0:00:30 > 0:00:35Shropshire - a mostly rural county bordering England and Wales.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41A land of patchwork fields, wooded valleys and picturesque rivers.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46The northern part of the county is Shropshire's own Lake District.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Here, this watery landscape is teeming with wildlife
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of one of its more famous residents.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And Shropshire is in the big league when it comes to famous residents.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It was the birthplace of a man who helped change
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the way we think about the natural world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Charles Darwin was born and raised here. Exploring this woodland
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and its surrounding gardens inspired his passion for nature.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18I'll be uncovering the places that fuelled that passion.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Tom is finding out about the dangers
0:01:22 > 0:01:24of a quiet stroll in the countryside.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Relaxed cows and even bulls
0:01:27 > 0:01:29can be the gentle giants
0:01:29 > 0:01:31of the countryside,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33so how come many walkers are injured
0:01:33 > 0:01:37and sometimes even killed by cattle?
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Is it safe to walk through a field of cows? I'll be investigating.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48And Adam is making friends with the Queen's ponies at Balmoral.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I think you're lovely!
0:02:01 > 0:02:03A geologically rich rural county,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Shropshire is home to some of the UK's rarest habitats.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I'm exploring the north of the county,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17a little-known landscape just a few miles north of Shrewsbury.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21A watery mosaic of wetland habitats.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Hundreds of pools and bogs known as Meres and Mosses
0:02:26 > 0:02:28dominate this landscape
0:02:28 > 0:02:31which was created during the last Ice Age,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34when the ice melted around 12,000 years ago.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38This vast, varied habitat
0:02:38 > 0:02:42is at the heart of an almighty conservation effort.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Luke Neal heads up the Meres and Mosses Project,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51one of the biggest landscape restorations Britain has ever seen.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It's a landscape vital to protect for many reasons.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58There's the conservation aspect about preserving species
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and preserving these sites.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Some of them are the rarest habitats on earth,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05so we've almost a moral duty to protect them.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Also, we're in the upper catchment of the River Severn here,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10so these boglands,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12what they do is absorb water
0:03:12 > 0:03:13and release it very slowly
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and that can influence the way that people are affected by flooding
0:03:16 > 0:03:17further downstream.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19It's all interconnected.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'Farmers are doing their bit to help, too -
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'with often dramatic impact.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28'Arable farmer Richard Jebb has been involved since the project began.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:32It seems counterintuitive, in conservation terms,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34to fell the trees. What's the idea behind this?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37We are opening the canopy out,
0:03:37 > 0:03:38letting the light back in
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and allowing some of the native plants,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44like the irises down there, to re-establish and thrive.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And already there's plants returning. It's fantastic to see.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It is, yes. Spring has arrived
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and things are surging out of the ground as we speak.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Yes, it's wonderful.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58And these plants are getting well watered
0:03:58 > 0:04:01on this soggy Shropshire day.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02But as well as water,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06running through these wetlands are thousands of hectares of peat -
0:04:06 > 0:04:09key not only to this habitat, but the entire planet.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Although trees store carbon,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15peat actually can store up to 30 times more carbon
0:04:15 > 0:04:17than the equivalent area of tree cover.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- So it's far more important to look after this peat?- Absolutely, yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22You get a better carbon saving by keeping the peat wet
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and keeping that in good condition
0:04:24 > 0:04:26than you do from planting trees on it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28So if it's wet, it's good, because it's storing a lot of carbon.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- That's right. - And how do you make sure it's wet?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36One of the things is removing trees, because a tree will draw up water,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40many thousands of litres every day, and actually dry out the peat layer.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The other thing we can do is look at raising the water table,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46so one of the things that we're considering at this site
0:04:46 > 0:04:49is actually raising the level of the mere slightly
0:04:49 > 0:04:51so that it really wets the peaty soil around the margins.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54It's got that very distinctive smell, hasn't it, this peat?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Yes, it's nice stuff. - Good, rich stuff.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I've now seen how important preserving these wetlands is
0:05:05 > 0:05:09for rare habitats and for the wider environment.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11But what about our furry friends?
0:05:14 > 0:05:18One very special creature has a stronghold in the county.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's one of our fastest declining mammals,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but here in Shropshire, it's doing very well...
0:05:24 > 0:05:25the water vole.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32A rare and elusive creature, seeing one isn't straightforward.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I'm taking to the water with this lot
0:05:34 > 0:05:39to check out our water vole's "des res" with a habitat survey.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Fingers crossed we'll spot one!
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- Hello!- Hiya!- How're you doing? Room for one more?- There is.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51I'm going to go very cautiously. Step into the very middle...
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- I'm in safe hands, yes?- Yep.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Oooh! And we're off.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'Armed with a checklist,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'I'm teaming up with college student Richard Lawrence
0:06:02 > 0:06:03'and teacher Matt Goodall
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'to check out what makes a perfect water-vole home.'
0:06:07 > 0:06:10This is a prime food source for the water vole.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14They're so loud when they eat, it sounds like they're eating crisps!
0:06:14 > 0:06:17This is plenty of good cover, isn't it? I'm going to give that a one.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'We're using a simple method.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'One means we've got good habitat, zero means we don't.'
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Not a lot of this, though - soft, earth banks.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29That's one thing we're really going to struggle with
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- in this section here. - We'll give that a zero.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34'We're hot on the water voles' trail.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- There's some burrows in here, look - there's three in there.- Oh, yes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- Above the waterline as well, which is good.- Ooh, that's good.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- We'll mark that up, yeah? - Definitely.- Lovely.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'There's lots of evidence, but still no sighting.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54'I told you they were hard to spot!
0:06:54 > 0:06:57'But I've got a backup plan and a secret camera.'
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I'm heading off to a place now where they have been seen before
0:07:00 > 0:07:03so I'm hoping I'm going to be in luck.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Ah! This is good.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12There's a burrow entrance just here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15The females can have up to five litters of pups
0:07:15 > 0:07:20and she scent-marks during that time by leaving latrines of droppings.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24This is a good sign because we put our camera trap right here.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Let's hope we've got something.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Oh, yes!
0:07:28 > 0:07:29SHE LAUGHS
0:07:29 > 0:07:34It's a rear-end shot but it's still quite clearly a water vole!
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Using the latrine! Fantastic.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38We finally found her,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and what a beauty.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43A charming creature.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Well worth the wait!
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, water voles might be fairly rare, but there's one animal
0:07:48 > 0:07:52you won't have any problem spotting in Shropshire, and that's cows.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55This time of year, the fields are full of cattle
0:07:55 > 0:07:58but, as Tom's been finding out, that isn't always a welcome sight.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Cattle are at the heart
0:08:08 > 0:08:09of the British countryside
0:08:09 > 0:08:13and we often regard them as placid beasts,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16whiling away the days just chewing the cud.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20But sometimes they are far from docile.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25They can be dangerous and even deadly.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29We're all taught from a very young age to beware of the bull,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32but sometimes, it's the cows you need to watch.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42That's something Simon Dark knows only too well.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44He was taking a stroll through the countryside
0:08:44 > 0:08:46in the village of Turleigh in Wiltshire
0:08:46 > 0:08:49when he came across a herd of cows on a public footpath.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54GATE CLINKS
0:08:54 > 0:08:56So what happened to you, Simon?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I came into the field with my dog, playing with a tennis ball.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01We saw there were some cows in the middle.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03As we approached them, they became a bit agitated,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06so I picked my dog up and we pushed our way through,
0:09:06 > 0:09:07"Shoo, get out of the way".
0:09:07 > 0:09:11The cows moved, we got about 15 or 20 metres past them,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I put the dog down on the ground and then they stampeded.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19They jumped on the dog and kicked her a few times, she ran off.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- They knocked me over from behind. - What happened then?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Um... I was curled up into a ball, like this,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and every time I tried to stand up or move
0:09:27 > 0:09:30they would jump up and down on me with their front hooves.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31When I was on the ground,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34they wanted to inflict the maximum amount of damage they could.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37What about your head, were you able to protect that?
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I put my hands over my head like that,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41but there were still hoof marks
0:09:41 > 0:09:43you could see a couple of days afterwards,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45the imprint of a hoof on my head.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50- The imprint of a hoof on your head? - Yeah, and on my back as well.- Blimey.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54What happened at the end? How did you get up, how did you survive?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I was quite lucky in a way because there was a house nearby
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and a guy heard all the noise from the cows,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03the mooing and the bellowing, and he came out with a broom.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05They knocked him to the ground as well
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and broke some of his ribs and collapsed his lung.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10But in the action of the herd splitting,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13it gave me time to get up and somehow we grabbed each other
0:10:13 > 0:10:17and stumbled through the barbed-wire fence into his back garden.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And a lucky escape with your life, do you think?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23I think if he hadn't come out, I don't know whether I'd still be here.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Simon was badly injured
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and airlifted to hospital, suffering from a fractured collarbone.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This is far from a one-off incident.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41There have been four attacks on people in the Turleigh area alone.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44So how big a problem is it nationwide?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46It's hard to say for sure.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48We do know 12 members of the public
0:10:48 > 0:10:51have been killed in the last six years,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53but not a single expert we spoke to
0:10:53 > 0:10:58could tell us how many walkers are injured by cattle every year.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Surprisingly though, it's thought that cows attack the public
0:11:03 > 0:11:07more often than bulls by a ratio of about three to one.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08So what is going on?
0:11:08 > 0:11:13What makes these usually placid animals sometimes become aggressive?
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Farm vet Roger Blowey
0:11:19 > 0:11:22has been working with cattle for more than 40 years.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25He understands their behaviour better than most.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So how do you tell a good cow from one we ought be a bit more wary of?
0:11:30 > 0:11:34If you have a look this one, Tom, do you see its head is down,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38its ears are down, it's generally looking around,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40it's looking into the distance at the minute,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44but it will probably look towards us - there you go.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47It's just got that inquisitive look.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's clearly not fazed at all by our presence.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52But there are some here that are a little bit more frisky?
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- Shall we go and have a look at those?- Yeah.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57'On this farm, there are two particularly troublesome animals.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'Today they have been separated from the rest.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:03You'll find these quite different
0:12:03 > 0:12:05just because of the way they react. So...
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Yes, I can immediately see...
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Do you see how its neck is short, its head is up
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and obviously they're moving away from us.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Do you see how the ears are right forward?
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Her eyes are more bold.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25If I saw that, I'd just be slightly apprehensive,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- or maybe slightly careful is a better word.- Yeah.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31SHORT, BREATHY SNORTS
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Did you hear that? Pff! Pff! With the breathing?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38That's another good sign that that animal is a bit apprehensive.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- She's feeling a bit threatened. - It's like a breathy snort?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Yes, rather than just gentle, relaxed breathing.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Overall, do you think it's right to call cows dangerous?
0:12:49 > 0:12:50Er...
0:12:50 > 0:12:53I think that there is a risk with cows.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Handle them carefully and give them respect
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and you should be fine.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Roger says there's no easy explanation
0:13:01 > 0:13:05for the more volatile temperament of these two.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09But he does have some simple tips to help walkers avoid problems.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Some are common sense.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Unless there are cattle in your way, always keep to the path.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Be extra wary of cows with calves.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20And if you have a dog keep it on a lead -
0:13:20 > 0:13:23although you should let it go if you are attacked.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25However careful you are, though,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29there are some things you can't control.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Just as it is with dogs, different breeds of cattle
0:13:31 > 0:13:34have slightly different characters,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37so are some more dangerous than others?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- MATT:- Shropshire is a real rural idyll.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49One of our best-kept secrets,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52yet it can lay claim to having changed the world
0:13:52 > 0:13:56as the birthplace of one of the greatest thinkers in history.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59This is Mount House in Shrewsbury.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01These days it's a valuation office,
0:14:01 > 0:14:06but it used to be the home of local physician Robert Darwin and family
0:14:06 > 0:14:10and, in that room up there, on 12 February 1809,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Charles Darwin was born.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Darwin famously took a journey on HMS Beagle.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It was this voyage of exploration that inspired his great work
0:14:20 > 0:14:21On The Origin Of Species.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Published in 1859,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27it changed for ever how we think about life on earth.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30And it was right here
0:14:30 > 0:14:34that Darwin's passion and curiosity for the natural world was forged.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39His childhood home, bordered by the River Severn,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41stood in over seven acres
0:14:41 > 0:14:43of pleasure gardens, meadows and woodland -
0:14:43 > 0:14:45a thrilling playground
0:14:45 > 0:14:48with everything needed to inspire a budding naturalist.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Sadly, little remains of the original gardens.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57When Charles's sister Susan died in 1866, the estate was sold off.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00All of THIS was built in its place.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09Sharon Leach lives on one of the largest remaining plots.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Sharon!
0:15:10 > 0:15:15- Hello.- Hello, Matt.- How super to meet you.- Welcome to Shrewsbury.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Thank you.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I'm sure that Darwin would be very impressed
0:15:18 > 0:15:21with the effort you've put into your gardens.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22I certainly hope so, thank you.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25But did you know what you were buying when you moved in here?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- No, we did not.- Not a clue?!
0:15:27 > 0:15:29No, we were sitting down,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31having a cup of tea in our pyjamas and dressing gowns
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and a bus comes up the drive full of Japanese tourists
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and they jumped out and said, "We've come to find Darwin."
0:15:38 > 0:15:43And you CAN find Darwin here, or at least hints of the lost gardens.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Sharon's house sits on what would have been the vinery.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48And in a neighbour's back garden
0:15:48 > 0:15:51stands a building that was witness to some boyish hijinks.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54This is the potting shed.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Now, Charles Darwin had an elder brother called Erasmus
0:15:57 > 0:16:01and I think they were both quite naughty little boys
0:16:01 > 0:16:03and they liked messing around.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05The story goes that he and his brother Erasmus
0:16:05 > 0:16:07went into the potting shed,
0:16:07 > 0:16:12were having a good old experiment and boom, the whole potting shed blew up.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14As you can see, it's been put back together now.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Catherine, what's it like to have this in your garden?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20There's definitely a feeling when you walk in there
0:16:20 > 0:16:23about what happened in here, it certainly gets your mind working!
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- Hopefully that inspiration will pass down.- In you go, little Darwin.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Do some experiments!
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Back in Sharon's own garden
0:16:32 > 0:16:35are the remnants of one particularly inspirational feature,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37and it's right under our feet.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41This is the only remaining section at the moment
0:16:41 > 0:16:45of the original Thinking Path, or the Doctor's Walk.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47The concept of the Thinking Path was?
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Well, for Charles and Erasmus, while they lived here,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54every day Robert Darwin, their father,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58would take them out of the house at the rear of the garden here
0:16:58 > 0:17:00to do a constitutional walk.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04You might think "big deal", but it was quite a special walk
0:17:04 > 0:17:07because they weren't allowed to speak.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10They had to think and contemplate their day.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12That's an interesting concept, though.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Focusing the mind - and what a mind that was focused!
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Yes, indeed, and when you think about it,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20he took that idea and that concept with him
0:17:20 > 0:17:23when he married and moved to Kent, to Down House,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27where he built his own thinking path or Sandwalk.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29That focusing of the mind
0:17:29 > 0:17:32must have been so useful after he'd come back off the Beagle.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35All those thoughts and ideas in his head
0:17:35 > 0:17:38he had to try and get into some sort of order and format
0:17:38 > 0:17:39for Origin Of Species.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Everything that Charles Darwin became started here in Shrewsbury
0:17:43 > 0:17:45and, actually, started under your feet.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49While only tantalising fragments of the original estate remain,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51an extraordinary document has survived
0:17:51 > 0:17:55which charts the everyday activity in the gardens.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57"Gooseberry tart yesterday", in brackets!
0:17:57 > 0:17:59THEY LAUGH
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'Susan Campbell is custodian of the Darwins' Garden Diary.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:05In 1839, broccoli sowed,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07but then in 1840,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10"vegetable marrows put into small pots."
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Who was writing this, then?
0:18:12 > 0:18:16This is the doctor's writing, Charles Darwin's father's writing.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18He then became rather frail and ill,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and then from 1848 onwards you get, as you can see,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24slightly different writing,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and it's now his daughter Susan.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Throughout the whole of the diary, what sense do you get,
0:18:30 > 0:18:31what kind of gardeners were they?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Was it formal, was it relaxed?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36As a Georgian garden, it was quite plain.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41It didn't have elaborate topiary, it didn't have any fountains.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Not what you'd think of as a Victorian garden
0:18:44 > 0:18:46with ornamental bits.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- So not forced?- Very natural, yes.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Charles Darwin once said that he was born a naturalist.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The extensive grounds of his childhood home
0:18:57 > 0:19:01were an ideal environment in which to nurture these natural instincts.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Up until now, the only way
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to glimpse the remnants of his lost Arcadia
0:19:07 > 0:19:09has been through the generous hospitality
0:19:09 > 0:19:11of Sharon and her neighbours,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13but plans are evolving to change that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15More on that later.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Just a few miles from me,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27John is on the Fenns and Whixall Mosses,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30an area of North Shropshire with a fascinating past.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36JOHN: Stretching across more than 2,000 wide-open acres,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38this tranquil nature reserve
0:19:38 > 0:19:42is internationally renowned for its bogland and wildlife.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46But this quiet wilderness has a far from peaceful story to tell.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Going back as far as the Boer War,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52this place was regularly taken over by the military,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55with the sound of the curlew and the cuckoo
0:19:55 > 0:19:58being drowned beneath the noise of rifle fire and bombs.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Today, the Mosses lie silent and serene once again,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08yet this remarkable landscape even now has secrets to reveal.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10SIRENS WAIL
0:20:10 > 0:20:11During the Second World War,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14the Mosses became one of the sites for a top-secret project
0:20:14 > 0:20:17that saved the lives of countless British civilians
0:20:17 > 0:20:19in cities up and down the country.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Code-named Operation Starfish,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28it was the brainchild of one of Britain's top defence strategists,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Colonel John Turner.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Jim Stabler from Shropshire Council
0:20:32 > 0:20:36has researched the history of the Starfish Operation.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39This is something that happened in the height of the Blitz
0:20:39 > 0:20:43when they were trying to decoy German aeroplanes
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- away from their main targets. - The big cities.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48The German pathfinders were the only ones
0:20:48 > 0:20:51who could accurately navigate to the target
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and they used to drop incendiary bombs.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58The main bomber fleet following behind, they just bombed the fires.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01So the Starfish site lit dummy fires
0:21:01 > 0:21:04in the hope the Germans would actually bomb the dummy fires
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- and not the cities. - Did it work?- It did work.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I suppose the most famous is Portsmouth,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12where there was a massive Starfish site,
0:21:12 > 0:21:13and one bombing raid
0:21:13 > 0:21:18there were about 550, 560 bombs dropped on the decoy
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and only eight landed on Portsmouth.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22A resounding success!
0:21:23 > 0:21:27'The fires were lit in metal baskets and electronically detonated
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'from a battery shed that still stands on the site.'
0:21:30 > 0:21:34There's a bit of wire here, Jim! Do you think that's original?
0:21:34 > 0:21:37It probably is some of the original wiring...
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- That would have been a detonating wire?- Yes.- From here to the baskets.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45When the Starfish site was built here in 1941,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Barbara Clorley's family were living in a cottage
0:21:48 > 0:21:49on the edge of the Mosses.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52I remember it distinctly.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54We would go to bed
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and mother would sometime say, "I think you'd better come down
0:21:56 > 0:21:58"and go under the kitchen table",
0:21:58 > 0:22:01but we could tell the fires were on the Moss
0:22:01 > 0:22:04because it used to light the bedroom up.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Everywhere was orange.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10When the fires were burning, it was a fantastic sight, really.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I know it shouldn't have been, during war, but it was.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16So covert were these decoy defences
0:22:16 > 0:22:20that Operation Starfish still remains almost unknown
0:22:20 > 0:22:22outside military circles.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25And now, for the first time,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28an original Starfish site is being restored
0:22:28 > 0:22:30to honour the role that they played
0:22:30 > 0:22:33in protecting Britain during the Blitz.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Peter Bowyer from Natural England has been working on the project.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47So this is Starfish land, is it? This is where the site was?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Today, some hardy volunteers
0:22:49 > 0:22:52are busy moving the fire baskets into position.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Are these exact replicas of the original baskets?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57These are exact replicas as far as we know, yes.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59How are you lining them up?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02We're very lucky, because we've got a 1946 aerial photo
0:23:02 > 0:23:04which shows where they are on the site.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07You can see that the rows of baskets are each arranged in a row of five,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12and there's 13 rows and that's meant to replicate, from above,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14a town, inner city...
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- Burning streets... - Things like terraced houses.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19This whole area was meant to replicate Liverpool.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21And have you been able to discover
0:23:21 > 0:23:24whether or not it actually worked here?
0:23:24 > 0:23:27There's no evidence that there were bombs dropped on here
0:23:27 > 0:23:30although with it being top-secret, it could well have been bombed.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- Nobody's saying anything, even today!- Yes!
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Some distance away from the pristine Mosses,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39we're going to do something
0:23:39 > 0:23:42that hasn't been done here for over 70 years.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45We're going to attempt to light our own Starfish site.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48So now we'll listen for the sound of enemy aircraft and...
0:23:51 > 0:23:53What, press a button or something?
0:23:53 > 0:23:57You will press a button and ignite them all together.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58Right!
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Let's stand well back, then.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Night has fallen and our mini Starfish site is primed.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- So throw both switches at once. - Both at once, right.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11One, two, three.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Off we go!
0:24:14 > 0:24:20Oh! No explosions, no fire. What do you think might have gone wrong?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22We're not getting enough current to the igniters.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- We'll just try it with one. - See what happens this time.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31- Whoa! That certainly worked, didn't it!- Well, it worked with one.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35So now we're reverting to an old-fashioned flaming torch!
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Imagine 60 of those, all on fire as well...
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- That would have been an amazing sight, wouldn't it?- So impressive.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45One of those crazy ideas that worked.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49They attracted so many bombs and saved so many lives.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Unlike us, the wartime army had vast experience
0:24:52 > 0:24:55in igniting Starfish baskets.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Between 1941 and 1943
0:24:57 > 0:24:59they blazed across Britain.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It seems to me to be only fitting that this top-secret trick,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06incredibly clever but very simple and highly effective,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that fooled the enemy and achieved so much,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13is now finally getting, after all these years,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16the recognition that it truly deserves.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25- MATT:- Earlier, we heard about the serious and sometimes fatal results
0:25:25 > 0:25:27of attacks on walkers by cattle.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But apart from ramblers having a better understanding of the risks,
0:25:30 > 0:25:35should we be doing more to make our countryside a safer place to walk?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Here's Tom.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The cattle in our landscape are usually a picture of serenity,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45but on the rare occasion when that changes,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48the consequences can be tragic.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's not just members of the public walking through fields
0:25:56 > 0:25:58who can be at risk.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03In an average year, approaching 100 farmworkers are injured by cattle
0:26:03 > 0:26:07and in the last ten years 37 have been killed.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Adrian Jones keeps 20 cattle on his farm near Hereford.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Has he ever had trouble handling them?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20How long have you had this herd?
0:26:20 > 0:26:24My parents started it about 35 years ago when I was a wee nipper.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- We've been involved ever since. - Have you ever had any incidents?
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- Never, no.- Really?- None at all.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They're very inquisitive.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37All four children, we've been growing up with them at shows and sales,
0:26:37 > 0:26:38halter breaking.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40No, never, really.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42These cattle are Limousin,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45a relatively new addition to British farming.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And though Adrian has never had problems,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50since 2007, the Limousin breed society
0:26:50 > 0:26:52has asked farmers like him
0:26:52 > 0:26:55to carry out what's known as docility scoring.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- Which is...? - COWS BELLOWS LOUDLY
0:27:00 > 0:27:02All about the temperament of the animal and how it behaves.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06They're scored according to how handle-able they are, in effect.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Yes, there's a score of one to five, one being the most placid
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and five being a bit more temperamental.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15'Nothing too sophisticated here.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19'Adrian simply assesses how manageable and docile his cattle are
0:27:19 > 0:27:23'while in close contact, such as when they're measured.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:25So how does that happen? Show me.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Basically,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30this here is a band that goes over the top of the back,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32collected at the bottom here,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and when the band meets it records the weight.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38So she is...500kg.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42What I can say from that immediately is you need a calm animal
0:27:42 > 0:27:44if you're going to get that up-close and personal.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Yes, she scored a one, so that goes on to its performance recording
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and then on to a bigger target score for the breed in general.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57But docility scoring isn't routinely done on cattle in the UK.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02In fact, Limousin are the only breed to have their temperament tested.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Their breed society says that's not relevant
0:28:05 > 0:28:07to whether they're a danger to the public.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Others, though, have raised concerns
0:28:10 > 0:28:13about the temperament of recently introduced foreign breeds,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15especially the Limousin.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19So are they more dangerous than traditional British cattle?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Do you think we need to distinguish between breeds
0:28:22 > 0:28:24when it comes to the risk?
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Um... Probably not, but there is
0:28:27 > 0:28:30definitely a difference in temperament
0:28:30 > 0:28:32with the more traditional breeds,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34like these Herefords and Anguses here,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36and some of the imported Continental ones.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38But there's been a tremendous amount of work done
0:28:38 > 0:28:40to breed away from that at the minute
0:28:40 > 0:28:43and obviously it's quite high on a farmer's list of priorities
0:28:43 > 0:28:44to improve temperament.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47But if some breeds ARE more dangerous than others,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49shouldn't we know, as the public?
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Yeah, but unfortunately there's just no scientific evidence or proof,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54it's all anecdotal.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57People who work with them, I've worked with various breeds
0:28:57 > 0:28:58and on given days
0:28:58 > 0:29:01some are more flighty and temperamental than others.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05For the last two decades, farmers around the world
0:29:05 > 0:29:09have been trying to breed calmer Limousins, with some success.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12But this new breed now makes up
0:29:12 > 0:29:14around one in six of all cattle in Britain,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18so are they as safe as home-grown varieties?
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Chris Mallon is from the National Beef Association.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22I think that farmers would say
0:29:22 > 0:29:24that you should show respect to all animals
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and within any breed you can actually get one that is aggressive.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31That can happen. But what happens on most farms is that animal is removed,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33is culled.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35So you really think if walkers and ramblers are coming up to a field,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37they see cattle like this,
0:29:37 > 0:29:38they've got no need to be any more wary
0:29:38 > 0:29:40than with any of the other breeds?
0:29:40 > 0:29:44I think you should be wary of all cattle. Give them the respect that they should be due.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45The thing I don't quite get
0:29:45 > 0:29:48is you say there's nothing more dangerous about this breed,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51except they've got a specific breeding programme
0:29:51 > 0:29:52to make them more docile,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55so there must be a bit of an issue here?
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Not at all, this is something the Limousins are looking into as a society.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00I'm sure other societies will look into it as well,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03it's just, actually, they're probably the first to do it.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07But the law does distinguish between breeds.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10In 1981, legislation was passed
0:30:10 > 0:30:13to ban certain varieties of bull from fields with public access.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16So, which breeds are more dangerous?
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Which ones seem to be more responsible
0:30:18 > 0:30:22for attacking farmers and members of the public?
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Clearly, not these Herefords today.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29One person who wants to know for sure whether some breeds,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34such as Limousins, are more of a risk than others is MP Bill Wiggin.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37He keeps his own herd of nine Herefords near Ledbury
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and has been researching attacks by cattle
0:30:40 > 0:30:42after two of his constituents were killed.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Do we have any information about which breeds
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- are more dangerous than others? - No, we don't.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Currently, Health and Safety collect information
0:30:49 > 0:30:52about the types of accidents that happen,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and we are talking about 24 people being killed by cattle
0:30:55 > 0:30:57over the last four years.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59That's not to say they're dangerous,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03but what situations are they in where these accidents happen?
0:31:03 > 0:31:05We really don't have the information we need.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08So, what is the information you would like them to collect?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I want to see Health and Safety collecting not only type of breed,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15but the circumstances under which an accident happen,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18whether there was TB testing, if somebody was rambling,
0:31:18 > 0:31:20whether they were on the public path or they were trespassing,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22whether there was a dog present...
0:31:22 > 0:31:24All sorts of circumstantial evidence
0:31:24 > 0:31:27that will allow us to make better decisions about how we farm
0:31:27 > 0:31:30and how we protect people who both live and work and walk
0:31:30 > 0:31:31in the countryside.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34This information is key to discovering
0:31:34 > 0:31:37whether certain situations and breeds are more dangerous,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40but it is currently just not available.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44The Health and Safety Executive is looking at the data again,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47but says that guaranteeing detailed information in the future
0:31:47 > 0:31:49would require a change in the law.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54We know that cow attacks are incredibly rare
0:31:54 > 0:31:56and nearly all the time
0:31:56 > 0:31:59you are completely fine to share their field.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00What we don't have
0:32:00 > 0:32:03is enough information about those occasional incidents
0:32:03 > 0:32:06to know if they are completely random,
0:32:06 > 0:32:10or is there something to learn about their behaviour or ours
0:32:10 > 0:32:12that could keep us safer?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Back in January, I travelled north
0:32:20 > 0:32:23for the Countryfile Winter Special, to Balmoral estate.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Now spring has sprung, I'm making a return visit.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Last time, I met with Dochy Ormiston,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32stockman for the Queen's own herd,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35to see their Highlands in the Highlands.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I'll be catching up with him again soon, in search of a new bull
0:32:38 > 0:32:40for my farm in the Cotswolds.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45But first I want to meet another famous local breed
0:32:45 > 0:32:46on the royal estate -
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Highland ponies.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Head of the Balmoral stud is Dochy's wife, Sylvia Ormiston.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54And she's not the only one
0:32:54 > 0:32:57who's passionate about these tough creatures.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59They're a personal favourite of the Queen herself.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Ever since Queen Victoria bought Balmoral in 1852,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21the estate has kept an unbroken line of Highlands
0:33:21 > 0:33:23and our current monarch has been instrumental
0:33:23 > 0:33:27in promoting and preserving this rare and native breed.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34For Sylvia, keeping Her Majesty's ponies happy and healthy
0:33:34 > 0:33:36isn't just a job, it's a way of life.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40How long have you been involved with Highlands?
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Gosh, since the early '80s,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47since I met the Ormiston family, and where my husband came from.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50So, Dochy's family have been involved for a long time, have they?
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Generations, yeah.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55- So, is Dochy always offering you advice, then?- Yes.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59And I nod and I smile and I say, "Thank you, dear."
0:33:59 > 0:34:01He likes them a bit heavier than I like them
0:34:01 > 0:34:04because, obviously, he's into the cattle side of it
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- and, you know, but...- Wants them to be like a Highland bull?
0:34:07 > 0:34:09We have to just keep the slim pills going
0:34:09 > 0:34:13a little bit longer with these guys. ADAM LAUGHS
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- Shall we walk them down to the field?- Yes, for sure.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Apart from watching their weight,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Sylvia also trains the ponies for a rather unusual task.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29During the shooting and stalking season,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31the ponies are the only thing
0:34:31 > 0:34:34that can transport grouse and deer from the mountainside.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37The ponies are specifically bred for the job,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39but before they can hit the hills,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42they have to get accustomed to all the special equipment
0:34:42 > 0:34:44they will have to carry.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45So, what is all this here?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Right, well, we have some deer saddles
0:34:47 > 0:34:49and we have some pannier baskets.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51The pannier baskets are for the grouse,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54the deer saddles are for the deer.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56How well experienced are these two?
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Morloch is just obviously learning the panniers,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03so what we do is we put hay nets in front of the panniers
0:35:03 > 0:35:06for him to then enjoy eating his hay
0:35:06 > 0:35:10and not be worried about the baskets that are behind him.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13It also desensitises them to being a wide load.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Mine's just eating all of his hay...
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Meals on wheels, we call it! Meals on legs maybe more so.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- There's a good boy.- OK, happy?
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Well, he didn't mind that too much. - Not too bad.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29So, how important is this training?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32It's 99% of the preparation.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36The 1% of them going out to the hill and actually completing the job.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39This is it, the preparation is everything.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Establishing the confidence
0:35:41 > 0:35:45from the pony to the handler and vice versa,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48and knowing that your pony isn't going to have an issue with you
0:35:48 > 0:35:50in anything that you're asking it to do.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55They're so trusting. He says, "I'll just have some breakfast!"
0:35:55 > 0:35:57ADAM LAUGHS
0:35:57 > 0:35:59And if it goes wrong up the mountain,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- presumably it can go very wrong? - Very wrong, yeah.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08You've got steep edges, you've got very boggy ground,
0:36:08 > 0:36:09you've got mist.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12It could go very horribly wrong. They have this...
0:36:12 > 0:36:16This dour attitude that people can't seem to work out
0:36:16 > 0:36:20and they think that they're just being rude,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22obnoxious, difficult to manage,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26but it's actually, they just need to grow their brain a little bit
0:36:26 > 0:36:27and develop their brain.
0:36:27 > 0:36:33And a lot of people have this idea that they just are... Are thrawn.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35- Thrawn?!- Thrawn!
0:36:35 > 0:36:37What does that mean?
0:36:37 > 0:36:39- Difficult.- Yeah.- Yes.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43- "I don't want to."- Yeah. - You know, "I don't want to."
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Well, I think you're lovely!
0:36:52 > 0:36:56It's all about strength and stamina for these tough little beauties
0:36:56 > 0:36:59and there's only one way to really see what they're made of -
0:36:59 > 0:37:01head for the hills.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Sylvia has been breeding and training Highlands
0:37:11 > 0:37:13for more than 30 years,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15and she knows their ways better than most.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21It's interesting, the way you are letting them walk carefully.
0:37:21 > 0:37:22Is it all part of the training?
0:37:22 > 0:37:27Having their heads down, they are checking the ground out on their own.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31They know it's soft, they know not to panic,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34they know that we won't deliberately take them onto soft ground
0:37:34 > 0:37:37that they can't cope with, but, you know, we can make mistakes.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Yeah.- So, they are basically leading us.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Why is it you love the Highlands so much?
0:37:42 > 0:37:45I just think they're just such a wonderful breed to work with,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47they're just...
0:37:47 > 0:37:51They want to please, they're happy to help, they're happy to do.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54You just get so much back from them. I just think...
0:37:54 > 0:37:57I defy anybody to not love working with a Highland pony.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01- And does the Queen love them?- She adores them, absolutely adores them.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04I think there's a certain amount of peace and tranquillity
0:38:04 > 0:38:07that comes with the breed, and she just absolutely...
0:38:07 > 0:38:09She is passionate about her ponies.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14No decision goes without discussing it with Her Majesty.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15- Wonderful!- Yeah.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18'Unbelievably, while we're up in the hills,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20'we get some very exciting news.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23'Down on the main farm, a mare has just had a foal.'
0:38:23 > 0:38:25We're off!
0:38:36 > 0:38:37I'm excited!
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- QUIETLY:- We've just come back to the main farm
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and a foal has been born just a few minutes ago.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Sylvia has gone in and is making sure everything is OK,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08with Lois, her assistant.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13They have to inject the mare, to help her pass the placenta,
0:39:13 > 0:39:14and give her a tetanus.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19What sex is it, Sylvia?
0:39:19 > 0:39:20- It's an Adam.- It's an Adam!
0:39:20 > 0:39:24It's a... It's a little colt. Adam is a good name!
0:39:30 > 0:39:34And little foals are so wonderful when they're born.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35They're all legs.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39It seems like it is going to be impossible for it to ever stand up,
0:39:39 > 0:39:40but it's trying now.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- Will I come and say hello? - Absolutely.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47- Hello, sweetheart. That's your little boy.- Adam, meet Adam.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49- THEY LAUGH - Hello!
0:39:49 > 0:39:51They are just so gorgeous.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56I've seen lots of lambs and lots of calves born, but very few foals.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Oh, it's just gorgeous!
0:40:01 > 0:40:06Aren't you a clever mare? There is a good girl.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Aren't you lovely and quiet?
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- This is her first, too. - So it is her first foal.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Their little hooves
0:40:16 > 0:40:18are very, very soft,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21so they don't hurt the mare when they're inside her,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and this will all fall off and leaves its solid hoof above.
0:40:26 > 0:40:32- Would you like a hand? Can I pass you her a second?- Will we help him up?
0:40:32 > 0:40:37A little boy wants up quicker than... Would you like a wee hand?
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Ready, when you are ready to go, then.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Well done. That's it. NEIGHBOURING HORSE WHINNIES
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- The neighbours are getting excited.- Well done.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- There, little fellow.- Clever boy.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Yes. Look at that! First time up on his feet.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- He's a bit wobbly!- There we go.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57He says, "I'm a bit down on my pasterns."
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- That'll come right.- Well done.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- Oop! Hey-up! - Steady. Steady, wee man.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04- He wants to run! - MARE GRUNTS
0:41:04 > 0:41:07It's all right. Let her come, just let her come.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11There's your baby. Well done. Clever girl.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Yes, he's very little, isn't he?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17It's interesting that the mares next door
0:41:17 > 0:41:20have come over to see the new arrival.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23They're all feeling very maternal themselves, being heavily pregnant.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- They're all due to give birth, are they?- Yes.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32So, Sylvia is just going to manoeuvre the foal towards the teats
0:41:32 > 0:41:35to see if it will suckle.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37He keeps walking away from the mare.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43There's a good girl.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47The mare is naturally resting her leg
0:41:47 > 0:41:51and allowing an opening for the foal to get in,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53to get to the teat.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57She's never done this before, it's a very natural instinct.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07And with a foal, you have to be quite sensitive
0:42:07 > 0:42:09about allowing it to find the teats.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Well, I'm sure Her Majesty will be absolutely delighted
0:42:15 > 0:42:18with the new addition to her Highland pony stud
0:42:18 > 0:42:22and, for me, it's been a real treat to come back to Balmoral,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25seeing this little newborn foal.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27I think I should leave these people to their work.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Next time, I'll be back to meet with Sylvia's husband, Dochy.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36I'm hoping he's got a good Highland bull
0:42:36 > 0:42:38that I can buy for the farm back home.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Hidden amongst Shropshire's dramatic landscape
0:42:50 > 0:42:54lies an unlikely wildlife haven,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58one which plays host to some rather special tiny troops.
0:43:03 > 0:43:09RAF Shawbury is the British forces' defence helicopter flying school.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10These impressive machines
0:43:10 > 0:43:14aren't the only thing making a buzz at this air base,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18but I'm here in search of a much smaller aviator,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21one that the RAF has taken under its wing.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Bees are incredible,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29particularly this little guy, the mason bee.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32A solitary soldier that doesn't make honey
0:43:32 > 0:43:34and hasn't got much of a sting,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37but this hard-working soloist is a top pollinator.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41With the dramatic decline in honeybees,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44could the mason help bridge the pollination gap?
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Compared to honeybees, mason bees are more resistant to disease
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and can pollinate a greater variety of plants.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55When it comes to pollinating fruit trees,
0:43:55 > 0:43:59it is thought that one mason bee can do the work of 120 honeybees.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05And things are looking up for these little fellows.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10A Shropshire charity called Praise Bee has joined forces with the RAF
0:44:10 > 0:44:12in a bid to increase mason-bee numbers.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15So, these are the bees, Viv?
0:44:15 > 0:44:19'Praise Bee founder Viv Marsh is going to tell me more.'
0:44:19 > 0:44:23What have you discovered about what conditions they like best?
0:44:23 > 0:44:26The most important thing is a food source.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28They need pollen, they need nectar,
0:44:28 > 0:44:33they need a really good nesting site, so if you get that altogether
0:44:33 > 0:44:35then you start to get a colony of bees set up.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38The MOD sites, RAF Shawbury in particular,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41have a lot of wild flowers growing on the perimeters of the airfield,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44so it's absolutely ideal breeding ground for these bees.
0:44:44 > 0:44:45So, talk me through the life cycle.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48It's solitary bees, so it is quite different to bumblebees
0:44:48 > 0:44:52- and honeybees, which live socially. - Yes, it's quite a short life cycle.
0:44:52 > 0:44:53They emerge, generally,
0:44:53 > 0:44:55round about the second week in April, males first.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57They loiter around for a couple of weeks,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59wait for the girls to come out.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02A lot of whoopy-do and then the females do all the hard work.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04What is this box? What is going on inside here?
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Will that give us a bit of a clue?
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Yes, this is an observation box I made out of an old bread bin.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- Let's open it up.- Here we go.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14- An old bread bin!- Morning, folks.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Oh, you can really see each of the cells there,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- the work the females have done.- Yes. - So, she'll have bred with the male
0:45:19 > 0:45:21- and he will have then popped his clogs?- Yes.- And then what?
0:45:21 > 0:45:24She'll go in there, she'll pack the pollen,
0:45:24 > 0:45:29she will lay her egg in that pollen, as a lunch pack for her offspring.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30She will then seal it up with some more mud
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and then repeat the process again,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34so she'll start in the middle and work her way out,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36and that is what they are doing there now.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39- That is just brilliant! A great way of seeing it.- Yes.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41- Good use of an old bread bin, isn't it?- Isn't it just!
0:45:44 > 0:45:50The mighty mason could play a big part in pollinating the UK's plants.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Swelling the ranks is a top priority.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58I'm off to meet MOD environmental officer Andy Parfitt.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00We are heading to the edge of the base,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03where he is installing new bee barracks.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07A few are in there. There is a bit of activity.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- So they have been really successful? - Yes, very successful.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15We put this out last year, put ten pupae in to see what would happen.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- In September, we harvested 97 pupae back.- That's a great result!
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Yes, absolutely brilliant. We are really excited.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Those 97, we've put back out as second-generation bees,
0:46:24 > 0:46:25which is what's in the box now.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Hopefully, in September or October,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- we will be harvesting a third generation.- Amazing!
0:46:30 > 0:46:33It really is good, then. So, this one is all set and ready.
0:46:33 > 0:46:34Where do you think we should put it?
0:46:34 > 0:46:37I was thinking of putting it down by that long grass.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Lots of food for them down there. Lovely. Let's give it a go.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47Despite the noisy helicopters, it's a great spot for wildlife.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Wide tracks of undisturbed land make it perfect for bees.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54These pupae are the next generation,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58new recruits in the battle for our bees.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01The bigger ones are the females, the smaller ones are the males.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03- Would you like to... - I'd love to!- ..have the honour?
0:47:03 > 0:47:06- Just simply pop them gently in? - Just drop them in.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11And that is it.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14They'll stay in there now until the warmth makes them hatch
0:47:14 > 0:47:16and then they will come out and start feeding
0:47:16 > 0:47:17and hopefully do what they do.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Do what they do, pollinating! Right, lid's back on.
0:47:20 > 0:47:27I love it. A new home for your mason bees.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33And in a few days, these pupae will hatch to form a new front line.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39I love being in places that are buzzing with wildlife,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42but we want to hear about the secret places
0:47:42 > 0:47:44that have a special meaning for you.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Secret Britain is back, and we want you to e-mail us
0:47:50 > 0:47:53with your suggestions of those untold stories
0:47:53 > 0:47:54that are special to you
0:47:54 > 0:47:56for a completely new series.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04We know that you know Britain's countryside better than anyone else.
0:48:04 > 0:48:09We want to hear about secret places and wonderful wildlife events
0:48:09 > 0:48:11that few people get to witness.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Over the summer, Adam and I will be exploring
0:48:15 > 0:48:17some of the secret places and people of Britain
0:48:17 > 0:48:20that you tell us about, so this is your chance
0:48:20 > 0:48:24to share those locations that are special to you with us all.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28We are looking for a lost treasure, revealed only at low tide.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31A wildlife spectacle.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34A neglected country craft.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39Or simply one of our best-known landmarks...
0:48:39 > 0:48:41with an unknown story.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44It's the personal connection of you and your family
0:48:44 > 0:48:48to the secret places and people of Britain that we are seeking,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51so share your ideas with us.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56Please e-mail your thoughts, with photos too if you can, to...
0:49:00 > 0:49:03You will find all the information you need on the Countryfile website.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Ellie and I have been exploring North Shropshire,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21the birthplace of Charles Darwin.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Amidst the gardens of his childhood home in Shrewsbury,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29the evolution of Darwin, from schoolboy bug hunter
0:49:29 > 0:49:31to world-renowned naturalist, began.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Most of the land that formed the Darwin estate
0:49:35 > 0:49:37is now in private ownership
0:49:37 > 0:49:39but, last year, the Shropshire Wildlife Trust
0:49:39 > 0:49:44bought part of the original woodland where Charles and his family roamed.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49And the Trust are already hard at work here,
0:49:49 > 0:49:53rediscovering another section of the Thinking Path that we saw earlier.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Sara Lanyon's in charge.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57You've got your work cut out for you because, I mean,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59as we can see, I mean...
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- It's coming down.- Even coming down here onto the towpath is...
0:50:02 > 0:50:03What is the plan?
0:50:03 > 0:50:08The plan is to very sensitively restore the Doctor's Walk,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10also known as the Thinking Path,
0:50:10 > 0:50:14back to how it would have been 150 years ago.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16How historically significant
0:50:16 > 0:50:20is this couple of acres that we are standing in front of?
0:50:20 > 0:50:22I think I'm standing in front of a national treasure,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24to be honest with you.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27It's a lost garden at the moment, it needs a lot of TLC
0:50:27 > 0:50:29and it needs a lot of work doing to it,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31but hopefully, over the years,
0:50:31 > 0:50:35we'll reveal what was once here 150 years ago
0:50:35 > 0:50:40and I really think that this is part of Darwin's formative experiences.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44So, by association, this woodland here
0:50:44 > 0:50:48is a good space for us to understand our place on Earth, really,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50and I think that has got
0:50:50 > 0:50:53national and international importance and significance
0:50:53 > 0:50:55and it is going to be a wonderful place
0:50:55 > 0:50:56to spend some time in in the future.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02- It is incredibly steep. - Yes, it is, isn't it?
0:51:02 > 0:51:07- It's quite a drop down to the bank. - 'This is no easy restoration.'
0:51:07 > 0:51:09You are doing all this by hand, then?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12Yes, literally, it's just a spade, a pair of loppers and a bow saw.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16And we have started to very, very gently, nervously,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19excavate away this level
0:51:19 > 0:51:21because, obviously, there's going to be some archaeology
0:51:21 > 0:51:23and landscape history in there
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- that is, I think, of national importance.- Yes.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28It's kind of imagining the young Darwin
0:51:28 > 0:51:30walking along this path every single day,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32probably absentmindedly, with a stick,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34playing, like every other child does.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36And it's that kind of feeling that I want to get,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38almost that feeling that the young Darwin
0:51:38 > 0:51:40has just popped inside for lunch
0:51:40 > 0:51:41and he's going to come back any moment.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Come and have a look and see how they are getting on.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46- Oh, so you have got help here, then?- Yes, we do.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47- We've got Howard and Colin...- Right.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50..from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, they are our volunteers.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Well, listen, I'm happy to help you.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57There might be all sorts of really interesting things buried in here.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01There could be children's toys, there could be coins, buttons...
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Is that finders keepers?
0:52:03 > 0:52:06It's not, I'm afraid, but I'll have a word and see what we can do!
0:52:06 > 0:52:09But there's all sorts of things that have been found here,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11from bricks, slate, bits of pottery,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13and we don't know how important they are yet.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15It's just a matter of keeping hold of everything
0:52:15 > 0:52:18and making sure we've got as good a record as possible
0:52:18 > 0:52:20as we do the restoration.
0:52:20 > 0:52:21You're doing a good job.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25The Trust has a huge task on its hands,
0:52:25 > 0:52:27but when the project is complete,
0:52:27 > 0:52:28it's hoped that these woods
0:52:28 > 0:52:31will become both a place for quiet contemplation
0:52:31 > 0:52:34and a stimulating playground for curious minds.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37If I hold that and everybody gives the branch a shake...
0:52:37 > 0:52:39Today, these young naturalists
0:52:39 > 0:52:41are following in the great man's footsteps,
0:52:41 > 0:52:44taking part in a bug hunt, or,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47if you grew up in these parts, it's an invertebrate survey.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49It feels all slimy.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51What have we found, then? That's the big question.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55- Er...- Come on, you must have found something!
0:52:55 > 0:52:57I found a slug.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00'Conservationist Stuart Edmunds is leading the study
0:53:00 > 0:53:03'with some willing volunteers from Shrewsbury's Oxon Primary School.'
0:53:03 > 0:53:06We are trying to collect beetles today.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08I'm sure this is where Darwin would have started his collection,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11of course, as a youngster, round about the age of eight or nine.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Beatrice, you're making history.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16- SHE LAUGHS - Who has got the best thing?
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- I think the leaf-hoppers are the best.- Leaf-hoppers?
0:53:19 > 0:53:21One of the most impressive, the leaf-hoppers,
0:53:21 > 0:53:23with their nice red and black mottled back,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25and those would have been on the site since Darwin's time.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Gorgeous colour, though, isn't it, that?
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Would anybody want to go bug hunting again?
0:53:29 > 0:53:32- ALL: Yes! - Bug hunting is fun, isn't it?
0:53:32 > 0:53:34- Yes.- That's the idea of doing these sessions,
0:53:34 > 0:53:38we can actually train up the next generation of young Darwins.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41'So, it looks like the landscape
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'that was so influential in shaping Charles Darwin
0:53:44 > 0:53:48'is proving to be an inspiration once more.' Hang on!
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Look, I've just seen a lesser-spotted Ellie!
0:53:50 > 0:53:51- Hello!- How are you?
0:53:51 > 0:53:54A very endangered creature! I've got something for you all.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Any guesses?
0:53:56 > 0:54:00- It's a wooden box.- A wooden box, it is. It's a solitary bee box.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Who wants to hold that?
0:54:02 > 0:54:04And there are the pupae of some mason bees,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07so when they hatch they will be pollinating your gorgeous meadow.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Look after them for me.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Very good! Good naturalists.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12- They are a good team, this lot. - Excellent work.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- You know what?- What?- That's all we've got time for, for this week.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17- ALL: Aw! - Now, next week we are...
0:54:17 > 0:54:19I know, everyone's disappointed,
0:54:19 > 0:54:21but that's all we've got time for from Shropshire.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23But next week we'll be in Buckinghamshire,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25where I'll be finding out what impact
0:54:25 > 0:54:28another remarkable family had on our countryside.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30And if you come down to Wendover Woods with me
0:54:30 > 0:54:31you'll be sure of a big surprise.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- Looking forward to that!- Yeah. - Hope you can join us then.- See you.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Right, where should we put this box?
0:54:36 > 0:54:39- Over towards the sun, I think. - OK. Let's go.- Let's go.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41It's not home time yet!
0:54:41 > 0:54:44CHILDREN CHATTER AND LAUGH