0:00:27 > 0:00:30The spectacular vista of the Peak District -
0:00:30 > 0:00:34hills and valleys, gorges and lakes,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37wild moorland and grit-stone escarpments.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It's a landscape that many of us think we know so well,
0:00:45 > 0:00:50yet it still has its secrets, some of them hidden deep underground.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'll be in search of a precious mineral unique to these parts,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59and the mining family with a remarkable story to tell.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05The Peaks are a playground for many of us, whether it's walking,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08climbing, caving or cycling that rocks your boat.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14Cyclists love the challenges that these steep hills present, and next
0:01:14 > 0:01:19year, this road will be part of the famous Tour de France cycling race.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Now, compared to them, my ambition is fairly small -
0:01:22 > 0:01:25just to make it to the top of this hill.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33'Tom is on a journey of his own, finding out about fish farming.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:37In Scotland alone, the industry is worth £537 million
0:01:37 > 0:01:42and employs over 2,000 people, but despite its growth
0:01:42 > 0:01:46and economic success, it is still highly controversial.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51In Somerset, Adam has got quite a job ahead of him.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Today, I'm on Exmoor, and I'm helping a big team of people
0:01:55 > 0:01:59round up the largest herd of Exmoor ponies in the world,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and it's a typical Exmoor day - it's chucking it down!
0:02:14 > 0:02:21The Peak District - dry stone walls, carved through broad, open moorland.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Deeply cut dales nestle under shelves of limestone.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30It was designated Britain's first National Park in 1951,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34a playground ripe for anyone with a taste for the great outdoors.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Stretching from the southern tip of the Pennines,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42it's bordered by Manchester to the West and Sheffield to the East.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47I'm heading to the Hope Valley, and the High Peak village of Castleton.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The landscape has been shaped by the rocks,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54which for centuries have been a valuable source of revenue here.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But sometimes these hills hide something even more precious.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Beneath them is one of the area's great treasures, a shimmering
0:03:05 > 0:03:09mineral that doesn't occur naturally anywhere else in the world -
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Blue John.
0:03:13 > 0:03:19I'm heading up this rather steep hill to Treak Cliff Cavern, one of the two
0:03:19 > 0:03:23mines in this hill where the semi-precious mineral is dug out.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33This subterranean wonderland has been designated
0:03:33 > 0:03:35a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The mine has been run by the same family for 70 years.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I'm finding out more from third generation owner, Vicky Turner.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- Well, there is water dripping everywhere, isn't there?- Yes!
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And it's this dripping water that makes all these lovely
0:03:55 > 0:03:57stalactites, here.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- It's a bit like standing in a rain shower, 150 feet underground.- Yes.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05- And there is a magical atmosphere here.- Indeed.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And this chamber is actually called Fairyland,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11or the Fairy Grotto, you can see all the little stalactites here,
0:04:11 > 0:04:18these stalactites are approximately 111,000 years old.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So, you know a lot about this cave.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Because it's an unusual family business to have, isn't it?
0:04:22 > 0:04:24It is, very unusual.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29My father was a miner here, and I've spent all my life here,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32grown up here, and in fact, I was here at such an early age,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37the water is very pure here and it was mixed with my baby milk,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41my baby milk powder, to feed me.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So, my bones are a product of this water in this cave.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Almost literally!- Yeah, yeah, I am physically Treak Cliff reared!
0:04:50 > 0:04:54The water dissolves the minerals in the cavern to create these
0:04:54 > 0:04:55eerie-looking shapes.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59But it is a chemical reaction within the rocks that creates
0:04:59 > 0:05:01the real star of the show.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- And this is it, this is the Blue John.- This is it, is it? Right.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14- What exactly is it?- It's a very rare variety of a very common mineral.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17The very common mineral is fluorite, or fluorspar,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21which occurs all over Derbyshire, all over the world,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26but in this particular location, the combination of geology
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and chemicals has made it very, very rare.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34'The chemicals react with the crystals within the rock
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'and distort them to produce the unique Blue John colouring.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- It's a bit of a strange name. Why is it called Blue John?- It is.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45When it was being mined for ornamental purposes
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and made into big ornaments in the 1700s,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52a lot of it went to France to be worked and fitted with ormolu
0:05:52 > 0:05:54and clockworks, and the story is,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58it came back from France with the colour of the stone,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00blue and yellow, written on it in French - bleu et jaune.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Bleu et jaune. I see.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04And the Derbyshire people corrupted it to the name Blue John.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08If it's so valuable, how come you haven't mined all this?
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Well, you see, this is part of the Blue John Pillar,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and the old miners thought that this was holding the roof up, and
0:06:15 > 0:06:19the modern miners since then, no-one has wished to prove them wrong.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- They don't want to take the risk!- No.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Unique to the Peaks,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Blue John is found in some of the world's greatest collections.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Windsor Castle, the White House
0:06:30 > 0:06:35and the Vatican all boast a bit of Castleton's finest export.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40What makes it so rare these days is that mining is strictly regulated.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The veins can only be worked for six months of the year
0:06:43 > 0:06:49and only a small amount can be taken out, about 500 kilos, half a tonne.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55And these dark caves have just revealed a long-lost secret,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59one that will make sure this gem of the Peaks continues
0:06:59 > 0:07:00to sparkle for years to come.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Later, I'll be hearing how a story of perseverance,
0:07:05 > 0:07:10stretching back nearly seven decades, has finally paid off.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Now, an increasing amount of the fish that we eat comes
0:07:15 > 0:07:19not from rivers or from the sea, but from farms.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22But is that a good thing? Tom has been investigating.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36As an island nation, fish has always been a staple part of our diet.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39The love affair has gone from herring and sardines
0:07:39 > 0:07:41to tuna and cod.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But these days, it's something once a little more exotic that's
0:07:45 > 0:07:48tickling our taste buds - salmon.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51And to meet our ever-growing demand for tasty, affordable fish,
0:07:51 > 0:07:56aquaculture, or fish farming to you and me, is on the up.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Across the world, the business is worth £136 billion,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04with everything being grown from haddock to tilapia.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08And in the UK, 40% of all the money
0:08:08 > 0:08:12we spend on fish is of the farmed variety.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Here in the Highlands, salmon production is the speciality.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20It is a big business now, but not without controversy.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22So, is it a good thing?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Well, I'm going to go and see how they do it for myself.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28The process begins in hatcheries, where the eggs are hatched,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31and the fries start their lives in large freshwater tanks.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Next, a few months in a freshwater loch,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39where lights and a regular food supply speed up their life cycle,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41then it's finally time to go to sea...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45..and once they get out here into the saltwater,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47that's when they really start to grow.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52The salmon, they've got lots of space,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55they grow well, you know, and it's just like any other animal,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59if they don't have space, they won't grow, so, yeah, it's fantastic.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Looking forward to tying up and getting a closer look.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08'Rosie Curtis has worked on this Marine Harvest fish farm at Loch Sunart for 16 years.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10'She has worked her way up through the ranks
0:09:10 > 0:09:13'and is now the only female fisheries manager in Scotland.'
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- Does it go like that? Is that good enough?- Yeah.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Well, I can see, looking at them now, they are already,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I don't know, yea big, something like that, at the moment?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27How old are these ones?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Yeah, these fish are now between a kilo and two kilos.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33They've been with us since February.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36And we'll hopefully start harvesting possibly in April.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38How can you tell if they're happy in here?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41We do checks twice a week for, you know, their gills
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and the health of the fish.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47We've also got CCTV cameras in all the pens,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50so the camera is out in the middle of the pen
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and they can drop down to the bottom of the net, and it also monitors
0:09:53 > 0:09:56the feed that we are putting in, so we're not wasting any feed.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Each one of these pens is an equivalent size to three Olympic
0:09:59 > 0:10:04swimming pools, and in every pen there are around 33,000 salmon,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06but for animals that naturally live in the ocean,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09is that enough space?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10You know, you can see them,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14they are, you know, swimming about quite happily and surfing there.
0:10:14 > 0:10:20The recommendation from the RSPCA is 13kg per cubic metre,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and it's well within the welfare standard.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24In this pen here, they are even more overexcited.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Well, they're just about to get fed.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This pen is just being fed at the moment,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and they know that they're going to be next to be fed.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So, as far as Rosie is concerned, everything on her farm is,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37well, looking pretty rosy!
0:10:37 > 0:10:39But what about the rest of the industry?
0:10:39 > 0:10:43So, this is just one of many salmon farms across Scotland?
0:10:43 > 0:10:51Yes, absolutely. 257 farms, about 157 active at any given time.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54'Scott Landsburgh is Chief Executive
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59'which represents around 98%
0:10:59 > 0:11:01'of the active fish farms in Scotland.'
0:11:01 > 0:11:04And how much is it all worth to Scotland, overall?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Well, at farm gate value,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10our exports last year were worth £350 million,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14so we are now Scotland's largest food export.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And why do you think, overall, fish farming is a good thing to be doing?
0:11:18 > 0:11:19A number of reasons.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22One, obviously, I believe it's a very good way and efficient way
0:11:22 > 0:11:26of producing nutritional food for us humans to consume.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31And also, environmentally, it saves us from having to go
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and take depleted stocks out of the oceans.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40'Not only that, Scott says it is good for our rural communities too.'
0:11:40 > 0:11:44It's great news for the economy, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50So, we have direct jobs of 2,200 in the industry just now.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53But additional to that, we reckon there could be in excess
0:11:53 > 0:11:56of 7,000 jobs in really remote, rural locations,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00which have never seen guaranteed employment on this scale.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03When it comes to those jobs, how are you working out that multiplier?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05What are those other trades?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Processing, for one, fish processing,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09the feed companies, the farmers.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14The farmers actually provide feed in Scotland, to our feed companies.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18The transport and distribution, a huge amount of work goes into that.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20I mean, the fact that we are selling
0:12:20 > 0:12:24to 64 countries around the world, fresh salmon, you know,
0:12:24 > 0:12:25a salmon could be harvested today
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and could be on a table in Manhattan in three days' time,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I mean, there is a lot of infrastructure goes into that.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37According to the SSPO, then, fish farming is good for our rural
0:12:37 > 0:12:40areas, good for our economy, and provides
0:12:40 > 0:12:43a method of generating an affordable and healthy source of protein.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48But can the industry really be that faultless,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50as good as it has been painted?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Well, certainly not everybody thinks so,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and that's what I'll be investigating later.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Today, we're exploring the Peak District...
0:13:06 > 0:13:08..discovering some of the secrets
0:13:08 > 0:13:11this wild and dramatic landscape holds.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12This is Dove Stone Reservoir
0:13:12 > 0:13:16in the North West of the Peak District National Park.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20It was built in 1967 to collect the water from the surrounding
0:13:20 > 0:13:24moorland, and today, it's also an RSPB reserve,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and locals say it was named because up on the skyline there,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30there are some rocks in the shape of doves.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36It's easy to see why people flock to this wild terrain.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Every week, a group of youngsters come here to discover
0:13:39 > 0:13:42more about this wide open moorland.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46They call themselves the Dove Stone Youth Rangers,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and today I'm going to be joining their ranks.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Now, to be a member, you need to be between 11 and 19.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I hope I'm not asked for ID!
0:13:58 > 0:14:02'Greg Cookson from Oldham Youth Council is the man in charge.'
0:14:02 > 0:14:06So, what do the young people get out of it, why do they do it?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Well, a lot of the young people are really,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11really concerned about the environment, they come from
0:14:11 > 0:14:14a variety of different backgrounds, they come from the town centre
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and from close to Manchester city centre,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20so they are actually learning what is here on their doorstep,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and what they do learn, they can take on to further things,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26further things like university, the Duke of Edinburgh,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28even things like the John Muir Award.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33'These teenage rangers have been working on a number
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'of projects here for the last 12 months.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38'One of the biggest has been pond building.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:43How are you doing, you two? So, tell me, why all these ponds?
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Well, we've been doing a lot of research lately into pond life
0:14:48 > 0:14:50and the frogs that live naturally,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and we've been finding out that they've been declining,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56due to a loss of habitat and places that they can actually breed.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02It's not easy at all.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05We had to bring the gravel up, dig the hole,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10pump the water down, which took ages, from further down there
0:15:10 > 0:15:14and then we had to wait for it to settle and we put our plants
0:15:14 > 0:15:15and rocks in.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- It looks so natural, but a load of work goes into it, doesn't it? - Definitely.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24'The Youth Rangers also work with Geoff de Boer, the local RSPB education officer.'
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Talk me through what we're doing here.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34We're just taking off the lower branches and getting ready to fell this tree.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38This area of dry heath land is really good for small mammals, little birds,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42short-eared and long-eared owls,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and as we take these down, we open up this area, so more wildlife can come in.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Trees like this have lots of pine cones, lots of great nesting
0:15:49 > 0:15:53sites, so we are leaving some for the birds and other animals,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57but we're just making sure more light and diversity is getting in.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00The Young Rangers are encouraged to get stuck in with all
0:16:00 > 0:16:02the land management work needed here.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07I'm sure there are not many 14-year-olds that chop down trees in their spare time.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- But this girl does.- There we go.
0:16:11 > 0:16:17Wah-hah! Why would you do this?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21It's freezing cold. I should think you're out in all kinds of weathers.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27From a young age I've been encouraged by my parents to come out into the outdoors.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30They take me on walks all the time and camping outdoors.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34What do you think you've learnt through being a Ranger?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Hardingstone is quite interesting because when I was little
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I came up here a lot and I thought it was dead boring
0:16:40 > 0:16:43but it's actually got loads of different habitats here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45It's really good.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51Volunteering as a Youth Ranger can also open doors.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Marion Wasim is 18 and the experience she has gained here has impressed universities.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00In an interview, one of the admission officers was really
0:17:00 > 0:17:02impressed, as well as surprised
0:17:02 > 0:17:03that at this age I've got
0:17:03 > 0:17:10so much experience of being out here and being outdoors, doing the stuff
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and knowing that I actually want to pursue this,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15because I have had experience of doing so much conservation work.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17So this has genuinely helped you?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- Definitely.- That's fabulous!
0:17:20 > 0:17:25'Spending time outdoors has also provided an opportunity to get closer to wildlife
0:17:25 > 0:17:31'and the Rangers' latest project has been capturing this local fauna on film.'
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's become a bit of a tradition to sit down together to watch
0:17:34 > 0:17:39some of the footage of under a cleverly placed tarpaulin in the woods -
0:17:39 > 0:17:42a makeshift cinema -
0:17:42 > 0:17:44"flicks in the sticks", if you will.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49And that wouldn't be complete without popcorn.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'I'm taking my seat on the back row
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'for this wildlife matinee. Apprentice youth worker Arita Iqbal
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'helped the youngsters capture the footage.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Tell me about the camera traps.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03We did a little research of our own
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and we decided on three different places
0:18:06 > 0:18:09because we found different faeces of animals
0:18:09 > 0:18:14and other tracks so we put them in three different places and kept them there for a few weeks.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15What have you managed to see?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17We saw a stoat chasing a brown hare,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19which was quite amazing because
0:18:19 > 0:18:22the stoat is so small and the hare is so big
0:18:22 > 0:18:26that you wouldn't believe a stoat could kill a brown hare.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31It was quite amazing to see something as good as that in real life happening.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34What else have you managed to see from the camera trap?
0:18:34 > 0:18:39We saw a squirrel and a pheasant up a pond
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and they didn't know each other was there and as soon as they saw
0:18:43 > 0:18:46each other, they both got really scared and jumped.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So that's one of the ponds that you've been working on?
0:18:49 > 0:18:50- Er, yes.- Fantastic.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56'The local wildlife is already making good use of the new ponds. This heron is a regular visitor.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00'It has been a really enjoyable day
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'working alongside these young trailblazers.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05'This beautiful landscape is now in safe hands
0:19:05 > 0:19:10'and has helped to inspire the next generation of conservationists.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:19The loss of business in rural areas
0:19:19 > 0:19:24is a story we hear all too often but one village is turning the tide, as Helen has been finding out.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30In the heart of the Peaks lies Tideswell.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Like so many other villages, a once-thriving
0:19:33 > 0:19:37High Street has been reduced to a core of a few shops.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39In a bid not lose any more,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43its fortunes have been resurrected by turning into a gastronomic hub,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47asking people to shop locally and not to be tempted by the supermarket.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52The village now has its own Taste Tideswell brand
0:19:52 > 0:19:54to show off the local food on offer,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56plus its own local thriving cookery school,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00which today is showcasing a new course.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Things are going from strength to strength
0:20:02 > 0:20:05so much so that the cookery course has teamed up with local landowners
0:20:05 > 0:20:08to teach people how to shoot and butcher their own meat.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Chuck in some local produce and I think we are in for a slap-up lunch.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The idea is to look beyond the shrink-wrap cellophane
0:20:19 > 0:20:22trays and encourage people to reconnect with the food they eat
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and the environment in which it's farmed or found.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28My shooting partners are husband-and-wife combo
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Nigel and Samantha
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and our hunter-gatherer coach is Peter Rowe.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Pull.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Today he's only letting us loose with clays.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Perfect. What we'll show you
0:20:40 > 0:20:43eventually is how to shoot the gun from the hip
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and then bring the gun up to the shoulder
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and then shoot in what we call a one-piece movement.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Here's an empty gun.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52We'd be here like this and then we'd bring the gun up like that
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and then take the bird in one shot like that.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Presumably that's the aim of the game - to take the bird in one shot?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Absolutely. Clean shot. We promote
0:21:00 > 0:21:01a sporting bird. We promote
0:21:01 > 0:21:06a clean shot so the bird will be dead before it hits the ground.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08You're going to shoot within your capability.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11You don't want to shoot something too far away,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15because then you'll prick it and it won't be very nice, OK?
0:21:20 > 0:21:21This way.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Bring your gun up and...
0:21:23 > 0:21:24SHOT RINGS OUT
0:21:24 > 0:21:25- Wow!- Did I get it?!
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- Smashed it to bits.- Yes!
0:21:28 > 0:21:33Not bad for a novice but then it's not the first time I have been called a game bird!
0:21:33 > 0:21:34And fire. SHOT RINGS OUT
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Obviously we won't be cooking with the clays. Peter has already shot
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- some sporting birds for the students to cook with later. - Bring your gun up.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45SHOT RINGS OUT
0:21:45 > 0:21:46Oh, beautiful!
0:21:46 > 0:21:48It's a good stance.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Bring your gun up, and...
0:21:50 > 0:21:52SHOT RINGS OUT Perfect.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55How would you both feel about shooting your own dinner?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Not sure. Not sure at the moment.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I don't think so, do you?
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Birds, pheasants, maybe, but I don't think I could shoot anything else.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Joe Hunt is the cookery school's head chef tutor
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and he will show us the next step in the food chain.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Butchery skills.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18This isn't ever-so pretty
0:22:18 > 0:22:20but this is a fact of life.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22This is what all animals come to us like.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25They are alive once upon a time.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28You need to be in touch with your meat and your food.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Yeah? You can buy it pre-packed and pre-done but where's it come from,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35who's dealt with it, have they done it a good life, have they done it justice?
0:22:35 > 0:22:39If you do it yourself, you know it's had a proper life. So cut your wings off.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43You're getting really stuck in. Have you done this before?
0:22:43 > 0:22:44No, but I'm a surgeon.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46THEY LAUGH
0:22:46 > 0:22:49You can understand that people are squeamish because this isn't how
0:22:49 > 0:22:51most people see food.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It's not cos it's so sanitised but this is how it was done.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Everyone had chickens.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57People want to get back to nature
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and start dealing with their own food again.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02As we're a tea-time show, we'll spare you
0:23:02 > 0:23:06too many gory details and get on with the cookery.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10We are going to prepare the pheasant. We'll take the breast
0:23:10 > 0:23:14meat off and take the leg and thighs off, yeah?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16We'll keep them together in one
0:23:16 > 0:23:17and take the breast off.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Go either side of the breast meat, hold it down with your hands
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and cut into the actual breastbone.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24You can hear it against the bone,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29down, along...like so.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31You start to pull the breast meat away
0:23:31 > 0:23:33from the actual pheasant.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35To play devil's advocate,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38you can see why people buy meat ready-prepared
0:23:38 > 0:23:40because it's less hassle, isn't it?
0:23:40 > 0:23:43It is less hassle but it's more expensive.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46If you go to your butcher and buy a really good-quality whole chicken,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and you take the breast, legs and thighs off,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and all that for six quid...
0:23:51 > 0:23:54or you buy a pack of four breasts for five quid.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57There's no chemicals in this - it's been reared slowly and naturally.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59It's very low in fat.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01This has taken a nice season to grow
0:24:01 > 0:24:03up to a nice young bird so it's much healthier for you.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06And, of course, there's no packaging or food miles.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Some veg from Tideswell's village shop
0:24:08 > 0:24:10makes the base of our casserole
0:24:10 > 0:24:12along with our freshly butchered pheasant.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17After a day of country pursuits,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19it's time to reap the rewards.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Right then, chefs!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28We have a locally shot pheasant casserole
0:24:28 > 0:24:31with silver-skin onions
0:24:31 > 0:24:34and mushrooms and we have some roasted vegetables coming your way,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36all from our local shops in Tideswell.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37I hope you've all had a wonderful day
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and enjoy your food. Thank you. Well done everybody.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42APPLAUSE
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Cheers.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51This morning you didn't seem too excited or keen
0:24:51 > 0:24:54to kill something, then cook it.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- Yeah.- How do you feel about it now? - Fine.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Absolutely fine.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- What's changed?- I've seen the bird,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I've seen it dead.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I've plucked it, I've skinned it, I've prepared it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I'll definitely have another go right from scratch.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'This class not only helps people appreciate where their food comes from,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20'but brings some valuable income into the shops
0:25:20 > 0:25:22'of Tideswell.'
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Cheers! Thank you for a lovely day.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Earlier we heard about the growth of fish farming in the UK
0:25:34 > 0:25:38with salmon topping the tables in terms of our taste
0:25:38 > 0:25:39and of production.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41But not everybody's happy about that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Here's Tom again.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46With our ever-growing population, changing tastes
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and demand for affordable forms of protein,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54fish farming has become a booming global industry.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58In Scotland alone, it's worth £537 million
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and employs over 2,000 people.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06But, despite its growth and economic success,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08it is still highly controversial.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Upstream in Glencoe, I'm starting to find out why.
0:26:14 > 0:26:1725 years ago,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20the local angling club counted 500 salmon
0:26:20 > 0:26:23in this one pool just downstream of here.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Today if you counted five, you'd be very lucky.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31'Andrew Graham-Stewart from the Salmon and Trout Association Scotland
0:26:31 > 0:26:33'fears for the future of wild fish
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'as a result of fish farming.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:37What is causing this collapse?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39The problem is sea lice
0:26:39 > 0:26:43from the fish farms. They are a small parasite
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and they live on and eat the skin
0:26:45 > 0:26:51and the flesh of salmon and sea trout.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Sea lice occur naturally in the ocean, don't they?
0:26:54 > 0:26:59They do. There's a natural background level of sea lice in the sea.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03But fish farms where you have half a million fish or so
0:27:03 > 0:27:05in the fish farms,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07that's a reservoir of breeding adults
0:27:07 > 0:27:10which create literally billions
0:27:10 > 0:27:14of sea lice larvae which spread out
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and you then have a "sea lice soup"
0:27:18 > 0:27:22through which the juvenile fish, which aren't adapted to coping
0:27:22 > 0:27:24with those numbers of lice, have got to swim.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28The latest credible study done by sea lice experts
0:27:28 > 0:27:31from Scotland, Canada and Norway
0:27:31 > 0:27:36concluded that 34% of salmon leaving these rivers
0:27:36 > 0:27:38next to fish farms die as a result.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Andrew says that fish farms and the lice they generate
0:27:46 > 0:27:50have pushed down the numbers of wild salmon in rivers like this
0:27:50 > 0:27:52on the West Coast of Scotland
0:27:52 > 0:27:53to an all-time low.
0:27:53 > 0:28:00He also says the industry is not acknowledging its part in creating this problem.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'What does the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation have to
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'say about that?'
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Are lice from your farms killing wild salmon?
0:28:09 > 0:28:13I wouldn't say so. There's a lot of discussion about it.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16But there's no empirical evidence that suggests that's the case.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19'Why, then, does the industry spend millions of pounds each year
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'on chemicals to treat lice?'
0:28:22 > 0:28:26We want to ensure that we have healthy fish.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29That's the key to our future.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31We want to have a sustainable industry here.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33It's a challenge for the wild fish
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and for farm fish as well.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37You acknowledge it's a challenge,
0:28:37 > 0:28:41so are you taking some responsibility for making sure you reduce the lice burden?
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Yes, but as I said, the parasite starts in the wild
0:28:46 > 0:28:48and we obviously have to manage the challenge
0:28:48 > 0:28:50that comes to the fish farms.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Concerns have been raised about the environmental impact
0:28:54 > 0:28:56of these anti-lice chemicals.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59In a recent three-year study of the main fish-farming areas
0:28:59 > 0:29:03in Scotland, more than 9% of the sea bed samples exceeded
0:29:03 > 0:29:06environmental standards.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09The SSPO says it's working to reduce chemicals
0:29:09 > 0:29:11in salmon farms.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13This is a ballan wrasse.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17'And some of its member farms are trying a more natural approach to lice control.'
0:29:17 > 0:29:21This is a cleaner fish
0:29:21 > 0:29:25so we put them in the pen and they naturally eat the lice off the back of the fish.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28So they come up to the salmon and nibble the lice off them?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30They just naturally do it, yeah.
0:29:30 > 0:29:31How effective are they?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34So far on our site they've been very effective.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Up till now we would have done two treatments
0:29:36 > 0:29:39and we have done no treatments.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42So you don't have to use much chemical at all - or really none?
0:29:42 > 0:29:45We haven't used any chemicals this cycle at all
0:29:45 > 0:29:49since we've introduced wrasse into our farm.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Despite the efforts of the industry,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56some are still strongly opposed to fish farming,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00including a small but vocal group called Protect Wild Scotland.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04It has additional concerns such as the impact of waste from the farms,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06mortality rates,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08and claims that escaped fish
0:30:08 > 0:30:12are diluting the wide salmon gene pool, something the industry denies.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15However, the Scottish Salmon Producers' Association
0:30:15 > 0:30:17told us they would not take part
0:30:17 > 0:30:20in this film if we interviewed the PWS.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25Why didn't you want us to talk to Protect Wild Scotland?
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Because the representatives of Protect Wild Scotland
0:30:29 > 0:30:33are not representative of the wild sector.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Isn't that for them to make that judgment,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39for the audience to make that judgment, not for you to say,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42"You can't come on our property if you interview them"?
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- We are not prepared to discuss them. - Right.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48But why is it? They are a pressure group with a voice
0:30:48 > 0:30:50like other people in the country. It seems to me
0:30:50 > 0:30:53if you were confident in your message you could take on all-comers.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56I'm willing to discuss anything on a rational basis
0:30:56 > 0:30:59with anybody with a rational argument, as we are as an industry.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I would suggest they don't quite have a rational argument.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07We put that to Protect Wild Scotland who said it raised the question...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It feels that salmon farming in Scotland
0:31:13 > 0:31:14has reached a crisis point
0:31:14 > 0:31:17and still has many serious problems to address
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and it told us it believes that...
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Salmon naturally eat other fish in the wild,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36but one of the concerns for Protect Wild Scotland
0:31:36 > 0:31:40is the sheer volume of fish it takes to feed farmed salmon.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42As the weather turned against us,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46we spoke to the Marine Conservation Society
0:31:46 > 0:31:48which has been looking into this issue.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Some progress has actually been made. We are seeing
0:31:51 > 0:31:54a decreasing trend in the amount of wild fish
0:31:54 > 0:31:57that's going into the diets of farmed salmon,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00but the Scottish Government has very ambitious growth targets
0:32:00 > 0:32:02for farmed salmon,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06so that fish contact needs to decrease even further.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Dawn believes there have been real improvements.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13But she's worried that Government plans to expand the industry further
0:32:13 > 0:32:16could undermine that progress.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21When it comes to your kind of school report on the salmon-farming
0:32:21 > 0:32:26industry, would you say, "Doing OK but could do even better"
0:32:26 > 0:32:28as regards the impact on wild fish?
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Yes, that sums it up perfectly.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33There has been a lot of progress actually made
0:32:33 > 0:32:35and the Marine Conservation Society
0:32:35 > 0:32:37has been leading the way
0:32:37 > 0:32:40to try and make sure the fish that goes into salmon diets
0:32:40 > 0:32:42is responsibly managed.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45But we still have a way to go, we still need to
0:32:45 > 0:32:47reduce the fish content in salmon diets
0:32:47 > 0:32:51even further and we have to remember
0:32:51 > 0:32:53that fish are a finite resource.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Our oceans can't provide any more wild fish
0:32:56 > 0:32:57than they actually are,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00so it's imperative that we keep trying
0:33:00 > 0:33:04to reduce the fish even more in salmon farm diets.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08The Scottish salmon industry says it only sources its fish for food
0:33:08 > 0:33:11from sustainably managed wild fisheries
0:33:11 > 0:33:13and they are now trying alternative diets,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15including vegetable sources
0:33:15 > 0:33:20of protein and oils like wheat and beans.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Fish farming's benefits are easy to see.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Employment where it's scarce and a nutritious form of food.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Its environmental record is a little harder to determine.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35The effects are often hidden beneath the waves.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37While the industry has obviously improved,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41it'll have to go even further before everyone will grant it a clean
0:33:41 > 0:33:43bill of health.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50There are few things more magical than the sight of wild ponies
0:33:50 > 0:33:52at one with their natural environment.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55This week, Adam's heading to Somerset to help round up
0:33:55 > 0:33:58a group of Exmoors for the annual stock-take.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02But first, he's at home in the Cotswolds,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04checking on the progress of his crops.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15We plant a lot of our arable crops in the autumn.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17And last autumn, the weather was so wet,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20we couldn't get the machines on the ground,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23so a lot of the crops got planted very late.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25This year, it's been the opposite.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27The ground conditions have been perfect
0:34:27 > 0:34:30and this oilseed rape crop we started to plant
0:34:30 > 0:34:34in the middle of August, and it's grown really well.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37You can see the plant has grown very quickly,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39it's grown away from the slugs and the insects.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42The pigeons won't be able to get into it now
0:34:42 > 0:34:45because there's a complete canopy of oilseed rape.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Potentially this crop could be very, very good.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50So we're set up for a better year.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53There's the odd weed in here, these little yellow flowers,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56but they're just a bit of charlock that the frost will kill off.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59On the other side of that hedge, we have another crop of oilseed rape
0:34:59 > 0:35:02that was planted ten days after this.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06It's much smaller. It's amazing how important that planting date is.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10On the rest of the farm we have winter barley and winter wheat
0:35:10 > 0:35:11that is also looking very good.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15If you can get these crops established well in the autumn,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17the potential for next year's harvest is great.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21It's a long way to go yet but things are looking good.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28The crops are an important part of our business,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31but as a family, we are also passionate about our animals,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34especially rare breeds.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I have three older sisters
0:35:37 > 0:35:39and when we were children, my dad gave us
0:35:39 > 0:35:43a rare breed each to get us into rare breeds conservation.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44He gave me the Exmoor ponies here,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47so we've had them on the farm for about 40-odd years.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49The first three came off Exmoor.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52He was given them by a guy called Ronnie Wallace.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Now David Wallace owns the herd
0:35:54 > 0:35:58and I am heading down there to help them with their annual gather.
0:35:58 > 0:35:59You're lovely, aren't you?
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Exmoor National Park has a wild beauty whatever the weather.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13People come here to enjoy the rugged landscape
0:36:13 > 0:36:15and, of course, its wild ponies.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Today there is a special event.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21A group of volunteers are gathering
0:36:21 > 0:36:25to help husband and wife team David and Emma Wallace
0:36:25 > 0:36:27round up their herd of wild Exmoors.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Good morning, everybody!
0:36:31 > 0:36:35And welcome to our annual gathering here
0:36:35 > 0:36:38on Winsford Hill
0:36:38 > 0:36:42on a typical autumn Exmoor day.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45David and Emma Wallace have gathered a large team of people
0:36:45 > 0:36:48to help them bring the Exmoor ponies off the moor
0:36:48 > 0:36:50down to their farm.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Before they set off, David is just giving them a briefing.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56We have people helping us today
0:36:56 > 0:36:58from as far away as France
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and all over England.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04What's the plan now, David? You're splitting everybody up?
0:37:04 > 0:37:06We are organising everybody
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and making sure we get an even distribution
0:37:08 > 0:37:10of vehicles and ponies
0:37:10 > 0:37:13on both sides of this road.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18We hope to find today somewhere near to 30 or 40 ponies.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20And the reason for bringing them down at this time of year?
0:37:20 > 0:37:22It is time to wean the foals from their mothers.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26It's the annual time of the year where we are separating out.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30We need to see whether we've got lots of little girls, the fillies,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33whether we have got lots of little boys with the colts.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Looking forward to seeing what we've got.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- It's like Christmas.- Fantastic.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I remember your father, Ronnie Wallace,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44giving my dad three Exmoors when I was just a little boy.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47And I remember as a little boy, too,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49delivering them to your father
0:37:49 > 0:37:51up in the Cotswolds,
0:37:51 > 0:37:55so it is wonderful you are here today witnessing this annual event.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58It's very exciting and despite the weather, I am looking forward to it.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02I'm glad we've been able to organise a good Exmoor day for you(!)
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Let's go and get some ponies.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Let's go and be cowboys!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10David's team are fully briefed.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15All they have to do now is find the ponies and round them up...
0:38:15 > 0:38:17which is easier said than done.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19There's a convoy of cars coming up the road
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and it's amazing to see these horses riding
0:38:22 > 0:38:25across the moor in thick fog...
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and rain. I'm not quite sure how they are finding these ponies.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38How are you getting on? Have you seen many?
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Yes, we saw some just over the back of the hill there
0:38:41 > 0:38:43which seems to have moved, come across the road already,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46so we're just doing another sweep of the side of the moor,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48make sure we've got everyone.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50- Good luck!- Thank you!
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Just pulled over and spotted a group of Exmoors here,
0:39:00 > 0:39:01quite close to the road.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05The horse riders and quad bikes are coming across the moor
0:39:05 > 0:39:07to bring them this way.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08These animals are quite wild.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10They live out on the moor all the year round
0:39:10 > 0:39:12and they are perfectly designed for it.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16They've lived out here for hundreds if not thousands of years.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21They have really broad foreheads and the rain just runs off the eyes.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Their tail fans out over their rump
0:39:23 > 0:39:27and they have amazing fur that keeps them warm and insulated
0:39:27 > 0:39:29even in the harshest of conditions,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33and out here on Exmoor, it can get very harsh.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42It's not just the riders that get a thrill. There's plenty of spectators
0:39:42 > 0:39:44to enjoy it as well.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Sue, you've been very involved in the Exmoor Pony Society.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50I've never been up for the gather before. It's very exciting.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- It's your first time?- It is. - I've been
0:39:52 > 0:39:56coming to watch gatherings for more years than I care to remember
0:39:56 > 0:39:57and I'm still just excited,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and when you see a whole group of them break the skyline,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04galloping in towards you, all identical, it's fantastic.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06How long have they lived up in the moor for?
0:40:06 > 0:40:08We are talking thousands of years, because we think
0:40:08 > 0:40:10they are a relic population
0:40:10 > 0:40:12of the original British hill pony.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15The first wild ponies came to Britain over 100,000 years ago.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And we think they've been here ever since,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20so you're seeing something pretty special.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30There are about 20 cantering past now
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and more coming up over the horizon.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34I've never seen so many Exmoors in one place at one time.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42It really is a spectacular sight
0:40:42 > 0:40:44as more and more Exmoors are driven off the moor
0:40:44 > 0:40:48and into the holding area before the next part of their journey.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51That's the first bit of the moor gathered.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54They now go through into the second
0:40:54 > 0:40:57bit of the moor and then into the fields,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59into what they call a funnel,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01down the road to the pens.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08The Exmoors look magnificent as a herd.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11They're an enchanting and versatile breed
0:41:11 > 0:41:13and can make great riding ponies
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and are never more at home than here on Exmoor.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19They love coming out and having a gallop across the moor,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21they're sure-footed, they don't mind the terrain,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23so, yeah, brilliant.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Is there any interaction between them and the wild ponies?
0:41:25 > 0:41:30We sometimes get the free-living ponies following us on our rides,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- but they don't cause us any problems.- Wonderful.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34That's lovely!
0:41:35 > 0:41:38The team managed to gather 30-odd ponies off the moor.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Now there's just one last trot
0:41:41 > 0:41:43down the lanes to David and Emma's farm.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48After a hectic morning's work,
0:41:48 > 0:41:52there's a well-earned reward for everyone.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53How did it all go?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It went really well.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Considering the weather today,
0:41:57 > 0:41:59we've gathered all our ponies off the hill
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and it's been a spectacular sight.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03It's very exciting to see
0:42:03 > 0:42:06the mares coming off with their foals
0:42:06 > 0:42:11and in the next couple of days we'll be weaning the foals from the mares.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Then the mares and stallions run back on to the moor?
0:42:14 > 0:42:16They do indeed.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18The foals are weaned from them.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20They'll go back out onto the hill
0:42:20 > 0:42:22and enjoy a winter without a foal annoying them
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- and then hopefully give birth again in the spring.- Wonderful.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30There we are, the most ancient indigenous British breed of pony,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32probably the toughest of the lot,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35gathered safely off the moor for another year.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41I'm in the High Peak village of Castleton.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It sits in the shadow of the Treak Cliff Cavern,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47famous for its unique Blue John stone
0:42:47 > 0:42:49not found anywhere else.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51I'm here to meet former miner Peter Harrison,
0:42:51 > 0:42:57who has been on the hunt for something for 68 years.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59As a young man in 1945,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Peter was told of a new vein of Blue John
0:43:02 > 0:43:05by an elderly miner in poor health.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11He said, "Peter, I have some Blue John in here
0:43:11 > 0:43:14"that I would like you to help me get out,"
0:43:14 > 0:43:16so I said, "Just let me know
0:43:16 > 0:43:19"when you'd like the help and I will,"
0:43:19 > 0:43:21and I took him home and that was the very last time he came up here -
0:43:21 > 0:43:24he died within a fortnight.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26So nobody knew at all
0:43:26 > 0:43:28where the new vein was.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31The old miners were very secretive
0:43:31 > 0:43:34and if they found anything good,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37they'd cover it up with something -
0:43:37 > 0:43:41maybe an old carpet or pieces of wood or stone.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Did you look for that?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44We looked for it everywhere.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47We thought wherever we looked,
0:43:47 > 0:43:48we couldn't find it.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Couldn't find it at all.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Peter and his relatives spent decades searching for the lost
0:43:54 > 0:43:55vein of the mineral
0:43:55 > 0:44:00until the quest finally fell on the shoulders of Peter's 21-year-old
0:44:00 > 0:44:02grandson, John,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06who - after a mining masterclass - struck lucky.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09John, your grandfather spent 70 years searching for this lost
0:44:09 > 0:44:12seam and everybody had just about given up hope.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Then along comes you. What happened?
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Well, for the first week or so of working here,
0:44:17 > 0:44:21the lead miner, Gary Ridley, was showing me where you find
0:44:21 > 0:44:26crystal toppings that do indicate good-quality Blue John.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28While he was doing that,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I was not getting bored but getting agitated
0:44:31 > 0:44:34about getting on and trying it myself
0:44:34 > 0:44:37so just looking around on the spot where I was, I did notice
0:44:37 > 0:44:39the defined crystals Gary was talking about.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40The telltale signs?
0:44:40 > 0:44:43The pointy crystal tops, they look like melted dice.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46All the points stick up and that indicates
0:44:46 > 0:44:47quality Blue John.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49So I started digging, as anybody wood,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52and as I dug through the clay there were layers
0:44:52 > 0:44:55I went through - strange layers you wouldn't normally find in a cave.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58At the top was a layer of carpet -
0:44:58 > 0:45:00very old carpet.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Underneath the carpet were layers of wooden batons
0:45:03 > 0:45:04and underneath them were stone -
0:45:04 > 0:45:06clean lime stone.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09The more they came back, the more Blue John was shown to us.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17The cavern had finally given up its secret
0:45:17 > 0:45:18and this is it.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21This is the lost seam that you found.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Exactly. We are currently sat on top of
0:45:23 > 0:45:26a blue gold mine, let's say.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28How much is there, do you reckon?
0:45:28 > 0:45:31We estimate around 15 tonnes.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33A nice prize.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Now that you've found the vein, this is how you mine it, is it,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38chipping it out?
0:45:38 > 0:45:43This is exposing what hasn't been drilled, if you see what I mean.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45You see how it's falling out really easily?
0:45:45 > 0:45:48It means there's not much holding it together
0:45:48 > 0:45:50and it's just clay pushing it down,
0:45:50 > 0:45:54so what we're trying to do is dig behind it, drill behind,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56drop the big pieces out.
0:45:56 > 0:45:57Use a big power drill, then?
0:45:57 > 0:46:00We have a big drill. We try and get as much out
0:46:00 > 0:46:02as we possibly can, even the little bits,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05even the pieces that are really small,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08they hold some fantastic-quality veins
0:46:08 > 0:46:11that are really good for the small jewellery like necklaces,
0:46:11 > 0:46:13pendants, rings and things like that.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17What nature begins, Pete Sharp finishes
0:46:17 > 0:46:18here in the workshop.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22What's the quality like
0:46:22 > 0:46:24of the seam John's found?
0:46:24 > 0:46:27There you have some really nice colours coming through.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28You have this nice blue band
0:46:28 > 0:46:30going all the way round,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32a nice blue band at the bottom as well...
0:46:32 > 0:46:34You can see through some of it.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Especially now I've thinned it right down,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38you have this nice shape going on here
0:46:38 > 0:46:39fluting out slightly.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41It's rather nice.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It'll keep you busy for quite a few years.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Certainly. I have plenty turning to do.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50How much would a bowl like this cost me?
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Anything from £400 to £600.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55It just depends on what the vein is.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57With it being a new vein,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00it could go in the region of four to seven.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06What sounded like an old miner's tale has actually proved to
0:47:06 > 0:47:07be a legacy
0:47:07 > 0:47:10that means Blue John, so unique to the Peaks,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13can live on for yet another generation.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Peter, what do you think of your grandson
0:47:15 > 0:47:19finding this treasure you searched for years for?
0:47:19 > 0:47:21He must have the luck of the devil.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25There it was and all he did
0:47:25 > 0:47:28was scratch the top off the carpet and found it with his feet.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31And I'd been looking for it for donkey's years.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32You've got the wrong shoes on.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36- You'd walked over that spot many times?- Oh, dozens of times!
0:47:36 > 0:47:37How do you feel about it, John?
0:47:37 > 0:47:40You found the treasure your grandfather had spent
0:47:40 > 0:47:43nearly 70 years looking for.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45I was always worried about filling his shoes,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47so to speak,
0:47:47 > 0:47:51and with this vein of Blue John, it's done it in one swift go.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54- You think so?- Yes, I do.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57There it is. 70 years of looking
0:47:57 > 0:48:01and finding nothing and there it is.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05John had been here five minutes and finds it.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09It's a sunny outlook here at Treak Cliff Cavern.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12But what does the week ahead have in store for us weather-wise?
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Here's the Countryfile forecast.
0:49:50 > 0:49:57.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Today John and I have been exploring the Peak District
0:50:13 > 0:50:17and discovering some of the secrets this beautiful landscape keeps.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20One of the best ways to enjoy this terrain
0:50:20 > 0:50:22is to get on your bike.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25The roads that zigzag the Peaks are ridden by
0:50:25 > 0:50:27locals and tourists
0:50:27 > 0:50:32who come to enjoy these views, which are spectacular.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37They also come for the terrain which pushes pedal power to the limit.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39That's a fact that has not gone unnoticed
0:50:39 > 0:50:42by the cycling elite.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48This is the sleepy village of Holme on the edge of the Peaks.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50It may look quiet and serene now
0:50:50 > 0:50:51but come next July,
0:50:51 > 0:50:57it's set to get the biggest wake-up call in its recent history.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Because, for the first time,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02the world-famous Tour de France cycle race
0:51:02 > 0:51:07is set to thunder through here on day two of this epic race.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12150,000 people are expected to come along to watch.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16But that's nothing. 12 million people line each stage of the route
0:51:16 > 0:51:17every year.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24Stage two of next year's race is from York to Sheffield.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27But it's hear in Holme competitors will need to get a handle
0:51:27 > 0:51:29on their handlebars
0:51:29 > 0:51:34as they will face a hill that climbs to 524 metres above sea level.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37That's more than 1,700 feet.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39I'm meeting Lee Rylands, keen cyclist
0:51:39 > 0:51:43and sports lecturer at Derby University, to find out more.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46What are they going to face?
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Obviously it's fantastic because the tour's coming to the
0:51:49 > 0:51:51north of England for the first time ever
0:51:51 > 0:51:54and this hill will really be a game-changer for them.
0:51:54 > 0:51:59There is a hill here which is 7% through to 14%
0:51:59 > 0:52:04and if the riders can make a break at a specific point on that hill,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06and gain that break,
0:52:06 > 0:52:08I think, leading through to Sheffield,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10that could be the winning hill here.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13So the chances are if they make it to the top of this hill
0:52:13 > 0:52:15first or make a break away here,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17they'll sustain that through to the end?
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Definitely. I don't think some
0:52:19 > 0:52:22of the European riders when they come here will expect
0:52:22 > 0:52:26the steepness because it's 14%, which is quite brutal.
0:52:26 > 0:52:27That IS brutal.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31So they think, "It's just England, it won't be that bad.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33"We're used to the Alps." And they'll get a nasty surprise.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35I definitely think they will.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40There's only one way
0:52:40 > 0:52:43to see what the Tour de France competitors will face.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45I'm going to cycle the hill myself.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49I'm joining Mark Etches and some of the lads from Sheffrec Cycling Club
0:52:49 > 0:52:54from Sheffield and this hill is part of their training.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59So Mark, this is your standard route as part of your training.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03What sort of perils will the Tour de France riders face?
0:53:03 > 0:53:08This is one of the penultimate climbs of stage two.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11This is quite a climb,
0:53:11 > 0:53:16so we expect some attacks to come on these slopes here.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20This is where it starts to kick up.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23A mile and a quarter now to the top of the climb.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24There's a mark on the road there.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27That's right - so we know how far we have to go.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Good grief.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30It's not easy, is it?
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I'm struggling to keep pace with Mark
0:53:33 > 0:53:35at around five miles per hour.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37The riders in the Tour de France
0:53:37 > 0:53:41will attack this hill at three times that.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Around this corner now,
0:53:43 > 0:53:45the wind will start to come across.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47- Can you feel the wind now?- Yeah.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49A bit of a push.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54We're at 5%/6%.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57It's just starting to pull on those calves.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58- God, it is.- Yeah?
0:53:59 > 0:54:04I'm a keen cyclist, but this gradient is testing me to the limit.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07I know I can do better than this, and although I shouldn't blame my tools,
0:54:07 > 0:54:10there's got to be something wrong with this bike.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13A quick stop to check, and I don't believe it -
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I've been riding with the brakes on.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17There you go, look.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20I'm not THAT unfit - the brake was locked on.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21A likely story!
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Thank goodness I can hold my cycling helmet high again,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28and we're nearly at the top.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32This is where, you know, the many thousands of spectators
0:54:32 > 0:54:34will be jumping for joy
0:54:34 > 0:54:39at the sight of the biggest cycle race in the world.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43And what about you personally? Why do you love cycling in the Peaks?
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Oh, it just doesn't get any better.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48You know, good cyclists seek the hills out,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52whereas, you know, the novices tend to shy away from the hills.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54- We go looking for them.- Ha-ha!
0:54:54 > 0:54:56- We're nearly there! - Yeah, we're getting towards the top!
0:54:56 > 0:54:59- Oh, yeah!- Are we going to have a sprint?- No, we're not!
0:54:59 > 0:55:01- Ohh...- Last push to the line.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Agh!
0:55:03 > 0:55:05- Agh...- Just keep going.- It's burning.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- Feel those legs burn.- Yeah.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Agh!
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Yes! All right!
0:55:12 > 0:55:15SHE PANTS
0:55:15 > 0:55:16I'm out of breath.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Oh, I've got nothing... nothing to say!
0:55:19 > 0:55:20Wow, that was amazing.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21- Did you enjoy that?- Yeah!
0:55:21 > 0:55:24I feel sorry for them, they're not going to be able to enjoy this view.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- No.- They'll be pedalling so hard. - It's a stunning place now, up here.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- It's like, on top of the world. - Incredible.
0:55:29 > 0:55:30Incredible.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Well, I'm not going to "Tour de Chance" my luck on that descent,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39because it looks more terrifying than the climb.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44I've cycled just one hill of the 2,701 miles of next year's race,
0:55:44 > 0:55:48that will take riders from Leeds to the finish line in Paris.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53Instead, a quick change, and time to find John.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Well, that is it from the Peak District
0:56:01 > 0:56:02- this week.- Not quite, Ellie.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Not quite, because - have you got yours yet?
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- No, not one of these!- No? Well, now that it's December,
0:56:07 > 0:56:09time to start thinking about Christmas presents.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- Oh, yes.- And what better than a Countryfile calendar?
0:56:11 > 0:56:13Here's how to buy one.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17The calendar costs £9, including free UK delivery.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19You can buy yours on our website, that's...
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Or by calling the order line on...
0:56:35 > 0:56:37A minimum of £4 from the sale of every calendar
0:56:37 > 0:56:41will be donated to the BBC Children In Need appeal.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43And that IS it from the Peak District.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46Next week we're in Cheshire, looking at, among other things,
0:56:46 > 0:56:49the silk industry started by farmers making buttons for extra cash.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52- Hope you can join us then. Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd