0:00:25 > 0:00:30It's a week in which huge swathes of our countryside are underwater.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35First, it was the Somerset Levels, and now the floods are spreading.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37We're in Wiltshire, a fertile feeding ground
0:00:37 > 0:00:39for the young River Thames.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Here, farming's a way of life.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Pigs are big business in Wiltshire, and on this farm,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46there's lots of hungry piglets,
0:00:46 > 0:00:47some of them just a couple of days old.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Now, you might want to cover your ears for this bit,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53because I'm going to be finding out what's going to be happening
0:00:53 > 0:00:55to this lot and the secrets behind Wiltshire ham.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00In the heart of the Wiltshire countryside is Tedworth House,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03a recovery centre run by Help for Heroes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05When members of our Armed Forces
0:01:05 > 0:01:08suffer life-changing illness or injury,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12they come here to begin the often difficult task of recovery,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and, by working with nature, many are being taught skills
0:01:15 > 0:01:18that really can help them plan for the future.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20I'll be here, catching up with some of them,
0:01:20 > 0:01:21seeing how they're getting on.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Tom's got the latest on the flooding.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Weeks after the heavy rain began to fall,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32the floodwaters in many parts of Britain are still rising,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34but is our countryside being sacrificed
0:01:34 > 0:01:37so that people in our towns and cities can stay dry?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I'll be investigating.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And there's a new and potentially lethal threat
0:01:43 > 0:01:45to the cattle down on Adam's farm.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50When it comes to farming, you've got to pay attention
0:01:50 > 0:01:52to the things you can see, but also to the things you can't.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And there's a small but deadly parasite that's causing
0:01:55 > 0:01:58problems in cattle, including some of my own.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Wiltshire, with its lush, chalky pastures and gentle landscape.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19The county sits in England's fertile southwest.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Found within the wide expanses of the Wiltshire Downs
0:02:25 > 0:02:27are the ancient monuments of Stonehenge...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31..Avebury stone circle
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and the eight white horses carved into the hillside.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Well, today, I'm not here to look at the horses but find out about
0:02:39 > 0:02:43a very different animal, one with a culinary connection to the area.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Pigs and their famous Wiltshire hams.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51No-one knows more about the commercial home of bacon
0:02:51 > 0:02:54than local historian Sue Boddington.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So, Sue, Wiltshire's connection with pigs
0:02:57 > 0:02:59really started on the drovers' roads, didn't it?
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Yes, it did. It was an accident of geography, really.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The pigs used to come across from Ireland by ship to Bristol
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and then they were walked by the drovers up to London.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12And when they got to this stage,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14obviously there'd be a few stragglers.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17They could see which pigs weren't going to make it to London
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and so they wanted to try to get rid of them locally.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22There were two enterprising brothers
0:03:22 > 0:03:25who had bacon curing businesses called Harris.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28So, they used to go and buy the pigs cheaply.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Their business grew and grew? - Yes, it did.- Right, OK.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33And there's a story that one of the brothers
0:03:33 > 0:03:35ended up going over to America?
0:03:35 > 0:03:36What happened there?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Yes, so George went to America.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42What he did see when he was there was ice houses.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Importing the idea of ice houses to Wiltshire was a stroke of genius.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Storing the meat in cold rooms meant less salt was needed
0:03:53 > 0:03:55for preservation during the hotter months.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The milder-tasting Wiltshire cure was born,
0:03:58 > 0:04:03and the county became the chief seat of Britain's bacon industry.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Technically, Wiltshire cured ham
0:04:05 > 0:04:08can be made with meat from any breed of pig.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09'When it comes to taste, though,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11'local farmer Caroline Wheatley-Hubbard
0:04:11 > 0:04:13'favours the rare breed Tamworth.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Aren't they just fantastic?
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Such a vivid, rusty colour.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20They've got good coats at this time of year, which keep them warm.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And why do you think the Tamworth is so great for bacon?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Because it's a slow-growing pig and it's got a good, hard fat.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And how do they get on here in Wiltshire?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34We have them outside here because it's not too wet and boggy.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37It's a quick-drying soil on the chalk,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39so it drains quite quickly.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Hello, are you having a little...
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Yes, he's having a little go at my wellies.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44These ones are about eight weeks old.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And how new is your newest litter?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- The newest litter was born two days ago.- Oh, really?
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Let's go and have a look at them.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53It's nice to see you all, but I'm off to look at some littler ones.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57My word! Aren't they just adorable?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- How many are there? - Well, she's got eight here.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03A good litter for a Tamworth. And she'll rear them well.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05You often know when they're going to farrow,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08because they start picking up bits of straw and making a nest.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It must always be exciting for you to see
0:05:10 > 0:05:13the next generation in what is a very long line of history.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I can show you just how long the line is.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18'Caroline can lay claim to
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'the oldest pedigree herd of any pig breed in the country
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'and she has a piggy family tree to prove it.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Now, Matt, this is where the herd began in 1922,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30rather a long time ago.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- So, at the top of this... - I'll move these.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34And I'll hold this end.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35Oh, gosh!
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Are these all the pigs' names, on here?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42These are all the pigs,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44all the way down to the present generation.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Right.- So, the first pig in 1922 was Jemima.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49These are all her descendants.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And the fact that it is very nearly 100 years old, though,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56so we're all looking forward to 2022.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- See how it goes.- Yeah, of course.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01We've got some of the old show cards, as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03That was the Royal Show in 1933.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And then we still go to the Bath & West Show today.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10So some of the pigs that we have here in the yards will be
0:06:10 > 0:06:11going to the Bath & West this summer.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Let's have a look at these photos. Here we are.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17This one is washing pigs before the shows.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21They have to be nice and clean and they really glisten in the sun.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- It's quite brave to feed that many pigs.- Yes.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25He's obviously going at quite a lick there.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28They're running behind him. He just drops the bag and go.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Soon as you get the first pile of food down, you're in with a chance!
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Looking back at all of this history is one thing,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39but, for you, there must be quite a lot of pressure there,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42when you're in charge of the herd's future?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Well, that's right. It's an important part
0:06:44 > 0:06:47of the national herd, as well, because we have probably
0:06:47 > 0:06:48about 5% of the national herd here.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52There's less than 500 pedigree Tamworth pigs in this country.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55That's really why I think it's important to go on selling
0:06:55 > 0:06:58the meat, because that's what's keeping the herd going.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And, later, I'll be following these pedigree pigs from farm to fork.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Now, as we all know, people in the British countryside are being
0:07:13 > 0:07:15hit hard by flooding at the moment.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But are they paying the price for defending our towns and cities?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Here's Tom.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28When the rains came, they came with a force and fury
0:07:28 > 0:07:30not seen in this country for centuries.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Whole tracts of land disappeared in the deluge.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Communities were cut off by a rising tide of floodwater.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39But that was just the start.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42When the storms first blew in,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45people thought it would all be over by Christmas.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47They were wrong.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Each week seems to have brought a new battering.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Thousands of homes have flooded, miles of farmland have been swamped
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and crops destroyed, and it's not over yet.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58But the focus has shifted.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It's now no longer just about the Somerset Levels -
0:08:01 > 0:08:05the floodwaters are spreading and even threatening the capital.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Flooding from Shropshire to Hampshire,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15from South Wales to Surrey, is raising big questions,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17like who gets the help?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20According to the head of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith...
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And that, he says, means answering some tough questions.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Town or country?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Front rooms or farmland?
0:08:34 > 0:08:39For some people, though, those choices are already being made.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Neil Craddock owns a business making high-end wooden flooring.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49What are you hoping to be able to see or do today?
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I'd like to think that the water had all disappeared,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53but, obviously, that ain't going to happen at all.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56So, I think we'll just see a very sad scene.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00'His factory is just outside the Somerset village of Burrowbridge
0:09:00 > 0:09:04'and it's been flooded for more than six weeks.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'Now the only way in is by boat.'
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Something approaching terra firma.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13So we're going into the first floor of the building, are we?
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Into the first floor, where it's the only dry part left.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18So, everything down here is...
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Everything below there is underwater.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24What kind of value do you think's down there?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Approaching £1 million.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28£1 million, all gone?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31That's timber stock and machinery, all gone, yeah. The whole lot.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33- Insured?- No.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Can you survive?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37We'll have to rebuild.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I notice a bit of a set of the chin there, a bit of determination.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Determination, you've got to.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44We've been through this before and we're determined that
0:09:44 > 0:09:46we're going to rebuild again, yes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We can't actually get down onto the factory floors.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Some of the floating and swollen wood has blocked the doorways.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Take a look in here.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00That is a sorry sight.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03The still, dark water - it's quite spooky, really.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07So, why is his factory underwater?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Neil believes that's down to dredging.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I'm very, very angry, because all of this situation is avoidable.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Had the rivers been dredged properly, as they should have done,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22by the Environment Agency, none of this situation would be here today.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24And I'm absolutely convinced of that.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So, if someone were to say,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31"Look, this is actually quite a small area, it's 2.5% of Somerset
0:10:31 > 0:10:35"or so that's underwater, maybe we should just let that go.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37"We can't defend it any more."
0:10:37 > 0:10:38What would you say to that?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41That isn't the consensus. The consensus is that
0:10:41 > 0:10:42it's the Somerset Levels
0:10:42 > 0:10:44where people have lived for hundreds of years,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47successfully, without depths of water like this.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The Environment Agency says it places flood defences where they are
0:10:55 > 0:11:00most needed - that's based on a formula laid down by the Government.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It wants an average of £8 worth of benefit
0:11:03 > 0:11:06for every £1 spent.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09That inevitably favours the areas with most homes
0:11:09 > 0:11:13and large populations, or, at least, it should do.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Along much of the Thames, towns and villages
0:11:16 > 0:11:21have been swamped with water levels at an all-time high.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Pretty places like Datchet have been inundated,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28and nearby Wraysbury, once a sleepy farming community
0:11:28 > 0:11:30a day's ride from London, has become a favourite
0:11:30 > 0:11:33with the nation's media,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35news helicopters buzzing continually overhead.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40There's almost a kind of surreal beauty to this scene,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43with the weeping willow and the bridge
0:11:43 > 0:11:47that actually leads to nowhere, apart from more water.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48I'm on my way to see someone
0:11:48 > 0:11:52who's been dealing with this for ten days now.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56I somewhat doubt if he sees the artistic upside.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02'Long-time resident Yaron Ivry is taking me to his home.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'It used to have a nice view of the Thames.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07'Now it's in it.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So, did you try and keep the water out of here for a bit?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Yes, so I build quite a serious defence here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's all blocking the water from coming into the house.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22With a huge pump, that is pumping out 400 litres per minute.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26It was working 24 hours a day for four days,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28but eventually the water got so high.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30So, you've left now?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Yeah. Now we're living in a hotel.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39So, where did the floodwater reach in here?
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Well, Monday morning, I wake up and seven o'clock in the morning,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45I had water in my kitchen.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Look out the window. That's extraordinary!
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I mean, it's an impressive view, but probably a horrific view,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53as far as you're concerned?
0:12:53 > 0:12:57It's a very nice view if it's not inside your home.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01'Despite official denials, many people here think they've suffered
0:13:01 > 0:13:05'because of flood prevention measures for nearby towns.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I'm very happy for the people
0:13:07 > 0:13:10who are living in Maidenhead and Windsor
0:13:10 > 0:13:14to remain dry and maintain their lifestyle,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but it's not balanced and it's not fair.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20We are here living under stress,
0:13:20 > 0:13:25under the water and suffering financially as a result of it.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Because no matter insurance,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29nobody can pay you for the stress
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and the nights that you are awake,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37looking at the river and measuring every hour where it goes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Bad as things undoubtedly are for flooded homeowners,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47they have been worse.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Summer 2007.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Across the whole country, more than 55,000 homes were flooded.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57This year, despite record-breaking rainfall,
0:13:57 > 0:13:596,000 homes have been flooded.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02But has that been achieved by moving
0:14:02 > 0:14:04the problem from the town to the country?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Holly and Roddy Baillie-Grohman
0:14:07 > 0:14:10live in Somerset, in the flooded hamlet of Thorney.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13It's three weeks of coming downstairs
0:14:13 > 0:14:14and getting in your waders.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- I mean, it's just horrid.- Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19What do you think that did to the house,
0:14:19 > 0:14:20the fact it was here for so long?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The longer it stays, the more it destroys the fabric of the building.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27So, do you feel this area has been made into a bit of a reservoir
0:14:27 > 0:14:31to protect the big towns, Taunton, Bridgwater, downstream?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34We all feel that, because if one of the bigger estates went under,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36there'd be all hell to pay.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It's tough, but is that not possibly a fair deal, though?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I mean, there are thousands of homes there.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45If they have changed their strategy to regard houses
0:14:45 > 0:14:48as water storage, then they should be up front
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and say, "We don't think this village needs to exist any more,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53"and we will buy them out."
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Just to allow a semi status quo to develop,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00is...absolutely shocking.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06But with only so much to spend on flood prevention,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08especially in rural areas,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11many experts feel that sacrifices of some sort
0:15:11 > 0:15:13are now inevitable.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Hannah Cloke is a hydrologist from Reading University.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23She knows all about floods and the movement of water,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26and thinks we're faced with some hard choices.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30For very big floods like we've been experiencing recently,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34we might have to accept that the land will flood.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36We have to learn to live with that a bit better.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41For smaller floods, you can do some simple things,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43like trying to slow the water down in the uplands
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and trying to get it to infiltrate into the ground,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48which means that it hits the rivers much more slowly,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and therefore the downstream flooding is not so bad.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Downstream, when you are on the flood plain,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57the best thing to do is to make space for that water
0:15:57 > 0:15:59on the flood plain so that it's stored.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02There's normally something on the flood plain already,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04because we've built on a lot of our flood plains
0:16:04 > 0:16:06or they're used for agricultural land.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08There is a balance there to strike between
0:16:08 > 0:16:11trying to protect settlements and other pieces of land
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and not causing downstream problems.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18When you talk about balancing where the water is stored in a flood plain,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22is that a question of fields versus towns and villages?
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Often that's a realistic choice that people are going to have to make.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29We need to think about flood risk management strategies,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32that means taking a whole catchment approach,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34looking at upstream and the middle reaches
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and the lowland flood plains too.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38That may mean that we need to think about
0:16:38 > 0:16:41storing that flood water on those fields.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46That's a big ask of those who manage
0:16:46 > 0:16:50most of the landscape - the farmers...
0:16:51 > 0:16:54..many of whom feel they've suffered enough already,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58with crops ruined and pasture under water.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The river burst its bank, and there was a flood of water
0:17:02 > 0:17:05a foot deep, went across this field straight into the houses,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07flooding that farmhouse there.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It's just been continuous.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Colin Rayner's family have farmed here in the Thames Valley
0:17:12 > 0:17:14for generations.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17He's been flooded before but nothing like this.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21He puts it down to lack of management.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24The rivers are not maintained, the ditches are not dug,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26the ones we don't have control over.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28My view is it's 50 years of neglect of our infrastructure
0:17:28 > 0:17:30in the Thames Valley.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34People have forgotten the Thames Valley and the Thames is a drain.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37But it's not for nothing that the Thames flood plain is called
0:17:37 > 0:17:38a flood plain.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Yes, but not twice in one month.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44We expect to be flooded for seven or 14 days,
0:17:44 > 0:17:45not for six weeks.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Many farmers believe their fields are being routinely sacrificed
0:17:54 > 0:17:57to protect homes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Turning the British countryside into a natural flood defence
0:18:00 > 0:18:02would ask even more -
0:18:02 > 0:18:05giving up land around rivers and on the coast,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08putting in ponds to catch water
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and even moving sheep from the hills
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and planting trees instead.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Would farmers buy that?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20I'm with Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24We as farmers would accept the idea of putting farmland before houses
0:18:24 > 0:18:26is absurd.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29In recent times, we've been worrying about people's lives as well,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31so lives, houses have got to come first.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Where does that leave food production?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It's a massive challenge.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38We have to make a priority of our best agricultural land
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and we've got figures that show that 58% of our best grade one land
0:18:43 > 0:18:45sits below a 5-metre contour.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48If we get floods year after year,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50that will stop our ability to feed ourselves.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54But an awful lot of hydrologists and flood scientists,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56not just those in the Environment Agency,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59say this idea of using our land differently,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03to store water, is viable - it's scientifically proven.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I think it's... I'm really open about this.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08With climate change, with extreme weather events,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11we're going to have to think differently.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15But we've got to put a better value on agricultural land.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22But when the waters rise next time,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26will we really value farmland over houses?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30This choice may well make us all think again
0:19:30 > 0:19:32about our country's landscape
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and the way we use it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44The vast expanse of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47home to ancient monuments,
0:19:47 > 0:19:48as well as our armed forces.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53As Jules has been finding out,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55this landscape is playing an important part
0:19:55 > 0:19:58in helping those who have suffered life-changing illness or injury
0:19:58 > 0:20:00in the line of duty.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02BIRDSONG
0:20:07 > 0:20:10The grenade exploded probably three feet away from me.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The nightmares began six weeks after
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and they were every night, two or three a night.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22It was real, it was... You could smell the cordite,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25you could feel the heat
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and the sand in my gloves...
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Even sleeping tablets would not keep me asleep.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33It would all... It would all just happen exactly the same.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Five years ago, Corporal Michael Day was blown up
0:20:41 > 0:20:44during a routine patrol in Afghanistan.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I wasn't even thinking a day ahead.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I was probably thinking an hour ahead
0:20:49 > 0:20:50and I had no horizons.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54There was no light at the end of the tunnel.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I dread to think what it would have been like
0:20:56 > 0:20:58if Help for Heroes wouldn't have been here.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02BIRDSONG
0:21:02 > 0:21:05After medical treatment, Michael came here
0:21:05 > 0:21:06to Tedworth House in Wiltshire.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It's a recovery centre run by Help for Heroes
0:21:09 > 0:21:12in partnership with the MoD.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Its aim is simple - to equip soldiers with the tools, skills
0:21:16 > 0:21:21and confidence they need to create a whole new future for themselves.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- Grant.- Jules.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Lieutenant Colonel Grant Ingleton MC
0:21:28 > 0:21:30is the Commanding Officer of the recovery centre.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- This is definitely the place to get better.- Absolutely.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39What does recovery mean for soldiers coming here?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41These young soldiers,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43up until their injury or long-term sickness,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45were looking for a full career.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Effectively, they are leaving way before they wanted to.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52What we do here in the recovery centre
0:21:52 > 0:21:53is bring them in,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56get their mind set on recovery
0:21:56 > 0:22:01and looking at, instead of advancing on the enemy,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03to try and get them independent,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07reskilled, retrained and doing something really useful
0:22:07 > 0:22:08in civilian life.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11How many have you had come through since the doors opened?
0:22:11 > 0:22:13The doors opened in July '11.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18We've had over 900 we've helped in some way, shape or form.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23- They can come back, I presume? - Absolutely. Absolutely right.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Each soldier has been given the Queen's shilling.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29No matter what, they were going to lay down their life
0:22:29 > 0:22:31for Queen and country.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I think they deserve the best we can give them,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38to assist them to transition and recover into civilian life.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45CHAIN SAW BUZZES
0:22:47 > 0:22:51In amongst the 30 acres of woodland that surround Tedworth House,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53the natural world is having a profound impact
0:22:53 > 0:22:56on the recovering soldiers.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Bombardier Andrew Deans
0:22:58 > 0:23:01is getting hands-on with nature by bird-ringing with Simon Tucker,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Have you always had an interest in wildlife?
0:23:06 > 0:23:08To be honest, not in particular, no.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11But since coming through the recovery process,
0:23:11 > 0:23:12it's good to get out into the open.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Especially confidence as well -
0:23:14 > 0:23:18it's getting out and amongst people, if you've got away from that.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Andrew, would you like to hold the bird?- Definitely, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26- He might nip.- Mm-hm.- That's it. And there you go.- OK?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- Look at that.- You're a natural!
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- Now, this is your first week here... - It is, yes.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Can I ask you, how did you have your injury?
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I was checking on the guys in the sangars -
0:23:37 > 0:23:39or the look-out towers -
0:23:39 > 0:23:41and we got struck by an RPG.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43It caused a bit of a chain reaction
0:23:43 > 0:23:48and started to cause all the blood vessels in my brain to close up.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52They had to do the equivalent to heart bypass on my brain.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58So, coming to Tedworth, with activities like this,
0:23:58 > 0:23:59must be wonderful.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03It feels good that you're being looked after.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06And then open up with this hand, and he'll just fly off.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10For some recovering soldiers like Andrew,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13the woodland provides a well-needed breathing space,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16but for others, it points the way to a new career.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Dave Turner from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
0:24:20 > 0:24:24uses the careful management and conservation of this landscape
0:24:24 > 0:24:25to inspire the troops.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29TREE CRASHES
0:24:29 > 0:24:32There's a lot to be said for the green outdoors.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Just a good feeling of wellbeing.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It does have a healing effect - I'm convinced of it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39I've been in woodlands for 20-odd years,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42but it still gives me that buzz and wow factor,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43walking into a woodland.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Here we are on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48The Army is all around us, helicopters in the sky,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50tanks we can hear rumbling away in the distance.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53For some people who come here to Tedworth,
0:24:53 > 0:24:54that must feel comforting and familiar,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58but for others, I imagine it could be a real problem.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01A lot of people do suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder
0:25:01 > 0:25:03and they have different trigger factors.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04You give them the support that they need
0:25:04 > 0:25:07but also say, "Look, if you feel more comfortable,
0:25:07 > 0:25:08"just retreat back into the house."
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Can you identify any success stories that you've had
0:25:11 > 0:25:12over the last few years?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Yeah. One particular person would be Michael Day.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18He's now come out of the armed services - he's a veteran.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22He engaged in the process, went on his chain saw and brushcutter course
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and is now practically using and implementing those skills.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26CHAIN SAW BUZZES
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But for Michael, it's been a challenging road to recovery
0:25:29 > 0:25:33after experiencing so much so young.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35When did you first join the Army?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I joined in 2001.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I joined as a 17-year-old.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41My first tour was in Bosnia.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45That was six months after joining my regiment.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49We went to Iraq in 2007.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52That was quite fierce fighting every day.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I think we had the record for mortars being launched at us.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It was something like 83 average a day.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03And then you found yourself later in Afghanistan.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And that eventually brought you here.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Tell us how that tour began and what happened.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I was a...sniper.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I was involved in an explosion with a grenade.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20The grenade exploded probably three feet away from me.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Where that chain saw is? - Pretty much so, yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28It damaged my back quite badly.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I took a lot of shrapnel to both legs, buttocks,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and the right side of my temple,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38which resulted in me having a mild brain injury.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- Were you suffering from post-traumatic stress?- Yes.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45I wasn't sleeping. I wasn't coping very well
0:26:45 > 0:26:48with the fact that I wasn't going to be able to do my job any more.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I knew that that day was going to come
0:26:52 > 0:26:53where I'd have to hand in the green kit,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and that was one of my biggest demons,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59not accepting that.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I didn't think I was employable anywhere.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I didn't think I could do anything else.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Being a sniper, there are not many jobs on the outside
0:27:07 > 0:27:09where you can use them skills.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10No!
0:27:10 > 0:27:12THEY LAUGH
0:27:12 > 0:27:13But here we are in this woodland.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17As a sniper, you'd have been trained to exist here
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- without us being able to see you. - Yeah.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And yet here we are enjoying this in a very different sort of way.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26You clearly have an empathy with this kind of setting.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I spent many hours just walking
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and just enjoying being in the woods.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I feel at home in the woods.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I've always liked being outside because it was my job,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41but being in woods as quiet as this,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43it's soothing.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Michael's experience in these woodlands was not only therapeutic,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51but the chain saw and brushcutter skills
0:27:51 > 0:27:55he learnt here have given him a whole new future to look forward to.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I have gotten hold of some woods,
0:28:00 > 0:28:06donated to me by a very kind fellow.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11I gave him my idea to create a place for disadvantaged children to come
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and learn, basically, what I learnt,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18and that was teamwork, humour, respect.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21In the future, it will hopefully be running courses from there.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25So you've gone from being pupil to teacher?
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Yes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29THEY LAUGH
0:28:36 > 0:28:39What I've seen so far at Tedworth House
0:28:39 > 0:28:43is that nature can be a wonderful healer.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Nobody is pretending that the woods here
0:28:45 > 0:28:48can offer a cure for what many of the young men and women here
0:28:48 > 0:28:49have been through.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51But, as we've seen, it puts many of them
0:28:51 > 0:28:54on the right road to recovery.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Now, winter might not seem the best time to head outdoors.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08But it's well worth braving the cold, as Julia discovered
0:29:08 > 0:29:10when she headed east.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Here in Cambridgeshire, it's far from a bleak midwinter.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19There's a veritable feast for the eyes and ears
0:29:19 > 0:29:20all along our coastlines,
0:29:20 > 0:29:25wetlands, estuaries and right on our doorsteps.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29This is a prime time of year for spotting birds
0:29:29 > 0:29:32and in places you might not expect.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Ever heard of an urban birder?
0:29:34 > 0:29:39No, it's not a new avian species, it's someone like David Lindo,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42who spends his time looking and listening for birds
0:29:42 > 0:29:46in our urban spaces, like the cathedral city of Ely.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Now, this is not the kind of place that most people would expect
0:29:50 > 0:29:54somebody like you, a birder, to come.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57I love watching birds everywhere, but urban birding is by far my favourite.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00You know why? Because it's a challenge.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02All right, how am I going to get into the zone?
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Once you open your mind to the idea
0:30:04 > 0:30:06that birds are everywhere, then you'll see them.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Also, this time of year, a lot of birds come into cities
0:30:09 > 0:30:12because cities are warmer than being out in the countryside,
0:30:12 > 0:30:13and you can get a lot closer.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17- There is a common gull flying to the right. Can you see it?- Yes.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19What are we most like to see at this time of year?
0:30:19 > 0:30:22We get lots of things like blue tits and great tits
0:30:22 > 0:30:24and chaffinches coming as well.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27And then there are a lot of winter visitors, red wings and fieldfares.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32And my favourite, the one that I love seeing the most out of all birds,
0:30:32 > 0:30:33it's got to be the waxwing.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35The waxwing is a bird that comes in from Scandinavia,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37absolutely gorgeous.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I am so jealous of you, that you can look up in the sky
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and you can recognise a shape that's this size
0:30:44 > 0:30:47and you can tell me... I just haven't got that ability.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51But birding in cities is not about identifying half the time.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It's all about enjoying the actual experience
0:30:53 > 0:30:55of seeing something flying over your head
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- or seeing something come to your garden.- Feeling it?- Yes.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Don't worry about what it is,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01it's all about enjoying the actual experience.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03So, whenever you are,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07you stand a good chance of spotting one of our feathered friends.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10But if you're looking for a real bird of paradise,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14look no further than the Ouse Washes just outside Ely,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17the largest washland in Britain,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and that doesn't mean a place for your dirty laundry!
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Every winter, this area is flooded.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28This is THE winter holiday destination for thousands of birds -
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Russians, Eastern Europeans, Scandinavians,
0:31:31 > 0:31:33they all make a bird-line for the UK,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36especially to locations like this one.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Welney Wetland Centre across the border in Norfolk
0:31:41 > 0:31:45is one of nine reserves run by the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49They're most famous winter residents?
0:31:49 > 0:31:51The fabulous and feisty swans.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Every day, as dawn breaks,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59thousands of swans take flight in search of food.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12The whoopers are the noisy honkers with the yellow beaks,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15but it is also home to Bewick's and mute swans.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22Later, they will return for dinner and a safe roost for the night.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24So how did this wetland become a wonderland
0:32:24 > 0:32:27for all manner of feathered beast?
0:32:27 > 0:32:32Well, hello and welcome again to the Wildfowl Trust.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35This is a very busy time of year for us
0:32:35 > 0:32:38and a very busy time of year for the birds too.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Described as one of the greatest conservationists
0:32:40 > 0:32:41of the 20th century,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Sir Peter Scott started the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust in 1946
0:32:46 > 0:32:49to protect birds and their habitats.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52But he wasn't just a champion of nature.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54He was also a talented artist, and today,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58his daughter, Dafila Scott, still follows in his footsteps.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Clearly you have inherited
0:33:00 > 0:33:02some of your father's talents in this department.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- A little bit. - Did you draw with your father?
0:33:05 > 0:33:10I did, because I got interested in the Bewick's swans at Slimbridge
0:33:10 > 0:33:11when I was only a teenager,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15and we had to draw the faces in order to identify the individuals.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19All the different birds have different patterns on their bills,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23unlike almost any other bird, and I got completely hooked on it,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and his enthusiasm was infectious.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28You know, he loved the birds, and I caught it.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30So, what inspires you at this time of year?
0:33:30 > 0:33:34The amazing thing about winter is the migratory birds
0:33:34 > 0:33:35that come in this time of year.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40Seeing them flying in on a crisp day is just absolutely beautiful.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- I love it.- And swans are your favourite, your chosen bird?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46I did my PhD studying the swans here, and they are also interesting
0:33:46 > 0:33:50in their behaviour, because they go around in families
0:33:50 > 0:33:52and pairs, and they have some kind
0:33:52 > 0:33:55of dominance relationship within the flock,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57so you see them having arguments and you see them
0:33:57 > 0:34:00sorting them out, and it's lovely.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03The very best time to see the swans in all their glory
0:34:03 > 0:34:05is when they are filling their bellies.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09I'm getting special access to help with feeding time.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- What's on the menu then, Leigh? - It's wheat.- Just wheat? That's it?
0:34:12 > 0:34:13That's it, just wheat.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16It's like an After Eight mint after all the potatoes
0:34:16 > 0:34:20- and sugar they have been eating. - No exotic fruits, no bananas?- No.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Leigh Marshall is in charge of the catering today and he has
0:34:25 > 0:34:27an unusual way of letting the birds know that grub is up.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32LEIGH WHISTLES
0:34:32 > 0:34:35So this is the whistle that they are used to so they know that
0:34:35 > 0:34:37you're coming, and because we're near the wheelbarrow,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40they won't fly off. LEIGH WHISTLES
0:34:42 > 0:34:44So you can see these are all adult swans,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46they are all completely brilliant white,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49but then there is one that is just further out there that looks
0:34:49 > 0:34:52like it has just come out of a chimney, it's got a dusting of grey.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54That's a young whooper sworn, that's this year's youngsters,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and that bird has just made a 1,500-mile migration
0:34:57 > 0:34:59all the way from Iceland.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04This lake acts as a giant bird table.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07The mute swans are the first to feed while the whooper swans
0:35:07 > 0:35:09are a little more cautious.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Here they come. They're coming in now.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14You can hear their beaks patting down on the water
0:35:14 > 0:35:15as they snap up the grain.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21The swans revel in our winter months,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24as do many birds in our countryside and our cities.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28What better opportunity to get out
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and enjoy some of our most flighty creatures?
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Wiltshire.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48This largely rural county lends its name to its most famous exports -
0:35:48 > 0:35:50bacon and ham.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52When it comes to taste here at Boyton Farm,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55the Tamworth breed wins out.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58With 25 sows farrowing twice a year,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01lots of little piglets develop with a hard layer of fat,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05great for flavour and ideal for curing.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08And farm butcher Mike Alexander is showing me
0:36:08 > 0:36:11what's needed to get it onto the table.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14OK, then, Mike, talk us through this carcass.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Right, so what we've got here, we've got a lovely piece of Tamworth pork.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19We've got leg, which is going to be your gammon.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Then from here down is all your bacon cuts.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- Belly is streaky, loin is going to be your back bacon.- OK, question, then.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28When does gammon become ham?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30In my opinion, you've got pork,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32it's cured, it's then gammon,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- it's cooked, it's then ham.- Right.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Depending on who you ask, what area of the country they are from,
0:36:37 > 0:36:38- you'll get a different answer. - OK, right.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40All right, then, let's cut this up.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42First of all, we are going to take the leg off,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44which is going to form our gammon.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53- Nearly there.- There you go.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Once the leg is off, it's time to separate the loin and belly pork
0:36:57 > 0:36:59so they can be used as bacon.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I'm going to cut right the way through the meat
0:37:02 > 0:37:05and I'm going to stay parallel with this back here
0:37:05 > 0:37:06and come all the way back to there.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Look at the effort that your butchers go to to give you bacon!
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- Is that all right? - That's fine, not too bad at all.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27A couple of years, you'll be perfect. MATT LAUGHS
0:37:27 > 0:37:30So, let's talk, then, about this curing process
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and the brine that you are putting it into,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34cos you've got a big tub down here.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35So, what we've got in here
0:37:35 > 0:37:38is a few pieces of your loin of pork in there.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40They've been curing for a couple of days now.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Still need another three days in there.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44OK. And what is in there, then?
0:37:44 > 0:37:49- What is the liquid? - Basically, it's water and salt. OK?
0:37:49 > 0:37:51There is a few other little bits and pieces in there,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53but I'd have to shoot you if I told you.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56And they often say, don't they, that the only bit of pig
0:37:56 > 0:37:58that you don't use is the squeal?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Yeah. And if you could bottle it, you would use it.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01MATT LAUGHS
0:38:01 > 0:38:05So, speaking of that then, there is a very precious bit of fat in here.
0:38:05 > 0:38:06OK, your flare fat, or leaf fat.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10Good for lard. Traditionally, you would use this in lardy cake.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Once it's rendered down, it actually doesn't have must taste to it.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Absolutely brilliant for baking.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20And here it is - the sweet and sticky lardy cake.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Very popular in the southern counties of England,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27with each region having its own quirky way of making it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Some people have tried putting spices in.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32We don't put any spaces in,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35we just stick to the flavour of the fruit and the lard and sugar.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38It's a recipe that works for us, so why change it?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42A little bit of lardy cake every now and then is a real treat.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Richard Marshall's prize-winning recipe
0:38:47 > 0:38:51has been passed down to him from his grandfather through his father.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53If there was a competition between myself and Dad
0:38:53 > 0:38:56as to who could make the best lardy cake...
0:38:56 > 0:38:59I'm pretty sure he would win, beat me hands down.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03After leaving it to prove, it's baked until golden brown.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06So, what's Richard's dad's verdict?
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Really nice. Yeah, it's good.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Praise indeed!
0:39:19 > 0:39:24Wiltshire. On these chalky downlands, the military have made their mark.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32And this landscape is also having a profound impact
0:39:32 > 0:39:34on the lives of our Armed Forces.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40I'm at Tedworth House, a recovery centre run by Help for Heroes,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and I have been meeting members of our Armed Forces who have suffered
0:39:43 > 0:39:46either life-changing illness or injury
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and who are here learning how to adapt to what, in many cases,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51is a very different kind of life.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01One of the many success stories here is Michael Day, a wounded veteran
0:40:01 > 0:40:06who has turned his life around, all thanks to getting closer to nature.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09At what point, Michael, did you realise that, actually,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13you did have a future to look forward to?
0:40:13 > 0:40:17I think it was when we built the first shelter here in the woods.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21I mean, sitting in a doctor's chair and talking about it is good,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24but actually going out and doing physical things with people
0:40:24 > 0:40:28that have got injuries, it was a good sense of achievement.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31Today at base camp,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35groups of recovering soldiers are taught woodland craft skills
0:40:35 > 0:40:38by Amy Cahillane from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Now, arts and crafts in woodland,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43isn't that a bit soft for all these tough Army types?
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Actually, what you don't realise is
0:40:45 > 0:40:47some of the things we do are quite physical.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49When you come from a military background,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51you learn about lighting fires, so there is whittling.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54They've already got maybe some natural whittling skills.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- They're creating utensils, basically? - Yes.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Cos when you create something that's positive,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00then you're going to take that away
0:41:00 > 0:41:02and you're going to feel better in yourself,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04but also, they have learnt a new skill.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07I can hear plenty of banter coming from that camp over there.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08Shall we go and join them?
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- Hello, Andrew. How are you? - Yes, good, thank you.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14How's it all going, then?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- Yes, really well, thank you. - You're packing it all in, aren't you?
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Bird-ringing and now carving and all the rest of it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Tell me, what are you gaining out of this whole experience?
0:41:23 > 0:41:28When you are off work, you are often sort of isolated from others,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31from friends, from colleagues, often from family.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33This gives you the opportunity to be with people
0:41:33 > 0:41:36that, you know, get you, for starters.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39During the early stages, obviously, of your recovery,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42your confidence and everything is knocked down,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44and doing things like this, you know,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47getting involved, can sort of boost you back into yourself.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49It gives you the opportunity to expand what you do.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52As a soldier, all the good things that you've done for your country
0:41:52 > 0:41:55will always be there and never be forgotten,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57but you can now, you know, take a new path.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Now, talking of skills and the future,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01hold up your spoons, everybody.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02LAUGHTER
0:42:02 > 0:42:05I don't you're going to become professional spoon carvers, are you?
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- You are probably right. - LAUGHTER
0:42:14 > 0:42:18'The big idea behind Tedworth House was the inspiration of Bryn Parry
0:42:18 > 0:42:21'who served with the Royal Green Jackets
0:42:21 > 0:42:24'before co-founding Help for Heroes six years ago.'
0:42:24 > 0:42:29When you first envisaged the idea of a recovery centre, did you always
0:42:29 > 0:42:34know that it would involve such a huge element of the great outdoors?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37A lot of the soldiers, although they spend their whole life
0:42:37 > 0:42:39running around in the great outdoors,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43are actually from urban backgrounds, and I'm a country boy
0:42:43 > 0:42:46and I know the value of being out in the countryside.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48So, yes, very much so.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52In fact, when we looked at the options of these houses,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55option one was a new-build on, you know, a brownfield site,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58on a two-acre car park, or this.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00It was... for me, it was a no-brainer.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Earlier, I met Michael Day,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06who is the most extraordinary guy who has seen the whole process
0:43:06 > 0:43:09from start to finish and is out there now full of confidence.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11That must put a smile on your face from dawn till dusk.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15You feel proud, is the word. Inspired, certainly. Driven, maybe.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Because they are so... so worth it.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20I suppose, every time any of us have felt a bit knackered
0:43:20 > 0:43:22over the last six-and-a-half years,
0:43:22 > 0:43:24you only have to talk to some of the guys to sort of,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27you know, get back on your feet and do it again.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38Tedworth gave me focus, direction
0:43:38 > 0:43:44and a good transition from Army life to civilian life
0:43:44 > 0:43:48and finding what I can do in civvy street.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50I dread to think what it would have been like
0:43:50 > 0:43:54if Help for Heroes wouldn't have been here at Tedworth House, so...
0:43:54 > 0:43:55Yeah.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Our countryside is a living landscape full of flora
0:44:17 > 0:44:20and fauna, but, as Adam has been finding out, sometimes
0:44:20 > 0:44:25it's the creatures you can't even see that cause the biggest problems.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35A few weeks ago, we had one of our vets here to pregnancy test
0:44:35 > 0:44:37this lot, our Belted Galloways.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40We wanted to make sure Crackers the bull over there was doing his job.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44And most of the ladies were pregnant, but there was one disappointment.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55Tense moment when we are pregnancy testing the cattle.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57We want them to be giving birth to a calf every year.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01- She is a no, I'm afraid. - This one's a no.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11This is the handling pens where we were pregnancy testing
0:45:11 > 0:45:12the cows a couple of weeks ago.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14And this is the cow that wasn't in calf,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17so we sent her bloods away that we took for testing,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20and, unfortunately, the results are not good.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28There is a microscopic menace that is quietly infecting livestock.
0:45:28 > 0:45:34It's called Neospora and it is small but deadly.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37There are no obvious symptoms for an infected cow,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39but looks can be deceiving.
0:45:42 > 0:45:47It's a particularly nasty parasite because it causes abortion in cows.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51In fact, it is the most common cause of abortion in cattle in the UK.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54And although this cow gave birth last year, she is empty now,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56she hasn't got a calf inside her,
0:45:56 > 0:46:00so she may well already have aborted, but really we just don't know.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07And she's not the only one.
0:46:07 > 0:46:13Parasite Neospora has spread to other cattle on the farm.
0:46:13 > 0:46:18Some of my Gloucesters, a Highland and a White Park are also infected.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23In fact, 11 of our cattle have now tested positive for the disease.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Cows can't directly infect other cows in the herd,
0:46:26 > 0:46:30but Neospora can be passed in other ways.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33The most common source of infection is from a dam,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37a mother cow, to its calf while it is still in the womb.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40But the other source of infection is from dog poo.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47Neospora uses the dog as a host and then produces eggs inside the animal.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49When the dog does its business,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52the parasite eggs spread into the countryside.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57The cow then eats contaminated grass or silage and becomes infected.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Any dog can pick it up by eating infected meat -
0:47:01 > 0:47:04that could be raw meat or bones from the butchers.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Farm dogs are particularly susceptible,
0:47:06 > 0:47:10as they often hang around sheds and eat afterbirth from calf and cows.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It sounds a bit off-putting, but is quite common,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14and there is usually no harm in it.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17But once a dog has consumed the Neospora,
0:47:17 > 0:47:21the dog will become the host, and the parasite will continue to spread.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25The only way to find out if a cow is infected
0:47:25 > 0:47:28is from a blood test or a post-mortem after abortion.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36But if I want to see this parasite for myself,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I'm going to need expert help.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42I've come to the Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire where
0:47:42 > 0:47:45they have got an entire department dedicated to parasitology.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48It is in labs like this where they can take a closer look.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Time for the white coat.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Dr Damer Blake is a parasitologist.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59He's got all the kit you need to see this microscopic disease.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02- Hi, Damer.- Hello.- Good to see you.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05- Is this the dreaded Neospora? - Yes, this is Neospora caninum.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09What you can see here is an oocyst. That is the egg of the parasite.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12How do you collect the Neospora eggs to start off with?
0:48:12 > 0:48:15You can collect the fetal samples from the environment,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18and when you collect them, you store them in a buffer
0:48:18 > 0:48:22so that stops bacterial growth and allows us to preserve parasite eggs
0:48:22 > 0:48:24for some time so we can work with them in the future.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27And then that's what you've got on the slide?
0:48:27 > 0:48:30Exactly right. So we put a sample of this onto this chamber here,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and you can see an example of a parasite egg.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34So what is it, in fact?
0:48:34 > 0:48:38So this is a protozoan parasite,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40that means it's a small single-celled organism.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44It bigger than a bacteria but smaller than most parasites.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48So it is inside the dog that then poos onto the pasture.
0:48:48 > 0:48:49What happens then?
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Initially, this parasite, when it looks like this, is not infectious.
0:48:53 > 0:48:54It takes two or three days,
0:48:54 > 0:48:57and then the parasite will change its appearance to look like this.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00You can see there are several compartments.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02At this stage, the parasite is now infectious.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06If it is ingested by a cow, the cow will become infected.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09So that sits on the pasture for...how long will it last?
0:49:09 > 0:49:11It will lose viability over time,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- but they can remain viable for at least six months.- Goodness me.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17So then the cow will eat the grass where the dog muck was
0:49:17 > 0:49:20and ingest the Neospora into its system.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23That's quite right, but it can be over a broader area than that,
0:49:23 > 0:49:25so it might be birds, insects or rodents,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28or even wind and rain can spread the dog faeces
0:49:28 > 0:49:31and the parasites with it across the environment.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34So when a cow eats that grass, it becomes infected.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36And what happens once it's inside it?
0:49:36 > 0:49:40Once it's ingested this parasite egg, these then invade the cow
0:49:40 > 0:49:42and migrate through the cow, primarily
0:49:42 > 0:49:45to the central nervous system where they will set up infection.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48They can also cross the placenta and infect the calf.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51What sort of impact is this having on the cattle industry?
0:49:51 > 0:49:54This parasite is now recognised as the number one
0:49:54 > 0:49:56cause of abortion in cattle in the UK and in Europe.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58In terms of cost,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01it has been estimated to cost the UK cattle industry
0:50:01 > 0:50:02in excess of £20 million.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Globally, we are looking at more than £800 million every year.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08- Wow! Serious, isn't it? - Certainly very serious.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09We've got it on the farm,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12but prior to this year, I'd never heard of it.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15You don't hear very much about it. It was only actually discovered
0:50:15 > 0:50:18and named as a recognised parasite in the late 1980s.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21- How do I get rid of it? - If you want to get rid of it,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23you are going to be looking at culling animals.
0:50:23 > 0:50:24Unfortunately, there are no drugs
0:50:24 > 0:50:26and no vaccine available at this time.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28So I've just got to get rid of those cows that have got it?
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Potentially, yes.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34It's incredible that such a tiny creature
0:50:34 > 0:50:36can have such a damaging impact.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Sadly, there isn't much I can do for the cows
0:50:41 > 0:50:44infected by the Neospora parasite,
0:50:44 > 0:50:49but as the meat is still safe to eat, I'll send them off for beef.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52It's a sacrifice, but hopefully it will ensure
0:50:52 > 0:50:56the health of the rest of my herd by removing the infection from the farm.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00For any farmer who keeps cattle, it's a grim outlook, especially when
0:51:00 > 0:51:03we've already had diseases like Schmallenberg and bovine TB
0:51:03 > 0:51:05to deal with.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07We've just got to hope that scientists can come up
0:51:07 > 0:51:09with a solution before too long.
0:51:11 > 0:51:12As for the dogs,
0:51:12 > 0:51:17it is worth bearing in mind that any pooch can carry the parasite.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20In some cases, they too can be affected by Neospora,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23passing it on to their puppies.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25But while there still isn't a vaccine for them either,
0:51:25 > 0:51:28there is one thing that dog owners can do for now.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Although it is a messy business,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32here on the farm we are going to pick up the dog muck
0:51:32 > 0:51:34when they mess on the pastures,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and I'm hoping where there are dog walkers walking on footpaths
0:51:37 > 0:51:40that go through fields, they'll do their bit too
0:51:40 > 0:51:41and pick up the poops.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Good girl.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Today, we're in the rural county of Wiltshire,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59where I've been meeting the oldest pedigree pig herd in the country.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Rare breed Tamworths.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03When it comes to bacon,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06they are the breed of choice for farmer Caroline Wheatley-Hubbard.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10It's the best of bacon, because it's a slow-growing pig
0:52:10 > 0:52:12and it's got a good, hard fat.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15In the process of following them from farm to fork,
0:52:15 > 0:52:19I've now landed the job of bringing home the bacon...
0:52:21 > 0:52:25..which John Symes has been smoking over smouldering sawdust all night.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29- You can smell the smoke from up the road.- It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Yeah, it's wonderful. So here we are, then,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33in what's a modern version of the old smokehouse.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37This machine is doing what your grandmother's grandmother
0:52:37 > 0:52:39- would have done 200 years ago.- Right.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42So we've got trays of smouldering oak sawdust in here.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45We only use hardwood - we don't use any softwoods at all,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47because they would produce too much tar,
0:52:47 > 0:52:51- and that would make the meat or fish very acidic.- How hot is it?
0:52:51 > 0:52:5430 degrees, the temperature of a nice summer's day.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56The question is, is the pork ready?
0:52:56 > 0:52:57Oh, my word, look at that!
0:52:57 > 0:52:59'After 16 hours, the bacon is ready.'
0:52:59 > 0:53:03Beautiful. Obviously, it gives it this lovely oaky, smoky flavour,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05but there is a purpose for actually smoking.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09It began time immemorial with the cavemen drying out his meat
0:53:09 > 0:53:11in the summertime when he had plenty of meat
0:53:11 > 0:53:15and kept it preserved in the smoke of the fires for the winter.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Can you make sort of dodgy meat taste better?
0:53:18 > 0:53:21If you start off with rubbish, you end up with smoked rubbish.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23I can't improve on something
0:53:23 > 0:53:25you shouldn't have bothered smoking in the first place.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Right, OK, well, I'll take this away,
0:53:27 > 0:53:31because I'm sure that Caroline will be absolutely delighted.
0:53:36 > 0:53:37After a busy day,
0:53:37 > 0:53:41it's time to savour the fruits of Caroline's labour...
0:53:41 > 0:53:44with the ultimate bacon sandwich.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48Wow! That looks impressive.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51Mmm!
0:53:51 > 0:53:55And don't forget, there's those pigs to bed down still.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Just give us ten minutes, will you?
0:54:05 > 0:54:08There we go, look. Snuggle yourselves in there. Perfect.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Now, that is all we've got time for from Wiltshire.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13A couple weeks ago, we asked for your suggestions
0:54:13 > 0:54:16of where you think we should visit on the programme
0:54:16 > 0:54:19and we had hundreds sent in, so thanks to each and every one of you.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21We've read all of them
0:54:21 > 0:54:24and we've decided that the first place we're going to go
0:54:24 > 0:54:26is the Isle of Portland off the Dorset coast.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28So that is where we're going to be next week.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30I hope you can join us then.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Right, can you stop nibbling my wellies, please?