0:00:25 > 0:00:29This is the coastal flatland of Kent, Romney Marsh.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34Beautiful, isolated, compelling in its remoteness.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Nowadays, it's a picture of tranquillity,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39but step back in time a couple of hundred years
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and you would be taking your life into your own hands out here.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Marauding gangs roamed this marsh,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48looking for a prize worth its weight in gold.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50And it's not what you might think.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54There are treasures aplenty on this stretch of coastline.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59All sorts of flora and fauna. A riot of colour and life.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Nowhere more so than this place, Scotney Castle.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05To say that the wildlife loves it here would be an understatement.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08All sorts of animals have made the estate their home,
0:01:08 > 0:01:13but there's one little creature in particular that is making waves.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Well, ripples, anyway.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18And scream if you want to go faster!
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Tom asks if the countryside is missing out on high-speed broadband.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Many people enjoy life in the digital fast lane,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29but millions of us in rural areas are just
0:01:29 > 0:01:34crawling along the superhighway with no access to superfast broadband.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38So should we be spending hundreds of millions on the need
0:01:38 > 0:01:41for speed in rural areas? I'll be investigating.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Meanwhile, Adam's trying out a new tool in the
0:01:44 > 0:01:46fight against Schmallenberg.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Today, I'm injecting my sheep with the contents of this bottle -
0:01:49 > 0:01:52a vaccine which should help to protect them against a horrible
0:01:52 > 0:01:56disease that's been plaguing British farmers for the last two years.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Romney Marsh, a distinctive patchwork of low-lying land.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Cut through with streams and canals, rich in wildlife and history.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Romney Marsh covers 100 square miles along the coast,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39stretching from Hastings in East Sussex to Hythe in Kent.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Looking at this marsh,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47you would think you could cross it no problem, but you'd be wrong.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It's an obstacle course.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52There's a maze of ditches, watercourses and bridges.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55They do say, if there's a footpath, then stick to it.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57And I've found one.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03This landscape hasn't always been this idyllic.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Right up until the mid 19th century, the unwary traveller would
0:03:06 > 0:03:10have been risking life and limb crossing these marshes.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Because this was smuggling country, plain and simple.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The featureless expanses and hidden creeks
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and waterways made it a smuggler's paradise.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27On top of that, France is just under 30 miles away.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32These smugglers weren't just trading in alcohol, tobacco and guns.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35What they were also after were sheep.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39And the Romney Marsh was a goldmine.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Smugglers would kill for the wool on their backs.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47I'm catching up with local Steve Humphries to find out more.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So, Steve, what was it then about wool that was so attractive?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Well, there was a big woollen industry in the country.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Wool was the first commodity to have an export tax put on it
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- back in the 13th century.- Right.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05So once you've got an export tax on something, then smuggling begins.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10And over the next few centuries, then smuggling went on and on.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The smuggling gangs that arose during the 17th
0:04:14 > 0:04:19and 18th centuries were often from villages quite some way away.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22But of course, they would employ local labourers,
0:04:22 > 0:04:28local agricultural workers to carry the contraband from the coast
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- and they would pay them good money. - And were they living like kings?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- What kind of money were they earning?- They made a lot of money.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Big fortunes were made out of smuggling certainly by the
0:04:39 > 0:04:44leaders of these gangs and everybody involved made some money out of it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49- So it was popular. - How risky was this, Steve?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52What kind of a world were they working in?
0:04:52 > 0:04:58In 1662, the death penalty was imposed for smuggling wool.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So the smugglers probably thought, "Well, if I'm going to be hanged
0:05:01 > 0:05:07"for smuggling, if I murder someone on the way, I'll still be hanged."
0:05:07 > 0:05:09And of course, there's the phrase -
0:05:09 > 0:05:12rather be hung for a sheep than a lamb.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21These were clearly not guys to mess with.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But there was one hardy breed who protected the flocks.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He was called a looker
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and was employed to look out for the sheep and trouble.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33A rough and tumble job, but it came with its own accommodation.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36These self-employed lookers
0:05:36 > 0:05:39would spend about six weeks of the year in here.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42They came into their own at lambing time.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46There's a fireplace, enough room for a hay-bale bed and plenty of room to
0:05:46 > 0:05:50store all of your tools, so to be honest, what more could you want?
0:05:50 > 0:05:51But during the 19th century,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56with 350 of these huts scattered right across the marsh, the chances
0:05:56 > 0:06:00are that contraband would have found its way into here as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06It seems everybody was in on the act, even the local churches.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Smuggling expert Richard Platt is going to tell me
0:06:09 > 0:06:11more of this sorry tale.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14So this church was one of the many churches then that were
0:06:14 > 0:06:16involved in storing this contraband.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Why were churches such an attractive prospect for the smugglers?
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Churches were great for smugglers because they were cavernous.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26They had cavernous interiors and lots of nooks
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and crannies where you could hide stuff.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But also because they were one of the few places
0:06:31 > 0:06:35in a village where the door could be locked without arousing suspicion.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I think the vicars really played a passive role in the whole thing.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41They weren't actively involved in smuggling,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45but they were aware it was going on and they didn't see any moral
0:06:45 > 0:06:48contradiction in allowing this to happen.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50But there must have been a lot of coming and going.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52If they were storing stuff here,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55the smugglers would come in and take it to their market.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Yeah, there would have been a constant
0:06:58 > 0:07:03parade of people into the church to drop stuff off and pick it up.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And how would the priests be thanked for their services?
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The priests would be paid off, not in money, but they would find a little
0:07:10 > 0:07:13keg of brandy or something outside their back door
0:07:13 > 0:07:17in the dead of night, or a small bale of tobacco.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21But there's one sign that suggests just how welcome the smugglers
0:07:21 > 0:07:22were here.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25This is a picture of a ship
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and it was supposedly a sign of a place of safety,
0:07:28 > 0:07:34probably from the time when smugglers were exporting wool as contraband,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37rather than importing brandy and luxuries like that.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39So this was a kind of secret sign.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43This huge image, the biggest in the whole church, is a secret sign!
0:07:43 > 0:07:48It's a secret sign, yeah. That was the whole thing about smuggling.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49It was an open secret.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Everybody really knew about it and everybody connived in it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Unless you bought your tobacco, tea and brandy from a smuggler,
0:07:56 > 0:07:57you were a fool.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Yeah, fair enough.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The smugglers didn't have it all their own way.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Getting caught meant the death penalty.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And many a lost soul spent their last nights here,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13New Hall Prison in Dymchurch.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18This was one of four cells exactly the same size underneath the court.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22There would have been up to four men in here and when you look around,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27you can see evidence of how they've tried to just keep their minds busy.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29All these etchings that are scratched into the wood.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33There's some beautiful writing here.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And also these images here, the birds and the horses.
0:08:37 > 0:08:43But it just feels... It's grim in here.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48It's cold, it's dark, it's lonely. You can sense a lot of unhappiness.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Now, whilst we're exploring Kent, Tom is up in the north east
0:08:56 > 0:08:58of England,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02finding out about plans to bring rural Britain into the 21st century.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08The British countryside might be the perfect place to get
0:09:08 > 0:09:10away from it all, but these days,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14wherever we are, we still want decent access to the internet.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Yet, in rural areas, the service varies massively.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Some locations are crawling on with the most basic connections,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28a mere 0.5 megabits per second, not even enough for BBC iPlayer.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Others, even, are still on dial-up. Remember that sound?
0:09:33 > 0:09:37DIALLING
0:09:42 > 0:09:47But some are flying along at 30 megabits per second.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Plenty for your online business
0:09:49 > 0:09:54and all the possible family fun on the internet beside.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59But does that matter?
0:09:59 > 0:10:03In parts of the country that seem to offer a slower pace of life,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07is there really a need for high-speed broadband?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Ian Close, his mum Pat
0:10:12 > 0:10:16and their family run a large dairy farm in rural Lancashire.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17They're struggling to run
0:10:17 > 0:10:21their business with a basic dial-up connection.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, Ian, as a farmer, what's the big issue for you in working with
0:10:24 > 0:10:27a rubbish internet connection?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30The expectation is everything has to be done online now.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The other day, the vet was talking to us about something,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37"You can go and look it up on YouTube. There's a presentation.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40"It's show you everything I'm talking about.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43"No, but you haven't got a decent internet connection,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- "so you won't be able to do it." - There's that
0:10:46 > 0:10:51expectation now that you'll have that big data pipe to your house.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Everything is geared up for having a fast internet connection.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59And when you haven't got it, it makes life very difficult.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04Ian's problems aren't just shared by a few isolated farmers.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Businesses in rural areas generate
0:11:06 > 0:11:09around a fifth of the British economy.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12That's hundreds of billions of pounds every year.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Yet, many are struggling with connections that would be
0:11:14 > 0:11:17unacceptable to most urban companies
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and it's not just businesses that are suffering.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25When communities lack decent internet, what's the effect?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Well, they're cut off. That's the first thing, I suppose.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32They're cut off from the outside world, in a lot of cases.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Especially rural farms, rural houses, the ones that are isolated, but
0:11:36 > 0:11:41you tend to have a lack of inclusion when you don't have the internet.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44People simply don't know what's going on in the outside world.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Does it actually make it difficult for them
0:11:46 > 0:11:51- to be part of 21st-century society? - I think so. I really do.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53They haven't got the instant research,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56they can't access the shops, the internet banking.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00In farming, you've got all the forms that are online.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's all that sort of thing that really affects us
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and it makes us feel remote.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Commercial companies have managed to supply two-thirds of the UK
0:12:10 > 0:12:16with superfast internet access and that's an achievement in itself.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19But they stop short of rolling out their fibre optic cables
0:12:19 > 0:12:22into the remotest parts of our countryside,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27saying the low population density made it not commercially viable.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Yet, all is not lost.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Fibre optic cables may soon be coming to a village near you.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39One fibre in your hand will do a lot better job than this 300 pair cable.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- Quite significantly?- Yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The Government has now stepped in with a half a billion pound
0:12:45 > 0:12:48investment designed to bring the rest of the country up to
0:12:48 > 0:12:50speed by 2015.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The broadband delivery UK project aims to connect
0:12:54 > 0:12:57the parts that the commercial market won't reach.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59And BT has been chosen to do the work.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02What kind of scale is this on?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Well, take north Yorkshire, for instance.
0:13:05 > 0:13:0810,000km of fibre's got to go in the ground in order to
0:13:08 > 0:13:11deliver...connect up 90% of the premises across north Yorkshire.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It's one of the biggest challenges in the UK.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- 10,000km, that's in a single county. - Yes, exactly.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20We're talking about hundreds of thousands across Britain.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Absolutely, hundreds of thousands of kilometres, tens of thousands
0:13:24 > 0:13:27of green cabinets and technology we have to deploy out to the field.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- So it's a big undertaking. - And how many millions of pounds?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It's a very expensive game,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35very capital intensive communications business.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Some people think it's just for Christmas, it's not. It's for ever.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Whatever we put in, it's got to work today, tomorrow and be upgradeable.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We'll put about £1 billion in, the Government will put £1 billion.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50500 coming from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55500 million from local authorities like North Yorkshire County Council.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Other parts of Yorkshire have already reaped the rewards
0:13:59 > 0:14:03of improved internet connectivity, thanks to a similar scheme.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07In the small village of South Otterington, a high-speed connection
0:14:07 > 0:14:12has brought significant benefits to the school and local business.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15It's been a really big bonus for the parents, the children,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18who can now do their homework at home.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21We have the school blog they can contribute to,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24we have a learning platform, they can access resources at home
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and help complete their homework.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It's been a bonus for the business community
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and benefited our parents that way.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35But will the rewards of the latest rollout be worth the cost?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Yes, there's commercial investment from BT
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and a lump sum from central government, but the rest
0:14:41 > 0:14:46of the money will in many cases have to come from hard-up local councils.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48And, as I'll be finding out later,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52the people who need it the most are the least likely to get it.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Kent, the Garden of England.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Spring is blooming into summer in spectacular style.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15This is Scotney Castle, apparently the most romantic garden in England.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I feel as if I have stepped into a fairytale.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!
0:15:26 > 0:15:27She's not in.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Even if romance and fairytales are not your bag, a floral display
0:15:32 > 0:15:36like this does make your heart beat that little bit faster.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The gardens were created by the Hussey family,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43who lived here for more than 200 years.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48A well-to-do bunch, they wanted the views from their stately pile
0:15:48 > 0:15:51to resemble a wild paradise.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55They planted rainbows of rhododendrons,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58explosions of sweet-smelling azaleas.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Vines creep over walls
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and tree roots emerge from paths and walkways.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08No wonder 130,000 people visit here every year.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12But little would they suspect what wild treasures are lurking nearby
0:16:12 > 0:16:15beneath these murky waters.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24The great crested newt, dragons of the amphibian world.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26They are the largest and most threatened
0:16:26 > 0:16:28of our three native newt species.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Lee Brady is an ecologist, county recorder for newts
0:16:35 > 0:16:39and also president of the Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- Hello, Lee.- Hello.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44With those credentials he has got the licence and more importantly,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47the experience, to handle these protected species.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Is it unusual to find great crested newts in, essentially,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- a swimming pool? - It's not particularly unusual.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00We do find great crested newts in a wide range of different water bodies
0:17:00 > 0:17:03including swimming pools like this.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Now, what's interesting about this pool is that potentially,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09the newts are doing quite well here.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11So we're trying to investigate why that might be.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13And how many do you reckon are in there?
0:17:13 > 0:17:18We have got what we would call a medium relative population.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22That is a maximum count of about 15 individuals.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The great crested newt.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26Why the crest?
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Well, the males have a crest only during the breeding season
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and it's part of their secondary sexual characteristics
0:17:35 > 0:17:38in order to attract a female.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- It's always about the showing off, isn't it?- It is.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- And some males have bigger crests than others.- Of course.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49We believe the crest helps the animal to breathe underwater.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Newts can absorb oxygen across their skin
0:17:52 > 0:17:56so great crested newts with larger crests potentially can absorb
0:17:56 > 0:17:59more oxygen and therefore stay underwater for longer.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Males with smaller crests that have to come to the surface
0:18:02 > 0:18:04for a gulp of air will lose the interest of the females.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06So larger crests are better. Potentially.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- But interestingly, they don't keep the crest all year round?- No.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Outside of the breeding season, the animals typically are found on land
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and the crest would be an impediment to their movement on land
0:18:16 > 0:18:19so they reabsorb the crest back into their bodies.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It's so clever, isn't it?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- Shall we have a look at some now? - Let's have a look.- Thank you.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27How many different species of newt in here?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30We've got female great crested newts
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and we've got smooth and palmate newts.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38So this particular swimming pool actually supports
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- all three of the native newt species.- Brilliant.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So what I'd like to do is to show you a great crested newt belly.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Yes, please.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- What have you got here? - This is a squash box.- Squash box!
0:18:51 > 0:18:53But it doesn't literally squash them?
0:18:53 > 0:18:58It holds them gently against a clear surface.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Oh, look at that! She is having a little wriggle in there.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03She is having a little wriggle.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- I've been careful I don't squash her too much.- Yeah, she's fine.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- For anybody watching at home, she's absolutely fine.- So, very bright.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Yeah.- Black blotches with a unique pattern.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16These markings are completely individual.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- This is its bar code, in essence. - It is.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23We can identify each animal in this pool from its belly pattern.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25It's a very, very bright colour.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Is that a warning signal as well?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It does, it tells predators that they are distasteful.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36In terms of this pool, is it quite a dreamy situation for newts?
0:19:36 > 0:19:41The swimming pool is very good for newts because it is full of food.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The newts are very well fed.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I suspect that they are also still egg-laying and in fact today,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50we have found a number of eggs in the pond, which perhaps...
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- So they're breeding?- Yeah, yeah. They're laying eggs.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55One of the things we want to discover is
0:19:55 > 0:19:58whether those eggs are hatching successfully and
0:19:58 > 0:20:01whether the tadpoles are successfully metamorphosing
0:20:01 > 0:20:03into juveniles.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09There we are, little ones.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Back in your nice, watery home.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Amazing little creatures.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20This summer, the BBC is encouraging us all to find out more
0:20:20 > 0:20:23about the incredible wildlife that's on our doorsteps.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Naturalist and wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor Jones lives
0:20:26 > 0:20:29right here in Kent, so who better to show us how.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I've lived in Kent most of my life.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And I'm constantly amazed at the stunning array of plant
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and animal life there is on my doorstep.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48You have to know where to look, of course.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And just down the road from my house in Deal
0:20:50 > 0:20:53is actually a very good place to start.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And this part of East Kent
0:20:56 > 0:20:58is home to two of my favourite British species,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01the barn owl and the common seal.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Now, it's June, so both of them are going to be
0:21:04 > 0:21:06in full-on breeding mode.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Barn owls will be out gathering food for their young
0:21:09 > 0:21:13and the common seals, well, they'll all be gathering together to mate.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16So it's an ideal opportunity to get out and enjoy them.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21As it's heading towards late afternoon, I am going
0:21:21 > 0:21:22for the owls first,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26as they should be getting ready to get out and about.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30What's more, I know a very obvious place to start tracking them down.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37When you go looking for barn owls, you think to yourself,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40"Maybe I should find a barn!" And I have done, just over there.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Do you know what, I've found an owl as well.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44But it's not a barn owl.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51This is a little owl.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56As its name suggests, it is our smallest owl,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00standing only about 25 centimetres tall.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04It's not actually native to the UK, having been introduced from Europe
0:22:04 > 0:22:09by an enthusiastic 19th-century bird collector.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11I've got to say, I rather like the little owl.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I know he's not a native species, but he is very characterful,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19with his lemon yellow eyes and white eyebrows.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22In fact, they make him look quite serious. Nice little find.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Very nice little find.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31That's a lucky encounter I wasn't expecting.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35But onto the main business of the evening - finding the barn owls.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I just love filming barn owls hunting, but tonight,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I want to take it one stage further and that is going to involve
0:22:42 > 0:22:45my grandfather's old walking stick and this tiny little camera.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49The plan is that I will tape the camera to the top of the stick,
0:22:49 > 0:22:50then go out into the field,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55cover myself in grass, and lie there, squeaking like a vole.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56HE SQUEAKS
0:22:56 > 0:22:59That should bring the barn owl right overhead.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01With the camera pointing up at the sky,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04I will get a vole's-eye view of a barn owl hunting.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The results from this rather odd-looking approach
0:23:10 > 0:23:14can be great fun, as this shot from a previous shoot shows.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18The owls really do fly over your head.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But of course, the first thing I need tonight is an owl.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I know they're here, because I've been watching them for several days.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30But tonight, things are not looking promising.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33The sun is almost on the horizon now.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Probably got about 20 minutes of light left.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41HE SIGHS
0:23:41 > 0:23:45I find this part of my job so frustrating.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47You can do all the planning in the world,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50but if the wildlife doesn't want to play ball, then...
0:23:53 > 0:23:54..nothing you can do.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00'It's not looking good.'
0:24:00 > 0:24:04But then suddenly, far in the distance, a barn owl.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Gliding along fence row,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10I dump the big camera and go for the overhead shot.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12But with no time to cover myself up,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16the owl is coming straight towards me out in the open.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19(Get down, get down!)
0:24:19 > 0:24:25HE SQUEAKS REPEATEDLY
0:24:31 > 0:24:33That was so close.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I didn't get the shot.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40And I'm only prepared to distract the owl once
0:24:40 > 0:24:44from its hunting duties. Any more would be unfair.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47So that's the end of my barn owl filming today.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Some you win, some you lose!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52That's the wildlife filmmaker's lot.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Another day brings another challenge
0:24:58 > 0:25:03and this time I'm off to Pegwell Bay, to find common seals.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05They live out on a nature reserve.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And once more, I'm down in the grass.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I've been given special permission to come out onto the reserve
0:25:14 > 0:25:16to film the seals.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It's really important that I don't disturb them
0:25:19 > 0:25:21so in this big, flat, open saltmarsh landscape,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25the only way to approach them is on my hands and knees.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I can't see the seals
0:25:37 > 0:25:41and I'm worried that I've got this one wrong, too.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43But actually, far from it.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46I couldn't have got it more right.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57The dead giveaway that these are common seals, not grey seals,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01our other UK species, is that they have very lovely heart-shaped
0:26:01 > 0:26:04appearance to their nostrils.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And that really defines them as a common seal.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09They are also a little bit smaller than the grey seal
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and I think rather kind of prettier looking.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I'm pleased to see that there are good numbers here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20With half a dozen or so hauled out on the bank
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and at least as many in the water.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24In recent years,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28there have even been reports of youngsters here, too.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Which is great news,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34as common seals are actually not at all that common in the UK.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Numbers have dropped dramatically in some areas,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40so any pups are good news.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42There seems to be an old bicycle tyre
0:26:42 > 0:26:44floating down the river.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48I guess you'd expect that in our urban south-east world.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51But you know what, the seals are quite enjoying it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55One of them is in there, investigating it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59I think giving it a chew, a bit of a nudge. A little toy to play with.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It all seems very innocent.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But sadly, I have witnessed a lot of marine life become
0:27:06 > 0:27:10trapped in human debris, which can be life-threatening.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16So I am relieved to see this seal get bored of its game
0:27:16 > 0:27:17and quickly move on.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23The incoming tide has brought more seals in with it.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28And there seems to be a bit of a shift in the mood of the colony.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30They all seem a little bit friskier.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34And one in particular is porpoise-ing out of the water,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38charging up onto the bank, charging back in the water.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I don't quite know what the behaviour is all about, but
0:27:41 > 0:27:45it could be some kind of display of dominance, display of strength.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Hard to say. But great fun to watch.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54The riverbank I'm filming on may be off-limits without permission,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58but it's still dead easy to see the seals as there are regular
0:27:58 > 0:28:00seal-watching boat trips here.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03And they'll get you way closer to the seals than I am.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07I'd have very wobbly shots if I was on the boat,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10so it's the muddy bank for me.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13But there's worse places to spend the day.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Filming wildlife isn't always easy.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22But whether I get the shots or not doesn't really matter.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23What matters to me is knowing
0:28:23 > 0:28:27that these animals are right here on my doorstep.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Even in this busy county of Kent.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33And perhaps that's a reminder for all of us,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37that no matter where we live, our great British wildlife is just
0:28:37 > 0:28:39waiting out there to be enjoyed.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45If you want to discover more about the incredible species
0:28:45 > 0:28:46in your own back yard,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50go to the Countryfile website, where you'll find all the information
0:28:50 > 0:28:52about the BBC's Summer of Wildlife
0:28:52 > 0:28:54and how you can be part of it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Next time, I'll be on the trail of some of our most beautiful
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and mythical species - kingfishers and orchids.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Now earlier, we heard about
0:29:06 > 0:29:08a multi-billion pound government project
0:29:08 > 0:29:12to roll out superfast broadband across the country.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16But what about the people it still won't reach? Here's Tom.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22The Internet is now part of the very fabric of our everyday lives.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26And as far as most people are concerned, the faster, the better.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29But despite central government
0:29:29 > 0:29:35spending £530 million to deliver the best superfast broadband service
0:29:35 > 0:29:39in Europe, that'll still leave six million people
0:29:39 > 0:29:43with only the most basic Internet connectivity.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45And that's 10% of the population.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50In the majority of cases, these are people who live
0:29:50 > 0:29:54and work in the most isolated parts of the UK.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Rural communities where the economy relies on farming,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01tourism and local services that just can't move to places
0:30:01 > 0:30:03with a superfast connection.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05DIALLING
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- Long time since you've heard that!- It is, indeed.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10It's the sound of frustration, I think.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Pat Close, who we met earlier,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17lives on a remote dairy farm in Lancashire.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22Despite still having to use dial-up, she is unlikely to benefit from
0:30:22 > 0:30:26the government-sponsored project to roll out superfast broadband.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30And here, I see, we are now connected
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and we have the speed of 42 kilobits per second.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36People would laugh if they thought about
0:30:36 > 0:30:39trying to do modern work on that, wouldn't they?
0:30:39 > 0:30:43I think the banking can be the worst because even
0:30:43 > 0:30:45when we've got a good connection
0:30:45 > 0:30:49and our phone line isn't that brilliant at the best of times,
0:30:49 > 0:30:56it can take four or five minutes for the bank connection to load.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59The other night, we gave up trying to get a bank statement
0:30:59 > 0:31:01after three quarters of an hour.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06The problem for people like Pat is that the remotest parts
0:31:06 > 0:31:10of our countryside are often far removed from the fibre-optic cables
0:31:10 > 0:31:13that carry superfast broadband across the country.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17And the further you are away from the fibre,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20the harder and more expensive it is to get connected.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24So where does that leave people like the Close family?
0:31:26 > 0:31:28One of the government figures behind the rollout
0:31:28 > 0:31:31is Defra Minister Richard Benyon.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But has he just ignored the needs of the most needy?
0:31:36 > 0:31:39What about the 10% of the population who aren't going
0:31:39 > 0:31:43to benefit from all this money, all this half a billion pounds?
0:31:43 > 0:31:47That's where our rural communities broadband comes in,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50precisely designed for those communities that are the hardest
0:31:50 > 0:31:55to reach, the final 10%. We've had 83 expressions of interest.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58We asked 52 of them to put in a full application.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Money is starting to go out of the door to some schemes.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03There is a lot more to do.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06That's 20 million you're giving as opposed to the 530 million
0:32:06 > 0:32:10that you're giving to the less remote areas? Is the balance right?
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Well, a lot of rural communities
0:32:12 > 0:32:15will get funding from the main scheme.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20The £530 million worth of government funding up to £1.2 billion
0:32:20 > 0:32:23with all the public money that's going into this.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Many rural communities will get broadband,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28superfast broadband, as a result of that.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31What we are trying to do is to find the most difficult to reach,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35the remotest communities, and to make sure
0:32:35 > 0:32:38that they're playing a part in this new technology.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It may sound like they have everything covered,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43but not everyone agrees.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46There are already claims that the government is paying way over
0:32:46 > 0:32:49the odds for its superfast rollout.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53And the scheme has been described as "a train crash waiting to happen".
0:32:53 > 0:32:56But were you just trying to do it as quickly as possible rather
0:32:56 > 0:32:58than as competitively as possible
0:32:58 > 0:33:00and possibly the taxpayer has suffered as a result?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03There's a real urgency to get this out, absolutely no doubt about it
0:33:03 > 0:33:06but one of the main criticisms has come from the other direction,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08saying we're not doing it fast enough. And my line is, you know,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11OK, this is public money, this is tax payers' money.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13We've got to make sure it's spent properly.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16We've got a very clear procurement process,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18which is being run across government.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20BT are clearly the biggest player.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Have they just had it all their own way by saying,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24"Look, we're here, we can do it, give us the money?"
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Well, they have a very difficult procurement process to go
0:33:27 > 0:33:29through to get each contract.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31They're going to be held to account for each one.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33As somebody who believes in competition,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I'd like four or five providers, but we are where we are.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39But regardless of whether the cost has been
0:33:39 > 0:33:41compromised by the need to roll this out quickly,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44there are still parts of the countryside where people
0:33:44 > 0:33:48are not prepared to wait and see if they will benefit from the scheme.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Looks like you could do with a bit of extra manpower there.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- Yes, thank you, Tom. - I'll help you shove this around.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Across the UK, some resourceful communities have now banded
0:33:57 > 0:34:01together to pay for high-speed connections of their own.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Delivering the future, one metre at a time.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Here in Lancashire, Barry Ford is the founder of B4RN -
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Broadband For the Rural North.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- What is the B4RN project? - It's a cooperative.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20It a cooperative of local members of the community who just want
0:34:20 > 0:34:23to do something about the broadband. We can't live without it any more.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26It's no good waiting around for somebody else to do it
0:34:26 > 0:34:29so we decided to get together and solve the problem ourselves.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Were any of you telecoms engineers before this project started?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- None of us.- I'm the only one that had any background at all.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- You were in computing, is that right?- Computer networking.- You?
0:34:37 > 0:34:40I was an ex-engineer at British Leyland.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42I worked at a riding centre.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47- Riding centre.- I'm a designer of furniture.- That's brilliant.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Look at you now. You're making it happen. It's fantastic.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53In this community project,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57farmers dig their own trenches and lay their own pipes
0:34:57 > 0:35:00then B4RN comes along with the fibre-optic cables
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and hooks them up to the superfast mainframe.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06What kind of area are you covering and how much cash is involved?
0:35:06 > 0:35:10Well, the area is 420 square kilometres.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15It is about 3,200 properties, so it is very lightly populated.
0:35:15 > 0:35:16Quite a big chunk of Lancashire, though.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Oh, it's a big chunk of Lancashire
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and the cost will be three and a half million.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21And where is that money coming from?
0:35:21 > 0:35:23So far, it has all come from the community.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26We have had a share issue and community members have bought
0:35:26 > 0:35:30shares and we have raised half a million. That has got us going.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Then, the rest of the money, people will be doing work,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35investing their time and effort for which we reward them with shares.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37And the payback will come from them being
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- charged for broadband usage just like any other supplier?- Absolutely.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45We charge £30 a month for a gigabit, uncontended, and they just pay
0:35:45 > 0:35:49their standard £30 and as the money starts coming in, they will be
0:35:49 > 0:35:52able to redeem their shares and get their investment back.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01Oh, here it is - the superfast fibre has arrived thanks to
0:36:01 > 0:36:03this very inspiring community project.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07But it's not always this easy to do it yourself
0:36:07 > 0:36:10and the sort of investment we're talking about is
0:36:10 > 0:36:13harder to find for the poorer rural communities,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17so the challenge for the government is to spend its money wisely
0:36:17 > 0:36:21while still ensuring a lack of decent broadband doesn't
0:36:21 > 0:36:24further isolate the most remote parts of the countryside.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34It has been less than two years since the impact of a deadly virus
0:36:34 > 0:36:38called Schmallenberg was first seen on our shores.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42But in that time, it has taken a terrible toll on British livestock.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Now Adam is becoming one of the first farmers in Europe
0:36:46 > 0:36:48to try out the solution.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50This film contains some upsetting scenes.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57WHISTLING
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I'm just checking around this flock of ewes and lambs
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and they're looking really good now. The grass has started to grow
0:37:03 > 0:37:06and the lambs are starting to put on a bit of meat.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Thankfully, we didn't have any cases of Schmallenberg
0:37:09 > 0:37:12on this farm, but the disease has now spread right across Europe,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15it's in every county in England and Wales
0:37:15 > 0:37:17and it's even got into Scotland.
0:37:17 > 0:37:18On Countryfile, we've been
0:37:18 > 0:37:20following it quite closely.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Last year, John and I went
0:37:22 > 0:37:23to two farms that had had
0:37:23 > 0:37:27the disease in the very early stages when it first hit the UK
0:37:27 > 0:37:31and earlier this year, Tom Heap went to Charles Sercombe's farm
0:37:31 > 0:37:34up in Leicestershire, where his sheep had it really badly.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37- Here they are.- That's not what you want to see, is it,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- first thing? - No, I'm afraid it's not.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42There is a better start to a day than having to give birth to
0:37:42 > 0:37:43the lambs like these.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48Schmallenberg was first detected in the UK in December 2011.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51It is thought to be spread by infected midges.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56The virus attacks livestock, causing serious deformities in newborns
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and fever, diarrhoea and reduced milk yields in adult animals.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05A bit of a grim sight. Too grim, really.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Good girl.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10HE WHISTLES Good girl.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Dealing with Schmallenberg must be absolutely horrendous,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15but Charles isn't alone.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19More than 1,700 farmers have been affected by the disease now.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22But what can we do to protect our livestock in the future?
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Well, I'm meeting up with some scientists who will
0:38:24 > 0:38:26hopefully have the answer.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40'I'm meeting Dr Michael Francis,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43'head of research and development at MSD Animal Health,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45'a company that is using science
0:38:45 > 0:38:48'to find a way to combat Schmallenberg.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'I want to know what they're doing to fight this disease.'
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Frankly, apart from bio-security, it's vaccination
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and so we've been very keen to develop a vaccine that could
0:38:57 > 0:39:01effectively immunise the target species against the disease.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04We got wind of the fact that this new emerging disease was
0:39:04 > 0:39:06occurring and we really wanted to be intervening
0:39:06 > 0:39:10and getting something, potentially, to the market as soon as possible.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12As a farmer, I use various vaccines
0:39:12 > 0:39:14but I've never quite understood how they're produced.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16What's the process?
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Well, this is an inactivated viral vaccine,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21so for that type of vaccine, what we need to do is grow the virus.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25We need to grow the virus in live mammalian cells so we have
0:39:25 > 0:39:28continuous cell cultures which we can grow in artificial media.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30So you don't have to go to a live animal?
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Absolutely not. Absolutely not. These are continuous cell lines
0:39:33 > 0:39:35that have been grown for many, many years.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38If you look down this microscope now, what we're seeing here, Adam,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41is a typical cell sheet of fibroblastic cells
0:39:41 > 0:39:44across the flat bottom of the plastic culture flask.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46And once a virus attacks it?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49We then have a situation where the virus is now destroying
0:39:49 > 0:39:52the cells, the cells are rounding up
0:39:52 > 0:39:55and the virus parcels are released into the liquid.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59And from that liquid you can then harvest the virus to make a vaccine?
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Absolutely. We take the liquid and we harvest the virus
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and then we kill the virus or inactivate the virus
0:40:05 > 0:40:08so that it renders it entirely safe to the animal and
0:40:08 > 0:40:11then we mix it with an adjuvant to enhance the immune response
0:40:11 > 0:40:15within the animal and that's how we produce the vaccine.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And once you inject the animal with that vaccine,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21the animal then produces its own immune response.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Yes, it recognises it as an invading virus particle
0:40:24 > 0:40:27and it raises an antibody response against that virus.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31The vaccine was developed in the Netherlands
0:40:31 > 0:40:34and is being manufactured in Germany.
0:40:34 > 0:40:35Dr Francis is keen to show me
0:40:35 > 0:40:39one of the very first samples to arrive in this country.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- And here is the final product. 100ml of Schmallenberg vaccine.- Fantastic.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46So, is this the answer to my prayers? Will it stop Schmallenberg?
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Well, we certainly hope so.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Because the virus is spread by midges then, really,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52a vaccine is the answer
0:40:52 > 0:40:56and this vaccine will raise a good immune response within the animals.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11Earlier we saw how Schmallenberg was affecting Charles Sercombe's flock
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and now I'm travelling to his farm to see he's getting on
0:41:14 > 0:41:19and see how he's coping and whether he'll consider using the vaccine.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- Hi, Adam. - Good to see you again.- And you.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Charles, you do breed some good sheep.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31This is a lovely little flock of Charollais ram lambs.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Yeah, actually, I'm quite proud of them. They're a good bunch of sheep.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37They're all very even and well grown and looking good
0:41:37 > 0:41:39and showing quite a bit of potential, I'd like to think.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Now, Tom Heap was back here in January, filming.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Were these the lambs that were being born then?
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Yeah, they've just grown a bit in five months
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and they're what's left from that bunch that we had then.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52And how serious did it get?
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Oh, it was pretty serious for ourselves.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59We lost 40% of our lambs, which totalled about 80 altogether,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02in numerical, out of 200.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05It was very distressing and disappointing at the time.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07They're valuable sheep that you're selling on to other breeders,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11breeding rams, what's the financial impact to you?
0:42:11 > 0:42:14It's always incredibly difficult to quantify the total financial
0:42:14 > 0:42:17impact, but as you say, we do sell quite valuable animals
0:42:17 > 0:42:20and I think somewhere between £15-20,000,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22the direct impact will be.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Some of these are potentially worth several thousands individually
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and we lost four brothers and four sisters to animals that we
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- had sold for £6-7,000 last year. - Crikey.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36And so, there would be a lot more sheep in this field
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- if Schmallenberg hadn't hit you? - Oh, yes.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40I mean, there's 25 in this field.
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Normally, at this time of year,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43this bunch would have 50 sheep.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Charles, you're well known in the livestock world.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Will you be advising people to vaccinate?
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Obviously, it's not my position to tell anybody else how to run their
0:42:52 > 0:42:55business or how to farm, but we shall certainly use vaccines
0:42:55 > 0:42:58because we're working with what I consider to be quite valuable
0:42:58 > 0:43:01livestock and they will be pregnant at exactly the wrong
0:43:01 > 0:43:03time of year where it could be an impact.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05I think fellow farmers will take a view that, actually,
0:43:05 > 0:43:08for peace of mind and security of knowing that their stock will be
0:43:08 > 0:43:11protected, a lot of them will take the opportunity to use a vaccine.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Well, it's been great to see you again, Charles.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I'll certainly be vaccinating my sheep
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- and I wish you luck in the future. - Well, thank you very much
0:43:18 > 0:43:20- and I'm sure some time we'll catch up and see how we get on.- Exactly.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27At roughly £3 per sheep, like most farmers, Charles,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30who has valuable breeding stock, has weighed up
0:43:30 > 0:43:34the cost of the vaccine against the benefits he hopes it will bring.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37As it's a new vaccine and we're still learning about the disease,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40time will tell if vaccination is the answer.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43In the meantime, I've decided it's worth it.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Pregnant animals can't be vaccinated and as my cows have been
0:43:46 > 0:43:51in with a bull, I won't do them, but it's a perfect time for my sheep.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54The vaccine is only licensed for sheep and cattle.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58For sheep, they have to be four months old
0:43:58 > 0:44:00and for cattle, over two months old.
0:44:01 > 0:44:07Sheep, it is 2ml subcutaneous, so, under the skin.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11The cattle have to have two doses, four weeks apart.
0:44:11 > 0:44:16It takes about three weeks for the animal to build up an immunity.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Animals that are pregnant mustn't be vaccinated.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23So, these are young females that will go to the ram in the autumn
0:44:23 > 0:44:25so I'm getting them injected now and then
0:44:25 > 0:44:29they'll be completely covered by the time they go to the ram.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34As far as selling livestock goes, it doesn't affect that at all.
0:44:34 > 0:44:39In fact, what it does is gives the farmer confidence that the animals
0:44:39 > 0:44:43have been vaccinated and should be protected against Schmallenberg.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54It must have been horrible for Charles Sercombe with his flock
0:44:54 > 0:44:59going through Schmallenberg and ewes giving birth to deformed lambs.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02And the vaccine won't cure the disease, but for me, now that
0:45:02 > 0:45:06I've vaccinated my sheep, hopefully that will protect them
0:45:06 > 0:45:08against Schmallenberg.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13Next time, I'll be in Derbyshire where heavy horses are proving more
0:45:13 > 0:45:16useful than tractors in the preservation of an ancient woodland.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27JULIA: It took its time, but summer is finally here
0:45:27 > 0:45:30and nowhere is it more evident than in Kent.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35The Garden of England, ablaze with colour and life.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40I have already had close encounters of the newt kind and
0:45:40 > 0:45:45the landscape is literally buzzing with creatures great and small.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Now, if any other wildlife you've seen today has got you
0:45:51 > 0:45:53thinking of taking some pictures,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55then perhaps you should get out there and send your best
0:45:55 > 0:45:58efforts in to the Countryfile photographic competition.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Here's John with the details.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07The theme for this year's competition is our living landscape.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12We want pictures that capture the beauty of the British countryside -
0:46:12 > 0:46:15all the wonderful life, the fantastic scenery
0:46:15 > 0:46:17that you find within it.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30The 12 best photographs chosen by our judges will make up
0:46:30 > 0:46:33the Countryfile calendar for 2014.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45We'll also have an overall winner who will be able to choose
0:46:45 > 0:46:49photographic equipment to the value of £1,000
0:46:49 > 0:46:52and whoever takes the picture that the judges like best
0:46:52 > 0:46:55will be able to pick equipment worth £500.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09The judges' favourite in last year's competition
0:47:09 > 0:47:12was this photograph taken by Jean Burwood
0:47:12 > 0:47:14while on holiday in Scotland.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Here's Jean herself to tell us how she captured that moment.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21The photograph I took was taken
0:47:21 > 0:47:24on Skye and it was taken in October.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27We had just been across on a boat to see the seals
0:47:27 > 0:47:31and were coming back to Elgol and the weather closed in a little bit
0:47:31 > 0:47:34and the rainbow just appeared. Seeing it in the calendar
0:47:34 > 0:47:38has really brought it home and all my friends have all bought
0:47:38 > 0:47:41copies and it's been really fantastic for me.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43And even now people are saying,
0:47:43 > 0:47:46"Oh, I've seen your picture and I really like it,"
0:47:46 > 0:47:49so, no, it's never going to stop for me.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Another amateur photographer to make it into the current calendar
0:47:53 > 0:47:55was Ian Thomson from Worcester.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57When it comes to taking pictures,
0:47:57 > 0:48:01Ian loves to capture the elements at their most extreme.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02You never really can't tell
0:48:02 > 0:48:05if you're going to get that good picture but you can only be there
0:48:05 > 0:48:08and hope for the circumstances to arise and they did on that day.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10The sun just poked through just after dawn, through
0:48:10 > 0:48:13a hole in the clouds about a foot square and lit the back
0:48:13 > 0:48:17of the wave just like a searchlight as there was a big crash.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19It lasted for about 45 seconds
0:48:19 > 0:48:22and I took about 100 shots in that 45 seconds.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25One of which is the entry I made.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30So, foul weather or fair, you can still take a winning photo
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and if you'd like to see yours in next year's calendar,
0:48:33 > 0:48:34here's what you need to know.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39The Countryfile photographic competition is not open to
0:48:39 > 0:48:42professionals and, because we want every entry to be an original,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46they mustn't have won any other competition.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48You can send in up to four photos
0:48:48 > 0:48:51and they must have been taken in the UK.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53And please could you send in hard copies,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56not e-mails or computer files?
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Write your name, address and a daytime and evening phone number
0:49:02 > 0:49:06on the back of each photo with a note of where it was taken.
0:49:06 > 0:49:07Then send your entries to...
0:49:17 > 0:49:20The full terms and conditions are on our website, which is where you
0:49:20 > 0:49:25will also find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Now, our closing date is Friday the 26th of July.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32And I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36Whatever you decide to photograph, do it responsibly.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40Take care not to disturb any animals or damage the environment
0:49:40 > 0:49:42and always follow the countryside code.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47And, of course, it goes without saying
0:49:47 > 0:49:49we hope that loads and loads of you enter.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Now, in a moment, I'm going
0:49:51 > 0:49:54to be trying my hand at a little bit of old-school shearing,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57but before then, let's find out what the weather has got in store
0:49:57 > 0:49:59with the Countryfile forecast.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11The vast expanse of Romney Marsh.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15I've been finding out about the history surrounding this area.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18For centuries, the wool on the back of the Romney sheep was
0:52:18 > 0:52:21so valuable that ruthless smugglers would kill for it.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Fortunately, times have changed,
0:52:24 > 0:52:28but the Romney sheep still has its place today.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30'Paul Boulden and his family
0:52:30 > 0:52:33'have farmed Romneys here for many generations.'
0:52:33 > 0:52:36I understand that you are the man to come to to know about all things
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Romney Marsh sheep, because it has been in the family for a while.
0:52:39 > 0:52:40Yeah, they have.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44Well, as far as we're aware, back to 1882, so it's 130 years.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48Yeah, that's what we can positively say. Perhaps longer.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51The Romney sheep have been farmed here so long,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54they've totally adapted to the conditions.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Today, they are still prized as much for their fleece as for their meat.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Right, this one, she's one of the older sheep.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04She'll be five years old at least.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07A dual-purpose breed. You've got nice wool.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10So, when you say dual purpose, it's basically meat and fleece.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Yeah, meat and fleece. Traditionally, 50-50.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Obviously, now, the meat is more important than the wool.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18They are obviously well suited to the marsh
0:53:18 > 0:53:20because they're tolerant to foot rot.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Tolerant to foot rot, tolerant to worms.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23They are used to the conditions.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26They lamb outdoors, they stay outdoors most of the time.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28They just do well, these sheep.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31And they produce lots of wool, which has always meant hard
0:53:31 > 0:53:37work at shearing time, as Paul's old family films from the 1950s show.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40His great uncle John farmed when the technology was advancing,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43making life slightly easier.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47- So, John, you were born then in 1928.- I was, yes.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49And techniques, as we have seen in that little film,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51were a little bit different.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54You were using different tools of the trade for shearing.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Well, yes, a slightly "Romney Marsh" way of shearing.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Slightly different, but the end result was always the same.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Yeah, absolutely, yes.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05How many of these do you think you must have sheared in your time?
0:54:05 > 0:54:09I shore for, I think, about 60 years.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Say 1,000 a year.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Wow. 60,000.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15Well, it could be, yes.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17That's something else, isn't it?
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Shearing has always been tough.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Even those early mechanical shears seem like hard work now.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27They were hand-powered and were sure to make you sweat.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31You just turn the handle and that's how it powers it. Look at that.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- And away you go.- Don't cut your fingers off.- That's great.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35Who had the short straw, then?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38The person that was shearing or the one turning the handle?
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- The one turning the handle, I think. - I think this is the easy part.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42You think this is the easy bit!
0:54:42 > 0:54:46Well, listen, honestly, lads, I have got the perfect handle turner.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49She's on her way.
0:54:49 > 0:54:55- Hello.- Afternoon. I like the look of this.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59These are 1930s, these. Come round and have a closer look.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03In fact, grab hold of this and keep turning it. Right, lads, make way.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08- Make way. And rest. And relax. - Right, the professional is here.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10- Stand back.- This is Paul and John. - Hello, Paul and John.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Right, what do we do? Sorry, sheep,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14- that's not what you want me to do, is it?- It's quite simple.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- Look at that.- Look at that. You know what I like about this?
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- I think, for once, I'm actually doing more work than you.- I know.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- Honestly, you are going to be absolutely shattered.- Do they work?
0:55:23 > 0:55:26- Well, we're going to find out. - Come on, then. Grab yourself a sheep.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- Take your pick. Which one do you fancy?- Can we go for a little one?
0:55:31 > 0:55:35- Oh, you're going for a big one there, Matty.- I know. Well...- Right.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- Turn her over. - This is going to take some clipping.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42- Put your back into it, love. - Of course.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46You know me, never do anything by halves. And we're off.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52- Oh.- And there we are - shearing, 1930s style.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- How's that?- It's good my end.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59What do you think, my dear? Is that tickling your belly somewhat?
0:55:59 > 0:56:02- There we are. There, that's better. - Oh, my giddy aunt.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09- We're nearly there with the belly. - Only the belly?- That's it.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Oh, come on, you're kidding. I'm sorry. I've got to stop.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14I need a cuppa or something. I need something to keep me going.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16- The end has come off.- Oh, dear.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Well, that's all we've got time for for this week.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Next week, John will be in the Lake District,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22looking back at some of our favourite modes of transport.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Yes, I'm thinking jet skis, skateboards,
0:56:25 > 0:56:28he might even present the entire programme wearing some rollerblades.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Yeah, that's it. But before we go, we've got some very special news.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35Yeah, something else that Countryfile is celebrating - its jubilee.
0:56:35 > 0:56:3725 years on our small screens.
0:56:37 > 0:56:42- You do not look old enough for that. - It's the outdoor air, you see.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- We are having a bit of a party. We are celebrating in style.- We are.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48We want 250 Countryfile viewers to come and join us
0:56:48 > 0:56:49for an old-style country fare.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52And if you would like to be one of those lucky people to be invited,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55all you have to do is log on to the website to find out how.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Yes. We'll see you then. Bye-bye.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59All right, come on, let's at least try and get a leg done.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd