West Yorkshire

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0:00:33 > 0:00:34This is West Yorkshire,

0:00:34 > 0:00:37a landscape beaten by the elements

0:00:37 > 0:00:38and shaped by industry.

0:00:38 > 0:00:40But what industry has left behind,

0:00:40 > 0:00:42nature has taken as its own.

0:00:42 > 0:00:45And today, I'm going to be meeting the young RSPB

0:00:45 > 0:00:48rangers who've fallen for this place.

0:00:51 > 0:00:54So this guy's an absolute monster of a great diving beetle.

0:00:54 > 0:00:57He's going to be the top predator in the pond.

0:00:58 > 0:01:01Anita's losing herself in the moorlands

0:01:01 > 0:01:03that motivated the Bronte sisters.

0:01:03 > 0:01:07Well, I'm going to leave you and disappear into this wild,

0:01:07 > 0:01:11- desolate landscape to be inspired like Emily.- Go for it.

0:01:11 > 0:01:15Tom's investigating warnings that worms could make some parts

0:01:15 > 0:01:18of the UK impossible for sheep farming.

0:01:18 > 0:01:22We had a mild burden in one of our groups this year,

0:01:22 > 0:01:26- which knocked us back a kilo a week of production.- Right.

0:01:26 > 0:01:29- That's the difference between profit and loss.- Exactly.

0:01:30 > 0:01:33And Adam's raising a glass to English wine.

0:01:38 > 0:01:39Wow! That's not what I was expecting

0:01:39 > 0:01:42at all. It's full of flavour!

0:01:57 > 0:02:01Fairburn Ings is an RSPB reserve east of Leeds.

0:02:03 > 0:02:07A former colliery, its lakes and wetlands nestle in hollows

0:02:07 > 0:02:09formed by mining subsidence.

0:02:11 > 0:02:15The gentle slopes surrounding the River Aire are former slag heaps.

0:02:16 > 0:02:20And Ferrybridge power station looms large on the skyline.

0:02:22 > 0:02:25But down here, in and amongst this native woodland, you feel like

0:02:25 > 0:02:30you're a world away from the gritty, the urban, the industrial.

0:02:30 > 0:02:33It's peaceful and calm.

0:02:37 > 0:02:39The birds love it here.

0:02:39 > 0:02:42And so do the people who come to catch a glimpse of them.

0:02:42 > 0:02:44Children in particular.

0:02:44 > 0:02:47And so the RSPB has taken the unusual step

0:02:47 > 0:02:49of making some of them rangers.

0:02:51 > 0:02:53One of them, Liberty...

0:02:53 > 0:02:54Smile!

0:02:54 > 0:02:57..is also the reserve's official photographer.

0:02:57 > 0:02:59Kate Struthers is from the RSPB.

0:03:01 > 0:03:03Where do the junior rangers fit in with all of this, then?

0:03:03 > 0:03:05So they're out talking to people on the reserve,

0:03:05 > 0:03:07telling them about wildlife, what they can spot.

0:03:07 > 0:03:09But then they also help out on events, as well.

0:03:09 > 0:03:12So we had our Big Wild Sleepout event in the summer.

0:03:12 > 0:03:15From the feedback from the visitors on that event, as well,

0:03:15 > 0:03:18the youth rangers were a vital part of that,

0:03:18 > 0:03:21engaging with other children and engaging with their peers and

0:03:21 > 0:03:24getting them connected with nature and showing them that it's a really

0:03:24 > 0:03:26good thing to get involved in.

0:03:26 > 0:03:28It must come with its complications, though,

0:03:28 > 0:03:31having youngsters as part of the, kind of, workforce.

0:03:31 > 0:03:33I actually think it adds to it.

0:03:33 > 0:03:35Yeah.

0:03:35 > 0:03:38We obviously have to follow health and safety and safeguarding and

0:03:38 > 0:03:41things. They're always with their parents. But, other than that,

0:03:41 > 0:03:44it really adds to the experience for our visitors.

0:03:44 > 0:03:46They're great ambassadors for the RSPB!

0:03:51 > 0:03:55Down at one of the wetland hides is 15-year-old Elliott.

0:03:55 > 0:03:57He's the longest-serving young ranger.

0:03:59 > 0:04:02So, as you're looking out on this pool right in front of us,

0:04:02 > 0:04:05we've got some moor hens on the island.

0:04:05 > 0:04:07They're grazing around for seeds.

0:04:07 > 0:04:11Every weekend, he takes visitors on tours of the reserve,

0:04:11 > 0:04:14telling them all about the wildlife that's found here.

0:04:14 > 0:04:18So this is my fourth year volunteering at the reserve.

0:04:18 > 0:04:21- Right.- And I've been visiting for about five.

0:04:21 > 0:04:24So, definitely become a bit of an obsession!

0:04:24 > 0:04:29Yeah. So, here you are now, then, as a, kind of, fully fledged ranger.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31What does that work involve?

0:04:31 > 0:04:34The first port of call to do is fill up the feeders.

0:04:34 > 0:04:36We do a guided walk every now and again, and then that'll...

0:04:36 > 0:04:38So you actually take the guided walks, then?

0:04:38 > 0:04:42- Yeah.- And what kind of reaction do you get from those that are coming

0:04:42 > 0:04:45to take the tour, that you're obviously a lot younger than them?

0:04:45 > 0:04:48It's a lot of surprise when they see how old you actually are and how

0:04:48 > 0:04:51much you know about the reserve.

0:04:51 > 0:04:53You get them to see these rare species,

0:04:53 > 0:04:55and they're just so shocked

0:04:55 > 0:04:59that this is right next to the Castleford, sort of, city.

0:04:59 > 0:05:00For those children that are coming here,

0:05:00 > 0:05:03it must be very kind of inspirational for them to see you,

0:05:03 > 0:05:05and that you're teaching them.

0:05:05 > 0:05:07Because, you know, you're not much older than them.

0:05:07 > 0:05:09No. Well, I'm just a big kid at heart,

0:05:09 > 0:05:11so I think I add a bit of fun into the day.

0:05:11 > 0:05:13- Yeah, good.- I like to think that.

0:05:13 > 0:05:16It's quite a camera this, though, isn't it, that's in front of us?

0:05:16 > 0:05:18I got my camera body for my birthday.

0:05:18 > 0:05:20- Yeah.- And that...

0:05:20 > 0:05:24came with a lens. And I eventually decided that I wanted a better lens.

0:05:24 > 0:05:28- Right.- So I saved up a lot of money.

0:05:28 > 0:05:32- Yeah.- Bought this massive one.

0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Great!- And I'm a bit bankrupt now, actually!

0:05:34 > 0:05:37Are you?! I'm not surprised. MATT LAUGHS

0:05:37 > 0:05:38Have you got a favourite shot?

0:05:38 > 0:05:41I got a weasel just down here.

0:05:41 > 0:05:44And it just sat on this mound of wood

0:05:44 > 0:05:46and looked towards me, and I just got

0:05:46 > 0:05:48the perfect timing on that shot.

0:05:50 > 0:05:52As a result of tagging along with his son,

0:05:52 > 0:05:55Elliott's dad, Gary, has caught the bug too,

0:05:55 > 0:05:58and now also volunteers here at Fairburn Ings.

0:05:58 > 0:06:02How proud are you that Elliott is now a fully fledged ranger

0:06:02 > 0:06:05at the age of just 15?

0:06:05 > 0:06:06Yeah, he's been...

0:06:06 > 0:06:09He was just short of his 11th birthday when we started here.

0:06:09 > 0:06:12And he's come on so much since then.

0:06:12 > 0:06:16It gets you out of the bedroom,

0:06:16 > 0:06:18and out of the Xbox.

0:06:18 > 0:06:22Which he still does - don't get me wrong - but...

0:06:22 > 0:06:25He just connects with the outdoors.

0:06:25 > 0:06:26I don't think he'll ever lose it.

0:06:26 > 0:06:29He'll take it with him, maybe pass it down to his kids.

0:06:40 > 0:06:41Now, as a sheep farmer myself,

0:06:41 > 0:06:45it's a real concern to hear warnings that in just a few years' time,

0:06:45 > 0:06:49some parts of our countryside could become impossible to farm sheep on.

0:06:49 > 0:06:53Now, this is all to do with the way that we deal with sheep worms.

0:06:53 > 0:06:55Here's Tom with more.

0:07:05 > 0:07:08Sheep have been a part of our landscape since as far back

0:07:08 > 0:07:10as Roman times.

0:07:12 > 0:07:17Once, vast fortunes were built on the back of their wool,

0:07:17 > 0:07:20and their milk and meat have helped feed the nation.

0:07:21 > 0:07:23But times have changed.

0:07:27 > 0:07:31These days, the value of wool barely covers the cost of shearing,

0:07:31 > 0:07:33and the price of lamb is unstable.

0:07:35 > 0:07:40But now, our sheep industry faces a threat so serious that it's claimed

0:07:40 > 0:07:45that unless action is taken soon, fields like this could be left bare.

0:07:49 > 0:07:52And sheepdogs like Jock here could be out of work, too.

0:07:54 > 0:07:56It sounds unthinkable,

0:07:56 > 0:07:59yet it's happened in other parts of the world

0:07:59 > 0:08:01and it could happen here, too.

0:08:02 > 0:08:06It's all because tiny parasitic worms that harm sheep

0:08:06 > 0:08:09are gaining the upper hand against the drugs used to combat them.

0:08:12 > 0:08:17Infectious worm larvae are found on blades of grass in pasture.

0:08:17 > 0:08:19Once they've been eaten, they develop into worms

0:08:19 > 0:08:21in the sheep's guts.

0:08:22 > 0:08:23The worms then lay eggs,

0:08:23 > 0:08:27which are deposited back onto the grass in the sheep's dung,

0:08:27 > 0:08:30potentially in their hundreds of thousands.

0:08:30 > 0:08:32And so, the cycle continues.

0:08:34 > 0:08:39Matthew Blyth farms a flock of 1,000 in West Sussex.

0:08:40 > 0:08:43So, basically, we get the sheep, hold its head.

0:08:43 > 0:08:46Pass the gun over the back of its tongue so it swallows,

0:08:46 > 0:08:49and slowly squeeze the product down the back of its throat.

0:08:49 > 0:08:51'For nearly 40 years,

0:08:51 > 0:08:55'farmers like Matthew have routinely used drugs known in the industry as

0:08:55 > 0:08:58'drenches to combat the problem of worms.'

0:08:58 > 0:09:01So, how do worms harm sheep?

0:09:01 > 0:09:03There's quite a few different ways they can harm sheep.

0:09:03 > 0:09:06The biggest thing is lowering our production down.

0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Cos the worms are obviously in their guts.- In their guts, slowly,

0:09:09 > 0:09:12slowly pulling nutrition away from the animal, which we want to go into

0:09:12 > 0:09:14them growing to be healthy.

0:09:14 > 0:09:16When you get a really bad worm infestation,

0:09:16 > 0:09:19how much could it slow the growth of a lamb?

0:09:19 > 0:09:23We had a mild burden in one of our groups this year,

0:09:23 > 0:09:25which knocked us back a kilo a week of production.

0:09:25 > 0:09:29Right, and that's the difference between profit and loss.

0:09:29 > 0:09:33Exactly. A really bad infection will actually kill the animal.

0:09:33 > 0:09:35- Really?- Yes.

0:09:37 > 0:09:40But now, Matthew is finding the drenches he's traditionally used to

0:09:40 > 0:09:43combat the problem of worms are no longer working.

0:09:43 > 0:09:45So what's the story with these lambs?

0:09:45 > 0:09:47The story of these lambs is we had some six,

0:09:47 > 0:09:51eight weeks ago and we wormed them with the drug.

0:09:51 > 0:09:53Then we got them out to monitor, see how they were doing,

0:09:53 > 0:09:55and they wasn't doing what we expected.

0:09:55 > 0:09:58We took a dung sample and checked it for worms,

0:09:58 > 0:10:01and they still had a significant amount of worms.

0:10:01 > 0:10:02How surprised were you by that?

0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Very surprised.- So in terms of worming treatment,

0:10:04 > 0:10:06you'd done everything by the book?

0:10:06 > 0:10:08Yeah, we checked the gun, we got the right weight,

0:10:08 > 0:10:09we got the right amount of product.

0:10:09 > 0:10:12The active ingredient we used actually didn't work to the

0:10:12 > 0:10:15efficiency that we hoped it would do.

0:10:15 > 0:10:18In effect, the worms in these sheep had become resistant to those drugs?

0:10:18 > 0:10:20Exactly.

0:10:20 > 0:10:23The problem is that the more farmers like Matthew use traditional

0:10:23 > 0:10:28drenches to combat the worms, the more resistant the worms become,

0:10:28 > 0:10:31leading farmers, then, to use more drench, and so it goes on.

0:10:33 > 0:10:37It's not just Matthew's sheep that are affected by these super-worms.

0:10:37 > 0:10:40Currently, the loss of production and the treatment of affected

0:10:40 > 0:10:42animals cost the British sheep industry around

0:10:42 > 0:10:45£84 million per year.

0:10:55 > 0:10:58We'll just have a look round the eyes.

0:10:58 > 0:11:01Make sure that's nice and pink in there.

0:11:01 > 0:11:05And sometimes we can also just have a look at the lips and gums.

0:11:05 > 0:11:06And she's fine.

0:11:07 > 0:11:09Lesley Stubbings is from the group

0:11:09 > 0:11:13Sustainable Control Of Parasites In Sheep.

0:11:13 > 0:11:16She says this downward spiral is a global problem which has left

0:11:16 > 0:11:20farmers in some parts of the world with no way back.

0:11:20 > 0:11:24The worms themselves are very, very successful parasites.

0:11:24 > 0:11:27So, over time, unless we're very careful,

0:11:27 > 0:11:30we will end up with an increase in the number

0:11:30 > 0:11:34of worms in the population that are resistant to the medicine.

0:11:34 > 0:11:37Other parts of the world are in a worse position than we are.

0:11:37 > 0:11:40Parts of South America and parts of South Africa.

0:11:40 > 0:11:44There are examples there where they can no longer graze animals,

0:11:44 > 0:11:47because the worms are so resistant and they have no other method of

0:11:47 > 0:11:52controlling them. So we can see from other examples that the end point

0:11:52 > 0:11:54could be quite serious.

0:11:54 > 0:11:58It's a stark warning to us in the UK of what could lie ahead

0:11:58 > 0:12:00if nothing is done.

0:12:01 > 0:12:02Come on, guys!

0:12:02 > 0:12:06And Lesley says the problem is already reaching crisis point here.

0:12:06 > 0:12:13We do have a few farms in the UK now that really can't farm sheep

0:12:13 > 0:12:15successfully. In one case,

0:12:15 > 0:12:18have had to move because the problem was so bad.

0:12:24 > 0:12:28The clock is ticking on our vulnerable but important sheep

0:12:28 > 0:12:33sector. So, how long do we have, and what might that solution be?

0:12:33 > 0:12:35That's what I'll be finding out later.

0:12:44 > 0:12:45Tamed rock.

0:12:45 > 0:12:47Millstone-grit -

0:12:47 > 0:12:50a soul-grinding sandstone.

0:12:50 > 0:12:52Roof-of-the-world-ridge wind...

0:12:52 > 0:12:55The sky has delivered its blank missive.

0:12:55 > 0:12:57The moor in coma...

0:12:57 > 0:13:01There are great moors behind, and on each hand of me.

0:13:01 > 0:13:05There are waves of mountains, far beyond that deep valley at my feet.

0:13:10 > 0:13:14- ANITA:- The rugged countryside of West Yorkshire has been translated

0:13:14 > 0:13:17into text by writers for centuries.

0:13:17 > 0:13:21Novels, poems and plays have sprung from the foreboding landscape,

0:13:21 > 0:13:24as varied in themes as the weather.

0:13:24 > 0:13:27But, of course, the most famous of them all

0:13:27 > 0:13:29have to be the works of the Bronte sisters.

0:13:29 > 0:13:32And it's the moors that really inform these deep, dark,

0:13:32 > 0:13:35brooding novels like Jane Eyre

0:13:35 > 0:13:38and Wuthering Heights and The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall.

0:13:38 > 0:13:41But if it is the landscape that means so much to these deeply

0:13:41 > 0:13:45romantic novels, why am I sitting in a very cosy coffee shop?

0:13:49 > 0:13:52With me in this comfortable corner of Thornton village

0:13:52 > 0:13:53is Michael Stewart,

0:13:53 > 0:13:57who is looking for lesser-known locations linked to the Brontes in

0:13:57 > 0:14:00the run-up to next year's Bradford Literature Festival.

0:14:00 > 0:14:03So, why are we in a coffee shop, Michael?

0:14:03 > 0:14:07Well, this is the bicentenary of Charlotte Bronte this year.

0:14:07 > 0:14:11And this is the birthplace of four of the six siblings.

0:14:11 > 0:14:13What, in this house?

0:14:13 > 0:14:15They were born in front of that fireplace here.

0:14:15 > 0:14:17- Right here?!- Yeah. So, Charlotte, Emily,

0:14:17 > 0:14:21Branwell and Anne were born here and they moved in 1820.

0:14:21 > 0:14:22So why is it significant?

0:14:22 > 0:14:25Why is it important that we're here and we acknowledge that this is

0:14:25 > 0:14:27where they were born? What are you doing?

0:14:27 > 0:14:29The main project I'm involved with is called the Bronte Stones.

0:14:29 > 0:14:34And the idea of the Bronte Stones is to place stones along the trail,

0:14:34 > 0:14:37and to have contemporary writers, female writers,

0:14:37 > 0:14:38write for those stones.

0:14:38 > 0:14:40I guess, what's the ultimate purpose of the stones?

0:14:40 > 0:14:43Well, the ultimate purpose of the stones is to get people

0:14:43 > 0:14:47into the landscape. They've read the books, hopefully.

0:14:47 > 0:14:50And they're going to get a different dimension by coming onto the moors

0:14:50 > 0:14:52and experiencing where the books were set.

0:14:52 > 0:14:54Where are the stones going to be? We start here in the coffee shop.

0:14:54 > 0:14:56We start here with the Charlotte stone,

0:14:56 > 0:14:58which will be placed on the outside of this building.

0:14:58 > 0:15:01And then we go up into the moors, for the Emily stone.

0:15:01 > 0:15:02- Shall we get our coats, then? - Let's do it.

0:15:02 > 0:15:04I'll take the Bibles. Let's go.

0:15:12 > 0:15:14I wish I were out of doors.

0:15:14 > 0:15:18I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy and free.

0:15:18 > 0:15:20I'm sure I should be myself,

0:15:20 > 0:15:23were I once more among the heather on those hills.

0:15:27 > 0:15:30Once in place, Emily's stone will be the second of four on the trail.

0:15:32 > 0:15:33Talk about atmospheric.

0:15:33 > 0:15:36Well, we've picked the right day, really.

0:15:36 > 0:15:39- This is wuthering weather. - Isn't it?- Yes, it is.

0:15:39 > 0:15:41And what's this spot that you've brought me to?

0:15:41 > 0:15:44Well, this is the spot where Emily's stone is going to be.

0:15:44 > 0:15:46So, the stone is going to be laid there,

0:15:46 > 0:15:49and beneath this solitary sycamore

0:15:49 > 0:15:51is the natural home for Emily's stone.

0:15:51 > 0:15:53And when can people come and enjoy the stones?

0:15:53 > 0:15:56Well, all the stones should be in place for the summer.

0:15:56 > 0:15:59For the launch of the festival on the 7th of July.

0:15:59 > 0:16:04Fantastic. Well, I'm going to leave you and disappear into this wild,

0:16:04 > 0:16:07desolate landscape to be inspired like Emily!

0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Go for it.- See you later.- Nice to meet you.- You too, Michael.

0:16:12 > 0:16:16This landscape has affected many writers, not just the Brontes.

0:16:16 > 0:16:20To Ted Hughes, the moors were a stage for the performance of heaven.

0:16:20 > 0:16:24To Simon Armitage, an anti-garden of gritstone and peat.

0:16:26 > 0:16:29And writers still come here seeking inspiration,

0:16:29 > 0:16:32and immersing themselves in this rich landscape.

0:16:32 > 0:16:36And some writers immerse themselves way more than others.

0:16:55 > 0:16:58Benjamin Myers is an award-winning local writer,

0:16:58 > 0:17:02whose novels and poems unfold in the countryside of the North West.

0:17:10 > 0:17:13I've heard of people going for walks for inspiration, Ben,

0:17:13 > 0:17:16but never wild swimming. Are you just a little bit mad?

0:17:17 > 0:17:21I don't think so. I mean, I do walk a lot,

0:17:21 > 0:17:24but I get something else from swimming.

0:17:24 > 0:17:27I think the cold kind of shocks you into being, almost.

0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's a physical reaction as much as anything.

0:17:30 > 0:17:34Your blood starts pumping, puts lead in your pencil, as they say.

0:17:34 > 0:17:36And every writer needs a pencil.

0:17:36 > 0:17:39Very true. Why do you think so many writers have been inspired

0:17:39 > 0:17:41by this landscape?

0:17:41 > 0:17:45For me, the landscape is as much a character as any physical person in

0:17:45 > 0:17:49anything I write. And I think that's the one, sort of, thread that unites

0:17:49 > 0:17:53any of the writers from round here, or who've written about here,

0:17:53 > 0:17:55particularly in a book like Wuthering Heights.

0:17:55 > 0:17:58I would argue that the main character in that book is the moors.

0:17:58 > 0:17:59It's the landscape.

0:17:59 > 0:18:04Well, I don't think there could be a more perfect setting to hear a poem.

0:18:04 > 0:18:05OK.

0:18:08 > 0:18:10To the sky we ran and fell

0:18:10 > 0:18:11The heather our mattress

0:18:11 > 0:18:13The worms our witness

0:18:13 > 0:18:14Young lungs burning

0:18:14 > 0:18:18Wet-backed, soil-soaked, mulch-coddled, copper-puddled

0:18:18 > 0:18:20Dirt-giggled and dizzy

0:18:20 > 0:18:22Fists of earth raised, thrown

0:18:22 > 0:18:25Fecund offerings for a future union

0:18:25 > 0:18:27The rustling of life.

0:18:27 > 0:18:30Wow! Thank you, Ben.

0:18:30 > 0:18:31It's incredible.

0:18:34 > 0:18:38Literature and landscape in perfect harmony.

0:18:44 > 0:18:47- NAOMI WILKINSON:- The Pennine moorland of West Yorkshire,

0:18:47 > 0:18:53Where turbines are built to reap the wild winds, and the vast peat bogs

0:18:53 > 0:18:55soak up the rain before releasing it

0:18:55 > 0:18:59to tumble down streams of millstone grit.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04Many of those streams feed reservoirs like this one,

0:19:04 > 0:19:07Ogden Water, in the hills above Halifax.

0:19:11 > 0:19:15Ogden Water is an outstanding local nature reserve.

0:19:15 > 0:19:18It was built in the 1850s,

0:19:18 > 0:19:21and has always been a popular place for walking,

0:19:21 > 0:19:24picnics and having a grand day out.

0:19:30 > 0:19:33For more than 100 years, the beautiful woodlands

0:19:33 > 0:19:36were out of bounds to the public.

0:19:40 > 0:19:42But the current owners, Yorkshire Water,

0:19:42 > 0:19:44have opened up the whole site.

0:19:46 > 0:19:49The day-to-day running of the reserve is carried out by the local

0:19:49 > 0:19:53council's countryside services team.

0:19:53 > 0:19:55Chris Sutcliffe is in charge.

0:19:56 > 0:19:59So, Chris, I've seen lots of people wandering around here,

0:19:59 > 0:20:00it seems very popular.

0:20:00 > 0:20:02Is that, do you think, because it's so accessible?

0:20:02 > 0:20:05I think so, yeah. I mean, Ogden's been here for a long time,

0:20:05 > 0:20:08but for quite a number of years you could only access the dam wall there

0:20:08 > 0:20:11and into the car parks, which were a little park.

0:20:11 > 0:20:13But then a collaboration in

0:20:13 > 0:20:17the mid-1980s between Yorkshire Water and Calderdale Council opened

0:20:17 > 0:20:19up this land for recreation.

0:20:19 > 0:20:22So that must have some real community health benefits?

0:20:22 > 0:20:25To be able to walk in a beautiful area is obviously good for the mind,

0:20:25 > 0:20:27soul and body. And in Calderdale,

0:20:27 > 0:20:30we want to be the most active borough in the north,

0:20:30 > 0:20:33so we're encouraging as many people to be active as possible.

0:20:33 > 0:20:35And what's your role here? What do you do?

0:20:35 > 0:20:39My role encompasses looking after the land here.

0:20:39 > 0:20:43Managing the public access, so putting in gates instead of stiles,

0:20:43 > 0:20:46making sure that footpaths are open, there's no trees falling on them.

0:20:53 > 0:20:56But managing nature isn't always straightforward.

0:21:00 > 0:21:01Five years ago,

0:21:01 > 0:21:05a huge fire on the moor above Ogden threatened to engulf the entire

0:21:05 > 0:21:10woodland. Firefighters were forced to battle the flames by hand,

0:21:10 > 0:21:12as vehicles couldn't reach the blaze.

0:21:12 > 0:21:15Only a lucky change of wind direction prevented

0:21:15 > 0:21:17total devastation.

0:21:20 > 0:21:24Five years on, the scars left by the fire are still here to see.

0:21:35 > 0:21:39Today, the countryside services team, with help from volunteers,

0:21:39 > 0:21:42is creating an access route up through the woodland...

0:21:47 > 0:21:50..so that the local fire service's ArgoCat

0:21:50 > 0:21:53and other off-road vehicles can get to

0:21:53 > 0:21:56the critical area where the trees meet the open moor.

0:22:00 > 0:22:02I just couldn't resist a ride in it.

0:22:04 > 0:22:06That is an impressive piece of kit that you have there.

0:22:06 > 0:22:08It is good, I must admit.

0:22:08 > 0:22:11It'll go anywhere. As long as there's no trees, walls,

0:22:11 > 0:22:13it's not too boggy, it'll go everywhere you point it.

0:22:13 > 0:22:15- Fantastic.- Brilliant.

0:22:16 > 0:22:19What was the impact of the last fire here?

0:22:19 > 0:22:21Oh, massive.

0:22:21 > 0:22:23I mean, in terms of Fire Service resources,

0:22:23 > 0:22:25we had numerous fire engines here

0:22:25 > 0:22:27for over a week.

0:22:27 > 0:22:30There were... Hundreds of ground nesting birds were displaced,

0:22:30 > 0:22:32nests lost.

0:22:32 > 0:22:35The wind farm had to be taken out of action.

0:22:35 > 0:22:36That needed recommissioning.

0:22:36 > 0:22:39The contamination got into the reservoir down at Ogden Water.

0:22:39 > 0:22:41So that got taken out of action as well.

0:22:41 > 0:22:45Total cost to the economy, and taxpayer, really,

0:22:45 > 0:22:47£3.5 million estimated.

0:22:47 > 0:22:50Do you think if you'd have had an all-terrain vehicle back then,

0:22:50 > 0:22:53- that would have helped then? - Something like the ArgoCat,

0:22:53 > 0:22:57with the go-anywhere capability, it does the job of 20 firefighters.

0:22:57 > 0:22:59So the fact that this track is being cleared for you,

0:22:59 > 0:23:01that is really important.

0:23:01 > 0:23:03It's fantastic that they've done this, yeah.

0:23:03 > 0:23:04I mean, at the end of the day,

0:23:04 > 0:23:06the ArgoCat is only as good as where we can get it.

0:23:06 > 0:23:09And for them to build a clear access for us to be able to get

0:23:09 > 0:23:10onto the moor, brilliant, yeah.

0:23:13 > 0:23:16Boggy ground makes parts of Ogden impassable.

0:23:19 > 0:23:22Simon and Jason, who do most of the hands-on work here,

0:23:22 > 0:23:24are replacing a collapsed drain

0:23:24 > 0:23:28to make the track suitable for off-road vehicles.

0:23:32 > 0:23:34So, what other kind of things do you get up to?

0:23:34 > 0:23:38Oh, we do all sorts to do with the countryside management.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41Fixing paths, tree felling, tree planting.

0:23:41 > 0:23:43Pretty much anything, really.

0:23:43 > 0:23:45Sometimes it's after stormy weather,

0:23:45 > 0:23:48and the trees that have been blown over and are left in dangerous

0:23:48 > 0:23:52positions that we need to deal with and make safe.

0:23:52 > 0:23:54Otherwise, the pass gets shut down and it restricts access.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57So the whole idea is to get people out and about

0:23:57 > 0:24:01and enjoying the countryside. So it's a good part of our job.

0:24:02 > 0:24:04You are out all year round, whatever the conditions.

0:24:04 > 0:24:08Unless it's absolutely really atrocious, we're out there in it.

0:24:08 > 0:24:12So a true love of the outdoors is fundamental to do a job like yours?

0:24:12 > 0:24:13Essential. But...

0:24:15 > 0:24:17..you have them days where you just think,

0:24:17 > 0:24:20"I love my job. "I'm getting paid for this, and it's brilliant."

0:24:26 > 0:24:28'Job done.'

0:24:28 > 0:24:30It's not looking too shabby, is it?

0:24:30 > 0:24:34'But I'm not leaving without first playing firefighter.'

0:24:38 > 0:24:39Whoa!

0:24:39 > 0:24:41You fire it in.

0:24:41 > 0:24:43OK. You can create instant rain.

0:24:43 > 0:24:45That's fantastic!

0:24:48 > 0:24:50And what would you have done without this?

0:24:50 > 0:24:52Beaten it out with a stick with a piece of hose fastened to the end.

0:24:52 > 0:24:54So this is way more efficient for you.

0:24:54 > 0:24:56- Yeah, yeah. Do you want a go? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Try that.

0:24:56 > 0:24:58- Go on, then.- Just pull the handle.

0:25:05 > 0:25:08Could do with one of these to help me wash my car!

0:25:08 > 0:25:10Oh, they're brilliant. Got t'cleanest cars in

0:25:10 > 0:25:12West Yorkshire at Todmorden Fire Station.

0:25:12 > 0:25:14Anyone for a water fight?

0:25:23 > 0:25:27Earlier, we heard how the future of the UK's sheep industry is under

0:25:27 > 0:25:30threat from drug-resistant parasitic worms.

0:25:30 > 0:25:34So, what are farmers and scientists doing to fight back?

0:25:34 > 0:25:35Here's Tom.

0:25:42 > 0:25:46Our national flock is locked in a downward spiral that could end in

0:25:46 > 0:25:48sheep disappearing from Britain's fields,

0:25:48 > 0:25:52as they have done in some parts of South America and South Africa.

0:25:53 > 0:25:58That's because harmful parasitic worms are growing resistant to drugs

0:25:58 > 0:26:02known as drenches that are traditionally used to combat them.

0:26:05 > 0:26:09There are now five colour-coded drenches for farmers to choose from.

0:26:10 > 0:26:16But across England, 90% of farms are now showing some resistance to this,

0:26:16 > 0:26:21the white. There is less resistance to the yellow and the clear,

0:26:21 > 0:26:23but it appears to be on the increase.

0:26:23 > 0:26:25And then you have two new drenches,

0:26:25 > 0:26:30the orange and the purple, which do still seem to be doing their job.

0:26:31 > 0:26:34But in time, the worms will become resistant to them, too.

0:26:40 > 0:26:41Here they come.

0:26:48 > 0:26:51So, could the sheep themselves be the solution?

0:26:54 > 0:26:57That's what one Perthshire farmer believes.

0:26:57 > 0:27:01So all our ewes' performances have been summarised into the figures

0:27:01 > 0:27:02available on here.

0:27:02 > 0:27:06'Farmers are accustomed to breeding livestock to get the best traits.

0:27:06 > 0:27:07'And for the past eight years,

0:27:07 > 0:27:10'Neil McGowan has been selecting the sheep in his flock

0:27:10 > 0:27:14'that have a genetic ability to fight off the worms.'

0:27:15 > 0:27:18Of course, traditionally, people would have selected sheep for

0:27:18 > 0:27:21breeding according to size or confirmation or things like that.

0:27:21 > 0:27:23You're saying it was important to breed them on the basis of how they

0:27:23 > 0:27:26- cope with worms?- Absolutely, yeah.

0:27:26 > 0:27:28If you've got two animals, one's better than the other one.

0:27:28 > 0:27:31You want to do all you can to find which one's the best one.

0:27:31 > 0:27:35We sampled just over 200 lambs last year.

0:27:35 > 0:27:39The poorest 10% of these lambs were responsible for

0:27:39 > 0:27:41a quarter of the pasture contamination.

0:27:41 > 0:27:44And the best 10% of these lambs were responsible for less

0:27:44 > 0:27:47than 1%. So these are the ones we're after in our flock.

0:27:47 > 0:27:52So, in effect, rather than using drugs, these drenches, you're using,

0:27:52 > 0:27:55you know, genetics as a way to try and reduce the worm problem?

0:27:55 > 0:27:56Quite right, yes.

0:27:56 > 0:27:59If the sheep have a way of dealing with that themselves,

0:27:59 > 0:28:02it just seems silly not to take advantage of that in some way.

0:28:09 > 0:28:13The technique of breeding to combat worms may be new to us

0:28:13 > 0:28:16here in the UK, but in parts of Australia and New Zealand,

0:28:16 > 0:28:18it's proved very successful.

0:28:18 > 0:28:23Some farmers there have been able to cut their use of worm drench in half

0:28:23 > 0:28:24in just ten years.

0:28:26 > 0:28:29To test the sheep's natural ability to fight off worms,

0:28:29 > 0:28:31Neil has to check their dung.

0:28:31 > 0:28:34What is known as a faecal egg count.

0:28:34 > 0:28:36There's two ways of doing this job.

0:28:36 > 0:28:38One takes a bit of patience and we have to wait

0:28:38 > 0:28:39until something happens.

0:28:39 > 0:28:42The other one involves a fingered glove.

0:28:44 > 0:28:49Samples are sent off to a lab, and any worm eggs found are counted.

0:28:49 > 0:28:51I never thought I'd be that excited about waiting for a sheep...

0:28:51 > 0:28:54- Exactly.- ..to give us some droppings.

0:28:54 > 0:28:57'However, this method is considered time-consuming

0:28:57 > 0:28:58'and often inaccurate.'

0:29:01 > 0:29:03And it is a bit of a mucky job.

0:29:06 > 0:29:09'Now, Dr Karen Fairlie-Clarke from Glasgow University

0:29:09 > 0:29:12'has helped develop a special saliva test

0:29:12 > 0:29:14'that is quick and easy to deliver.'

0:29:16 > 0:29:19Do you feel like more of a dentist than a zoologist doing this?

0:29:19 > 0:29:20Well, you do sometimes, yeah.

0:29:20 > 0:29:23Sometimes you get some quite interesting coloured swabs back.

0:29:23 > 0:29:25- Bit green, bit grassy, that one. - A little bit green, yeah.

0:29:25 > 0:29:28Obviously had some breakfast.

0:29:28 > 0:29:30So, how does the saliva test actually work?

0:29:30 > 0:29:34- What is it doing?- So what we're actually after is the antibodies

0:29:34 > 0:29:38that are in the saliva, that would be attacking the parasitic worms.

0:29:38 > 0:29:42Some animals are just better able to cope with a worm infection.

0:29:42 > 0:29:45And those are the ones that we expect to have a high antibody

0:29:45 > 0:29:48- response.- So a sheep that has a lot of these antibodies

0:29:48 > 0:29:50will be better able to

0:29:50 > 0:29:53- fight worms?- Absolutely.- And it can pass that onto its children?

0:29:53 > 0:29:55Yes, it is a heritable trait, yeah. So they can pass that on.

0:29:55 > 0:30:00How does this test compare to the old test on the dung of the animals?

0:30:00 > 0:30:04With the faecal egg count, it's a little bit tricky to interpret,

0:30:04 > 0:30:07because sometimes you can have an animal with an awful lot of worms

0:30:07 > 0:30:10that doesn't actually produce a lot of eggs at the time that you sample.

0:30:10 > 0:30:12Whereas the antibodies are always in the saliva,

0:30:12 > 0:30:16so you know you're always getting a real representation of the animal's

0:30:16 > 0:30:17ability to fight the worm.

0:30:17 > 0:30:20As a diagnostic tool for the farmers,

0:30:20 > 0:30:23it's really one of the most important steps that's been taken

0:30:23 > 0:30:26in the fight against worms.

0:30:26 > 0:30:29This new saliva test makes selecting the best stock

0:30:29 > 0:30:31much easier for farmers.

0:30:36 > 0:30:40Using breeding and genetics to solve the problem of worms is still

0:30:40 > 0:30:41several generations away,

0:30:41 > 0:30:43but Lesley Stubbings from the group

0:30:43 > 0:30:46Sustainable Control Of Parasites In Sheep

0:30:46 > 0:30:49is confident there are things that farmers can do now.

0:30:51 > 0:30:53Whenever we use these medicines,

0:30:53 > 0:30:55we need to make sure we give the right dose rate,

0:30:55 > 0:30:59actually think more carefully about what medicine you're using.

0:30:59 > 0:31:02Are you using the right one at the right time?

0:31:02 > 0:31:03And to say to farmers,

0:31:03 > 0:31:07"If you haven't got other worms that are resistant to certain groups,

0:31:07 > 0:31:09"then don't buy it in from someone else."

0:31:10 > 0:31:14We really do need our farmers to be putting in place practical

0:31:14 > 0:31:17strategies to take some of the pressure off these medicines now.

0:31:26 > 0:31:30Eliminating this threat from our national flock will take time and

0:31:30 > 0:31:35ingenuity. But by combining smart action from farmers,

0:31:35 > 0:31:40breeders and scientists, we should be able to keep sheep in our fields.

0:31:49 > 0:31:52Here at RSPB Fairburn Ings in West Yorkshire,

0:31:52 > 0:31:55the main attractions are the waders and waterfowl

0:31:55 > 0:31:57that enjoy the reserve's wetlands.

0:32:05 > 0:32:08But there are some unassuming residents

0:32:08 > 0:32:10that aren't as big and handsome as a heron...

0:32:12 > 0:32:14..definitely not as fancy as a kingfisher...

0:32:17 > 0:32:19..but are really rather special.

0:32:20 > 0:32:23Well, the little birds that I'm talking about are actually the focus

0:32:23 > 0:32:25of an ongoing survey here at Fairburn Ings

0:32:25 > 0:32:27that young rangers Ollie and Liberty

0:32:27 > 0:32:29are diligently working on at the moment.

0:32:32 > 0:32:34We're talking tree sparrows.

0:32:34 > 0:32:36Small, brown and chirpy.

0:32:36 > 0:32:39The population at Fairburn Ings is extremely important.

0:32:39 > 0:32:43Tim Melling, the senior conservation officer, explains why.

0:32:45 > 0:32:47People may think that sparrows are incredibly common,

0:32:47 > 0:32:49but as far as the tree sparrow is concerned,

0:32:49 > 0:32:51what we're seeing here is very special.

0:32:51 > 0:32:53No, really special.

0:32:53 > 0:32:54When I was about ten years old,

0:32:54 > 0:32:56there was ten times more tree sparrows in Britain

0:32:56 > 0:33:00than there are now. The population has just plummeted.

0:33:00 > 0:33:04But they are a really, really special bird and, in my opinion,

0:33:04 > 0:33:06far more attractive than house sparrows.

0:33:06 > 0:33:09They've got this lovely little chestnut cap and little black cheek

0:33:09 > 0:33:13spots. And we've got them nesting in boxes all round the visitors' centre

0:33:13 > 0:33:14here and on boxes in trees.

0:33:14 > 0:33:17We've got a really thriving population here.

0:33:17 > 0:33:21All right. So talking about this species that is on the red list,

0:33:21 > 0:33:22why the decline?

0:33:22 > 0:33:25They need somewhere to feed in winter and, again,

0:33:25 > 0:33:2950 years ago, there was lots of stubbles where grain used to be

0:33:29 > 0:33:33spilt, and that was the ideal feeding habitat for them.

0:33:33 > 0:33:36But now, with winter cereals, they don't have that same stubble.

0:33:36 > 0:33:40They're much more reliant on bird feeding stations and hand-outs

0:33:40 > 0:33:44- like that.- Right. So what work are you doing, and how does that help?

0:33:44 > 0:33:48Well, we're trying to catch as many as we can and put rings on them.

0:33:48 > 0:33:50But normally with these birds,

0:33:50 > 0:33:53what you do is you put mist nets up to catch them.

0:33:53 > 0:33:56But these are one of the most wary birds in the world.

0:33:56 > 0:33:59Once you've caught them in a mist net, they will not go in a mist net

0:33:59 > 0:34:03again. So that's why the young rangers here have really been

0:34:03 > 0:34:07helping, because they can take great photographs and observe the tree

0:34:07 > 0:34:10sparrows coming to the feeders. They can read the ring numbers.

0:34:10 > 0:34:12And it's just like having a scientific control of a bird

0:34:12 > 0:34:14- that lands in a mist net.- Yeah.

0:34:16 > 0:34:19Liberty and Ollie don't just make notes.

0:34:19 > 0:34:21Liberty has been working on the survey long enough now to have

0:34:21 > 0:34:23noticed trends emerging.

0:34:24 > 0:34:28How does this year's survey look in comparison to what you were doing

0:34:28 > 0:34:31- this time last year? - This time last year,

0:34:31 > 0:34:36there was not as many tree sparrows around the reserve.

0:34:36 > 0:34:39And this year, flocks have, like,

0:34:39 > 0:34:42dramatically increased compared to last year.

0:34:42 > 0:34:45Interesting, isn't it? Well, Ollie, what's your story, then?

0:34:45 > 0:34:47How did you end up being a ranger here?

0:34:47 > 0:34:49Well, I live five minutes down the road,

0:34:49 > 0:34:54so this is, kind of, my home reserve that I come to all the time.

0:34:54 > 0:34:57And I just...

0:34:57 > 0:35:01I wanted to come here every single day, every single night.

0:35:01 > 0:35:04I just wanted to stay here for my whole life.

0:35:04 > 0:35:06Really? Ollie, wow, that's passion.

0:35:06 > 0:35:08- It's this good, yeah.- And, Liberty, how about you, then?

0:35:08 > 0:35:10How did you end up working here?

0:35:10 > 0:35:15I came a few years before, volunteering with my dad.

0:35:15 > 0:35:17And came down nearly every day of the week.

0:35:17 > 0:35:21And Becky, who was one of the staff that worked here before,

0:35:21 > 0:35:24she said, "Would you like to have a try at volunteering?"

0:35:24 > 0:35:26I said, "That would be absolutely amazing!"

0:35:26 > 0:35:29So, how do you go about learning all the stuff that you know?

0:35:29 > 0:35:30Ollie, what you do?

0:35:30 > 0:35:32Do you do a lot on the internet, or do you look in books,

0:35:32 > 0:35:35or do you just talk to lots of people?

0:35:35 > 0:35:36I talk to lots of people.

0:35:36 > 0:35:38I get inspired by lots of people.

0:35:38 > 0:35:41I watch telly, like, for example, Autumnwatch, Springwatch.

0:35:41 > 0:35:43- Countryfile.- And Countryfile, yeah.

0:35:43 > 0:35:45- Good.- Um...

0:35:45 > 0:35:47THEY LAUGH

0:35:47 > 0:35:52And just going outside and just watching them helps me learn.

0:35:52 > 0:35:54Right, now, let's have another look at this survey.

0:35:54 > 0:35:57Because what is really important is to know exactly

0:35:57 > 0:35:59what season you're in.

0:35:59 > 0:36:02To know the dates as well.

0:36:02 > 0:36:04Do you know what this is, by any chance?

0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Countryfile calendar. - Yes! Have you got one yet?

0:36:07 > 0:36:09I have, I've ordered one.

0:36:09 > 0:36:11- Have you?- Yeah.- Hooray, that's good news!

0:36:11 > 0:36:13The big question is, have you ordered yours yet?

0:36:13 > 0:36:17If you haven't, here's John with all the details.

0:36:17 > 0:36:19Liberty, that's perfect.

0:36:19 > 0:36:20HE LAUGHS

0:36:20 > 0:36:25It costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.

0:36:25 > 0:36:27You can go to our website, where you'll find a link

0:36:27 > 0:36:29to the order page.

0:36:29 > 0:36:31Or you can phone the order line on...

0:36:40 > 0:36:42If you prefer to order by post,

0:36:42 > 0:36:44then send your name, address and a cheque to...

0:36:57 > 0:37:00A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar

0:37:00 > 0:37:03will be donated to BBC Children In Need.

0:37:08 > 0:37:11The mild summer and gentle autumn seem a long time ago now.

0:37:13 > 0:37:15But whilst the sun was shining,

0:37:15 > 0:37:18Adam travelled to the Rathfinny Wine Estate in Sussex,

0:37:18 > 0:37:22where their first commercial grape harvest was about to get under way.

0:37:37 > 0:37:40Up until recently, you could count the number of commercial vineyards

0:37:40 > 0:37:42in the UK on one hand.

0:37:42 > 0:37:44But now, English wine is doing really well.

0:37:44 > 0:37:48And many people are investing in large-scale vineyards like this one.

0:37:51 > 0:37:55Mark Driver converted this patch of farmland to grow grapes for

0:37:55 > 0:37:58sparkling wine back in 2012.

0:37:58 > 0:38:01This is a big year for him.

0:38:01 > 0:38:02Busy time of year, Mark.

0:38:02 > 0:38:06Yeah, very exciting time of year. The harvest is just coming in

0:38:06 > 0:38:10and 2016 is the first major harvest that we've had.

0:38:10 > 0:38:13What sort of scale are we talking about here?

0:38:13 > 0:38:17Well, we planted about 180 acres on our 600-acre farm.

0:38:17 > 0:38:20And we think that we're going to plant eventually about 400 acres.

0:38:20 > 0:38:22Lots of different varieties?

0:38:22 > 0:38:25Yeah, we've got about five different varieties.

0:38:25 > 0:38:28- And why here?- We've got a perfect site here.

0:38:28 > 0:38:31So we've got a lovely south-facing slope right onto chalk -

0:38:31 > 0:38:33we're on the South Downs.

0:38:33 > 0:38:36We're also blessed with great weather, we have a great climate.

0:38:36 > 0:38:39And all those things combined make it great conditions for growing

0:38:39 > 0:38:41sparkling wine grapes.

0:38:41 > 0:38:45I know we've been growing wine in this country since Roman times,

0:38:45 > 0:38:47but this sort of scale is just extraordinary, isn't it?

0:38:47 > 0:38:49It is, yeah. It's fantastic.

0:38:52 > 0:38:55- And how long have you been here? - About five years.

0:38:55 > 0:38:58'Vineyard manager Cameron Roucher learned his trade back at

0:38:58 > 0:39:01'home in New Zealand.

0:39:01 > 0:39:04'He's in charge of gathering as much of this year's prize crop

0:39:04 > 0:39:05'as possible.'

0:39:06 > 0:39:09Cameron, I know harvest for you is a busy time of year and you've just

0:39:09 > 0:39:12- started. How are the stress levels? - Yeah, they're not too bad.

0:39:12 > 0:39:15Sort of just started today and, yeah,

0:39:15 > 0:39:17it's just a matter of dealing with all the people that we've got and

0:39:17 > 0:39:20trying to get them in the right places and that sort of thing.

0:39:20 > 0:39:22But, yeah, it's not too bad so far.

0:39:22 > 0:39:24And how's the yield looking this year?

0:39:24 > 0:39:26Really good, yeah. This is our first decent year.

0:39:26 > 0:39:29And what are the challenges, then, of growing grapes?

0:39:29 > 0:39:33- I know nothing about it. - It's the same as all farming.

0:39:33 > 0:39:35A lot of it's down to the weather.

0:39:35 > 0:39:38And then you've got disease pressures that relate

0:39:38 > 0:39:40- to that weather.- And what's this blue netting?

0:39:40 > 0:39:41It's to stop the birds.

0:39:41 > 0:39:44We get quite a big pressure of birds trying to eat our grapes.

0:39:46 > 0:39:48How are they looking this year, Cameron?

0:39:48 > 0:39:49We've had a great summer.

0:39:49 > 0:39:52They're nice and full, plump, lovely and sweet.

0:39:52 > 0:39:54- Can I try one?- Yeah, go for it.

0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Mmm! They're really sweet, aren't they?- Yeah, they're great.- Gorgeous!

0:39:59 > 0:40:02Big effort, and a lot of money to put up all this netting, though,

0:40:02 > 0:40:03- isn't it?- Yeah, it is, yeah.

0:40:03 > 0:40:06But it's a very high-value crop.

0:40:06 > 0:40:10We're looking at around about £2,000 a tonne.

0:40:10 > 0:40:11- Goodness me!- So, yeah...

0:40:11 > 0:40:14So, my wheat and barley would be worth £130 a tonne!

0:40:14 > 0:40:17It's worth a lot more. I can see why you're looking after it!

0:40:17 > 0:40:19I see you've got a security camera here.

0:40:19 > 0:40:21Have you got people coming and nicking your grapes, too?

0:40:21 > 0:40:23Er, no. We've got a problem with badgers as well.

0:40:23 > 0:40:26- They're coming and munching on the sweet grapes?- Yeah, they are.

0:40:26 > 0:40:28They sort of tend to go for certain varieties, so...

0:40:28 > 0:40:30Really? They know what they like!

0:40:30 > 0:40:32- Yeah.- How many tonnes are they eating?

0:40:32 > 0:40:35They got through about a tonne of one variety last year.

0:40:35 > 0:40:37Goodness me! So, a couple of grand's worth?

0:40:37 > 0:40:39Got this electric fence that we've put in along our boundary

0:40:39 > 0:40:42to try and keep them out there, eating worms, blackberries,

0:40:42 > 0:40:43rather than eating our grapes.

0:40:43 > 0:40:46- Well, with the grapes being so valuable, I don't blame you.- Yeah.

0:40:48 > 0:40:51Keeping the birds and the sweet-toothed badgers at bay

0:40:51 > 0:40:54is only part of the challenge.

0:40:54 > 0:40:56There's an art to picking the grapes.

0:40:56 > 0:40:58All the fruit here is picked by hand,

0:40:58 > 0:41:01and Mark's wife Sarah has agreed to show me the ropes.

0:41:03 > 0:41:04- Hi, Sarah.- Hi, Adam.

0:41:04 > 0:41:05The grapes look lovely, don't they?

0:41:05 > 0:41:08They're fantastic. Look at that.

0:41:08 > 0:41:10I can't stop stealing them.

0:41:10 > 0:41:13You're eating all the profits! Why are they so good this year?

0:41:13 > 0:41:16They're really good because we've had really good weather,

0:41:16 > 0:41:17and we haven't had any frost.

0:41:17 > 0:41:19And how do you know they're ready to be picked now?

0:41:19 > 0:41:23Well, we know because we've done sugar and acid tests on them.

0:41:23 > 0:41:27And also, we can see that they're absolutely perfect.

0:41:27 > 0:41:28And now is the right time.

0:41:28 > 0:41:29Beautiful, aren't they?

0:41:29 > 0:41:32At home, with our crops, we obviously have a combine harvester,

0:41:32 > 0:41:34and I know you can pick grapes mechanically,

0:41:34 > 0:41:36but you choose to do it by hand.

0:41:36 > 0:41:38Yes, we do, and there's good reason for it.

0:41:38 > 0:41:40It's all about the craft and the care that we take.

0:41:40 > 0:41:44If you use the machine, you damage the grapes.

0:41:44 > 0:41:45If we take them off by hand,

0:41:45 > 0:41:49then it gives us a little bit longer before they go up to the winery.

0:41:49 > 0:41:51So, what's the skill behind it?

0:41:51 > 0:41:54Well, it's just about being careful, really. And so you're going in,

0:41:54 > 0:41:58you're picking just after the brown bit of stalk.

0:41:58 > 0:42:00And you're making sure that you've just got a good,

0:42:00 > 0:42:03healthy set of grapes there, which these certainly are.

0:42:03 > 0:42:05- OK. Can I give it a go?- You may.

0:42:07 > 0:42:08Right, here we go.

0:42:09 > 0:42:11- That one's all right, isn't it?- Yup.

0:42:11 > 0:42:14Quite a lot of camaraderie and a nice young team you've got working

0:42:14 > 0:42:17- with you.- A lot of local people have come, of all ages.

0:42:17 > 0:42:20You know, from their 70s down to students. It's fantastic.

0:42:20 > 0:42:21Wonderful.

0:42:21 > 0:42:24Well, it's not a bad way to spend your holiday, is it?

0:42:24 > 0:42:26Ah, we'll have to give you a job!

0:42:29 > 0:42:32Picking the grapes correctly is only one of the skills needed

0:42:32 > 0:42:34to make a quality sparkling white.

0:42:34 > 0:42:37The estate's winemaker Jonathan Medard comes from

0:42:37 > 0:42:39the Champagne region itself.

0:42:39 > 0:42:42He's well qualified to get the best out of this year's crop.

0:42:44 > 0:42:46Are you pleased with the harvest so far, Jonathan?

0:42:46 > 0:42:49Very pleased. It's a really good quality so far, so...

0:42:51 > 0:42:52You know, it's beautiful.

0:42:52 > 0:42:55It tastes delicious. So yes, very excited.

0:42:55 > 0:42:59And how different are the grapes here than in, say, the Champagne

0:42:59 > 0:43:00region across the water?

0:43:00 > 0:43:03Despite the fact that they grow on the same type of soil -

0:43:03 > 0:43:08that's chalk below - the growing season here is longer and it allows

0:43:08 > 0:43:10for really nice flavour development,

0:43:10 > 0:43:13as well as retaining fantastic acidity.

0:43:13 > 0:43:16- And as a winemaker, is that exciting for you?- It's very exciting.

0:43:16 > 0:43:19It allows us to create fantastic wines, yeah.

0:43:19 > 0:43:20So what happens now?

0:43:20 > 0:43:24We're going to close the lid and go downstairs and start the pressing.

0:43:24 > 0:43:25OK, let's do that.

0:43:29 > 0:43:32This first pressing produces the purest juice.

0:43:32 > 0:43:34Jonathan is keen for me to have a taste

0:43:34 > 0:43:36before it undergoes its first fermentation.

0:43:43 > 0:43:45Wow! That's not what I was expecting at all.

0:43:45 > 0:43:47It's not like your everyday grape juice, is it?

0:43:47 > 0:43:49It's full of flavour.

0:43:49 > 0:43:51Just delicious, really sweet.

0:43:51 > 0:43:52It's really nice.

0:43:52 > 0:43:55So, here you are. A Frenchman from Epernay, from the Champagne region,

0:43:55 > 0:43:58in the UK making sparkling wine!

0:43:58 > 0:44:00What brings you here? Why are you so excited about it?

0:44:02 > 0:44:05What's exciting here is that we start from scratch.

0:44:05 > 0:44:09We have no history of wines here.

0:44:09 > 0:44:12We just planted the vineyards, so everything is new.

0:44:12 > 0:44:14From the quality we get, you know,

0:44:14 > 0:44:17we're going to decide on what to plant next.

0:44:17 > 0:44:22So you can use your true French flair and ingenuity?

0:44:22 > 0:44:23We try to.

0:44:24 > 0:44:28And when will this be in the bottle as sparkling English wine?

0:44:28 > 0:44:33Well, this will be bottled mid-next year, maybe in June,

0:44:33 > 0:44:36and then it's going to have to stay three years in the cellar, so...

0:44:36 > 0:44:38- Wow!- You're going to have to be very patient.

0:44:38 > 0:44:40That's a long wait.

0:44:40 > 0:44:42It's worth the wait for many wine businesses,

0:44:42 > 0:44:45who expect a boom in UK wines.

0:44:45 > 0:44:48Home-grown production is reckoned to double to ten million bottles

0:44:48 > 0:44:50a year by 2020.

0:44:50 > 0:44:54Sparkling wine takes so long because it undergoes two fermentations -

0:44:54 > 0:44:59the first in tanks, the second in the bottle itself.

0:44:59 > 0:45:02Fortunately, Jonathan and Mark have agreed to open a bottle early,

0:45:02 > 0:45:04so I can see what all the fuss is about.

0:45:05 > 0:45:08So, this is the 2014.

0:45:08 > 0:45:10This is our first wine.

0:45:10 > 0:45:15It's made exclusively of Chardonnay, so we call this a blanc des blancs.

0:45:15 > 0:45:19We're just getting a glance of what it's going to be in a year's time.

0:45:19 > 0:45:21- Should we have a little taste? - I think we should.

0:45:29 > 0:45:31- Lovely, isn't it? - It's rather good, isn't it?

0:45:31 > 0:45:33Is this what you were hoping for?

0:45:33 > 0:45:34Yeah, this is exactly it.

0:45:34 > 0:45:382016, you know, with the fantastic summer we had.

0:45:38 > 0:45:41We're really hopeful that we're going to be producing something

0:45:41 > 0:45:43which may even exceed this.

0:45:43 > 0:45:45Well, it's wonderful to celebrate success.

0:45:45 > 0:45:46Congratulations, gentlemen!

0:45:46 > 0:45:48Thank you.

0:45:48 > 0:45:50Cheers.

0:45:52 > 0:45:55It's delicious, isn't it? It's full of flavour.

0:46:02 > 0:46:03- ANITA:- West Yorkshire.

0:46:03 > 0:46:05My home turf.

0:46:05 > 0:46:08Town and country sit side by side here.

0:46:08 > 0:46:11You can look out of your window in Huddersfield or Halifax

0:46:11 > 0:46:14and see sheep and cattle grazing on the hillside.

0:46:16 > 0:46:18Apart from the fantastic views,

0:46:18 > 0:46:22having towns so close to open country does have other benefits.

0:46:22 > 0:46:25For farmers, it means they've got a ready-made market

0:46:25 > 0:46:28for their products. And for consumers, it means they've got

0:46:28 > 0:46:30fresh, locally grown produce on the doorstep.

0:46:32 > 0:46:36One producer making the most of both worlds is award-winning cheese maker

0:46:36 > 0:46:39Razan Alsous, who makes halloumi from Yorkshire milk.

0:46:41 > 0:46:45She and her family came to Britain after losing nearly everything

0:46:45 > 0:46:47in the war in Syria.

0:46:47 > 0:46:49- Hello, Razan.- Hi!- How are you? - Hi, I'm fine, thank you.

0:46:49 > 0:46:51- Good to see you!- Thank you.

0:46:51 > 0:46:53- What a view.- Yeah, it's really nice.

0:46:53 > 0:46:55What do you think about West Yorkshire?

0:46:55 > 0:46:57Well, it's a bit of heaven.

0:46:57 > 0:46:58- And now it's home.- Yes.

0:46:58 > 0:47:05We came here first in 2012, when the bombing started to be in Damascus.

0:47:05 > 0:47:09And there was an explosion at my husband's office,

0:47:09 > 0:47:13and it was like a sign to find maybe a new home.

0:47:13 > 0:47:15A more safe place for the kids.

0:47:15 > 0:47:17So what did you find in West Yorkshire?

0:47:17 > 0:47:19Well, the milk for sure.

0:47:19 > 0:47:21- Milk?- You can tell!

0:47:21 > 0:47:25Lots of cows and all this greenery and this weather

0:47:25 > 0:47:27will produce a beautiful milk.

0:47:27 > 0:47:28And does it, in your opinion?

0:47:28 > 0:47:30Yes, yes. It does.

0:47:30 > 0:47:33And I know maybe sometimes, you know, in your heart of hearts,

0:47:33 > 0:47:36life would be very different for you, but...

0:47:36 > 0:47:38you're here making this amazing cheese.

0:47:38 > 0:47:41- Well...- And it's the first-ever halloumi in Yorkshire!

0:47:41 > 0:47:43In Yorkshire, yes. I think so.

0:47:43 > 0:47:44Well, I want to see it being made

0:47:44 > 0:47:46and then, of course, I have to taste it.

0:47:46 > 0:47:48Definitely. Let's go.

0:47:48 > 0:47:49- Come on, then. Lead the way. - Thank you.

0:47:53 > 0:47:56In Syria, Razan was a laboratory scientist,

0:47:56 > 0:48:00and her spirit of invention is clear in her cheese-making process.

0:48:02 > 0:48:04So, this is it - this is where the magic happens.

0:48:04 > 0:48:05Exactly, yeah.

0:48:05 > 0:48:09Just like Razan, all of her equipment has had a previous life -

0:48:09 > 0:48:14from an ice-cream maker to a pasta boiler. Even a chicken grill.

0:48:14 > 0:48:17Usually the cheese cutters, it's made out of wires.

0:48:17 > 0:48:22Well, this is really strong so we found it makes them in cubes.

0:48:22 > 0:48:24- So...- Perfect!- ..we just use it.

0:48:24 > 0:48:26I think you're a genius!

0:48:28 > 0:48:30Time for a cheesy montage.

0:48:32 > 0:48:34You're right, this is the perfect thing.

0:48:34 > 0:48:35Exactly.

0:48:35 > 0:48:37- It just feels so good!- Yeah.

0:48:41 > 0:48:43Within just a few years of starting production,

0:48:43 > 0:48:47Razan's halloumi had won gold at the World Cheese Awards.

0:48:47 > 0:48:51Her business has even been praised in the Houses of Parliament.

0:48:55 > 0:48:57Oh, that feels so good!

0:48:57 > 0:49:00- My husband doesn't get treated like this.- It's a spoilt cheese!

0:49:00 > 0:49:01Very spoilt.

0:49:11 > 0:49:14Halloumi can be made from sheep or cow's milk.

0:49:14 > 0:49:19Reheating the cut cheese in its own whey gives it a high melting point,

0:49:19 > 0:49:21making it ideal for serving grilled.

0:49:26 > 0:49:28Mmm!

0:49:28 > 0:49:29It smells amazing!

0:49:29 > 0:49:30This is what I've been waiting for.

0:49:30 > 0:49:33Now, this is with chilli, and these are plain.

0:49:33 > 0:49:35- Let's try the plain one.- Yeah.

0:49:35 > 0:49:38- Don't worry, I'll try the chilli one as well.- Uh-huh.

0:49:38 > 0:49:39I'm going to...

0:49:41 > 0:49:42Mmm!

0:49:42 > 0:49:44What do you think?

0:49:44 > 0:49:47- Creamy and delicious.- Mm-hm!

0:49:48 > 0:49:49Yorkshire halloumi's amazing!

0:49:51 > 0:49:53Oh, wow!

0:49:53 > 0:49:54I might have a bit more.

0:49:54 > 0:49:57Razan takes advantage of nearby delis and markets

0:49:57 > 0:49:58to sell her cheese locally.

0:49:59 > 0:50:02Victoria Robertshaw runs Keelham Farm Shop.

0:50:02 > 0:50:05They specialise in local produce,

0:50:05 > 0:50:08but their position in West Yorkshire allows them to supply urban,

0:50:08 > 0:50:10as well as rural, customers.

0:50:11 > 0:50:13What a gorgeous place!

0:50:13 > 0:50:15- Oh, thank you.- It's beautiful!

0:50:15 > 0:50:18And why is it that you sell Razan's cheese here?

0:50:18 > 0:50:21Razan ticks lots of boxes for us.

0:50:21 > 0:50:22Not only does it taste fantastic,

0:50:22 > 0:50:25it's made with all-Yorkshire produce.

0:50:25 > 0:50:27Razan is so passionate about what she does,

0:50:27 > 0:50:31and we love supporting people like that within Yorkshire and helping

0:50:31 > 0:50:34kind of showcase and give a platform for them to sell their products.

0:50:34 > 0:50:38How does being placed in this part of Britain help you, do you think,

0:50:38 > 0:50:41as a farm shop and as a place that is accessible to communities?

0:50:41 > 0:50:45We're phenomenally lucky with our location, because, basically,

0:50:45 > 0:50:48we're very close to the towns, but we're still...

0:50:48 > 0:50:50You know, we're on the moor tops near Wuthering Heights and

0:50:50 > 0:50:53Bronte land. You can see across the moors.

0:50:53 > 0:50:55When we've done some stats and stuff,

0:50:55 > 0:50:5970% of our customers travel within a three-mile distance to us,

0:50:59 > 0:51:01so we're very much the kind of local community shop, as well.

0:51:02 > 0:51:05'There are more than 400 Yorkshire products here.

0:51:05 > 0:51:07'Everything from pastries...'

0:51:07 > 0:51:08We're very famous for pies.

0:51:08 > 0:51:10I've never seen anything like it!

0:51:10 > 0:51:13'..to pickles.'

0:51:14 > 0:51:16- That is amazing! - It's brilliant, isn't it?

0:51:16 > 0:51:18That's a revelation! Wow!

0:51:19 > 0:51:20I could be here a while.

0:51:22 > 0:51:25And of course, I can't resist a final taste

0:51:25 > 0:51:27of Razan's Yorkshire halloumi.

0:51:27 > 0:51:29See, this is what it's all about.

0:51:29 > 0:51:30Halloumi made in Yorkshire.

0:51:48 > 0:51:52BIRDSONG

0:51:52 > 0:51:55We're at the RSPB's Fairburn Ings reserve today.

0:51:57 > 0:51:59And we're following their young rangers as they put in

0:51:59 > 0:52:01a full day of volunteering.

0:52:05 > 0:52:07But not all of it is hard work.

0:52:07 > 0:52:08Most of it's fun.

0:52:08 > 0:52:10Like surveying what lives here.

0:52:12 > 0:52:16Rangers Elliott, Liberty and Ollie are showing a group of visiting

0:52:16 > 0:52:18children the joys of pond dipping.

0:52:18 > 0:52:21You want to be doing a really big figure-of-eight shape, all around,

0:52:21 > 0:52:24cos that's the way you're going to catch most things.

0:52:24 > 0:52:26You kind of corral them into the middle.

0:52:26 > 0:52:28- Did we catch anything?- No.

0:52:28 > 0:52:30Right.

0:52:30 > 0:52:32Pass it along. And try it.

0:52:32 > 0:52:35Try deep. Sometimes they hide in the mud at the bottom.

0:52:36 > 0:52:39They're not finding much wildlife because there's a lack of vegetation

0:52:39 > 0:52:42in front of the dipping platform.

0:52:42 > 0:52:44So, I'm giving assistant warden John Ingham a hand with

0:52:44 > 0:52:47some watery gardening.

0:52:47 > 0:52:49It's coming out under the water.

0:52:49 > 0:52:52That's actually a new shoot that's coming out.

0:52:52 > 0:52:55So when we replant this over there,

0:52:55 > 0:52:57what will happen is these new shoots will come out alongside and make a

0:52:57 > 0:53:01- nice, sort of, wall along the front of the dipping platform.- Yeah.

0:53:01 > 0:53:04Give lots of places for the insects under the water to hide.

0:53:04 > 0:53:08So, the purpose of doing this, then, is literally to move this habitat

0:53:08 > 0:53:10closer so that the youngsters can get up and get in it.

0:53:10 > 0:53:12- Exactly, yeah.- OK, I'm with you.

0:53:12 > 0:53:17It's just creating a much better experience for the people

0:53:17 > 0:53:19- who come here to pond dip.- Yeah.

0:53:19 > 0:53:22You know, it's one of our major activities on the reserve.

0:53:22 > 0:53:23And I can see why!

0:53:23 > 0:53:26I mean, when you look at everyone over there having such a good time.

0:53:26 > 0:53:27Yeah. Exactly, yeah.

0:53:27 > 0:53:29This is an absolute monster of a diving beetle.

0:53:29 > 0:53:30Ollie got it.

0:53:31 > 0:53:34The rushes are put into hessian sacks filled with the silt

0:53:34 > 0:53:37from the bottom of the pond to help them root in their new home.

0:53:39 > 0:53:41- Nice sludgy stuff there.- Oh, yeah.

0:53:41 > 0:53:42It's all good, full of nutrients.

0:53:42 > 0:53:43Absolutely.

0:53:44 > 0:53:46Do we dig the sack in as well, then?

0:53:46 > 0:53:52Yeah, just try and dig a little bit of a dip for it.

0:53:52 > 0:53:55And then once it's in the water, just stamp it down a bit.

0:53:57 > 0:54:00Look at all the species that are going to benefit from

0:54:00 > 0:54:03all of this work that's taken place.

0:54:03 > 0:54:06And the next generation

0:54:06 > 0:54:10of naturalists that come along and get to experience this place and

0:54:10 > 0:54:11enjoy it for what is.

0:54:18 > 0:54:20There he is.

0:54:20 > 0:54:21It's actually quite big.

0:54:21 > 0:54:23Just want to put him down in the bucket there.

0:54:25 > 0:54:26Getting stuck in there, Matt?

0:54:26 > 0:54:27- Ah, hello!- Hey up!

0:54:27 > 0:54:29- Ooh, hang on.- That hat suits you. - My foot's stuck.

0:54:29 > 0:54:31- Are you all right?- Yeah.

0:54:31 > 0:54:32- It's there.- I'll help you from here.

0:54:32 > 0:54:35- You don't want to grab my hand. - No, I don't!- No, seriously.

0:54:35 > 0:54:36I'll just leave you.

0:54:36 > 0:54:38Have you enjoyed being back on home turf?

0:54:38 > 0:54:40I've been able to breathe that much easier.

0:54:40 > 0:54:42My shoulders are a little bit broader. Isn't it beautiful here?

0:54:42 > 0:54:44I don my cap to you.

0:54:44 > 0:54:47I certainly do. But listen, that's all we've got time for this week.

0:54:47 > 0:54:48Next week, I'm going to be a little bit drier

0:54:48 > 0:54:51in the Brecon Beacons, where we'll be doing a treasure hunt

0:54:51 > 0:54:54- across the landscape.- And Helen will be taking on a fishy rescue.

0:54:54 > 0:54:56- Do join us then. - From all of us here...

0:54:56 > 0:54:57- ALL:- Goodbye!