0:00:25 > 0:00:27Rising in high places,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30tumbling over age-worn rock,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33cutting swathes through valleys and plains,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36ours is a landscape edged by water.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Rivers, streams and canals -
0:00:40 > 0:00:43they crisscross our countryside, but eventually they all feed into
0:00:43 > 0:00:45the sea, and on today's programme,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48we're going to be telling the story of some of our water courses,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51starting here with the most famous of all - the Thames Estuary.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I'm with the artist finding inspiration down by the river.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59- That's a nice bit.- Oh.- That's a...
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I'd say that would be a nice top fin perhaps, a dorsal fin.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06You're finding all the good stuff. You are like a magnet.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Naomi's enchanted by one of England's highest waterfalls.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14- There she is.- Oh. That's lovely, isn't it?- Beautiful.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15- Yeah.- Wow.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Sean sees the amazing transformation of a riverside rubbish dump.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Ten years ago, we would have seen rubbish just on the surface here.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Well, this used to be one of the biggest landfill sites in
0:01:28 > 0:01:29western Europe.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Tom's investigating if science is keeping up with the nightmare of bovine TB.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40With a 90-year-old skin test that doesn't always get it right,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and a vaccination for cattle that can't be used,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48do we really have the scientific tools to win the war against TB?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52And Adam's gone to the dogs at one of the last traditional
0:01:52 > 0:01:54country fairs in the land.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Oh, it's going to be a close-run thing! Oh, there we go!
0:01:57 > 0:01:59HE LAUGHS
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Now it's got hold of the lure, and he's run-off with it.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04I think that's probably the end of the race, because he's run off with the lure.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Big skies.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Brackish river water lapping against North Sea brine.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Huge tides and wader-haunted mudflats mark the ebb and flow.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The Thames Estuary is our gateway to the world.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51It's a place of comings and goings.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Goods, livestock, food and people all carried in on the mighty River Thames.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Forget the Royal river of tourist photos.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The Thames I'm interested in is further out.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Far beyond the city, between Tilbury and Gravesend,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14the river widens, and mingles with the clouds.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18You get an incredible sense of space here,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and the bustle of the city feels like it's a long, long way away.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28And it's easy to see how all of this calm can fire the artistic imagination.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30# Once I was a rigger and I worked like hell... #
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Every autumn, the Estuary Festival brings together art,
0:03:34 > 0:03:35music and history.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37# I go rolling down the river... #
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Centre stage are the people of the Thames and their stories.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43# We'll all get drunk in Tilbury town
0:03:43 > 0:03:47# 24 hours to turn around to go rolling down the river... #
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I started working on the cockle boats when I was
0:03:51 > 0:03:53about 10 or 11 years old.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58When you filled the baskets up, you put the yokes on, carried them
0:03:58 > 0:04:00in the boat and emptied them into the hold.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Some of the things I've caught in my nets are bombs, mines.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I've had a whole aeroplane. I had a Boulton Paul Defender.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I had a lovely piece of amber that I've had made into jewellery
0:04:14 > 0:04:16for my wife and my two daughters.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17That was very nice.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25The weather and the tides in the Thames Estuary are very much related.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27A lot of storms come up from the east.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33If you don't respect it, it can pay back very, very dear.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38These words have been recorded for posterity by author
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Rachel Lichtenstein...
0:04:41 > 0:04:43..who is also the curator of the festival.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47These beautiful voices, then.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Why were you so keen to record them and to hear what they had to say?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Well, I've been writing this book about the history of the
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Thames Estuary, and I really wanted to capture the voices of
0:04:57 > 0:04:59those who've spent their working lives on the river,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01so I gathered together this great chorus of voices to, kind of,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05understand what goes on out there in the Thames Estuary.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It was amazing hearing their stories.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11And all, no doubt, with that one thing in common - a love for this water.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14An absolute love, despite the dangers.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Many of those people will have worked within sight of this place,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Tilbury's famous cruise ship terminal - a hub of comings
0:05:22 > 0:05:27and goings for 80 years, and a place which features in Rachel's book.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I guess, Rachel, when you start researching this from a, kind of, book perspective,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33the stuff that you must uncover,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and then deciding what to include, where do you start?
0:05:37 > 0:05:39It's almost impossible.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43You know, you can't capture the whole story of this river.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Boats, goods, people have been travelling in and out of the Thames Estuary.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It's been the gateway for millennia and more, you know,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54into London and then out to the wider world you know,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56from the Roman period, the Vikings onward,
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- the great, billowing merchant ships coming down river...- Absolutely. - ..in the 17th and 18th centuries.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You know, over the river there, we've got Gravesend, you know.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07That's where the Mayflower stopped on her journey,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10historic journey, out to New England full of pilgrims.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- I mean, all of history is here.- Mmm.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17These days, there are 21,000 cargo ship movements a year.
0:06:17 > 0:06:2240 million tonnes of freight - a good deal of it food, wheat,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24barley, beans, edible oils.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25The list goes on.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28All of it handled by the Port of London authority.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Now, as far as boats and ships are concerned,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36this is kind of air traffic control, and from here, all the vessels
0:06:36 > 0:06:40out on the water are monitored safely in and out of London.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- And Kevin here... Good to see you, Kevin.- Nice to meet you.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45..is the man in charge, and the perfect man, obviously,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47to tell me about what's going on on these screens.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49So, where shall we start?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Well, we've got such a big area that we're looking after.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55600 square miles, right out into Essex and Kent.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- This is your line here, is it? - Yeah.- Yeah, I'm with you.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So, all of these are ships, so there's a container ship.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Following behind her are two tankers.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05On top of that, we have all of the yachts,
0:07:05 > 0:07:10the fishermen and the local traffic that we're looking after as well.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And just coming in here, beautifully, I can't really
0:07:12 > 0:07:16recognise her on your screen, but I can out of the window, the Waverley.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18My word, she's absolutely beautiful,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- and a new arrival in these parts for today.- Yeah.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22First day on the river today for the new season,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25so we've been looking after her and all of the passengers
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- enjoying the lovely weather on the river.- It's wonderful.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The mixture of vessels that you've got on the water to look after,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- I mean, that's kind of the whole spice of it all.- Absolutely.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40And later in the programme, I'll be navigating these waters myself.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43But first...
0:07:43 > 0:07:45With another badger cull under way,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Tom is looking at the science behind the battle against TB in cattle.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59There is a dark shadow looming over cattle farming in the UK.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Bovine TB is our most pressing and most costly animal health problem.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Regular testing has become a gruelling and emotional fact of life.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Just one positive reading, and a whole herd is under restriction.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18So, if an infected herd is officially tested
0:08:18 > 0:08:23and declared TB-free, you'd think that was pretty good.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But what if I were to tell you that
0:08:25 > 0:08:30for every five herds declared TB-free,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35one will still be harbouring the disease unseen and undetected.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40And that is thought to be a major cause of reinfection of
0:08:40 > 0:08:42cattle herds in many parts of the country.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Defra, the government department responsible,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49says this applies to all previously infected herds in
0:08:49 > 0:08:53the 14 counties which make up high-risk areas of England.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57In all my years of reporting this story, I've never heard that figure before.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01It appears to be a real weakness, that even when herds are
0:09:01 > 0:09:06declared TB-free, in fact, more than 20% retain infected animals.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09I've come to Devon to find out more.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11COWS MOO
0:09:11 > 0:09:16These are some of the ten million cattle regularly tested for TB in the UK.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It's always an anxious time for farmers, because the lives of
0:09:20 > 0:09:24their cattle, and the health of their business, are at stake.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Jilly Greed's cattle have been in and out of TB infection for 15 years.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37The latest round of restrictions mean they all have to be tested
0:09:37 > 0:09:42every 60 days, and Jilly can't move or sell live cattle.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It's emotionally draining and costing a fortune.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50She can only be declared TB-free when they all test negative
0:09:50 > 0:09:51twice in a row.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- How are you feeling today, Julie? - Um, I'm apprehensive.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Do you find yourself, inevitably, sort of,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05counting down as you go through them, thinking, fingers crossed?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I'm more, when the vet is checking with the callipers,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10that's when she goes back to check.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13When she's looked once and she looks more closely.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- That's when your pulse begins to race?- It's millimetres. You know.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The test was devised in the 1920s. This is how it works -
0:10:21 > 0:10:23three days ago, vet Christina Ruiz
0:10:23 > 0:10:27injected each cow with two harmless strains of TB.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Today, she's measuring changes to skin thickness
0:10:30 > 0:10:33in both injection sites.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Because Jilly's herd is under restriction,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38if there's more than two millimetres' difference between
0:10:38 > 0:10:43the way the areas have reacted, the cow is judged as having TB.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49The theory is, any cow which already has TB will show a skin reaction.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51The reality is, every cow reacts differently
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and TB can take years to cause any reaction at all.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00I notice you're pregnancy testing here, as well, today,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so that's added value, or added value that could be lost,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04if you come down.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Oh, my gosh, yes.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I mean, you know, you'll have a cow that's four to five and a half months in calf.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14You know, that cow will go to slaughter with a calf inside her.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16And, I think, that's just such a travesty.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19There's no compensation for an unborn calf.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20So, that's an automatic straight loss.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Have you been able to put a figure on how much TB has cost you?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Over the 15 years, where we've been in and out, in and out of TB,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30somewhere approaching £130,000.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Wow!
0:11:32 > 0:11:36That's £130,000 lost and it would have been even more
0:11:36 > 0:11:39without the compensation.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41So, there's a lot riding on the skin test here
0:11:41 > 0:11:46and it's vital to Defra's 25-year eradication programme in England
0:11:49 > 0:11:50OK.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53So, what was that? Something good happen?
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Yeah. That was Esther. That's my favourite cow.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And she's not only clear but she's also in calf, as well.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So that's good news.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05So, what's being done about the fact that one in five
0:12:05 > 0:12:08so-called TB-free herds retain unseen infection?
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Well, Defra says when a study revealed this in 2011,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18they were so concerned they "tightened up testing requirements".
0:12:18 > 0:12:21But, despite that tightening up, on August 30th this year,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25they announced new plans
0:12:25 > 0:12:29to tackle this "substantial residual herd infection".
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Those proposals include a more sensitive interpretation
0:12:32 > 0:12:34of the calliper skin test,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38further restrictions on movement of infected cattle
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and new powers to enforce farm bio-security.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48That's little comfort to Jilly.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52A year of farming under TB restrictions has not been enough.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55She hoped that today, at last, she'd get the all clear.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01But at cow 225 of 230, she runs out of luck.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04What just happened there?
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Fifi is a reactor.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10So, we'd gone all this way and we're in the last bit.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- Down to the last five, here, aren't you?- Yeah. So, that's it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18We're now down.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21So that just means more months, more testing
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- and, for Fifi herself, she'll be slaughtered here, or taken away?- No.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29She'll go to slaughter. She's not in calf, so that's one blessing.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31She's not in calf.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37We, kind of, felt hopeful. Now, it's back to square one.
0:13:37 > 0:13:43- You allowed yourself to hope.- I did. Yeah. I truly did. We truly did.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48I'm sorry. I can hear it in your voice. It's not a good moment.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49Poor Fifi.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Hopes dashed. A very tough time.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Like many farmers,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00she worries that badgers on her land could be re-infecting her cattle.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Defra agrees and this year widened badger culling
0:14:04 > 0:14:05to seven new areas,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08but Defra also says that once it in a heard,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12the principal source of infection is cattle to cattle.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17So, surely, a better TB test might help us avoid much of this misery.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23We're using science that's 90 years old and it's clearly not precise.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27And, yet, TB is still a major problem,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31so does modern science have any answers emerging from the lab?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44Dartmoor's landscape is magical, ancient, and mysterious.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Many of Devon's rivers begin their life here in the bogs
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and marshes of the high moor.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54A brooding place
0:14:54 > 0:14:57where myths are carried down in the flowing waters.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I'm heading for a special place where the landscape is steeped
0:15:04 > 0:15:06in stories and legends.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Isn't this stunning?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Lydford Gorge, all of it carved out by melting waters
0:15:17 > 0:15:21at the end of the ice age, 10,000 years ago.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24You can really get a sense of the mystical here.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30National Trust ranger Stuart Mathieson and his dog Dylan
0:15:30 > 0:15:32are going to be my guides.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Hi, Stuart. I'm just admiring this wonderful view.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36It's stunning, isn't it?
0:15:36 > 0:15:41You've got a settled oak woodland, which is unique to western Britain.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44And, in Lydford Gorge, in particular, you have lichens
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and bryophytes, lower plant species because it's so moist and wet.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It all adds to the mystique and the, you know,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53special nature of the place.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Today, Lydford Gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but visitors have been coming here to experience the magic
0:16:00 > 0:16:02first-hand for centuries.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06When was it that Lydford started to become really popular with tourists?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Really, it was towards the end of the 18th century
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and during the Napoleonic wars.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17That's when the grand tour, which previously the landed gentry
0:16:17 > 0:16:21had gone on throughout Europe, that came to an end.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Because of the fighting, it was too dangerous.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So they then turned their attentions to Britain
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and what came along was the picturesque movement
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and it was, sort of, an appreciation of the wild places,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34dramatic countryside,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and Lydford Gorge fitted the bill perfectly.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's been a popular tourist attraction ever since.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Yeah. Not surprised.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Then, as now, one of the highlights of the gorge
0:16:44 > 0:16:46is the White Lady waterfall.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56There she is.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Wow!- That's 30 metres high, 90 feet,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03which is the highest in Devon.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05There's a legend attached to the White Lady's waterfall
0:17:05 > 0:17:08and, like all good legends, there's a couple of different versions.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11The first one is at the bottom of the falls,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14it's actually haunted by a lady who wears a white gown.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17The second one, which I kind of prefer,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21it's a bit more benign, she's a water spirit.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24She rescues people who fall into the water
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and the last one is when the river's in full spate,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30as it cascades down,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33it looks like a bridal gown, a white flowing bridal gown.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38The legend of the life-saving lady may just have been wishful thinking
0:17:38 > 0:17:41on the part of the Victorian visitors
0:17:41 > 0:17:45who risked life and limb seeking out the most spectacular views.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48These days, access is much easier.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Getting up close to the falls is less hazardous
0:17:50 > 0:17:52than in those Victorian times.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57One person who spent more time than most here
0:17:57 > 0:17:59is photographer Jo Bradford.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02She takes people on walks to the falls for photography lessons
0:18:02 > 0:18:03with a twist.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07So what is different about YOUR photography walks?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Well, for a start, we don't go out with proper cameras.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Mainly because everybody has already got a mobile phone
0:18:12 > 0:18:14in their pocket, so why not be out in nature
0:18:14 > 0:18:16being creative with your electronic device,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18instead of sitting at home playing games on it.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I have, no surprise, got one in my pocket.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24So, maybe you can give me some hints and help me to capture
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- a really nice shot of the waterfall? - Yes. Let's do it.- All right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Right, so, as we're approaching,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31you want to have some more of the reflection
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and less of the top where there's a lot of...
0:18:33 > 0:18:37It's too bright. If you've got a white area, drag it in...
0:18:41 > 0:18:43What I like about this kind of scene is that there's lots of
0:18:43 > 0:18:46things that really scream "Dartmoor" at you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49You've got the, kind of, mossy branches hanging down
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and these kind of, little bits of root and tree sticking out.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55And ferns, it's a bit like a scene out of The Lord Of The Rings.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58So this magical, mystical Dartmoor at its greatest.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02In 2015, Jo undertook a special project
0:19:02 > 0:19:05called A Love Letter To Dartmoor.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07In it, she posted a picture
0:19:07 > 0:19:08of the landscape on social media
0:19:08 > 0:19:11every day for a year.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And she amassed a huge following.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Keep the camera really low,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22so it's quite close to the surface of the water.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24So, little bit, or nothing. Yes? Try.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26You can't change your aperture.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28That's a great photo.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Nothing like working with an expert to help you capture
0:19:31 > 0:19:33much better images.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41- There you go.- Well done.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44So, what's been your favourite photo that you've taken today?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I was leaning towards one of the waterfall shots but,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49as we've looked at this path and got that lovely afternoon light,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I think I'll go with this one.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- And you like to post your pictures straight away.- I do.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Our little picturesque corner of Dartmoor and it's gone global...now.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Instantly.- Brilliant. You've got to love it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Ah, that's not too bad.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- No...- Never quite as lovely as yours.- I know.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09SHE LAUGHS
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Like most of our great rivers,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19the Thames and the countryside around it
0:20:19 > 0:20:21has struggled with pollution.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Industry and urban sprawl have taken a heavy toll.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And every day, boatloads of waste still leave London,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31bound for huge landfill sites along the Thames.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33SEAGULLS CRY
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And yet today, the Thames has turned a massive corner from its dark past.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43These days, the river is clean, and some of these landfill sites
0:20:43 > 0:20:45have undergone amazing transformations.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53East of Tilbury in Essex there's one such place,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Thurrock Thameside Nature Reserve...
0:20:58 > 0:21:01..a former tip nursed back to rude health.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Hi, how are you? You all right?- Nice to meet you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It's a great spot up here, isn't it? You're surveying your empire.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09The view is absolutely fantastic of the Thames,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13you know, across to Kent, it's a wonderful place.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Ten years ago, we would've seen rubbish just on the surface here.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22This used to be one of the biggest landfill sites in Western Europe,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24but basically, we're right on the Thames here
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and London's waste used to be brought out by barge
0:21:27 > 0:21:28and was put here.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It's good for migrant birds, it's really good for birds of prey.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34In the winter, we get short-eared owls here,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37there's barn owls here, it's really good for reptiles,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40there's adders, slowworms, etc, some lizards,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and in fact, it's good for insects,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45there's some really good invertebrates here.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The site is covered in wild grasses, and right now,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53a team of volunteers is here, making hay the traditional way.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55ENGINES BUZZ
0:21:56 > 0:21:59So, we've been talking about the grass being important here.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Why are we cutting it back?
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Wild flowers, they like low-nutrient soil, so by cutting it short,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07taking away the hay, that ensures
0:22:07 > 0:22:10that there aren't that many nutrients.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14So come the spring and summer, there will be some fabulous flowers,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18hopefully, like bee orchids and red clovers.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23The English wild flower meadow, it's a real iconic habitat
0:22:23 > 0:22:26for the country and we've lost up to...
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I think it's as much as 97% of these meadows,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31so we and others
0:22:31 > 0:22:35are really making an effort to try and preserve them and create more.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39The reserve currently covers 240 acres,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42but that's going to increase to 850
0:22:42 > 0:22:45as more landfill gets capped and handed to the Trust.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52That means more work for these guys, keeping the grass short.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Today, they need moving to pastures new.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00We want to spread out into a nice thin line,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04we're then going to walk forwards towards the cows, not scaring them.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Don't start running after them,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09cos if they start running it's all going to go wrong.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- Go on! Up!- Ooh...
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- They're checking us out, aren't they?- Yeah. Oi!- Oi!- Go on!
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- Go on! Go on.- Come on, quick, come round, come round!
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- Go on, go on.- Hey...
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Beautiful job.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Hey up.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36- Well done, everyone.- Good job.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- Good job. Hey, we made it! - HE LAUGHS
0:23:44 > 0:23:46BIRDS TWEET
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There are a variety of habitats across the site,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51all bursting with wildlife,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55but there's a real abundance of species down by the water.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58That's where I'm meeting reserve manager Mark Houghton.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01We've got the mudflats here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05We've a whole range of worms and snails that the birds feed on,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07curlew, avocet.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We get wintering wildfowl piling into
0:24:10 > 0:24:12this part of the estuary, and they're actually coming in now,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15we're just starting to see the first part of that migration.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Are they the avocet out there I can see by the boat?
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Yes, they'll feed by swaying their head from side to side,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23sifting the mud and the water,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and getting whatever tasty morsels they can get.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It's remarkable to think that this used to be a landfill site.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Are you worried some of that stuff
0:24:30 > 0:24:33might be leeching out into the water?
0:24:33 > 0:24:34No, the landfill is sealed
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and the rich biodiversity that we see in the Thames
0:24:38 > 0:24:40is a good indicator of that, as well.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44So, you know, we have harbour porpoise in the estuary,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47which is an amazing sight to see. Erm, seals. We get seals throughout
0:24:47 > 0:24:52the estuary here, even up to London, but we also get large, fairly large
0:24:52 > 0:24:55colonies sitting on sandbanks as the tide draws out, as well.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58And it's interesting to see, you can see the industry today
0:24:58 > 0:25:00right alongside, cheek by jowl, alongside the nature.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Yeah, nature and industry can definitely live side by side.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06You know, we've got London Gateways Port here,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10we've got the landfill site here. It can. We can work together,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12and that's what we should do,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14if nature's going to survive in our countryside.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18COW MOOS
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Now, as we were hearing earlier, Tom's been looking into
0:25:23 > 0:25:27the science involved in the fight against TB in cattle.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30So, are there any solutions on the horizon?
0:25:34 > 0:25:38I've been witnessing the heartache of bovine TB.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Devon farmer Jilly Greed was devastated when vets found
0:25:41 > 0:25:43infection in her cattle.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47We've gone all this way, and we're in the last bit...
0:25:49 > 0:25:50So, that's it.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52She'll go to slaughter.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55As we heard earlier, it's a little-known fact that even
0:25:55 > 0:25:59when a herd with TB finally gets the all-clear,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03one in five can still harbour unseen infection,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05so it might not be clear at all.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11Across the UK, Defra says that TB is the most pressing
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and most costly animal health problem.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15In the last year alone,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20more than 50,000 cattle were destroyed after testing positive.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23So, what's being done?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Well, one failing of the current skin test,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27which was devised in the 1920s,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31is it can't detect TB in the very early stages.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35So, can science provide a new, better test?
0:26:38 > 0:26:40At Nottingham University,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44doctors Cath Rees and Ben Swift are working on just that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49The current skin test is only about 80% to 90% sensitive.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51It will miss some animals, we know that.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So, tell me about your test and what it's doing to address this problem.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58OK, so ours is a new blood test that we've developed,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and it's different because it looks directly for the bacteria,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04rather than looking for the immune response.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So, it's very... We either find it or we don't, it's very definitive.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09It's exciting news.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13This quick and cheap test involves laboratory analysis
0:27:13 > 0:27:15instead of farmyard skin measurements.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19It could be ready for use in two to three years and Dr Rees hopes
0:27:19 > 0:27:23it will soon supplement the existing test.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26What we think would be the best approach would be where you have
0:27:26 > 0:27:28a skin test positive herd,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32that you could go in afterwards with a blood test and try and find
0:27:32 > 0:27:35the ones that maybe will go skin test positive
0:27:35 > 0:27:38on the next round and control the disease.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42So, you short cut the process of this slow immune response
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and waiting for the skin test positives to happen.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48What it's saying to us is that using the blood test,
0:27:48 > 0:27:53we've got a way of finding animals earlier and if we can get them
0:27:53 > 0:27:57before they go skin test positive, we can get the herds cleaned out.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00This isn't the only science out there.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03The big prize in the war against bovine TB
0:28:03 > 0:28:05is a vaccine to protect cattle.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10There is one that's very similar to the BCG jab
0:28:10 > 0:28:14that most of us had as kids, but it's no use,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17because the current testing can't tell the difference between
0:28:17 > 0:28:21a cow that's infected and one that's been vaccinated,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23and that's not acceptable
0:28:23 > 0:28:25when the meat is going to enter the food chain.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31In a joint project between Bath and Newcastle universities,
0:28:31 > 0:28:36Dr Jean van den Elsen has been examining TB proteins.
0:28:36 > 0:28:42A problem with bovine TB is it can hide unseen in cattle for years.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47This image shows how he's linked a protein from TB to a protein
0:28:47 > 0:28:52from staphylococcus aureus, a bug that's often found on human skin.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56This combination helps our immune system to see the TB
0:28:56 > 0:28:58and start to fight it.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00He's already tried it in mice.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03As soon as you inject it into a mouse,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07the mouse immune system will immediately spot
0:29:07 > 0:29:09the staphylococcus protein
0:29:09 > 0:29:12and become activated and then it can see the TB protein
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and generate a good immune response against it.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19So, by using that protein from staph-aureus,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23you're in effect putting, let's say a shiny hat on the TB protein
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so it can't hide any more - the immune system can see it.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27That's right.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30It's been so far really successful in the mouse,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32so when we inject this in the mice,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35you see immediately a really good immune response,
0:29:35 > 0:29:40compared to TB, where you initially don't see an immune response.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45And the big news - this vaccine to protect cattle from catching TB
0:29:45 > 0:29:47doesn't have the drawbacks of BCG.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54The big difficulty is that it's very difficult to distinguish
0:29:54 > 0:29:58a vaccinated cow from an infected cow and the reason for that
0:29:58 > 0:30:03is because the mycobacterium that causes the disease
0:30:03 > 0:30:06looks very similar to the BCG vaccine.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10So we have now a completely different type of vaccine
0:30:10 > 0:30:13where we hook up these two proteins
0:30:13 > 0:30:18and they will generate a completely different immune profile
0:30:18 > 0:30:23that we will be able to distinguish from an infected cow.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26And that's absolutely key, isn't it? That's a key driver of this work.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28That's absolutely crucial,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32because we're not able to export any cows that have been vaccinated,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35so we really need to come up with something
0:30:35 > 0:30:38that distinguishes vaccinated from infected.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40If all goes to plan,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44this new protection against TB could be with us in ten years,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48well within the Government's eradication target for England
0:30:48 > 0:30:50of 2038.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53But until then, farmers like Jilly
0:30:53 > 0:30:56are living with the day-to-day reality of TB.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59A second of her cattle has tested positive.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04The rest, all 228, will have to be tested again in 60 days' time.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Jilly's herd is returning to the field
0:31:09 > 0:31:12but, sadly, with two fewer cattle,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16condemned because of being infected by TB.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Now, the new science may not be helping this herd today,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23but beating this disease is a long-term exercise,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and the work that we've seen in the lab
0:31:26 > 0:31:29does give some glimmers of hope for the future.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40We've been looking at some of our rivers and waterways,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44and I'm here at the narrowest point of the Thames Estuary,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48where Tilbury, on the north bank, and Gravesend, on the south,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50are just three quarters of a mile apart.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Which makes it the perfect place to cross the river.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03The Tilbury to Gravesend foot ferry is a well-kept secret,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07known only to a few savvy commuters and day-trippers.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13But back in the 13th century, this was a busy route.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Farmers used it to move cattle and sheep between grazing sites,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18soldiers made use of it,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20and even pilgrims hopped on board
0:32:20 > 0:32:22on their way to Canterbury Cathedral.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It's goodbye to Essex, as I'm bound for Kent.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40The crossing takes less than ten minutes,
0:32:40 > 0:32:41it only costs a couple of quid,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44and I have to say, it's a lovely way to see the Thames.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And up in the wheelhouse is skipper John Potter.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54It's a beautiful day today. I mean, it looks like a millpond.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56But watching you come across, on the way...
0:32:56 > 0:32:59I mean, the ferry was literally going sideways.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01The tide here is incredibly strong.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Yeah, well, you have a tide in the Thames
0:33:03 > 0:33:05of three to three and a half knots.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08That's four to four and a half miles an hour.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13You're fighting that, so that's why you crab across the river.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- If you want to feel how the tide is...- Mm-hm.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- Have a go, yeah.- OK.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Why not?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Oh, yeah, you do... Yeah, even now, you are, yeah, turning.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Quite dramatically, actually. - It's fighting.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33That's it. Push it down a bit.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46How long have you been out on the Thames, John?
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Well, I'm only a baby.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I was apprenticed in 1959,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53so I've been out here about 55 years.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Good lad. So, you know the route by now?!
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Well, I just about know the river, yes!
0:34:05 > 0:34:07It's incredible to think
0:34:07 > 0:34:11that people have been making this journey for over 700 years,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14day in, day out, just like clockwork.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17And all without the help of the Countryfile calendar,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19sold in aid of Children in Need.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21And with your generosity,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24last year's calendar raised over £2 million,
0:34:24 > 0:34:28so it goes without saying that with our 2017 calendar,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30we want to continue that support, so here's John
0:34:30 > 0:34:33with all the details of how you can get your hands on one.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38It costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40You can go to our website,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43where you'll find a link to the order page.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Or you can phone the order line on:
0:34:53 > 0:34:55If you prefer to order by post,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59then send your name, address and a cheque to:
0:35:10 > 0:35:13A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar
0:35:13 > 0:35:16will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Now, tomorrow sees the start of UK Wool Week.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Its aim is to raise the profile of UK wool.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36And to celebrate the occasion, Adam's on Dartmoor,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39where wool is at the heart of a special tradition.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Widecombe Fair has taken place for more than 160 years
0:35:50 > 0:35:53and it's one of the last traditional events of its kind.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Held in the tiny village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor,
0:35:56 > 0:36:01it's a chance to celebrate many different breeds of livestock.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04I'm here to find out about our woolly friends.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Our relationship with wool goes way back,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10when primitive man first collected wool from wild sheep
0:36:10 > 0:36:11to clothe themselves.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13They realised its valuable properties.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15It was hard-wearing
0:36:15 > 0:36:17and kept them warm and dry during the winter months.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Then later in history, it became such a valuable commodity,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and the wealth made from wool helped pay for manor houses,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26churches and villages across the UK.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Wool made Britain rich, and it was all thanks to the humble sheep.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38It is important we continue this legacy by farming these breeds
0:36:38 > 0:36:41and celebrating them in any way we can.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48This beast of a ram is a Whiteface Dartmoor.
0:36:48 > 0:36:49They're born survivors.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Their coats can cope with all the weather Dartmoor can throw at them.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56And with horns like this, they'll fend off against any predator.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58The people here on Dartmoor
0:36:58 > 0:37:00have an incredible relationship with this breed of sheep.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02And here at Widecombe Fair,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04they're celebrating the success between man and beast.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16- Hello, Colin.- Hello, Adam.- Lovely to see you again.- And you, yes.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18'Local farmer Colin Pearce
0:37:18 > 0:37:21'knows all about the history of this famous livestock fair.'
0:37:22 > 0:37:27It was recorded in 1850 as the first fair,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31when there was 736 sheep penned on the green.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33And back then, the Whiteface Dartmoor
0:37:33 > 0:37:35was known as the Widecombe, wasn't it?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Well, that's where it probably got its name.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Because Widecombe had so many...
0:37:39 > 0:37:43There were as many as 14,000 Whiteface Dartmoors
0:37:43 > 0:37:45in the parish of Widecombe alone.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49And you cannot really believe that churches like here
0:37:49 > 0:37:53were actually ignited by the cash from wool sales.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00Wool is no longer as valuable as it once was,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04but people like Kim Stead are finding new ways of using it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10- Hi, Kim.- Hi, Adam. - I've brought some wool for you.- Wow!
0:38:10 > 0:38:13- Bit of Whiteface Dartmoor. - Wow, that looks great. Look at that.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15And why do you love it so much?
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Well, it has a long staple length, so we can spin worsted yarn,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and worsted yarn is the strongest yarn you can spin.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25When you talk about staple length, that's the length of the wool fibre?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- It is, yes.- What sort of things are you making from the wool?
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Well, we have a range of products.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34We're making a fantastically strong garden string.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38We have this wonderful resource that's here, that's underused.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41That's lovely, isn't it? Really strong.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42What else have you got?
0:38:42 > 0:38:45We've got this lovely range of British wool dog leads,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49which are all hand-laid in Cumbria.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Horse and cattle halters.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And we've even got a sheep halter
0:38:53 > 0:38:56that you can actually show your sheep with.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58There we go! Wonderful.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00So I can show my Whiteface Dartmoor sheep
0:39:00 > 0:39:02in a Whiteface Dartmoor woollen halter.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04You certainly can!
0:39:04 > 0:39:06It's great that you're making this beautiful wool
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- into these lovely products. - Thank you.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11- And helping the Dartmoor breed.- Yes.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13- Ultimately, that's what it is. - That's brilliant.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- Well, well done, Kim.- Thank you. - Keep up the good work.- Thank you.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21There are Whiteface sheep everywhere.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25But there's one special ram that's caught my eye.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I recognise this ram. It used to belong to me.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And he was sold to a lady down here on Dartmoor,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33so he's come back to his native roots.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36It's lovely down here, mate, isn't it? What's it like to be home?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Clare Butcher has high hopes for Hector.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43She's hoping he picks up a rosette later today.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- Hello, Clare.- Good morning, Adam.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47How are you enjoying the new ram? Has he settled in?
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Yeah, he's great. He's settled in really well at home.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51You've entered him into the show today.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- He's entered into the show today. - Quite strong competition.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55You never know how it's going to go.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57It's what the judge is looking for on the day.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- Well, good luck. I'll be gunning for him.- Good! Good.- All the best.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Whilst I'm waiting for Hector to enter the show ring,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I'm keen to find out what else is going on at the fair.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11This is the beginning of the terrier racing,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and there's a lure tied to a bit of fishing line,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and it races it down the track with the terriers trying to catch it.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Why aren't you involved?
0:40:19 > 0:40:21There's...
0:40:21 > 0:40:24There's one down there now where the terrier's got hold of the lure!
0:40:24 > 0:40:27And they can't get it off.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29They've got a grip like iron, haven't they, those terriers?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Goodness me.
0:40:31 > 0:40:32And then there's a lady down there as well.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35She's rolling around on the floor, out of control.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36It's chaos. Absolute chaos.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Right, well, the flag's up. And off they go.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Goodness me! They've got a turn of pace.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44That tan one, I think, is going to win.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46It's going to be a close-run thing.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Oh, there we go.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51And now it's got hold of the lure and it's run off with it.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53I think that's probably the end of the race
0:40:53 > 0:40:55because it's run off with the lure. Hysterical.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59And if you thought that was a one-off,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01anything could happen in the next race of the day.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Well, here we are. We've got a couple of ferrets here.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05An albino one and a polecat ferret.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Of course, traditionally, ferrets are used for catching rabbits.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12You put them down the hole and the rabbits bolt out into nets.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14- And these are for racing, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16These are my adult ferrets here.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Now, mine's trying to bite me. - No, no, no.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23No, if he wants to bite you, he'd have bit...
0:41:23 > 0:41:25he'd have bit you before now.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- Not true.- Have you ever been bitten?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29- Yes. I've been bit several times. - Look!
0:41:29 > 0:41:32He's got proof of how much they bite!
0:41:32 > 0:41:35He's got fingers missing. This is a dangerous sport!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Right, let's... let's get on with it, quick,
0:41:37 > 0:41:38before it eats me alive.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Right, get in.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Mine doesn't even want to go in the box. Get in there.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- Are we ready? Steady. - WHISTLE BLOWS
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- CHEERING - There you are.- Where's mine?!
0:41:52 > 0:41:53CHEERING
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Aww!
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Look, yours has won already. I think you gave me a dud.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01LAUGHTER
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Ahhh! Here he is!
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- He... He was stuck. - You haven't got the knack!
0:42:07 > 0:42:11He's so podgy cos he's eaten your fingers, he got stuck!
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Right, enough of the fun and games.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Over at the show ring, Hector, the ram I used to own,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21is ready for his big moment.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25The judge is walking down the line, assessing each ram individually,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28looking at their conformation, the way they stand, their feet,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30checking their teeth, which is very important.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33And then he'll probably bring his favourites forward.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35The judge is just sorting out the line.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I think his favourite sheep is at the far end.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40And at the moment, Hector is standing in fourth.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Let's just hope he swaps them around a bit in the right way.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Here we go. It looks like Hector's being brought forward.
0:42:50 > 0:42:51That's really exciting.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54It looks like he's pulled Hector up into first position.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58With the first place rosette in his hand,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00the judge makes the final decision.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03ADAM CHUCKLES
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- Well done!- Thank you.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Fantastic! Well done, Hector.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- He was wonderfully behaved, wasn't he?- Wasn't he?
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Such a good boy. I'm absolutely thrilled.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15And a really strong class of rams at the Widecombe Fair.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17- I mean, this is the Dartmoor show, isn't it?- It is. It is.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- Money well spent, Clare, wasn't it? - It was, I think!
0:43:20 > 0:43:22- Brilliant. Well done, you. - Thank you.- Well done, Hector.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Well, I'm delighted my ram did so well back here on his home turf.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36And I've had a lovely time here at Widecombe Fair,
0:43:36 > 0:43:37that's steeped in history,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40all centred around these beautiful Whiteface Dartmoor sheep.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Devon's main river, the Exe,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58rising high on Exmoor,
0:43:58 > 0:44:01before flowing down to the sea at Exmouth.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09Since Roman times, this river has provided protection, food, leisure
0:44:09 > 0:44:12and wealth to the people of Exeter.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16And right next to it, the oldest ship canal in the UK.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Celebrating its 450th birthday this year,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24the canal was built to link up with the River Exe
0:44:24 > 0:44:27so that trading ships could sail into the heart of Exeter.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29And they did.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Right up until the 1970s.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Those trading ships may be long gone,
0:44:35 > 0:44:37but now there's a very different kind of craft
0:44:37 > 0:44:39ploughing up the waterway.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44Paddleboards.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48This activity is one of the fastest-growing in the country.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Even dogs are doing it.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55Instructor Mark Bloxham and Cookie the springer spaniel
0:44:55 > 0:44:56are taking me out for a spin.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- Hello there, Mark.- Hello, Naomi.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04I see you are adding a whole new twist to the doggy paddle!
0:45:04 > 0:45:07- We are indeed! We are indeed. - This is Cookie?- This is Cookie.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- Hello, Cookie.- Cookie, are you going to say hello?
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- Are you going to take me out to do some paddleboarding?- We are indeed.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16- 'A quick change...' - So, first things first.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18'..a run through the basics...'
0:45:18 > 0:45:19So come on to your knees.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Forward. Hook the water.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23And come up nice and slowly.
0:45:23 > 0:45:24..Grip away from us.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27And we're kicking out. Perfect.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30- Right the way in front. But then again...- And then just back down...
0:45:30 > 0:45:32'..and we're off.'
0:45:32 > 0:45:33Have a play about.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Oh, yes! This is the life.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Right, Cookie, we're up.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41It's all right on my knees? I might just stay on my knees.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45And the next one. And stand up. Look up. That's it.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47- Perfect.- Oooh!- Excellent.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50That's it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- Yeah.- This really is the perfect place to learn, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- That's why... - Just really pond-like water.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01It's one thing pootling around on the calm waters of the canal.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07It's quite another on the mouth of the river just a few yards away.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17A brisk wind and a fast current
0:46:17 > 0:46:19make it much harder to balance out here.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- It is quite different, isn't it, out on this water?- Yeah.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Ah. I'm getting my down and up all back to front.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Down, up.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Oh, dear.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39I may be struggling to find my sea legs,
0:46:39 > 0:46:44but someone who makes it look easy is national champion Marie Buchanan.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Marie's taken paddleboarding to a whole new level
0:46:47 > 0:46:50and competes for Britain all over the world.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Marie's a Devon girl and knows the local waters.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01I'm hoping some of her expertise will rub off.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Marie!
0:47:04 > 0:47:06- Hi there.- Hello!
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Marie, Mark has been giving me some basic tips,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10but I could do with a few more.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Just get your weight really low, so bend your knees.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- You're doing really well, though. - OK.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19So a couple of good, hard strokes on the right,
0:47:19 > 0:47:20and then just keep focusing.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25- Pick a point ahead that's...- Ohhh! - ..a little bit more sheltered.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28- Good save!- Oh, my word!
0:47:28 > 0:47:32You can't stop concentrating for a second.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34- So, how long have you been paddleboarding?- Nine years now.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38- Nine years?- Yeah. As soon as I tried it, I was hooked.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40As children, we were brought up on the water, really,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43and then I learnt to windsurf when I was 16.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45So before paddleboarding came about,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48I was actually a competitive windsurfer.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- OK, so you had the strength and the balance nailed already?- I did, yeah.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Paddleboarding can be a good workout.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59It's also a great way to explore the countryside.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04Paddleboarding's amazing.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06It's so open and new,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09and you can just explore and visit new places that you couldn't before.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11- Yeah.- For instance, we can go to the marshes down there,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14a foot of water, and paddle right through
0:48:14 > 0:48:16and really explore the wildlife.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18- Kayaks, canoes, you just can't do that.- Couldn't reach that, yeah.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20It's great. I really like it.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23I'd like to spend more time paddleboarding, for sure.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25- You've got the bug?- Yeah.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27I'm clearly not quite international standard just yet,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29so I'm going to let you carry on with your training.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30I don't want to hold you up.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- Thanks for all the top tips. - You're very welcome.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Best of luck with your championships.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- Yeah, and enjoy the rest of your paddle.- Thanks, Marie.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Whilst Marie tears off for some full-on sea training,
0:48:40 > 0:48:44Mark and I are heading back to the canal for an unusual cooldown.
0:48:46 > 0:48:47Cookie waiting for us.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52- Enjoy that?- Good girl. - I think that's a yes.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59This is yoga.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Paddleboard yoga.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Perfect relaxation.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24But then Mark has another idea.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26And that's it. See how low you can get your body.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28That's it. That's it. Up. Up. Up.
0:49:28 > 0:49:29Legs together. Legs together.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31- Nice.- Ahh!
0:49:31 > 0:49:34- OK, you've got to hold it together. I'm letting go.- No!- Three, two...
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- Ohh!- Don't let go!
0:49:37 > 0:49:39- Thank you so much. - That was really well done.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40Oh, it's been so much fun.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42We have lucked out.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45We've had the perfect weather for paddleboarding,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48but what is the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead?
0:51:13 > 0:51:17Today, we've been looking at some of our rivers and waterways.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20How, on their journeys from the countryside to the sea,
0:51:20 > 0:51:24they've shaped our landscape, our lives and our fortunes.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The Thames is a massively important trading route.
0:51:29 > 0:51:3440 million tonnes of cargo are carried by it every year,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38but there's also plenty of stuff in the Thames that shouldn't be there,
0:51:38 > 0:51:40and a good deal of it ends up here on the shoreline.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I'm joining a team of volunteer beach cleaners
0:51:48 > 0:51:50scouring the North Kent foreshore.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Thames21 organise social litter picks.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59These clear-ups benefit the river banks
0:51:59 > 0:52:02and also encourage locals to explore their waterways.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09Of all the things that you've pulled out, Chris, is there...
0:52:09 > 0:52:12is there a thing that everyone goes,
0:52:12 > 0:52:14- "Oh, do you remember the day we found..."?- I... I had...
0:52:14 > 0:52:17One of the strangest things I've ever found
0:52:17 > 0:52:20is a tin of emergency drinking water, so like a tin of beans,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24and it was US Coastguard emergency drinking water, stamped 1956.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28- Now, tell me how that's got into the river.- Whoa!- No idea.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30You know, we found a Saxon spearhead once
0:52:30 > 0:52:31just lying on the foreshore,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34which was sent away and preserved and we still have in the office.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36You know, beautiful leaf-shaped blade.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37You never know on any given day.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39The tide is always bringing new rubbish,
0:52:39 > 0:52:42but it's also moving the shore around as well, the waves are turning the shore over.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44- Yeah, yeah. - That reveals the old stuff.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46And then the new stuff is brought by the tide
0:52:46 > 0:52:48or, sadly, people depositing it.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53One person's rubbish is another person's treasure.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59Artist Nicola White puts her shoreline finds not into a bin bag
0:52:59 > 0:53:01but into an art gallery.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04When did all of this start for you, Nicola?
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Well, I grew up in Cornwall and I always loved to beachcomb
0:53:07 > 0:53:10- and pick up little bits and pieces to make pictures.- Right.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12And when I moved to London about 15 years ago,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14I went down to the river
0:53:14 > 0:53:16and I was delighted to find all sorts of glass and pottery,
0:53:16 > 0:53:19so I started to pick that up, and it went from there, really.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26And it's the natural environment that Nicola reflects in her work.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28These are just beautiful.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30What a lovely idea this is.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I find that the fish just sort of develop.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35- I never actually have a plan for it. - Right.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38- It's almost like playing at putting a jigsaw together.- Yeah.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41And, I mean, this one... This is lovely, isn't it, this angelfish?
0:53:41 > 0:53:45Just the ridges and the dimples and what have you that's on each piece
0:53:45 > 0:53:47and the stories that they tell.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Exactly. I think it's that each fragment of fish has a story.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Some of those bottles might have come
0:53:53 > 0:53:55from an old Victorian chemist,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57some might have come from an old tavern.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01And it's those stories behind the pieces which I love.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05So, let's see what treasure was left behind by the last tide.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10- You're a natural.- Well...
0:54:10 > 0:54:12THEY CHUCKLE
0:54:12 > 0:54:14I'm used to losing things, you see!
0:54:22 > 0:54:24That's a nice bit. That's a...
0:54:24 > 0:54:28That would be a nice top fin, perhaps, a dorsal fin.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30You're finding all the good stuff. You are like a magnet!
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- You have to get your eye in. - Right, OK, that's the trick.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Over the years, Nicola's sharp eye
0:54:40 > 0:54:44has turned up the most romantic of tideline finds.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45Well, Nicola, for me,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49finding a message in a bottle feels like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53- But for you, it's quite a common occurrence.- It is, yes.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55When I go for walks along the Thames Estuary
0:54:55 > 0:54:57picking up bits and pieces to make art,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00I often do come across messages in bottles,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and I'm still as excited every time when I find one.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Yeah. And, I mean, this one, for example,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07it's such a beautiful bottle anyway.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09What's the story in here?
0:55:09 > 0:55:12This one was written on a napkin,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15and it's actually somebody looking for love.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18"Hi, my name is Simon
0:55:18 > 0:55:22"Please write back to me, please. This is my number.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25"Feel free to send me a text with your name and your number.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28"I'm 28 and single, looking for a nice relationship. Thanks."
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Well, there we are. If you're out there, Simon...
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Who knows if you've had any replies? Well, good luck with it all.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38- Well, what a magical and wonderful thing to do.- It is exciting.- Mm-hm.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41- It is exciting to see that rolled up bit of paper in a bottle.- Yeah.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Well, that is all we've got time for from the beautiful Thames Estuary.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49Next week,
0:55:49 > 0:55:51we are going to be on the Isle of Wight,
0:55:51 > 0:55:53where I'll be dangling from a rope doing a bit of gardening
0:55:53 > 0:55:56and Anita will be helping out with a once-yearly round-up.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Hope you can join us then.