0:00:29 > 0:00:31Whether you relish the frosty mornings,
0:00:31 > 0:00:36or dread the short days and dark nights, there's no escaping winter,
0:00:36 > 0:00:41but get it right and you'll reap the rewards.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Today, we're going to embrace winter and all its seasonal spectacles.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Matt's meeting some farmers with a herd as rough and tough
0:00:50 > 0:00:52as the winter landscape they graze.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56It's hardy, it's traditional
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and it just looks absolutely fantastic.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We all know he's got a penchant for a pullover,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06but John's unravelling a yarn he's never heard
0:01:06 > 0:01:08about fishermen's winter woollies.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Adam catches up with the farmers giving a bit of winter TLC
0:01:14 > 0:01:17to some of our oldest and rarest breeds.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Goodness me, you Welshmen are hard!
0:01:19 > 0:01:21What are you doing washing cattle on a day like today?
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Well, I quite like to give them their monthly shower, you know,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26just to freshen them up a bit!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And we'll be meeting those who love nothing more
0:01:29 > 0:01:32than getting out there and embracing winter's frosty charms.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Aw, this is great!
0:01:47 > 0:01:51In the heart of the Scottish Highlands is the Cairngorms.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Winter here shows off the landscape's raw beauty,
0:01:57 > 0:02:02with its great glens, vast lochs and imposing peaks.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Thrill seekers may swarm to ski the snowy slopes
0:02:06 > 0:02:08in the height of winter,
0:02:08 > 0:02:13but this is our wildest national park and it's nature's patch.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Here, wild cats roam the woodlands,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25pine martens dart through ancient forests
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and ptarmigan don their winter coats.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33But the season is harsh.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Some of the animals here in the summer have left for warmer climes,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and the rest have to adapt to the coldest,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44the windiest and the snowiest conditions in Britain,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and, today, I'm hoping to spot some of those that are toughing it out.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01'I'm starting my winter wildlife safari in Rothiemurchus,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04'an area rich in conservation credentials,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07'with one of the largest remaining swathes
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'of ancient Caledonian pine forest in the country.'
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- This place is just so gorgeous! - It really is. It really is.- Amazing!
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'Showing me round his rather enviable workplace is
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'Countryside Manager Julian Orsi.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:23What makes it so special for wildlife?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26We've got, um, every sort of habitat you can imagine.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Everything from the mountaintops of Braeriach,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32right down through to the Caledonian pine forest and the wider forest,
0:03:32 > 0:03:33and then down to the River Spey
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and the habitats associated with river systems as well.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41We've got 173 recorded bird species and 27 mammal species.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44That must bring a conservation challenge of its own, all that?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Yeah, roughly 6,000 hectares is designated with some
0:03:47 > 0:03:51sort of protection, whether it be environmental or cultural.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Nature and people is the most important thing here -
0:03:53 > 0:03:55that they live in harmony together.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'Before I seek out some of the estate's wilder creatures,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08'there's time for a bit of breakfast for their farmed red deer.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11How about this?
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Wow! I've never been this close before.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Ooh, beautiful. So, this is how they'd be in the wild as well -
0:04:22 > 0:04:25in a group of females, the hinds together.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- SHE LAUGHS: It's amazing. - It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30This is our farmed deer, um, so we always come up here
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- and put some silage out for them during the winter time...- Yeah.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35..and this is just a bit of a chocolate bar, really.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38And, in the wild, when the winters are really tough, they'd come down
0:04:38 > 0:04:41onto the lower ground and sometimes end up, then, nibbling woody browse,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- which can cause landowners a few problems?- Yeah, that's right.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49We've got roughly about 150 wild red deer and about 250 roe deer.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52If we get a really harsh winter or winter conditions,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55we will do diversionary feeding. We'll put out silage for them
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and the hope is it'll just deflect them from the pine forest
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- and young trees and stop them browsing those young trees.- OK.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03So, rather than putting fences round all of those young trees,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05you just say, "Actually, let's lure them away with the food
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- "they really need and want?" - Absolutely.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09We try and leave the forest as much as we can to itself.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19But it's not just the animals that have to survive the harsh winters.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23The ancient Caledonian pines
0:05:23 > 0:05:26have been braving the Scottish weather since the Ice Age.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Conifers are well-adapted to freezing weather.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34On the trunk, they have this very thick bark,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37which helps protect them against the cold.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41The shape - cone-shaped, with these very flexible branches,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44let me grab one, here -
0:05:44 > 0:05:48mean that, if they're covered in heavy snowfall, they can cope.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52The leaves are...thin, small,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56they've got a very low surface area, a waxy covering,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and that helps reduce water loss.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03And, not only that, the tree produces its own antifreeze protein,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08which can help protect the cells from any damage from ice crystals.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The wildlife here relies on this pine forest,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and it's become a stronghold for one of our rarest mammals -
0:06:17 > 0:06:19the red squirrel.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23'With more than 25 years' experience at Rothiemurchus, who better
0:06:23 > 0:06:28'to help me spot some than the guide in the hide, ranger Alf McGregor?'
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- Is there much going on out there, Alf?- Yeah, aye, there is some activity.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33There's some birds about.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- That's a coal tit down now. - Oh, yeah.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37That flash on the back of the head.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Caledonian pine forests are a very special place for wildlife.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42What are your top species?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- Without a doubt, the capercaillie. - Oh, yeah.- Unfortunately,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- they're a bit elusive, but there's also pine martens as well.- Oh?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But more realistically, today, in the middle of winter,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- what animals are we likely to see toughing it out?- Um...
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Definitely red squirrels.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01They're pretty active all the winter.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04So, if we just wait patiently, we might be in luck?
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Patience is the name of the game!
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- There's a great tit here.- Yeah. - Just popped in really quickly.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Chaffinches as well.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Oh, and underneath the root,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- there's a tiny little mouse just poked his head out.- Oh, yes!
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- They're so quick, though, aren't they?- They are.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24If you've got 99 things wanting to eat you...
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- You'd be quick!- ..you'd be quick as well!- You'd be quick!
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Is that...?- Away out there...- Yeah!
0:07:31 > 0:07:33..there's a squirrel on the move there.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's always such a treat seeing them.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40And then, look at this chase here now that they do.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It's this time of year they start that mating behaviour, isn't it?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- That's right. - Chasing around like loons.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47- Running around. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:50 > 0:07:52So they will store food for the winter.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54That's just what this one's doing here -
0:07:54 > 0:07:59just grabbing the food and getting as many winter calories as possible.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It's amazing, when you see...when you do see them, just chewing away.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- What a great sight. - Quite the thing.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07What a sight.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10I'm delighted.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Well, what a great treat
0:08:18 > 0:08:22to see so much active wildlife in the chill of winter.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Now, later, I'm going to be heading up into the Highlands on a mission
0:08:25 > 0:08:30to photograph one of winter's most elusive animals - the mountain hare.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34The last time I saw one, it was heading for the horizon at 40mph,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36so I'm going to need all the help I can get.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- MAN:- 'Feefle.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42'Blindrift.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44'Snaw-ghast.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Snow is no rarity in these parts. In fact, a study recently found
0:08:50 > 0:08:54the Scots have 421 different words for it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55'Skelf.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57'Sneesl.'
0:08:57 > 0:09:00So what do you do when you've got more words for the white stuff
0:09:00 > 0:09:02than Inuit Eskimos?
0:09:02 > 0:09:04'Flindrikin.'
0:09:04 > 0:09:07You make the most of it and "go with the snow".
0:09:10 > 0:09:14My name's Jamie Kunka, I'm 28 years old and I'm a ski maker.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18I was always a keen woodworker as a kid and a very keen skier as well.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21My end goal for the skis was to
0:09:21 > 0:09:24marry up sustainable, traditional materials.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28I wanted to make a ski that was both beautiful and high-performance,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30so, either when you're not using it or have finished with it,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32you can hang it on the wall.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I usually start off by going to the sawmill.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I'll then look through the timbers
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and select ones that are really straight grained, good quality, dry.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50That gets sawn into strips,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53then the strips get glued together
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and they form the spine of the ski.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Every single piece of wood has its own character, its own look.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02In the skis, that comes up, cos every ski looks different.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04SAW BUZZES
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I'd spend a long time sanding the wood,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08getting it really smooth and flat.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Which brings out the kind of beauty of the individual piece of wood...
0:10:15 > 0:10:18..which makes every ski look different.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Then the ski gets varnished and the final stamp of approval...
0:10:23 > 0:10:25..and then it's ready to go out the door.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35I like to think of the skis as kind of tools to explore the landscape.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I was particularly interested in designing a ski
0:10:52 > 0:10:54that was going to be at home in Scotland and I get a good feedback
0:10:54 > 0:10:58off the landscape, where I can look at a gully or a quarry and think,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00"Ah, this'll be the ski for that,"
0:11:00 > 0:11:02and sometimes go home and draw up a new design
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and try something out, go and test it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I love to use place names as inspiration,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14so interesting Gaelic names, Scots names, and also kind of
0:11:14 > 0:11:17seeing bits of terrain that might inspire a new ski.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Say a piece of a hillside that I'm like,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22"One day, I'm going to wait for the correct snow conditions
0:11:22 > 0:11:23"and I'm going to hit that."
0:11:25 > 0:11:29I used to come here with Dad, cross-country skiing over the loch
0:11:29 > 0:11:33when I was little, so it's quite an important place for me,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and it's one of the most beautiful places around here, I think,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and particularly lovely when it's in full winter condition.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Scotland's one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I love the variety of landscapes here,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02from the mountains all the way to the...the coastline.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09In Scotland, it's really a case of trying to pick the day,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11trying to find the perfect day, a bit like surfing,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14trying to get the perfect conditions, the perfect wave.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Sometimes, even if there's not much snow, I still like to get out
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and ski on what we can, even if it's a little patch.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29That's what I think Scottish skiing's all about -
0:12:29 > 0:12:32it's just making the most of what you've got.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51MATT: Winter's grip is all well and good for fresh air fanatics
0:12:51 > 0:12:54on the slopes, but for farmers,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56the work never stops.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58HE CALLS, SHEEP BLEAT
0:12:58 > 0:13:02You know, as a farmer myself, I know how hard winters can be,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and, in the uplands of Cumbria, winters don't get much tougher.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The days are short, the nights are dark,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and the cold will chill you to the core.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18MUSICAL INTRO
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- NEWSREADER:- Hill farmers in Cumberland haven't forgotten
0:13:22 > 0:13:25their severe losses in the blizzard weather last winter...
0:13:25 > 0:13:29In the past, farmers have been known to resort to extreme measures
0:13:29 > 0:13:32to protect their flock from the worst the winter can throw at them.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34SHEEP BAAS
0:13:34 > 0:13:37This winter, it can freeze if it likes - the sheep won't feel it.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Do you really like having to wear jute?
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- BLEATING VOICE:- There's no substitute for wool.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48BAA!
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But this lot don't need any extra layers.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Herdwicks - as rough and tough as the landscape they graze,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04guardians of these fells for more than a thousand years.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09These hardy animals can cope with anything that the Cumbrian weather
0:14:09 > 0:14:12can throw at them, and so, for that matter,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15can the hardy shepherds who look after them.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21- Come on, dogs.- Come on, come on, here to me, here to me. Up here.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'Shepherds like Peter Bland,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'who runs 1,000 Herdwick ewes in Grasmere.'
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There's a bit of a bite in the air today, Peter,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36but nothing too drastic, I'm sure, from what you're used to, but, um,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39how has this winter compared to the recent ones?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Yeah, it... it's been unbelievable, really.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Since December and January, we've had day after day of nice weather,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49so the sheep are in good condition.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52As far as their kind of coping mechanisms are concerned,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54what are their patterns when the weather gets bad?
0:14:54 > 0:14:58They live on these fells, high out, so, when the weather comes in,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01they'll come in with the weather, to get shelter.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04But they can be stubborn. If they're wanting to stay up
0:15:04 > 0:15:06in the bad weather, they'll just find a stone to stand behind.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09It's quite a special fleece that the Herdwick has.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12It isn't worth a lot to us, but to them, it's invaluable,
0:15:12 > 0:15:17and it's a very coarse, heavy, thick wool that keeps the weather out.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- It's the old-fashioned Gore-Tex, if you want.- That's it, absolutely.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23A good shake and they're dry.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'Their blizzard-proof fleeces may not be worth much commercially,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38'but the Herdwicks are now giving farmers like Peter
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'a financial lifeline in other ways.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45'That's because Herdwick lamb and mutton from the Lake District was
0:15:45 > 0:15:49'recently awarded protected status, putting it in the same category as
0:15:49 > 0:15:53'French champagne, Cornish pasties and Melton Mowbray pork pies.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'It's been a 10-year project that's been driven by the farming community
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'and the added status is now putting some well-earned money
0:16:00 > 0:16:02'into Peter's pocket.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:03WHISTLING
0:16:04 > 0:16:06And when you look now at that flock,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- knowing that you have this real protected status...- Yeah.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13..and that the value and everything that you've worked for
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- has now come to fruition...- Yes. - ..I mean, for you, it must mean
0:16:16 > 0:16:19an enormous amount and for all the Herdwick farmers around here?
0:16:19 > 0:16:22For us Herdwick producers, we take pride in our...
0:16:22 > 0:16:26in our being able to farm these on these fells, it isn't an easy job.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28To breed these sheep to go and live out there all winter,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30you have to have a lot of knowledge,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33which you can't just pick up overnight,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36it's passed down from generation to generation.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39What difference has it made to the Herdwick farming community
0:16:39 > 0:16:42around here, that are involved with it?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It gives us far more security.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Breeding a couple of lambs, and we know,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- if we make a good job of them, what we're going to get.- Mm-hm.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And you ask any sheep breeder in the business,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56that's the big problem is you can go to a market
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and you're at the mercy of the dealers and the buyers.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02And I guess it just gives you buoyancy, in the darker months,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- when things are really tough around here?- Definitely, it does.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It gives us that security and...we're quids in!
0:17:08 > 0:17:10So it's going well!
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So, not only have you guaranteed a price at the start,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- but actually, that whole system has become a lot simpler?- Very much so.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24There's now a new-found demand for the humble Herdwick and, later,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I'll be finding out why, when it comes to taste,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29many are hailing it top of the chops.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41From the fells of Cumbria to the flatlands of Kent now,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44where wildlife cameraman, Richard Taylor-Jones,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48is discovering the chill in the air isn't always caused by the weather.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I've been visiting the Isle of Sheppey
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and watching its glorious wildlife for many years now.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07It was better known as a summer seaside destination,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10but since the hordes of sun-seekers have gone,
0:18:10 > 0:18:11a winter crowd has gathered.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And they have something far more sinister in mind -
0:18:16 > 0:18:19murder most "fowl".
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Winter on the Isle of Sheppey has become famous for being
0:18:25 > 0:18:29one of the best places in the UK to watch birds of prey.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35And I'd just like to see how many I can see in one short winter's day.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38BIRDS CALL
0:18:40 > 0:18:46Now, the reason that winter brings so many raptors here to Sheppey
0:18:46 > 0:18:51is essentially because of what I've got out in front of me here.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55There's a large flock of feeding ducks, known as widgeon,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00and, as well as widgeon, there are other waders and other geese
0:19:00 > 0:19:05and all sorts of birds that birds of prey basically feed on.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09And the widgeon behind me are going up, look at that!
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Wow!
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Now, there is actually a kestrel that's just flown in
0:19:18 > 0:19:20onto the gatepost there.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It's very unlikely that a kestrel would take a widgeon,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26but it's certainly enough to spook them and put them up.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Here's our first bird of prey.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Just in the distance, I can see a couple of marsh harriers perched up.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40And that's what Sheppey's really famous for -
0:19:40 > 0:19:42it's the marsh harriers.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44There are probably more marsh harriers here
0:19:44 > 0:19:46than anywhere else in the UK.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48There it goes, just taken off.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55There's the barn owl, here's the barn owl.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57There we go, look at that. Lovely!
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Such a distinctive bird.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06These are birds that prey on voles, mice, mammals.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Oh, she's being attacked by something! What was that?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Oh, a gull. A gull just came down and attacked it.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20I just got the briefest of glimpses
0:20:20 > 0:20:22of a Merlin perched up on a fence
0:20:22 > 0:20:27post and it just flew out of shot the moment I managed to hit record.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Lovely bird to see.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Our smallest British bird of prey.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I've moved along now
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and arrived at what's known as the raptor watch point.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It is the middle of the day, when birds do tend to go
0:20:49 > 0:20:52a bit quieter, but...who knows what might happen?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Oh, this is great.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03This is the bird I was hoping that we might see
0:21:03 > 0:21:06but not one that I expected to.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11It's a female hen harrier, otherwise known as a ringtail.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14There's not many birds that you want to see flying away from you
0:21:14 > 0:21:16but this one is doing just that
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and it's showing us a lovely white rump
0:21:19 > 0:21:20and that identifies it.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24This is one of Britain's rarest birds of prey.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25That is just fabulous.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This is perhaps the bird I'd expect to see here,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34it's the common buzzard.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Oh, look, there's a kestrel right above the buzzard.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Whoa, diving down... HE CHUCKLES
0:21:40 > 0:21:42The poor buzzard's being mobbed by the kestrel
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and is now running away really quickly.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Whoa!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Oh, what's going on here?
0:21:50 > 0:21:54This is an aerial battle!
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Two raptors scrapping it out.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01And I think, that to me looks like a female peregrine -
0:22:01 > 0:22:03big female peregrine.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Oh! It's in the distance, it's behind a bush, but it's a peregrine.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08It's one to add to our list!
0:22:10 > 0:22:15And up above me here now, very rapid wing beats that make the
0:22:15 > 0:22:17distinctive outline of a short-eared owl.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22Beautiful bird. This is a really good kick for the raptor list.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36It's the last light of the day here now on Sheppey.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Now in the evening, the marsh harrier, they come together,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44up to 20, 30 birds, to roost in the reed bed in front of me here.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I can just see them dropping in now.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51One. There goes another one - two.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Three, four.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58It's just absolutely magical to see this many marsh harriers
0:22:58 > 0:22:59disappear for the night.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Do you know what, I think you can keep your summertime trip to
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Sheppey, with its buckets and spades.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Give me a raptor spectacular in the winter any day.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21ADAM: Winter is a good time of year for farmers to take stock
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and prepare for the year to come.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I'm heading to Carmarthenshire to meet some farmers who are
0:23:26 > 0:23:28thinking much further ahead,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33going the extra mile to preserve the future of some of our rarest cattle.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37This is the Dinefwr Estate, owned by the National Trust,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and it's said to be the ancestral home of one of Britain's
0:23:40 > 0:23:41oldest breeds.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43During the winter months,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46most cattle farmers have got their animals indoors.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But this shed isn't just full of any old cattle - these are White Parks,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and there's only 750 breeding females left in the world
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and this herd is particularly special.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02They're one of the most renowned White Park herds in the UK.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04They've been part of a landscape here at Dinefwr for more than
0:24:04 > 0:24:091,000 years and Wyn Davies has devoted the last 18 years
0:24:09 > 0:24:10to looking after them.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13In you go.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14In you go.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- Hi there, Wyn.- Hello, Adam. - Good to see you.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Nice to see you.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They look in lovely condition. How many cows have you got now?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Oh, we've got, in total, here we've got 18 breeding cow.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31And then the rest are young cattle, followers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33And you've got them in this lovely new shed.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Well, yes, the nature of the ground around here, it gets very wet in the
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- winter here.- Yeah.- So they were making a bit of a mess outside,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42so it was decided to put up this new building.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The cows could survive the winter outdoors,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48but with nearly all of them pregnant,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52keeping them under cover will allow Wyn to keep a close eye on them.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Well, as you see, it's been designed for plenty of fresh air
0:24:57 > 0:24:59to come in here. It's a nice environment for them to be.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Especially, they can look outside and see the sunshine.- Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And also see the visitors passing in the day.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06ADAM LAUGHS And you've got a lot of experience
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- working with these cattle. You love them, don't you?- Well, yes.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11You know, they're part of Welsh history.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13And good to work with?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Erm, challenging at times.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Most of these rare breeds retain their primitive instinct,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21especially these.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25They haven't been improved like many of our modern-day cattle,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28so they retain that independent spirit.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- They've got attitude!- But we want to maintain that, don't we?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35We want them to be survivors, to look after themselves.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Well, that's what makes them what they are, really, isn't it?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41That distinctiveness. They're quite eccentric in a way, really.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Now, a little bird has told me you're thinking about retiring.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Is that right?- Well, yes, there comes a time for everything, really.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I've done my best to look after these animals since they've
0:25:50 > 0:25:52been under my care
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and I'm looking forward and I've got every confidence in
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Rhodri Thomas, who is going to be my successor, then.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- Wonderful. Well, good luck with your retirement.- Thank you, Adam.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- Keep in touch. All the best. - Thank you, bye-bye.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Rhodri has certainly got big boots to fill when
0:26:10 > 0:26:12he takes over from Wyn in the spring.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- Hi, Rhodri.- Hi, Adam. - Good to see you.- Good to see you.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19As well as keeping the deer in shape, the White Parks
0:26:19 > 0:26:20will be ready to calve.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26So how do you feel about being the next generation, the person who's
0:26:26 > 0:26:28going to look after all this livestock here,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30particularly the White Parks?
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Yeah, it's a big responsibility, you know?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And I fully acknowledge that and obviously it's a huge honour
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and a privilege for me.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40But, you know, Wyn's overseen my development this past year and
0:26:40 > 0:26:43a half now and I feel a lot more confident about doing it.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01With the deer fed,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Rhodri and I head back to the barn to help Wyn bed up the White Parks.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15The extra work that goes into keeping them indoors in
0:27:15 > 0:27:17winter might seem excessive,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18but with such a small population,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23hopefully this 5-star treatment will protect and preserve this herd
0:27:23 > 0:27:25that is such a big part of this landscape.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36I think it's brilliant that Wyn is so happy to hand over his
0:27:36 > 0:27:37knowledge to Rhodri
0:27:37 > 0:27:42and that Rhodri is so keen to take hold of the reins.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I think these White Park cattle are in very safe hands.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Just over the hill from Dinefwr is another rare breed success story.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03In the shadow of another castle, farmer Bernard Llewellyn
0:28:03 > 0:28:05breeds English Longhorns.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08By developing the Longhorns' strength to suit today's
0:28:08 > 0:28:10modern farming methods,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14these once incredibly rare cattle have made a remarkable recovery.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- Hi, Bernard!- Adam! Good to see you. - Goodness me, you Welshmen are hard.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23What are you doing washing cattle on a day like today?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Well, I quite like to give them their monthly shower, you know?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28It's just to freshen up a bit.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Now, these bulls are so different to what I remember.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- We had Longhorns, what, 15, 20 years ago.- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Goodness me, they've changed, haven't they?!
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Well, we've tried, really, I suppose, to improve the conformation
0:28:38 > 0:28:41really because of market needs as much as anything.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Well, they're certainly tremendous looking animals. I mean, look at the meat on this boy.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46There's some money in there, isn't there?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Very good bull in the loin, which is where the expensive joints are.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53People concentrate, I think, too much on this back end,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55although he has got a good bum.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Now, the Longhorn has been famous for living off, you know,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00pasture, living off grass.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02- You know, docile, easy calving, all those sorts of things.- Yeah.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- Are you retaining that?- Well, I think it's vital we do retain that
0:29:07 > 0:29:09because certainly in the future...
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Grass-fed cattle are already being sold at a premium.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15But certainly in areas like this, you can see we haven't got quite
0:29:15 > 0:29:17the flat areas of
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- the Cotswolds down here. - ADAM LAUGHS
0:29:19 > 0:29:22You know, it's cattle that graze upland pastures,
0:29:22 > 0:29:23but also graze hills,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26that we're going to need, whether it be cattle or sheep.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30I can't harvest my grass, so to convert that grass into
0:29:30 > 0:29:34something that humans can make use of, we need cattle that can graze.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Grass might be plentiful here in Wales, but straw isn't.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47Around 80% of Wales is hill country, unsuitable for arable crops.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Many farmers like Bernard have to buy their bedding in from
0:29:50 > 0:29:51across the border.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55And as demand increases over the winter months, so does the price.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Although housing livestock at this time of year is an expensive
0:30:00 > 0:30:04business, Bernard firmly believes Longhorns are more than
0:30:04 > 0:30:06capable of paying their way.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10These cattle look well, Bernard. How many have you got in here?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12About 25 cows in here.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15We try to keep them looking reasonably well all the winter,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18but all they have is this haylage from now on.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21It's incredible how the breed has come such a long way
0:30:21 > 0:30:23when my dad first started keeping them.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Back then, it was about preservation,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27and they were more of a museum piece.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But breeders like you have done a lot for them, haven't you?
0:30:30 > 0:30:31I think we've got to the stage
0:30:31 > 0:30:34where we probably have got sufficient numbers,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36and we've got to look at alternatives
0:30:36 > 0:30:40for utilising the other strong characteristics that they have.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42They produce superb quality meat.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46And that really is what I feel the future is,
0:30:46 > 0:30:51is producing a very high quality product from grass,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54relatively low inputs, but superb.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57What the chefs really like is the quality of the beef.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00And selling that into top-class restaurants and butchers?
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Exactly. There's got to be some added value there somewhere.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06I couldn't afford to get involved in the costs of the straw
0:31:06 > 0:31:09or in keeping them unless there was a bonus for me in it.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11It's wonderful to see, isn't it?
0:31:11 > 0:31:14That that's where agriculture is going, hopefully.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Well, I think we're going to be more and more dependent
0:31:17 > 0:31:18on the marketplace as time goes on,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21so let's produce something that people really do want.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23These lovely old-fashioned breeds.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Old-fashioned, yes, but they could be the future, too.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Great to see you.- Thank you, Adam. - Keep up the good work, bye-bye.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44MATT: The Herdwick, a sheep to weather the wildest of winters.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Do you know, from a sheep farmer's perspective,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52that is absolutely beautiful.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55You've got that almost grey cloud that's just
0:31:55 > 0:31:56sweeping across the landscape.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Around 95% of the world's Herdwicks live on the Cumbrian fells.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07These special sheep are as much a feature of the landscape
0:32:07 > 0:32:09as the lakes and hills themselves.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13It's hardy, it's traditional,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16and it just looks absolutely fantastic.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26And the breed is even more important to the area
0:32:26 > 0:32:30now that the Herdwick's meat has been awarded protected status.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33To be branded as Lakeland Herdwick,
0:32:33 > 0:32:37the sheep needs to be born, reared and processed in Cumbria.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41We're not talking food miles here, more like food metres.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Steven Airey is currently the only butcher in the area
0:32:45 > 0:32:48that can certify authentic Lakeland Herdwick.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00For your customers, this stamp is very, very important.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04All the carcasses get stamped with ten stamps on the main cuts.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06They want the traceability.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08They want to know all about where it comes from,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- the farms it comes from. - Yeah, yeah.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11And they can get that information.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14And so, for other farmers that may be thinking of getting together
0:33:14 > 0:33:16because they have a heritage breed,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18would you say that, going forward,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20this is actually a really positive model?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23I think anybody can do it, but they have to suss out
0:33:23 > 0:33:25the end market first and work backwards.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29We can't compete with the South Americas and the Australias
0:33:29 > 0:33:32with mass production, so I think
0:33:32 > 0:33:34really, we've got to go for the niche market.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Lakeland Herdwick is proving such a hit with diners,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42it's finding its way onto the menu of top London restaurants.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47Steven is even regularly shipping it as far afield as Hong Kong.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53And it's all down to farmers like Peter.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- Happy?- Yeah.- So what are we looking for? About 40 kilos?
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Yeah, somewhere there. But we have to knock 3.5 kilo off
0:34:04 > 0:34:07cos our scales are not working properly!
0:34:07 > 0:34:11- Can't you just adjust it at the top? - We could, but it's past adjustment.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- Oh, is it? Oh, well. As long as you know.- Yeah.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18So why is Herdwick lamb and mutton considered
0:34:18 > 0:34:20in such high international regard?
0:34:21 > 0:34:25- Oh, just!- Put a pop on that. - Happy?- Yeah, put a pop on that.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27Lovely.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Most growing lambs you see dotted in fields around the UK
0:34:30 > 0:34:32are commercial crossbreeds.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Now, in that system, lambs would be ready for the table
0:34:35 > 0:34:38at about three months. But for farmers who farm Herdwicks,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40well, they've got to wait much longer.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46In fact, these are proving to be ready at nearly ten months old.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49- Come on, boys.- Which means more time for the sheep
0:34:49 > 0:34:51to take in the fells' amazing grazing.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55And for local chef Tim Brown, it's time well spent.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Oh, Tim, this smells absolutely unbelievable.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03You've got three hungry farmers who are waiting to be fed.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- That's correct, yes.- I'm hoping this is Herdwick on the menu.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Of course it is, yeah. Herdwick mutton.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- Herdwick mutton, right. - From my brother's farm in Eskdale.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15And looking at your trusty anatomical menu here,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17loin, you can see, is this part here.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- That's right.- But you also do neck, you do shoulder, leg.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Obviously, it's different cooking processes
0:35:23 > 0:35:25for different cuts of the animal, you know?
0:35:25 > 0:35:29The more working parts, we cook slower, for a longer time.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31The prime cuts, we can cook quick.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32What have we got going on here, then?
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- These are beautiful, colourful bowls.- This is just salsa verde.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37We have some tzatziki here,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40made out of smoked beetroot instead of the cucumber.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Wow. Are you a big fan of Herdwick?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46The Herdwick has got a lot deeper flavour than you can find
0:35:46 > 0:35:48in more intensively farmed sheep.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52And also, it's got to pick up the flavour from the terrain.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Yeah, quite something for you to be cooking it down
0:35:54 > 0:35:55in the farmyard, looking up at the fells?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57- Yeah, it is.- It's nice, isn't it?
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Very special, very unique in flavour.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Well, we need to get on and eat this, don't we,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04to be honest with you. So, lads, come on and eat.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Look, it's like a pyramid, a fell of Herdwick.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09A fell of Herdwick.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17Do you know, at the end of the day,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20this, really, is what it's all about. Isn't it, Peter?
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Because you're doing what you can, with the landscape that you've got,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25with the sheep that you've got,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28that have been bred in this area for this very purpose.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33And to taste that finished product is just... It makes it all worth it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- Fantastic. - It's just...
0:36:36 > 0:36:37beautiful.
0:36:37 > 0:36:43And, you know, deserved that it has that protected status
0:36:43 > 0:36:45and it's given that kind of...
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- authority in the world of food. - Yeah.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04ELLIE: For those looking to the landscape for inspiration,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07winter can be one of the most striking times of the year.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10This is nice, here.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Where you've just got a sparkle on the top of the lake. That is good.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Norman Ackroyd is one of Britain's most celebrated artists.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24He uses an unusual process called aquatinting,
0:37:24 > 0:37:29a pre-photographic technique that etches with acid on copper.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32We caught up with him on his home turf of Yorkshire,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34as he made the most of a rather grey day.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40I sometimes think you're of the soil that you're brought up in.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42It's something very elemental.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I worked in America for a while.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I woke up one morning in New York and I thought,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53"I've got to get back to the British Isles.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55"That's what I want to do things about."
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I want to go and really explore MY country.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16When you start to stare at this, it just looks grey.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20But you suddenly realise the colours start to come out.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Wonderful, subtle greens and browns.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28And the silvers. To me, it's like a rainbow.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31It's as bright as a rainbow.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38This hill is called Hood Hill.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42There's no real plan. I just go where impulse takes me.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46I don't have a, kind of, huge life project.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I just find myself in places like this,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52and I want to put over the essence of it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57It's important that one knows the history of a place,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01because it's not just a line of trees.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04We get into the last outposts
0:39:04 > 0:39:06of the Roman invasion here,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08and this was a Roman site.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And you imagine the Roman legionaries then,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14who got posted back to Italy, to a much warmer climate and they think,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16"God, what we... I was in North Yorkshire!"
0:39:18 > 0:39:22And remember the times, especially the winters, they spent here.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28This is really nice on the copper.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Just take one pace to your right,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and keep holding the mirror there. Right, that's it,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37it opens it up a bit. That's good, thank you.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40When we print off this plate, it will print the other way around
0:39:40 > 0:39:44to what I'm drawing it, so it has to be drawn in reverse.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48This is a great etching image, it really is.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52This is going to make a nice little plate, I think.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10I do my printing in a big warehouse right in the middle of London,
0:40:10 > 0:40:11and I live above it,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14so if I want to do something at three in the morning
0:40:14 > 0:40:16I can just walk down the steps and get on.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18It's good as soon as you get back from a trip
0:40:18 > 0:40:22to go right in on it, when your hands are still cold. You know?
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And that way, I hope to get the freshness
0:40:25 > 0:40:28of what it feels like with the rain falling.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Aquatint is an etching process.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45It's a way of laying a thin film of resin on a plate,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48almost like a fall of snow.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50And when you melt it,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53it crystallises like the surface of sandpaper.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56And you can have a fine grain and a coarse grain,
0:40:56 > 0:41:01and those grains resist the acid, but the acid gets in between them,
0:41:01 > 0:41:03and so it etches a tone on the plate.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30What you want is the bones, the skeleton of the image,
0:41:30 > 0:41:36done on the spot. There's something in that original first drawing,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40straight onto the copper, that has a magic that you never get
0:41:40 > 0:41:43by repeating yourself.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46It's the first fine careless rapture.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I don't want to do any more to that.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54There's nothing mysterious about it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58It's all very simple, really, once you've got the logic of it!
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I'm on a winter wildlife safari.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25So far, I've spotted some magnificent red squirrels
0:42:25 > 0:42:29braving the season's chill, in the ancient Caledonian Forest.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32But now I'm heading for higher ground,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35as there's one mountain dweller I REALLY want to see -
0:42:35 > 0:42:38the seasonal chameleon that is
0:42:38 > 0:42:40the mountain hare.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It's our only truly Arctic mammal,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and in winter, it changes colour
0:42:46 > 0:42:48so it blends in with the background,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and camouflages itself against predators...
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and knowing my luck, film crews.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00The hare's winter coat blends in with the snow -
0:43:00 > 0:43:02but with very little about,
0:43:02 > 0:43:05I might stand a fighting chance of seeing one.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08To help me get a close encounter of the "furred kind",
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I've enlisted the help of wildlife photographer
0:43:11 > 0:43:14and all-round hare whisperer, Andy Howard.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16- You got anything, Andy? - Nothing yet, Ellie,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19but there's plenty around, so it shouldn't be too long,
0:43:19 > 0:43:21- hopefully, before we find one. - Excellent.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24The images you've got of mountain hares are full of character.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27How do you get that out of your subjects?
0:43:27 > 0:43:29A lot of time and patience, basically,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32and going at the hare's timescale.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33But a lot of it is fieldcraft,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35it's reading the body language of the hares.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Ideally we want to get really close today.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41I'd love to get you within, you know, a few metres of one.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43- Really?- And I think we should head off and go and look for one.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45- Yeah.- Yeah? Let's go. - Let's do it.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Mountain hares are perfectly adapted to this harsh environment,
0:43:54 > 0:43:56with a thick layer of hair,
0:43:56 > 0:44:01wide feet like snowshoes, and speed to flee from predators.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07And there's evidence we're in the right place.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- This is the sort of classic hare form here.- Yeah.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13It's on a leeward side of
0:44:13 > 0:44:15- the slope...- Out of the wind...
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Out of the wind. I've actually photographed them in this situation
0:44:18 > 0:44:20where they are completely covered in snow,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22and you can just literally see
0:44:22 > 0:44:24the top of the head and the ears poking out.
0:44:24 > 0:44:25So, the snow really isn't an issue for hare.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- If anything, it insulates them against the cold.- Amazing.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- So we can't be far away from them now.- We can't be far away,
0:44:31 > 0:44:32so let's just keep on looking.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41As we venture higher up,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43in the distance, we catch our first sighting.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Well, there you go, Ellie, look, there's some hares over there.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49There's about four or five
0:44:49 > 0:44:51- over there.- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55They really stand out, don't they, against that background?
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Oh, it's fantastic, there's plenty over there!
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Now, I'm happy to see the whites of their coats -
0:45:00 > 0:45:04but it's the whites of their eyes I've really come to see.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06I just need to get close enough...
0:45:08 > 0:45:10- There's a hare sitting in the ditch here...- Oh, yeah.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13He's lovely. Aren't you a gorgeous boy?
0:45:13 > 0:45:14Very peaceful.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16It's in a lovely ball shape,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18it's got its eyes sort of partially closed,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21so we know even at this distance we are now,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23- it's relaxed and happy with us being here.- Oh, right.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26So what we're going to do is we're going to move in very slowly...
0:45:26 > 0:45:29If it starts to twitch, we know that it's not happy.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35It's already closer than I've ever been before, you know.
0:45:35 > 0:45:36What we want to do is
0:45:36 > 0:45:40we want this hare to know exactly where we are at all times.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50This is amazingly close.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- What we're going to do now is we're just going to drop down...- Get low.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56..really slowly, no sudden movements at all,
0:45:56 > 0:45:57tell the hare that he's quite happy...
0:45:57 > 0:46:00- Hello, hare.- We're all good. No problems here.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- It's pretty relaxed, isn't it? - Hello, hare.
0:46:05 > 0:46:06Hello.
0:46:06 > 0:46:07We're just coming to say hello.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11That's brilliant, we're within just a few metres now.
0:46:11 > 0:46:12Hello, little one.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15So, look, we're going to see his head tilting forward,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17and that's him going down to collect one of his pellets.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20It's still quite a relaxed act, though, doesn't seem...
0:46:20 > 0:46:22- He's really happy.- ..disturbed.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25He wouldn't be doing this if he wasn't relaxed with us.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Filling the frame! CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Oh, a few of those!
0:46:30 > 0:46:31Cor, the detail on that!
0:46:31 > 0:46:33- You can see the detail, can't you? - It's remarkable, yeah.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Shall... Shall we really go for it
0:46:37 > 0:46:38and try and...?
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Let's say hello to him.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42You are beautiful, aren't you?
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Aren't you gorgeous?
0:46:44 > 0:46:46You're lovely, aren't you?
0:46:46 > 0:46:47Hello.
0:46:47 > 0:46:48Look how close we are!
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Yeah!
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Listen, it's not going to be on the Countryfile calendar,
0:47:01 > 0:47:03but I'm happy with that.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21RADIO INTERFERENCE
0:47:21 > 0:47:23- RADIO:- '..forecast, issued by the Met Office
0:47:23 > 0:47:26'on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
0:47:26 > 0:47:28'Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher...'
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Cold and unforgiving - the North Sea.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35'..fog patches, occasionally very poor.'
0:47:37 > 0:47:40This is Filey on the east coast of Yorkshire,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43where winter can be a turbulent time.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47'..otherwise increasing gale 8 at times. Rain at times, moderate...'
0:47:47 > 0:47:49For centuries,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52fishermen have braved these waters to bring home the catch of the day.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58But the story of the fishing industry is also interwoven
0:47:58 > 0:48:02with a fascinating yarn about winter woollies.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05This is a tale of love, loss,
0:48:05 > 0:48:07fish and fashion.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12# I don't know if we'll get lost at sea
0:48:12 > 0:48:17# Or we'll end up where we're supposed to be
0:48:17 > 0:48:23# Are you brave enough to swim against the tide?
0:48:25 > 0:48:29# Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh! #
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Today, the last great fishing families of Filey
0:48:32 > 0:48:34spend most of the winter months inside,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36mending their lobster pots and creels.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43But Graham Taylor remembers when winter was the season to be at sea,
0:48:43 > 0:48:44catching cod.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48This is one of the winter lines, long lines.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Each man had five of these,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53and hopefully we're going to fish in the right place.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57What was it like, Graham, working out at sea, in small boats,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59in the middle of winter?
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Very cold, for a start.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05- Bearing in mind you're three men in an open boat.- Yeah.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07If the weather was bad, we went,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10because that's the only reason you'd get any money.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13But that was it, it was a way of life.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16As their battered boats tumbled through the waves,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20fishermen like Graham and the generations that went before him
0:49:20 > 0:49:24were thankful for one simple reminder of home -
0:49:24 > 0:49:27their thick woollen jumpers, known as ganseys,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29or here in Filey, as guernseys.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Now, as you know, I'm partial to a good pullover.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36But I'm told that often these were so tightly knitted around the neck
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and the cuffs, to keep out the wintry blasts,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42that when you pulled them over your head,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45they could actually make your earlobes bleed.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48In other places, they're known as knitfrocks,
0:49:48 > 0:49:50but whatever name they're given,
0:49:50 > 0:49:52they all serve the same purpose -
0:49:52 > 0:49:53protecting fishermen.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Knitting and fishing have long been intertwined,
0:49:58 > 0:50:02both part of the fabric of coastal life.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05And it's what links Graham to his wife Margaret.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09She's one of the few keeping this centuries-old tradition alive.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11It's a labour of love.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15So how old do you reckon those needles are, Margaret?
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I would think these needles are about 100 years old.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19They belonged to my grandmother.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23I've used them constantly since 1967.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27Well, what is it about these jumpers that makes them so special, then?
0:50:27 > 0:50:30They're special because the guernseys knit all in one piece,
0:50:30 > 0:50:34on five needles, and they're close-knit.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37So this makes them kind of water resistant, and almost windproof?
0:50:37 > 0:50:39- Wind, yes.- Yeah.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41They fit tight to the body - they're like...
0:50:41 > 0:50:44referred to as a second skin almost.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47And is there a kind of standard pattern for them, then?
0:50:47 > 0:50:52There's about 17 variations of guernsey patterns that I'm aware of,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54but we have our Filey pattern.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57- This is the shingle on the beach. - Uh-huh.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01- The diamond - that's the mesh of the nets.- Uh-huh.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05- This one is the cliffs - you walk down in a zigzag pattern.- Yeah.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09If that was a double row, two stitches side-by-side,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11it's the ups and downs of married life...
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Really?!
0:51:13 > 0:51:15..or walking along life's path together.
0:51:15 > 0:51:16Right.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21This one's also got the initials in, of the wearer.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26If you found that jersey on a washed-up body,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29somebody in the know would know that that was a Filey guernsey.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32- They would know from the pattern it was a Filey jumper...- They would.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35..and they would know exactly who the victim was because of the...
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- Because of the...- ..initials, yeah. - That's right.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- Macabre.- Realistic.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- They don't take identification to sea with them.- No.
0:51:42 > 0:51:47And there would be nothing worse than not having the body
0:51:47 > 0:51:49- brought back to the right place. - Yeah.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54It takes a skilled knitter like Margaret at least 100 hours
0:51:54 > 0:51:56to complete a guernsey.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00You couldn't make a living knitting these.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03They're a garment of love, you've got to want to knit them.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06And you want to do them for somebody who will appreciate them.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Ah! Here comes Graham...
0:52:08 > 0:52:10'wearing his latest Guernsey.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15'Over the years, Margaret has made him 25, and he's kept them all.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19'And this is the very first one she knitted for Graham,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23'more than half a century ago, when they first started courting.'
0:52:25 > 0:52:28The lady who taught me, Lizzie Hunter,
0:52:28 > 0:52:30she was an old fisher wife, and said,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32"If you're going to be serious,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35"then you've got to learn to knit a guernsey".
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Graham, was Margaret the first girl
0:52:37 > 0:52:39who knit you a jumper?
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Er...no.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Actually, there was a young lady
0:52:43 > 0:52:46who used to come down on the Cobble Landing
0:52:46 > 0:52:49and sort of mix with all us young fishermen.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52But she obviously didn't impress you as much as Margaret.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Er...
0:52:55 > 0:52:56..no!
0:52:56 > 0:52:58So that was quite a challenge for you, then, Margaret?
0:52:58 > 0:52:59It was definitely a challenge.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02Mine had to be better than the one he already had.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04It also had to pass Lizzie's approval,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06which this one did.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10When I'd finished it, that was the end of the lessons.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12I never had any more lessons.
0:53:12 > 0:53:13Well, I'm not a fisherman,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16but I've managed to go through my career as well just wearing jumpers.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I bet you've never worn a Filey guernsey.
0:53:19 > 0:53:20I have not!
0:53:20 > 0:53:22I've got one here if you want to try it on.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Well, yes, thank you.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25This is a grey one!
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- Grey for Sunday best.- Oh, that's it?
0:53:28 > 0:53:30You had a blue one during the working week...
0:53:30 > 0:53:32- And a grey one...- ..and a grey one on a Sunday.- Absolutely.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Sunday best, just like Countryfile.