0:00:27 > 0:00:29North Cornwall -
0:00:29 > 0:00:31a wild and beautiful landscape,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35where the dramatic coastline gives way to open countryside,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39pretty villages and some elegant stately piles.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Like this one, Prideaux Place.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46This house has been in the same family for 14 generations.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50But the family aren't the only constant here. So are its deer.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55This is thought to be the oldest fallow deer park in the country.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Somewhere in there is a little tinker called Naughty,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00who's got himself into a spot of bother.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05So I'm going to be joining this lot, helping to track him down.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07The Cornish coast has always been a draw.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11But venture inland and there's much more to explore.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15In summer, people come here to soak up the sun and enjoy the sand.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18But in winter, there are plenty of things to do to set
0:01:18 > 0:01:21your pulse racing, like enjoying this woodland trail.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26I'll be finding out how conservation and cycling are going hand in hand.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Tom's ruminating on the outlook for the dairy industry.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Our rapidly expanding global population produces
0:01:33 > 0:01:37billions more mouths to feed and some serious challenges.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41But for farmers, it opens up a world of opportunity.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45So, after tough times in the recent past,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49is the future now much brighter for Britain's dairy farming?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I'll be investigating.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56And Adam's in Dorset, meeting a pint-sized farmer.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I'm always impressed when young people get into farming.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Little Arthur here is only two
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and he's more of an inspiration than most.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Oi, Arthur, where are you off to?
0:02:18 > 0:02:19The wild Southwest,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23where clusters of coastal houses hunker down
0:02:23 > 0:02:25against the Atlantic elements.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Tucked into the mouth of the Camel Estuary,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34a jewel in North Cornwall's glistening crown...
0:02:34 > 0:02:35Padstow.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41This is one of the most sought-after of Cornish postcodes.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And in an enviable position up above the town,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48looking over all of this,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50is one des res that's full of surprises.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Prideaux Place is no ordinary stately home.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Since 1592, one family has lived here
0:02:59 > 0:03:02for 14 unbroken generations.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06But their connections to Cornwall go back even further.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It's said that the family are descended
0:03:10 > 0:03:12from an ancient Cornish clan,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and that they have a direct bloodline to William the Conqueror.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18But as well as all these family heirlooms,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22it seems the present incumbents of Prideaux Place have inherited
0:03:22 > 0:03:24something of a chequered past.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Hi.- Wonderful to meet you.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- Are you all right?- Nice to meet you.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34My word, what an extraordinary house you've got.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- It really is, isn't it?- Yes, yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So, Peter, you are the 14th generation to live in this house.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Here we are, surrounded by so many faces of your relatives.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Not all of them have played by the rules, have they?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49No, I'm afraid they haven't.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54Cornwall was very loyal to Charles I, except for us.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- We supported Cromwell.- Right. - Which I'm rather ashamed of.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So when Charles II came back to the throne in 1660,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05we were in political shtuck.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09So we married our poor, wretched sister,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11whose picture is there,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14to this really ugly old so-and-so,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Sir William Morris,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19who was Charles II's Secretary of State.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23As a result of that, we got a pardon.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24I'll show it to you, actually.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- I've got it here.- This is a pardon from the king, is it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31This is a pardon from the king. Here we are. Wonderful phrase...
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Look at the artwork on it. - It's wonderful, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Go on, then, so this pardon is what?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42It says an awful lot, but it says things like,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44"We pardon you for lying in wait
0:04:44 > 0:04:46"with murder aforethought
0:04:46 > 0:04:50"for our sovereign father, the king," etc.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It also, curiously enough, says we are forgiven
0:04:55 > 0:05:00for all our crimes, "past, present and future".
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Now I've never tried that when getting out of a parking ticket.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It would be great fun to see what would happen.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- This is the thing, because you are a barrister.- Yes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13So can you imagine turning up with this?
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Goodness me, the kudos of having a pardon from the king.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19It certainly would be quite fun to try.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Complete with 81 rooms and 47 acres of grounds,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28various descendants of the Prideaux family
0:05:28 > 0:05:31have stamped their personality on this Elizabethan estate.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35But none more so than one of the many Edmunds in the family.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38He was the sixth generation to take over
0:05:38 > 0:05:41as lord of this manor in 1728.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47So, Peter, why was this particular Edmund so influential in the house?
0:05:47 > 0:05:52I suppose he was rather more sophisticated.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54He went on the Grand Tour,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58as many rich young men did in those days,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03and got influenced by Rome, Venice and so on.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Prideaux Place was a fairly plain
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Cornish manor house until then.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15He came back with all these rather sort of sophisticated ideas
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and decided to do his house up.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24- Here is the house as he found it. - Right.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27A very nice Elizabethan house,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31built between 1588 and 1592.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33But what a canvas for somebody
0:06:33 > 0:06:35that's quite flamboyant and creative.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Yes, absolutely.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40And then, this is where he starts deciding
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- that he's going to make it much grander.- Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49- Having come from Rome, he built that temple...- Yeah?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52..which is a fascinating building
0:06:52 > 0:06:55because it's the first use
0:06:55 > 0:06:58of Bath stone outside Bath.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01To get stone from Bath to Cornwall,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05the only thing we can think of is he'd have had it
0:07:05 > 0:07:10shipped to Bristol and then brought by sea to Padstow.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12There weren't any roads here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It really was a rather wild, out-of-the-way place.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Any idea what the locals would make of all of this?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I should think they were absolutely astonished.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27When Peter and his wife, Elizabeth, moved in, in 1988,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30the house had been through a period of neglect.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34They had their work cut out to restore it to its former glory.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The gardens had ceased to exist.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I'm no gardener at all.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Fortunately, my wife is very, very keen on gardening.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Since 1988, she's been struggling
0:07:48 > 0:07:51to get the garden back.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56There are something like 34 bedrooms
0:07:56 > 0:07:59that I could restore.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- How many people are living in this? - Two!
0:08:03 > 0:08:05To help pay for its upkeep,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08the family has opened up the whole of their 400-year-old house
0:08:08 > 0:08:10to the public.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15That is, apart from the old servants' quarters.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19What lies behind this door has remained untouched
0:08:19 > 0:08:21for the last 70 years.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Later on, I'll be finding out exactly why.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27But first, for dairy farmers, making a living has been tough.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31But as Tom has been finding out, that could be about to change.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Dairy farming. Part and parcel of the traditional British landscape.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41But in recent years,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44our dairy industry has been struggling with fluctuations
0:08:44 > 0:08:46in the price of milk,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and the cost of feed, fuel and fertiliser all on the rise.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59But like every business, success is about supply and demand,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01and the global demand for dairy products
0:09:01 > 0:09:03is getting bigger by the day.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07So, can British farmers make the most of this cash cow?
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I've come to a dairy farm in Powys, Wales...
0:09:17 > 0:09:20..where 33-year-old farmer Fraser Jones
0:09:20 > 0:09:24is hoping to capitalise on this increased global demand.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- Here we go.- Plenty of different skills to being a dairy farmer, then.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32There certainly is.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34So what are you actually building here?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36These are cubicles for the cows...
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Fraser uses a shed-based system,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41with the cows grazing outside during the summer months.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43How much does a building like this cost to put up?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's about a quarter of a million pounds, this building,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and it's going to house just over 300 cattle.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51So why are you expanding now, Fraser?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I see great opportunities for the UK to export
0:09:54 > 0:09:55produce on the global market.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57People in China, etc,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00will see us as a premium quality product.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04That can, therefore, hopefully increase the return for the farmers.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09But what we're seeing here is only half of the story.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Just up the road, Fraser has even bigger ambitions.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So this is where it's all going to be, is it?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Yeah, this is the map.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24'He's now planning to build a new 60,000 square metre
0:10:24 > 0:10:28'dairy complex, a move that's been highly controversial.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:30How many cows will you be milking in here?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The idea is to milk 1,000 cows on this unit.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35This is a big site. It's going to be clearly visible.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- There's a village just there.- Yes.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Farms have to expand, have to get bigger,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and that does mean bigger buildings and more infrastructure.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46We, as farmers, have to grow to feed the population.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48When both sites are up and running,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Fraser hopes to have increased production from
0:10:51 > 0:10:55three million litres to 13 million litres of milk per year.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Global demand isn't the only driving force that's changing.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02In the 1980s, milk quotas,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04basically production limits,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08were set up to combat the butter mountains and milk lakes
0:11:08 > 0:11:11that had become a feature of European farming.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13In 2015, they're going to be scrapped.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19That will mean European farmers like Fraser can produce
0:11:19 > 0:11:21as much milk as they want.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25But is there a big enough market for dairy products to take it all?
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Kevin Bellamy is a global dairy analyst.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Is there a danger that if everyone sees the bonanza out there,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35they could all start producing more milk
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and we'll have a return to butter mountains and milk lakes?
0:11:38 > 0:11:43Well, at the moment, because of all of the demand that has developed,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45certainly from China buying more milk,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48the South American market is growing...
0:11:48 > 0:11:52We don't see that that bubble, that demand, is going to come to an end.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54But to make the most of this market,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57it's not just about producing more milk.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It's about creating the right products.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02In Europe, we eat a lot of cheese,
0:12:02 > 0:12:03we drink a lot of liquid milk,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05we consume yoghurt.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08But the average Chinese consumer hasn't heard of these products.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11So they're looking for nutrition drinks, follow-on milks...
0:12:11 > 0:12:14So because of that huge demand for milk,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17it's a good time for the dairy industry.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Not everyone agrees that the growing dairy bubble
0:12:21 > 0:12:23won't burst in the future.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Plus, we're not the only ones
0:12:25 > 0:12:27who want a slice of the action.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33This single production line can produce over half a million
0:12:33 > 0:12:35pots of yoghurt every day.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But Britain is going to have to fight its corner in the dairy market,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41with Ireland alone planning to increase production
0:12:41 > 0:12:44by 50% by 2020.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We are still the third largest milk producer in Europe,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51after Germany and France.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54But that doesn't necessarily mean we're ready to take on
0:12:54 > 0:12:56new global markets.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59This brand-new, state-of-the-art butter plant
0:12:59 > 0:13:02is the largest of its kind in the UK,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07and can produce up to 45,000 tonnes of butter every year.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11There it is. Now that could cover a lot of toast!
0:13:14 > 0:13:18It shows real investment from the industry.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21But there are many more plants like this,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24producing everything from baby milk to yoghurt,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27already well-established across Europe.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30And that's the problem.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Some Continental European countries are already ahead, partly because,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39until now, much of our industry has concentrated on the domestic market.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42But if we can sell more dairy products abroad,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46then British farmers will be far less reliant
0:13:46 > 0:13:49on the domestic price of our daily pinta.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50Back at Fraser's farm,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I'm meeting Rob Newbury from the National Farmers' Union.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's just one of the bodies planning for the growth
0:13:56 > 0:13:58of the British industry.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00How well placed are Britain's dairy farmers
0:14:00 > 0:14:03to take advantage of this demand for milk?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Globally, average herd size is less than three cows.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Here in the UK, we've got something like 130-cow average herds,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10with relatively high yields.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We've got high quality milk that these cows are producing.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15So the British dairy industry has evolved.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's strong and it's in a good place to make
0:14:17 > 0:14:21the most of these market opportunities in the future.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24But is it strong enough to take on our European neighbours?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26If dairy farmers can invest in their business,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29if they get a milk price which allows them to invest
0:14:29 > 0:14:31in modern, productive infrastructure like we see here,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34then we'll see them growing their businesses,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36we'll see them improving the efficiency,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and we'll see the industry strengthening.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41That should put us in a position where we can compete
0:14:41 > 0:14:43with German, French, and Dutch farmers
0:14:43 > 0:14:45on a fairly even footing.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48For many, then, the British dairy industry is being given
0:14:48 > 0:14:54a gold-topped opportunity that is simply too good to miss.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55But as we'll be finding out later,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58not everyone's quite so pleased.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Few people know the waters around Cornwall better than Hannah White.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09She's raced solo across the Atlantic three times,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12so she's no stranger to the power of the waves.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I'm right in the middle of this storm now.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18We've got winds of up to about 45 knots...
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It's a pretty lonely time, pretty scary.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Now she's used to being on the water, battling the waves,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32but how will she fare when she's in them?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34We sent Hannah to Cornwall's north coast
0:15:34 > 0:15:36to see how surfing is going back
0:15:36 > 0:15:37to its founding principles.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41At this time of year,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45winter swells pound North Cornwall's exposed Atlantic-facing coast.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48It's what makes this landscape
0:15:48 > 0:15:52so different to the sheltered coves of the South.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Here, it's rough and rugged...
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Qualities that certainly have their admirers.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03With nothing in the way between it and America's east coast,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07North Cornwall receives some of the UK's best groundswell,
0:16:07 > 0:16:08perfect for surfing.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18It's made Newquay the Mecca for surfers that we know today.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20But surfing's roots go way back.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24This ancient Polynesian art of wave sliding became hip in California
0:16:24 > 0:16:26in the '50s and '60s.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Since then, graceful gliding on wooden boards
0:16:29 > 0:16:32has evolved and is now high-octane sport.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35And in Cornwall, it's gone from a small pastime
0:16:35 > 0:16:38to a multi-million pound industry.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41But I'm going to be seeing how one man
0:16:41 > 0:16:43is taking surfing back to its roots.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Furniture maker James Otter lives and surfs on the North Cornish coast.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53He's using his woodworking skills
0:16:53 > 0:16:55to build boards from a bygone era.
0:16:59 > 0:17:0327-year-old James has a resourceful approach to making surfboards.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07He uses the offcuts from a local kitchen work surface manufacturer,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and that's where I'm catching up with him.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11We make our surfboards out of wood
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and they have these kind of offcuts racks.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16So I come here and raid the bins
0:17:16 > 0:17:18for some juicy bits of wood to go into the surfboards.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24To complete the cycle,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27James donates the sawdust from his workshop in Redruth
0:17:27 > 0:17:30to a local company to make into briquettes
0:17:30 > 0:17:32to fuel wood-burning stoves.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35James, this is beautiful.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38But why do you use wood?
0:17:38 > 0:17:39We wanted to replace foam,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42which is the normal material that goes into surfboards.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45This has fibreglass on the outside to give it all of its strength,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48because the foam itself doesn't have any inherent strength.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51So we're replacing that core with wood.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The majority of it is western red cedar,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and the planks from this were grown on a tree in Cornwall.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59That was up by the River Tamar.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01We use that for the majority of the timber
0:18:01 > 0:18:05because it's lightweight and it's locally grown,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07so it ticks quite a few boxes for us.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Then we've got some American black walnut in there as well.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I'm actually looking into finding some darker timbers that are local,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and we've found some nice brown oak that's grown locally.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20So it's sustainable, it's environmentally friendly.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23But it's also quite a traditional way of surfing, isn't it?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Yeah. The Polynesians, they're noted as being
0:18:26 > 0:18:28the first people to begin surfing.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31They used to just take down trees
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and they used to just shape a solid board out of the tree trunk
0:18:33 > 0:18:37and then go out and enjoy themselves in the sea.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Back in the mid-'20s, they were doing paddle races in California.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42A guy called Tom Blake,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44he took his solid board, drilled a lot of holes in it
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and put plywood on the top and bottom,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and so he then had a lighter board of the same size as everyone else.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53He ended up winning all the paddle races.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Inspired by Tom Blake's revolutionary '20s design,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59James' computer generates an internal plywood frame
0:18:59 > 0:19:03to create a lighter but stronger board.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Because of them being made out of wood,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I think it's nigh on impossible to reduce the weight
0:19:08 > 0:19:10to exactly the same as a foam board.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12So in the water, they do behave differently.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14They suit the older style,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17the surfboards that came out in the '70s and '80s,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20which are more about glide and smoother turns
0:19:20 > 0:19:21and down-the-line speed,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23whereas the fibreglass boards
0:19:23 > 0:19:26that are built nowadays are all about quick, snappy turns.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30So we're going back to that way of enjoying surfing
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and just more about the flow and the glide.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34'James doesn't just shape boards.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38'He also runs workshops for people to make their own.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:42And in true James style, nothing is wasted.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46He turns the offcuts from surfboards into these, hand planes,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48a small float used in one hand
0:19:48 > 0:19:51to glide along the glassy face of a wave,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53another return to the good old days.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And it's making a comeback in surf-mad St Agnes.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04For the die-hard surfers of St Agnes, it's all about staying true
0:20:04 > 0:20:06to surfing's roots.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09And I'm not just talking about their choice of board.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Ha! Bracing!
0:20:22 > 0:20:23That was amazing!
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- Where are you?- Hello!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28You're pretty brave, wearing just this today.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Lovely day for surfing - no rain!
0:20:30 > 0:20:34And trying to get the old, historical surfing back into Cornwall?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It's traditional! It's what we always do.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39We live by the water, we live off the sea.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I thought I'd go for the fun element.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50So this is it, really.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Do we need to get you a polka-dot wet suit?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56I think I've got goose bumps on my goose bumps,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59which will match this very soon, I think!
0:21:01 > 0:21:04If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I'm at Prideaux Place in Padstow,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35an eccentric country house at North Cornwall's Atlantic edge,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39home to the Prideaux family for more than 400 years.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42But in 1942, this Cornish stronghold
0:21:42 > 0:21:45was the scene of an invasion from an unlikely source.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48One from across the pond.
0:21:48 > 0:21:5271 years ago, Mary Parr was the youngest member
0:21:52 > 0:21:55of the Prideaux family living in the house.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58We were in the morning room, the room next door to here,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and my mother looked out of the window
0:22:02 > 0:22:07and saw troops, soldiers,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10rows and rows of them coming up the drive.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Helmets...and she thought, "Oh, my God!
0:22:14 > 0:22:16"It's the Germans."
0:22:16 > 0:22:19So she grabbed her pistol, picked me up
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and came in here and under this table
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and she lay there with me,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30listening to this crunch, crunch on the gravel.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32She must have been petrified.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34She must have been terrified.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36And then the doorbell rang!
0:22:36 > 0:22:40And she thought, "The Germans don't ring doorbells.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42"They'd come straight in, barge in and shoot it down."
0:22:42 > 0:22:47So, very bravely, she got up and went to the front door
0:22:47 > 0:22:52and opened it and there was this American colonel.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55"Ma'am. We've come to take over the house."
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Within a matter of months,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04tens of thousands of American soldiers
0:23:04 > 0:23:06were stationed in the south of England,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11preparing for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Our countryside needed to make room for them.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Like many country houses,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Prideaux Place's seclusion and close proximity to the ports
0:23:21 > 0:23:23of the South made it ideal.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27"Corporal Bekelesky".
0:23:27 > 0:23:32B Company of the United States 121st Combat Engineer Battalion
0:23:32 > 0:23:35moved into the back of the house for about a year.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Incredibly, the American wing
0:23:38 > 0:23:41remains as it was the day they left.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Professor Harry Bennett's an expert on the D-day landings.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49What kind of numbers are we talking about here and what impact
0:23:49 > 0:23:50would that have on the local area?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52You're talking about 600 men.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55That's the typical size of a combat engineer battalion.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57They divided into three companies,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59plus a service and headquarters company.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02You'd have something like 150 men here at Prideaux Place
0:24:02 > 0:24:03with Company B.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06The whole of Southwest England, it's absolutely full
0:24:06 > 0:24:09of American troops, all waiting for the big day.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Of course, being close to the coast allows you to leave quickly,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15but also, they could practise their landings,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17coming ashore from water to land.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21If you imagine, their primary role is to clear beach obstacles.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Where better than Cornwall to practise
0:24:24 > 0:24:26demolishing beach obstacles?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28One of the soldiers living
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and training here was Private John Fontaine.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34A box of his personal belongings got left behind
0:24:34 > 0:24:36at the house.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39This was a highly cultured man.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Really?!
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Yeah. He was very interested in art. He'd gone to the Rhode Island
0:24:43 > 0:24:46School of Design before the war.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Effectively, the war interrupts his studies.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51What he's actually doing with some of these pin-ups
0:24:51 > 0:24:53is he's redrawing them,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57so he can practise drawing the human form.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Mary remembers this GI with a creative streak.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06There was one soldier called Fontaine who was a pianist.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10He asked my father if he could play the piano,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13which was in here in those days,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16so my father said, "Yes, of course."
0:25:18 > 0:25:21But John Fontaine wouldn't complete his mission
0:25:21 > 0:25:24to the beaches of Normandy.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27"Dear Johnny, got a letter from one of the boys in C Company
0:25:27 > 0:25:31"and in it he told me of the bad break that you got.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34"But cheer up, John, you can't keep a good man down."
0:25:34 > 0:25:37We don't know what "bad break" actually means.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40This could mean he broke his ankle on a training exercise,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43but I suspect it's a lot more serious than that.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's bad enough for him to go back stateside.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49What a twist of fate for him in the way his life ended up,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51but for those who were here then,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and they left for the D-day landings,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56what course did they take and where did they end up?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58They ended up on Omaha Beach.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Their port of embarkation is Weymouth, over in Dorset.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07They go across the English Channel.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10They land on Omaha Beach, on the coast of Normandy,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13which is very, very heavily defended -
0:26:13 > 0:26:16very, very steep cliffs. The Germans are well dug-in.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19They've literally spent months preparing their defence.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22What transpires is a slaughter, effectively,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25of young American men on that beach.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29They lose something like 3,500 to 5,500 casualties.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34How well did B Company's training here prepare them?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It's a hard thing to actually say.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39What we do know is they managed to achieve their job.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41They managed to get inland.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43The 121st Combat Engineer Battalion,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47by the end of D-day, they're missing something like
0:26:47 > 0:26:49104, 105 men.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Most of those are dead, most of those are
0:26:52 > 0:26:55in the English Channel, they're lying there on the beach.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Company B's fatalities? Probably we're looking
0:26:58 > 0:27:00somewhere around 40-50.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02So they've suffered grievous losses.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Remember you picked up on one of the names on the locker?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Corporal Bekelesky.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Oh, yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17That's a photo of his grave above Omaha Beach.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21For him, the war ended on the 6th of June 1944.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27And there... Gosh, what do you say?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Goodness me.- That's the last of him.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Yeah.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The marks left on these walls are a poignant reminder
0:27:35 > 0:27:39of the sacrifices these men, and all the Allied forces, made
0:27:39 > 0:27:41to protect our freedom.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Earlier we heard that the British dairy industry is on the edge
0:27:50 > 0:27:52of a potential bonanza
0:27:52 > 0:27:55because of the increasing global demand for milk products.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57But is that good news for everyone?
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Here's Tom.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02From fields and farms across the UK,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04nearly two million cattle
0:28:04 > 0:28:09produce 13 billion litres of milk every year.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11And there's a market for more.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Growing global demand for dairy products
0:28:14 > 0:28:16should mean bigger herds
0:28:16 > 0:28:20and therefore bigger profits for some dairy farmers,
0:28:20 > 0:28:26but is there a danger the smaller outfits might get left behind?
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Here in Staffordshire, Rob Burchill is a tenant farmer
0:28:30 > 0:28:33who faces the same challenges as many of Britain's smaller
0:28:33 > 0:28:35dairy producers.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39With his wife, he runs a 250-acre farm
0:28:39 > 0:28:42with a dairy herd of about 120 cattle.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46As I arrive, it's just got bigger.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Bring him round the front end for a sniff, getting to know you.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52We're going to get this bedding down?
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Yes, we'll just roll it round now.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- Keeps you fit.- Yeah!
0:29:02 > 0:29:05You all right, fella?
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Perhaps you want a bit of straw on you to keep you warm.
0:29:07 > 0:29:13Rob wants to expand but can't find a larger farm to move to.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16If the world wants all this milk, isn't that a good time for you?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18It is and it isn't,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22cos I would like to move on to a bigger farm.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24We're at full capacity here at the moment.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Is it that the farms are just not out there
0:29:27 > 0:29:30or you can't get the investment to buy them?
0:29:30 > 0:29:32The farms aren't out there.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34The sort of unit I'd like to buy would be
0:29:34 > 0:29:38£2-£3 million, and trying to persuade the bank manager
0:29:38 > 0:29:41- to help you with that sort of money... It's nonexistent.- Really?
0:29:41 > 0:29:45When you see some people saying there is a bright future generally
0:29:45 > 0:29:47for the dairy industry
0:29:47 > 0:29:48and people should be getting bigger,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50what do you think?
0:29:50 > 0:29:53There's a bright future for the bigger farmers
0:29:53 > 0:29:54that own their own farms
0:29:54 > 0:29:57cos they're investing for the next generation.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59For myself and my kids,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04there is a future there but it's very, very slim.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06So whilst there is good news for some,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10it seems farmers like Rob simply don't have the money to invest
0:30:10 > 0:30:14in their future and may have to sit by
0:30:14 > 0:30:16while others reap the rewards.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19While Rob wants to expand but can't,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23there are those who have serious worries about the consequences
0:30:23 > 0:30:26of a bigger British dairy industry.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28The big concern amongst some is
0:30:28 > 0:30:32we will see more US-style mega-dairies,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35like the ones Adam visited back in 2010.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38I'm here getting a bird's-eye view of what many people think
0:30:38 > 0:30:42could be the future of British dairy farming.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45But plans for similar-size dairy farms in the UK
0:30:45 > 0:30:48have faced significant opposition.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Maybe that's why there are only 17 herds in the UK
0:30:52 > 0:30:55with more than 1,000 head of cattle.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58That's less than 1% of all our dairy cows.
0:30:58 > 0:31:04So why do some think that bigger isn't better?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07I have no problem with the dairy industry scaling up in Britain.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I would welcome that,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11so long as it's pasture-based.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15What is it about the American system you don't like?
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Is it about them being indoors?
0:31:17 > 0:31:20On these mega-dairies, dairy cows are taken
0:31:20 > 0:31:24out of the fields and put permanently into housing,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26often in vast numbers.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30The European Commission's own scientific panel
0:31:30 > 0:31:33has amassed evidence to show
0:31:33 > 0:31:35that keeping them off of pasture
0:31:35 > 0:31:39means they're more likely to experience serious
0:31:39 > 0:31:40health and welfare problems.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44But are these concerns, together with fears for the environment,
0:31:44 > 0:31:45standing in the way of progress?
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Is there not a real danger
0:31:47 > 0:31:49that pressure groups like yours could end up
0:31:49 > 0:31:52undermining the British dairy industry?
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Milk and dairy products come from overseas where they do things
0:31:55 > 0:31:56- you don't like anyway.- Not at all.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58My biggest concern is to ensure we
0:31:58 > 0:32:02get behind the pasture-based dairy industry in this country.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04That includes giving people the choice
0:32:04 > 0:32:07to back grass-produced dairy.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Those within the industry are confident it can expand
0:32:16 > 0:32:20without lowering welfare standards or damaging the environment,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23but will they get the chance?
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Is there a danger the public's hostility
0:32:25 > 0:32:28towards these more modern dairy farming methods
0:32:28 > 0:32:29could end up hampering our industry?
0:32:29 > 0:32:31It's a real risk.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34We need to keep up with modern production techniques
0:32:34 > 0:32:37and to be efficient on a global stage,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40so we as an industry need to do our bit to explain
0:32:40 > 0:32:43what these modern production techniques mean and what becoming
0:32:43 > 0:32:46more efficient and keeping up with our competitors globally
0:32:46 > 0:32:50will mean to our farming systems.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54The global market has the potential to breathe new life
0:32:54 > 0:32:57into the British dairy industry.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00As demand for the white stuff grows ever higher, there's no doubt
0:33:00 > 0:33:03that a scowl is turning to a smile
0:33:03 > 0:33:06on the face of many dairy farmers and we're beginning to see
0:33:06 > 0:33:08the green shoots of a recovery.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11But the industry will need to convince the public
0:33:11 > 0:33:15that environmental and welfare standards won't suffer
0:33:15 > 0:33:18if we're to make the most of this global opportunity.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27We normally associate lambing with springtime,
0:33:27 > 0:33:29but this week, Adam's meeting a special shepherd
0:33:29 > 0:33:34and his newborn lambs hoping to take centre stage this Christmas.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37But first, down on the farm, Adam's own mums-to-be
0:33:37 > 0:33:39need his attention.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Christmas is almost upon us.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53But on my farm we're already preparing for lambing in the spring.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59This is a little group of rams - the males -
0:33:59 > 0:34:01and we keep the rams together all year round
0:34:01 > 0:34:03until they go in with the ewes
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and what I have to do now is catch the little brown North Ronaldsay
0:34:06 > 0:34:08cos he has a job to do.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I'll try and catch him just by pretending I have some food
0:34:11 > 0:34:14in this bag, but if that fails, I have the dog with me
0:34:14 > 0:34:17and we'll round him up into a pen.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Come on then, boys. Come on then.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Got him!
0:34:25 > 0:34:26Right.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29The trailer's right over there so we have a bit of a walk.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30Come on, mate.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Did it without you, Millie.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42It's just a short drive to another field where his ewes are.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44And some may be in season.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Right then, matey.
0:34:49 > 0:34:50Off to see your wives.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Instantly the ewes have gathered round the ram,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02all making a fuss of him, with his arrival,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04and he'll mate with them quite quickly.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07He's showing lots of signs - sniffing the air, curling his top lip
0:35:07 > 0:35:09up to scent the air to see if they're in season.
0:35:09 > 0:35:14Once he's mated with them, they'll give birth in five months' time.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16So they'll give birth in the spring,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19which is lovely, when everything bursts into life after a long winter,
0:35:19 > 0:35:24with lots of lambs skipping about. My favourite time of year.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28I don't have to wait till spring to see lambs
0:35:28 > 0:35:30because I'm heading down to Dorset
0:35:30 > 0:35:33where they're preparing some Christmas lambs
0:35:33 > 0:35:35that will be in a performance on stage.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37What makes it even more remarkable
0:35:37 > 0:35:39is they're being farmed by a two-year-old.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41There's starting young and there's starting young!
0:35:46 > 0:35:48At two years old, little Arthur Jones
0:35:48 > 0:35:50already knows about sheep.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53He spends five days a week tending to his flock
0:35:53 > 0:35:55with his grandmother, Nicky,
0:35:55 > 0:35:56while his mum's at work.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Hello, Adam. - Lovely to meet you.- And you.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Tell me about this little boy. I've been hearing all about him.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Arthur's very special.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09He was born just over two months premature.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14He spent his first seven weeks of life in an intensive care unit
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and as a result he has cerebral palsy
0:36:17 > 0:36:19which is affecting his lower limbs.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20And how is he coping?
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Extremely well.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25The guts and determination he's got is amazing.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Tell me about how he's got involved with sheep.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30He already has his own little flock
0:36:30 > 0:36:31and he's the youngest member of the
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Poll Dorset and Dorset Horn Breed Society.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36My goodness me!
0:36:36 > 0:36:38And working with sheep has helped him?
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It has, incredibly.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42They said he wouldn't walk until he was four.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46He's two-and-a-half and he's walking
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and he took his little pet ewe, Twinkle,
0:36:49 > 0:36:54into the Dorset county show, in the children's class, and he won
0:36:54 > 0:36:57a cup for the child that showed the most endeavour.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Arthur won that!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Amazing! "Best handler".
0:37:00 > 0:37:02It is. He let go of my hand and walked
0:37:02 > 0:37:04into the ring by himself.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05Incredible.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So we all had a lump in our throats when he did that.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12They have such a rapport. Twinkle actually got him walking.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15She would just stand with him,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17walk with him. When he stopped, she stopped.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20If he fell over, because he can't get to his feet
0:37:20 > 0:37:21once he's fallen over,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24she'd stand still and let him scrabble up on top.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25And off they go again.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28- What a wonderful relationship. - It is.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Before we head out to the field to see the rest of the flock,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Arthur has something he wants to show me.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Arthur won that!
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- Arthur won which one? - That one.- Did you?!
0:37:38 > 0:37:40YOU won that one?!
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- No.- Not that one? Is it this one?
0:37:43 > 0:37:45- Yeah!- Who won that?
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- Arthur!- Arthur did, that's you!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Arthur won that!
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- Did you win that as well?- Yeah.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Arthur, you've won so many things.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00For a two-year-old, he's becoming a great shepherd.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04He certainly looks the part and he has all the gear.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- The quad bike's quite handy? - Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11As he's got heavier, it's been hard to carry him about,
0:38:11 > 0:38:16so with that, he's free and he can come and help round up the sheep.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Are you going to go and get those sheep, Arthur?
0:38:18 > 0:38:20We'll hang on here. You go and get 'em.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26The Dorset is one of only a few native breeds of sheep
0:38:26 > 0:38:29that can lamb all year round.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31It just seems so unusual
0:38:31 > 0:38:34to see lambs at Christmas time.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It is, but it's lovely, isn't it?
0:38:36 > 0:38:37It is!
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Have they been around a long time as a breed?
0:38:39 > 0:38:43They have. The Dorset Horns are one of the earliest recorded.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44How long have you bred them for?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47I've been farming Dorsets for over 20 years.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- Are they your favourite?- Absolutely.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- A Dorset girl with Dorset sheep? - Born and bred, yeah.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It's lovely to see Arthur get involved.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- He's enjoying that quad bike, isn't he?- He loves it.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01It looks like he could be quite useful on it, rounding up the sheep.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Extremely useful. He's just as good as a dog, I think,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05going to round them up
0:39:05 > 0:39:08and feeding them with his little bucket of nuts.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Not only are you farming
0:39:11 > 0:39:13all these animals all year round,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16you also provide lambs for a special event at this time of year?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19We do. We have a very special one coming up
0:39:19 > 0:39:23with the children's Nativity play at his school.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25I don't know how you have time for it all.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27We make time some way!
0:39:31 > 0:39:34At this time of year, Nicky's Christmas lambs are in high demand,
0:39:34 > 0:39:39and as luck would have it, two more were born last night.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Christmas lambs for the Nativity play.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Aren't they lovely?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Come on then, babies.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51And you can't have a Nativity without a donkey.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Arthur even has one of those.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Up we go!
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Hey! Good riding, cowboy!
0:40:01 > 0:40:03The animals are all loaded
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and the stars of the show have taken to the stage.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15While Arthur's getting ready,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17it's my job to keep the kids entertained.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Hello, children!
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- CHILDREN:- Hello.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Who are these two in the middle? Is your name Mary?
0:40:24 > 0:40:25- Yeah.- And is that Joseph?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- Yeah.- Is this your little baby?
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- It's Margot!- It's Margot! Really? I know that!
0:40:31 > 0:40:33HE LAUGHS
0:40:33 > 0:40:37I'm going to ask you some questions about the animals that are in
0:40:37 > 0:40:41the stable. So there's a donkey, isn't there?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43What noise does a donkey make?
0:40:43 > 0:40:44Hee-haw!
0:40:44 > 0:40:46What noise does a cow make?
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- ALL:- Moo!
0:40:48 > 0:40:49HE LAUGHS
0:40:49 > 0:40:51What noise does a sheep make?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- ALL:- Baa!
0:40:53 > 0:40:55And what's a baby sheep called?
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- ALL:- Lamb!
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Very good, a lamb.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01And that's Arthur's cue to come in with the lambs.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Look what Arthur's got!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Aw!
0:41:05 > 0:41:06HE LAUGHS
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Who's got a little lamb?
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Look at the little lambs.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15# Away in a manger
0:41:15 > 0:41:20# No crib for a bed
0:41:21 > 0:41:24# The little Lord Jesus
0:41:24 > 0:41:27# Laid down his sweet head
0:41:27 > 0:41:32# The stars in the bright sky
0:41:32 > 0:41:36# Looked down where he lay
0:41:36 > 0:41:40# The little Lord Jesus
0:41:40 > 0:41:44# Asleep on the hay. #
0:41:44 > 0:41:46That was really lovely. Well done.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47Give yourself a clap.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Fantastic. How about that?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54A lovely Nativity scene with real animals.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Give your little lamb a hug, Arthur.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04This is a lovely way to celebrate Christmas, isn't it?
0:42:04 > 0:42:05It's absolutely wonderful.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07How does it make you feel?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Tearful, just to watch it.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13To think that almost three years ago he was fighting for his life.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15- And look at him now. - It's so gorgeous
0:42:15 > 0:42:18- with him hugging that little lamb. - Yes!
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- I have a lump in my throat.- And me!
0:42:20 > 0:42:22THEY LAUGH
0:42:22 > 0:42:24LAMB BLEATS
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Cornwall is one of the country's
0:42:32 > 0:42:34top holiday destinations,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38a playground for those who love sand, sea and surf.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45But there's more to this county than the bucket-and-spade brigade.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Here, there's something for everyone.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Take a country house just south of Bodmin, for instance.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Lanhydrock is the National Trust's third-most popular property.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58People come here to see what life was like
0:42:58 > 0:43:00in this grand Victorian house
0:43:00 > 0:43:02and to experience the peace
0:43:02 > 0:43:05and tranquillity of a thousand-acre estate.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10But now this 19th-century treasure
0:43:10 > 0:43:14is embarking on a huge 21st-century project.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18They're building more than six miles of family-friendly cycle trails
0:43:18 > 0:43:19that wind through the woods.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23And I am here to help.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29This is one of ten cycle trails
0:43:29 > 0:43:33being built in the Southwest with European funding.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Although it doesn't look like it now,
0:43:35 > 0:43:40the plan is for conservation and recreation to co-exist in harmony.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Angela Proctor is the person in charge of delivering
0:43:44 > 0:43:47this challenging project.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49The trails are very much aimed
0:43:49 > 0:43:51at families and novice cyclists.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54We have a loop here of green trail, which is the easiest trail.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57It's wide, flat, fairly smooth.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Then we have a lot of blue-grey trail, which is
0:43:59 > 0:44:01for the slightly more advanced cyclists.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03A little bit of red.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05Just a taster of the more difficult trail.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06Thrill-seekers.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09But also, we have a cycle skills area
0:44:09 > 0:44:12where kids can come in and develop their cycle skills.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15And the skills area also includes balance bike tracks
0:44:15 > 0:44:18so even the really dinky little kids on their balance bikes
0:44:18 > 0:44:21can come and practise their cycling skills.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24The plan is the trails will be finished early next year,
0:44:24 > 0:44:27just in time for school half-term.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30One of the advantages of these cycle routes
0:44:30 > 0:44:31is that they'll take
0:44:31 > 0:44:35people into areas of woodland inaccessible on foot.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Not only that, wildlife's set to benefit, too,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41like the estate's bat population.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Matt, there are already 12 species of bat here, I believe?
0:44:44 > 0:44:47It's a real hotspot for bats, here at Lanhydrock.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50We have really old woodlands and trees,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52loads of crevices and cracks that the bats roost in.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54We also have young trees in plantations like this
0:44:54 > 0:44:57where we don't have those crevices and cracks,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00so by putting the boxes up we'll have the ideal place
0:45:00 > 0:45:01for the bats to roost...
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Let's get this one put up. Chris is ready and poised.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06- Thanks, Matt.- OK.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08That's heavier than I thought!
0:45:08 > 0:45:1130 of these bat boxes will be put up along the cycle track
0:45:11 > 0:45:13and it's a track that I suspect
0:45:13 > 0:45:16will be pretty popular with people, too.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Why do I think that?
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Because just around the corner in Cardinham Woods,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24another part of this project is already up and running.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Once you've mastered the trails
0:45:29 > 0:45:31at Lanhydrock, this is the place to come.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34It's only been open seven months but it's already attracted
0:45:34 > 0:45:3830,000 riders.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41You'd think that would deter people who want a quiet walk in the woods,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44but not here, because there literally is something for everyone.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47There are four walking trails over there, one for all abilities
0:45:47 > 0:45:49and then there are the cycle tracks,
0:45:49 > 0:45:55so walkers stick to those paths, my bike and I head this way.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03These tracks are the same width as those at Lanhydrock
0:46:03 > 0:46:06but already they're beginning to merge into the landscape
0:46:06 > 0:46:08like a silver river running through the woods.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16There are six miles of blue routes which are for intermediate riders
0:46:16 > 0:46:17and then there are some red tracks
0:46:17 > 0:46:19for the more advanced cyclist.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26What do I like about this place?
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Everything, it's awesome. Look at it.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Natural trails in the winter tend to be quite boggy,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35and this you can ride all the year round.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Now we have this place right on our doorstep,
0:46:40 > 0:46:41it's absolutely fabulous.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47These trails aren't just about getting people out and about.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50There's the environment to think about, too.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53This was one of the first areas in the country
0:46:53 > 0:46:55to be hit by larch disease.
0:46:55 > 0:47:01A cause for sorrow they've managed to turn into an opportunity.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04- Hello, John.- Hi, Helen.- You all right?- Not too bad, and you?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- Talk me through what you're doing here.- Two years ago,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09we had to fell 20 hectares of Cardinham Woods,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11due to the larch disease.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Cardinham Woods is designated as an ancient woodland site
0:47:15 > 0:47:19so we're obliged to restock those areas with broad-leaf trees.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22What have you planted there?
0:47:22 > 0:47:24We have oak and cherry
0:47:24 > 0:47:28and within the plantation you have natural regeneration coming up
0:47:28 > 0:47:32so you have birch, rowan, holly, etc,
0:47:32 > 0:47:35so at the end of it, we will have a mixed, diverse
0:47:35 > 0:47:37broad-leaf woodland.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Not all of the clear-felled areas have been replanted.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Here the undergrowth's being reduced
0:47:44 > 0:47:48so that a habitat for a threatened species can be developed.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51The pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly
0:47:51 > 0:47:52was once widespread in the UK
0:47:52 > 0:47:55but its numbers have declined rapidly in recent decades.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59A butterfly conservation area has been created for it
0:47:59 > 0:48:01on the other side of the valley
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and now the Forestry Commission is giving it some extra help
0:48:04 > 0:48:07by establishing a food source in-between the cycle trails
0:48:07 > 0:48:11that snake back and forth across this slope.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13- Can I be of any assistance? - Of course you can.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16If you could pass me the top turf there...
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Butterflies will particularly enjoy what's in here?
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Basically, the pearl-bordered fritillary,
0:48:22 > 0:48:23the one we're looking to get here,
0:48:23 > 0:48:27the larvae of the butterfly, the caterpillar,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29feed off the leaves of the dog violet, which is what this is.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32and once it's eaten the leaf,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35it will bask itself on the vegetation here in the sun
0:48:35 > 0:48:39and pupate into the butterfly in April.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43It's mad to think the butterflies can sit here, can feed, can breed
0:48:43 > 0:48:47and there's mountain-bikers crashing round, but they'll be fine.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- They'll be fine and it's helped us to manage this area.- Why?
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Because of the compartments we've got.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55It now separates this whole south-facing bank
0:48:55 > 0:48:58into little management compartments,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01so every year we can manage one little section
0:49:01 > 0:49:04to create a mosaic of habitat.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Good luck. I'll let you crack on.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09If you haven't got one of these yet -
0:49:09 > 0:49:12the Countryfile calendar - there is still time.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15They cost £9 but at least £4 of that will go to BBC Children In Need.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Everything you need to know on how you can get hold of one
0:49:18 > 0:49:20is on our website.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23In a moment, Matt has his work cut out trying to catch a wayward deer.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26But before that, the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16I've been exploring Prideaux Place on the north coast of Cornwall.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20It's been owned by the same Cornish family, the Prideauxs,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26While generations of the Prideaux family have come and gone,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29leaving their mark on this characterful country estate,
0:52:29 > 0:52:34there's been one constant and reassuring presence throughout.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36That lot.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39The fallow deer at Prideaux Place are said to be the oldest
0:52:39 > 0:52:41park herd in the country.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44They've been here so long they've become emblematic of the estate
0:52:44 > 0:52:48and are considered part of the Prideaux family.
0:52:48 > 0:52:54In fact, legend has it, if the deer die out, the family will, too.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57One attempt has been made to improve the bloodline,
0:52:57 > 0:53:02when King George V gave the family a prized white master buck.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07But before it had a chance to breed, in a bungled attempt
0:53:07 > 0:53:10to take out a rival, the park ranger
0:53:10 > 0:53:13accidentally shot the royal buck.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17Today, the Prideaux family have pinned their hopes
0:53:17 > 0:53:18on the only white male in the herd,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21a three-year-old sorrel called Naughty,
0:53:21 > 0:53:22to be the next master buck.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25But Naughty's proving to be a bit of a handful.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29As his name suggests, he has a tendency to get into scrapes,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32none bigger than his latest predicament.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Paul Messenger's the current deer manager.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39He got himself tangled up in a wire fence
0:53:39 > 0:53:43and he wrapped some stock fence around his antler
0:53:43 > 0:53:45and it's quite long and trailing down
0:53:45 > 0:53:47between his feet.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Deer adore to adorn their antlers with undergrowth,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53with bracken and brambles, and they wrap them all up
0:53:53 > 0:53:54with all this debris
0:53:54 > 0:53:56during the breeding cycle and he's doing
0:53:56 > 0:53:58what is quite natural, but unfortunately
0:53:58 > 0:54:00he's done it with a bit of wire,
0:54:00 > 0:54:03which, of course, has dangerous implications for him.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06So leaving him till the antlers shed naturally
0:54:06 > 0:54:08really isn't an option either?
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Not really because it's a long time. He would shed late April,
0:54:11 > 0:54:13maybe even into May.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Paul's called in expert Mike Allison
0:54:16 > 0:54:18to dart Naughty with an anaesthetic.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Mike will have one shot.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Where will you be aiming for?
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Aiming into the haunch,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27into the rump. We need to be
0:54:27 > 0:54:29putting these darts into deep muscle.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Muscle repairs very easily
0:54:32 > 0:54:34and there's a lot of blood vessels in there
0:54:34 > 0:54:37so it takes the drug to where we want it in the nervous system.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40It's got to the point where this is
0:54:40 > 0:54:42a necessary thing to do.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44How much grief will it cause Naughty?
0:54:44 > 0:54:46It shouldn't cause him any grief at all.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49When that impacts there will be a sting
0:54:49 > 0:54:53but to an animal it will be like an insect sting.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00Jim's out there with a bucket of feed, enticing him over
0:55:00 > 0:55:03into this corner and, ideally,
0:55:03 > 0:55:08Mike wants Naughty to be this side of that muddy patch.
0:55:08 > 0:55:09He's slowly coming.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11This is the classic.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Half of them have come down.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Naughty's now turned round and gone back up the hill
0:55:16 > 0:55:18and embedded himself into the middle
0:55:18 > 0:55:21of the herd up there.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24I don't know about "Naughty". "Cheeky", more like.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26If you look through the binoculars, Matt,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29you'll see the wire quite clearly.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- Oh, yeah, it's dangling, isn't it?- Yes!
0:55:32 > 0:55:34You see how dangerous that is?
0:55:34 > 0:55:35Wow.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39'But the lure of some lunch finally gets too much for Naughty.'
0:55:42 > 0:55:48(This is when we just stay as still and calm as possible.
0:55:48 > 0:55:53(OK, so he's in the zone. This looks good.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- (Got him!) - Well done, Mike.- Absolutely perfect.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02'It takes just a few minutes for the tranquiliser to kick in.'
0:56:02 > 0:56:05The plan is to get in as quick as we can -
0:56:05 > 0:56:06I've got the wire cutters here -
0:56:06 > 0:56:09snip it away and give him the antidote.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13Mike and I will hold him down so he doesn't get up in our hands.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16A blindfold is really important,
0:56:16 > 0:56:20so he doesn't see us and he's not stressed by it.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27We need to remove the wire as quickly as possible
0:56:27 > 0:56:28to avoid any distress.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40It's well-and-truly wrapped round.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42That's it.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46All right, Mike, antidote.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Straight into the muscle.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Let's get out of the way and leave him to it.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00There we are.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Good lad!
0:57:02 > 0:57:03And there we are.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05It's all over.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11Naughty's now free to get on with claiming his master buck status.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15It looks like Naughty will feel a little groggy for a while
0:57:15 > 0:57:16but he's slowly but surely
0:57:16 > 0:57:18making his way back to the rest of the herd.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21That is all we have time for from North Cornwall.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Next week, we'll be in Gloucestershire
0:57:23 > 0:57:25with the whole Countryfile team
0:57:25 > 0:57:26at Westonbirt Arboretum
0:57:26 > 0:57:29where we'll decorate over a mile of woodland
0:57:29 > 0:57:31with lights, lasers and glitter balls,
0:57:31 > 0:57:33and this lot will be pleased to hear
0:57:33 > 0:57:35that Father Christmas and the reindeer will also join us.
0:57:35 > 0:57:36Hope you can join us then.