0:00:23 > 0:00:25GEESE HONK
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Norfolk is rightly famed for its beauty.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Big skies.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Vast, flat expanses.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Reedbeds and sparkling water.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46It's also where the gamekeepers of tomorrow are trained, and I'll be
0:00:46 > 0:00:49joining this year's hotshots to see who's made the grade.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Ellie's on the lookout for a truly remarkable bird.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Ooh, yeah!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Tom looks at ways of using the natural landscape to reduce
0:01:03 > 0:01:05the risk of flooding.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I'm actually helping if I throw this in, am I?
0:01:08 > 0:01:09- Yeah.- There we go.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And Adam's at the world-famous Stirling bull sales.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Do you get nervous before he goes in the ring?
0:01:17 > 0:01:18It wouldn't be any fun if you did.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I've got terrible butterflies for you!
0:01:39 > 0:01:41From its famous Broads...
0:01:42 > 0:01:46..to its acres of sandy beaches,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Norfolk is a landscape rich in agriculture and wildlife.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55But much of it is also managed for sport.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57The county is home to some of the finest
0:01:57 > 0:02:00shooting estates in the country.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Over the years,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05gamekeepers have been important custodians of the land.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Traditionally, the skills would have been learned on the job.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But today, they do things differently.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Welcome to gamekeeper school.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I'm just west of the county's historic capital, Norwich.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30This is Easton & Otley College
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and these are the gamekeepers of the future.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40Shooting is big business, reckoned to be worth around £2 billion
0:02:40 > 0:02:44to the UK economy, and employing over 74,000 people,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47including some of this lot, if they make the grade.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52The students learn all about game management.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Everything is covered, from rearing birds
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and running shoots to land management and habitat restoration.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05The course is very hands-on,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09offering students valuable practical experience in the field.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And they come from all walks of life to learn here.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18How did you go into it, Jonathan?
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23but I knew I didn't want to be stuck inside, behind a computer.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's all a bit new to me, but I'm loving it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27How about you, then, Charlotte?
0:03:27 > 0:03:29I sort of looked at college options
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and I looked at the courses online and then I saw this course
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and I thought it looked a lot more interesting.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37And you do, like, a placement system as well, don't you?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- Yeah.- How many days a week that you do that?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I do that once a week. I go to my local estate
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and I help out the keeper there, and it's really useful.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- And what sort of things do you do there?- I help him out.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49At the moment, there's a lot of feeding
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and just preparing for shoots and that, but in the summer,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54we'll be rearing birds and getting ready for next season.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57How do you sit with the shooting side of things?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Yeah, I enjoy it. I'm sort of just getting into it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I'm getting a gun, soon, for my birthday. That'll be my first one.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Wow.- Yeah, that'll be my 18th present.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- A gun for your birthday? - Yeah, yeah.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13An unusual present, but in this job, a useful one.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The students get plenty of shooting practice - vital skills
0:04:19 > 0:04:20if they ever have to cull deer.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Lecturer John Holmes is also an experienced gamekeeper.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30He makes sure the students know what they're doing.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36So what techniques do you teach them here?
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Let's talk about what Aaron's up to down here.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41What Aaron's doing at the moment is learning how to place
0:04:41 > 0:04:43a bullet to the vital organs of the deer, for a swift, humane kill.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46With the ultimate goal being taking the deer down with just one shot.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Yes, that's it.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51I mean, this looks like a good distance anyway, for a target to be.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52This is 100 yards.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Most of the woodland shots actually average round about 80 yards,
0:04:56 > 0:04:57so not as long as this.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And the process of learning these skills, then.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03First, they learn about the six deer species that we have in the UK.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Then we learn about their ecology and their habitats.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09That links in, then, to the anatomy that we learn about them.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Then we go on to firearms units
0:05:11 > 0:05:16where they learn how bullets behave and the ballistics side of things.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18We get out here about once a month, if we can,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20so the more practice they have, the better they are.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23What is the current situation, then, with the deer population
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and the necessity to control it?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28There is evidence to suggest at the moment that there are
0:05:28 > 0:05:321.5 million deer in the UK. Because the population is so large now,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35we have trouble with damage to forestry enterprises
0:05:35 > 0:05:36and to agricultural crops
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and the danger we have with road traffic collisions as well.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It's not about killing deer for the sake of it, obviously.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It's just to keep that population healthy and stable.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Aaron's one of the more experienced shooters on the course.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Let's see how he's done. That's pretty good, Aaron.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Yeah, that's not too bad. - Yeah, you happy with that?- Yeah.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56That is, well, that's the area you were...
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- One pushed back to the right. That's down to the wind.- Yeah.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00But that's the whole point of practising.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02And you have actually shot at a live deer?
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- Yeah, yeah.- You have. And what's that moment like, then?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I mean, there must be a huge amount of responsibility that goes
0:06:09 > 0:06:11through you when you are about to pull that trigger,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- to make sure that you've got that shot.- You can't take any risks.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16There's a lot of responsibility.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18So you've got to make sure you're close, you know
0:06:18 > 0:06:23how far away it is and you know your rifle, what it's capable of,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25and just making a clean shot.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Well, you certainly look like you know what you're doing anyway,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31my friend. That is, that is quite something, that shooting.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It's not all about shooting, though.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Conservation figures large on the curriculum, too.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And I'll be finding out more about that later.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46But first...
0:06:47 > 0:06:51..on the Norfolk Broads, managing the landscape means working
0:06:51 > 0:06:53with the water as opposed to fighting against it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So should we be using the same kind of principles to protect
0:06:56 > 0:06:59other parts of the UK from flooding?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Here's Tom.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Flooding has repeatedly overwhelmed large areas
0:07:07 > 0:07:11of the country in recent years, waterlogging farmland,
0:07:11 > 0:07:17drowning livestock, devastating homes and businesses.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Last week on Countryfile, I heard how we should start to expect
0:07:21 > 0:07:23the unexpected with our weather.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25And, for many,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29that means rethinking how we protect ourselves from flooding.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33So with extreme weather events becoming more frequent,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37testing and often breaching our man-made flood defences,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41should we be looking to the natural environment for the answer?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That's what they're trying to find out
0:07:47 > 0:07:50here on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate here in Somerset.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56This is one of three Defra-backed experimental sites
0:07:56 > 0:08:01looking at how we can use the environment to help tackle flooding.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04They're trying out a variety of schemes to hold back
0:08:04 > 0:08:07more water in the higher parts of the rivers.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12So up on the moorland, ditches and tracks have been blocked off,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and catch pools created to store water.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's hoped that these measures will cut the chance of a flood
0:08:21 > 0:08:23here in the village of Allerford,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26that lies close to the mouth of the River Aller
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and is prone to flooding
0:08:28 > 0:08:32as the waters rush down from the uplands of Exmoor above.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'Project manager Nigel Hester is checking up on
0:08:40 > 0:08:42'one of the many dams on the estate.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:46What's the idea behind these barriers in the river?
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Basically to slow the water down, right the way down through the wood.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53They're nice, leaky dams caused by trees falling in,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55other debris building up behind them,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and they just work really well in slowing the water.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And we're trying to do that right down through the whole catchment.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Flood management here involves,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- I'm actually helping if I throw this in, am I?- Yeah.- There we go.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08That is quite a change of mind-set
0:09:08 > 0:09:11because most people would think that managing a watercourse
0:09:11 > 0:09:14would mean kind of removing things like this, that they
0:09:14 > 0:09:16were a problem, that they were a mess.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19You do think that, but what you have to remember is, right at the
0:09:19 > 0:09:22bottom of this catchment we have two villages that flood regularly.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23There's about 90 cottages.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26So, if we can slow the water down, that reduces the risk downstream
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and we need to think that, right from top to bottom.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It's too soon to draw firm conclusions,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38but early indications at Holnicote show water levels
0:09:38 > 0:09:42were reduced by 10% after heavy winter rains.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49But for outspoken environmentalist George Monbiot,
0:09:49 > 0:09:50that's not enough.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53While he supports these measures,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57he'd also like to see our upland sheep farms transformed.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00What do you think needs to change on our uplands to make them
0:10:00 > 0:10:02more useful in terms of flood prevention?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Well, the fundamental problem is that they're bare.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09They've been shaved. There's scarcely a tree in Britain above about 200 m.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12What is it about big bare that's a problem?
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Well, what it means is that it doesn't retrain the water.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Trees help the water to percolate into the soil.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21They slow down the flow,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25they mean that you're less likely to get that really high wall of water
0:10:25 > 0:10:28developing in the river that's going to hit your homes downstream.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31And how does sheep farming fit into this problem, for you?
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Well, the problem is that sheep pasture turns out to be very
0:10:36 > 0:10:37bad at absorbing water.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It just flashes off, almost as if it were concrete.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But sheep are important part of our upland economy
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and society, so they deserve a place, don't they?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Yeah, they do deserve a place.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50The problem is, we've got more or less
0:10:50 > 0:10:53a sheep monoculture in our uplands. There's almost nothing else.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58A big part of the problem comes down to the farm subsidy rules.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It's not the sheep farmers' fault. They're following the policy.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03And the policy says that
0:11:03 > 0:11:06if you've got what it calls "permanent ineligible features"
0:11:06 > 0:11:10on your land, which means things like reedbeds, ponds,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14woodland, scrub, you can't claim money for that.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17So there's this huge incentive to get rid of all the features
0:11:17 > 0:11:21which would stop floods and which are good for wildlife.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22It's completely bonkers.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Come on. Come on.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28But what do farmers make of George's proposals?
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Come on.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35Robin Milton farms on Exmoor and is chairman of the NFU's Uplands Forum.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It just seems a little bit unfair that these creatures seem to be
0:11:39 > 0:11:42bearing the brunt of the blame for water rushing off the uplands.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I'm not sure whether the science is entirely with it,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47but there's opportunity for us all to work together at each
0:11:47 > 0:11:50stage of the catchment, from the top to the bottom.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51What about woodland?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Would you welcome more woodland and more scrub in the uplands?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57At the moment, if we allow scrub to grow,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01we get that deducted from any of the payments that we may get.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It would be quite reasonable within a policy framework to maybe
0:12:06 > 0:12:09allow us to keep the scrub and keep the payment.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Because we would be providing a public good.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15So, if those incentives or subsidies were changed slightly
0:12:15 > 0:12:18to allow you to have more scrub or woodland, that could be welcomed?
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I think, it may be difficult to say "welcomed",
0:12:22 > 0:12:24but it could well be possible and it would be accepted.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Farmers have always had to respond to policy.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30We've had to interpret regulations and policy direction.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So we're quite willing to adapt.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36But we have to see a very good reason. We need some good science.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39We need to see that it's actually proving something,
0:12:39 > 0:12:40something's happening from it.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49So while there's some agreement that slowing the flow of water
0:12:49 > 0:12:53in the uplands is a sensible way to help tackle flooding, how we
0:12:53 > 0:12:58do that best and how we pay for it are still contentious issues.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03But management of the river's upper catchment is only half of the story.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Later on, I'll be seeing what can be done in low-lying areas
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and asking if dredging is really the answer.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19The Norfolk Broads.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23A flat expanse of shallow lakes and slow-moving rivers.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Scattered with windmills, sails motionless and silent.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32A man-made landscape reclaimed by nature.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45So what's a train station doing out here in the middle of nowhere?
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Berney Arms railway station was built in the 1840s at the behest
0:13:53 > 0:13:56of landowner Thomas Trench Berney.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58He'd sold the marshland it's built on,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01on the condition there would be a station at Berney in perpetuity.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Today it brings people to Berney Marshes and Breydon Water,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10two reserves famed for their wetland birds.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Here, the RSPB have hooked up with local landowners to pioneer
0:14:14 > 0:14:17a new approach to managing water levels on the land.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22I'm meeting reserve manager Mark Smart to find out more.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Oh, it's windy out here. Hello, Mark. How you doing?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's an ideal viewing platform, this, isn't it?
0:14:28 > 0:14:30What have you seen out there this morning?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33It is, yes. We've actually got a few pink-footed geese in the distance
0:14:33 > 0:14:36but also quite a few lapwings and things in the far distance.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39For the moment they're keeping their heads down, understandably,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41with it being so windy.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43What is it that makes this marshland unique?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46We've currently got about 95,000 wintering waterfowl, which makes us
0:14:46 > 0:14:49one of the most important sites in the whole of the UK,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and actually doing a lot of work with local landowners to
0:14:52 > 0:14:56actually develop the whole site as a mix of commercial grazing
0:14:56 > 0:14:59but also combining the interest in wildlife as well.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Landowners are being encouraged to keep water levels high,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07only draining the marshes some of the time.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09This creates more habitat for breeding.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15The landowners receive a subsidy for this and grazing is managed
0:15:15 > 0:15:17so landowners aren't affected commercially.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20And, so far, it seems to be working.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23What evidence have you got that it's doing well for birds?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25There is one area that we've been working on,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and in three years, we've actually got 40 pairs of breeding waders
0:15:28 > 0:15:30in it, just by this sort of partnership working,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33so we know that if we get the right wet features in,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36in the right way, it can have pretty quick results.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Water has always been a feature of life here.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The communities learn to live with it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50The many windmills weren't all used for grinding corn,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52but pumping water.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57Celebrated journalist Fyfe Robertson visited Berney Arms in 1960
0:15:57 > 0:16:01when the population stood at just 18.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04If ever there is such a thing as a strong community spirit,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06this is where you expect to find it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13One of the children living here back then was author Sheila Hutchinson.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15She's written a book about her memories growing up
0:16:15 > 0:16:17in this small farming community.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21We had no electricity, we had no running water,
0:16:21 > 0:16:26and our cooking was done on a coal-fired cooking range.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Grandfather had a milk herd here,
0:16:29 > 0:16:34and he used to have a horse and cart take milk churns to the station.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Walking across the marshes, you'd be knee-deep in mud.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Us kids used to get to the station,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41we used to have a flannel and towel there,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44waiting to wipe our knees before we got on the train
0:16:44 > 0:16:48so that we looked presentable to go to Yarmouth to go to school.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Ha-ha! Cleaning your knees. I love that.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Sheila's grandfather was the star of Fyfe Robertson's report.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56He was interviewed at the front gate of his home,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58which is now the RSPB office.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00How long have you lived here?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I'll be 70 my next birthday, and I have lived here all my life.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08And I reckon there's no finer place to live.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10My grandfather lived here.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14My great-grandfather lived here. And they both lived till they died!
0:17:14 > 0:17:15THEY LAUGH
0:17:15 > 0:17:18CATTLE LOW
0:17:22 > 0:17:25What do you think he'd make of how it is here today?
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I'm sure that, if he was here now, he would be coming down here
0:17:29 > 0:17:32at regular times and he'd be having a yarn with them.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- That's a lovely thought.- Yeah.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41The dykes and drains are the capillaries of the marsh.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43They were once dug out by hand.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Today, modern machinery makes the job much easier,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52helping create an even better habitat for ground-nesting birds.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00What we are doing here is actually converting a foot drain
0:18:00 > 0:18:03into ideal conditions for feeding lapwing chicks, so throughout
0:18:03 > 0:18:06the Broads, there's actually thousands of metres of these.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Why are they called foot drains?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11So, they're foot drains because they were originally a foot square
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and they were designed for actually draining the marshes.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17A crash course in tractor driving.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- Hold on, guys.- Off we go.- Oh!
0:18:23 > 0:18:27The edges are taken off the drains to create soft, sloping banks.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30This makes it easier for the chicks to forage.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Is it supposed to judder this much?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- That's fine.- That's normal. That's tractor driving.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Because these improvements to habitat are relatively small,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41very little grazing land is lost.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Ah! You know, I'm delighted with that!
0:18:46 > 0:18:47It's almost straight, as well(!)
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- Nature doesn't need straight lines!- This is true.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52The chicks won't mind. I'm really pleased.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's great to see conservation and farming
0:18:58 > 0:19:00coming together for the good of wildlife.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01And important things are being learned
0:19:01 > 0:19:05about managing water, too, something that could benefit us all.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Now here's our weekly winter warmer to beat the season's chill.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Last summer we asked some well-known faces, from athletes...
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- ..to comedians.- Oh, it's quite refreshing after that!
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Actresses...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28..to chefs...
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Bon appetit.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33..what part of our magnificent countryside was special to them.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35This week it's the turn of
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Olympic gold medal-winning boxer, Nicola Adams.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Sometimes, a taste of the countryside can be closer
0:19:45 > 0:19:47than you think.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50On the edge of the bustling city of Leeds are the 1,500 acres
0:19:50 > 0:19:53of the beautiful Temple Newsam Estate.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02The tranquil parkland was landscaped by Capability Brown
0:20:02 > 0:20:08and at its heart is that Tudor Jacobean mansion built in the 1500s.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11All very impressive, but it's also where Nicola Adams trains.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Nicola has won European gold, Commonwealth gold
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and, in 2012, was crowned Olympic boxing champion.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- Nicola, great to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You need to slow down. You're too fast. I'm not very fit!
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Oh, I will.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35THEY LAUGH
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So have you been coming to Temple Newsam for a while?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Yeah, I have. Since I was a little girl.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46Used to do sports days here. My parents used to bring me here.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It's, like, literally two minutes round the corner.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51And I'm fine, I'm right here.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Incredible, isn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:54How lucky you are, that's lovely.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57So do you prefer the cosiness of the gym
0:20:57 > 0:20:59or the great outdoors?
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Oh, I love the great outdoors.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Nothing beats having the sun on your back and being outside, getting
0:21:04 > 0:21:07a bit of fresh air, instead of being stuck in a sweaty gym all the time!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09THEY LAUGH
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It's a beautiful site, isn't it?
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Oh, lovely.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Pretty intense, your training, though. How often are you doing it?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Yeah, erm, really intense.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Train three times a day.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Do you fancy having a go?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- Yeah, OK, yeah, yeah.- Cool.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Oh, you can punch better than that! What's that?!
0:21:34 > 0:21:35THEY LAUGH
0:21:37 > 0:21:39I wouldn't want to hurt you!
0:21:39 > 0:21:41No, you won't hurt me, I'm tough!
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Oh, I know. Right, that's enough of that. So what next?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Oh, rather than tell you about it, I'm going to show you.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- It's exciting. - All right, let's have a look.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And you genuinely train like this?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Yeah, this has really helped to build up my shoulders.- Amazing.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- Yeah.- What makes an Olympic gold medallist.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- Do you want a try?- Yeah, why not?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Cool. - You almost chopped right through it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11I'll be standing way clear!
0:22:16 > 0:22:19That's all right, you're not that bad, actually. Very good.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24You can really feel it. It's quite hard work, isn't it?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- Yeah.- And that timing as well. Does it help with the timing of the hit?
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Yeah, it does, definitely.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35'As much as I appreciate the workout,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'I think it's time to get back to more familiar territory.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41'And there's something I want to show Nicola.'
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The farm here at Temple Newsam is a rare breed centre,
0:22:48 > 0:22:49just like my farm,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52with the likes of Kerry Hill sheep,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Golden Guernsey goats
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and these very cute Tamworth piglets.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Let me see if I can catch you a piglet.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Now, the mum might not like this too much.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And piglets tend to squeal when you pick them up sometimes.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06PIGLET SQUEALS
0:23:06 > 0:23:08NICOLA GIGGLES
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Shush, shush, shush, come on, then, come on, then.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18It's not hurting it, it's just like a little, "Mum! Mum!"
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Have you ever held a piglet before? - No, no.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22So you just cuddle it like a baby.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Might squeal a bit when I pass him over, but it'll soon settle down.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28PIGLET GRUNTS QUIETLY
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- Ah, he didn't squeal at all. You've got a natural touch.- Yeah.- Aah!
0:23:32 > 0:23:34What do you reckon?
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Till it finds out it's bacon tomorrow! Joking! I'm joking!
0:23:37 > 0:23:41THEY LAUGH
0:23:41 > 0:23:44'Now Nicola has got to grips with one of the smallest residents here,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47'I'd like to introduce her to some of the larger ones.'
0:23:47 > 0:23:49CATTLE LOW
0:23:49 > 0:23:52So when was the last time you came down to the farmyard here at Temple Newsam?
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Oh, last time I came here
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I must have been about ten years old, with my mum.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58I bet you were sweet, won't you?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Yeah, I was quite small. I'm not much bigger now, to be fair.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- Have you ever fed cows before? - No, this is the first time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06There's various different breeds in here.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08This is a Belted Galloway, the one with the belt round their middle.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- Yeah.- And they're a really tough, hardy breed.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12In the corner there's a little calf,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15that's a Shetland calf, from the Shetland Islands.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17And the Gloucester here, they're what's known as a dual-purpose,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20so they're quite good at producing beef and pretty good
0:24:20 > 0:24:24at producing milk, and they produce single and double Gloucester cheese.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh, cool. See, I always thought, like, all cows were the same.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I'm learning a lot today!
0:24:29 > 0:24:34- Right, that's the cattle fed, now I've got something else to show you. - Sweet.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'Seeing as Nicola put me through my paces, I thought
0:24:37 > 0:24:39'I'd return the favour.'
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Now, then. I've got a bit of a challenge for you,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- if you're up for that. - Yeah, I'm always up for a challenge.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45- As long as you win!- Yeah!
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Peg? Here. This is my Border collie sheepdog, Peg. There you go.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54So what I thought we'd try and do, or what I thought I'd get you
0:24:54 > 0:24:58to do, is to get those sheep into that pen over there, using Peg.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02So if I teach you the commands, then I'll let you do it.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05There's "stand" and "lie down" for stop. Lie down!
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And then "walk on" for on. Walk on.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Good girl. Now send her round to the right, which is an "away" command.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20- Yeah.- Away. Peg, lie down. Lie down.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22And then "left" is "come by".
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Come by, good girl. So, you ready for this challenge?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28You reckon you can get these sheep in the pen?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31I'm ready. I'm excited. Let's do this. OK. We've got this.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- Lie down, lie down!- Now "away".
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- Say "away", to the right. - Peg, away!
0:25:41 > 0:25:42ADAM WHISTLES
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Lie down.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Lie down! Peg! Lie down!
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- Now left, come by.- Come by!
0:25:51 > 0:25:53She works for you better than she works for me!
0:25:53 > 0:25:56ADAM LAUGHS
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Oh, we missed the pen. So, away...
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Peg, away!
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Come by.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04Well done, excellent.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- And come by.- Come by! Come by!
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- Lie down! Lie down. - Lie down! Lie down!
0:26:15 > 0:26:20And that's it! Hey-hey! You got 'em! Well done!
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- Fantastic, congratulations.- Thanks.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Here, Peg, what a good girl.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26You were a great team, you two.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Go on, then, go and have a drink, Peg.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32She'll go in the trough now, and go and cool herself down.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I'm not sure whether working sheep helps you with your discipline
0:26:36 > 0:26:38to retain the gold medal at Rio,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41but if you ever happen to hang up your gloves,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43there's always a job for you on the farm.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Peg's had her drink now, it's time to get ours, isn't it?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Yeah, and a steak!- Here, Peg!
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Earlier, we heard how changes to the way we manage land
0:26:57 > 0:27:01and rivers in the uplands could help reduce flooding.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04But what can we do to make a difference further downstream?
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Here's Tom.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Slowing water down as it flows from the hills towards communities
0:27:14 > 0:27:17is one way to reduce flooding.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It takes the pressure off man-made defences and gives them
0:27:20 > 0:27:23a better chance of providing effective protection.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28For many people, the logical companion to that is to move
0:27:28 > 0:27:32the water away more quickly once it's past these pinch points.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And that, they say, means dredging.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Dredging is where riverbeds are cleared of silt.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The idea is, by deepening the river, you create more room for excess
0:27:45 > 0:27:50water and speed the flow so it moves downstream to the sea more quickly.
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Here in Somerset, moving water away is critical to flood defences.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01As one of the lowest-lying areas of the country,
0:28:01 > 0:28:06the Somerset Levels rely on a complex network of rivers,
0:28:06 > 0:28:12man-made drains, ditches and pumps to keep them above the water.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16But despite all of that,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20in 2014, following a succession of winter storms,
0:28:20 > 0:28:25the Levels flooded, prompting many to blame the lack of dredging.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Why have you only started doing this now?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31In the face of both public and political pressure,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34the Environment Agency began dredging again.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39John Osman from the Somerset Rivers Authority believes
0:28:39 > 0:28:41it has made a difference.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Well, the flooding flooded 160 homes.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50If we had done this work before, then the evidence shows
0:28:50 > 0:28:54that 130 of those homes wouldn't have been flooded.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57What do you say to those that say dredging simply doesn't really work
0:28:57 > 0:28:59very well, especially here in Somerset?
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Well, what I would say is that I've got a great deal of evidence
0:29:03 > 0:29:04to say it does.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Show me your evidence, show me a better,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10cost-effective solution, and I'll consider it.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15John's by no means the only one who thinks dredging is effective.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20Defra plans to allow farmers to dredge their own watercourses.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23But not everyone agrees on its value as a flood defence,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26especially when you consider the price.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30So far, it's cost £6 million to dredge a very short stretch
0:29:30 > 0:29:33of this 57-mile river network.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And to maintain any advantage,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41it's predicted it will need to be re-dredged every year.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It's not cheap, then.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48But what makes dredging really controversial
0:29:48 > 0:29:51is the claim that it can make the problem worse.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Terry Fuller is from the Chartered Institute of Water And Environmental Management.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Dredging's just one of many measures
0:29:59 > 0:30:01that we can use for managing flood risk.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04And it can be effective as a land drainage measure
0:30:04 > 0:30:08for, perhaps, a lower severity of events.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12But it has its limitations once you start to get to very big events,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15like the ones we saw here couple of years ago.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18And can dredging have an impact away from where you're actually digging?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21It can have quite a far-reaching impact,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24both upstream and downstream of the site you've dredged.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Time for an experiment, then,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32with a sandbox simulation specially set up for Countryfile.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Where the river has been dredged, the flow of water speeds up.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40The increased speed starts to erode and destabilise the river banks.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Then, when we simulate a storm,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46the effects of the rising water are even more dramatic,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49because the dredge has made the river more fragile.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54So, if dredging has its limitations as a flood defence,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58what else can we do in low-lying areas?
0:30:58 > 0:31:03The answer could be similar to what we found earlier in the uplands.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Rather than speeding up the river to move the water away
0:31:07 > 0:31:09more quickly from pinch points,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13many experts believe we should be trying to slow the flow.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18That means more meandering rivers
0:31:18 > 0:31:22which slow the water down and lessen bank erosion.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26But we also need to find areas where the excess water can go,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and this often means farmland.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33So, as well as asking hill farmers to plant more trees, this also
0:31:33 > 0:31:38means asking farmers in the lowlands to give up more land for flooding.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39But is that fair?
0:31:41 > 0:31:43I think we recognise our responsibilities.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48We recognise that there is some opportunities to help,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51but we won't actually have the ability to solve the entire
0:31:51 > 0:31:52problem single-handedly.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55There's an awful lot of different things that could be
0:31:55 > 0:31:59all part of the problem, and we can all play a part in solving that.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Flooding is an age-old problem
0:32:05 > 0:32:09and many of the solutions being proposed hark back to the way
0:32:09 > 0:32:13our landscape used to be, hundreds, even thousands of years ago.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16But with predictions of more extreme weather,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19we need to be considering all our options now.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24So, even as people have different priorities in flood defence,
0:32:24 > 0:32:29a consensus does seem to be emerging that working together
0:32:29 > 0:32:34up and down the whole river valley is critical to keeping our feet dry.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41I'm in Norfolk, where I've been meeting the students training
0:32:41 > 0:32:45to be the next generation of gamekeepers.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49The skills they're learning are much the same as they've always been,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52managing game and running shoots like keepers of old.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56In the past, this knowledge would have been
0:32:56 > 0:32:58handed down from gamekeeper to gamekeeper.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But in the 21st century,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05these would-be gamekeepers get their training at college.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Well, this course teaches all the disciplines you would need to know
0:33:11 > 0:33:13to make a career in this industry,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16and conservation is a big part of what they learn here,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19so let's just have a chat with Amy about what's been
0:33:19 > 0:33:21going on in this section of the woodland.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Well, right now, we're coppicing.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25All those stems will regrow around here.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28We have to build a natural cage of the remaining hazel
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- to protect it from the deer.- To stop all the deer from nibbling it.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Coppicing lets all the light in and will help the flora and fauna.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37So basically, this hazel's been chopped right down
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and then all these other little bits and pieces will
0:33:39 > 0:33:42regenerate from the very bottom. And you're protecting it from this.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45You build all this up so the deer can't get through it.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Lads, if you want to weave this through, I'll pass it round to you.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56There we are. That's pretty good.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Down the decades, habitat management has been key
0:33:59 > 0:34:01to helping game birds thrive.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Knowing what works for different species is vital.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Birds like the red-legged partridge prefer open grassland,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11whilst pheasants like the shelter a woodland provides.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13And gamekeepers are playing a big role
0:34:13 > 0:34:16in helping increase numbers of grey partridge.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Once close to extinction, careful habitat management
0:34:20 > 0:34:23has seen numbers improved in recent years.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25What have you been learning, then,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27as the kind of ultimate goal of a keepered woodland?
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Obviously, the idea is to create a habitat
0:34:30 > 0:34:32that makes a bird want to stay there.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36For a gamekeeper, it's going to be focused on a game bird.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38But the habitat that is suitable for a game bird is just
0:34:38 > 0:34:41as suitable for a songbird - wrens, blackbirds, that kind of thing.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Sure, yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47What we are doing here is a small example of creating a hedge,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- creating a barrier.- Because, to be honest, it's very windy.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Even in this section here. And birds are not that keen on...
0:34:53 > 0:34:54It's just a bit of a windbreak.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Are you finding a lot when you go out on placements,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59are you doing a lot of this work that you're doing here,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03- working in woodlands and what have you?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08And also, a keeper's job is to make sure that this stays a good place,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10stays a good habitat for the birds.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13If they're not doing that, they're not doing their job.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15If the landscape is managed correctly,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18all sorts of other wildlife stands to benefit.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Later, I'll be sampling one of the perks of being a gamekeeper.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Scottish beef is some of the best in the world.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39So it's no wonder that when it comes to buying and selling bulls,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41there's only one place to go.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43BULL BELLOWS
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- AUCTIONEER:- 10,000, 12,000 in the middle...
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Adam has made the pilgrimage to Scotland to find out why,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52for many farmers,
0:35:52 > 0:35:56the Stirling Bull Sales are a date firmly set in the farming calendar.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00For me, when I think of Scottish agriculture,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03I think of the quality of the beef breeds.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06And here at the Stirling Bull Sales, big money regularly changes hands
0:36:06 > 0:36:09for some of the best animals in the business.
0:36:09 > 0:36:151,500...2,000...2,500... 3,500...
0:36:15 > 0:36:19The sales stretch way back to the 1860s.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22At more than 150 years old, they are still going strong.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29AUCTIONEER RATTLES OFF NUMBERS
0:36:29 > 0:36:32David Leggat is the sales' executive chairman.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36David, how did the sales come about
0:36:36 > 0:36:38and where were they to start off with?
0:36:38 > 0:36:43The sales started in Perth, in 1865.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Which was actually of beef shorthorns.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47There was about 20 of them.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50So it started from really small beginnings.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52And when did you move here?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56We moved here in '09, we were amalgamated, the Perth market
0:36:56 > 0:36:58and the old Stirling market, together.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And of course, the brilliant thing about it is the central location.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03And it's just a fabulous spot.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Within half an hour of Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09We have got a railway station running in.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11And it's very, very central in Scotland.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13And of course we have a lot of breeders
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and buyers from the South here as well, today.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19- And it's very easy access. - And what makes it so famous?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Why is it so well-known?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Well, it's famous because the early days of the sales saw
0:37:25 > 0:37:28the build-up of shorthorn cattle and Aberdeen Angus.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31And they were the chosen breeds to stock.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37America, Canada, the States, South America, particularly Argentina.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And then way down to Australia and New Zealand.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42And the Aberdeen Angus and the shorthorn,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45they are both particularly suited to all sorts of climates.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49If you think of Australia and all the Americas, you have got
0:37:49 > 0:37:52a mixture of freezing conditions through to arid conditions.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53And these cattle suit it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57It was that attraction and the fact we had good numbers
0:37:57 > 0:38:01attracted the herd owners and ranch owners from all over the world.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09A whole host of cattle breeds are now sold at the sales.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11But taking centre stage today are the bulls that
0:38:11 > 0:38:13put this market on the map.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Shorthorns.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18'It was a breathtaking day and the famous beef type
0:38:18 > 0:38:21'Scottish shorthorns proved themselves unbeatable.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24'Way up in the big-money class, the bulls get plenty of attention
0:38:24 > 0:38:27'and buyers flocking from all over the world is the finest evidence
0:38:27 > 0:38:31'that British pedigree cattle are still the world's finest.'
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Prizes are awarded to the best bulls
0:38:34 > 0:38:37before they enter the ring to be auctioned.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Sally Horrell is a beef shorthorn breeder.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42How are you getting on in the showing?
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Well, we have had a third and fourth this morning,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48so we are quite happy with that. Yes, that's all right. We're OK.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50- So you're a beef shorthorn breeder...- Yes.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53You have been travelling a long way, you're a long way from home!
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Yes, we come from Peterborough
0:38:54 > 0:38:56so eight hours up here in a lorry.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57THEY LAUGH
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Why do you come all this way?
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Because this is the premier show to be at.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03You know, around the ring, there's a big audience
0:39:03 > 0:39:06and you don't get that anywhere else for your bulls.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09And as a vendor, you just want the biggest audience possible.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- And if you get rosettes, does that help sell the cattle?- It helps.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13It helps.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15There's lots of other things that the judge can't see,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18like performance recording, health status,
0:39:18 > 0:39:19and that can make a difference in the ring.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22And the breeding. Some people will be chasing certain breeding
0:39:22 > 0:39:24when you are looking for pedigree bulls.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25But the rosette helps! Yeah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Shorthorns may have got the sales under way,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33but it is the world-renowned Angus breed
0:39:33 > 0:39:36that gave the Stirling sales their global reputation.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Come on! Shake it the other way. Two again!
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Johnny Mackey is the chief executive
0:39:42 > 0:39:44of the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50And where does the Angus sit in world dominance?
0:39:50 > 0:39:52It's the most popular beef breed out there.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54It is, numerically speaking,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57the most common breed of cattle in the world.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01And the market has managed to hold on to that core fame
0:40:01 > 0:40:02for selling the breed?
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Absolutely. It's a fantastic centre. I mean, there's a real buzz.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09You saw that here today and it's all driven from the right place,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11which is the consumer end.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Every major retailer has got branded Aberdeen Angus
0:40:13 > 0:40:15as its premium offering. Butchers are all stocking it,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18the restaurant trade is stocking it as well.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20And that feeds its way right back through the supply chain
0:40:20 > 0:40:23to processors looking for farmers to supply them with that product.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26So these farmers who rear the cattle, grow the cattle,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29come here looking for the best genetics they can possibly afford.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30They're looking for bulls and heifers
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and they come here to get them.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33This is the best place to get them.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Huge amount of energy and effort today, isn't it, to get them
0:40:36 > 0:40:38here to sell at the right price?
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Yeah, the buzz is absolutely tremendous.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43The time and dedication that has gone into the cattle
0:40:43 > 0:40:44to get them to this point.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46They want to get them absolutely, for 12 o'clock,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49for going into the ring, so they just look at their absolute best.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52And there's getting on for two years' worth of love and care
0:40:52 > 0:40:53has gone into each of these animals.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56And they're getting their just rewards today,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58because we're having a really good shift.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00At nine and a half, at nine and a half, at nine and a half.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03At nine and a half. At 9,500...
0:41:03 > 0:41:06This is the collection ring, where all the breeders
0:41:06 > 0:41:08are getting their bulls ready to go into the sale.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10There is a huge amount of tension,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12but also energy and excitement out here
0:41:12 > 0:41:13as they prep the bulls, giving them
0:41:13 > 0:41:18their final touches before they go in, hoping to command top prices.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Brian Clark is the second generation of a family that's been
0:41:25 > 0:41:28farming Aberdeen Angus for more than 40 years.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- Brian, they look lovely, all lined up, don't they?- Thank you. Yes.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Wonderful. Take me through the finer points of an Aberdeen Angus, then.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36What are we looking for?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40A good topline, same width at the shoulder as they are at the back.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Good head and ears.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Good shaped backside with a good square back end.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Leg in each corner, a good bone to carry the weight. Good in the legs.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Good mobility.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Because a bull like this will be mating, serving how many cows?
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Probably 40.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00And they have to be easy fleshed, so they can keep their flesh
0:42:00 > 0:42:01- while they're doing that.- Yeah.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- So converting rough pasture into good-quality meat?- Exactly.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06That's what this breed is all about.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- And these have all got the same dad, have they?- They have.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12The father was interbreed champion at the Highland Show two years ago.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14So that should bring some interest?
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Breeders will be looking at the genetics
0:42:16 > 0:42:18coming through from their quality father?
0:42:18 > 0:42:21That's the idea, anyway! We'll have to wait and see.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- And how many have you got to sell? - Five.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24- Five bulls!- Five bulls.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Let's go and watch them through the ring, shall we?- OK.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- He's looking really smart, Brian. - Thanks, Adam.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- Do you get nervous before he goes in the ring?- I do.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42I've got terrible butterflies for you!
0:42:42 > 0:42:43THEY LAUGH
0:42:43 > 0:42:47It's great to see native breeds like Angus and shorthorn attracting
0:42:47 > 0:42:49so much attention.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Prices for pedigree Angus bulls can start from £3,000.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58Today, the overall champion sold for in excess of £25,000.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02But with more than 130 bulls for sale, there's a lot of competition.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Brian's just doing the final touches on one of their bulls here.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09His brother Alistair is leading it in. They've sold four bulls so far.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11They've averaged over £5,000 apiece.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15And they have got high hopes for this young bull, their last one.
0:43:18 > 0:43:194,000...
0:43:21 > 0:43:24The starting bid was 3,000 guineas.
0:43:24 > 0:43:25That's £3,150.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30There's been a lot of people interested in this young bull.
0:43:30 > 0:43:31Very well bred.
0:43:34 > 0:43:35Up to 4,000 already.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40The bids are flying in, it's up to 5,000.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42He's got fantastic action, he's really up on his toes,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46really showing himself off. There's a good boy, go on!
0:43:46 > 0:43:50The crowd has got a smile on their faces now. They're getting lively!
0:43:50 > 0:43:548,000, they'll be absolutely delighted.
0:43:54 > 0:43:55A smile on your face?
0:43:57 > 0:43:58HE LAUGHS
0:43:58 > 0:44:00He's happy now!
0:44:00 > 0:44:02The ring is absolutely packed with people that have come
0:44:02 > 0:44:03from all over the country,
0:44:03 > 0:44:08in fact from all over the world, to this famous sale here in Stirling.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12And when prices make £8,000, £9,000, for the young bulls,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15it's no wonder that it's world-famous and hopefully,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18will continue to be a massive success.
0:44:18 > 0:44:226,000... 7,000...
0:44:22 > 0:44:23APPLAUSE
0:44:23 > 0:44:29The winning bid - 9,000 guineas. That's an incredible £9,450.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Look at that, they even get a round of applause!
0:44:44 > 0:44:50ELLIE: This is the Horsey estate, a secret corner of the Norfolk Broads.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56And a place that has passed into wildlife legend.
0:45:01 > 0:45:07It was here that, 37 years ago, something remarkable happened.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15For the first time in more than 400 years,
0:45:15 > 0:45:20one of Europe's most magnificent birds returned to Britain.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23The Eurasian crane.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25It's truly a spectacular bird
0:45:25 > 0:45:31and one of Europe's largest, with a wingspan of more than two metres.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34They are an impressive sight.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36CRANES CALL
0:45:37 > 0:45:42This rare film was taken by wildlife cameraman John Buxton.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44He managed the estate at the time and was the only person
0:45:44 > 0:45:47to know the cranes had arrived.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50John's no longer with us.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53But his friend Chris Durdin is going to tell me more.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59Chris, it was such a big deal having the cranes return, wasn't it?
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- Oh, a huge, huge moment in ornithology...- Yeah.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05..the return of the crane. I mean, what could be bigger?
0:46:05 > 0:46:08We don't know how many there used to be in the UK, perhaps just
0:46:08 > 0:46:11a handful of pairs, perhaps a few more, but they disappeared.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15They were hunted, marshland was drained, and they were lost.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18So for two birds to reappear here, well...
0:46:18 > 0:46:20We didn't know what would happen.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22But John was alive to the possibility
0:46:22 > 0:46:23that they might just stay and breed.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27CRANES CALL
0:46:27 > 0:46:32When the first cranes came, a chap who was our tenant farmer
0:46:32 > 0:46:36rang me up because he had seen what he described as "the biggest herons
0:46:36 > 0:46:38"he'd ever seen."
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I went down to the marshes and there, sure enough,
0:46:41 > 0:46:42was a pair of cranes.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45I hear John was something of a character
0:46:45 > 0:46:47and protective of these cranes?
0:46:47 > 0:46:50The John I knew was a perfect gentleman.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53But he could be very robust in protecting "his cranes",
0:46:53 > 0:46:55- as he saw it.- Yeah!
0:46:55 > 0:46:58He wanted to make sure they could get re-established here,
0:46:58 > 0:46:59breed successfully.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02We were worried about disturbance from bird-watchers,
0:47:02 > 0:47:04- the risk of egg collectors... - Oh, yeah.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08And he spent some time in the hides here, studying the cranes?
0:47:08 > 0:47:10He kept wonderful notes and that's why we know
0:47:10 > 0:47:13so much about what they did and how they got re-established.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Oh, yeah!
0:47:18 > 0:47:20So the cranes were all out there but somehow,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- John managed to keep them a secret. - He used to put people off the scent.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25On one occasion, he was asked about the cranes,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28he referred to construction cranes, down on Winterton beach!
0:47:28 > 0:47:30ELLIE CHUCKLES
0:47:31 > 0:47:35- But their trumpeting calls are quite distinctive, aren't they?- Yes.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38So they were never the best-kept secret and people working
0:47:38 > 0:47:41the land, people in the local villages would have known they were
0:47:41 > 0:47:45here but they did tend to disappear from view in the breeding season.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48So it gave the impression that maybe they had migrated away.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50And from here, he would do some filming, too,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52- to try and capture moments with the cranes?- Yes.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55He captured some of those first great moments of the cranes
0:47:55 > 0:47:57coming back to the UK.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03Including this. The first newborn crane for centuries.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06I think the most exciting thing that I saw here
0:48:06 > 0:48:09was when the first chick actually flew.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14And my feeling was, that, you know this is marvellous.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16CRANES CALL
0:48:23 > 0:48:27That first chick survived and numbers have gradually increased.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32There are now more than 30 breeding resident pairs in the UK.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40A few miles from the Horsey Estate is Hickling Broad,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43a reserve open to the public and the best place to see cranes
0:48:43 > 0:48:44in the UK.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Warden John Blackburn is my guide.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54John, this must be ideal for the cranes.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56There's an inaccessibility to it
0:48:56 > 0:48:58which must help keep them safe during nesting.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Yes, there is a wet reed and sedge bed which is shallowly flooded,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03keeps them safe from predators.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And it's just one of the mosaic of habitats that we manage that
0:49:06 > 0:49:08helps them throughout the whole season.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10And food, they are omnivorous, aren't they,
0:49:10 > 0:49:12- so plants and insects, that sort of thing?- Yes.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16They seem to especially like grasshoppers and spiders.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18They are favourite for the youngsters, anyway.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21And thinking about it, during the moult, when they can't fly,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24they are particularly vulnerable. So this must be great, here.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26It's spot-on again, because it's very inaccessible.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30A number of bird species find this a good refuge to come to
0:49:30 > 0:49:32in that moult period.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33Yeah, fabulous.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43That is a great piece of architecture there.
0:49:43 > 0:49:44It's hidden well.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53Last few steps.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56- Hey, it was worth the climb. - All those 74 steps.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58We're above the canopy here.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59It's incredible.
0:49:59 > 0:50:00And from this spot, I can see what you mean
0:50:00 > 0:50:02about the different mosaic of habitats.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04We've got that...
0:50:04 > 0:50:06The big open water bodies, the main river channels and the broads,
0:50:06 > 0:50:08and then the reed and sedge beds behind.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10And then grazing marsh behind that.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13And then arable on the slightly higher ground. Those together
0:50:13 > 0:50:14provide everything for the crane.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17And not just the crane, but the other reed bed specialists,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21like the marsh harrier, bittern, bearded tit.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Some methods for managing these habitats can seem extreme.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27Reeds are routinely cut and burnt.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29So why cut all of this back, John?
0:50:29 > 0:50:33If it were left totally uncut, little air builds up so much
0:50:33 > 0:50:34and then the reed bed dries out.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37So we cut the reed on a variety of rotations.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39How does it help the cranes?
0:50:39 > 0:50:42Almost exclusively, over the last decade, they have nested
0:50:42 > 0:50:47on areas of freshly flooded reed or sedge bed with old stubble.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49Once we've done this work, get the water on
0:50:49 > 0:50:51- in late February, early March...- Yeah.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53And they will be out here in April.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56And hopefully, this is where they will sit down and nest.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59The success story of Norfolk's cranes
0:50:59 > 0:51:02began with the passion and determination
0:51:02 > 0:51:04of one man, John Buxton.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Their growing numbers are his lasting legacy.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14What a remarkable comeback story.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16And if it's put you in the mood for a bit of bird spotting,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19you'll want to know what the weather has in store.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Here's the Countryfile forecast for this week.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11We're in Norfolk, where I've been spending time with
0:53:11 > 0:53:15the students learning how to become gamekeepers.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16GUNSHOT
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Well, being a sharpshooter is one thing, but butchery...
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Thanks.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30It's all par for the gamekeeping course.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36One of the gamekeeper's traditional duties has been to prepare
0:53:36 > 0:53:39the game which was shot in the field for the table.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Lecturer John Holmes is running a class showing how to butcher
0:53:44 > 0:53:45a deer carcass.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Right, so, you are busy butchering a haunch?
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- Quite a piece of meat, really, isn't it?- Yes, it is.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Very good chunk of good, healthy meat in there, yes.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57And why is it so important for you, John,
0:53:57 > 0:53:59to run this butchery side of this?
0:53:59 > 0:54:02So many people see the shooting side, the killing side of things,
0:54:02 > 0:54:04but actually what we are doing is producing meat.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07And we impress on the students that what they are dealing with,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09once they're dead, is a piece of meat.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10And it is treated accordingly.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14So how similar would the cuts that we're creating here be
0:54:14 > 0:54:17with general beef cuts and joints and what have you?
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Depending on the species, they are different size,
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- but the cuts are identical.- Right.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23We have our silverside, our topsides and our top rump.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26So however you deal with a beef cut in the kitchen,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29you could do just the same with a venison one.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31That's it, just nick them out, that will come away.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33- So cut this off here? - Yes.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Here we go.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36Look at that!
0:54:36 > 0:54:40- It's beautiful, isn't it?- It does look really tasty, doesn't it?
0:54:40 > 0:54:41Good lean, healthy meat.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- Yeah.- Fine, and that can now be cut into steaks
0:54:44 > 0:54:46for your barbecue or whatever you like.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54One of the best perks of the gamekeeper's job has always been
0:54:54 > 0:54:57the opportunity to sample the fruits of your labour.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01And it's no different for the students today.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09What could be better than coming together to enjoy
0:55:09 > 0:55:11a tasty bowl of venison stew?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- Well, this is just beautiful, isn't it?- It's really tasty, isn't it?
0:55:17 > 0:55:18And it makes all the difference
0:55:18 > 0:55:20when you know where everything has come from.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Knowing where it's come from, yes.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24- How it's reared...- Knowing its provenance, yes.- Yes.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- And actually, how it met its end, as well.- Yes.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31And John, what do you say then, to all of your new students
0:55:31 > 0:55:35that turn up here and they want a career in this game?
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Yes, they do. It ends up being more than a career.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41One of the misconceptions of being a gamekeeper is that you
0:55:41 > 0:55:43wander around the woods all day with a gun.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45And that is obviously not the case. Ridiculous.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48So much we do for conservation and wildlife and the benefits
0:55:48 > 0:55:51of a gamekeeper aren't often praised highly enough, I don't think.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54But it is a way of life and not just a job.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57And one of the things I do say to them is, they do
0:55:57 > 0:56:00have to realise that it is 25 hours a day, eight days a week.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Does that prospect excite you?
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Does it feel right for you to be doing this?
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Yeah, well, you have to be prepared for it.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09But if you are, then yeah, it is exciting.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11I just think it will be a great job to have
0:56:11 > 0:56:14and I think you're really helping the wildlife as well.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16And the environment.
0:56:16 > 0:56:17I'm looking forward to the lifestyle,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20- and just being outside all the time. - This is the life, isn't it?
0:56:20 > 0:56:23It's great. Well, listen, good luck to you all.
0:56:23 > 0:56:24I wish you all the very best.
0:56:27 > 0:56:28Well, that's it from Norfolk.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Next week, we'll be in Staffordshire where I'll be looking
0:56:31 > 0:56:34at a school where farming is at the heart of the curriculum.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38And Ellie will be working with a hat maker who has a rather
0:56:38 > 0:56:40unusual approach to hats.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41Hope you can join us then.