discovery to see that, so many years on.

I know. Isn't it?

I'm going to leave you to your brabbag.

-OK!

-I'm going to keep exploring.

-See you later.

-OK, thank you.

-Cheers.

Just seeing the cottage set up like this

really gives you a sense of what life was like

for those old crofters.

CHICKENS CLUCK

And now I'm off to meet a woman who grew up on a homestead

and farmed her whole life.

She's called Florrie Kinvig, and she's 93.

-Florrie, this is a cosy spot. It's nice to meet you.

-Yes.

So, can you tell me what life was like growing up on a smallholding?

Well, yes, very... Very different to what it is today.

There was no mains water, no electricity.

No, it was paraffin lamps and candles and...

You had to work in the harvest fields, the hayfields,

and that was the mainstay, really. That was our lifeline.

-And was it seven days a week, 365 days?

-Oh, yes.

Seven days a week, yes.

-All night sometimes.

-It was tough living.

It was, but I don't think the young people believe it, really!

It's hard to imagine that that wasn't very long ago.

-It's so different.

-No, it wasn't.

As running water came and as electricity came,

how did you greet each of those new things?

Well, I think the water was the most wonderful thing.

Because if we had a very dry summer, water was at a premium.

You had to walk a long way.

And what did you think when electricity came into your home?

Oh, that was wonderful, yes.

We had to start spring cleaning then!

THEY LAUGH You could see the cobwebs!

-Amazing.

-Well, it's fascinating hearing about it.

-Thank you.

Florrie is one of the last living links

with the island's agricultural past,

but thanks to people here at Cregneash

and the photographs of Ray Kelly,

it's now a past preserved for future generations.

Now, a few months ago,

Sean headed back to his old stomping grounds in Wales,

but he'd never experienced them quite like this before.

The Black Mountains,

or Mynyddoedd Duon, as they're known in Welsh,

are close to my heart.

One of my favourite places to relax, unwind...

..and go downhill mountain biking?!

In an era when Welsh hill farms must diversify or die,

I've come to a farm that's not just surviving, but thriving.

When it comes to diversification,

sheep farmers Joe and Gwenda Binns

were determined to do something special

to turn around their struggling business.

THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN WELSH

There's a warm welcome.

-Joe, good to see you.

-Nice to meet you.

-What are you up to?

Yeah, we are just taking the rams out

that have been running with the ewes for the last six weeks.

-Can I help?

-Yeah, we need to sort them out.

-What are we doing, getting them in here?

-Into the pen here. Yes.

-Brilliant.

-If you come with me, and we'll just gently push them through.

So, how long have you been on the farm?

We've been here 34 years now, and it's gone very, very quickly.

It doesn't feel like 34 years at all.

We've tried lots of different things and now we've suddenly...

cut down on our sheep numbers,

and so we've had to find other sources of income,

and this is where we are today.

-Turned it round into a success story.

-Well, let's hope so.

It's beginning to look that way.

This isn't the first time

Countryfile has visited Joe and Gwenda. Far from it.

When John was first here, sheep prices had dropped,

and Joe was weighing up his options.

Have you ever felt like quitting?

Yeah, I've thought about it over the years.

Diversifying then meant a holiday cottage and a mobile phone mast.

I've reduced the numbers of sheep and planted up

an area of the farm with broadleaf trees, which I got a grant for.

Mountain biking wasn't on their radar,

but that initial patch of woodland became the key

to possibly unlocking a financially secure future for the farm,

as Matt saw when he visited.

They've been testing out this steep slope through the trees

for the first time today.

Argh!

And it's proving to be quite a challenge.

-They will pay to do that.

-How much for a day, roughly?

-About £20 a day.

-OK.

-Yeah, so...

-So, that is...

I mean, potentially, it's a good business, isn't it?

Yeah. I reckon, yeah. I see it as a business, definitely.

Today, that business is a reality.

We can't believe how popular it's getting,

and how far people travel to come and see us.

And they are just enjoying being in the national park,

which is really important.

And we employ local boys.

In fact, they're all boys that I taught at school.

They're farmers' sons.

Did they teach you about mountain biking in agricultural college?

I don't think mountain bikes were invented then!

But to create mountain bike Nirvana,

you need to call on a mountain biking master.

Sean Bevan has been building bike trails professionally for 15 years.

Do you have a plan of what you're going to do,

or do you just start creating?

When I'm in the digger, I kind of picture in my head, you know,

what I would like to ride, and where I would like to go with the trail.

And, yeah, I think that's the best way of designing

a good mountain bike trail.

Get inspired by the Skirrid mountain.

-It's like a jump, you know.

-Isn't it? Yeah.

-We've got the landscape as well for it.

-Yeah.

Who are the sorts of people who come here?

We get all types of riders, from novice to world champions.

There's riding here for everyone.

It's getting a lot of attention worldwide now,

which is pretty cool - a little hillside in Wales!

I think we're wired completely differently.

-You love this sort of thing.

-Yeah.

-I'm really nervous about it.

Give me some advice. What do I need to know?

Hold on, use your brakes.

-I have total faith, Sean!

-SEAN LAUGHS

Well, I can't put it off any longer.

I have to sample Sean's handiwork for myself.

Hopefully, the pro riders can soothe my jangling nerves.

You can't... You can't think of the fear.

The fear doesn't come into it,

because if you are scared of something,

-walk away and don't do it.

-Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

-So, can I walk away now?

-No.

'Looks like I've got no choice.

'Luckily, I've got all the gear.

'I still have no idea.'

I've ridden cross-country plenty of times,

but downhill trails like these are going to be a whole new challenge.

-Wish me luck!

-THEY CHEER AND WHOOP

Top riders take just 120 seconds to descend this one-mile-long trail.

I may not make that, but I'm giving it my best shot.

HE PANTS

Well, that was absolutely fantastic.

What a brilliant day!

We're losing the light now, which is such a shame,

so we're going to have to end it.

If it was up to me, I'd be straight back up there for more.

So, Gwenda and Joe have capitalised on this beautiful countryside,

bringing adrenaline to the heart of the Brecon Beacons,

and turning their business around. I'm really pleased for them.

Now, with spring just around the corner,

Adam's getting ready for his new arrivals.

But one's made an early appearance,

and she needs some special attention.

I love working with all the livestock on the farm,

and I particularly like having all the various dogs about.

You may remember at the end of last summer,

we sadly lost our pet dog, Dolly, to cancer,

and Boo, the other house dog, was pining.

So, we decided, about four months later, to go out and buy a puppy,

and once I've got these sheep sorted, I'll go and let her out.

Come on, then!

Come on, sheep.

Come on!

This is Olive, our new Hungarian Wire-haired Vizsla.

You wouldn't think it now,

but when we got her two months ago, she was a tiny puppy.

Like all young dogs, she's been eating us out of house and home.

At a little more than four-months-old,

it won't be long until she's the same size as Boo.

Boo, Olive, here!

HE LAUGHS

Hello! There she is!

She's a really sweet-natured little puppy.

-DOG BARKS

-The family adore her. Shush, Boo!

And she get on really well with the other dogs.

She loves Peg, and runs over to say good morning to her in her kennel.

Here, Olive, where's your mate?

Here she is. Here she is!

Here's a good girl. Peg's very tolerant of her.

But there's so many dangers and so much to learn on the farm,

and the only way to do that is to acclimatise her nice and slowly,

so I just take her with me and teach her everything that goes on.

DOG BARKS

ADAM WHISTLES

Boo!

Hup!

-HE LAUGHS

-There's a good girl.

Come on, then. Do a little jump up.

As the days begin to lengthen,

it's time to think about the new life that will soon be born here.

I've got a flock of pregnant ewes out in the fields,

which I need to check on.

These are some of my little primitive sheep.

We've got North Ronaldsays, Borerays,

the brown ones are Castlemilk Moorits.

And they're quite hungry. It's been cold this morning.

They want their breakfast, which is why they're running along after me.

And I am going to take them back to the farm,

sort them into their breed groups,

and then put them in small paddocks near the house

where I can keep an eye on them, ready for lambing.

As well as getting Olive used to travelling in the vehicles,

it's important to introduce her to the livestock.

And Boo and Peg are obviously very used to the sheep,

but I'll just get Olive out. Here, Olive!

Come here.

Stay there, Peg.

Come on!

These little primitive sheep out here can be quite flighty,

so when they see a dog, they might run away

and I don't want her to chase them, thinking it's good fun.

But also, they might come over and give her a bit of a butt

and she needs to learn that respect.

I don't want her to think of sheep as a toy,

something to mess around with.

I'm going to drop her down and see how she reacts.

So, she's got her tail tucked between her legs.

She's obviously quite nervous of them.

-OLIVE BARKS

-Ah, ah, no! No, Olive. No.

So, there, it was turning into a game.

So, I'm just telling her off, just, "That's not what I want you to do."

Olive! No!

No!

This is a bit of a critical moment,

the sheep is moving away and Olive's followed

and then the sheep turned around and stamped at her and she stopped.

She's got to learn that respect.

Here, she's more interested in eating the sheep nuts

than anything else.

Oh!

See, that Herdwick has just knocked her back now

and that hasn't hurt her,

but it's taught her a lesson not to mess around with these animals.

Perfect reaction, really.

She's not getting overexcited, she's not trying to chase them,

she's backing off when they approach her.

It's very good. Here, Olive.

Right, that's that lesson done.

Time to get the proper sheepdog out!

Peg would have gone through similar challenges when she was a pup.

If you can trust your dogs around other animals,

it makes training much easier and, before long,

man and his best friend are working as a team.

With the sheep rounded up,

I can start splitting them into groups.

Right, while I sort these sheep out,

I've left the dogs in the back of the truck.

I know that Olive is safe and contained there -

she can't get into trouble.

So, if I try and get the Castlemilk Moorits out first -

these brown ones - I'll try and run them through this gate.

Go on, then - in you go.

I think they all speak the same language.

That's it.

Not you.

'These ewes were pregnancy scanned several weeks ago.

'Hardy breeds like these usually only have single lambs.

'We've marked them red.

'But, this year, a few are carrying twins.

'We've marked these blue.

'This is time-consuming work,

'but when the lambs start to be born, we'll be well prepared.'

Sometimes Peg yaps a bit when I'm working the sheep

and she wants to join in,

but it's important the dogs learn to be patient and quiet

in the back of the buggy like this.

And Olive's doing really well -

in fact, she's having a little lie down.

Right, time to get these sheep dropped off.

Right, I've put the singles next door

and then these are the Castlemilk Moorit twins in here.

Come on, then, girls.

There.

So, these primitive breeds can lamb perfectly happily on their own,

outdoors, need very little care, whereas my commercial sheep,

I tend to lamb indoors, just so I can look after them more carefully.

BLEATING

These are our commercial ewes with some of the larger rare breeds

and they CAN lamb outdoors, but in comparison to the primitives,

they do need more assistance - they have bigger lambs and more of them.

What we have is twins in here,

triplets in here and singles in the far pen.

They've all been scanned, like the primitives have,

so we know how many lambs they're carrying.

And we feed them the appropriate amount of food

to keep the sheep in the right condition.

Because we've got all the pregnant ewes in here,

they can get stressed in the presence of a dog,

so we leave the dogs out of the lambing shed, keep them well away.

Right, these are the triplets, so they're getting plenty of grub.

Olive's coped brilliantly so far,

but how will she fare with some of my larger livestock?

I've got to take these cattle back to the handling pens

cos I've got the vet coming,

but before I do that, I'll just get Olive out.

Here, Olive.

Right, I'll just pop a...

a lead on her.

Cattle can be very inquisitive around dogs

and quite aggressive, particularly if they've got calves,

and so I just want her to learn what cattle are about.

Learn what they look like, how they behave,

because she's going to be around cattle all her life.

But I won't go too close.

-OLIVE BARKS

-No, no, no, shh.

Shush.

You can see this cow here now, look -

she's got her ears facing forward.

She's not looking at me, she's looking at the dog.

Olive doesn't really know what's going on!

Thinks they're a bit scary and a bit threatening,

so she's barking at them.

I don't want to let her go, otherwise she might get hurt.

And so might I.

Come on. Let's get back in the truck.

Here! Come on.

'That's a good introduction to cattle for Olive.

'Time to round them up and get back to the yard

'for the last bit of feeding of the day.'

Olive, here.

'It's more than just sheep and cattle

'young Olive will have to get used to.'

Here, good girl.

'Living on a farm is exciting and scary for a puppy.

'But spending time out and about should help her find her place

'in our family of dogs.'

Right, that's the goats sorted.

Time to put the dogs away and get this puppy fed.

Here, dogs.

-HE WHISTLES

-Boo!

Winter months on the farm can be pretty hard work,

particularly when the weather's miserable.

But having a young dog around really brightens up my day,

and Olive certainly puts a smile on my face! You're lovely, aren't you?

You've done very well today.

Good girl.

SHE BARKS

Sitting about halfway between Great Britain and Ireland,

the Isle of Man is a world apart -

a place where farmers and fishermen have shaped the landscape

and its cultural heritage for centuries.

Now the Isle of Man is fast becoming a foodie destination.

The island's government has hooked up with farmers

and food producers to put Manx goods on the map.

So, when a baker...

wanted to use locally-produced rye flour,

he spoke to the government,

who found a farmer...

..willing to grow the rye.

All he needed next...

was a mill.

And he found one.

Laxey Glen Mill, which for the last 150 years

has been milling the oats and wheat more usually grown on the island.

Milling rye is something new.

I'm meeting the boss, Sandra Donnelly,

to find out more - if I can hear above the noise!

MACHINES WHIR

These are very different to the old machines!

Sandra, what's the difference in the process

when you're milling wheat compared to rye?

It's basically the shape of the grain.

Rye is much thinner and smaller than wheat grain,

so you have to slow the mill down, coming onto the mill,

and make the rollers grind harder,

so you push them closer together

and it is trial and error - we're still trying to get it right.

To get it dead-on. Can we see some of the rest of the process?

Yeah, I'll start it up for you.

All right, lovely. Let's go and have a look.

'First, the rye is ground up by special serrated rollers.

'This releases most of the flour, which is then sieved.'

It's getting finer.

'The process is repeated on a series of smooth rollers

'until you have the finished product.'

So, this must be the very last stage of the process?

Yes, this is where they're bagging the rye and hand-stitching it.

-That's neat, isn't it?

-I know!

And why did you decide to take on rye, if you hadn't done it before?

Well, it was one of our newer customers,

who's opened an artisan bakery on the island.

He said, "Is there any chance of growing it here?"

So, we got one of our local farmers to grow it,

and this is the end process.

-Miles is somewhere about here, checking some of the flour...

-Is he?

Let's go and find the man responsible for all this then,

shall we?

Miles Pettit runs that bakehouse.

All this was his idea.

So, here he is here, Miles.

-Ah, YOU'RE the man responsible!

-Oh, I'm afraid so!

How did it all come about, then?

Well, rye bread's been more and more popular at the bakehouse

over the last couple of years,

and I guess I had a bit of a crazy idea one day.

We import quite a lot of rye onto the island and I suddenly thought,

"Wouldn't it be great if someone could grow it here for us?"

And then Sandra to mill it for us...

And here we are!

We've now got a product and we're now using it at the bakehouse.

It was a bit of a risk for you, though, Sandra.

Did it take a bit of persuading?

Well, it didn't, because the Isle of Man government

offered to underwrite the whole project, so there was no risk.

We were quids-in, really, so we gave it a shot and it worked out.

Now, I can think of nothing better, Miles,

than coming to your bakery and helping you sample your bread.

-It's a tough job, but I will do it for you.

-Right! Come with me, then!

-Let's go and have a look.

-See you again.

-See you later, Sandra!

Bye-bye.

This is a dream job for me.

Right, well, let's try some. This is 100% rye,

which is made using the local Manx rye, so...

-Dig into this.

-That's raisin and walnut loaf, so try that.

Oh, it's lovely. Very moist,

very doughy in the middle.

Why does it matter to you that it's produced locally?

One of the things that stuck with me

is every pound spent in the local economy,

90 pence stays within that economy.

You cut down on food miles,

you cut down on food waste

and us being a local producer,

it's sort of quite important that we keep feeding each other, really.

But alongside the trendy, there's still room for the traditional.

And when it comes to bread, nothing is more Manx than bonnag.

This was the daily bread of the Manx people.

A legendary loaf that even has its own World Championships.

Miles may be an award-winning baker, but when it comes to bonnag,

he's a beginner compared to World Bonnag Champion,

11-year-old Tom Keig.

-Congratulations, Tom!

-Thank you.

This is your trophy, is it?

-Erm, yes!

-Had your celebratory drink out of that?

-Erm...!

ELLIE LAUGHS

-So, do you think you could teach me how to make bonnag?

-Of course.

Well done, what have I got to do first?

You need to put in ¾ lb of flour.

OK, let's put some of that in over here.

-So, you must have started cooking really young?

-Erm, yes.

I started cooking at about eight

and, actually, I got the recipe off my nan,

through a recipe that went through my family.

-She must have been very proud, then, when you won?

-Yeah.

-What's next?

You need to put half a pint of buttermilk.

Just pouring it in?

'Then a teaspoon of baking powder and bicarb of soda.'

-Now the big mix, yes?

-Well...

There is one secret ingredient as well, which...erm...

I'm afraid it can't be shown on telly.

You'll just have to look away, it's top-secret!

Look away now, here comes the secret ingredient.

No looking...

No looking!

Yeah, you can look - you can look, now. Your secret is safe, Tom.

No-one will steal that crown.

-So, have you got one you've made earlier for us?

-Yeah.

You have, let's have a look - where's that, then?

So, this will be the perfect consistency when cooked

and HERE is an award-winning...

How about that for a bake?

Look at that! Beautifully made.

SHE GASPS I'm looking forward to this.

Mmm.

That is lovely.

-This has been one of my best days ever - you know why?

-Why?

I've eaten bakery products all day!

It's been brilliant!

-Well done, you.

-Thank you.

-Very nice.

We're on the Isle of Man,

where Ellie's been exploring the ghostly relics

of its agricultural past

and I hitched a ride on the world's oldest surviving horse-drawn tram.

The Shires and Clydesdales that haul the trams

are tough, strong workhorses,

but even they need to call it a day sometimes,

and when that day comes,

there's a special place with peace and quiet...

and pampering!

This is Bulrhenny Farm,

better known as the Isle Of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses -

a 90-acre retirement village for former tram horses and others.

It was set up in 1955 by sisters Mildred Royston and May Kermode.

Today, it's run by a dedicated team,

including vet Raymond Cox.

This is a haven for all those ponies and horses

that deserve a long and good retirement.

In the summertime, we keep our laminitics in here.

The horses here get grouped according to size

and quickly make friends.

They roam free, but there's shelter when they need it.

This field is particularly ex-riding ponies, family ponies,

ponies that show jumped, did all sorts.

But the real draw for me

is the 20 gentle giants

that once pulled the island's trams.

This is where we keep the heavy horses now

for their winter quarters.

This must be one of the biggest collections of rare horses

you can get - it's incredible.

Well, it's great to see them, isn't it?

There's something very statuesque and proud about the big horses,

and even when they're old,

20, 30 years of age,

they still retain that majestic look, don't they?

Typically, these tram horses are retired at 20

and can enjoy up to a decade of well-earned rest.

Sometimes, with old age comes infirmity,

and Ray's expert eye has spotted a gelding called Jubilee

who's suddenly become painfully lame.

You can see from the way he's trying to move,

and take the weight off the right fore

to alleviate obviously the sore foot that he's got.

I would say this is probably a foot abscess.

-First, catch your patient!

-Yeah!

'Easier said than done when your patient weighs nearly a tonne.'

Steady, now. Steady.

Steady.

He's one of the more feisty horses here, Ray said,

so catching him clearly isn't going to be easy.

Come on... Jubilee, come on.

Come on, sweetie.

-Down towards the gate, lads.

-'But, with a bit of help...'

Come on, Jubilee.

'..Ray has Jubilee in hand.'

Good boy.

Good boy. Good boy.

Good boy. Come on, sweetie. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Back in the farmyard, resident farrier Andrew Dooley gets to work.

It looks like Jubilee's foot is infected.

The wonderful thing about horses is they're all walking around

on their third fingers, OK?

The entire weight of this horse

is being borne on one finger.

And its hoof is the fingernail,

which is why horses' limbs and feet

-are so susceptible to injury and whatnot.

-OK.

And why would a horse get infected in this way?

-Bruising maybe, from going over on a stone.

-OK.

-Wet makes them more predisposed to getting infection.

-I see.

It's just a matter of...

..examining all the black areas

and see what...what comes out.

A bit more clipping and Andrew locates the infected area.

So, we've found the source of the infection.

-So, Andrew, instant relief now for Jubilee?

-Yeah.

Once you break the pressure and it eases,

the natural gravity and force of the foot will push everything out,

so it'll take him a couple of hours to forget about all the pain itself,

but, yeah, he'll be grand.

We can get a poultice on this next, start this horse now on painkillers.

He'll be in for two, three days

and then, eventually, back into his group

and running around within a week.

Lucky horse.

'Finally, the hoof is bandaged.'

-You're pretty handy, Ray - you can come round mine at Christmas.

-Yes!

I've got a few things you could wrap!

It'll just take three days for Jubilee to be fully healed

and back in his field.

And that's what this place is all about, isn't it?

Keeping these animals fit and healthy.

They've done their work, they've pulled the trams

and now it's about a great retirement.

Yeah, it is, yeah. That's what we're here for

and keeps us doing the job that we like to do and the horses need.

-Just the one interested, then, Joe?

-I've been trying, but...

They've all got their heads down! It's just Biggles, here.

-Biggles, Ellie - Ellie, Biggles.

-Hello, Biggles.

I might have the answer - look at this! Some juicy carrots.

-I've got treats for them and for you.

-Oh, yes!

-Biggles, how about a carrot?

Oh, yeah! You know it. Now, how about this? This is a local speciality,

special to the Isle of Man - bonnag.

-Ooh, let me try!

-If you've been out in the freezing cold,

a bit of that might warm the cockles!

-That is good.

-It's got some spice in there.

-Oh, very good!

-Very nice.

We could finish this off.

And that is all we've got time for from the Isle of Man this week.

Next week, we're going to be on the South Downs,

where we'll be meeting a very special pony blazing its own trail.

And hopefully, we'll be getting a spectacular glimpse

-of our breathtaking night sky.

-Wonderful.

We'll see you then. Bye-bye!

-Right, come on - a bit more of that.

-Go on, help yourself.