Meadows Countryfile


Meadows

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From coast to coast, we're spoilt for choice

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when it comes to breathtaking and inspiring landscapes.

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But at this time of year, there's one that enchants us more than most.

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Meadows -

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whether they're being grown to produce sweet hay for our animals...

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Go!

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-I'm behind you!

-I know.

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-Can you hear me breathing down your back?

-Yes.

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..or capturing the imagination, as Naomi's been discovering.

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That's it, yay!

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-Whoo!

-You're a natural.

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They're entwined with our lives and memories and on today's programme,

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we're going to be celebrating everything about them,

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from their wildlife to their beauty.

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Tom's investigating rural housing and asking why

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we're still struggling to provide affordable homes.

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Wow, it's all going on in here.

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This is a typical evening, is it?

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-It is, it is, yeah.

-All four of us in one room. As you can see,

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it's a bit cramped.

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And Adam's been exploring the meadows and grasslands on his farm.

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The action of the cattle grazing and ripping off

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all the dominant grasses means we get an array

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of these wonderful wildflowers.

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There's something about meadows that's very nostalgic.

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They remind us of long, hot summers, simpler times, a bygone era.

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But look closer and you will see a finely balanced habitat

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right before your eyes.

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I'm at Kingcombe meadow in Dorset with Dr Trevor Dines

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from the charity Plantlife.

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He's been instrumental in setting up a nationwide project to

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help preserve our wildflower meadows.

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Well, Trevor, there's quite a royal entrance to this meadow here.

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There's the crown. It's obviously very important, this?

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This is one of 90 coronation meadows across the country.

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'The Coronation Meadows Project was a gift from his Royal Highness,

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'the Prince of Wales to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.'

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When does a grass field become a meadow?

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It's a really interesting question and this is part of the problem.

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So, in the past, around, sort of, the '40s, the '50s,

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these wildflower meadows were dominant across Britain,

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it's what every farmer had.

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And then, obviously, with that change to the need to produce

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more food during the war and after, that intensity of production,

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meant that the wildflowers don't have a chance to set their seed

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and we've reached that situation now where 7.5 million acres

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of this sort of habitat has disappeared.

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There's no doubt about it, they're wonderful to walk through.

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But if they don't fit in to that system of producing food

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for animals, then it's difficult to protect them, isn't it, for you?

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Yeah, that's our real challenge.

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How do we make these relevant and how do we make them appropriate to

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modern farming systems?

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'Hay from meadows like this can make incredibly tasty feed

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'for livestock.'

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From a hay perspective, I mean,

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when you break open a bale from a hay meadow and you just look at the

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diverse species that are in there, it's almost like a wonderful salad,

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-isn't it, for the animals?

-It is.

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I mean, it's absolutely stunning and we're only just beginning to realise

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what that does for the livestock themselves.

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There's all sorts of herbs and things in there

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that are passing benefits onto the livestock.

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'Well, this Coronation Meadow is really thriving

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'and that's mainly down to the work of the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

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'Their conservation officer for the region, Nick Gray,

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'knows a thing or two about meadow species.'

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Well, Nick, for somebody that loves plants,

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there's a lot to feast your eyes on in here.

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-What's this species?

-This is a gloriously named

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Corky-fruited water-dropwort.

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Hang on, you're going to have to say that again.

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Say that again, a bit slower.

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Corky-fruited water-dropwort.

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It's an absolute once encountered, never forgotten.

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-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

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Real Dorset, Devon favourite, actually.

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It flourishes in this area and, interestingly,

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not necessarily elsewhere in the country.

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Well, let's take a wander along this meadow

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because it's so diverse, isn't it?

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Altogether, we've got upwards of 50 species in the meadow here.

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We're looking at some really iconic meadow species here, Matt.

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We've got the knapweed here, what a great species that one is.

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Another name for a shaving brush or chimney sweep,

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-you can see where that comes from.

-Chimney sweep, yeah.

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Fantastic. Cat's-ears, beautiful pollen and nectar source

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and tiny little cat's ear on the stem there.

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We've got Bird's-foot-trefoil in here.

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Yeah, the yellow rattle here.

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Altogether, yeah, what a great species.

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You can literally hear it rattling as you tap it.

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Just coming into maturity now.

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That's a crucial one for us when we're trying to restore our

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flower meadows, to restrict the grass growth and

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create space for wildflowers.

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-Yeah.

-It's a pollen and nectar bonanza

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for the invertebrates as well.

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'Because this meadow is such a fine example,

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'its seeds are being collected so they can enhance other meadows being

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'restored in this area.'

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Right, then, Nick, let's get our hands in here and have a good look

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because there's plenty of seed in there.

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Very much so. What have we got? A bit of cat's-ear there, Matt,

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some knapweeds in there and these meadow grasses,

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the crested dog's-tail and the sweet vernal grass,

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there's a lot of good seed in there.

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This isn't a process that you can do right across the country.

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It keeps this wonderful Dorset meadow

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recreating new meadows in Dorset.

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Once the seeds have been harvested, they're spread onto nearby sites,

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where they can work their magic,

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helping to secure these important habitats for the future.

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This stuff is just green gold, it's just absolutely wonderful.

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Affordable housing has been a big issue for our countryside for years.

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So, why are we still failing to provide enough rural homes?

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Here's Tom.

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Life in the countryside - living, working

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and occasionally playing amongst all this.

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Just stunning.

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But for some time, we've known that it's not that simple.

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Many villages are fast becoming the preserve of commuters

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or the wealthy retired, meaning that local working families

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are struggling to find a place to buy or rent.

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This is Christow village on the edge of Dartmoor,

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where property prices are high.

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Soon, he arrived at the...

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Bakery worker, Matt, and his wife, Sophie, live and work here,

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but can't afford to buy here.

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So, their family of five share a house with the in-laws.

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Four of them sleep in one bedroom.

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Wow, it's all going on in here.

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HE LAUGHS

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Stories, stories, stories.

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-Yeah.

-This is a typical evening, is it?

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-It is, it is, yeah.

-Tell me about your life in the village,

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how long you've been here, how come you're here.

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Oh, I've been here, basically, all my life.

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Lived in Teignmouth for about eight years.

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It didn't really work out so we moved back

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and I've been here since... For about five and a half years.

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Since I've been back in Christow, I got a job at the local bakery.

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Been doing that for the best part of four years now.

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Been doing nights and things like that.

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It's great in some ways having your family all around you,

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but what is the toughest thing about living like this?

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-Space.

-The space, yeah. Yeah, definitely.

-Space.

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All four of us in one room, as you can see, it's a bit cramped.

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-Privacy.

-Yeah, definitely.

-For the children, more than anything.

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Yeah, for the children.

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For them not being able to do what they want.

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It's estimated we need 7,500 new affordable homes a year

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in rural areas but we don't even build half that number

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and it's been like that for decades.

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So what's going wrong?

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Not a bad little spot, is it?

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'Jo Lavis is a specialist in rural affordable housing.'

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What are the particular problems when it comes

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to delivering affordable housing in rural areas like this?

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I think there are three.

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The first is the difficulty finding a site and the sites are small.

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It's a problem in terms of cost because of the building materials,

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again, because the sites tend to be small

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and just connecting up to the mains services,

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like sewerage and electricity.

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And the third is local opposition.

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There is a opinion that affordable housing is something bad.

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We don't want... And I've heard it said,

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"We don't want those sort of people here."

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Really, that level of snobbery comes into it in villages?

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Yes, sometimes and sometimes total prejudice but actually when you

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explain, "Well, actually, these are people who live in your community.

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"This is the person who works in your shop,

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"the person who serves you at the pub." And it's sort of difficult to

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understand why if you've moved to a community which is attractive

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and has a house price because it's an attractive community,

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you don't then also recognise that that community to continue being an

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attractive place to live needs a shop, needs a pub,

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needs the Post Office and that comes with having people

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of different ages, backgrounds, income levels

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living in that village.

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That drawbridge mentality -

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people who have bought a beautiful village home and don't want

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social housing near them - has clearly been a hurdle in the past.

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And now, she believes government action isn't helping.

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I think some of the more recent policies have really been a problem

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and actually become a barrier, rather than actually an opportunity.

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'One key change has been that new developments of fewer than ten homes

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'no longer have to include affordable housing.'

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So, for you, the removal of the requirement to put in

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affordable homes in sites of less than ten units was a real mistake?

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Absolutely, a huge mistake.

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When you realise that 85%, round about 85%, of housing development

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in rural areas is on sites of less than ten units,

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you begin to get a feel of what an impact it will have.

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So, what do builders think of the changes?

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Well, they say it'll mean more houses being built

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and that will allow market forces to bring an end to the shortage.

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'Andrew Whitaker is from the Home Builders Federation.

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'His members build most of Britain's houses.'

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One of the things the government has chosen to do is

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to exempt small sites from providing affordable housing.

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That will help smaller scale house-builders

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bring forward sites for development, because it's much easier not to have

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to enter into these deals to provide affordable housing.

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Some rural communities, we're talking about one for one.

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We're talking about, if you build two market houses, one of them

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you have to sell at below market value as an affordable house.

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But we've spoken to rural housing experts who say that the removal of

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that requirement has been absolutely critical in worsening the plight.

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I think what people are looking at is the wrong end of the telescope.

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They're looking at the problem of how we used to

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subsidise affordable housing on the back of market housing,

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rather than addressing the fundamental issue

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of how to do we fund affordable housing in this country?

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So, the debate goes on.

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Builders want to be free from regulations,

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so the market can decide. Housing campaigners want clearer,

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firmer guidelines for affordable housing.

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It seems one of the few things they all agree on is that

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we do need more homes.

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The failure to build more affordable homes is causing

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some of our villages to stagnate, with schools and hospitals closing.

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But join me later to meet communities

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who ARE succeeding in delivering more cheaper homes.

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Tall grasses waving in a light breeze.

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A rhapsody in pinks and blues.

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The rich colour palette of summer wild flowers.

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This is the archetypal flower meadow,

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the kind you find on greeting cards,

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on place mats and, well, probably in your mind's eye

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when you hear the word "meadow".

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Winterbourne Downs in Wiltshire is a chalk land flower meadow,

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once commonplace, but now extremely rare.

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-Hi, Yvonne.

-Hi!

-Hello.

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'So, for artist Yvonne Coomber, who paints meadows,

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'it's a very special place.'

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Your paintings are just beautiful, the colours are so vibrant.

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Do you think that's what it is that draws you to painting meadows?

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I think the fact that meadows contain every single colour

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in the rainbow is definitely a really important factor.

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So, as an artist, that's very inspirational.

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And do you like to stand in amongst your subject?

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Always. I never paint in an official studio, it's always plenair.

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So there is so much going on in your paintings.

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What's your process? How do you begin?

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I always begin each painting with a landscape in the background.

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As you can see, it's quite ethereal.

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My background initially was watercolour,

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so it's kind of got that dreamy feel.

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I put it on the floor and then start chucking and dribbling and throwing

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and dancing around the canvas with paint.

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-It sounds like good fun. Could I have a go?

-You definitely can.

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-That's it.

-Yay, whoo!

-You're a natural!

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-And do you try and match the colours that you see around you?

-Yes, I do.

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Oh, yeah, a great match.

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'So the colours don't mix and become muddy,

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'Yvonne normally allows each new layer of paint to dry

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'before applying the next.

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'This means each painting can take months to complete.

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'We don't have that luxury today.'

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-It's a lovely way of creating that busy effect, isn't it...?

-Yes.

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..that you get in a meadow?

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I like nature. It's not that controlled.

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It's a very sensual experience.

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A work in progress, but I'm quite pleased with that.

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'But Winterbourne Downs hasn't always been quite this pretty.

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'It used to be a 750-acre arable farm, but a decade ago,

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'the RSPB began transforming it into a nature reserve.

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'Patrick Cashman is the site manager.'

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So, Patrick, why did the RSPB decide to buy this particular farm?

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We bought RSPB Winterbourne Downs right next door to Porton Down,

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which is the second largest area of area of chalk grassland in the UK.

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And just four miles away is the largest area, Salisbury Plain,

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which has 40% of our chalk grassland.

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And we're strategically creating a bridge, or stepping stone,

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between the two sites.

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Chalk grassland as a habitat, it's fantastic.

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You can have up to 40 plant species per square metre.

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-Cor!

-And loads and loads of different insects.

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So, like Yvonne, you started off

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with this blank canvas ten years ago.

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How did you go about creating this pretty picture

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-that we're standing in now?

-It's just like sowing another crop,

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so we harvested seed from really flower-rich grasslands

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and then, we broadcast those seeds, rolled them in,

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and then we've just managed the grassland afterwards.

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So year by year, you keep adding to that?

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Yes, after the initial sowing,

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we're coming back, putting in missing species, trying to get

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the same sort of rich community we have on places like Salisbury Plain.

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It's not all about just looking pretty, though, is it?

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Not at all. We're creating, from what was a single-species crop,

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to a flower-rich, insect-rich habitat, giving nature a home.

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It's really just about life.

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A nesting pair of rare stone curlews was the initial reason the RSPB

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bought the farm. After ten years of habitat improvement,

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Winterbourne Downs is now home to

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seven pairs of this incredibly shy and brilliantly camouflaged bird.

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There have been other winners, too.

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Small mammals attract barn owls and buzzards,

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and there's plenty of cover for nesting skylarks.

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But it's the insect population,

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attracted by millions of nectar-rich flowers, that's really flourished.

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BUZZING

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I mean, just listen.

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This place, it's absolutely buzzing.

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'Entomologist Brian Pinchen visits the meadow several times a year

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'to perform a sort of bug audit for the RSPB,

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'and to measure the success of the site's transformation.'

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So, we've got a nice bumblebee down in here.

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-Grab it.

-Ah!

-There you go.

-How's it not stinging you?

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Well, that's a male bumblebee, and male bumblebees don't sting.

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-Don't they?

-No. Bees, ants and wasps all belong to the same group,

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-and the males don't sting.

-I didn't know that.

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-Ooh, and it's off.

-Oh!

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This meadow, ten years ago, had around about 15 or 20 species in it.

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-Yeah.

-And, from two visits so far this year, I'm up to 75 species.

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-In ten years?

-In ten years, yes.

-That's incredible.

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And, in contrast, there's a barley meadow over there,

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which has got about ten species in it.

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There aren't any flowers out there,

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so there's nothing for the things that need nectar and pollen.

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Um, whereas, out here, as you see, it's so species-rich.

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That's what keeps the insects in.

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-So this is doing well and working?

-This is doing brilliantly, yes.

-Yay!

0:19:210:19:24

Some of Britain's meadowland plants and flowers

0:19:410:19:44

have the most wonderful names.

0:19:440:19:45

How about sneezewort, or bee's bread or nosebleed?

0:19:450:19:50

Even Granny's Toenails!

0:19:500:19:53

But how and why did they get these amazing names?

0:19:530:19:56

Britain's wild flower meadows have always been beautiful,

0:20:000:20:04

but once they were also very much part of our diet, our wellbeing,

0:20:040:20:08

and our language.

0:20:080:20:10

Here in Devon, Bridget McNeil teaches people about the history

0:20:130:20:17

and medicinal properties of some of our remarkable meadow species.

0:20:170:20:22

This place is absolutely jam-packed with wild flowers, isn't it?

0:20:230:20:26

-It's just...

-What a fantastic place to work!

-I know, I'm so lucky.

0:20:260:20:29

It's got so many varieties, habitats, medicinal plants,

0:20:290:20:32

edible plants. It's beautiful, really beautiful.

0:20:320:20:35

-You know this one?

-That's a nettle.

0:20:350:20:37

That's a nettle, a beauty, this is my favourite plant.

0:20:370:20:40

-Why's that?

-It's just so good for you.

0:20:400:20:43

I eat it, I use it as a medicine.

0:20:430:20:44

You know, it's food as medicine, really.

0:20:440:20:46

So what do you do with all the wild flowers that you collect?

0:20:460:20:49

Well, I make salves, make tinctures, make oils and vinegars, so it's

0:20:490:20:53

really sort of stepping between the worlds of food and medicine.

0:20:530:20:57

Plants growing on your doorstep

0:20:570:20:59

or in these beautiful meadows are so beneficial.

0:20:590:21:02

'For Bridget, meadows are nature's medicine cabinet.

0:21:020:21:05

'She's going to use some of what we've collected

0:21:050:21:07

'to make a healing ointment.'

0:21:070:21:09

This is a wound salve, um,

0:21:090:21:10

which has some of the things we picked earlier.

0:21:100:21:13

So really wonderful for wounds and bruises and strains and muscle ache.

0:21:130:21:18

-Ah! I've a touch of tennis elbow.

-Here we go!

-Will it work on that?

0:21:180:21:21

Yes, we shall give you some salve to take away with you.

0:21:210:21:23

'Many herbs and plants were often named

0:21:250:21:27

'for their medicinal properties, or for the way they looked.'

0:21:270:21:31

-What about a really common plant, like dandelion?

-Yeah.

0:21:310:21:34

-Has that got more than one name?

-Oh, it's got so many names.

0:21:340:21:37

-In this country, it has got about 90 different names.

-Never?

-Yes.

-Really?

0:21:370:21:40

So, here's a leaf dandelion.

0:21:400:21:42

-Um, dent de lion, in French.

-Lion's tooth?

-Lion's tooth.

0:21:420:21:45

-Can you see?

-Oh, yes.

0:21:450:21:48

These names were like a gateway for ordinary folk

0:21:480:21:52

to be able to know what plants did what,

0:21:520:21:54

-so you've got the woundwort here, staunchweed, nosebleed.

-Yeah.

0:21:540:21:58

-Of course, you've got to be very careful with some of them.

-Yeah.

0:21:580:22:01

This is hemlock, one of the most poisonous plants in Britain.

0:22:010:22:04

-Wow, yeah.

-This plant will kill you if ingested.

-So you've really got to

0:22:040:22:09

-know what you're doing when it comes to herbs?

-Yeah, absolutely you do.

0:22:090:22:12

-And how's the salve doing, then?

-It's doing really well.

0:22:120:22:15

So I'm going to add this beeswax, and that will melt in.

0:22:150:22:19

You know, modern medicine is taken from plants.

0:22:190:22:22

So aspirin originated from meadowsweet and willow.

0:22:220:22:25

We all know chamomile has that lovely calming effect.

0:22:250:22:28

-These ancient remedies...

-Yeah.

-..have a really

0:22:280:22:32

-important place in modern life.

-A really important place.

0:22:320:22:35

-I think this is ready to pour.

-Right.

0:22:350:22:38

There we go.

0:22:400:22:42

-So here you go, John.

-Well...

-One finished salve.

0:22:460:22:48

-Thank you, Bridget.

-Use it on your elbow.

0:22:480:22:50

-I'll let you know what happens.

-Yeah, do.

-Thank you.

0:22:500:22:53

For many centuries, people have had faith

0:22:550:22:57

in the healing properties of plants.

0:22:570:23:00

But before they can be used on an industrial scale,

0:23:000:23:03

they need rigorous testing. At this laboratory in Plymouth,

0:23:030:23:06

Dr Jan Knight is carrying out important research.

0:23:060:23:09

This is the first time, Jan,

0:23:110:23:12

I've ever seen wild flowers in a laboratory.

0:23:120:23:14

-What are they here for?

-Well, it's probably the first time

0:23:140:23:18

they've been growing in our laboratory as well, but people

0:23:180:23:21

bring us materials for us to test.

0:23:210:23:24

We do a lot of work for cosmetics, for the food industry,

0:23:240:23:27

for the supplement industry, and to the farmer industry as well.

0:23:270:23:31

'It's difficult to use wild plants and flowers in commercial medicines,

0:23:310:23:36

'because their active compounds can vary a great deal.'

0:23:360:23:39

-So people are now taking it seriously, scientifically?

-Yes.

0:23:390:23:44

The claim that some of these plants may... But you have to prove it?

0:23:440:23:47

-Correct.

-You have to prove it in a laboratory.

-Yes.

0:23:470:23:50

Many anecdotal results have given you feedback

0:23:500:23:53

that this seems to be good for this condition, but you daren't make

0:23:530:23:57

the claim until you've actually carried out clinical trials.

0:23:570:24:00

'Jan's tests aim to make sure the wild plants used

0:24:000:24:04

'in medical and cosmetic products are always at the same potency.'

0:24:040:24:08

There is an enormous wealth of potential material in our plants.

0:24:080:24:15

You find the gems, then cultivate them,

0:24:150:24:18

and then use those as your source for new ideas.

0:24:180:24:23

'It's good to know that the ancient skills

0:24:230:24:25

'of turning wild flowers into medicines still survive,

0:24:250:24:29

'and that modern science is now helping ensure their effectiveness.'

0:24:290:24:33

MATT: Now, as Tom's been finding out, there's a dire shortage

0:24:390:24:42

of affordable housing in the countryside.

0:24:420:24:44

But is there hope on the horizon?

0:24:440:24:46

Earlier, I met Matt and Sophie and their family

0:24:510:24:54

squashed into their in-laws' house in Christow village on Dartmoor.

0:24:540:24:59

They're typical of people up and down the country

0:24:590:25:01

who can't afford to buy or rent in the village where they work.

0:25:010:25:05

-All four of us in one room. As you can see, it's a bit cramped.

-Mm-hm.

0:25:050:25:09

This rural housing shortage is reaching crisis point

0:25:090:25:13

and, on the edge of Christow,

0:25:130:25:15

it's resulted in something of a commotion.

0:25:150:25:18

But this disturbance has been largely welcomed by local people.

0:25:200:25:25

This development of 18 homes has been built by a housing association

0:25:280:25:33

on land donated by the local council.

0:25:330:25:35

It's taken four years to get this far,

0:25:350:25:38

and it all happened because local people saw there was a need

0:25:380:25:42

and decided to do something about it.

0:25:420:25:44

Christow resident Adrian Sargood chairs the community land trust

0:25:440:25:48

that's driven the project.

0:25:480:25:50

-Why did it work here?

-The reason it worked here so well

0:25:500:25:54

is because we are a community-based organisation.

0:25:540:25:57

People within the village trust us, so there was virtually no nimbyism

0:25:570:26:03

-for this particular development.

-That really is the key, isn't it?

0:26:030:26:08

-It wasn't felt that something imposed from outside.

-Exactly.

0:26:080:26:11

-It came from within.

-It was exactly that.

0:26:110:26:14

It was coming from the community.

0:26:140:26:17

We are a community organisation and the community trust us.

0:26:170:26:21

And do you think there's anything

0:26:210:26:23

that other communities could learn from this?

0:26:230:26:25

Other communities who want to develop something similar

0:26:250:26:28

have to do it from the community basis.

0:26:280:26:30

Involve people within the village right from the start.

0:26:300:26:34

So, is this the way forward?

0:26:370:26:39

Changing attitudes to affordable housing

0:26:390:26:41

and harnessing local opinion.

0:26:410:26:44

The homes here will be rented out by a housing association.

0:26:440:26:47

They tend to run most of the country's social housing these days.

0:26:470:26:51

David Orr heads up their national body.

0:26:510:26:54

Everyone believes there's a housing crisis,

0:26:540:26:56

but five years ago, people would say, "But not here."

0:26:560:26:59

Now they're saying there's a housing crisis and, "We need new homes

0:26:590:27:02

"in our town, in our village, in our city,

0:27:020:27:04

"in our neighbourhood," because I think the whole nation

0:27:040:27:07

has understood that this is no longer sustainable.

0:27:070:27:10

So you really are detecting a change in attitude, are you?

0:27:100:27:13

In a way, we've lost the N off Nimby. People are saying,

0:27:130:27:16

"In my back yard now, cos I can see the need around my village."

0:27:160:27:19

Really, I do think that and I think that there is an absolute imperative

0:27:190:27:23

on those of us who believe we need these new homes

0:27:230:27:26

to make a positive case for us.

0:27:260:27:28

For far too long, we've been deflected by the Nimbys,

0:27:280:27:31

who instantly cry, "You're concreting over the countryside."

0:27:310:27:34

No, we're not. We're building half a dozen

0:27:340:27:36

high-quality, well-designed new homes,

0:27:360:27:39

for people who need to live there to be able to do so.

0:27:390:27:42

New homes very often enhance the village that they're built in.

0:27:420:27:46

They do not make them worse, and we have to win that argument.

0:27:460:27:50

'And he thinks there's another important aspect

0:27:520:27:54

'of the Christow example.'

0:27:540:27:56

Most of the houses will be for rent, not to buy,

0:27:560:28:00

which flies in the face of the trend

0:28:000:28:02

away from social rented housing of recent decades.

0:28:020:28:05

It's a fact that, in the '50s and '60s,

0:28:060:28:09

we built 138,000 council houses to rent every year.

0:28:090:28:13

Now, we average less than 2,000.

0:28:130:28:16

In the 1950s and '60s,

0:28:160:28:18

we were building council houses in villages like this.

0:28:180:28:22

Exactly like these homes here.

0:28:220:28:24

Not a huge number of them, just a small number that helped

0:28:240:28:28

to keep the village living and breathing and dynamic,

0:28:280:28:31

and I'm afraid we are not doing it now.

0:28:310:28:34

When I think about it, you think that is absolutely typical

0:28:340:28:37

of the edges of a lot of our villages, isn't it?

0:28:370:28:40

Houses like this, which were council houses in their time.

0:28:400:28:43

It is, and it's very important that we still have good quality,

0:28:430:28:47

affordable homes for people to rent.

0:28:470:28:49

In rural economies, where wages tend to be lower than average,

0:28:490:28:53

but house prices tend to be higher than average,

0:28:530:28:57

if we are to ensure that the people who want to live and work here

0:28:570:29:01

can do so, we need to have more rented homes.

0:29:010:29:04

This is not saying that, for small villages like this,

0:29:040:29:08

we need to build 200 new homes.

0:29:080:29:10

It's saying that, for 200 villages,

0:29:100:29:13

we need to build six, eight, ten new homes.

0:29:130:29:15

'The houses here in Christow will be completed in weeks,

0:29:180:29:21

'and that's great news for one local family.'

0:29:210:29:24

It's that blue door.

0:29:240:29:25

'Because number four will soon be the new home of Sophie and Matt,

0:29:280:29:32

'who I met earlier in the programme.' So how does it feel,

0:29:320:29:35

-seeing your house almost complete for the first time?

-Amazing!

0:29:350:29:38

-Absolutely amazing, isn't it? It really is.

-Should be good.

0:29:380:29:40

So do you know where the bedrooms are upstairs?

0:29:400:29:43

That one there's going to be our bedroom.

0:29:430:29:45

-Is that a loo?

-That's the bathroom.

-Yeah.

-There's two bathrooms.

0:29:450:29:49

There's going to be four bedrooms upstairs.

0:29:490:29:51

That's all we've really ever wanted out of this,

0:29:510:29:54

so, you know, four bedrooms, we've got our own space.

0:29:540:29:56

-So...

-That's a massive contrast to where you are at the moment.

0:29:560:29:59

That is. It's going to make our lives tenfold better, absolutely.

0:29:590:30:02

This success story is welcome, but all too rare.

0:30:080:30:11

A recent survey showed, in Devon alone,

0:30:120:30:15

there are 90 more villages each needing ten new affordable homes.

0:30:150:30:20

Affording a place in the country

0:30:200:30:23

looks set to remain a very big challenge.

0:30:230:30:26

For a short time, every year, just a couple of months or so,

0:30:390:30:42

Britain's meadows are a feast for the eyes.

0:30:420:30:45

But they're not just beautiful to look at,

0:30:450:30:47

because of a lot of hard work goes into keeping them that way.

0:30:470:30:51

Well, a very good afternoon!

0:30:540:30:55

I'm deep in the Dorset countryside

0:30:570:30:59

to meet a man who knows more about haymaking than most.

0:30:590:31:03

Simon Fairlie is a scything expert.

0:31:040:31:07

For him, making hay is a way of life.

0:31:070:31:10

-Simon, good to see you.

-Hello.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, fine.

0:31:120:31:15

I tell you what, this looks like quite a, well...

0:31:150:31:18

-a lethal collection of scythes.

-Yes.

-It's amazing! Where shall we start?

0:31:180:31:22

-Let's start with the traditional English one.

-OK.

0:31:220:31:25

-It's a beautiful thing.

-Yeah.

-Instantly, as soon as you hold...

0:31:260:31:30

-It's incredibly well-balanced!

-Yes.

-As long as you grab hold of it.

0:31:300:31:33

You say traditionally English. What sets it apart from the others?

0:31:330:31:36

-The main difference is that they're heavier.

-Right.

-Um...

0:31:360:31:39

Because you've got the...

0:31:390:31:42

-the Continental kind here...

-Yes.

-..which is significantly lighter.

0:31:420:31:47

-Mm-hm.

-And that's really because this is hand-forged, the blade here.

0:31:470:31:50

-Right.

-And it's curved in each direction,

0:31:500:31:54

and that puts it under tension and it means it can be much stronger

0:31:540:31:58

-in relation to its weight...

-Right.

-..than the English blades.

0:31:580:32:01

And so, because you've got a lighter blade,

0:32:010:32:03

you can also have a lighter snath, as the handle is called, and...

0:32:030:32:07

Well, feel it. Feel the difference.

0:32:070:32:09

-Oh, you can instantly. What shall I do with this one?

-Here, let me...

0:32:090:32:12

MATT LAUGHS: Here you go!

0:32:120:32:14

-Yeah, instantly...

-Yeah.

-..that is a lot lighter.

0:32:140:32:17

-It's about 60%.

-And, as far as your hay meadows are concerned, then,

0:32:170:32:21

I mean, there's no mowers around here, there's no balers.

0:32:210:32:24

Everything is done by hand?

0:32:240:32:26

Er, yeah, almost everything on the holding is done by hand.

0:32:260:32:29

I mean, we've got eight acres.

0:32:290:32:31

We keep two or three dairy cows, grass-fed,

0:32:310:32:35

and hay is their main feed during the winter, so the grass is

0:32:350:32:39

the sort of fount of fertility for the whole holding, really.

0:32:390:32:42

It's what brings in the nutrients...

0:32:420:32:45

-Mm-hm.

-..that then get dispersed throughout the entire farm.

0:32:450:32:48

So, as long as you've got a scythe, a fork and a barn,

0:32:480:32:51

you don't even need a pair of boots, do you, Simon?

0:32:510:32:53

-No.

-LAUGHTER

0:32:530:32:56

'One of Simon's prodigies, Andi Rickard,

0:32:560:32:59

'is the UK ladies' scything champion,

0:32:590:33:01

'and she's brave enough to teach me some tricks of the trade.'

0:33:010:33:05

Andi, tell me when it's safe to say hello.

0:33:070:33:10

-HE LAUGHS: Hi, you all right?

-Hello, yes.

-Nice to see you.

-You too.

0:33:100:33:12

-This must be your favourite season.

-Oh, absolutely.

0:33:120:33:15

-Goodness me!

-I love mowing season.

-I bet! When did you start scything?

0:33:150:33:19

-How did you start?

-I started seven or eight years ago.

0:33:190:33:22

Um, I had a lesson with Simon.

0:33:220:33:24

I haven't been allowed to stop since.

0:33:240:33:26

Well, you're the perfect person to show me around the scythe, then, and

0:33:260:33:29

teach me this wonderful technique. Now, we've got one down here for me.

0:33:290:33:33

-So this is, um...

-Yeah.

-We've put these handles in the right position

0:33:330:33:37

-as well...

-Yeah.

-..so everything is HOPEFULLY perfectly balanced.

0:33:370:33:41

And it's more of a pulling twist, is it?

0:33:410:33:43

So, the blade, it comes around in an arc,

0:33:430:33:45

it's travelling along its length. And then, it comes back again.

0:33:450:33:50

-I'm going to start here.

-So the first thing is,

0:33:500:33:52

-you need to put the blade on the ground.

-Yeah.

0:33:520:33:55

-The right hand...

-Yeah?

-..doesn't need to do any lifting.

0:33:550:33:57

-If anything, it's providing downward pressure.

-Oh, interesting, yeah.

0:33:570:34:01

The left-hand needs to stay close to your hip,

0:34:010:34:04

-and it sort of comes in a tight circle around your hip.

-Mm-hm?

0:34:040:34:07

The right hand pushes the blade round.

0:34:070:34:10

-Am I going far enough round?

-That's looking pretty good.

0:34:100:34:13

I tell you what, we've cleaned that area very quickly.

0:34:150:34:18

Yeah, we've got a good pile of grass there.

0:34:180:34:20

'Well, now I've got into the swing of it,

0:34:250:34:28

'Andy and I are going head to head.

0:34:280:34:30

'The person who mows the longest swathe of grass in one minute wins.'

0:34:300:34:34

On your marks,

0:34:350:34:37

get set...

0:34:370:34:38

HE BLOWS THE HORN

0:34:380:34:40

'And it's harder than it looks.'

0:34:460:34:48

-This is...

-I'm coming, Andy, watch out!

-..not going well.

0:34:550:34:58

-I'm behind you.

-I know.

-Can you hear me breathing down your back?

-Yes.

0:34:580:35:02

Can I have my other blade?

0:35:020:35:03

MATT LAUGHS

0:35:030:35:05

Excuses!

0:35:050:35:06

HORN BLOWS

0:35:090:35:10

'Using the tried and tested pacing-out method,

0:35:120:35:15

'Simon measures my efforts.'

0:35:150:35:16

Three, four, five, six,

0:35:160:35:20

seven, eight...

0:35:200:35:22

nine paces.

0:35:220:35:24

'But how has Andy done?'

0:35:240:35:26

Three, four, five, six,

0:35:260:35:29

seven, eight, nine.

0:35:290:35:32

A dead heat. Dead heat.

0:35:320:35:34

High five.

0:35:340:35:36

Well done. That was good, I enjoyed it.

0:35:360:35:38

'Considering the competition, I'm very happy with that.'

0:35:380:35:41

Simon, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Just one question.

0:35:430:35:45

How does my scything compare to that Poldark bloke's?

0:35:450:35:48

No comment there, no comment.

0:35:500:35:52

We'll move on. Away from scything.

0:35:520:35:53

The countryside is full of wonderful wildlife for

0:35:530:35:56

the keen photographer to capture.

0:35:560:35:57

If you think you've got what it takes, here's a reminder of

0:35:570:36:00

how to enter this year's Countryfile photographic competition.

0:36:000:36:03

Our theme is From Dawn Till Dusk,

0:36:070:36:10

and the very best entries

0:36:100:36:11

will feature in next year's Countryfile calendar.

0:36:110:36:14

To enter the competition, please write your name, address

0:36:200:36:23

and a daytime and evening phone number on the back of each photo,

0:36:230:36:27

with a note of where it was taken, which must be in the UK.

0:36:270:36:30

Then send your entries to...

0:36:300:36:32

The competition isn't open to professionals,

0:36:430:36:46

and your photographs mustn't have won any other national prize.

0:36:460:36:50

We can only accept hard copies, not computer files,

0:36:500:36:53

and I'm sorry, but we won't be able to return any of your entries.

0:36:530:36:56

The full terms and conditions are on our website,

0:36:590:37:02

where you will also find details

0:37:020:37:04

of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.

0:37:040:37:06

And you don't have much time left

0:37:090:37:11

because the competition closes at midnight this Friday, July 22nd.

0:37:110:37:16

So you've got just a few days to get out into the countryside,

0:37:160:37:19

capture it from dawn till dusk, and get your entries in quickly.

0:37:190:37:22

Now, almost three-quarters of the British countryside

0:37:250:37:28

is given over to farmland,

0:37:280:37:30

making it a key environment when it comes to protecting our wildlife.

0:37:300:37:34

Many farmers are encouraged to set aside land for nature's benefit,

0:37:340:37:38

so today Adam's exploring the wildlife on his farm in The Cotswolds.

0:37:380:37:42

Farming's a real juggling act.

0:37:450:37:47

We're growing lots of food, crops, animals, and here,

0:37:470:37:51

this grass is for producing silage to feed the animals in the winter.

0:37:510:37:55

And although we're growing all these crops,

0:37:550:37:57

I think it's really important to look after the environment.

0:37:570:38:00

I love to see a brown hare or a skylark on the farm,

0:38:000:38:03

and that's lovely, but also, I think it's part of our responsibility

0:38:030:38:07

as farmers that we are custodians of the landscape.

0:38:070:38:10

So, as well as fields of crops,

0:38:120:38:14

we've dedicated 225 acres to conservation.

0:38:140:38:18

From beautiful flower meadows, grass and shrubland,

0:38:180:38:22

to specially planted margins along the field edges.

0:38:220:38:24

Although we've chosen to leave this grassland unfarmed for nature,

0:38:250:38:29

in some areas we don't have the option.

0:38:290:38:31

This is one of my favourite parts of the farm.

0:38:310:38:33

It's just so peaceful, and it's a Site of Special Scientific Interest,

0:38:330:38:37

or SSSI for short.

0:38:370:38:39

It was hand-quarried for limestone up until about the 1930s,

0:38:390:38:43

which is why it's all undulating and lumpy and bumpy,

0:38:430:38:46

and not very practical to farm.

0:38:460:38:48

So now we just manage it for nature.

0:38:480:38:50

Because it's not farmed, some rare and wonderful wildlife thrives here,

0:38:530:38:58

such as the elusive Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

0:38:580:39:01

But this land still needs managing.

0:39:010:39:04

Back in December, I moved some of our Gloucester cattle

0:39:040:39:07

onto this site for winter grazing.

0:39:070:39:08

Most people would be putting their cattle into sheds

0:39:100:39:12

at this time of year, but we've got

0:39:120:39:14

this part of the farm that need grazing during the winter months.

0:39:140:39:17

It's full of rare plants and butterflies, and for conservation,

0:39:170:39:21

the sward needs breaking open and ripping out by the cattle,

0:39:210:39:25

and then that encourages the wild flowers to set seed

0:39:250:39:28

and do very well,

0:39:280:39:29

so these rare breed cattle do a wonderful job in here.

0:39:290:39:32

Seven months later, and the Gloucester cattle

0:39:340:39:36

are back on their summer grassland.

0:39:360:39:38

I'm keen to see if they've done their job properly.

0:39:380:39:41

The action of the cattle grazing and ripping off all the dominant grasses

0:39:440:39:48

means we get an array of these wonderful wild flowers.

0:39:480:39:52

But if it wasn't for the cattle in here,

0:39:520:39:54

all these plants wouldn't exist. They're doing a great job.

0:39:540:39:57

Another good thing about having cattle in here is their dung.

0:40:010:40:04

If you look at this cowpat,

0:40:040:40:06

they reckon that it's a little ecosystem in its own right.

0:40:060:40:09

About 250 different species can live in here.

0:40:090:40:13

I think the cattle have done a great job.

0:40:170:40:19

We'll definitely bring a similar number of animals in here again next winter.

0:40:190:40:23

As well as these wild areas that we leave free from farming,

0:40:270:40:30

we also have places we've created to farm

0:40:300:40:33

specifically for the environment.

0:40:330:40:35

We've just planted seven acres of

0:40:360:40:38

pollen and nectar mixes along the edges of some of our fields.

0:40:380:40:41

On this farm we're part of a high-level stewardship scheme

0:40:430:40:46

which basically means we get financial support from

0:40:460:40:49

the government to manage certain areas of the farm for wildlife.

0:40:490:40:52

The money we receive is income foregone,

0:40:520:40:55

so in the past we'd have grown this winter barley

0:40:550:40:58

right to the edge of the field,

0:40:580:40:59

so the payment we receive for this replaces that winter barley.

0:40:590:41:03

If the winter barley is worth £180 a tonne,

0:41:030:41:06

actually the money we get for this means we're losing on it.

0:41:060:41:10

If the winter barley is worth £120 a tonne,

0:41:100:41:12

then we're slightly better off by having this wildlife margin.

0:41:120:41:16

But we're committed to it for ten years, and if we weren't

0:41:160:41:19

getting that support it would have been a lot less

0:41:190:41:22

tempting in the first place.

0:41:220:41:23

That money, though, is funding which

0:41:230:41:25

comes from the European Union under the Common Agricultural Policy.

0:41:250:41:28

And after last month's referendum decision, no-one's quite sure

0:41:300:41:33

what the future of environmental stewardship schemes may be.

0:41:330:41:36

These margins are a great habitat for predator insects

0:41:420:41:45

that protect the crops from pests,

0:41:450:41:47

and also for wild bees and insects that help with pollination.

0:41:470:41:51

But, when my crops need pollinating over a very short period of time,

0:41:510:41:55

that's when I need to bring in some extra help.

0:41:550:41:57

Chris Wells is our resident bee man.

0:42:000:42:03

Each year he brings nearly a million bees onto the farm.

0:42:030:42:06

He's here today, checking up on them.

0:42:060:42:08

-Hi, Chris.

-Hello, Adam.

0:42:080:42:11

-Am I safe here?

-Absolutely. We've got nice bees on the farm here.

0:42:110:42:15

How are they looking? How are things this season?

0:42:150:42:17

Pretty good so far. It was a very late start,

0:42:170:42:19

but they're doing really well now. We've even got some honey

0:42:190:42:22

on the hives that we'll take off fairly soon.

0:42:220:42:24

What are you doing here?

0:42:240:42:25

What we're doing here is actually grafting some larva.

0:42:250:42:29

So you're breeding them, just like I breed sheep and cows?

0:42:290:42:32

Yeah, no difference, except you've got a few hundred

0:42:320:42:35

and I've got 7.5 million.

0:42:350:42:37

THEY LAUGH

0:42:370:42:38

A normal hive, we would have one queen,

0:42:380:42:42

we'd have maybe 4 or 500 male bees,

0:42:420:42:45

and 50-60,000 female bees.

0:42:450:42:47

It's the female bees who do all the real work.

0:42:480:42:51

They're the ones who look after the young, they bring in the nectar,

0:42:510:42:54

so they're really busy.

0:42:540:42:56

So how do you get an ordinary female bee and a queen?

0:42:560:43:01

What we know is that if they take an egg or larva that's up to a day old,

0:43:010:43:06

and it goes into a vertical cell rather than a horizontal one,

0:43:060:43:10

then it will become a queen.

0:43:100:43:11

What we've actually got here is a natural queen cell

0:43:110:43:14

that they've started to make.

0:43:140:43:16

So, when it's horizontal like this, then, they're worker bees.

0:43:160:43:19

But if they're hanging down, they're queens?

0:43:190:43:22

-That's right.

-As a bee farmer, then, you're reproducing these queens.

0:43:220:43:26

Just take me through how it works.

0:43:260:43:28

I'm using a technique called grafting,

0:43:280:43:31

so what I do is very, very carefully

0:43:310:43:35

put my grafting tool in,

0:43:350:43:37

and I can just take out the larva

0:43:370:43:40

-from the bottom with some royal jelly.

-Yeah.

0:43:400:43:45

And then I can put that larva into the cell.

0:43:450:43:48

And what I'll do is put this frame

0:43:480:43:51

into a hive that doesn't have a queen,

0:43:510:43:53

and they will naturally build queen cells for me.

0:43:530:43:56

In a natural hive, only one would survive.

0:43:560:43:58

Here, I'm maybe going to get 10-20 that I can make use of in the hives.

0:43:580:44:03

Once we've got a queen that we're happy with,

0:44:030:44:06

we need to introduce her into a new hive.

0:44:060:44:08

If we just put her in the hive straightaway,

0:44:080:44:10

the bees won't accept her, so we use one of these queen cages.

0:44:100:44:13

And so what we do

0:44:140:44:16

is we pop the queen into here,

0:44:160:44:19

and down the bottom here,

0:44:190:44:21

we pop some equivalent of the icing fondant that you get on sticky buns,

0:44:210:44:25

then we can pop that into the hive.

0:44:250:44:27

The bees will eat through, and she will eat through,

0:44:270:44:30

and very shortly she will emerge,

0:44:300:44:32

but by the time she comes out, all of her pheromone, her smell,

0:44:320:44:35

will have gone through the hive and they'll accept her.

0:44:350:44:38

Whereas if we just popped her straight in the hive,

0:44:380:44:40

they'd say, "She's not our queen" and they'd kill her,

0:44:400:44:42

-even if they don't have a queen.

-Incredible, isn't it?

0:44:420:44:45

So you've got bees actually hatching here, haven't you?

0:44:450:44:48

Yes, and they're now actually coming out,

0:44:480:44:50

so we'll make sure these bees go back in the hive.

0:44:500:44:53

Great to see you, and good luck with the queens.

0:44:530:44:55

-I'd better get them back.

-Good luck. Cheers.

-Thank you, Adam.

0:44:550:44:58

It's reassuring to feel like we're making a difference

0:44:590:45:02

with the wildlife conservation on the farm, and seeing the results

0:45:020:45:05

first-hand makes it all worthwhile.

0:45:050:45:07

Meadows represent many things for us.

0:45:170:45:20

Innocence, serenity, peace and tranquillity.

0:45:200:45:25

Which is why some people choose meadows

0:45:280:45:30

as their final resting place.

0:45:300:45:32

This is the Sharpham Meadow Natural Burial Ground

0:45:340:45:38

overlooking the River Dart near Totnes in Devon.

0:45:380:45:41

Now, I'm in no hurry to shuffle off this mortal coil,

0:45:430:45:46

but I can certainly see the attraction of spending the rest

0:45:460:45:50

of eternity with that view.

0:45:500:45:52

Julian Carnell is the director of the Sharpham Trust

0:46:020:46:06

that own the meadow.

0:46:060:46:07

Tell me what it was that made you

0:46:080:46:10

decide to turn this site into a burial meadow?

0:46:100:46:13

Well, it goes back to the mission of the charity, really, of the trust,

0:46:130:46:16

which is that we want to try to connect people to the natural world.

0:46:160:46:19

So this is one of our projects that's trying to do that.

0:46:190:46:22

So what was it before, the land?

0:46:220:46:25

It was a farm. It's been an organic farm for a number of years.

0:46:250:46:28

Once we decided and settled this was the spot that we wanted to use,

0:46:280:46:31

we had to get planning permission for change of use.

0:46:310:46:35

One of the great things about it now

0:46:350:46:37

is how it's started to create a sense of community around the site.

0:46:370:46:41

People who have loved ones here feel a connection,

0:46:410:46:44

and that's really nice.

0:46:440:46:45

-It's so peaceful, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's just so peaceful.

0:46:450:46:49

There are natural burial grounds all across the country.

0:46:550:46:58

Jennifer Bronwen is from the Green Funeral Company that

0:46:580:47:01

manages this meadow and conducts many of the ceremonies here.

0:47:010:47:05

What do you think is the appeal to people of being buried in a meadow?

0:47:070:47:12

Well, I think, especially this particular meadow,

0:47:120:47:15

the potential here for a profoundly moving experience

0:47:150:47:20

is so much stronger than

0:47:200:47:22

being locked in a small room in a crematorium,

0:47:220:47:25

confined to a 20-minute slot, and there's no time to reflect.

0:47:250:47:29

Here, families will stay late into the night,

0:47:290:47:32

holding a vigil around the fire.

0:47:320:47:34

Talk me through a typical burial service here.

0:47:350:47:38

For example, Ursula, who was buried the most recently here,

0:47:380:47:43

the coffin was carried down to the graveside by her daughters.

0:47:430:47:47

And when the grave-digger came to fill in the grave,

0:47:480:47:52

two of her grandsons stepped forward and asked if they could help.

0:47:520:47:56

It was such a moving experience for everyone involved

0:47:580:48:02

-because they felt like a part of it.

-I can imagine.

-Yeah.

0:48:020:48:05

And each one looks just so natural.

0:48:050:48:08

Yes, that's a very, very strong point of ours, actually,

0:48:080:48:12

and we try and avoid any kind of grave "bling".

0:48:120:48:16

Part of the appeal of a natural burial

0:48:200:48:22

is returning the body to the earth.

0:48:220:48:25

So the graves are shallow, around a metre deep,

0:48:250:48:28

the perfect depth for natural decomposition to take place

0:48:280:48:32

in the oxygen and microbe-rich soil.

0:48:320:48:35

Only biodegradable coffins, baskets or shrouds are allowed here.

0:48:360:48:40

So, this is the cover, which is detachable.

0:48:410:48:44

Like this meadow-inspired felt creation by Yuli Somme.

0:48:440:48:48

She decorates each cover individually by hand.

0:48:480:48:52

So, I cut out shapes out of the dyed felt,

0:48:530:48:58

and this wonderful little tool

0:48:580:49:00

has three very, very sharp felting needles, which are barbed.

0:49:000:49:04

What they do is basically tangle the fibres together.

0:49:060:49:11

Thank you.

0:49:110:49:12

So, is this what you thought you might be doing when

0:49:130:49:15

you were at school? You thought, "I'm going to make shrouds."

0:49:150:49:18

-Absolutely not!

-No?

-No, it was a really taboo subject for me.

0:49:180:49:22

I was really scared of the whole subject of death,

0:49:220:49:26

but I did find it very cathartic, actually.

0:49:260:49:29

Then I also responded to an ancient law that decreed that

0:49:290:49:33

the dead must be buried in wool,

0:49:330:49:35

and it just seemed like a very...

0:49:350:49:38

interesting and comforting thing to be doing.

0:49:380:49:42

-So you feel quite differently about it all now?

-Yeah, I do. Yeah.

0:49:420:49:46

The sunshine really brings out the beauty of these meadows.

0:49:540:49:57

Let's hope it keeps shining in the week ahead.

0:49:570:50:00

Here's the Countryfile forecast.

0:50:000:50:02

Today, we've been exploring all things meadow.

0:51:070:51:10

I've been learning how to cut meadow grass the traditional way

0:51:100:51:13

with smallholder Simon Fairley.

0:51:130:51:15

So, Simon, I've already had a go at a bit of solo scything.

0:51:160:51:19

Now we're going to have a go in a team formation.

0:51:190:51:21

Talk us through the logistics of cutting a field like this

0:51:210:51:24

with a team.

0:51:240:51:26

Well, you can't start everybody off in a straight line

0:51:260:51:29

next to each other because they'd be hacking each other's feet.

0:51:290:51:34

So you have to have a staggered formation.

0:51:340:51:37

-You know the song, One Man Went to Mow a Meadow?

-Yes.

0:51:370:51:40

Well, there is a theory that

0:51:400:51:41

this was sung when they started mowing a field, so you'd go...

0:51:410:51:45

"One man went to mow..." and off the first man would go.

0:51:450:51:47

"..went to mow a meadow. One man and his dog went to mow a meadow."

0:51:470:51:51

And then, "Two men went to mow..." And off the second one would go.

0:51:510:51:54

Each verse gets longer and longer

0:51:540:51:57

because you put the fastest mower first,

0:51:570:52:00

and the slower ones at the back.

0:52:000:52:02

Otherwise, if you had it the other way around,

0:52:020:52:04

the fast guy would be tickling the slower person's feet.

0:52:040:52:07

That makes absolute sense, then.

0:52:070:52:09

'Don't worry, no singing for any of us today.

0:52:090:52:12

'We're just going to follow Simon's lead.'

0:52:120:52:14

OK, team? Are we all ready?

0:52:140:52:16

'Before machines took over the job,

0:52:180:52:21

'making hay while the sun shone was a real group activity,

0:52:210:52:24

'essential to provide enough food for the animals over winter.

0:52:240:52:27

'But this is just the start of the process.

0:52:280:52:31

'Simon's partner Jill has also

0:52:310:52:33

'been making hay by hand like this for years.'

0:52:330:52:36

We've put the scythes down for a while because really, Jill,

0:52:360:52:39

this is where the hard work starts.

0:52:390:52:41

-As if the mowing isn't difficult enough.

-It is.

0:52:410:52:43

The mowing is actually effortless if you've got a sharp blade.

0:52:430:52:46

-Yes, and a good technique.

-And the scythe moves all the grass for you,

0:52:460:52:49

and it dumps it in this row.

0:52:490:52:51

-You have beautiful rows.

-It is fantastically heavy.

0:52:510:52:54

This is absolutely fresh grass, it's full of juice,

0:52:540:52:57

so what we need to do now to start turning it into hay, is

0:52:570:53:01

we've got to spread it all out, as flat as we can,

0:53:010:53:04

so that we are exposing the surface to air.

0:53:040:53:09

Yes, so it can start drying out.

0:53:090:53:11

-Just give a nice little...

-Give it a good shake.

0:53:110:53:14

I always think it's a bit like making meringues or something.

0:53:140:53:18

That's a good analogy.

0:53:180:53:19

You want to get as much air into it as you possibly can.

0:53:190:53:22

This is lovely.

0:53:220:53:23

Whenever you're making hay,

0:53:270:53:29

you have to be very in tune with what the weather is doing,

0:53:290:53:31

and there are some grey clouds coming over here at the moment.

0:53:310:53:34

Especially when you're making it by hand,

0:53:340:53:36

a lot of effort is going into this

0:53:360:53:37

and you've got to protect the grass that's out, in all weathers.

0:53:370:53:41

So with clouds like that coming over, Simon, the plan is...?

0:53:410:53:45

If we think they're going to rain,

0:53:450:53:46

if we think it's going to be a little

0:53:460:53:48

or there might be a shower overnight, we put it into wind rows.

0:53:480:53:51

-So that's rowing it back up.

-Rowing it up.

0:53:510:53:53

Jill's going to work that side, I'm going to work this side,

0:53:530:53:56

-and we'll just bring it in like this.

-I see.

0:53:560:53:58

I'll just stand here and watch you, then.

0:54:030:54:06

Secret to a happy marriage.

0:54:060:54:08

THEY LAUGH

0:54:080:54:10

I wish!

0:54:100:54:12

So say that shower has passed over,

0:54:120:54:15

but it looks like something a bit heavier is going to come in

0:54:150:54:18

and it looks like it might be set in for the day.

0:54:180:54:20

-Yes.

-What is the next safety mechanism?

0:54:200:54:23

The next safety mechanism is to cock it up,

0:54:230:54:25

-if you'll pardon the expression.

-OK!

0:54:250:54:28

We always do our wind rows running down the hill,

0:54:280:54:32

because it then makes it easier to row up.

0:54:320:54:35

You can either do this with a rake or a pitch fork.

0:54:350:54:37

-You're effectively rolling it up to protect what's inside.

-Yeah.

0:54:370:54:41

Rolling protects it. It makes it a bit harder to get it out afterwards.

0:54:410:54:45

The other way of doing it is simply to stack it up...

0:54:450:54:48

..on top.

0:54:500:54:51

Suddenly, everyone has to pitch in.

0:54:530:54:55

The heavens have opened and it's raining.

0:54:570:54:59

So this is a lot more than a demonstration, isn't it?

0:54:590:55:02

-Yes. We'd better get it on the rack as fast as we can.

-OK.

0:55:020:55:05

You stick it over the bottom rung.

0:55:060:55:09

Do the outside first.

0:55:090:55:10

'A rack works like a clothes horse.

0:55:110:55:14

'It keeps the hay off the ground

0:55:140:55:15

'and lets the air circulate as it dries out.'

0:55:150:55:18

Each layer has got to shed the water over the one underneath it.

0:55:180:55:23

Get that one right up there on the top.

0:55:310:55:33

'Combing the outside of the racks like this helps the rain to run off,

0:55:330:55:37

'keeping the hay inside nice and dry.'

0:55:370:55:40

One last little bit.

0:55:400:55:41

There you have it. All of that lovely grass that we cut earlier on

0:55:420:55:45

is as protected as it can be,

0:55:450:55:47

and we're ready for the rain to do its worst.

0:55:470:55:49

But that's all we've got time for this week.

0:55:490:55:51

Next week, we're going to be up in Cumbria,

0:55:510:55:53

finding out about one of the nation's most loved authors,

0:55:530:55:56

Beatrix Potter. Hope you can join us then.

0:55:560:55:58

Good job, team. It looks lovely.

0:56:000:56:02

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