0:00:25 > 0:00:29Northumberland - wild, rugged, dramatic.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33From its moorland to its coastline,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35its beauty belies violent times.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This county experienced a terrifying new threat
0:00:38 > 0:00:40carried in on the sea,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43a new breed of fearsome invader who've never really gone away.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45WARRIORS SHOUT
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I'll be unpicking the history and language of this ancient kingdom.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52All right, you lot, I'll see you later.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Further inland and 1,000 years on,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01a different type of warrior fought the good fight for green energy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Back in 1878, a pioneering Victorian came up with a revolutionary plan
0:01:08 > 0:01:13to use the power of water to power his house.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It was the first homegrown hydroelectric scheme in the world
0:01:16 > 0:01:18and now, 135 years later,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21plans are afoot to fire it all up again.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Tom's investigating the impact of 21st-century travel.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33This classic landscape is scheduled for a dramatic change.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37It is on the proposed route of the new high-speed rail link.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42So are the claimed long-term benefits of HS2 -
0:01:42 > 0:01:45both economic and, yes, environmental -
0:01:45 > 0:01:49really worth the disruption to the British countryside?
0:01:49 > 0:01:50I'll be investigating.
0:01:50 > 0:01:56And Adam is finding out how science can help preserve rare breeds.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00There is some pretty special work going on in this laboratory.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Down here are vats full of liquid nitrogen
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and with this science and technology,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I'm going to be finding out how they are preserving
0:02:08 > 0:02:10some of our British rare farm animals.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Northumberland a place where the voices of the past
0:02:27 > 0:02:29seem to echo across the landscape.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Hurry up, buds, we're waiting for you
0:02:34 > 0:02:35You have lang since seen the sun
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It's been a fair while since you made us smile
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and helped the smile borns run
0:02:41 > 0:02:45What fair hand keeps you from the cold inside yon branch so thin?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Wer'ist watches o'er ya, Ta mak sure you always win?
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Today I'm venturing to some of the most remote parts
0:02:57 > 0:03:01of this ancient kingdom, from the hills to the coast.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It's England's northernmost county,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06where every view tells a tale.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Don't be fooled by all this wonderful scenery, though,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Northumberland has seen more bloody battles
0:03:11 > 0:03:13than Russell Crowe in Gladiator
0:03:13 > 0:03:16but it is through those power struggles
0:03:16 > 0:03:18that the seeds were sown for a United Kingdom.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21To get to grips with its turbulent past,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I am going to take a brief trip back in time.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29A couple of thousand years ago and the Iron Age is in full swing.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31England is a brilliant place to live.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32There's fertile land,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35fresh water and even the option of fishing from the coast -
0:03:35 > 0:03:37a plentiful source of Omega threes.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Then the Romans arrive and really shake things up.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45They built a massive wall to lay claim to their empire,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47named after some bloke called Hadrian.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51But, by 500 AD, the Romans are disappearing from Britain,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53leaving land and power up for grabs.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Cue the Angles, a bunch of Germanic invaders who managed to conquer
0:04:00 > 0:04:03much of Roman Britannia and divvy it up into seven kingdoms.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It was even the Angles that gave England its name.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Those seven kingdoms are controlled by a horde of warlords
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and leaders but there are some that deserve a special mention.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Oswui, now he's a feisty one.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22He conquers an area well beyond his original patch
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and creates a super kingdom called Northumbria.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It stretches from the Humber in the south to Edinburgh in the north
0:04:28 > 0:04:31and all the way to the River Mersey in the West.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Then Edwin steps in.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37All the rulers up to this point have been Pagan
0:04:37 > 0:04:40but Edwin takes a fancy to Christianity
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and becomes the first Christian king in northern England.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Before you know it, there's a new king on the scene.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49This one is called Oswald,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52also keen on Christianity and he wants to spread the word.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56And that's where this place comes in -
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Lindisfarne, or Holy Island,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02the perfect peaceful setting for a monastery...
0:05:02 > 0:05:04at the King's request.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07MONKS CHANT
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Lije on Lindisfarne is governed by the tides,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16cut off twice a day from the mainland.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20No doubt this appealed to the first monk who arrived here, St Aidan.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Around 665 AD, St Cuthbert takes his place
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and the island soon attracts hordes of pilgrims.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32But, for the monks who lived here full-time,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35this wasn't always an easy place to survive.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39What was life like on the island?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42How would they have lived on a day-to-day basis?
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Well, I think in the seventh century it would have been quite tough
0:05:45 > 0:05:48but then it was tough for everyone.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50They needed to be self-sufficient.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55So they had to grow crops, they had to raise their animals.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57They would have needed to store things as well,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01during the very severe winters sometimes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05So they were living in a kind of village of their own here.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Most people think that originally it was just monks and then, eventually,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12other people came and joined them over the course of the years.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Would it have been quiet, peaceful and serene,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20or more hustling and bustling than that?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I think it was possibly a bit of both.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26They had their own quiet moments but obviously life had to go on.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28They had to raise animals
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and do the ordinary things that people had to do to live.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Certainly, later on,
0:06:32 > 0:06:37the monks who were here would have traded with other people.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39The island has its own marketplace
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and that related to the mainland,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45which is still known really as Island-Shire.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47So there is a big connection between the mainland
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and the island during the Middle Ages and later.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54And, of course, they were seamen as well. They knew how to navigate.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56What is it like to be the vicar
0:06:56 > 0:07:00in a place that is known as the cradle of Christianity?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04It's an enormous privilege. But it's very, very enjoyable.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08I think it's just to absorb the atmosphere.
0:07:08 > 0:07:15And really to witness all the different changes in the days,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17in the weather, in the colours.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It is an amazing place to be.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It all seems rather idyllic for the monks, doesn't it?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Well, that's about to change.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29WARRIORS SHOUT
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Vikings. They're a noisy lot!
0:07:39 > 0:07:44In 793, the Vikings made their first attack against Britain.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47They landed right here, at this harbour on Holy Island.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52They pursued all the usual Viking activities,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55destroying, killing, pillaging.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59But the fact they had chosen such a holy place as their target
0:07:59 > 0:08:01shook the kingdom to its core.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06"Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as now
0:08:06 > 0:08:08"have suffered from a pagan race.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12"The heathens poured out the blood of saints upon the altar
0:08:12 > 0:08:15"and trampled on the bodies like dung in the streets."
0:08:17 > 0:08:21This was the beginning of a 200-year Viking assault on Britain
0:08:21 > 0:08:23that would change the country for ever.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28All right, you lot, that's enough. Shove off.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Moody.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The Vikings may have left but their language hasn't.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Later on, I'll be learning more about the Northumbrian dialect.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Now, because we are in a different place every week on Countryfile,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51we understand the importance of being able to get around Britain
0:08:51 > 0:08:55but how do you balance the need for new, efficient types of transport
0:08:55 > 0:08:58like high-speed railways with the protection of the countryside?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Tom has been finding out.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The sight of a steam train wending its way through the countryside
0:09:18 > 0:09:21still evokes thoughts of a romantic past,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24when people were happy to trundle along at a more leisurely pace.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31But these days, it is all about life in the fast lane.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36And it is heading towards us at a thunderous 225mph
0:09:36 > 0:09:41in the form of HS2, Britain's latest high-speed rail link.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47And that is more than nine times faster than this dignified old boy
0:09:47 > 0:09:52can muster here on the Kent and East Sussex Railway.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Plans were first announced for a high-speed link to from London
0:09:56 > 0:10:01to Birmingham in 2009 and now phase two has been revealed.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04It'll significantly reduce journey times to the North
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and supporters say rejuvenate the economies of the English regions.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Some even claim it'll be carbon neutral.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But it won't come without a cost.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The newspapers are full of stories of homes under threat
0:10:18 > 0:10:23and precious views in danger. I want to find out more
0:10:23 > 0:10:28about its impact on the countryside and the people who live there.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35At Great Haywood in Staffordshire,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38they've recently finished building a marina.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Don't get castaway! Oiya!
0:10:42 > 0:10:45The trouble is, there are plans to build a raised line
0:10:45 > 0:10:48for High-Speed Two right through the middle of it
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and through the brand-new nature reserve they've created alongside.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57What are the different environments you are creating here?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00We've created a corridor of wetlands.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It's only two-and-a-half years old.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Obviously, nature takes care of it
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and eventually everything will grow very well.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Ironically, just as it reaches fruition in ten-plus years,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15it could, in effect, have a roof over the top.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We'd have quite a bit of impact on it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21What about some of the animals you are trying to encourage?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24We've just seen a badger sett appear.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28On the waters edge we've created an otter halt.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34In the trees, we've got bat boxes and down towards the elm tree,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37we've got an owl box.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41After all their hard work creating this haven for wildlife,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45how do Jeff and Steve feel about the possibility of losing it?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Just at the point
0:11:47 > 0:11:51where we're reaping the benefits of all the hard work,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54now we're confronted with, as you say, a roof over
0:11:54 > 0:11:58the top, that at the moment, it is hard to get your head around.
0:11:58 > 0:12:04because we don't know what the shape of this thing is going to be.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Steve and Jeff are by no means the only people
0:12:08 > 0:12:12concerned about the impact of High-Speed Two.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16A project this big will undoubtedly have huge implications
0:12:16 > 0:12:18for our natural environment.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Should phase two go ahead as planned, the Wildlife Trust
0:12:22 > 0:12:28say at least 65 important wildlife sites will be directly affected.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Then there is the visual impact on the landscape - the line will
0:12:32 > 0:12:36cut through beautiful countryside and precious green belt.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Indigenous habitat will be lost with the line running through
0:12:40 > 0:12:4215 ancient woodlands like this one
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and at least one site of special scientific interest.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Then there is the impact on people who make their living
0:12:48 > 0:12:53from the land, like here at Tithe Barn Farm in Staffordshire.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00- So what are we up to this morning? - Well, we've got to feed the cattle.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02They've got to be fed.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05They're more interested in what's going to happen in the next
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- few minutes.- They are indeed.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Tony Parrott has been farming here since 1994, but the latest phase of
0:13:12 > 0:13:15High-Speed Two is set to run straight through his farm
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and his farmhouse.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19He's worried about the future of his business.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22It's a bit of a shock.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26We can't affect whether it happens or not.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29We've got to try and keep in business while it is coming through
0:13:29 > 0:13:31and when it's gone through.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35The disruption, I don't know what's going to happen. It's early days.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It's 13 years to go yet.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39All these questions have got to be answered.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Is that the point really, the not knowing that makes it awkward?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45We're in limbo.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51If we want to extend the farm buildings, we can't do it
0:13:51 > 0:13:54because we're not allowed to do any...
0:13:54 > 0:13:57We won't be compensated for anything we do once the Act has been passed.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00CATTLE MOO
0:14:02 > 0:14:03From talking to Tony,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07there is obvious concern about the physical damage the line might
0:14:07 > 0:14:08do to the landscape,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12but also worries about how you run a business in
0:14:12 > 0:14:16a state of limbo when you don't know what the future is going to hold.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20People like Tony can let their views be known
0:14:20 > 0:14:23in one of the upcoming public consultations.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27They'll weigh local feeling against the cost and practicality
0:14:27 > 0:14:33of moving the line. This is not the UK's first high-speed rail line.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38Anyone remember High-Speed One or the Channel Tunnel rail link?
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Later on, I will be finding out
0:14:40 > 0:14:43if there are any lessons we can learn from here.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52While Julia is exploring the Northumberland coastline,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I am inland discovering a place places that's in sharp contrast
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to the rugged moorland that surrounds it.
0:15:00 > 0:15:051,000 acres of North American pine trees. Himalayan Rhododendrons.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10A foreign landscape carved into a rocky hillside.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Cragside House and grounds was built 150 years ago.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16If you live outside the Northeast,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20chances are you'll not have heard of the man who created all of this.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23He is, without question, an unsung hero.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25His home is often referred to as
0:15:25 > 0:15:28"the Palace of a modern magician."
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Lord William Armstrong was an extraordinary Victorian.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Born in 1810, this self-taught Geordie was an industrialist
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and an engineer, coming up with ideas well ahead of his time.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49In 1845, Armstrong invented the hydraulic crane.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53A system which utilised high-pressure water to
0:15:53 > 0:15:55greatly increase the power
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and efficiency of the cranes on Newcastle's busy quayside.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03It was that fascination with the power of water that lead
0:16:03 > 0:16:05to his next invention.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09To find out about that, I need to take to the water.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Andrew!
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Good morning! Who's rowing, me or you?
0:16:14 > 0:16:19- You're going to be doing the work! - All right, after you. In you pop!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Local expert and historian, Andrew Sawyer,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24has worked at Cragside for 25 years.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29What inspired him initially?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Fishing became a lifelong passion,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36so he was able to study water and as he got into adulthood,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39he realised the inefficiency of waterwheels.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Only using about five percent of their potential.
0:16:42 > 0:16:49It was an amazing revolution to him really, that you could use
0:16:49 > 0:16:53the power of water instead of the steam engine, for example.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58He thought it was a monstrous waste of coal with the steam engine
0:16:58 > 0:17:01having to power the steam engine and, of course,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03you could use water to do a lot of those things.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Here at Cragside, Armstrong put those ideas into practice.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14By bringing water off the moors
0:17:14 > 0:17:17through clay pipes and wooden flumes...
0:17:18 > 0:17:21..he created this lake.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23And this is the outlet.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27From here the water would plummet 103 metres down.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29When it reached the powerhouse,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33the energy it carried was turned into electricity.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Monumental for its time.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39It was real ground-breaking stuff.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Cragside really is the home of hydroelectricity.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And even the home of renewable energy, because I guess he was
0:17:45 > 0:17:49doing this 100 years before anybody else had started to think about it?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Yes. He was talking about wind power and tidal power
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and solar power as well as hydropower.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57They'd cracked hydropower,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01but they thought solar, wind and tidal would have to be left
0:18:01 > 0:18:05to another generation to sort out and we're still trying to sort it out.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- We need him back, don't we? - Yes, we certainly do!
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Thanks to Armstrong's forward thinking,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Cragside House was the first household to lit by hydropower.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Today, it is owned by the National Trust
0:18:19 > 0:18:24and the team are busy preparing to open its doors to the public.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27'I am here just in time to uncover the original lamps.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- And there they are. They are beautiful, aren't they?- They are.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They were originally oil lamps and Armstrong converted them
0:18:36 > 0:18:39to use for the hydroelectricity.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So there was a base of mercury in the bottom and an insulated wire
0:18:42 > 0:18:46that went up through the centre, linked to the incandescent lamp
0:18:46 > 0:18:50and then the circuit flowed through the outer of the lamp,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52which is copper. So they would be lit,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but if you wanted to switch them off,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58you'd have to lift the lamp up to break the connection.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02It was a bit of a dodgy situation, but it worked.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Health and safety was not high on his agenda,
0:19:04 > 0:19:09but he was a pioneer when it came to labour-saving devices.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It was an incredible place to live. It was ahead of its time.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16It's hard for us to imagine today how ahead of its time it was.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23He even put a hydraulic system into the house which gave it
0:19:23 > 0:19:26heating, hot water and this lift.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Inconceivable at the time!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It was said that it was this house that introduced
0:19:33 > 0:19:35the concept of modern living.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39With all these gadgets, you can understand why!
0:19:39 > 0:19:43For 60 years, the house was powered from the lakes that Armstrong
0:19:43 > 0:19:48created. Today it is connected to mains electricity.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52But this year, Dave Mann is installing a new hydroelectric
0:19:52 > 0:19:54system that will light up the house once again.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Dave, how similar is this scheme to this scheme that
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Lord Armstrong had here initially?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It's in the same location, using the same pool of water from the
0:20:06 > 0:20:12dam and it is the same flow of water that has been here for centuries.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15What's different is the machine itself is a much more modern,
0:20:15 > 0:20:22efficient turbine which will extract much more energy from the water.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25This huge screw will turn with the fall of the water,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29to produce enough energy to power all the lights in the house.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It's quite an exciting scheme,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34doing it here where this whole idea was born?
0:20:34 > 0:20:35It's very exciting.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Armstrong was an inspiration to all engineers
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and hydropower engineers around the world.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43In a few minutes' time, we'll finally be able to bring hydropower
0:20:43 > 0:20:46back to Cragside where it all began.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48In another part of the estate,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51they're restoring Armstrong's beautiful pathways.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I will be finding out how later.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Northumberland - a landscape shaped by its history.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's been conquered, divided,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12re-won and marched upon for the last 2,000 years.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And even the holy island of Lindisfarne
0:21:14 > 0:21:16saw its fair share of violence.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19It was right here at this little fishing harbour that the
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Vikings landed and launched their first attack against Britain,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26spilling the blood of holy men on the religious altars.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Luckily, things have quietened down a bit since then!
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Someone who has enjoyed this peaceful shoreline all his life
0:21:35 > 0:21:37is Tommy Douglas.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40He's fished from Lindisfarne harbour for more than 50 years.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41But these days,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46he's got a cosy spot mending lobster pots for the family business.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Tommy, good afternoon to you, sir! How are you?- Not so bad, now.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- It's very cosy in here.- It is. We've got plenty of heat.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- So, is this where you spend most of your time now?- Yes. All day.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57- Not out on the boat any more?- No.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01In the summer time, I go to the salmon and sea trout.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03For the rest of the time, you're doing your sewing in here?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Mending the pots for my two sons.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11I look after the wooden ones, else I wouldn't have them now,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13because it would take too much work.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Working on them would be too much bother.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17They've all got metal ones now that last longer.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22- If it wasn't for me, mending these wooden ones...- They would be over!
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Job done!- Job done.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- How many pots have you got? - More than 1,000.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- And who taught you to do this? - My father, my father taught me.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34From when you leave school
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and we were taught before we left school! Really!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Then you just pick up your own style along the way?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44You pick up your own style and if you made a mistake,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46you had to do it again.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Old men! The old men made you do it right!
0:22:51 > 0:22:54All the way down the coast, it is a different make.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57If you pick a pot up that's washed ashore, you know where it's
0:22:57 > 0:23:00come from and what make it is from, Berwick Seahouses or somewhere.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- You can just tell? - You know the make of them.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Do you miss being out on the sea every day?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09I miss it right enough, aye. I miss it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Bound to be when you've done it all your life.- Yeah, of course!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Since I left school.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16It's being away from home for over 20 years,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- we had a trawler and we fished away from home.- 20 years?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Did your wife know who you were when you came back?
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- She didn't know where I was half the time!- I bet she didn't!
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Sleeping in your own clothes all week,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31stinking of diesel oil and fish.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I don't know if I could do that, I must say. Some life!
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It's a good life. It's what you're used to, it is what you've been
0:23:37 > 0:23:39brought up and bred with.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Show me how you do this then, as you're one of the few people left
0:23:42 > 0:23:45actually fixing lobster pots now. What's the secret?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Put your twine over your finger like that, needle up...
0:23:51 > 0:23:53- OK.- ..hitch, half-hitch...
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- And just keep going.- Just keep goin'!
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I'm going to sit and watch Tommy at work, but later,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I'll be venturing inland to meet the farmer whose language has
0:24:04 > 0:24:05been shaped by the landscape.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Earlier, we heard concern over plans for High-Speed Two,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14the UK's latest high-speed rail line.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17To find out more, Tom is heading to Kent to investigate
0:24:17 > 0:24:20the environmental impact of its older brother.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24This is High-Speed One,
0:24:24 > 0:24:30the UK's first purpose-built high speed rail link. Completed in 2007,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32the line stretches for 67 miles,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35linking London to the Channel Tunnel.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Not quite as fast as High-Speed Two, trains can still hit speeds
0:24:38 > 0:24:43of 186 miles per hour, as they gallop towards France.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46High-Speed One was one of the biggest
0:24:46 > 0:24:51and most expensive civil engineering projects the UK had ever seen.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Initially, opposition was pretty widespread.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57So, what was its impact on the environment?
0:24:59 > 0:25:01More than five years after it was finished, it is still
0:25:01 > 0:25:03a controversial topic.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I have come somewhere where they feel it's had
0:25:08 > 0:25:11a positive effect on the environment.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14This is where the railway cuts through the ridge
0:25:14 > 0:25:16to the east of Gravesend.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19David Standen worked with pressure groups
0:25:19 > 0:25:21to reduce the impact of High-Speed One.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They used the line running through the community to save
0:25:24 > 0:25:27the historic Cobham Park.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29To give me a clue what it was like here,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- I know you've got some pictures. - I have.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Even these don't really put it across, but you can see here,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38there is nearly 100 cars, burnt out vehicles
0:25:38 > 0:25:41which were recovered from the site.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We're looking up towards this mausoleum.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48One of the most important historic buildings in the country.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- That's that over there? - That's it, now fully restored.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57David's groups worked to secure a £750,000 in compensation
0:25:57 > 0:25:58from the rail developers.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02They used that to generate a further ten million pounds.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05They've now cleared the parkland, providing three sites
0:26:05 > 0:26:09of special scientific interest and an ancient woodland.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Overall, would you say that, for the environment of this area,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16the railway was good or bad?
0:26:16 > 0:26:22If you take the historic Cobham Park, it's been a benefit.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Very much so.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28For many in the Cobham area, high-speed rail has brought
0:26:28 > 0:26:33real benefits, giving this parkland a new lease of life.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37So the local environmental effect appears to be a mixed picture.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Yes, loss of chunks of landscape and the trauma of actually
0:26:41 > 0:26:46building the lines, but then, some gains in terms of restoration
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and people getting together to value their environment.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52But will High-Speed Two apply the lessons learned
0:26:52 > 0:26:54from High-Speed One? Well, the developers say,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58they will use the existing line as an example of best practice.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02In fact, Peter Miller, the project's head of environment, thinks they
0:27:02 > 0:27:03will be in a great position
0:27:03 > 0:27:06to have a positive effect on the countryside.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09First of all, we're undertaking an environmental impact assessment.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12So we're improving our knowledge, as we speak.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Once we've done that, we're in a much better position
0:27:14 > 0:27:19to understand what the impacts are and how we'd respond to those.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23We'll be looking very carefully at the translocation of species
0:27:23 > 0:27:25and giving them new homes.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Trying to find different places where we can put woodland in,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33partly for screening, party for ecological purposes.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36We'll be raising the ground alongside the railway.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41That will be create a visual screen, help us return land
0:27:41 > 0:27:45back to agriculture and will provide noise attenuation.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48You're suggesting in a way, this is a spine running up
0:27:48 > 0:27:51the centre of the country which will help create a greener Britain?
0:27:51 > 0:27:52I certainly think so, yes.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56But not everyone is buying into the dream.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Would you believe it? Right on cue, a train goes through.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Yeah, but the problem is high-speed rail is nothing like that.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05It's going to be miles faster.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And of course, far more environmentally damaging.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10High-speed trains will reduce travel times
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and may even reduce help rejuvenate the English region, but Joe Rukin
0:28:14 > 0:28:19from the group Stop High-Speed Two, thinks it is a step too far.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22High-Speed Two is not high-speed rail, it is
0:28:22 > 0:28:24ultra high-speed rail and that's really the problem.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28When you are designing for a track speed of 250 miles an hour,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30it means you've got an eight kilometre turning circle,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33which means that you can't bend like a normal railway.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36That's why it is so destructive on so many communities
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and so many wildlife and heritage sites.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Whatever the direct impact may be, it is claimed that High-Speed Two
0:28:43 > 0:28:46will lead to a greater environmental good,
0:28:46 > 0:28:47getting people out of their cars
0:28:47 > 0:28:52and onto communal forms of transport and using greener sources of energy.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57- Joe is not convinced.- High-Speed Two does not have green credentials.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- High-speed is not green. - You say that.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Basically, you are talking about people and potentially goods
0:29:02 > 0:29:07being transported with electrical power, rather than fossil fuel power
0:29:07 > 0:29:09- like diesel and petrol.- Well, no.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13You've got to look at where we generate electricity from.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15It's still coming from carbon.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18But High-Speed Two's developers insist the environmental benefits
0:29:18 > 0:29:21will increase with time.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24High speed rail is going to be electrically powered.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28That's the greenest way of transporting
0:29:28 > 0:29:30people around the country.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34As we go into the 2020's and 2030's, we'll see that there will be a lot
0:29:34 > 0:29:39more renewable energy in that grid and rail will benefit from that.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42The precise route of the new line is far from certain,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46but with cross-party support, it looks likely that one way
0:29:46 > 0:29:49or another, High-Speed Two will go ahead.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57For some, High-Speed Two is an opportunity to create a new
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Golden Age of trains, but for others, it is
0:30:00 > 0:30:06a case of using Victorian technology to tackle a 21st century problem.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12100 years ago, in this carriage's heyday, it would have been
0:30:12 > 0:30:16packed with travellers on the high-speed rail of the time.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19For our new High-Speed Two to be a success,
0:30:19 > 0:30:24it'll have to be equally as popular, but also inflict as little
0:30:24 > 0:30:27damage as possible to the countryside it runs through.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Farming is in Adam's blood. For him, it is not just a job,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42but a lifestyle and that's something he's learned from his dad.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45With all the rare breeds to manage down on the farm,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Adam stills turns to him for advice.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59'We call it Adam's Farm, but to me, it's Dad's Farm.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02'I grew up here and he taught me most of what I know.'
0:31:02 > 0:31:04What got you into farming in the first place
0:31:04 > 0:31:07because you were from a theatrical background, weren't you?
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Mum and Dad were actors and my brother, Nicky, went into the family
0:31:10 > 0:31:14business, but I never ever wanted to do anything else but farm.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17We lived in Northwood, just down the road from an old-fashioned farm,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21where everything was done in the old-fashioned way.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Everything except the ploughing was done with horses.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29The cows were hand milked, chickens were free range in the yard
0:31:29 > 0:31:31and I just thought to myself, "This is the life for me."
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Different now though, isn't it, farming has completely changed?
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Totally different. For me, it was straightforward, quite honestly.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43Didn't make much money. Actually, come to think of it, didn't make any!
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Now you are retired, I know you still run errands for me
0:31:46 > 0:31:50and come up to the farm? You still love it?
0:31:50 > 0:31:53I have got the best of all worlds.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I live in the village, so I can't look out of the window
0:31:56 > 0:31:58and think what the hell's Adam doing?
0:31:58 > 0:32:03I am far enough away, ten minutes drive up to the farm and here I am.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I have still got the farm to come to.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Your mum says to me, "For goodness sake,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12"get out from under my legs and go play with your animals!"
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- Which I do!- Wonderful!
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Dad helped set up the Rare Breeds Survival Trust 40 years ago.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Its aim was to prevent the loss of native breeds of farm animals.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28He's always had a favourite.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I suppose, if I am pushed to choose a favourite,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33it's got to be the Old Gloucester cattle.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36I ought not to have favourites, but those are them!
0:32:36 > 0:32:40The Old Gloucester was a very important breed in this county.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43They were used for ploughing, they were good ploughing oxen, they were
0:32:43 > 0:32:47good beef cattle and after they were fattened, they could be driven
0:32:47 > 0:32:48100 miles to Smithfield Market,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and still be in condition when they got there.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Most important of all, of course, the cows were good milkers
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and the milk was ideal for cheese-making.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59They're the rarest breed of cattle in this country.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The Gloucester Cattle Society was re-formed about three years ago
0:33:03 > 0:33:07and we got 40 animals registered in the book and that's all.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The Gloucester cow still has a place on the farm today
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and I have got two newcomers to introduce to Dad.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I thought I would get these out in the yard to show you.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25- Aren't they lovely?- What a lovely sight! Absolutely beautiful.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Now the breed is doing a lot better, but it is still
0:33:28 > 0:33:30- quite rare, isn't it?- Yes.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34When I bought my first two cows there were only about 40 of them left.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39Today there are about 700, but the breed is still not safe,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42because a lot of those cows are probably going to crossing bulls
0:33:42 > 0:33:44to produce beef animals.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47There's a little heifer and a bull calf here
0:33:47 > 0:33:51and they say that sometimes the heifer, if that's born
0:33:51 > 0:33:55twinned to a bull calf, they're what is known as freemartins, isn't it?
0:33:55 > 0:33:57They may be infertile?
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Yes, that's right.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03The hormones have gone across in the womb and onto the heifer
0:34:03 > 0:34:05and they are sometimes infertile
0:34:05 > 0:34:08but that's such a lovely little heifer, she's so beautiful a colour
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and beautifully marked, and you can blood test for it,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- and I think it would be worth doing. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So how many Gloucesters are there in your herd now?
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Well, 11 cows, all due to calve,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20including this one that's just calved,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22and they're all in the cattle yards
0:34:22 > 0:34:25but as soon as the weather warms up and the grass starts to grow,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I'll try and get this cow and her twins out on the spring grass.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- That'll help them, won't it? - Absolutely, that'll help the milk.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39I share my dad's passion for saving rare breeds too,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41so whenever I hear about new schemes to help do that,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I want to find out more.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47When my father first started collecting rare breeds
0:34:47 > 0:34:48over 40 years ago,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52the only way to conserve them was to breed from them,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54but now, with the latest scientific technology,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57you can freeze the animals in time
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and I'm heading up to Whitchurch in Shropshire to see how it's done.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07There's one special Hackney horse that I've come to see,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10and Rob Havard, managing director of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13is going to tell me about this project.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Rob, hi.- Hi, nice to see you, Adam.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19So what are the Rare Breeds Survival Trust doing here?
0:35:19 > 0:35:21We're here to do semen collection for the Hackney horse,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24one of our rarest breeds of native horses, to go into our gene bank
0:35:24 > 0:35:27so that we can conserve these animals for the future.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29How many are left, then?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32We're looking at about 150 adult breeding females left,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34so we're talking rarer than the Giant Panda here.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It's seriously rare. We're trying to create a gene bank
0:35:38 > 0:35:41that, in the event of serious disease outbreak,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43we can recreate all our native breeds of livestock
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and since the Rare Breeds Survival Trust started,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50we haven't lost a single one, and we lost 26 in the previous 50 years,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52so it's important we carry this on.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54They're a stunning-looking animal, isn't he?
0:35:54 > 0:35:57And I've seen them in action with their marvellous trot.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Just beautiful. I can't understand why more people don't have them.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Absolutely. They've got great presence, haven't they?
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Show anyone off those, wouldn't you?
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Well, let's go and see them in action. Good luck, mate.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12Since the 1400s, this dual-purpose horse has played an important role.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Owning a Hackney horse and carriage
0:36:14 > 0:36:17was similar to owning a flashy sports car today.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Ironically, it was the modern motorcar that replaced this horse,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23which is why it's now so rare.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27The owner of this collection centre is Tullis Matson,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and he's on hand to take me through the science.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Hi, Tullis, I'm Adam. - Adam, good to meet you.
0:36:32 > 0:36:33What a lovely set-up you've got.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Yes, we've been doing this now for about 15 years
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and today we have a Hackney stallion
0:36:37 > 0:36:40that we're going to be collecting some semen and freezing it.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41HORSE WHINNIES
0:36:41 > 0:36:44- So he's all ready to come in now? - Yeah, he's ready.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We just washed him off to prepare him for the collection
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and the girls will be bringing him in now.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Here he comes. He is looking a bit lively.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55So, what's he...? He just goes up to the dummy and jumps it?
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Yes, this particular stallion was very easy.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01On his third day, I think we got him on the dummy mare
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and actually, the keener they are, the easier it is for us.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07When they're laid-back, it takes a lot longer to get the semen off them,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09but this particular stallion, as you can see,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12he's done and dusted within about 30 seconds. It's great.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18That's great. Thank you, Kate.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- So that's the sample? - This is it in its raw state,
0:37:20 > 0:37:24so we'll have to do something with it fairly quickly so it doesn't die off.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26We'll have a quick look under the microscope
0:37:26 > 0:37:29to make sure we have something there that's viable to freeze,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32and up on the screen here, we can see there's a lot moving.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36And what we want is a lot of activity. We call it motility,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and it's how well the semen moves.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- Are you happy with that? - Yeah, this looks good.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44The sample is spun in a machine that separates the unwanted fluid
0:37:44 > 0:37:48so a higher concentration of semen can be stored.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52A preservative is added and it's injected into some storage tubes.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56It's then acclimatised in a freezer
0:37:56 > 0:37:59before being submerged into some liquid nitrogen.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Now that looks like some pretty scientific stuff going on there.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Yes. Now we've actually completed the process,
0:38:08 > 0:38:13the semen is down to -196 degrees centigrade
0:38:13 > 0:38:16and it's pretty much suspended there until we want to use it.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21It's incredible, isn't it, having a living organism that you can freeze
0:38:21 > 0:38:23but it's still going to stay alive in the future?
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Yeah, it's amazing how we can actually freeze it,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28we freeze it in like an antifreeze,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31and we can just bring it back to life within 30 seconds,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33and then it's ready to inseminate into a mare.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35And how long will it last?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39From what we know, it will last pretty much indefinitely.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43There's been stuff frozen back in 1968
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and they're still using that semen now and it's still working well.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Where does this go now?- Now, once we're finished with the semen,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52we're quite happy it's been frozen OK, we'll take the semen
0:38:52 > 0:38:54and put it into one of our big holding tanks
0:38:54 > 0:38:56and then it can remain there until further use.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Wouldn't want to drop it now, would you?
0:39:01 > 0:39:04So that just goes in there to be stored forever?
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- Yes, it pretty much sits in here until it's needed.- Incredible.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13There's another special horse here that needs all the help it can get.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17The Suffolk Punch dates back to the 16th century.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19It's the oldest breed of heavy horse in Great Britain
0:39:19 > 0:39:24and there are less than 300 breeding mares, so they're pretty rare.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28This horse has undergone artificial insemination or AI
0:39:28 > 0:39:32and today, the vet is on site to see how the pregnancy is progressing.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- This is Niamh Lewis, our resident vet.- Hello.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39- She'll be scanning the mare today. - I won't shake your hand.- Yeah, no!
0:39:39 > 0:39:41So how does the process work?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Basically, she's due in July,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47so we just do a check in the winter to make sure she's still pregnant,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50we can adjust her feeding regime as necessary,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53so we'll just have a quick look. Hopefully all's going well.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56And the gestation period of a horse is what, 11 months?
0:39:56 > 0:39:5811 months, yeah, correct. She got AI'd last July,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01towards the end of July, so she's due at the start of July this year.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04OK, all right. Well, I'll watch you at your work.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The foal at this time is living down near her belly button somewhere,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10so we're not going to be able to see much,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12it's just going to be "is she pregnant or is she not?"
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Yeah. It's a big horse, isn't it?
0:40:14 > 0:40:16You've got to disappear a long way in there?
0:40:16 > 0:40:19- You need an extra length of arm. - If you get stuck, I'll put you out.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- So this is a nice picture here. - So that there...
0:40:21 > 0:40:23All the black here that you can see
0:40:23 > 0:40:26is the fluid that the foal has been living in for the last six months.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Everything looks perfect for six months of pregnancy.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Another five months to go, and all going well,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- we'll have a little foal on the ground.- Wonderful!
0:40:35 > 0:40:38And do you look at many Suffolk Punches?
0:40:38 > 0:40:39We only had two last year,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- but we sent both away pregnant, so it was a success.- Excellent.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47At the end of the day,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51the horses get a chance to stretch their legs and have some fun.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Rob, does it mean we're going to have animals frozen in time
0:40:56 > 0:40:58or do we need them running around as well?
0:40:58 > 0:41:00We absolutely have to have them running around.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02The gene bank and these collections
0:41:02 > 0:41:06are so we can still see them running around in 40, 50, 100 years' time.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08This is to make sure that just like your father did,
0:41:08 > 0:41:09we'll keep these hooves on the ground
0:41:09 > 0:41:12and make sure we've got these animals for our future generations.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Nestled in the Northumberland landscape
0:41:24 > 0:41:26is the Cragside estate,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29the birthplace of hydroelectricity.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33When Lord William Armstrong bought this place back in 1863,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36basically, this was all just moorland.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Now, he created those lakes to produce hydroelectricity,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43but he wanted this place to be a lot more than just functional.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46He wanted it to be beautiful
0:41:46 > 0:41:50and this was a passion he shared with his wife, Lady Armstrong.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Margaret was a keen botanist. She led the way
0:41:54 > 0:41:58in transforming the Cragside estate into a fantasy landscape.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Idyllic pathways now lead visitors
0:42:00 > 0:42:04through the towering pine trees of this horticultural jewel.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12But maintaining this beauty takes a lot of hard graft.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Julie Alexander and her team
0:42:14 > 0:42:18have the immense task of keeping 1,000 acres under control.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Julie, it seems extraordinary
0:42:21 > 0:42:24that the pair of them fell in love with this place
0:42:24 > 0:42:26and then they just bought it and changed it so much.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31You can only think that they wanted a little bit of the world here,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33and that is what they got.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37They got tall American pines from North America,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40we've got the rhododendrons from the Himalayas,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42and then in the central area,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45we've still got that little bit of lumpy-dumpy Northumberland.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Did they travel, then, to bring all these different species back?
0:42:48 > 0:42:51No, they weren't great travellers but they would have had the magazines,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53the gardening magazines of the times,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56and the Victorians were massive, massive plant collectors
0:42:56 > 0:42:59so they would have been influenced by all that,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01but it's very well-known, actually,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04that she was out here directing gardeners and things at 6am,
0:43:04 > 0:43:09even with trowel in hand, and walking all the way around the estate
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and making sure that everything was absolutely spot on.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13What a legacy they left,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16but they wouldn't have got to see it all in this glory.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20No, they wouldn't, and normally at that time period and earlier,
0:43:20 > 0:43:23people were building landscapes to hand over to their children,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25but of course, they had no children
0:43:25 > 0:43:30and so, effectively, they did it for themselves, but not only that,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33they left a glorious legacy for the people of Northumberland.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Lady Armstrong died in 1893
0:43:38 > 0:43:42and Lord Armstrong seven years later
0:43:42 > 0:43:45but with no children and therefore no heir,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48the estate was left to William's great-nephew.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Within just six years, bad investments saw him lose the lot.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56His small family had little money to spend on the upkeep
0:43:56 > 0:44:00of the wider grounds, so much of it was left to go wild.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04When the trust took over in 1979,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08a lot of the areas were inaccessible and very, very overgrown.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10As part of this continuing clearance,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13we're now looking at clearing the gorge out
0:44:13 > 0:44:15and reinstating the historic footpaths.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19This course has been closed for quite a number of years,
0:44:19 > 0:44:21and so the task is really massive.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23- Well, you've got a lot of volunteers involved.- Absolutely.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- This is the man in charge. - This is Duncan, our head ranger.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28- Hi, nice to meet you guys. - This is some team.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- They are fantastic, absolutely unbelievable.- Yeah?
0:44:31 > 0:44:33The volunteers at Cragside outnumber the staff six to one.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- I've spotted down here a helmet and trowel waiting for me.- Strangely!
0:44:37 > 0:44:41How odd is that, yeah? Replace that with that, and get involved.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Enthusiastic local volunteers
0:44:43 > 0:44:47are vital for Cragside to be able to run these sorts of projects.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51The first job on my list is to fell this obstructive tree.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Ideally, straight if you can, there.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Nice and low, get in there and I'll push it over.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Thar she blows.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06TREE CREAKS
0:45:06 > 0:45:07And...
0:45:07 > 0:45:09Oof!
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Breasted it nicely on the bridge.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13- We missed the fire, which is most important.- We missed the fire,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16but I thought we were going to knock the bridge over!
0:45:16 > 0:45:19Rather than damaging the heritage, the team are actually hoping
0:45:19 > 0:45:22to restore the pathways that wind down the gorge.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27So you've got all these beautiful stone steps under here, Duncan,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29the idea is to obviously reveal them.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30They're all hidden at the moment
0:45:30 > 0:45:33and it'll be a lovely feature when it's done,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35so yeah, if we can scrape off as much as we can,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37clear back all the vegetation...
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Although this spot is central to the estate,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41it's been covered up for decades,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44but now they're hoping to unearth some of its history.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50And are you working to some kind of plan,
0:45:50 > 0:45:53or are you just going along and sort of discovering it
0:45:53 > 0:45:56- a bit like archaeologists? - Why, does it look like chaos?
0:45:56 > 0:45:57THEY LAUGH
0:45:57 > 0:45:59No, there is a plan. There's a picture here,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01- a painting from 1884...- Oh, yeah?
0:46:01 > 0:46:05..by Emerson, and this is Queen Victoria's grandchildren
0:46:05 > 0:46:09standing on, hopefully, an older version of that bridge there.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- And it looks a lot tidier. - We're getting there!
0:46:12 > 0:46:16This gorge also holds historical importance to Armstrong.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20When the main house was being built, he lived here in an old mill
0:46:20 > 0:46:22and it's quite possible
0:46:22 > 0:46:25this is where he started forming ideas for hydropower.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Working high above us is the forest team, who've got their work cut out.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Going on just behind us, we've got some extreme gardening going on
0:46:36 > 0:46:38with those lads up there with the tree surgeon
0:46:38 > 0:46:40but it's all part of the same project?
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Absolutely, the same project. Some big trees need to come out
0:46:43 > 0:46:44so you can get to the rocks behind
0:46:44 > 0:46:47and make it safe when we open the gorge by the end of the year.
0:46:47 > 0:46:48SAW BUZZES
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Brilliant how work suddenly stops when somebody starts felling a tree.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Absolutely.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Here she comes!
0:46:56 > 0:46:58It's going to...
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Oof!
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Goodness me! Wow!
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Well, listen, while we get on clearing out this gorge,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11Julia is heading over to a local farm
0:47:11 > 0:47:14to learn how to speak Northumbrian,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16a local dialect still used in these parts,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19but before we find out how the lassie gets on, let's find out
0:47:19 > 0:47:22what the Countryfile forecast has in store in the week ahead.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I've been on a whirlwind tour of Northumbrian history.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17From the battles and blessings on Holy Island,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19I'm now heading inland
0:50:19 > 0:50:23to a remote sheep farm deep in the Otterburn Ranges.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29This landscape echoes with history.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31You can almost hear the voices of the past
0:50:31 > 0:50:34as you travel through the Northumbrian countryside.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39Hurry up, buds. We're waiting for you.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41You've lang since seen the sun.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44It's been a fair while since you made us smile
0:50:44 > 0:50:46and helped the smaal burns run.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Sound a bit strange?
0:50:48 > 0:50:52That's because it's one of Britain's oldest dialects -
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Northern Northumbrian.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58Luckily, I've got just the man to explain this local lingo.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01How long have you been writing poetry using the northern dialect?
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Approximately a year, really. It simultaneously started with
0:51:04 > 0:51:06work I've been doing in local primary schools
0:51:06 > 0:51:08to try and promote and preserve the local dialect.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Can I have a look at some work?
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Yes, it's a little thing I've put together.- What's this one called?
0:51:14 > 0:51:17- This is called England's Best-Kept Secret, about Northumberland.- Go on.
0:51:17 > 0:51:18And it gans...
0:51:18 > 0:51:21In England's best-kept secret, Where the folk fair keep ahowled
0:51:21 > 0:51:24There's witter steeped in history Keepin' frish the winter cowled
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Aye, there's stories ye hear tell of
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Like when the Vikings said, "Hallow"
0:51:29 > 0:51:33Or when the Anglo-Saxons watched A brand-new language grow and grow
0:51:33 > 0:51:37But the difference 'tween this land And that of heaven, who can tell
0:51:37 > 0:51:41We hope that you enjoy it. Reach oot, hinney, fill yersel'.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43- Oh, that's beautiful! - Thank you very much.- That's lovely.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- Now, I'm going to pick out a few words here.- Go on, then.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48So "there's witter steeped in history." Witter.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51Yeah, pretty obvious. It's like water, really.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53"Where the folk fair kept ahowled."
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Keep ahowled, it's an expression we use nowadays.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Keep ahowled - look after yourself.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- I like that, keep ahowled. - Keep ahowled.- That's good.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03"Keepin' frish the winter cowled."
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Frish, back of the throat, frish.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Frish. Frish. And that's fresh.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Yeah, fresh.- Simple. Nicer than fresh, actually.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12So the history of the water sort of keeps the winter chill going,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15if you think about the bloody history of the land,
0:52:15 > 0:52:16that's what that means. I grew up
0:52:16 > 0:52:19listening to my dad and his parents speaking very broadly like that.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22I think you're doing a fantastic job keeping the language alive.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24- Thank you.- Next person I need to talk to is your dad.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Whssht!
0:52:26 > 0:52:30The Northumbrian dialect is firmly rooted in old English Anglo-Saxon
0:52:30 > 0:52:34but as the land was invaded by new forces, so was the language.
0:52:34 > 0:52:39- This one's a bit leaner. He must have been doing his job, aye?- Eh?
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- He must have been doing his job. He's a bit leaner.- Yeah.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44- Right, Richard, lad, that's the last one.- Ian!
0:52:44 > 0:52:47- Hello.- Hello. I thought Matt Baker had a strong accent
0:52:47 > 0:52:50but I tell you what, I could barely understand what you were saying then.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Well, these are Northumbrian sheep,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54you've got to tak to them in Northumbrian.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56You've got to talk to them in the right language!
0:52:56 > 0:53:00- You do.- So tell me about the accent. Is it localised to different areas?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Are there different accents? If I go over the valley...
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Slightly different. They say the accent changes every seven miles.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08So if I was in the way, you're working with sheep
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- and want to move me on, what would you say?- I'd say, "Get oot the road now, please,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14"cos I've work coming past with these yows or these tups,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16"and divn't stand in the clarts or you'll get clarty feet,
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- "it's a hell of a scene of clarts doon there."- Clartsy clartsy what?
0:53:19 > 0:53:22You'll get clarty feet. Right, this is clarts, you see?
0:53:22 > 0:53:25- You may call it mud but we would call it clarts.- Clarts?
0:53:25 > 0:53:27"You'll get clarts all ower your feet if you come doon here
0:53:27 > 0:53:31"so you're far better wakking on a clean bit, lang yonder, you see."
0:53:31 > 0:53:33I would say.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Tell me all about the Northumbrian R.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38There's a story about that, and I don't know if this is right,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41but they did say that in the olden days,
0:53:41 > 0:53:45one of the Dukes of Northumberland had a bit of a speech impediment
0:53:45 > 0:53:48and he couldn't say "rr" so he used to say "ruh"
0:53:48 > 0:53:52and anybody who wanted to get on in the circle that he moved in
0:53:52 > 0:53:57had to copy the Duke, so they all started saying "ruh" instead of "rr"
0:53:57 > 0:53:59but I think probably more likely,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02there was a lot of influence from Northern Europe, you would get.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Well, there was the invaders came across from Denmark and Holland,
0:54:05 > 0:54:07and northern Germany.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Do you think it's important to keep this language alive?
0:54:09 > 0:54:12I do, actually, I think it's part of our identity
0:54:12 > 0:54:14and it's who we are.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17We are part of the landscape, we're part of the hills and the animals
0:54:17 > 0:54:20and everything sort of knits together
0:54:20 > 0:54:22and I think the regional accent does as well,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24and that's what makes us us.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29The dialect may be as old as the hills, but there are moves
0:54:29 > 0:54:32to keep that native tongue wagging for future generations.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Once I went for a wak with me dig
0:54:35 > 0:54:39to meet me friends at the watterfall doon by the valley.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43This building on Ian's farm is an old schoolhouse
0:54:43 > 0:54:45and he actually went to school here.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Children would walk for miles through the valley or come on ponyback
0:54:49 > 0:54:53but it hasn't been open as a place of education since 1970 -
0:54:53 > 0:54:55until today.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Hello, hello.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01- CHILDREN:- Hello!- Hello, everyone.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04Right, I understand we've got a very special class going on today.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05What's on the agenda?
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Well, we're learning all about Northumbrian dialect,
0:55:07 > 0:55:10so we've got some cards that the children are practising their words.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Would you like to join us?
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Definitely. I can see some very funny words here.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16Hello. "Netty".
0:55:16 > 0:55:20Right, tell me a sentence that's got the word netty in it.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22I need to go to the netty.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24You need to go to the netty.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27OK, that could be a few things.
0:55:27 > 0:55:28- Is it "loo"?- Yeah.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33I need to go to the loo. OK. Netty, how old is that? Where'd you get...?
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Anyway, let's see what we've got here. "Spuggy".
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Give me a sentence with spuggy in it.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43Look at that spuggy over their on the tree.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46"Look at that spuggy over there on that tree."
0:55:46 > 0:55:47Look at that monkey?
0:55:48 > 0:55:50OK, tell me what a spuggy is.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52- It's a sparrow.- It's a sparrow!
0:55:52 > 0:55:55It's a birdie! That's nice, isn't it? I like that, the spuggy.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Right, skumfish. Tell me about skumfish.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00I was very skumfish last night.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03- You were very rude to your mummy last night.- No.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- You were very smelly last night.- No.
0:56:06 > 0:56:07Um...
0:56:07 > 0:56:09You were very skumfish last night.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11You were very tired last night.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14- Yes.- Yeah! OK.
0:56:14 > 0:56:15Well, thank you very much
0:56:15 > 0:56:18for teaching me lots of very, very nice words
0:56:18 > 0:56:20and for doing this special lesson as well.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24I need to take a difficult word for Mr Matt Baker
0:56:24 > 0:56:26and remember, he's from round these parts
0:56:26 > 0:56:29so what do you reckon is going to work as a tricky one for him?
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Well, we think this one.
0:56:31 > 0:56:32Muckle bari.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - That is perfect.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38All right, class dismissed.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- And don't get too skumfish.- Bye!
0:56:44 > 0:56:46'All I've got to do now is meet with Mr Baker.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49'It'll be muckle bari to see him.'
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- Jules!- Hello, darling.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53- Have you had a lovely time in the north-east?- Of course.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56I was expecting nothing less from your home turf.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Right, what does that mean?
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Uh... "My uncle Barry".
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Muckle bari? Are you sticking with that?
0:57:04 > 0:57:07You don't even know your own language! It means...
0:57:07 > 0:57:09- I'm from County Durham, Jules! Go on.- ..very nice.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11And it has been very nice to be here.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13It has, but that's all we've got time for.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15It is. Next week we have a very special edition of Countryfile
0:57:15 > 0:57:18because we're celebrating our 25th anniversary
0:57:18 > 0:57:19and we have a guest editor,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22none other than His Royal Highness himself, the Prince of Wales.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25Yes, we will have exclusive access to Prince Charles
0:57:25 > 0:57:27on his farm at Highgrove, and get up close and personal
0:57:27 > 0:57:30as he visits food and farming projects across the country.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32He'll reveal his passion for the countryside,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35his hopes for the future, and even get his hands dirty with me
0:57:35 > 0:57:37- doing a bit of hedge laying. - I cannot wait.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd