0:00:27 > 0:00:31Deep in the Gloucestershire countryside there's a treasure trove...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37600 acres of wooded groves and glens.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Our woodlands are under threat.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The National Arboretum here in Westonbirt is a haven
0:00:44 > 0:00:47for more than 16,000 trees.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51So why am I chopping down one of its most ancient limes?
0:00:56 > 0:01:01It may look unkind, but this small-leaved lime will shoot up again.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04The future for many other trees is far from guaranteed, though,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08as disease threatens our woodlands with a national crisis.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12More than double the number of tree diseases have crossed the Channel
0:01:12 > 0:01:16in the last 12 years than in the whole of the last century,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18and there are more waiting in the wings.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21So, what are we doing to protect our trees against deadly
0:01:21 > 0:01:25invaders like ash dieback? I'll be investigating.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30But in this wood, tucked away in a secret location,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I'm on the trail of something rather special.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Good boy, good boy!
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Well, this is what Tino's been searching for.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43It's a truffle, black gold, a very expensive gastronomic delight.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And because there's been so much bad weather this year,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48it's a bumper harvest for truffles.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51Not too far away,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Adam's experiencing a true woodland tradition.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Here in the Forest of Dean, the sheep are allowed to roam freely
0:01:58 > 0:02:01all over the forest, and the commoners that own the sheep
0:02:01 > 0:02:04teach them where their own patch is - a process known as hefting -
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and I've come to find out how they do it.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Westonbirt, our National Arboretum.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35The burnt tones of autumn giving way to the bare bones of winter.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Gnarled wooden skeletons flanked by exotic maples.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Their fallen leaves an explosive carpet of colour.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46We're a stone's throw from the Gloucestershire town of Tetbury,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51exploring 600 acres of woodland, home to 16,000 trees.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Westonbirt began life in 1829 as a rich man's passion.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01His name, Robert Holford.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But now it's a sanctuary with one of the largest collections
0:03:04 > 0:03:06of British native trees and shrubs.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Intrepid Victorian plant hunters journeyed to the four corners
0:03:10 > 0:03:13of the globe back in Holford's day,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15in search of ever more exotic species,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19many of which ended up here in this rather wonderful back garden.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But today I'm here to see a native tree,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24one with its own claim to fame.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37This is possibly the oldest tree in Britain,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and don't be fooled by all the stems, it is just one tree.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42It's thought to be around 2,000 years old,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and today we're cutting it to the ground.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53'It only happens once every 20 years,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56'and it's a practice that dates back centuries.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00'As Arboretum curator, it may be the only time in his career
0:04:00 > 0:04:05'Mark Ballard will get to oversee the coppicing of this small-leaved lime.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06'No pressure then.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Mark, this isn't what I was expecting,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13and I'm sure other people who are visiting one of the oldest
0:04:13 > 0:04:17lime trees in the country aren't expecting all of these.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I thought it would be one big tree.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Most people do, and I think what's happened here, there was originally
0:04:22 > 0:04:26a tree in the middle, and as it's grown and spread and branches
0:04:26 > 0:04:29have touched the ground, they've layered, they've put down roots,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31and they've formed these individual little stools
0:04:31 > 0:04:34we can see around us, and over time they've spread out
0:04:34 > 0:04:37to form this huge ring we've got in front of us now.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41When we mention this tree being 2,000 years old,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43there's quite a bit of guesswork involved in that.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47It's open to conjecture exactly how old it is, but you can make
0:04:47 > 0:04:51a guestimate by the outward growth of this ring.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- How far they've spread. - Yes, exactly.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55So we know it's centuries and centuries old,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57but exactly how old, we're not sure.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Explain to me again why it's important to coppice,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03because, essentially, all of this will be flattened,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and that's a frightening thought.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It is a frightening thought, I am a little nervous,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I have to confess, but if we don't cut every 20 years,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12we're not doing this tree any favours at all.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It will start to split out...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15CREAKING AND SPLINTERING
0:05:15 > 0:05:17..and you'll hear that noise,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and, basically, what we're trying to do is perpetuate its life.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Are you absolutely sure you want to go ahead with this, Mark?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24We are sure, yes.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27We know how these trees grow, we know what the effect of coppicing is
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and we're going to help it live on by promoting this fresh,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32vigorous new growth in the spring.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- You're absolutely positive? - I was, yes!
0:05:35 > 0:05:37No, I am, I am.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Brian Williamson and apprentice Patrick
0:05:45 > 0:05:48are experts in traditional methods of woodland coppicing .
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Hi there, Brian. Doing it the old-fashioned way?
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Yes, the old-fashioned way stood the test of time for a long, long time.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58You've been doing this for a while yourself, haven't you?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Well, I didn't plant this thing, but...
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- LAUGHING:- I wasn't suggesting that you did!
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I've been working with these kind of hand tools for a long time.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Why is coppicing so important to the country?
0:06:07 > 0:06:10People have been working woodlands ever since the Romans came
0:06:10 > 0:06:11and long before that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They relied on wood to cook, wood to keep them warm,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16wood to smelt their medals, what ever it was,
0:06:16 > 0:06:17so you had to manage the woods
0:06:17 > 0:06:20to provide the wood for all of those things.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22We're faced with several crises, including the ash.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Do you think people are beginning to realise how important our woodlands are?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29We've had oak dieback, we've had canker in chestnuts,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31we've had leaf miners in this,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and now we've got the ash dieback coming through, that people are
0:06:35 > 0:06:38getting more and more concerned about the trees in the countryside.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41And, to some extent, you have to manage them to keep them alive
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and healthy, and this is a case in point -
0:06:44 > 0:06:46possibly 2,000 years' worth of management in here.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- Are you going to let me loose? - If you like.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You'll have to take your gloves off, get your hands dirty.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53OK, that's all right. That's possible.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58'I've done a bit of coppicing myself recently,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02'but that was a mere fringe trim compared to what's going on today.'
0:07:02 > 0:07:04It's hard work, isn't it?
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It is, and it does warm you up,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and they say of wood that it warms you up three times -
0:07:08 > 0:07:11once when you cut it down, once when you cut it up,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and the third time when you burn it.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Well...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18this is a momentous occasion, but I'm not sure
0:07:18 > 0:07:21that I'm really helping, so I'm going to leave it to the expert.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- It's progress, albeit fairly slow. - It's much slimmer now.- It is!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I've made it much easier for you.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- One blow from behind and it'll be straight over.- There you go, see?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31After 2,000 years of progress, woodland management
0:07:31 > 0:07:34has moved on a bit, and if we're going to complete the job in hand
0:07:34 > 0:07:38in one day, we're going to have to call in the big guns, as well.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Sorry, Brian.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I'll be back later to see how they get on.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Sadly, the arrival of ash dieback disease is threatening
0:08:02 > 0:08:04to wipe out one of our most common trees.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06But is this just the beginning?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Tom's been investigating.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Our ancestors believed the ash tree was sacred.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Folklore tells of newborn babies being given
0:08:21 > 0:08:24a spoonful of its sap to ensure a healthy life.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32The tree once thought to keep us safe is now fighting for its own survival.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38Autumn of 2012 will be remembered as a season of crisis in our forests,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40in our parks, and in our gardens.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44In fact, anywhere that our 80 million ash trees grow.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49When discoloured leaves and dark lesions were found
0:08:49 > 0:08:53on ash trees in East Anglia, it confirmed the worst.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58The deadly fungus Chalara fraxinea, now dubbed ash dieback,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00was here in British woodland.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03In October, it prompted a ban on all ash imports,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07a top-level tree summit, and dominated the headlines.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09We don't have a magic potion
0:09:09 > 0:09:12which we could stick in a helicopter this afternoon and spray.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14There is no immediate cure.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It first came to Britain with infected young stock,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26but now even nurseries like this one in Northumberland with healthy,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29home-grown ash, are feeling the effects of ash dieback.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Charles Beaumont is stuck with 50,000 ash trees he can't sell
0:09:35 > 0:09:39due to movement restrictions aimed at containing the disease.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42So, Charles, what am I looking at here?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Well, we're looking at a crop of ash
0:09:44 > 0:09:49which has had two growing seasons in this spot.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So, you've nurtured it for this long,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53but what about the future for this?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Well, I'm afraid the future is not looking very promising at the moment.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01We're looking at, by the time that movement restriction comes off,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- I suspect we're going to have to just get rid of it.- Really?
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Cos I don't think there'll be any demand at all by then.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- So how much money will you have lost? - Probably about...
0:10:09 > 0:10:12well, I think this crop's probably worth about 12,500
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- as it stands at the moment. - Really? And that's just gone.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I'm afraid that's just one of the penalties one has to pay.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Charles is not alone.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Millions of diseased and healthy ash trees
0:10:23 > 0:10:25will be destroyed over the coming months.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27So, how did we get here?
0:10:28 > 0:10:33The disease was first discovered around 20 years ago in Poland,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and from there some of the spores spread rapidly across northern Europe,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39particularly northern Germany and Scandinavia.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Also, into the Netherlands.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Now, the Channel and North Sea do provide a bit of natural defence,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48but it's thought the spores could have also...
0:10:48 > 0:10:52blown across into the east of the country.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55But even without the spores...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58we brought the disease in ourselves, through imports from infected
0:10:58 > 0:11:02nurseries in Holland into Buckinghamshire,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06and it was found in other nurseries across eastern England,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09also in Scotland, and Wales.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Pretty soon, the disease had spread throughout the UK.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26But ash isn't the only tree under attack.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Oak, horse chestnut, Scots pine, and even some Christmas trees
0:11:31 > 0:11:35are currently fighting pests or diseases from abroad.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Juniper is another victim,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and just look at the gnarled beauty of this trunk.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48So what do all these invasive killers have in common?
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Well, us.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53In the last 12 years, more than double the number of tree diseases
0:11:53 > 0:11:57have come to Britain than in the whole of the last century.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02So, where has this sudden increase come from?
0:12:03 > 0:12:08Plant health experts, like Dr Stephen Woodward from Aberdeen University,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11believe global imports are to blame.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13We can see the evidence on native juniper
0:12:13 > 0:12:15in this reserve in County Durham.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So, how are these foreign diseases getting to Britain?
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Well, over the last 20-30 years, we've seen a massive increase
0:12:23 > 0:12:26in the amount of global trade in plants -
0:12:26 > 0:12:29plants for planting, plant materials - and some of those
0:12:29 > 0:12:33plants will be contaminated with the organisms we're thinking of here.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- And we're bringing them in? - We are.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36So what are we looking at here?
0:12:36 > 0:12:41This is one of the more recent ones we've discovered in Britain.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This is Phytophthora austrocedri.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The only other place in the world we know of this organism
0:12:46 > 0:12:50is Argentina, where it's killing one of the native trees there.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So there's no way that this came in naturally?
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Absolutely not, no.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57But it doesn't just affect the bark, it affects the branches, too?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Here's a healthy branch, with nice juniper needles,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05but here's a branch off a plant that's been killed by the disease,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10where we see the foliage has turned brown and obviously dead.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Do you think we are being a bit irresponsible with our imports?
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Yes, we probably are.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18We should be taking far more care in what materials
0:13:18 > 0:13:21we're actually transporting around the whole planet.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24We can't afford to keep losing native species
0:13:24 > 0:13:26to this sort of damage again and again.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41No-one knows exactly how many plants come into the UK from abroad every year.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Conservative estimates say millions,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48but some plant disease experts believe it's closer to billions.
0:13:53 > 0:13:59Heathrow airport handles most of the incoming air freight in the UK.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03And Countryfile has gained rare access to the plant inspection area.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Guy Nettleton is one of those working on the frontline.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10What are you scrutinising there, Guy?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12These are some roses from Zambia,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15so they've flown in from Africa, they've landed this morning,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19but my job is just to check there are no pests or diseases present...
0:14:20 > 0:14:23'They intercept problems here nearly every day,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26'but how easy is it for something to slip through the net?'
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Is it enough to stop the diseases getting in and keep the UK safe?
0:14:30 > 0:14:34There are relatively few outbreaks associated with direct imports
0:14:34 > 0:14:37from third countries, so the evidence would suggest
0:14:37 > 0:14:39that the system is currently working quite well.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43But inspectors like Guy are only checking plants
0:14:43 > 0:14:48imported from outside the EU - so-called third countries.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51That means they wouldn't have seen infected ash trees
0:14:51 > 0:14:54flooding into Britain from just over the Channel.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56So, does that seem a little bit odd to you,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- that you can't things coming from within Europe?- Well, no.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02There's a different scheme in operation for Europe.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05As well as inspectors at the airports and the sea ports,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08we also have inspectors all round the UK,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and they're carrying out inspections routinely inland,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15just to ensure that nothing has escaped those import controls.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19However effective these inspections are,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21free trade means an open door to Europe,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25a door that many would like to close.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Even if we caught every creepy-crawly on plant material
0:15:28 > 0:15:31at our ports and airports, every speck of fungus,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35every bit of bacteria - diseases can still get blown in
0:15:35 > 0:15:38from the mainland, so what can we do once they're here?
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I'll be finding out a little later.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48JOHN: The rolling hills and shady valleys of Gloucestershire
0:15:48 > 0:15:52make for perfect riding country.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56It's a county with a long tradition of equestrian sport,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00a fertile breeding ground for top-class riders and horses.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03No surprise, then,
0:16:03 > 0:16:09that two of Britain's Olympic superstars live around here.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Charlotte Dujardin and the stunning Valegro
0:16:17 > 0:16:20claimed gold twice at London 2012.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23They pranced into the history books with the highest-ever points
0:16:23 > 0:16:26in the individual competition
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and played their part in Team GB's first Olympic dressage gold.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34And this is him, the famous Valegro.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It's the first time I've ever met an Olympic double gold medallist.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39He seems quite friendly.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Later, Charlotte is going to be putting Valegro through his paces,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47but first of all, I want to discover how you create a dressage horse like this.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52How do you spot and train and look after a potential world beater?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Top dressage horses are like athletes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58There's a whole team of people involved in their training,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00from grooms and farriers
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to nutritionists and physiotherapists,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06not forgetting fellow Olympic gold medallist and Charlotte's trainer,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Carl Hester.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13- Carl, Charlotte, lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you, too.- Hello.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And after all that Olympic glory, the reality of daily training again.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Yeah, back in the murky old arena. We have to produce horses,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23we have to think about the next Olympics,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26so here we are with a four-year-old horse, Charlotte's young horse,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30which is Johnny Cash, and of course one you might recognise, Utopia,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32my gold medal ride from the Olympics this year.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34And how do you compare the two?
0:17:34 > 0:17:39The interesting thing, when you look at these two horses, this one is obviously 11 years old.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41He's a finished product, grand prix horse,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and it's the muscle structure that's so different.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You can see how developed his neck is, how developed his hindquarters are,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and then of course we look at Charlotte's four-year-old horse Johnny Cash,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and we describe him like a beanpole, really,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00but he's just a skeleton, and at four years old, he's got a lot of developing to do.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04- He looks ready to go. Can we see him in action?- Of course you can.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Can you tell at the start whether he might or might not make it?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I'd like to foresee the future. It's not that easy.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17All we're looking at now is what is attitude's like, and his paces,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and he has three very good paces.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22He's a big, good-looking, impressive horse,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and he's nice and loose.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Dressage horses have been gymnastic and they have to be supple,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and he seems to have all the right qualities at this age.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's all very graceful, very balletic,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37but in fact, dressage can be traced back to classical Greece,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39where the cavalry trained their horses
0:18:39 > 0:18:44to perform movements that could be used in battle to evade or attack the enemy.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Today, it's a career for the horses as much as it is for the riders,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and keeping these four-legged athletes in shape
0:18:52 > 0:18:53is a full-time job,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57as stable manager Fiona Lawrence knows only too well.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00What is the daily routine, then?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Well, we all start at about half past six, and feed and hay the horses,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and then we'll start mucking out.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Carl and Charlotte will then start riding about eight o'clock,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and then it's constant riding until two.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14And once you've mucked them out and exercised them,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17it's time for a late lunch. For the horses, that is!
0:19:17 > 0:19:22- Who is this for?- That's for Barney. - Right. Back a bit, boy, that's it.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I'm going to put it in here.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31And when they've eaten, the horses are allowed to have some down time.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Quite literally.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37After lunch, normally the horses go out in the field after exercise,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40but because we've been flooded so badly, the fields are too wet,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43so they go on the walker to have another stretch of their legs.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- It's a bit like a fairground ride for horses, isn't it?- It is. OK.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Stopping...
0:19:48 > 0:19:53In we go...for a little walk. And how long will he be in here, Fiona?
0:19:53 > 0:19:5520 minutes.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Then the pace hots up.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It really is non stop. New shoes are being fitted.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Saddles have to be measured.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16There's warm-ups and warm-downs, but it doesn't end there.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Physiotherapist Marni Malgarin
0:20:18 > 0:20:23makes regular visits to keep the horses' muscles in tiptop condition.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28- Hello, Marni. What's going on here, then?- I'm treating Liebling today.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31He's having his regular physio treatment.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Basically, he's having an equine sports massage.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I think they work the hardest of all the disciplines.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41They have to take a lot of weight on their hind legs.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44You see them, when they work, physically,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47it's a very hard job for them, so we really need to look after them.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- It does look a bit like pampering. Is it?- No.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56They are top athletes and they can't do their job unless we help them.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Well, I'm amazed at what goes on here every day,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06to turn these horses into elite and very specialised athletes.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Talking of which, it's time we saw one of the very best in action.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Well, this is it, isn't it, the ultimate in dressage.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26This is the Olympic level.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29This is Valegro at his very best, and this is why,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32when you see him here, moving like this, why he won the gold.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And won the nation's hearts.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Well, Charlotte, what a year it's been for you two.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Yeah, I've had a fantastic year. I can't complain.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I get called "the girl off the dancing horse" now!
0:21:58 > 0:22:01It's not dressage any longer, it's the dancing horses!
0:22:01 > 0:22:03And what's next for you two?
0:22:03 > 0:22:07We are actually competing in a fortnight at a World Cup qualifier,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09so we obviously haven't had a run since the Olympics
0:22:09 > 0:22:11so it'll be very exciting.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14All eyes will be on you two there. Well, all the very best.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Thank you very much.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24At ten years old, Valegro is young for such a master of his art.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27He's the product of years of training and a whole team of people,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and, without them, the breathtaking harmony in his partnership
0:22:30 > 0:22:34with Charlotte just wouldn't be possible.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I'm at the National Arboretum in Westonbirt
0:22:44 > 0:22:49witnessing a spectacle so rare it only happens once every 20 years.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53One of the country's oldest small-leaved lime trees is being coppiced.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58But, fear not, these branches certainly won't go to waste.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59The inner bark, or the bast,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03is one of the most ancient materials known to man,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and these chaps really know how to get the best out of the bast.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12- Hello, Paul.- Hello, Julia. - Is this lime I see before me? - This is the lime you cut earlier.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- I'm harvesting the bast now. - This being the bast.- Yes.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20It has traditionally been a very, very important part of the woodland economy.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25This was harvested, and inner part of the bast was peeled
0:23:25 > 0:23:29and twisted into cord, and it was the earliest European textile.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- So it would have been used across the board in a whole range of products?- Yes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37So that the Iron-Age man, or Bronze-Age man they found up in the Alps,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40the scabbard for his knife was made of twisted lime bast.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45- Lime bast nets have been found, 6,000 years old, on a Danish boat. - Nets?- Lime bast nets, yes.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47The Vikings sewed their boats together with it,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50so it was this stuff that allowed the Vikings to discover America.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It just does peel straight off the log,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56so it would have been readily available and abundant and easy to use.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00We've got some of this that we've had sitting in a lake for a couple of weeks,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03so it's just started to rot - retting, they call it -
0:24:03 > 0:24:08and Matt is going to show you the bast we've had retting and the way in which it was twisted into cord.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Right, I'll go and see Matt. I'll leave you to strip that off. - All right.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Matt, Paul gets a nice fresh lime to work with
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and you get the rotten stuff.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Is that right?- Yes, that's right, Julia.- Is this it?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25We've got some stuff that's been retting for a couple of weeks here.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- Let's have a smell. - It is quite smelly and very slimy.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- Phwoar! That is pungent.- Yeah.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33But it has started to delaminate.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36It's a bacterial process. After four or six weeks,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38this is all flaking apart
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and there's lots and lots of layers,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42starting to become very thin,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and then they can be moved on to the next phase of the process.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- And this is the next phase?- That's the next phase.- Which is beautiful.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- This is dried and cleaned to a degree.- It's such a lovely feel.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- It's like a wooden ribbon. - It's very soft
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- and quite easy to work with, really. - It doesn't smell so bad now.- No.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- And it looks a bit nicer as well, doesn't it?- Yeah. That's lovely.
0:25:02 > 0:25:09The process for the making of cordage is then to cut or peel that down into thinner pieces.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12That's then twisted into cords of different sizes
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and then, through the process, that can be built up thicker and thicker
0:25:16 > 0:25:19to make stronger cords and ropes.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Makes you appreciate why the lime has been so important over the centuries.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Mind you, if it was left to me,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31I don't think that Viking boat would ever have made it to America.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Earlier, we heard how foreign diseases are killing our native trees.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42What can we do to save them? Here's Tom.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47The Government banned imports of ash trees at the end of October
0:25:47 > 0:25:51to try and stop the spread of ash dieback.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54For many, though, it was too little, too late,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and just days later,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59they announced the disease was here to stay.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03We can't get rid of it. And it's not alone.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07There are already dozens of lethal, non-native pests
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and tree diseases established in Britain,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14so what can we do to stop them spreading here on our home soil?
0:26:18 > 0:26:24The slopes of Upper Teesdale, shrouded in juniper.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Many of these precious native conifers are infected with
0:26:28 > 0:26:32another deadly disease - Phytophthora austrocedrae.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38Juniper is pretty rare, even without a disease making things worse,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and it can live to a ripe old age.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Some of these are probably 250 years old.
0:26:44 > 0:26:50So, it is a real shame that one of the only ways of containing it is to burn it.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's a distressing job for Martin Furness,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00who manages this precious reserve.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10It's a terrible shame, in a way, Martin, to be having to do this.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It is. I've spent years of my life down here,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16working to get juniper regenerating,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and then this disease comes along and it's like another nail in the coffin for juniper.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- Do you really feel it's essential, though?- I think it is.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27I think it's only way we can contain it. I don't think we'll get rid of the disease.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30If we can contain it and it doesn't spread any further than this, I'd be happy.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And how big a problem is it in the area we're in?
0:27:33 > 0:27:37It's over the whole site, which is probably about 13 hectares.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40We got probably thousands to cut out and burn and get rid of.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45What about looking to the future? Is there a hope that juniper could come back in this area?
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Well, one of the key ways that juniper regenerates
0:27:47 > 0:27:52is through disturbance, so this ground disturbance here might bring on some seedlings,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56but then they might just get nobbled by the disease again.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59There are a range of other measures, some of them less dramatic,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03aimed at limiting the reach of tree diseases like ash dieback.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08We can play our part, too.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11You might remember these disinfectant footbaths from Foot and Mouth.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Expect them to start appearing around some of our woodlands
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and forests, so make sure you use them.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Also, gardeners, burn your old, dead ash leaves.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29So there are some things we can all do to slow the spread of diseases,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32but what hope is there of getting rid of them altogether?
0:28:32 > 0:28:38Dr David Slawson and his team of scientists are trying to stay ahead of the game.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42This office-cum-laboratory is reacting to the latest threats.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Can you give an example of where you've been able to act quickly
0:28:45 > 0:28:47where something's already in the country?
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Quite a good example is, in the summer,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52when inspectors were looking at trees in Kent,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and we found an outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- which is a really nasty pest that we do not want in this country. - What does it do to trees?
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Basically, it chomps through them and they die. We found it, we took prompt action.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Fingers crossed, we hope we've eradicated it.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12But fungal diseases like ash dieback spread far more quickly than beetles.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Different tactics are needed.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19The answer could be making trees defend themselves.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23What we've seen in Europe is that some trees die of it
0:29:23 > 0:29:26and some look to be resistant or tolerant to it,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30- so the solution may come from the ash tree itself. - How difficult a job is that,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- to replace our existing ash trees with resilient...? - You are talking years.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It's not like you're breeding a wheat plant for resistance,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40which is much, much quicker. It is a long-term project.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54The warning may have sounded a little late,
0:29:54 > 0:29:59but ash dieback has definitely raised the alarm about diseases that
0:29:59 > 0:30:03are already in this country and those that are waiting on our borders.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08The question is, will we be able to tighten up our import rules
0:30:08 > 0:30:10or improve our science
0:30:10 > 0:30:14so that more of our trees don't end up on the funeral pyre?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Back in Westonbirt,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30the coppicing of the small-leaved lime is well underway.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34But there's plenty more winter maintenance to be done.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I'm meeting up again with curator Mark Ballard,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39and he's come equipped with a rubber hammer.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Mark, you're the expert, but I'm going to tell you,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46you're definitely not going to find a reflex in this tree.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48This, believe it or not,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52is a really important tool in our annual tree inspection programme.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54What are you listening for?
0:30:54 > 0:30:57We're listening for cavities, for any hollow sounds,
0:30:57 > 0:31:03because, at this time of year, we'll see lots of fruiting bodies.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07This is a fungus. It is called Pholiota squarrosa.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11What it does, it affects the buttress roots and attacks the stem,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- and eventually it can cause tree failure.- Really?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16So we're just trying to assess
0:31:16 > 0:31:20with a simple hammer what's actually going on inside the tree.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- How stable it still is. - And what are you hearing?
0:31:22 > 0:31:25This one sounds OK, to be honest, so I think we're OK for now.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28We can just monitor this tree. However,
0:31:28 > 0:31:33- we can walk this way, and this is also an eastern hemlock.- Mm-hm.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- DULL THUDS You can hear that.- Yeah.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42This is obviously where the decay is much more advanced.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45If we come to the back, and if you tap on the opposite side,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48just here, again you can hear that.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50What's going to happen to this baby?
0:31:50 > 0:31:53It's at a much more advanced stage, unfortunately,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56than its friend over there, so this particular tree I think we need to remove.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00And how does this relate to, say, the ash dieback story?
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Trees are like us. They succumb to various diseases and decays,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and most of them we're aware of,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and they're like Nature's clean-up agents.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Ash dieback is a different thing altogether.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15It's like an epidemic which could wipe out a particular species,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19which is native, so that's much more worrying.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21These are just things we find year on year,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23and we manage them accordingly.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Talking of management,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32the team has been cutting back the ancient small-leaved lime all day.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Now it's the big moment - time to see the results.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- What do you think? - It's fantastic, really.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46We've had the courage of our convictions,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and it's history before our very eyes.
0:32:48 > 0:32:54Hopefully, this cycle will continue, and hopefully, we've done this tree a favour
0:32:54 > 0:32:57and it will sprout in the spring. Fingers crossed.
0:32:57 > 0:33:03- These invigorated stems will rise up...- They will! - ..more powerful than ever.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06The phoenix from the flames.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13An hour down the road on his Cotswolds farm,
0:33:13 > 0:33:18Adam manages 1,600 acres, and right now, he's keen to see how the latest edition
0:33:18 > 0:33:21to his hard-working team is getting on.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33My day starts like many others - a quick breakfast, a cup of tea,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37the house pets get their breakfast, and it's off to work I go.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It's only a short commute for me to get to work - out of the house,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45straight into the farmyard, and the farm office is just across here.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50- In here is my business partner, Duncan. Morning, Dunc.- Morning, Adam. - He's doing all the paperwork,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and I spend quite a lot of time sat behind a desk too,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57but what I really enjoy is being out on the farm with the animals.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09My working dogs are an important part of the team,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12and there's always work for them to do out in the field.
0:34:12 > 0:34:17I've got about 2,000 sheep. These are my Herdwicks, with the new ram that has come down from the Lake District.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20It feels like the Lake District today, it's raining so much.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23We've got about 100 cattle, we've got pigs, goats, horses,
0:34:23 > 0:34:27chickens and around 1,000 acres of arable.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30There's an awful lot going on. I've got a lot on my plate.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Trying to keep on top of this mammoth task is something I couldn't possibly do on my own,
0:34:37 > 0:34:42which is why we have three arable and two livestock staff.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Back in the summer, I employed a new member of staff to work with the livestock.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48I'm just heading to see how he's getting on.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51David grew up on a traditional family farm in Devon,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54so I'm interested to see how he's getting on with all my rare breeds.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59- Hi, David.- All right? - How's it going?- Yeah, not too bad.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- They've grown well, these ewe lambs, haven't they?- They have.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05They've had a bit of lameness, I'm worming them now.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- How are you enjoying being on the farm?- Yeah, it's good. I'm learning a lot.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- Hopefully I know all my different breeds now!- Yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13So, go on, then, tell me some breeds.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19- There's a Norfolk, Cotswold and it's a Dartmoor at the back. - Very good. You know them all!
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- Hopefully! Getting there. - And how's the rugby coming on? Have you started playing?
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Not this season, but hopefully next season, I'll be back playing again.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- It's good to get the work-life balance right.- Yeah.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34- As long as you don't go hurt yourself!- No!- I'll let some more in for you.- All right.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Sheep can suffer from stomach worms, so what we do is,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41we take a dung sample, look at it under the microscope
0:35:41 > 0:35:45and then you can work out what worm eggs they've got inside their gut,
0:35:45 > 0:35:47and then we use the right chemical to kill it,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51so David's what's known as drenching - puts the pipe inside the sheep's mouth,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54squirts the wormer down their throat, they swallow it,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58it goes into their gut and kills the worms in their stomachs.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And then they'll grow on much better.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Otherwise, the worms can affect their growth rates and make them ill.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08But that should work well. I'll leave you to treat those lame lambs.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Catch you later. Cheers.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Employing the right staff on the farm is absolutely essential,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16and then hanging onto the good ones once you've got them,
0:36:16 > 0:36:21and David's got some great skills and he's a quick learner. I'm really pleased we've got him.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33On my farm, to keep an eye on my sheep, to make sure they're OK,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I just drive around the fields and round them up with a sheepdog,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38but over in the Forest of Dean,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41where the commoners allow their sheep to roam around
0:36:41 > 0:36:43in thousands of acres of woodland,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I don't know how they keep track of them,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49so I'm heading over there now to find out more.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Grazing animals here on the open forest is an ancient rite.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01It's a tradition that still remains today.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04I've come to meet Mick Holder.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08He's secretary of the Forest of Dean Commoners' Association,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12so there's not much he doesn't know about keeping sheep on common land.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14So, how many sheep have you got?
0:37:14 > 0:37:17We've got about 2,000 sheep in the forest at the moment.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20- So quite a lot?- Yes, yes.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24So what sort of range have the sheep got? How big is the forest?
0:37:24 > 0:37:28We've got 11,000 acres, really, that they can go wherever they want to.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31This is a lovely setting here, with the sheep and forest behind.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Who is this gentleman working with the sheep now?- Gilbert Morris.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39What Gilbert is trying to do is reintroducing this small bunch of sheep back to the forest.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44He is using the hefting pen, and he shuts the sheep in in the evening time,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47comes in the day time and lets them out, and gradually
0:37:47 > 0:37:51allows them to roam further and further away from the pen, as days progress.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56So, hefting is really the knowledge of the sheep in the forest,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58so they know where to go to find water and shelter and food?
0:37:58 > 0:38:03- It's getting the sheep used to the area.- I might go and have a chat with him.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Thank you very much. Good to see you. - Good to see you, sir.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- Hello, Gilbert.- Good morning, Adam.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14- A nice little flock of sheep you've got here. - Yes, it's not too bad at all.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18- So, what breeds of sheep have you got?- A few Badgers and a few Suffolks.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23Do you need a specific type of sheep to be able to manage them in the forest?
0:38:23 > 0:38:29You can't bring anything into the forest. They've got to be hardy breeds, you know?
0:38:29 > 0:38:33- I see you got a few more over here. - Yes, there's a few just out there.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38- Shall we go and see if we can call them in?- We can call them from here, I expect.- Really?- Yeah.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- They recognise your voice, do they?- Yeah. ..Come on.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47- Come on!- They're looking up now, yeah. Here they come.- Come on!
0:38:47 > 0:38:48You've got a good yell on you.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50THEY CHUCKLE
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Are there many people that know how to do this?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55We're getting very few on the ground now.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00- So you need to be teaching the next generation?- Well, I try my best.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01Try my best!
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Bev Turpin West is certainly passing on her knowledge.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Her children are keen to learn how to heft, to keep the tradition going.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Hello, ladies.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- Hello.- Hello.- How have you learned the art of this kind of shepherding?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Because it's very different to what I do.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28I learned to lamb on an old man's farm up the road,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31and I used to help him. That's where I learned about sheep.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35You then helped him when I went out to work.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39And then we got our own flock. And you learn your own flock and sheep.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Learning stories about the forest, and the old traditions,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- and then you adapt them to your own situation. - So, what do you use them for?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49We tend to keep them on for mutton.
0:39:49 > 0:39:55We also keep them for fleeces and also, we get the skins cured.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57- It's a good little industry, really.- Yes.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00So what you want to do with these sheep now, then?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03We're going to take them round and take them into the pen,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08- so if you'd like to give us a hand, that'd be brilliant.- Great.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- BAG RATTLES - Come on!
0:40:15 > 0:40:20Not everyone living in and around the Forest of Dean like having sheep on their doorstep,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24because they see them as a nuisance, so it's important
0:40:24 > 0:40:28they're kept within the forest and away from houses and roads.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Come on, then.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- Well, that was quite easy, wasn't it?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39This pen is to re-heft the sheep, so they come here
0:40:39 > 0:40:46and this is their place, rather than around the houses in the rest of the hamlet.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48They're going to eat their feed now.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52They'll all lie down, have a sleep, and first thing in the morning,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55they'll be let out again and they should spend the day grazing.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00Well, it's been a great pleasure to come and see you working in this way,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02and I'll go back to my boring fields!
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- Nice to see you! Bye, girls.- Bye!
0:41:11 > 0:41:17Next week, I'm back on the farm getting some of my animals ready for the winter.
0:41:27 > 0:41:33JOHN: Julia is exploring the beautiful parkland of our National Arboretum at Westonbirt,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36but I've come to a very different place.
0:41:36 > 0:41:42Over the border in Wiltshire, the wooded views give way to wide valleys and open chalk hills.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47This countryside was home to some of our earliest ancestors.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Back then, Stonehenge and Avebury
0:41:51 > 0:41:54were centrepieces of prehistoric life.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59The chalky soil makes farming rather difficult around here,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01but one rather exclusive crop is thriving.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Believe it or not, wild truffles are growing in abundance
0:42:05 > 0:42:09somewhere around here, and I'm on the hunt to find them.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15On the continent, the cousins of these British truffles change hands for thousands of pounds a kilo.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20Here, it's more like £400, but they've never been so highly prized.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23They're a kind of fungi,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and were plentiful in our woodlands a few hundred years ago.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28But, as our landscape changed,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32the truffle, like the wild boar that helps spread them around,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34began to disappear.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39They're considered by some to be just as delicious as
0:42:39 > 0:42:42their French or Italian counterparts,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and in this country, even rarer.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But in recent years, there's a top-secret location that's been
0:42:48 > 0:42:52consistently turning out kilo after kilo of this black gold.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57To protect his treasure, the farmer needs to hide his identity,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01so instead, I'm meeting someone a little less reclusive.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Roger Phillips is an expert in mushrooms,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09and it was he who identified the first truffle found here.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- Roger!- John.- Where are these truffles, then?
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Well, I'm going to blindfold you,
0:43:14 > 0:43:19- because we mustn't let anyone know where we're going!- THAT secret?
0:43:19 > 0:43:21It's that secret, yeah.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Right, well, this is going to be intriguing.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27OK, I am going to do the camera as well.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Well, the camera's obviously not allowed to see where we are going.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32He can't see! Let's go.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36- Off with the blindfold.- Right. - Yep.- Well...
0:43:36 > 0:43:39- Fantastic.- Well...obviously in a wood.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41In a wood, yes. A very young wood.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44So do they actually grow on trees or around trees?
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Well, they don't grow ON trees but they grow in association with trees.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50They are symbiotic with the trees.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Without the truffles, the trees wouldn't grow.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Because we've got hazels here. Do they like hazels?
0:43:55 > 0:43:58They like hazel and they like beech.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02And how come that this particular little wood is a truffle...trove?
0:44:03 > 0:44:10It's because the land is dreadful and the truffles supply water
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and minerals to the trees and help them grow on very poor soil.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I'd only ever found one meagre, horrible,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20dried-up truffle before in my life.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22- In England?- And I came down here... In England, yes.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24And how many did you find here?
0:44:24 > 0:44:28I went out with the farmer and we collected, I don't know,
0:44:28 > 0:44:32maybe 25 or something like that. I was out of my mind!
0:44:32 > 0:44:36Well, you've won me over with your enthusiasm for the truffle.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39What I need to do now is to try and go and find one somewhere here,
0:44:39 > 0:44:40but I might need some help.
0:44:42 > 0:44:47'Traditionally, female pigs were the truffle hunter's faithful friends.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50'The scent of a mature truffle is similar to that of a male pig,
0:44:50 > 0:44:54'so when the female sniffs one out she becomes excited
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'and roots around for the truffle.'
0:44:57 > 0:45:00The trouble is, unless the hunter is quick off the mark, the pig
0:45:00 > 0:45:03will eat the truffle before it even sees the light of day.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05'And for this reason dogs are now
0:45:05 > 0:45:08'the truffle hunter's companion of choice.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13'This is Valentino, a specially bred Italian truffle hound.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15'He hunts with Tom Lywood,
0:45:15 > 0:45:19'following in the hectic footsteps of truffle hunters of old.'
0:45:19 > 0:45:20Good boy, good boy.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'And it's not long before Valentino's supersensitive nose
0:45:23 > 0:45:27'sniffs out some secretive delights.'
0:45:27 > 0:45:29- Good boy, good boy.- Found one?
0:45:29 > 0:45:31This is a great truffle. This is your winter truffle.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33- Strong smell.- Yeah, it's not about size,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36it's really about the quality of the truffle.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38And I think 100 years ago they were nothing special.
0:45:38 > 0:45:39They were ordinary food
0:45:39 > 0:45:43and they came from the great sort of craft of the woodland industry,
0:45:43 > 0:45:44which has gone.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47- Find another one now!- OK, let's go.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49Good boy, Tino.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Good boy, good boy.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54- This is quite amazing. Truffles are everywhere!- Yes.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- They're growing like turnips. - Yes, like turnips.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58This is unusual, because it's a young wood.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01There are a lot more places in England where the truffle exists,
0:46:01 > 0:46:03and there's a lot of...
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Good boy, good boy, good boy.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08And there's a lot of work you can do to bring them back.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11'If you want truffles to flourish, you need chalky,
0:46:11 > 0:46:15'alkaline-heavy soil and well-managed woods like this one.'
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Good boy, good boy. Tino. Tino, hup, hup.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20'We've gathered quite a haul in no time at all.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22'But that's only half the story.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24'Zach Frost is the farmer's right-hand man
0:46:24 > 0:46:29'and, as well as hunting truffles, he also takes care of the business.'
0:46:29 > 0:46:32And here you've got some drying out on a towel.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- Very much a cottage industry, this. - Indeed, or a shed industry.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38As you can see, we take them from the wood into this shed,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41where they're dried for about four hours and then packed
0:46:41 > 0:46:44into padded bags and sent off to chefs around the country.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47You can see we've got some great big ones at the back there.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50These are probably 100 grams or so.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52We find them up to 600 grams on the farm.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55So how much would all of this be worth, then?
0:46:55 > 0:47:01- Truffles from Italy are selling for up to £4,000 a kilo this year.- Wow.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04That kind of price, anyway, and these are perhaps a 10th, if that.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07The crucial thing is that this wood was never planted
0:47:07 > 0:47:08as a commercial venture.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12It was a complete happy accident, and so the money
0:47:12 > 0:47:15side of things has never been the driving force behind the project.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18It's been a nice little bonus, if such a wonderful hobby can
0:47:18 > 0:47:22bring in some extra money on the side as well.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Whatever it was that brought the truffles here,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28this place has provided the perfect home for them.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31And in a time when our native trees are under threat
0:47:31 > 0:47:35here's a healthy new wood giving birth to an ancient delicacy.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39And from one treasure to another.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42The BBC Countryfile Calendar for 2013,
0:47:42 > 0:47:46which is now well on its way to raising at least £1 million
0:47:46 > 0:47:49for BBC Children In Need. It makes a great Christmas present
0:47:49 > 0:47:53and if you'd like to buy one here's how you do it.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57You can order a copy right now, either on our website...
0:47:57 > 0:48:01or by calling the order line, on...
0:48:15 > 0:48:19To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to...
0:48:27 > 0:48:31Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33The calendar costs £9
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and at least £4 of that goes to Children In Need.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38In a moment, Julia's going to be finding out
0:48:38 > 0:48:41why British truffles are taking the Continent by storm.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45But first here's the Countryfile weather forecast for the weekend.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13I've left the glorious parkland of Westonbirt behind
0:51:13 > 0:51:15and crossed the border into Wiltshire
0:51:15 > 0:51:19to gather the fruits of a very different kind of woodland.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24They're odorous, they're underground and they're here.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Top-quality British truffles.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31I'm expecting a delivery from John at any moment.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34This year our British truffles are giving our Continental cousins
0:51:34 > 0:51:36a real run for their money. Why?
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Well, where better to find out than a Michelin-starred country pub?
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Alfredo Romani is a London truffle dealer,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47who for the first time this year has been supplying
0:51:47 > 0:51:50the capital's top restaurants with British truffles.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Alfredo, hello. Nice to see you.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57- This is a very expensive table in front of us.- It is!
0:51:57 > 0:51:59What do you think of British truffles?
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Well, I never seen them before,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04so I was quite surprised to see how good they were.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08And why do you think it's been such a good year for British truffles?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11One is the weather. But it's not just that one.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14I think that the people are realise that there are
0:52:14 > 0:52:16so many truffles in your soil.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20- That they're finding them!- Exactly. They concentrate to find them.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23What is the difference between them, then? We've got...
0:52:23 > 0:52:27These are Italian black truffles, these are British black truffles.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31If you see inside, the Italian is lighter in colour.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35- But if you smell them...- Yeah.- Sniff. - Oh, I love that smell. Yeah.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37I hope you love this one as well.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40I don't think you can smell much difference between the two.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44- No, not at all.- Because actually it's the same variety.- Mm-hm.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48So sometime the acidity of the soil makes some
0:52:48 > 0:52:50difference in the flavour and smell,
0:52:50 > 0:52:52but the difference is really, really...
0:52:52 > 0:52:57- Very subtle.- Exactly. You not even say which one is from where.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59So if I did a taste test with you
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and gave you a bit of this truffle and a bit of that
0:53:01 > 0:53:03you might not know which one was the Italian?
0:53:03 > 0:53:06- I will.- You will! OK. - No, not necessarily.
0:53:06 > 0:53:12Let's talk about the money. How much...is that worth, for example?
0:53:12 > 0:53:13£50, £60.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15It depends on the availability,
0:53:15 > 0:53:19because every week on the truffle market the price could go up or down.
0:53:19 > 0:53:24- Like gold.- More or less, exactly. It works in the same...same way.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Well, it's been lovely talking to you,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- and I'll just look after those for you.- OK, thank you!
0:53:34 > 0:53:36They may not be the prettiest things on the menu
0:53:36 > 0:53:39but they've got to be the most opulent.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42They've graced the dining tables of the rich and famous
0:53:42 > 0:53:43since the dawn of time.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47The Egyptians apparently liked them coated in goose fat.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51And the Romans liked them smothered in a fermented fish sauce. Lovely.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55They first appeared in British dishes in the 18th-century
0:53:55 > 0:53:56and the wonderful Mrs Beeton
0:53:56 > 0:53:59had a couple of very lovely truffley recipes.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04This one is with Champagne, slices of fat bacon and mace,
0:54:04 > 0:54:08and there's another one here with spoonfuls of good brown gravy.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11I think I prefer the Champagne, Mrs B.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Michelin-starred chef Guy Manning is going to show me
0:54:20 > 0:54:23how best to appreciate these prized delicacies.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27- Hi, Guy.- Hi.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Right, so I'm here as your sous chef,
0:54:30 > 0:54:32and I have never cleaned a truffle before.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34I've no idea how you do it. I guess it's like mushrooms.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It's fairly straightforward.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39You can be slightly more aggressive with them than mushrooms,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42because actually what we want to do is remove all of this dirt.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45They're not as fragile as a mushroom,
0:54:45 > 0:54:48that will very easily bruise or break up, so we're going to
0:54:48 > 0:54:52take our nail brushes, which work very, very well.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- No nails have been cleaned with these!- No, virgin nail brushes.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57- And just dip it in your water.- Right.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02- And give it a little scrub.- There we go.- And they end up very nicely.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05- There we go, how have I done? - Looks immaculate.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- You're hired.- Excellent.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11So I'm loving the thought of Champagne and truffles,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14and of course it's just such a magical combination, isn't it?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- It is, it works together very well, yep.- We've got English truffles.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21- How about English champers? - Sounds like a marvellous idea.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24'Pink bubbles combine with onion, carrot and bacon.'
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- That is sturdy bacon. - I like my bacon chunky.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31'Then pop the truffles into the posh poaching liquor for an hour.'
0:55:36 > 0:55:38That is...
0:55:38 > 0:55:41absolutely delicious, and it's such a unique
0:55:41 > 0:55:43texture and flavour, isn't it?
0:55:43 > 0:55:45It is, yeah, very decadent.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51John's coming for dinner and, after all that snuffling in the woods,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54he deserves something a bit more substantial.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Guy's signature dish,
0:55:56 > 0:56:00a freshly made pasta with Parmesan and British black truffle.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- Mr C.- Oh, what have you got there?
0:56:07 > 0:56:10- Well, you've been working very hard in the outdoors.- I have.
0:56:10 > 0:56:14- This is a beautiful fresh taglialini pasta.- Mmm!
0:56:14 > 0:56:18But as you are a very special person I'm going to follow
0:56:18 > 0:56:20the custom of Italy.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23In Italy, if you're a celebrity, a politician, a king, a queen,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26whatever you might be, then you're presented with a truffle as well.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- A whole truffle?- This year Obama got a truffle.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32So we're on a budget, I'm giving you a slice of truffle.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Oh, just a slice, right!
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Because they say it adds to the flavour of whatever you're eating.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40- Oh!- Oh.- Two.- Two and a bit there.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- Three.- Three.- Four. That's your lot.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46- Ahh, fantastic.- Taste away. - Thank you very much.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- It's beautiful. - Isn't that incredible?
0:56:48 > 0:56:51And the truffle does sort of... explode the flavour.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54- Worth all that snuffling? - Wonderful. Mm-hm.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55I'll say goodbye.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Next week we're going to be along the Norfolk coastline,
0:56:59 > 0:57:01witnessing one of nature's most spectacular events,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04involving tens of thousands of beautiful birds.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06And we'll be discovering what happens
0:57:06 > 0:57:07to some of the money that you raise
0:57:07 > 0:57:09when you buy the Countryfile
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Calendar in aid of Children In Need.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15- Go on, then, just that little bit. - Have a little bit, yeah. Bye.- Oh!
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd