0:00:26 > 0:00:29Surrey, just a stone's throw from London,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33but a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38We owe much of our thanks for this green and pleasant landscape
0:00:38 > 0:00:41to a quiet and unassuming local man.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Sir Robert Hunter may have shunned the limelight, but he was
0:00:44 > 0:00:48one of the guiding lights in the formation of the National Trust.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51And I'll be discovering more about this man who helped
0:00:51 > 0:00:53to safeguard the English landscape.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Surrey and horse riding have always gone hand in hand.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Thousands of riders take to its bridleways each weekend.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And I'll be at a school making it possible for everybody to get out
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and enjoy horse riding in the countryside.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12I'll be chatting to the folk who say this place has made a real difference
0:01:12 > 0:01:15to their lives, and I'll be conquering a fear of my own.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20But what about fears for the future of the countryside?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Tom's on a mission.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25In 2012, David Cameron told Countryfile
0:01:25 > 0:01:28he was going to make it easier for local communities to stop
0:01:28 > 0:01:32big housing estates being plonked right next to their village.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Two years on, has the Prime Minister kept his promise?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38I'll be investigating.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39And Adam's in good company.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44These lovely ladies are Leicester Longwools.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48With less than 500 of them in the country, they're a very rare breed.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51They look a little bit similar to the Cotswolds I keep back home,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and I'm meeting up with a farmer whose family have been breeding
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Leicester Longwools for seven generations.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Wintry woodlands, fields and wild heath.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11London in the distance to the North.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12This is Surrey.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I'm going to be exploring the South West of the county,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17around the village of Hindhead.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Under a golden sun spreads a gentle expanse of heathland.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29But step back 250 years, and the mood here was very different.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35A dangerous highway cut through a barren hillside -
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the main route connecting the capital to Portsmouth.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Here, the highway climbed to 800 feet,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49crossing over a bleak common known as the Devil's Punchbowl.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53The steep climb through this stark landscape became notorious.
0:02:53 > 0:02:59In 1786, a lone sailor was murdered as he travelled along this route.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01His identity was never discovered,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05but the three villains who were responsible were caught and hanged.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10This stone has stood here since, in the sailor's memory
0:03:10 > 0:03:11and, for decades after,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14the highway's notorious reputation remained.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21In 1859, things changed.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23TRAIN WHISTLES
0:03:23 > 0:03:24The railway arrived.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It opened up to everyone the beauty of the once infamous
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Wild West of Surrey, and Hindhead began to grow.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37The quality of the air was one of the reasons why people moved here.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40It was said to be similar to that of the Alps, and it certainly
0:03:40 > 0:03:45attracted one very famous local resident with a very ill wife.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It was 1895.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Louise Doyle had suffered from tuberculosis for two years,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56when her husband heard of the supposed healing power
0:03:56 > 0:03:58of Hindhead's clear air.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'I acted promptly.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04'For I rushed down to Hindhead, bought an admirable plot of land.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07'The thought of it renewed hope for the sufferer.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:09And the man's name?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16The creator of Sherlock Holmes moved to Hindhead with his family,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and this is the home he had built, and called Undershaw.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Property consultant Damon Lidbury is showing me round.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Thank you very much.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The once-impressive house has seen better days.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33It is a pretty sorry state now, isn't it?
0:04:33 > 0:04:34It is, unfortunately.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37It's been empty since 2004.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40But there's still evidence
0:04:40 > 0:04:43of its years as the Conan Doyle family home.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48We've got the stained glass windows here, which are pretty much
0:04:48 > 0:04:51floor-to-ceiling, the majority are from his family.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55The stairs were designed with a shallow step to make it easier
0:04:55 > 0:04:57for Louise to get around the house.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04And upstairs, in Conan Doyle's bedroom,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08there's a chance to see again why he chose this setting.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20Ah! What a view that is, isn't it? You can just about see for ever.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Conan Doyle hoped the fresh air and sheltered location would do Louise
0:05:26 > 0:05:30the world of good, and provide him with a quiet place to write.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34'If we could have ordered Nature to construct a spot for us,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36'we could not have hit upon anything more perfect.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:42But sadly, perfect as it seemed, in 1906,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Louise died and the family left Undershaw.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Now, the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Heritage Centre is hoping to buy it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Marek Ujma is one of the founders.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Did Conan Doyle write anything in this house?- Yes, he did.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59He brought back Sherlock Holmes from the dead.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02After he had killed him off at the Reichenbach Falls in that
0:06:02 > 0:06:06famous fall with Moriarty.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09And he was brought back because of public demand and also,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12by the way, his mother thought it was a good idea.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13What's the best-known one that he wrote here?
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Oh, The Hound Of The Baskervilles. Probably everybody knows that one.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22And it could well be that the common land surrounding his Surrey home
0:06:22 > 0:06:26helped fuel his imagination for that great work of fiction.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'A steep curve of heath-clad land.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33'An outlying spur of the moor lay in front of us.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:36So he's very much got his imprint in this house.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- It's sad to see it in a state like this, isn't it?- It is.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43The hope is to restore the building
0:06:43 > 0:06:44to how it was in the Conan Doyle days,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48so visitors can get a glimpse of the writer's life here.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54- How much do you need to raise?- Our total budget is about £3.5 million.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Creating a heritage centre will enable us to tell the story of him,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01his family, his association with Sherlock Holmes.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the creator of one of the greatest
0:07:05 > 0:07:08characters in fiction, and he's known throughout the world.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Well, you can't put it any clearer than that. Elementary!
0:07:15 > 0:07:19When Conan Doyle built this once attractive house
0:07:19 > 0:07:20more than a century ago,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23it's safe to say that planning rules were much looser.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Today, what you can or can't build in the countryside
0:07:26 > 0:07:29is a constant source of controversy.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34But have new planning rules help to safeguard our rural landscape?
0:07:34 > 0:07:35Here's Tom.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Housing and where to put it is a hot topic,
0:07:42 > 0:07:47not just amongst local communities but also with the people in power.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Two years ago, the government was preparing to introduce new rules
0:07:53 > 0:07:56to make planning decisions simpler.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59At the time, some feared it would open up the countryside
0:07:59 > 0:08:02to developers, but David Cameron assured Countryfile
0:08:02 > 0:08:07that it would give more power to rural communities.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Our reforms will make it easier for communities to say,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15"We're not going to have the big plonking housing estate
0:08:15 > 0:08:16"landing next to the village,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19"but we would like 10, 20, 30 extra houses,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21"and we'd like them built in this way.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23"We'd like them to be for local people."
0:08:23 > 0:08:27But did the Prime Minister's reforms deliver?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Hook Norton in Oxfordshire is
0:08:30 > 0:08:33a 1,000-year-old village with real charm.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Its traditional brewery is said to be a favourite of David Cameron's.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40You can see why people want to live here,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43but also understand why some residents might object to
0:08:43 > 0:08:47the idea of new housing estates being plonked down from above.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But they say that's exactly what's going to happen here.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55More than 2,000 people live in Hook Norton,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and they're a vocal community.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01When plans were submitted to build 70 new houses on a greenfield site,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04nine out of ten people were opposed.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09- It's a fine little church, here. - Yeah, it was built in 922.- 922?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Yeah, absolutely, so it's very old.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Emma Kane is the chairman of the parish council.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19So, Emma, tell me the story of what's happened here.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Well, we're facing two developments, one at Stanton Engineering,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and one at Bourne Lane.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Bourne Lane is greenfield, and we opposed it vehemently.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Stanton Engineering was brownfield and, we're not NIMBYs,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34we accept that there's a need for housing in the village.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36That's 37 houses.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38The parish council said yes to that.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40The district council said yes to that.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42And then we thought we would have fulfilled our quota.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43You thought you'd done your bit
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- with the Brownfield site. - Absolutely, totally.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So, despite supporting the development of new houses
0:09:48 > 0:09:52on a brownfield site, 70 more homes are going to be built
0:09:52 > 0:09:56on a greenfield site in the village as well.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59We've not been listened to in opposing the greenfield site at all.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02David Cameron said that new housing developments would not be
0:10:02 > 0:10:04plonked down on the side of villages where they didn't want them.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06That's exactly what's happened here.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Are there some particular reasons why
0:10:08 > 0:10:11you think that the bigger sites shouldn't go ahead on a greenfield?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's greenfield, for a kick-off, it's 70 houses, which is a lot
0:10:14 > 0:10:17to land on a village at one go.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20The infrastructure, you know from the journey here
0:10:20 > 0:10:21that the roads aren't great.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24It's a lot more traffic in and out of the village.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25The school is already full.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27There's things like water pressure, broadband.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29None of these are great and they're going to be
0:10:29 > 0:10:32under increased pressure with these houses.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The district council rejected the greenfield application,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38but it's still going ahead.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40How did this happen?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Well, in March 2012,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46the Coalition introduced the new National Planning Policy Framework.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51It replaced around 1,000 pages of planning guidance with about 50.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And one of its aims was to kick-start the building industry.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56And, to make that happen,
0:10:56 > 0:11:02it included a new presumption in favour of sustainable development.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Under this new framework, by March 2013,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10every local planning authority in England had to have adopted
0:11:10 > 0:11:15a local plan and what's called a five-year housing land supply.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20But Hook Norton didn't have these in place in time.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- So, I understand the proposed site is just here is it?- That's right, yes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Councillor Michael Gibbard is the lead member for planning
0:11:27 > 0:11:28on Cherwell District Council.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32As the local council have turned this down, how come it's going ahead?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Because it has been won at appeal.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The Government inspector has allowed this site,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41mainly on the basis, not for good planning reasons,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44but because this district council, this planning authority
0:11:44 > 0:11:48does not have what is called a five-year housing supply.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52But isn't it the problem that this plan hasn't been totally approved,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and because you haven't done it in time,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56the developers can do what they like?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58That is one of the problems, yes.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The plan has not been examined in public yet.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Cherwell is not alone.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06We have learned that 49%
0:12:06 > 0:12:09of local councils across England
0:12:09 > 0:12:10still do not have
0:12:10 > 0:12:11an adopted local plan,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15leaving them all vulnerable to unwanted developments.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18So, are councils dragging their feet or were they
0:12:18 > 0:12:22simply set an almost impossible task?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25We spoke to the Campaign For The Protection Of Rural England,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29who told us that developing high quality, local plans takes time
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and the government are not giving them a fair deal.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Many of the things that cause delays are beyond their control.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So, is the new system working or not?
0:12:40 > 0:12:44The government's Planning Minister is Nick Boles.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It is quite a complicated thing putting in a plan.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49You have to consult with local people,
0:12:49 > 0:12:50you have to amass all the evidence
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and you have to work out where you are going to let development happen.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57That is not something that can take place in a matter of weeks.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But the progress that has been made is much faster in the last
0:13:00 > 0:13:03three years than under any other previous planning system,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05so I think it is working but it's just taking some time.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Takes the power out of the hands of local people.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- How does that square with localism? - No, localism...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14You achieve it by having a local plan and a huge number of local
0:13:14 > 0:13:17authorities have done it, and I don't hear a peep out of any of them
0:13:17 > 0:13:20because they are getting to make all of the decisions.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24The people who I am afraid feel let down are those communities whose
0:13:24 > 0:13:27local authorities haven't got the local plan in place yet
0:13:27 > 0:13:31and we're trying to do everything we can to help them do that.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34But wherever the fault lies, with almost half of all councils
0:13:34 > 0:13:38yet to have their plans adopted, large swathes of rural England
0:13:38 > 0:13:41are currently vulnerable to unwanted development.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Unfortunately, tussles over local plans are not
0:13:45 > 0:13:48the only problem facing the countryside when it comes
0:13:48 > 0:13:52to the thorny issue of planning, as I will be investigating later.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Look closely.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04The smooth lines...
0:14:04 > 0:14:07the sure detail...
0:14:07 > 0:14:09the sheer craft.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14A recognisable form, 16 feet high,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17dominating the skyline in this part of the Surrey Hills.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's only when you get up close,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27you realise just how imposing this is
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and how life-like.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I mean, the eyes in particular.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36You sort of touch it, expecting to feel warm flesh,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38rather than cold lead.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I must admit, it does leave me feeling a little uneasy.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Horses and I have a chequered past and sometimes
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I wonder if I will ever get in the saddle again.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58I love horses but if I'm honest, I have completely avoided them
0:14:58 > 0:15:00most of my adult life.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I want to refind my passion for them and I suspect that the sculptor
0:15:05 > 0:15:08of this piece is just the guy to help me do that.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15I am off to meet Nic Fiddian Green, world-renowned horse sculptor
0:15:15 > 0:15:17and thorough horse fanatic.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Big heads, little heads,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25clay heads, marble heads.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Nic's studio is full of them.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Nic, you clearly love horses.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35What is it about horses that makes you want to sculpt and recreate them?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I think really, the starting point was... Lost art student
0:15:38 > 0:15:41at Chelsea, on a foundation course
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and we were sent to the British Museum for a day, to find something.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I came upon the great room of the Elgin marbles and there,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52at the far end of the room, confronting me,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54was a fragmented horse's head.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57It struck me as one of the most beautiful objects I had ever seen.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01That was over 30 years ago. You've been making horses heads ever since.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Why do you keep making horses?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07It's inspired by the Greeks, a sense of balance and proportion.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10For me, it's all weighed up in the head.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So I'm constantly, in a sense, redrawing it,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17reworking the line and the form.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25His studio sits at the heart of a 1,000-acre estate and pretty
0:16:25 > 0:16:29well everywhere you turn, there is evidence of the love of horses.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Now I remember why we were friends. Yeah.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The smell of a stable block is like nowhere else on earth.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I'm immediately transported.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I think Nic's partner, Henrietta, feels it too.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- You grew up with horses, didn't you?- Yeah.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47What is it about horses then that you love?
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Everything about horses! I love riding them.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57I love just being with them in a field,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00feeding them, travelling with them.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03They are amazing animals.
0:17:05 > 0:17:06And, of course,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10nearly every one of the horses has to do its bit as a life model for Nic.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19How closely are you looking at Freddie then
0:17:19 > 0:17:21when you are working on a sculpture like this?
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I'm looking at him as closely as possible.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Obviously, he's moving all the time, so being able to actually
0:17:28 > 0:17:33hold him in place and really study his structure is quite hard.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38But in his natural environment, there's no better place to learn.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43He has certainly made his mark.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45This whopper is 35 feet high
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and it's one of Nic's most famous pieces.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Winched into position at Marble Arch in London back in 2011,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56the piece is called, simply, Still Water.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Now for the show stopper.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Heat and light and hopefully magic.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16This is how Nic casts bronze.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19The metal has been heated to 1,100 degrees centigrade.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29- Forgive me, but is that... - It's called slag.- This is the scrap.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- Are you OK?- Yeah. - It's as liquid as water.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36You would never believe a solid metal can flow like a river.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40So, come on, Nic, the suspense is killing us.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Tell us what you have made.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Funnily enough, you'd never guess what's in that mould,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47a horse's head!
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Of course, we all knew really, but how will it turn out?
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Here we go. It's falling out now. It's rather amazing, isn't it?
0:19:03 > 0:19:04It does look quite ancient.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07WATER SIZZLES Whoa!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10This is going to be good.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12And with a little spit and polish...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16..the magic is revealed.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Spending time with Nic and being around his inspiring work,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I think a bit of his passion has definitely rubbed off on me
0:19:28 > 0:19:31because when I saw those horses earlier today, all I wanted to do
0:19:31 > 0:19:35was get on the back of one of them and that's a surprising feeling.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I think I'm ready to put the mishaps behind me.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44In another corner of the Home Counties lies the historical
0:19:44 > 0:19:46town of Thaxted.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49This small corner of Essex played a big part in reviving
0:19:49 > 0:19:52an English tradition, as James has been discovering.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Morris dancing might seem like one of the most iconic, age-old,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06English traditions but in actuality by the early 1900s
0:20:06 > 0:20:08it was virtually extinct.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12The thriving tradition we see today is all down to a bloke called
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Cecil Sharp, a music lover,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18whose work inspired what's known as the English folk revival.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Mike Heaney is a keen Morris dancing musician
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and an expert on Cecil Sharp.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Tell me who Cecil Sharp was.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Well, Cecil Sharp was a musician around the turn of the 19th
0:20:38 > 0:20:39and 20th centuries.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Very interested in the revival of English music and he was
0:20:43 > 0:20:48the guy who encountered Morris dancers in Oxford back in 1899.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51So, presumably, it must have been pretty rare at the time
0:20:51 > 0:20:54if he had to come across it, he didn't know what it was anyway.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57That's right. Throughout most of the 19th century
0:20:57 > 0:20:59it had been very much in decline.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01And so, yes, he very much rescued it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03His main virtue was that he was
0:21:03 > 0:21:06promoting it as a music and dance form.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And recording it, because until it's recorded
0:21:08 > 0:21:10you can't spread it out to that many people.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15With help, he devised a notation that enabled it to be written down
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and so it could be taught from books as well as by example.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Being a geeky botanist I'm great at identifying plants
0:21:22 > 0:21:26but when it comes to Morris dancing gear I have absolutely no clue.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29What do the sticks and handkerchiefs really mean?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Luckily, expert Mike Heaney is back to help me
0:21:32 > 0:21:34decipher what it's all about.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Mike, this is filling me
0:21:36 > 0:21:39with trepidation just looking at all of this getup
0:21:39 > 0:21:42but what I want to know first is what is with the cake on a stick?
0:21:42 > 0:21:45It is not a stick, it is a sword. It's quite a sharp sword.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49The idea of the cake is essentially you can sell pieces of the cake
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and make money and in return for that they promise you fertility
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and good luck throughout the year.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Fantastic. So, I read there with sticks involved
0:21:57 > 0:22:01but I was imagining small magic wand type things.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04These are proper full-on clubs, whack-you-over-the-head type things!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Well, you don't whack each other over the head
0:22:06 > 0:22:08but you do whack the sticks together
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and they do take quite a lot of a battering
0:22:11 > 0:22:12but the idea is they help to
0:22:12 > 0:22:15emphasise the movements, they make a noise,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18they draw attention to the dancing and attract a crowd.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I have noticed the handkerchiefs as well.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24They look a lot more like napkins. They're enormous.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It helps to attract attention, it helps make it
0:22:26 > 0:22:30more of a display dance and more interesting and exciting.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Maybe Ray and Johnny can show us a little bit about how that works.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Great. I was going to ask, how do you do the handkerchiefs
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and the sticks at the same time?! That's far too coordinated for me.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47But cakes and hankies aside,
0:22:47 > 0:22:53whilst Cecil Sharp's notes guaranteed the survival of Morris folk music,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55without a crucial female figure,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58the dancers might well have been forgotten.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03Mary Neal was a social reformer who devoted her life's work to Britain's
0:23:03 > 0:23:08female factory workers to whom she taught Morris and country dancing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13It was Mary Neal and her team of disciples that went around
0:23:13 > 0:23:17the country to teach men, women and children how to Morris dance.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22It was their infectious enthusiasm, combined with a really rigorous
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and scientific recording by Cecil Sharp,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27that brought Morris dancing back from the very
0:23:27 > 0:23:31brink of extinction to the thriving practice it is today.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Mary's disciples came to Thaxted back in 1911, where
0:23:39 > 0:23:45they taught dances to the children of local sweet-factory workers.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Pupils here still learn these dances today.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51In fact, Little Tommy Bassett
0:23:51 > 0:23:54is the great-grandson of one of Mary's proteges.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Well, I couldn't put it off any longer.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I'm being forced to have a go!
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Here I am!
0:24:08 > 0:24:11You tell me what I need to do.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15If we form a circle, we will teach you the steps.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Very simple, straightforward.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, you start off coming back right foot.
0:24:20 > 0:24:26Everything is right foot start. This time... Right. Forward
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Back. Turn out.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Now, half dip. Right shoulder.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Back. Now left shoulder.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49You know what, I'm not sure if I'm going to give up botany
0:24:49 > 0:24:54for Morris dancing but if it wasn't for Cecil Sharp and Mary Neal
0:24:54 > 0:24:58this wouldn't be carrying on in Thaxted to this day.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04If you've ever donned your plimsolls in school to do country dancing
0:25:04 > 0:25:07then it's them you have to thank - or to blame!
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I've been exploring the heathland around Hindhead
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and the Devil's Punchbowl in the south-west corner of Surrey.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Once there was a hilltop residence around here
0:25:19 > 0:25:23for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27At the same time as Conan Doyle was
0:25:27 > 0:25:32making his home in this area, another very influential gentleman
0:25:32 > 0:25:36from the nearby town of Haslemere had hatched a plan.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39His idea was to transform our countryside,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41protecting it for ever.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45His name? Sir Robert Hunter,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49a lawyer who forged a successful career in the civil service.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53He's buried here at St Bart's church in Haslemere
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and while you've probably never heard of the man,
0:25:56 > 0:26:01you will certainly have heard of his greatest legacy.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Here is the plaque.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06"To the honoured memory of Robert Hunter,
0:26:06 > 0:26:11"a tireless worker in the cause of preserving and acquiring open
0:26:11 > 0:26:16"spaces for the free enjoyment of the public in town and country.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21"A founder and first chairman of the National Trust."
0:26:21 > 0:26:24The trust came about from the shared vision of three like-minded
0:26:24 > 0:26:29individuals but, with his legal background, Hunter made sure
0:26:29 > 0:26:32it had a solid base.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Today, the organisation they founded protects more
0:26:36 > 0:26:41than 300 buildings, 618 acres of land and 743 miles of coastline.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45And while Hunter was the legal brain behind its creation,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48he didn't like the limelight.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Can you show me where he is buried in this churchyard?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Only one person knows.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56The person who keeps the churchyard records, who is not the rector,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59is the person who knows and they pass it on to the next person.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- So, he's in an unmarked grave. - He's in an unmarked grave.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06He chose to be buried in a pauper's grave and his wife is there too.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- That's what he wanted.- I wonder why. - He didn't want any fuss, I think.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14He was an unfussy person. It is rather splendid, really, in its way.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17To find out more about this intriguing man
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I'm meeting Ben Cowell who's uncovered enough information
0:27:21 > 0:27:23to write the first biography of Hunter.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It can't have been easy, Ben,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29to dig into the background of this intensely private man.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33He was a private man and it was quite hard piecing together the parts
0:27:33 > 0:27:37of his life because there was never a biography written about him.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40But partly this was his choice. He did not crave the limelight.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44He didn't want the attention. He was quite self-effacing, quite modest.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46He simply wanted to protect open spaces.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But he did obviously love the countryside.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51He absolutely loved the countryside.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52He would always be walking,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56he loved walking around here in Haslemere where he moved in 1882.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59So, he loved the outdoors, he loved the countryside
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and he wanted everyone to have that chance to enjoy it.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06So, as a young lawyer in London, he entered a competition to write
0:28:06 > 0:28:10about the law relating to common land and this is the essay that he wrote.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It was highly commended, it gets published in a book in 1867.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16An Essay On The Preservation Of Commons
0:28:16 > 0:28:18In The Neighbourhood Of The Metropolis.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22What he's saying is, these places are vitally important,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25they need to be kept open, they need to be protected as common spaces
0:28:25 > 0:28:28and it's not just the ones in London, it's everywhere
0:28:28 > 0:28:32across the country because this was a time when commons were being
0:28:32 > 0:28:36enclosed at a rate never seen before and rapidly being built over.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39And it was the fact that these places were disappearing
0:28:39 > 0:28:43so rapidly that led him to think about the notion of
0:28:43 > 0:28:46a property-owning trust that could hold them for ever.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49A vision that came to fruition in 1895
0:28:49 > 0:28:51when the National Trust was born.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55In its early years, the trust campaigned to protect open
0:28:55 > 0:28:59spaces, managing to purchase mostly small areas of land.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Then, in 1905, a big opportunity presented itself
0:29:03 > 0:29:06right on Hunter's Surrey doorstep.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10A rather dubious local landowner had been charged with fraud
0:29:10 > 0:29:13and was facing a spell in prison.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Instead, he took his own life and his land came up for sale.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Robert Hunter realised that with good railway links to London
0:29:21 > 0:29:24that land was ripe for development
0:29:24 > 0:29:26and he didn't want that to happen
0:29:26 > 0:29:30so instead he formed the Hindhead Preservation Society,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34bought the land himself and donated it to the National Trust.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38And a couple of years later the National Trust Act was
0:29:38 > 0:29:39passed by Parliament.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42It was another of Hunter's ideas securing the Trust's
0:29:42 > 0:29:47responsibilities for the long-term, enshrining them in law.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Here at Hindhead Common, though, preservation of the land
0:29:51 > 0:29:54has gone a step beyond Hunter's vision.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59Until three years ago, the busy A3 London to Portsmouth road
0:29:59 > 0:30:03ran through here. Then the Hindhead Tunnel opened
0:30:03 > 0:30:06stretching for a mile and costing £371 million.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11The long-fought campaign to redirect the traffic underneath
0:30:11 > 0:30:13the common had been won.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Head ranger Matt Cusack is finishing off the job.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18And this is where the old A3 used to be, Matt.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20The last time I was here,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- I was driving a car! What have you done with it?- That's right.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Well, it's still beneath our feet.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29The tarmac surface is still under there and even
0:30:29 > 0:30:31deeper below that is the actual tunnel itself.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33They took the soil out of the tunnel
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and put it back over the old tarmac of the A3.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39What's going on here, Matt?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Basically, John, we are taking out the trees that used to
0:30:42 > 0:30:45screen the old A3 so by taking those trees out,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48it softens the landscape and it also joins quite nicely
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Hindhead Common which is on this side of us here
0:30:51 > 0:30:54to the Devil's Punchbowl and that's great for the invertebrates,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58the butterflies can migrate quite freely where the road once used
0:30:58 > 0:31:01to cause quite a permanent barrier.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04And how long do think it will be before there will be no sign
0:31:04 > 0:31:08whatsoever that the A3, a very busy road, used to be here?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Give it five years' time, you will be hard pushed
0:31:11 > 0:31:13to find out where the road used to be.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18A tarmac-free view, more open than it's been for generations.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Here, the National Trust is re-wilding common land,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27right on Sir Robert Hunter's home turf.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The man would have been proud. If quietly so.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Elsewhere, the countryside is under threat because we need more
0:31:37 > 0:31:41houses but exactly where they should be built is controversial.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46So, have new planning guidelines left our green acres exposed?
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Here's Tom again.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54In recent years, proposed new housing estates have frequently met
0:31:54 > 0:32:00fierce local opposition. So, how vulnerable is our countryside?
0:32:00 > 0:32:03In 2012, as the government prepared to unveil its new planning
0:32:03 > 0:32:08guidelines, the Prime Minister told Countryfile that the most beautiful
0:32:08 > 0:32:12and precious parts of our landscape would still be protected.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15We are not changing green belt, we are
0:32:15 > 0:32:18not changing Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we are
0:32:18 > 0:32:21not changing SSSIs, all those protections that are there
0:32:21 > 0:32:25but at the heart of it is... and I think this is what people
0:32:25 > 0:32:27haven't yet grasped, in a way,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30at the heart of it is more local control, the neighbourhood plan,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32you decide in your community
0:32:32 > 0:32:34rather than The Man In Whitehall Knows Best.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England
0:32:39 > 0:32:44covers the Cotswolds and includes the picturesque town of Chipping Campden
0:32:44 > 0:32:48which is just a few miles from David Cameron's constituency.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52This demonstrates what's the quality of the area, I think.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56But despite local opposition a 16-home development has been
0:32:56 > 0:32:58given planning permission.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Malcolm Watt advises on planning issues in this AONB.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Yeah, this is the site where
0:33:03 > 0:33:06housing development has recently been permitted.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09It has been refused on a number of occasions
0:33:09 > 0:33:12but finally consent was granted about two months ago.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14How come it was consented this time?
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Well, I think that's all due to the change in weight that's been
0:33:18 > 0:33:22given to landscape protection and the need for housing development.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Certainly that seems to be the case here.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27In theory, the protection is exactly the same,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30the whole basis of landscape protection has been in place since
0:33:30 > 0:33:361949, but what I think we are seeing is a need for housing is beginning
0:33:36 > 0:33:40to outweigh the landscape protection that's been in place for so long.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43So, it seems even Chipping Campden's position in an
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can't help it
0:33:47 > 0:33:51withstand the overwhelming pressure to build more homes.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55One of the motives driving the new guidelines is a desperate need
0:33:55 > 0:33:59for new homes so councils have had to come up with
0:33:59 > 0:34:02a five-year housing supply plan saying how many homes
0:34:02 > 0:34:05they are proposing, when they were going to be built
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and crucially where they're going to go.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12That's causing another pressure on the precious land around these
0:34:12 > 0:34:16rural communities and the authorities looking after them. Land banking.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Let's imagine a local council has a quota for, say, five houses
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and through their local plan they make five plots available.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28The builder comes along but only builds on two of them
0:34:28 > 0:34:31deciding to hold back the others - bank them.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37Whilst that's the case, it gives the council less power to refuse new
0:34:37 > 0:34:42applications for planning permission which might be put on other sites.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Now, if those are built
0:34:44 > 0:34:47and then those are built as well in the future,
0:34:47 > 0:34:52you could end up with more houses and less control over where they go.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56It's a little more complicated in real life, of course.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02South of there is 600 and for this site, down here, 1,000 homes.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04But it's a problem being faced
0:35:04 > 0:35:07by planners at Cherwell District Council.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12This site was given permission in 2009 for 1,000 houses
0:35:12 > 0:35:17but work only started on the site four years later.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Why does that give you such a problem?
0:35:19 > 0:35:23That gives us a problem because those houses are not coming
0:35:23 > 0:35:27forward and then we come back to the National Planning Policy
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Framework which says we must have a five-year housing supply
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and a five-year housing supply means houses being delivered,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37not just identified but being put on the ground.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41There may be many reasons why developers don't build
0:35:41 > 0:35:43straight after getting planning permission.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Securing finance after years of recession, for example,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51and not everyone thinks land banking is a problem.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53As you can see, the buildings we are constructing now
0:35:53 > 0:35:55are very energy efficient.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Andrew Whittaker, from the Home Builders Federation,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01was named as one of the top 100 people with the greatest
0:36:01 > 0:36:04influence on planning policy and decision-making.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Andrew, why is it that some developers seem to
0:36:07 > 0:36:11sit on land for a while and not develop it for years?
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Well, we don't think they do.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17The whole point of house-builders is to build houses and therefore
0:36:17 > 0:36:20when you get a planning permission you are desperate to get on site
0:36:20 > 0:36:21as quickly as you possibly can
0:36:21 > 0:36:23because you don't want the money tied up in the land,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26you want to be able to build the houses and sell them.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30You say you don't think they do, it's well-known it does happen.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31Land banking goes on,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I am not sure how you can blanket deny it so clearly.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Well, what happens is land is the source of materials
0:36:37 > 0:36:40for house-builders so you need land
0:36:40 > 0:36:43but more importantly you need land with planning permission.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47This country needs to build over 200,000 homes a year
0:36:47 > 0:36:52and we have to keep a five-year supply of land in the bank.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54That's over a million plots of land.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58We are hearing there's only 400,000 out there. Now, whilst
0:36:58 > 0:37:02we dispute that number, that number should be much higher.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06But local authorities are between a rock and a hard place.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Some people oppose nearly all the development,
0:37:09 > 0:37:13others want new affordable homes, leaving councils pushed to
0:37:13 > 0:37:17both provide new houses and, of course, protect the countryside,
0:37:17 > 0:37:21something the Prime Minister told us was crucially important.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23I would no more put that at risk
0:37:23 > 0:37:26than I would put at risk my own family.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29So, is our countryside at risk?
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Has the National Planning Policy Framework made the countryside
0:37:33 > 0:37:35more vulnerable to development?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37No, I don't believe it has but equally
0:37:37 > 0:37:41we need to accept that this country has an intense housing need.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45We are visiting upon the next generation the real prospect
0:37:45 > 0:37:48of not being able to get a home until they are in their 40s
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and we have a responsibility to protect our countryside
0:37:51 > 0:37:56but find a way to supply enough housing for the next generation.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00That demand for new housing is already having an impact.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04In the two years since we spoke to David Cameron, the number of new
0:38:04 > 0:38:07housing developments going ahead against the wishes of local
0:38:07 > 0:38:09people has increased by nearly 10%.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13With millions more houses still needed,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17the pressure on our countryside will only intensify.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27- HELEN SKELTON:- Like many parts of the British countryside,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30sheep have helped shape the landscape we see today.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Nowhere more so than the Cotswolds -
0:38:32 > 0:38:36something local boy Adam knows only too well.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And here on my farm I've got some of those sheep that made this
0:38:39 > 0:38:43part of the world famous, the fiercely named Cotswold Lion.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46By, by! Good girl!
0:38:49 > 0:38:51It was the Romans that originally brought these sheep here to
0:38:51 > 0:38:54clothe their legions and by the 15th century
0:38:54 > 0:38:59they roamed the hills in big flocks up to 6,000 strong.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01If I can get the dog to bring them over
0:39:01 > 0:39:06and I can catch one for you, I will show you why they were so popular.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Good girl! Bring them on. Steady!
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Steady! Go back, by.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Right, here we go. I've got one.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24And here you can see their beautiful long lustrous fleece that was
0:39:24 > 0:39:28known as the Golden Fleece because it was so valuable.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33By the 1400s, almost half of the cloth made in England
0:39:33 > 0:39:37came from this wool. Really beautiful stuff.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41In fact, whole communities around here were built off the wealth
0:39:41 > 0:39:43made from this wool.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47And there was a lovely old saying that says the best wool in
0:39:47 > 0:39:52Europe is English and in England the best wool is the Cotswold.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54And they weren't wrong.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59For the landowners who owned these flocks, they brought great
0:39:59 > 0:40:04wealth, which they used to put their physical mark on the countryside.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Not only grand houses for themselves
0:40:07 > 0:40:11but even greater buildings to the glory of God.
0:40:11 > 0:40:17Here in Chipping Campden, St James's is perhaps one of the finest
0:40:17 > 0:40:20examples of what are known as wool churches.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22BELLS PEAL
0:40:24 > 0:40:30This one was built largely thanks to this chap. Meet William Greville.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Greville was a famous trader, known as the flower of the wool
0:40:34 > 0:40:38merchants in the entire realm of England.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42And the money he poured into this church meant that it grew to
0:40:42 > 0:40:46a scale far out of proportion to the local community it served.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52His largess means this is where he is remembered.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56At the foot of the altar, the closest place to God.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Men like Greville hoped their gifts to the church would give them
0:41:00 > 0:41:06worldly wealth while they were alive but also ensure eternal salvation.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11Now, the value of wool is nothing like it was back then.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16In fact, the cost of a fleece hardly covers the price of shearing.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20The fortunes made here in wool's heyday are a distant memory
0:41:20 > 0:41:23but thanks to a dedicated bunch of farmers and
0:41:23 > 0:41:28careful breeding, the rare Cotswold sheep is managing to cling on.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31As we enter the depths of winter on my farm,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35there are markers that new life will arrive in the spring.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I've got these Cotswolds into the pens.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41The ram has been with them now for a couple of months
0:41:41 > 0:41:43and he's ready to come out.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49He's an enormous ram and he's a tremendous specimen.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53The ram wears a harness and on the front is a chalk that we
0:41:53 > 0:41:56change every nine days and a ewe will only let the ram mate with her
0:41:56 > 0:42:01when she's in season so when he's mated with this ewe, for instance,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03he's marked her with a green mark,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06we then change to blue and red and then black.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09And if the ram had marked them all green and then all blue
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and then all red on top we would know he was infertile
0:42:12 > 0:42:17because once they've conceived he shouldn't mate with them again.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21But this one is working well and hopefully all these ewes have
0:42:21 > 0:42:25lambs inside them and they will be giving birth in the spring.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30But how we breed our farm animals today goes way back.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34In the 1700s, pioneering stock breeder Robert Bakewell came up
0:42:34 > 0:42:38with the idea of improving one of our native breeds of sheep,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42the Leicester Longwool - a close relative to my Cotswold Lions.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Robert Bakewell was the man who really helped create these wonderful
0:42:46 > 0:42:51Leicester Longwools and what he did was introduce selective breeding -
0:42:51 > 0:42:55the breeding of livestock back then was very much on an ad hoc basis
0:42:55 > 0:42:59but he would choose very good rams and put them with excellent ewes
0:42:59 > 0:43:02and therefore get good lambs from them.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06And he would ride around the countryside on his horse to select
0:43:06 > 0:43:10the very best and he did it partly as a passion and as a hobby
0:43:10 > 0:43:13but really as part of the agricultural revolution
0:43:13 > 0:43:14because he realised
0:43:14 > 0:43:19that there were lots of mouths to feed with a growing population.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23And there's one farmer who knows this breed better than most.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Chris Coleman's family
0:43:25 > 0:43:29have farmed the Leicester Longwool for seven generations.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34So I've come to his home in Speeton on the dramatic north Yorkshire coast
0:43:34 > 0:43:38to find out more about this incredible family legacy.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42"Champion pen of Longwool lambs. Won by AB Coleman."
0:43:42 > 0:43:4613 times. Know your stuff, you lot, don't you?
0:43:46 > 0:43:49LAUGHTER My goodness me!
0:43:49 > 0:43:53My father dressing a Leicester Longwool ready for showing.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57That's my grandfather with a prize-winning lamb.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01- That's my sister, Judy.- So, the whole family was involved.- Yes.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05- That ram would win prizes today. Look at it!- What does it say on the back?
0:44:05 > 0:44:10- Exported to Tasmania.- Yes.- So, your sheep were going all over the world.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14Oh, we sent sheep to New Zealand, Australia,
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Tasmania, South Africa.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20- There are flocks in the USA! - Incredible.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23I entered the oldest flock competition
0:44:23 > 0:44:27run by the National Sheep Association and John Thorley
0:44:27 > 0:44:31and he came back to me and said, "Sorry, Chris,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34"you are not the oldest flock in the UK.
0:44:34 > 0:44:39"I've found a flock of Romneys," who he says are one year older!
0:44:39 > 0:44:43So, we are 178 years old.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47- The second-oldest flock of sheep in the country!- Yes.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- Incredible. Shall we go and have a look at them?- Yep.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53SHEEP BLEAT
0:44:53 > 0:44:57As new and more commercial breeds of sheep were developed using Robert
0:44:57 > 0:45:02Bakewell's techniques, the Leicester Longwool fell out of favour.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06Today, there are fewer than 500 left in the UK meaning
0:45:06 > 0:45:08they are classed as endangered.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13Now, even Chris has decided to call it time on his flock
0:45:13 > 0:45:15and put an end to his family dynasty.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19My dad is 81, how old are you now?
0:45:19 > 0:45:25- I'm 83.- And do you still get out and work with the sheep?- Oh, yes, yes.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29Up every morning and feed the ducks,
0:45:29 > 0:45:31feed the sheep.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34And now that you're retired, what will happen to the flock,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36will you keep them going for a while?
0:45:36 > 0:45:41No, there are five females left here that are registered
0:45:41 > 0:45:42but they are not in lamb.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46But I shan't be putting them to the ram this year.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49- So, really it's the end of the line. - It is the end of the line, yes.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53It's all right some people saying they put a few sheep in a paddock
0:45:53 > 0:45:57and that's it, but you know and I know that that's not the case.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01It's a lot of work. And your son is busy running a commercial farm.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05- Oh, yes, yes.- Well, congratulations for everything you've done.
0:46:05 > 0:46:06Absolutely brilliant.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11It's a great honour to meet you and to see your lovely sheep.
0:46:11 > 0:46:16What Chris Coleman and generations of his family before him have done to
0:46:16 > 0:46:20protect and preserve this traditional rare breed is pretty amazing.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23But there are lots of farmers out there like Chris
0:46:23 > 0:46:26doing their bit for the industry.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Every year, the BBC make an award to a farmer for their standout
0:46:30 > 0:46:34contribution to farming at its Food And Farming Awards.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36And we're looking for suggestions.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39If you know a farmer who deserves recognition for making a real
0:46:39 > 0:46:44difference to the future of farming, and for inspiring the rest of us,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47then you can nominate them as Outstanding Farmer Of The Year.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Details on how to do that are on our website.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07I'm here in Surrey, just a few miles from the centre of London, yet here
0:47:07 > 0:47:11among the hills and wooded valleys, you get a real sense of remove.
0:47:11 > 0:47:16A place to get away from it all, to be alone with your thoughts.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23A place, even, to confront your fears.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28Like the fear of getting back on a horse, maybe.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Well, that's a very real fear to me.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37I love horses, I love everything about them,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40the way they smell, the way they move and I was really lucky
0:47:40 > 0:47:44that when I was little I had quite a few ponies.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47The trouble is, I've also had quite a few falls.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51I didn't ride for ten years because I was too afraid.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I got back in the saddle a couple of years ago
0:47:54 > 0:47:57and unfortunately had another fall.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01I'm officially the person who isn't scared of anything
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and does mad things all over the world and crazy stunts.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07So I'm kind of embarrassed to admit I'm nervous about this
0:48:07 > 0:48:11but hand on heart, I actually am.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17So today is about facing those fears and to do that I'm going
0:48:17 > 0:48:22to be drawing some inspiration from some remarkable people.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26I'm going to put my hands on your hips just to guide you back.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30The only cure for this condition, Transverse Myelitis, is physio.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32This is a wonderful form of physio.
0:48:32 > 0:48:33Back, normal.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38You're aiming to put a 10p piece between your shoulder blades.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40This is Casi's Farm - home of
0:48:40 > 0:48:43the Cranleigh Riding For The Disabled School.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46It's part of a network of such schools that have been
0:48:46 > 0:48:50helping disabled people ride for more than 40 years.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53The biggest effort is getting back to being normal
0:48:53 > 0:48:55and back on a horse feels normal.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59You're not floundering around, stumbling around, walking badly.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Suddenly you're riding a horse. And in control.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07Stroke victim Charles and the others in the group
0:49:07 > 0:49:10come here once or twice a week.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Liz Harrison is the lady in charge.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16We talk about riding for the disabled but we talk about therapeutic riding.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19It is really therapeutic for people.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22The environment, a different environment,
0:49:22 > 0:49:26the horses themselves can be very emotionally calming
0:49:26 > 0:49:29and the physical therapy of sitting on the horse.
0:49:29 > 0:49:34What are the therapeutic benefits or, kind of, possibilities
0:49:34 > 0:49:38of getting somebody back onto a horse who might be afraid?
0:49:38 > 0:49:39A lot of people are afraid
0:49:39 > 0:49:44but in a carefully controlled environment with people who know what
0:49:44 > 0:49:50they are doing and are understanding and supportive, every chance!
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Liz is confident.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58First I've got to pick out a pony.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02Feeding time is my chance to get up close.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06- Hello.- I don't think he's going to be fast enough for you.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08There's nothing left, Blue, I don't think.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I kind of feel like here anybody can ride with a whole
0:50:15 > 0:50:19range of problems, things that are a lot more significant than me
0:50:19 > 0:50:23- just being a little bit nervous. - Yeah, that is very significant.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26A mental problem, a trauma like you've had is very significant.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31You shouldn't belittle it or feel ashamed about it. You are normal.
0:50:33 > 0:50:38One man who knows better than most about the dangers of horse riding
0:50:38 > 0:50:40is ex-policeman Doug Smith.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Doug was thrown from his horse in the line of duty
0:50:43 > 0:50:45and the back injuries he sustained
0:50:45 > 0:50:48meant he had to retire from the force.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Now he's one of the country's top instructors for riding
0:50:53 > 0:50:55for the disabled and if anybody can get me
0:50:55 > 0:50:57back in the saddle, it's Doug.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10In my head I can get on that horse and I can trot around here
0:51:10 > 0:51:16and canter around here and jump over things...I think!
0:51:16 > 0:51:19But actually there's something else in my head that's saying,
0:51:19 > 0:51:21"Don't go near that horse, Helen."
0:51:24 > 0:51:29- Hey, Doug.- Hello.- Who is this? - This is Robbie.- Hello, Robbie.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Tell me about Robbie, why do you think he and I are going to get on?
0:51:32 > 0:51:35He's what I'd call an economical horse.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38He won't use an ounce of energy if half will do.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40You are going to be very safe on him.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- Super. Don't look at him.- Aaw! - Look where you're going.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45Even so, I'm going to spend just a few minutes
0:51:45 > 0:51:48walking around the ring with him.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53- Don't look at him!- But now I've met Robbie, there's no going back.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56- This looks like a serious bit of kit.- Mmm.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Hi, Robbie.
0:52:06 > 0:52:11Just get on a horse. I've done it hundreds of times before. OK.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- We hold him...over there?- Yes.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Just hold him at the mane, that's it, up we go,
0:52:18 > 0:52:22gently down into the saddle, that's it. OK?
0:52:22 > 0:52:26- Now that's your grab strap, should you need it.- OK.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Put your hand under there.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Just one hand for the time being, feet out of the stirrups,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33and put your stirrups across.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38- OK.- So if you do the same with the other one, please, thank you.
0:52:38 > 0:52:45Now, relax. I know it's easy for me to say, but this is teamwork. Right?
0:52:45 > 0:52:48So all you've got to do is trust me, trust him.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I won't ask you to do anything you can't do,
0:52:51 > 0:52:53and I won't ask him to anything that we can't trust him to do.
0:52:53 > 0:52:54So just relax.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58I've done this hundreds of times before, what is the matter with me?
0:52:58 > 0:53:02It's natural. Just sit there and enjoy. Walking on. Good man.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Walking on. There's a clever boy.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Just going to turn him at the centre of the school
0:53:06 > 0:53:08so just be ready, we're going to go left.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10'Honest, viewers, these are tears of joy.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13'I'm just so relieved and happy to be back on a horse.'
0:53:13 > 0:53:15I'm going to change sides.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Now we're going to go the other way round, so at the moment,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21he and I are taking you for a ride.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Just go with him. Nothing's going to happen.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26This is just going to be nice and relaxed and enjoyable.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Feel the rhythm. Absorb the rhythm.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34'I'm venturing down the bridal path, where John is waiting to meet me.'
0:53:39 > 0:53:41That's it, well done. Excellent.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- Excellent, well done.- Come on, Robbie, walk on.- Keep in the rhythm.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51- Good man, well done. - I am in my element.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55I am absolutely in my element. Whoa, pony! Thanks, Doug.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58I know this probably looks so tame to most people,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00but I always say, challenges are relative.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02And for me, getting back on a horse
0:54:02 > 0:54:04was something I had wanted to do for a while, so...
0:54:04 > 0:54:07I think it's a great achievement, Helen, well done!
0:54:07 > 0:54:12- All you need to do now is get down! - I don't really want to!- Can I help?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14There we go.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16That wasn't really as glamorous as I would have liked it to be!
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Thank you, Robbie.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21And you were very, very brave there, Helen, we're very proud of you.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Tame, but challenges are relative.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Just before we go, we'd like to hear from you.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Because we want to know where you'd like Countryfile to go to
0:54:30 > 0:54:33in the British Isles, in the year ahead, and why.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35But we don't want the places that tourists go to.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37We want to find out about places that you think don't get
0:54:37 > 0:54:39the recognition they deserve.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40So why don't you e-mail us, to:
0:54:43 > 0:54:46That's it for today though. Goodbye.