0:00:32 > 0:00:36Northumberland - England's most northerly county.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Now it's a magical place with its ruined castles
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and romantic moorlands, just right for rambling.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47But it hasn't always been this peaceful.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Hundreds of years ago,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Border Reivers were the scourge of this countryside.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54They raided the entire area
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and no-one was immune from their attacks,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59so local farmers build these,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02bastle houses, to defend their livestock.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I'll be finding out what their remains tell us
0:01:05 > 0:01:07about this county's violent past.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13A few miles further east, I've come to the former home of
0:01:13 > 0:01:18the unconventional Trevelyan family, and it's full of real treasures.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20I'm going to be finding out
0:01:20 > 0:01:23how you keep an estate like Wallington in tiptop shape,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and I'm meeting some of the latest additions.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Look at these.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35John and I will be revealing the overall winner
0:01:35 > 0:01:37of our annual photographic competition,
0:01:37 > 0:01:38as voted for by you.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And we'll launch our Countryfile calendar.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44It features all 12 finalists,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46sold in aid of the BBC's Children In Need.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And Tom's gone to market.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Over generations, fortunes have been made and lost in these rings.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59They're the places that gave our market towns their name.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01But now, in many places in rural Britain,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03they're under threat.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Meanwhile, Adam's gone apple picking.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I've seen all sorts of crops harvested, but never apples.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15So I've come to Herefordshire to see how they do it.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Northumberland -
0:02:28 > 0:02:29high moorland,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32breathtaking coastline.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I'm in the Northumberland National Park,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the most northern national park in England,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40stretching from the Scottish border in the north,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44to just south of Hadrian's Wall, World Heritage site.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47But for all of its beauty,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Northumberland has been the site of endless wars.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55Its landscape is scattered with reminders of the bloody battles.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00As evidence of this violent history,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03the area has more castles than any other county in England.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Today, I'm going to find out a little bit more
0:03:06 > 0:03:08about its turbulent past,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and I'm starting my journey here in the Northumberland National Park,
0:03:12 > 0:03:13in a place called Tarset,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16which is one of the largest parishes in England,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20with one of the smallest populations.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23And you don't say. There's hardly anybody here.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28For its 125 square miles, there are only 120 households.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32It may be peaceful now, but for three centuries,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36this area was a lawless and violent place to live.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Gangs of Scottish and English families called the Border Reivers
0:03:39 > 0:03:43marauded and pillaged in order to survive.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48This was a time of bloodshed, of cruelty, of brutality,
0:03:48 > 0:03:49a fight for survival,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and sudden death.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55These neighbours from hell launched bitter feuds
0:03:55 > 0:03:56on each others' territory,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59pinching their livestock, committing murder
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and generally tearing up the neighbourhood.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04These brutes made the cowboys of the Wild West
0:04:04 > 0:04:06look like right softies.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The people here had to work hard to earn a living from the land,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and even harder to ward off attackers.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Rob Young's ancestors lived amongst them.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17How violent was it?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20There were a lot of people killed, lots of animals taken away.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I think the statistics...
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Between 1504 and 1603,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29there's something like 1,400 raids recorded.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32When did this become a lovely place to live?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35In 1609, there was a mass hanging of people over in Carlisle, I think,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and that was when the King put a stamp on the area, really,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and things calmed down after that.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42But it always flared up, there was always trouble.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It was all clan-based, basically, kinship-based,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48so if your kinship ties called you out to do a certain job,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50you had to go.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- My lot, the Youngs, we were just small bit-players.- Right.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The Armstrongs and the Percys and the Dodds...
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Yeah, a whole range of family names still around here
0:05:00 > 0:05:03that were kicking lumps off one another.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- Charlton?- Charlton, Armstrong...
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- All good footballing names as well.- Indeed.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It might have something to do with that.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Remnants of the violent Border past
0:05:13 > 0:05:17can still be seen in the Northumberland landscape today.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Back then, this area was right on the front line.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Can you imagine what it would have been like to live here,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29with 300 Armstrongs charging towards you on horseback,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32screaming at you to give them everything that you owned?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Well, I'm sure you'd agree, you'd batten down the hatches,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and you would do on one of these.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39It's called a bastle house,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and Alistair Murray is king of the bastles
0:05:42 > 0:05:44and, hopefully, he's in.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45Alistair?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- How are you doing? - Hello, Matt.- Nice to see you.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Alistair, I've got to start with the thickness of the walls.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Yeah, the upstairs was actually thinner than downstairs.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Most of the downstairs was actually in excess of four feet thick.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02The obvious thing with this building, it's all about defence.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06It was defending your animals and your family.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08And how old is this bastle house that we're in now?
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Most of them in this valley were built in the late 1500s,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16through, probably, to about 1625.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- Where would the animals be? - They'd be down on the ground floor.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The actual farmers would live on the first floor,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25the reason for that being that the heat from the animals down below
0:06:25 > 0:06:28worked like a central heating system.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- Where's the windows?- They deliberately didn't put windows in,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33because the windows are the weak point.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34That's a way in.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36You had to reduce the number of places
0:06:36 > 0:06:39where you could actually get into the building.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42There'd be just one door, in the gable end,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44the strongest part of the bastle.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Right, yes, let's have a look at this, then.- As you can see...
0:06:47 > 0:06:48It's not very wide.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51No, well, the cattle were very small then, you see,
0:06:51 > 0:06:52and so were the people.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- A smaller door means there's less opportunity to get in.- Exactly.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It's much harder to get into a small doorway.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00That's what it's all about, defence.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03One defensive system would've been this thing,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- called a quench hole. - Quench hole?- A quench hole.- OK.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10What would happen is, at night time, when they went to bed,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13they would actually take water up there in buckets.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16And if someone tried to set a fire here to burn the door...
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Because this would have been wood?
0:07:18 > 0:07:22A wooden door in here, very thick oak door,
0:07:22 > 0:07:27what they would do is pour water in from the first floor up above
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and it would come down through here, through the quench hole
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and put the fire out.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- Clever.- Brilliant piece of defensive engineering.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Visitors to the area can now go back in time
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and explore the lands of the Reivers.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The Tarset Bastle Trail is eight miles long
0:07:46 > 0:07:50and allows walkers to learn more about the incredible archaeology
0:07:50 > 0:07:53lurking amongst the trees.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Although they stand testament to a violent past,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59when life could be nasty, brutish and short,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02bastle houses undoubtedly play a rich part
0:08:02 > 0:08:05in Northumberland's unique cultural heritage.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08A little bit later on in the programme,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I'll be visiting a bastle house that, back in the 1600s,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14a farmer's boy like me could only dream of living in.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But first, Tom has been investigating the disappearance
0:08:17 > 0:08:19of a rural tradition.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27At the heart of almost every rural landscape is a market town.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33For hundreds of years, they've provided a place for farmers
0:08:33 > 0:08:35to come and sell their wares...
0:08:36 > 0:08:38..first on the streets
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and then in dedicated markets.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44For farmers, livestock markets aren't just about buying
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and selling animals, they're about trading gossip too.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Meeting some friends, buying some essentials,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and maybe having a pint with the chap from over the field.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It used to be a great privilege to be a market town,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04an honour granted by Royal Charter.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06But this way of life is on its way out.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Welcome to Hereford Livestock Market
0:09:10 > 0:09:12or, at least, what used to be.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15This town actually gave its name to a breed of cattle,
0:09:15 > 0:09:21but you haven't seen them or any other beasts in here for over a year.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25What you will see, in 18 months, is a new retail park,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27complete with a cinema.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35So, is this the future for all our market towns?
0:09:39 > 0:09:43To help me find out, I've come to Abergavenny livestock market,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45the latest at risk of biting the dust.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48At their peak in the late '40s,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52we had about 800 livestock markets like this in England and Wales.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Now we have just over 100.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It's a fascinating, cos it's a language I can't really understand.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00I can't see the people bidding,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02I can't really understand what they're going for.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It's gripping stuff, though.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06For many livestock markets,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Foot and Mouth in 2001 was the cause of the their demise.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But in Abergavenny, it's got more to do with outdated facilities,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16difficult access,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and the potential to make money from redeveloping the site.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22AUCTIONEER CALLS BIDS
0:10:24 > 0:10:28He's a real showman, he's like a rapper at the top of his game.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32They've been putting on a show here since the 1860s.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37But now, the livestock market looks destined to move out of town,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40to be replaced here by a supermarket.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Farmers are divided over whether the move is the right way forward.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I don't like it at all, to be quite honest with you.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49You know, I consider it a way of life,
0:10:49 > 0:10:50I think they should keep it.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54We need change. It's been here too long, it's old-fashioned.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- This place is old-fashioned? - Yeah, it's gone...sell-by date.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00It's a good idea, really,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03cos there isn't much room for all the traffic and all the boxes
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to get around, so it'd be good if we could get a new market
0:11:06 > 0:11:07with a lot more room...
0:11:07 > 0:11:10My idea, I think, would be to redevelop this here,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14this site here, put a new market in it.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16That way, we keep the market, the livestock market,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20in the centre of the town, which I think is important to the town.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23For some, better facilities are the priority.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Others want to save the town's traditional spirit.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And one determined group of locals is fighting hard
0:11:30 > 0:11:32to stop the market going.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37On a Wednesday, on market days, this town is buzzing, it's thriving.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40If the market goes, we're really concerned that
0:11:40 > 0:11:44that will have a really adverse effect on the town centre itself.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Abergavenny will just turn into another clone town.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49'The campaign group, KALM,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'has its own ideas about the future of the site.'
0:11:52 > 0:11:57Give me a vision of what this place could look like under your plans.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59This could be such a fantastic site
0:11:59 > 0:12:03for economic regeneration for the whole town.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It'll be a really buzzing, lively,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10efficient market on market days, because that is what farmers need.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12But when it's not being a market,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15we could run breed shows here, we could run fur and feather days,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20all sorts of other activities that will pull economic activity
0:12:20 > 0:12:24into the town and provide a hub for regeneration.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26But a lot of things have moved out of town,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28and surely something that needs
0:12:28 > 0:12:30so much space and transport links and all that,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33as a livestock market, is a logical one to be on the outskirts?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It won't be on the outskirts, it'll be on a Greenfield site
0:12:36 > 0:12:38in the middle of nowhere, with no ancillary business,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41which won't provide any additional services
0:12:41 > 0:12:43for the farmers who have to trade.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46An argument that the council uses is that the town centre
0:12:46 > 0:12:48is no place for animals any more, and as a farmer,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51that makes me incredibly sad.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53I think one of the challenges for the farming community
0:12:53 > 0:12:56is that we have to reconnect with our customers,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00we have to reconnect with our communities as a whole.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Linking farmers and communities through the market,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06it's an inspirational idea,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09but Monmouthshire County Council is sure it won't work.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12As today's market wraps up,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I'm catching up with the council's deputy leader, Bob Greenland.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Well, this place is empty now, and if you get your way,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20it will soon be demolished.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Why are you so keen to see it moved?
0:13:22 > 0:13:27Well, I really feel that it has reached its end of life.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29In the days and this was built, it was built as a local market
0:13:29 > 0:13:33for Abergavenny and the surrounding areas.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36But over the years, it's now become much more than that,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38it's almost a regional market now.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42We used to have five or six markets in Monmouthshire,
0:13:42 > 0:13:43about 30 years ago.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46They've all gone. This is the only one.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49It's not just the number of animals that's the problem,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51it's also their size.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The old pens are just too small for today's big beasts.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56In this market, from time to time,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59you get the problem of cattle jumping over the pens.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Now, that's a danger to the animals, obviously, but it's also a danger
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to the handlers and anyone else who might be around.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And of course, in a modern market,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10you don't encourage members of the public to be around.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Well, that's a really interesting point.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Are you trying to isolate the public from farming?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16No, but what I'm trying to...
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Well, that's going to be the effect if you take it out of town,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21whereas here they can come through and see it in action.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Well, you've been here today.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25How many members of the public have you seen around?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27If you had the imagination to make it part of the society,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30rather than put it elsewhere, couldn't that work?
0:14:30 > 0:14:31No, it can't,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34because you haven't got the size here to do all of those things.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38But there's a little more to it than just the size.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39It's also about the money.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Unless the council sells the market,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46it simply won't have the funds for a new one,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49either refurbished or rebuilt.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50If the council get their way,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53gatherings like this in Abergavenny
0:14:53 > 0:14:55will be consigned to history.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00So, if it closes, what will that mean for the town, its people,
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and its farmers?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04We'll be finding out a little later on.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It doesn't come much wilder or more rugged than Northumberland.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21A vast county - endless skies over equally endless landscapes.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Step away from the wild places and there's a different kind of beauty.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34This is Wallington Hall.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38A place that would leave anyone lost for words.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Former seat of the colourful Trevelyan family,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45it's now one of the National Trust's most popular houses.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Lloyd Langley is the house manager.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- Hello.- Hi there, Lloyd. Lovely to see you.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59- What a magnificent...pile! - It is a truly magnificent place.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The house is the base of a huge estate that was given
0:16:02 > 0:16:05to the National Trust by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and the idea was that he wanted the estate to be open to everyone
0:16:08 > 0:16:11to enjoy the landscape and to enjoy the house.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13The Trevelyan family are a wonderful family.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15They've been here since the 18th century.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17They're very literary and artistic
0:16:17 > 0:16:19but they're very forward thinking, they're visionary people.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Mostly liberals in the 19th century,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24moving into socialism in the 20th century.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28They were very keen that everybody should enjoy the arts
0:16:28 > 0:16:30and literature and the countryside,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34and they were key players in the Youth Hostel Association, countryside issues and environment.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- So, real pioneers.- Absolutely.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The Trevelyans would have been a household name
0:16:40 > 0:16:42in the middle part of the 20th century.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Politics and play, that was the Trevelyans.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Visitors these days can wander at their leisure through ornate rooms...
0:17:00 > 0:17:02..ascend sumptuous staircases...
0:17:06 > 0:17:10..and marvel at the architecture in the grandest of halls.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But Wallington is more than just a museum.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18It's a living, breathing estate
0:17:18 > 0:17:21with 15 working farms amongst its many acres.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Emma Gray runs one of those farms.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36If she looks familiar,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40it's because she was on Countryfile back in October last year.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Adam came here looking to buy a sheepdog.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47A lively one called Blue caught his eye.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- A bit of a nip there, when she gets excited.- I know!
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But that's all you're doing is controlling the wolf instinct in them.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56There's always a little bit of that in the dog.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00But you need that otherwise you wouldn't have much of a sheepdog.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Adam didn't buy Blue.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05A year on, though, she looks like a different dog.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10I must say, things have definitely improved, Emma.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Hi, good to see you!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Definitely improved with this one since we last saw her with Adam.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17A different ball game altogether.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19What would've happened
0:18:19 > 0:18:22if you'd brought her into a field of sheep back then?
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Complete carnage. They would have been upside down, over the walls.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29But now, thankfully, a year down the line she can do everything,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32she can do all my farm work now.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- Do you get on, the two of you? - We do now.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38For a long time, we didn't get on. She wasn't a friendly dog, she wasn't a loyal dog.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39But since I've started working her,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43she's appreciated that we have a partnership and now we get on like a house on fire.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46There you go! Do you think, perhaps, that Adam made a mistake?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49He thought that she was a bit too flighty for him.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I think at that stage, she probably was a bit quick
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and rough around the edges.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57I think at the stage she's at now, yeah, I think he would regret it.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Look at this, Mr Henson.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03You might regret your decision, she's a bit of a winner.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08'Working dogs are Emma's life. Even those that nobody else would want.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'This is Tip, he is missing one of his front legs,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'but you'd never guess.'
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Lie down, lie down.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Lie down. Good boy.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- How long do you reckon... - Before he's...
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Before he's passable?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Probably another eight months, ten months maybe.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29We'll see how he does, and see how his leg fares out.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33He's not a heavy-built dog so with a bit of luck, he should be OK.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Lie down, lie down.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42'It's not just Tip that's been in the wars.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47'Emma's only just back on her feet after a serious quad bike accident.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- You broke your back?- I did.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53I rolled a quad bike about 12 weeks ago and unfortunately,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56it landed on me and broke my vertebrae
0:19:56 > 0:19:58so I spent a while in a cast
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and I've been off the farm for a little bit.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- You're very lucky to be standing here.- Very, very lucky.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I got such a fright.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10'Thankfully, Emma's made a full recovery
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'and she's now able to give all her dogs her undivided attention.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:17I'm chuffed with how Blue's coming along
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and I think Tip is a cracking dog...
0:20:20 > 0:20:22but this is what I'm really here to see.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- Oh, look at these!- There we go.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36'Go on, admit it. As you sit there at home, you're all going, "Aw!"'
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Come on, come on.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42They're some really unusual ones as well. A white-headed one.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- These are the sheepdogs of the future, Emma.- They are indeed.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49You're going to be working hard with these little monsters. Hello!
0:20:49 > 0:20:52How long before their eyes open?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Well, they're ten days now so you can see they're starting to open up
0:20:55 > 0:20:57a little bit but they're still stuck at the corners.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59But I would think over the next couple of days,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02they'll all be completely open.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- Did you plan this? - No, this was accidental.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06When I was down and out with my broken back,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- my dog and my bitch got together. - Oh!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Thankfully, she's a good bitch and he's a good dog
0:21:11 > 0:21:12so it's not the end of the world.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14It's definitely not the end of the world!
0:21:14 > 0:21:18But it did come as a surprise when she starred getting fatter and fatter!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- Emma, it's great to see you doing so well.- Thank you.- And fully recovered.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24See you next time.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Bye!
0:21:27 > 0:21:32All these acres, miles from anywhere might not be for everyone,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35but working this patch of the ancient Wallington estate
0:21:35 > 0:21:39is a dream come true for Emma, and it's the place she calls home.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51The Northumberland National Park, a land of big skies,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53of far horizons.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57It covers 400 square miles of unspoilt,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00almost empty countryside apart from the sheep.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02There's lots to offer any visitor,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06but for anyone looking for a permanent job in the park,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09well, opportunities are few and far between.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13But earlier this year, the National Park set up
0:22:13 > 0:22:15the Young Northumberland scheme,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19a local initiative to get a new generation interested in careers
0:22:19 > 0:22:23in the great outdoors, and it gives them the rare opportunity of working
0:22:23 > 0:22:26alongside the park's team of rangers.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I'm meeting Tony Gates, who was on the recruiting panel.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Tony, it sounds like a great scheme, this. Tell me more about it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The scheme was really an opportunity to provide young people,
0:22:38 > 0:22:4116 to 24, a chance to learn skills
0:22:41 > 0:22:43and learn about job opportunities in the great outdoors.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- What kind of take-up have you had, then?- We're absolutely overwhelmed.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We had over 140 applications for two short-term training opportunities,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and they came from all over the country.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56That must have been a bit discouraging for the ones
0:22:56 > 0:22:58who didn't get the job.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It's encouraging as an employer to see so many people interested
0:23:01 > 0:23:04but, yes, it is worrying to see just how many people are keen
0:23:04 > 0:23:07to get into a job and are struggling to find those opportunities.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10That said, a ranger's post in a national park
0:23:10 > 0:23:11is a pretty rare opportunity.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17'Someone who wasn't put off by all that competition is Josh Higgins,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21'a 19-year-old who came top of the list and is now hard at work.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'So keen was he, that he had no worries about moving
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'from his family home in Shropshire
0:23:26 > 0:23:29'to live and work in the wilds of Northumberland.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Josh, there you are, took a while to find you.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Big, empty place this, isn't it? - It is, yeah.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36What are you doing here?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Today we've just been putting in a new waymarking post.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- You get to wear a ranger's jacket. - Pride and joy, the ranger's uniform.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45You must have been thrilled to get this opportunity?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It was amazing, a real sense of achievement.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51You know, this is my office and it's marvellous.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Do you think more young people would be interested in working
0:23:55 > 0:23:58in the countryside if there were more schemes like this around?
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Yes, when I left college and was applying for jobs,
0:24:02 > 0:24:08everybody knows how hard it is so to come across a scheme like this,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11that's aimed at young people like myself,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15trying to get us into the countryside sector and get a first job,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17was vital to me.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- And you were prepared to move a long way from home to get this job.- Yes.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23You have to sort of go where the jobs are.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And I was looking forward to the move,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30getting the chance to go out and about more and fend for myself a bit.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35I'll leave you to put on the final bits of your waymarker here,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- and all the very best for the future.- Cheers. See you.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'There's also a highly-prized bursary scheme on offer here,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47'a great opportunity that young photographer Will Nicholls
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'was lucky enough to get. Today he's snapping the wild goats
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'that are said to have roamed here since Neolithic times.'
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- They are certainly fine-looking goats.- Yeah, they're very striking.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Wonderful markings and very handsome beards.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Well, you're 17,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06you're in the middle of your A levels at the moment.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09How does this bursary fit in with all of that?
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Yeah, a lot of time spent on photography, but obviously homework.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15I need to work around it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20But my weekends are full up with taking pictures a lot of the time.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26And what is going to be the end result of your photographs?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28We'll be putting on an exhibition in Alnwick
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and the shots will be able to be used in brochures, leaflets
0:25:32 > 0:25:33and things like that
0:25:33 > 0:25:36for the tourists coming to the park to have a look at.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39So for now, you are the park's official photographer, are you?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Well, maybe, yeah.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So, how long have you been taking pictures, Will?
0:25:44 > 0:25:49- I started in 2007, so when I was 12. I'm 17 now.- All wildlife pictures?
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Yeah, wildlife. Red squirrels are definitely my favourite subject.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57They're so characterful. They've all got their own little personalities.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00If they get angry with you, they run into the tree and start chucking,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02making a clicking noise at you.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Do you want to be a professional photographer?
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Well, I would love to work in natural history documentary
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and production and be the next David Attenborough!
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Really? Does he know this?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I sent him a letter once, and he replied, which was very nice of him.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- But I'm sure he gets a lot. - Here come the goats again.- Oh.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Will's getting some great shots here,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and we've seen thousands of wonderful images this year
0:26:31 > 0:26:33sent into our photographic competition,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and later on, I'll be meeting up with Julia to announce the winners.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41We'll be letting you know how to buy a copy of our calendar for 2013
0:26:41 > 0:26:45which is made up of the very best pictures.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Of course, we sell it for Children In Need.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'I've been exploring some of the more obscure landmarks that Northumberland has to offer.'
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Whilst the rest of Britain
0:27:00 > 0:27:05were having a fairly civilised time in the late 1600s building stately homes,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07in the wild northern uplands,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11the Northumbrians were creating their own unique contribution
0:27:11 > 0:27:12to British architecture.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18'Bastle houses. Even the word sounds angry.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23'Designed to cope with the danger from the Reivers, rustlers and thieves
0:27:23 > 0:27:26'that terrorised the Borders. Now I'm heading to a rather fine example.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29'It may not look much now, but back in the day,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31'this was a real des res.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34'And when it comes to Northumbrian architecture,
0:27:34 > 0:27:35'Peter Ryder knows more than most.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Peter, how are you doing? Are you all right?- Not too bad.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- I tell you, some trek up here, isn't it?- It is, good place.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44What a view! And it does beg the question,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47how on earth did they get all of this heavy stone
0:27:47 > 0:27:49up into this location?
0:27:49 > 0:27:53A great deal of effort and manpower. That's basically it, I think.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- They didn't do sophisticated.- Right, and this is quite a posh version,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- a substantial version. - Unusually substantial.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I sometimes call them yuppy bastles. A bit grander than most.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And why would they be grander and bigger?
0:28:06 > 0:28:08They would be people who had more available resources,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10a bit more success with reiving, perhaps.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So what have we got in there, Peter, that has remained
0:28:13 > 0:28:16that would give us a sense of what life was like in there?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19There's one big stone in here still holding water, which I think is what
0:28:19 > 0:28:20they call a slop stone,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23which is the bastle equivalent of the kitchen sink,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25or a vessel for holding water you might need
0:28:25 > 0:28:28if you had visitors lighting a fire at night,
0:28:28 > 0:28:29to extinguish that.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And you can see where the first floor would sit.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Yes, and above it are two little recesses in the wall.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37You would put the salt box in one of those.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'The bastles weren't built on foundations,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42'and the fact that some still stand
0:28:42 > 0:28:46'is testament to pretty sturdy workmanship.'
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Later in the programme,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I'll be upgrading from bastles to castles
0:28:51 > 0:28:54as I explore more of the defensive legacies
0:28:54 > 0:28:56of Northumberland's countryside.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59'But first, many of our market towns are losing their identity
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'as their livestock auctions close down.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'So where does that leave our farmers and our towns?
0:29:05 > 0:29:07'Tom has been finding out.'
0:29:08 > 0:29:11'Market day in Abergavenny.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15'If the council gets its way, it could be one of the last.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17'The land it is on is worth big bucks,
0:29:17 > 0:29:19'and many believe 21st-century living
0:29:19 > 0:29:24'simply does not sit well with a town centre full of farm animals.'
0:29:26 > 0:29:30So if this market closes, where will the farmers sell their stock?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Well, there may not be the will to invest in our old markets,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38but there seems to be cash around to build some brand-new ones.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42'This is Hereford's new livestock market.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46'It's replaced a derelict old one we saw earlier,
0:29:46 > 0:29:51'and it's the sort of modern site that could replace Abergavenny's.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53'This state-of-the-art market is in a rural spot
0:29:53 > 0:29:58'on the outskirts of the city. It's twice as big as the old one
0:29:58 > 0:30:00'and cost more than £7 million to develop.'
0:30:00 > 0:30:04- Are they good cows?- Very good cows. Nice and quiet to handle.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08'It may be high-tech, but it runs like it has for centuries.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11'There's only one way to drive the stock into the auction ring,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14'and I am helping stockman Gary Gill do just that.'
0:30:14 > 0:30:19- What would you expect these two to get?- 1,200, 1,300.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24'Gary's worked in markets like this for more than 30 years.'
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Eh! Eh! Eh! Get on! Get on!
0:30:29 > 0:30:34'Although even that experience doesn't guarantee good behaviour.'
0:30:34 > 0:30:35They're a bit frisky!
0:30:37 > 0:30:42Gary's happy with his new office, but what about the other farmers?
0:30:42 > 0:30:45What does this market have that the old one didn't?
0:30:45 > 0:30:47It's a better market, easy to unload, easier to load.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50It's better for the animals, better for us, less stress for us.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53It's a lot slicker here. It is new.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Everything is well thought out, as Owen said, the loading,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01the unloading is so much easier.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03- Time's moved on. - It's the stress factor.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06'But that doesn't mean they don't miss the old one.'
0:31:06 > 0:31:09The old market is probably going to be replaced
0:31:09 > 0:31:12by a cinema and shopping. What do you think of that?
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Well, it's sad, sad times, isn't it?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I don't think it will help Hereford at all.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20My wife is with me today.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23She'd very often come to Hereford with me
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and she'd spend the day in the town shopping,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28whereas she very rarely comes to market now
0:31:28 > 0:31:31because she knows it's strictly business here now.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38'And at the end of the day, that's what it's all about - business -
0:31:38 > 0:31:40'and business here is good.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44'Former auctioneer Chris Dodds has seen moves like this
0:31:44 > 0:31:46'taking place all over the country.'
0:31:46 > 0:31:48The likes of Hereford Market are seeing
0:31:48 > 0:31:50a much bigger throughput
0:31:50 > 0:31:51in the last six months,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53and that is down to the accessibility
0:31:53 > 0:31:54and the service
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and the facilities that the site's offering.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00It's gone from being relatively awkward for a farmer to get in and out of.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05That's all been overcome by a multipurpose functional building like this.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08They're good pens, all modern steel,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10easily cleansed and disinfected.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13But isn't something lost when you move out of town -
0:32:13 > 0:32:16a bit of the romance, a bit the ambience of the old place,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20as well as business connections in the city itself?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Well, I think that you'll find that with most new sites,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26the business connections have followed them to the new site.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32'But what about the old market and the people who relied on it?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34'There used to be a big community here,
0:32:34 > 0:32:39'but this once-thriving space at the heart of the town now echoes
0:32:39 > 0:32:41'with the crunch of broken glass underfoot.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:44There was quite a few different retailers around here.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47There was the beautician's, a tyre fitter's...
0:32:47 > 0:32:49'Martin Hathaway used to run the Old Market Inn.'
0:32:49 > 0:32:54'Like 12 other retailers, he had to move out when the market shut last year.'
0:32:55 > 0:32:58And this was a business you know a lot about.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- Yes, this was my pub here.- And what was it like on a market day?
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Brilliant! Really great atmosphere.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Early in the morning when the first lot of cattle used to turn up
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and the farmers, we used to open the gates,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10they used to come in for their breakfast
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and their early-morning drink, which is a bit of a shock some days!
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- And how do you feel looking round now?- It is so sad.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19It's the first time I've been back since it's been closed,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23and I can't believe how different it is and how sad it looks.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'When the shops and cinema are up and running here,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30'this place will once again be thronging with people,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34'but it will be a very different clientele to the days of old.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:38The logic of modern farming, its scale and sophistication,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42is pushing markets out of town,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46but at a time when farmers are being told to get closer to society,
0:33:46 > 0:33:51surely something is lost if this most dramatic part of their business
0:33:51 > 0:33:54is driven further from the public eye.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Just across the county border from Herefordshire,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Adam's facing his own challenges.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07With harvest finished, it's time to prepare
0:34:07 > 0:34:09his Cotswold fields for the new year.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Harvest is over now and this is where we store our wheat.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21This shed should be full of 1,000 tonnes of grain
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and although this looks impressive,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26for me, it's not, cos there's only 700 tonnes.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30But it's not just farmers who suffer from the bad weather.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Unless you're a slug or a snail,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38the weather's had a terrible effect on the wildlife we support on the farm
0:34:38 > 0:34:40and that means my fruit trees are suffering.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42I only have a few apple trees in the garden,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45but the cold weather and rain has meant fewer insects
0:34:45 > 0:34:47pollinating the flowers and slow growth of the fruit.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49The few apples I get this year,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52will only be good enough for my pigs and they love them,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54but what if this was my crop?
0:34:54 > 0:34:55I want to find out
0:34:55 > 0:34:58how it's affecting my neighbour's fruit harvest.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03I'm visiting Westons Cider in Much Marcle in Herefordshire.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06They're busy harvesting thousands of apple trees.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09How's it working then, Sam?
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Well, as it goes along, the jaws grab the tree
0:35:12 > 0:35:16and gives it a really vibrating shake, and that's it.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- They're nearly all out. - All the apples fall down.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We used to have to do it years ago with what we call a hook lug,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24a long pole with a hook on and shake it and it used to take for ever.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25You could be in there for ever.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29And your arms would hurt, everything, but this, it's amazing.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31And what are they like to eat?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34You try one and you'll get a sweet taste to start with
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and then a very bitter taste and you will dry your mouth out.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Mmm, I'm getting it, I'm getting the sweet and now I'm getting the bitter.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43- That's it. - What's the crop like this year?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46The crop is good but the apples are small
0:35:46 > 0:35:48because of all the rain we've had.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I was told, Sam, that when Alnwick the apple trees were in flower,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53the bees weren't flying because of the rain
0:35:53 > 0:35:55and therefore, there's a lack of fruit, is that true?
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Well, they didn't pollinate the eating apple orchards,
0:35:58 > 0:36:02but cos the cider apples are always later than eating apples,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05cider apples come out on top really, they were all OK.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- So because they come into flower earlier...- They flower earlier than what the cider apples do, yes.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- So, you got away with it? - We did, we were very lucky.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13Goodness me, amazing.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Once the apples are harvested, Sam hoovers them up.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24And then they're sent down the road to be made into cider.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I'm following the apple trail.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33They're tipped onto a conveyor belt, washed and crushed up into a pulp.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37The pulp goes into this massive press that squashes it together,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40the juice comes out the end that goes to making cider
0:36:40 > 0:36:44and then what's left behind is pomace that falls down into here,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46if I can get some!
0:36:49 > 0:36:54This is it. Smells delicious and my pigs love this stuff.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58I'm going to give my pigs a treat and take them some pomace.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03- Hiya.- Hi, Adam. You got your pomace? Are these three bags all right?
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Great, for my pigs? Wonderful.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- Great, well, thank you. - OK, thank you very much.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Come on, then. Come on, then!
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Come on, then! Look what I got for you!
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Pig, pig, pig!
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Come on, then, piggies. Come on, then.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38There's a good pig.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44This wet summer has just had a devastating effect on agriculture,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46not just arable crops like I've got,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50but fruit and vegetables, root crops as well.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52And it's not just the yield,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55but it's also the quality and now the rain just goes on.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Some people still haven't finished harvest and others like me
0:37:58 > 0:38:01are desperately trying to plant next year's crop.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02This is really serious.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14But the weather's not terrible for all species.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18A couple of creatures that have done well this summer
0:38:18 > 0:38:20are snails and slugs.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Due to a mild winter, they got off to a good start
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and then it was wet and warm all summer, which was ideal for them.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33'I'm often reduced to using slug pellets, but Sarah Beynon thinks there's another solution.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36'She studies bugs and insects for a living.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38'She wants to educate farmers like me
0:38:38 > 0:38:41'about the benefits of creepy-crawlies to the farms.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'he's set some traps to show me what's lurking amongst my fields.'
0:38:44 > 0:38:47This is just a piece of board laid on the ground
0:38:47 > 0:38:50and then we've got some feed underneath them
0:38:50 > 0:38:52to attract the slugs in.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55So we've got a few slugs hiding underneath the board here.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00Quite a lot of these are your problem slugs and those are the ones
0:39:00 > 0:39:03that will be eating crops, roots and potentially seeds as well.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08Sarah thinks the answer to this problem lies in the natural world.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11She wants to show me the benefit of having more field margins.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Hopefully, we're going to find some slug-busting beetles.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Sarah sets pitfall traps,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21essentially a cup in the ground with antifreeze in.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Now, if I can get you to hold them
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- while I get some things out of my bag.- You've caught quite a few!
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'The insects fall in,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'meaning Sarah gets a good idea of what's around.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Backpack full of goodies!- Most people have sandwiches, you have...
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Yeah, no room for sandwiches.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40'The antifreeze kills them, which is unfortunate, but necessary.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42'If it didn't, they'd eat each other.'
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Cool, so, these are the ground beetles
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and we've got about 350 different species of these in the UK.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Goodness me.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54These guys are great, they are really, really vivacious predators.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58They will be going round munching on all of your pest insects and your slugs as well.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02- They're quite big, aren't they? Look at that! - Yeah, absolutely. There we go.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They're great, they're the kind of tigers and lions of the insect world.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09They'll live in these margins and then go out into the fields that's their dinner plate?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Yes, they will.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14So these margins are really, really important for these beetles
0:40:14 > 0:40:17because they provide them with overwintering habitats,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20they provide them with somewhere to hide, like you say,
0:40:20 > 0:40:21in the daytime as well,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24but the problem is that with the loss of field margins,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27we're losing these species of beetle as well,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29they're in severe decline in the UK and abroad
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and we are starting to see problems with increased pest numbers
0:40:32 > 0:40:35because they are not able to control them.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- Are these really the only beneficial beetles on the farm?- No, not at all.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42A huge number of insects are doing you good,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44and in particular, there's a group of beetles
0:40:44 > 0:40:46that I think are my favourite and those are the dung beetles.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I've got plenty of dung, let's go and find some dung beetles.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51'Sarah loves dung.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54'When she sees a cowpat, she doesn't see a smelly mess.'
0:40:54 > 0:40:57To me, that's a really good dung pat!
0:40:57 > 0:41:00'She sees a species-rich habitat.'
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Right, what you want is, you want some dung that's a few days old
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- for the species we're going looking for now.- Delve in?
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Yes. I'll get some gloves on. Would you like some gloves?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12I'll hold onto whatever you find, I'll let you do the delving,
0:41:12 > 0:41:13being the expert and everything.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17We just want to lift the dung up and have a look what's in underneath.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- Hey-hey!- There we go.- One poohy dung beetle.- Slime him onto your hand!
0:41:24 > 0:41:25Lovely(!)
0:41:25 > 0:41:29This is Aphodius contaminatus, it's a nice, little, spotty dung beetle
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and they will live within the dung pat itself,
0:41:32 > 0:41:33feeding on the dung, and by that,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35they'll shred the dung across the pasture,
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- which means that it's much more easily broken down by rain and weathering...- Wow!
0:41:39 > 0:41:43..so if you can utilise that and get those nutrients back into the soil,
0:41:43 > 0:41:48then these guys are really, really saving you a lot of money.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52'For Sarah, one dung beetle is not enough.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55'She thinks she can find a dor beetle, the biggest in the UK.'
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- That one?- No, a bit dry.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02- SHE LAUGHS - It's actually quite exciting.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Going out for a walk with me is never your normal walk!
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Probably a little bit fresh to be honest.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- Look at that.- Oh, my word! It's alive with them!
0:42:12 > 0:42:15A writhing mass of dung beetles.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- Found one?- OK.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Right, this is a proper British dung beetle.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Look at the size of him!
0:42:25 > 0:42:27That's incredible.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30He's a big bruiser.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33And does that mean these pastures are pretty healthy, then?
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Yeah, the fact that these beetles are here,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37is a really good sign for your farm.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41There we are, that is one serious beetle.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44And great news that we've got them on the farm.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50'Next week, I'll be looking back at 50 years of life on the farm
0:42:50 > 0:42:51'with my dad.'
0:42:57 > 0:43:00You may not have heard of Wallington Hall, I hadn't,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03but it's one of Northumberland's real treasures.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08I spent a day here and I'm mightily impressed with what I've seen.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13There are sumptuous state rooms, grand furniture
0:43:13 > 0:43:17and cabinets full of curiosities.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Never mind the finery, the architectural delight,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26the Wallington Estate has got conservationists
0:43:26 > 0:43:27falling over themselves.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31This is the River Wansbeck,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33it flows right through the Wallington Estate
0:43:33 > 0:43:37and it's home to a very rare creature.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42I'm joining scientist Stephen Morley and his team in an effort to find it.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- Hello, hello.- Hi, Julia.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46What are you fishing for?
0:43:46 > 0:43:47Well, would you believe it,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50we are looking for the native white-clawed crayfish,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53which are very abundant in this stream.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55That's because the Wansbeck
0:43:55 > 0:43:58is one of the white-claw's very last strongholds.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00They were once widespread throughout the UK,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04but now they are found in just a few isolated streams.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Oops, hang on, here we have one. I'm going to bring it over to you.
0:44:08 > 0:44:09Look at that!
0:44:11 > 0:44:14- That's a good size! - It's a very large one, actually.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18- Now, I'm quite familiar with these fellows...- Yeah.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20..and I know they're in trouble across the country.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Yes, that's right.
0:44:22 > 0:44:23So, what are they doing here?
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Well, we have a very good population of them here.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29We have very clean rivers, fairly low-intensity farming
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and the perfect conditions for white-claws
0:44:32 > 0:44:34with the nice rocky bottom and clean water.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36- So they are thriving up here. - Excellent.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37There is a very strong population.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Of course, the big problem are the American cousins.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42The signals, they're bad news, I'm afraid.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Overabundant, overaggressive
0:44:45 > 0:44:47and over here,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50the American signal crayfish
0:44:50 > 0:44:52is the bigger, more bruising cousin to our natives.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57They were brought to the UK in the '70s as the next big food fad,
0:44:57 > 0:45:02but they spread like crazy and have been bullying our boys ever since.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07'Our native crayfish are prone to disease,
0:45:07 > 0:45:12'so disinfecting my wellies before I get in the river is vital.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14'I'm only able to help with this survey today,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17'because Stephen has a licence to handle crayfish.'
0:45:18 > 0:45:21'They're a protected species and it's illegal to go near them.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24'But as long as Stephen's here, I'm allowed to touch.'
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Let me see if I can catch him here.
0:45:26 > 0:45:27'Easier said than done, though.'
0:45:27 > 0:45:30HE LAUGHS
0:45:30 > 0:45:33I guess that's not the reaction that you are looking for!
0:45:33 > 0:45:36It's just funny, that feeling as they sort of lurch...
0:45:36 > 0:45:40It's a natural instinct. They are quick.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44- They are VERY quick.- They are.
0:45:44 > 0:45:45- Here's one.- Yeah?
0:45:45 > 0:45:49- Here we go. It's a medium-sized girl.- Right.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53If this was a signal it would have probably nipped me several times by now.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55They're much more aggressive and when you reach to pick them up,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57a signal will rear up and try and go for you.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00They'll go for you, whereas the white-claws are meeker.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02What's the flapping of the tail, a "let me go" signal?
0:46:02 > 0:46:06It's trying to escape. If it's in the water, that would shoot it backwards
0:46:06 > 0:46:09quite quickly, and they can escape very fast backwards through the water.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13'A check is made for disease.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17'The sex is determined and the crayfish is measured.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21'All this info helps give a picture of how well the crayfish are doing.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25'Habitat is important too - plenty of gravel and rocks to hide under,
0:46:25 > 0:46:27'clear, pristine water.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29'And that benefits other wildlife.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34'Team member Matt Watson has spotted telltale signs of otters -
0:46:34 > 0:46:36'piles of crunched-up crayfish.'
0:46:36 > 0:46:38What have we got here, then?
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Oh, little bits of crayfish!
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- This is an otter feeding station. - So this is good news
0:46:42 > 0:46:47in terms of the health of the river and the ecosystem, as it were.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- But not such good news for the crayfish.- In theory, no.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Cos an otter can go through maybe 20, 30 crayfish in a night,
0:46:53 > 0:46:55- which this is evidence of...- Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57But certainly pollutions and things are big threats,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00but the main one is this single crayfish.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03'The native crayfish are here in good numbers, though.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08'They're breeding and the habitat is just right.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09'But what does the future hold?'
0:47:09 > 0:47:12I think it may go the way like the grey squirrels,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15I think they might be slightly doomed.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Yeah, at the moment unless we come up with a really good
0:47:18 > 0:47:22way of controlling the invasive species getting into the rivers,
0:47:22 > 0:47:26then it's going to be hard to maintain the population.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Our native crayfish may be losing the battle nationally,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34but here on the Wallington Estate, they're holding out...
0:47:34 > 0:47:36for now, at least.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Well, I can't spend all day saving crayfish, I've got a Craven to meet.
0:47:39 > 0:47:46It's time to find out who is the winner of the Countryfile photographic competition.
0:47:46 > 0:47:47Be free, my man, be free.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59A staggering total of around 50,000 entries were sent in by you,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01the Countryfile viewers.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05These are the final 12 chosen to star in our Countryfile calendar
0:48:05 > 0:48:07which we sell in aid of Children in Need.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11The 2012 calendar raised £1.2 million.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Details of how to buy the 2013 calendar in a moment.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19But first, let us just reflect in the glory of these stunning photographs.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Of course, you were one of the judges, along with Jo Brand and Chris Packham.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- That's right.- What a day!
0:48:32 > 0:48:36You had a shortlist of 3,000 and you had to get down to these final 12.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- One of the hardest days of the year, not kidding.- I'm sure! Oh!
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Now if you had been one of the judges, Julia,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44which one of these would have been your favourite?
0:48:44 > 0:48:48- Because we had to pick our overall choice.- Such a difficult task.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51I have long been a fan of black-and-white photography
0:48:51 > 0:48:55and this I find very appealing and a very striking image.
0:48:55 > 0:49:00- It would be that one. - That was certainly on our shortlist, but this was the overall winner
0:49:00 > 0:49:04because we had to be unanimous and this startling
0:49:04 > 0:49:09photograph of a rainbow hitting the side of a glen in Scotland,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11well, it took our breath away.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13It's a magnificent piece of composition.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Taken by Jean Burwood.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17Jean Burwood, congratulations to you.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20£500 worth of photographic equipment coming your way
0:49:20 > 0:49:24and of course, most impressive of all, you impressed our judges.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37Now it is the big moment - which photograph did you, the lovely viewer at home,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39pick as your number one?
0:49:39 > 0:49:42And this is it - the clear winner by your telephone votes,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45this wonderful picture of a badger
0:49:45 > 0:49:47strolling along a country lane
0:49:47 > 0:49:50with a fantastic arch of trees behind it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54So unusual to get such a clear picture of a badger in broad daylight.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57And the man to get the credit is Dave Foker,
0:49:57 > 0:49:58he took the picture
0:49:58 > 0:50:01and he gets £1,000 worth of photographic equipment.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05- Well done, Dave.- Now, show us the actual calendar, reveal everything!
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Well, here it is.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10This is it with that photograph on the cover,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13the BBC Countryfile calendar for 2013.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15It costs nine pounds
0:50:15 > 0:50:17and at least four pounds of that will go to Children in Need.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20And you can start ordering your copies right now.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25You can do that by going to our website, that's...
0:50:28 > 0:50:30..or by calling the order line on...
0:50:34 > 0:50:39To order by post, send your name, address and a cheque to...
0:50:46 > 0:50:50And please make your cheques payable to "BBC Countryfile Calendar".
0:50:50 > 0:50:53You'll find all that information on our website.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56But now here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57I hope it's not THAT cold.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10This week we're in Northumberland.
0:53:10 > 0:53:16Julia's been exploring the wildlife whilst I've been hearing about the border battles which have left
0:53:16 > 0:53:18the area with a rich and colourful heritage.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22But I'm going upmarket now from bastles to castles,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25taking a look at a restoration project at Cartington Castle.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Now I'm off to meet a local dad and his son who are award-winning
0:53:29 > 0:53:32stonemasons and they're using traditional methods to keep
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Northumberland's characteristic heritage alive.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40Mike's passion for historic buildings was captured by Pathe News
0:53:40 > 0:53:44in the 1950s when his folks bought the ruins of nearby Blenkinsopp Castle.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48NEWSREEL: 'Once a proud setting for the colourful splendour of medieval pageantry,
0:53:48 > 0:53:51'but today a fairy-tale home for the Simpson family who bought it
0:53:51 > 0:53:55'for the price in most towns of a comparatively flimsy terraced house -
0:53:55 > 0:53:57'just under £2,000.'
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Has dad was born in a castle.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03His mum was born on the estate of a castle
0:54:03 > 0:54:05and Mike still lives in this very castle.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08We've all heard of tree huggers, well, believe me,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Mike is an out-and-out stone hugger.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Mike, let me apologise to you
0:54:13 > 0:54:17- for showing the nation your knobbly knees. - THEY LAUGH
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- But you want to apologise for the shirt, don't you?- I do.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24I remember the shirt was given to me by the director
0:54:24 > 0:54:25who came to do the film.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Oh, right! Why was that?
0:54:27 > 0:54:31Because it was one of the first colour ones that Pathe had done, I think,
0:54:31 > 0:54:36and I didn't have a shirt like that, so they actually gave me that shirt...to put on.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39I will always remember that, I was only nine years old.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40- I can remember that.- Brilliant.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44And how did your whole connection with stonemasonry, how did that come about?
0:54:44 > 0:54:49My father was one of these old-fashioned guys who made me go out and get a trade.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53And because of living in a castle all this time,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57I had, like, an affinity with the stones, if you like.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02This is just fantastic, Cartington is an absolutely fantastic example.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05The sort of staff should be preserved for people to come,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and this will last for another 100 years.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10And that gives me tremendous satisfaction.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13For the job in hand here at Cartington, son Gary is
0:55:13 > 0:55:16cooking up a batch of traditional hot lime mortar -
0:55:16 > 0:55:21the very stuff that's kept the stones Mike loves to hug standing for all these years.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25'So, as the new apprentice, take a load of limestone
0:55:25 > 0:55:28'burn at 180 degrees to create quicklime.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31'Stir into sand and water and there you have it.'
0:55:31 > 0:55:33That is boiling!
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- My glasses...- You're steaming up! - MATT LAUGHS
0:55:36 > 0:55:39I'm all steamed up.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Right, that's just about ready.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48- OK, so this is where you have got to, then, Gary?- Yeah, this is us.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52A little bit of lime. Right back in.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- Do that down first of all, yeah? - Yup.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00I have to say, as a 14-year-old lad, I did spend my entire summer
0:56:00 > 0:56:03reappointing the front of our farmhouse.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05So you know what you're doing a little bit?
0:56:05 > 0:56:08I thought you were doing pretty well.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11You do quite a bit of work on Hadrian's Wall, don't you?
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Yeah, we do a lot. The hardest part of that is getting the work done
0:56:15 > 0:56:20with everyone wanting to stop to know what you're doing and why you're doing it.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22But that's a fantastic place to work.
0:56:22 > 0:56:27You get to meet people from all over the world, so, yeah, lovely, lovely place to work.
0:56:27 > 0:56:28And what a job to be doing.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31To be conserving things like castles, like Hadrian's Wall,
0:56:31 > 0:56:33for people for generations to come to enjoy.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36You've got to think that some of the stones and when they were put in.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39With Hadrian's Wall, you're looking at a couple of thousand years ago,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41the man who put that stone, laid that stone down
0:56:41 > 0:56:43and it's been there since then
0:56:43 > 0:56:46and you're now lifting it up and putting it back in again.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- It's pretty spectacular. - Certainly is.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52And what note to finish on because that is all we have got time for from Northumberland.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Next week we're going to be in Hampshire finding out
0:56:54 > 0:56:56about a generation of film-makers who have changed
0:56:56 > 0:56:59the way that we look at the natural world for ever.
0:56:59 > 0:57:00Hope you can join us then.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd