0:00:28 > 0:00:33Call it inspirational - a landscape for artists and poets.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Call it inviting - it's where British tourism began.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Call it beautiful - green and deep and winding.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Call it the Wye Valley.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Just look at it. I never tire of coming to this place.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I love the woods and this river.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53But today, I'm feeling slightly different.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56A little bit anxious, and very on edge.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Could be something to do with this beast.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Unlike Ellie, I'm feeling pretty relaxed
0:01:05 > 0:01:08about my visit to the Wye Valley, but then,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11this is a place of the utmost peace and tranquillity.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Tintern Abbey, and I'm going to do a spot of time travelling
0:01:14 > 0:01:17to find out what life was like for the monks who lived here
0:01:17 > 0:01:21before Henry VIII turned it into a ruin.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Tom's in Lancashire investigating a controversial method
0:01:24 > 0:01:28of extracting gas from reserves deep underground.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31When it comes to fracking, the pressure's building,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34with government, big business
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and the environmentalists all pushing hard.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41So, should we be getting gas from the rock? I'll be investigating.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And Adam's looking at two very different ways of dairy farming.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50This cow having her back scratched, and this lovely lady here,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54are dairy cows - specialists when it comes to producing lots of milk.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56And this week, I'm visiting two dairy farms
0:01:56 > 0:01:59that manage their cows in very different ways.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08The Wye Valley.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Straddling the border between England and Wales.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14At its heart, the River Wye.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Intricate, almost tortuous, twists and turns,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21but always majestic, with magnificent views
0:02:21 > 0:02:23around every meandering bend.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27The Wye Valley takes in the counties of Herefordshire,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33It's the only cross-border Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41This is the village of Symonds Yat, border territory.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43This side of the river is Gloucestershire,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and over there is Herefordshire.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50It's not just this picture-perfect river that draws attention.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53This spot is also a magnet for rock climbers.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01This limestone valley has been shaped over 350 million years by water.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The jagged rocks and sheer cliffs
0:03:04 > 0:03:08offer more than 800 tough routes in this even tougher terrain.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Matt was here last, squeezing into the Pancake Caves.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13There's obviously a limit
0:03:13 > 0:03:15to the people you can actually get in this bit!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Depends how much you like your cake.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'But instructor Sven Hassall is about to tell me
0:03:21 > 0:03:24'exactly what he's got in store for me.'
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Now then, Sven, talk me through what is happening today.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We're going down to an area of rock known locally as The Pinnacle.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31We've got an abseil, because we have to get down there,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and it's all about climbing that and getting off it,
0:03:34 > 0:03:35across a Tyrolean traverse.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37A Tyrolean traverse? I don't know what that is.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40In climbing terms, it is a rarely used climbing technique
0:03:40 > 0:03:43to cross a gap. In this case, it's a 9mm-wide rope,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47and you're going to shimmy across it above the gap.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- What?! Seriously?- Yes.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51SHE LAUGHS
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Ohhh! I'm really nervous, you know.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56So I set out this morning, thinking I was going to have
0:03:56 > 0:04:01a lovely day on Countryfile, looking at newts or rare orchids,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and instead, I'm taking my life into my hands!
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I've got to do an abseil, I'm all right about that.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12Climb, not so great, and this traverse, well, that's just...
0:04:12 > 0:04:15the work of madmen. These madmen over here.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20'Whilst I get kitted up, let me introduce the rest of the team.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22'Sven is assisted by Ryan and Bob,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26'and I have also brought along specialised cameraman, Robin.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29'He's filmed everywhere from the UK's largest waterfall
0:04:29 > 0:04:33'to climbing in the Alps and in the canopy of the Amazon rainforest.'
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Come down to me, mate. Nice and steady, no rush.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37- All the way to the edge?- Yeah.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'All set to go, Sven gives me instruction on rope technique
0:04:40 > 0:04:45'to get me started on the abseil. And more importantly, how to stop.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:46- OK.- No rush at all.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49See, that looks like a shoelace. See how thin it is?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- What happens if the tree goes? - The tree never goes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- Trees have fallen down! - Trees don't meet industry standards.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59'This is just the start.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'Before I get to the site where I will make the traverse,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04'I need to abseil down a sheer cliff.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'And this is the easy bit.'
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Off we go?- Off you go. Yeah. OK.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Don't forget to look down, mate.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- Look at your feet. There are some steps there.- Oh, yeah.- Great.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- And it's just walking from here, OK?- Just walking?- Just walking.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- Nice and steady. No rush, mate, no rush.- OK.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I'm certainly not going to break any speed records!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26That's a great position. So we're just walking down there.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- Just walk through this little gap? - Perfect.- Ah.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- Feet wide apart, bum back.- Oh, yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Yeah.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Hello to you!
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Apparently, there is a way to walk down here.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But what fun would that be?
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Is it all right like this?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Perfect. Yeah. There we go.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Just keep leaning back. There's a little surprise below you.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- You will have seen that. - There's a hole!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Keep your feet on the top and lower your bum back.- Really?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Keep my feet on the rock?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Yeah, feet on the top, bum back, and you'll swing into space, OK?
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Oh, I don't like this! Whoa.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11My word! I like rock, not a great big void.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Hang on. I've still...
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Whoo!
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Hey! Actually, it's kind of more fun without a rock.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Yes, last few feet. Yes! Hey!
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- Nicely done.- Yeah, I love that!
0:06:28 > 0:06:33Look at that. My fingernails embedded into my palm.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- You make it look so easy!- It is! - It was great fun. I loved it.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Yeah, it's good, isn't it? - Really good.- And that's the warm-up.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47I know! I've seen what I've got lined up for me just over there.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51'It's the first time I've seen the scale of the challenge ahead.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'Just look at it. I think at this point,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56'I need to tell you, I really don't like heights.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'What a way to try and conquer that fear!
0:06:59 > 0:07:01'Before I get to that, though,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'Sven will be putting me through my paces
0:07:03 > 0:07:05'with a challenging practice climb.'
0:07:05 > 0:07:09But next, they've been blamed for earthquakes and flaming taps.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Now fracking, the controversial method of getting gas
0:07:12 > 0:07:15out of the ground, is back on the agenda.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18The government are keen to see our natural underground reserves
0:07:18 > 0:07:21exploited, but what does that mean for those living with
0:07:21 > 0:07:23the prospect on the doorstep?
0:07:23 > 0:07:24Here's Tom.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30For centuries, we've powered our nation
0:07:30 > 0:07:34with energy harvested from deep within the earth.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Coal mines once peppered our landscape.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Now, the UK relies on imports for most of its fuel.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But the discovery of a rich reservoir of gas
0:07:46 > 0:07:47could change all that.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It is estimated that there are hundreds of trillions of cubic feet
0:07:51 > 0:07:54of the stuff under the north of England alone,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and just a fraction of that
0:07:56 > 0:08:00could satisfy the UK's gas demand for decades.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The problem is, the gas is buried deep under the earth,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08trapped in tightly packed layers of rock called shale.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The only effective method for releasing it is known as fracking.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Professor Ernest Rutter at Manchester University
0:08:17 > 0:08:22has designed an experiment which shows how you get gas from a stone.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26I can see the pressure on the dial beginning to rise here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Just got up to 4,500.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'I'm ratcheting up the pressure,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35'forcing pink wax into the centre of this clear plastic cylinder.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37'Let's see what happens.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Pressure's rising.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The liquid is a bit like a crowbar which is wedging a crack open,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47forcing it into the rock.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53'Real-life fracking uses a mixture of water, sand and chemicals,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55'rather than the wax here.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'This forces cracks through the rock like the ones
0:08:58 > 0:09:00'we see in our clear piece of plastic.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03'The gas trapped within then floats to the surface.'
0:09:05 > 0:09:06Isn't that beautiful?
0:09:06 > 0:09:10These two butterfly wings, these two planar cracks,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13breach the outside of the cylinder.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17'Engineers refer to this extraction process as "unconventional".'
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But outside the gas industry,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24the word most commonly associated with fracking is "controversial".
0:09:27 > 0:09:31'In 2010, it was claimed the extraction of shale gas in America
0:09:31 > 0:09:35'had resulted in gas leaking into local water supplies,
0:09:35 > 0:09:36'with explosive results.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42'Geologists say this couldn't happen over here.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'But the inflammatory shots did little to help
0:09:44 > 0:09:47'public perception of the industry.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48'And then this happened.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:57A controversial drilling operation for natural shale gas
0:09:57 > 0:10:00has been suspended after a small earthquake near Blackpool.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04At Preesall in Lancashire, the UK's first attempt at shale fracking
0:10:04 > 0:10:09resulted in two minor earthquakes around the drilling site.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It's quite a funny story, really. I was in bed.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I'd felt something happen. I heard a bit of a rumble.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15My phone pinged, I picked it up,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and it was my daughter at the other end of the house,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19it was a text saying, "Was that you, Dad?"
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Local farmer John Loftus had leased some of his land to the gas company.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28They didn't damage your house or buildings at all?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Oh, it was very miniscule. My son lives at Ripon,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and this earthquake the week before was, I think, twice the size.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- Right. - And they don't have any fracking.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39'Operations here were halted after the earthquakes,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42'and there's been no fracking in the UK since.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'But unrelated seismic activity of this size is fairly common,
0:10:46 > 0:10:51'and in 2012, a report into the local geology recommended:
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'Certainly, John is still more than happy
0:10:58 > 0:11:00'for it to go ahead on his land.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:02So what was it like when they were actually
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- doing the fracking and drilling here?- No real noise.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I mean, obviously, we live nearly half a mile from here,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10but a lot of stone came in,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12a lot of wagons up and down the road -
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I think one day when they were taking it off,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17there were 32 artics in a row.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19So why do you do it?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I believe that the countryside is basically for the country,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and as farmers, we're only custodians of the countryside.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So you think this is a public-spirited thing to do?
0:11:27 > 0:11:29It wasn't because of the cheque you got to put this on your land?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32The cheque I got was less than two percent of my income.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Well, that might be quite a lot! You run quite a big farm here.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36How much was it? Go on, tell me.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I'm not supposed to tell you, so I can't tell you,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42but my best Angus bull that I sold last year
0:11:42 > 0:11:44was twice as much as I get rent for this,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- and it's minuscule, to be honest.- Right.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50'Minuscule for John could be large for other British farmers,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'but unlike their counterparts in the United States,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55'it won't make them a fortune.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58'There are different laws in Britain and America.'
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Over there, the gas is owned by the landowner,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05whereas here, it belongs to the Crown Estate,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07and the farmer just gets paid
0:12:07 > 0:12:10for leasing the land that the wellhead sits on.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14'But there would be big winners, like the British government.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18'In today's prices, it's already made £300 billion
0:12:18 > 0:12:21'over the last 40 years on home-sourced energy,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25'mainly from North Sea oil and other offshore operations.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29'And if shale gas is worth just a fraction of that,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'it'll provide a windfall when the country needs it most.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35'A good reason, then,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'to venture back underground in search of energy?'
0:12:45 > 0:12:49This stuff, coal, powered Britain through the Industrial Revolution,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51changed the country for ever.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55'But should we still be looking to environmentally unfriendly
0:12:55 > 0:12:57'fossil fuels to power our nation,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01'or is shale gas simply too good an opportunity to miss?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03'I'll be finding out later.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The Wye Valley. Its river snakes through wooded slopes.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20On its Welsh bank stands Tintern Abbey,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23a gigantic skeleton open to the skies.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Talk about take your breath away.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I mean, this building is magnificent,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and just think what it must have looked like to medieval travellers
0:13:31 > 0:13:34as they approached Tintern in its full glory.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Tintern was the first Cistercian abbey to be founded in Wales,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and only the second in the whole of Britain.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53Work started in 1131, and it thrived for four centuries until,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57like so many others, it was turned to ruin by King Henry VIII.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04'But what was life like back then before the dissolution?
0:14:04 > 0:14:06'How did the monks live?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10'To find out, I'm going back 500 years,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12'coming face to face with a man who can tell me.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Let's do a spot of time travelling.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Brother Thomas is returning to the abbey
0:14:23 > 0:14:27shortly after it was destroyed, and breaking his vow of silence.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Now, this was the chapter house, where we met in the morning
0:14:32 > 0:14:34to set the pattern of our day.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- So this was the Abbey powerhouse? - Absolutely, yes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This is our refectory. Once a day we ate here.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44And what sort of things were on the menu?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Fish, eggs, and vegetables.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Everything grown on the estate.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And this is our warming house.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57A kind of common room in the winter, largely, where monks came,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01they read here, they would have had their tonsure haircut here.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03A tonsure? The bald bit at the back?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06The bald bit at the back, that's right. THEY LAUGH
0:15:10 > 0:15:12How many monks would there have been?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16At its height, about 80 of me, the choir monks,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and about 200 lay brothers.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Because you worked the fields all around here, didn't you?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It was very intensive farming that you monks were doing?
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Absolutely. Yes, it certainly was.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31And of course, Cistercian monks developed agriculture considerably.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- And it was a hard life for the monks, wasn't it?- Very hard, yes.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38We were a Trappist order, a silent order, and very, very strict.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42And I hear that, despite all the privations,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45you monks did enjoy a little bevvy or two, didn't you?
0:15:45 > 0:15:50Oh, Master...I think the hour has come for me to go to prayer!
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- JOHN LAUGHS - Say no more!
0:15:56 > 0:15:59OK, so Brother Thomas is actually Keith, the tour guide.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03But it's well-known that monks were master brewers.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Maybe historian Madeleine Grey can tell me more.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09They used to brew a lot of beer
0:16:09 > 0:16:13because the water supply was so disgusting...
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- And dangerous, presumably? - Yes, absolutely.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17So you cleaned it up by brewing with it.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19The men who worshipped in here
0:16:19 > 0:16:23were not necessarily the ones who worked out in the fields?
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Well, no. The bulk of the work is done by these lay brothers.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30They were recruited from local peasant farming families.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34If you think about it, it's quite a man-management issue.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36You've got all these energetic young men,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39you've got somehow to keep them under control,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42so a combination of all that beer
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and an awful lot of physical hard work in the fields,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and they were probably too tired to even have impure thoughts,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52never mind doing anything about it! THEY LAUGH
0:16:56 > 0:17:00But the simple, monastic life of Tintern was soon to end.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04In 1536, it was surrendered to Henry VIII's officials.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Along with more than 800 other monasteries around the country,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11the abbey was dissolved and stripped of its wealth,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16and so ended a way of life which had lasted 400 years.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20The monks of Tintern may be long gone, but their legacy lives on,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and one of the things that Brother Thomas and his ilk left for us
0:17:24 > 0:17:26tastes surprisingly good. It's mead.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Later, I'll be heading to a local vineyard that's picked up
0:17:31 > 0:17:35where the monks left off and is putting mead back on the map.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Now, the BBC's Summer Of Wildlife is all about getting out
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and looking for the wildlife near your home.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48As part of that project,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Countryfile asked wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones
0:17:51 > 0:17:54what he could find near his home in Kent.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57And I have a special reason for wondering if he was lucky.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07As a wildlife cameraman,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11there are some animals that are notoriously difficult to film.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13For me, there's one species in particular
0:18:13 > 0:18:15that's always caused me problems,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and it seems I'm not alone.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21John was in Wales a few weeks back
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and he had high hopes of seeing water voles,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Britain's fastest-declining mammal, with his own eyes.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29In all my years on Countryfile, Sorcha,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I've never seen a water vole.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Am I going to be lucky today, do you think?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Sadly, not.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39He had to be satisfied by some grainy images snapped by remote cameras.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42But even that's something.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Water vole numbers have crashed by a staggering 95% since the 1970s.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50My challenge today is to go one better.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I've come to a place just a few miles from home
0:18:55 > 0:18:58where I've been guaranteed,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01yes, GUARANTEED, I will see water voles.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So just perhaps, I'm going to have a little bit more luck than John.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07And this is the place.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11These fishing lakes are close to my home in Kent.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14My mum told me years ago this place was good for wildlife,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17but I've never bothered to look until now.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Within minutes, I've spotted some promising signs.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23There's flattened grass by the lakeside
0:19:23 > 0:19:25and nibbled vegetation,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27which could be the work of water voles.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32But this is the best sign of all.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35A little patch of animal droppings.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41And there's one way to find out who they belong to.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46Now, then, water vole poo is often a greeny, browny colour,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48which this is.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51And then if you just squash it between your fingers,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55it has a very sort of vegetabley texture.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It doesn't feel meaty in any way.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00It doesn't smell too bad at all.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05So I would say, going on the size, the colour, and the smell,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09we probably do have a water vole latrine here.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Really good news. But to utterly convince me,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15I need to see a water vole.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This looks like a burrow entrance, so I'll leave a bit of apple as bait
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and plonk my remote camera down in front of it.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26And if I've got a shot of them on this, then I know I can spend the
0:20:26 > 0:20:31rest of the day in confidence waiting to get the shots I'm really after.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I'll need to leave my camera for a good few hours to stand any
0:20:36 > 0:20:38chance of capturing water voles.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42That gives me enough time to explore the rest of the lakes.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48Hard to believe that only 20 years ago all this was a cauliflower field.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49It became prone to flooding
0:20:49 > 0:20:52so the farmer created these fishing lakes,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55all now fringed by lush woodland.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58A great example of how quickly nature can reclaim the landscape
0:20:58 > 0:21:00if given a chance.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And, as if to prove the point,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05some rather special flowers have appeared here.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09These are southern marsh orchids
0:21:09 > 0:21:13and there are literally hundreds of them and, to me,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17they kind of remind me of the fashion models of the flower world.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20They're tall, skinny, just utterly gorgeous,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22but there is a bit of a problem with them.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26If you just come down here, let's have a look at this one.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I always feel that they get lost in amongst all this grass
0:21:30 > 0:21:32and so what I want to do,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35as we do love our photography here on Countryfile, I want to give it
0:21:35 > 0:21:37the full studio treatment
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and make it look as glamorous as I know it really can.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I've brought along my outdoor studio.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49The aim is to isolate the flowers
0:21:49 > 0:21:52by gently flattening down other vegetation around them and then
0:21:52 > 0:21:56shoot against a pure white soft box.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Inside the soft box is a flash which backlights the orchid creating a soft
0:22:00 > 0:22:03rim light around the edge of the flower.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Then flashes at the front are switched on
0:22:05 > 0:22:08to really make those colours punch out.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12You're left with a single stem of floral beauty
0:22:12 > 0:22:16standing out like a model on the front of a fashion magazine.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Time now to get back to my remote water vole camera.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Has it got the proof I need?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Hey, hey, hey. Bingo!
0:22:30 > 0:22:34There we go, water vole, dead slap in the middle of frame.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38That gives me the encouragement to get out on that bank
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and sit there for the next few hours.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Filming wildlife often involves a huge amount of waiting around.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50But not this time. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Look at this. Here he is.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53A water vole.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59And there's a fisherman totally unaware of what's just beneath him.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08He's climbing up the vegetation like it's a rope. Stretching up.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10This is lovely.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I think he's using the old dry vegetation to clamber up
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and grab a piece of the fresher green stuff...
0:23:22 > 0:23:25..without having to expose himself by going on top of the bank.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28A large male water vole like this
0:23:28 > 0:23:31can weigh up to three-quarters of a pound.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34That's quite a bulk to haul around on a grass root,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39but it appears this vole is as keen on swimming as it is climbing.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And soon he's back up on the bank and heading for the fisherman.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I love the fact that the angler is just
0:23:47 > 0:23:51now sitting there with no idea
0:23:51 > 0:23:54that Britain's fastest-declining mammal...
0:23:57 > 0:24:01..is just, what, two yards in front of him?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04This vole is keeping itself hidden for good reason.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09All sorts of predators love to eat them, especially American mink,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11brought here in the 1970s,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and the key reason water vole numbers have collapsed.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20I can't believe what I'm seeing and it's just about to get even better.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23QUIETLY: I don't know if you can see from there,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27but I can certainly see down this camera that we have a water vole.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It must be only three metres away from me.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It's just come out of its burrow
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and coming out onto the wider lawn,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40which perhaps isn't surprising
0:24:40 > 0:24:43because I've left a little bit of apple there to tempt it out.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And he's incredibly relaxed.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50These animals are constantly surrounded by humans.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Pretty much every day there are anglers out around this lake.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00So the water voles have become very used to people being around,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03which is making it really very easy for me to get the shots.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10It seems I've finally broken the curse of the water vole.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And, what's more, I've done it just a few minutes' drive from my house.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So, thanks, Mum!
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Finding the water voles here has been a complete revelation to me
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and I guess it just goes to show that no matter how well you
0:25:22 > 0:25:26think you know your local area, if you keep on asking around,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30if you keep looking, there's always something new to find.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And if you want to find out more about the incredible
0:25:33 > 0:25:37species in your own backyard, go to the Countryfile website
0:25:37 > 0:25:40where you'll find all the information about
0:25:40 > 0:25:43the BBC's Summer Of Wildlife and how you can be part of it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Next time, I hope to be on the trail of the elusive kingfisher.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00I'm in the Wye Valley to try something I've never done before -
0:26:00 > 0:26:04a Tyrolean traverse, travelling along a rope between two rock faces
0:26:04 > 0:26:06high above the ground.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12This is Symonds Yat Rock and that is one of only a handful of inland
0:26:12 > 0:26:15rock pinnacles anywhere in the UK.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I've got a bad feeling about this.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21The Pinnacle.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The route up is appropriately enough christened "Vertigo",
0:26:26 > 0:26:29an energy-sapping 80-foot climb.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32But before I go anywhere near that thing,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34a bit of training is in order.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44OK.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Right, OK, Ellie, the line here follows the line of least resistance
0:26:47 > 0:26:49so it's the easiest round you can find.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51And it's just like walking up the stairs you said?
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Just like walking up the stairs, OK. The stairs are little bit smaller.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Climb when you're ready.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00'Symonds Yat is testing.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'But trees provide good anchor points for ropes,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04'which really helps.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- Great stuff.- Is that too big? - No, perfect, nice.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13- Nicely done.- Suddenly I've gone silent, concentrating.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Up and over there?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'The limestone here has been stripped of plants.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22'It should make it easier to climb
0:27:22 > 0:27:24'but I'm struggling to get a good grip.'
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's a bit slippy.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Oh, I don't like it. Is that too high?
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- You can do it that way. Whatever works for you.- None of them work.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Oh, man, this is supposed to be the easy one!
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- That's actually really good technique, Ellie.- Yeah?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- We call that a step through. - Oh, I got my step through.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55- Just going to admire this limestone for a while.- Now go straight up.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- All right.- Try and finish this when you touch the karabiner.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07This is a fraction easier here.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Oh, lordy, it's not natural doing this.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Why do people do this?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- Straight up to the karabiner. - Up to the karabiner.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Yes, yes, yes, yes.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Ding-a-ling!
0:28:21 > 0:28:25'And there, looming in the background, what I'm training for.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'A much tougher and taller climb.'
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- Hold on to this?- Yeah, if you wish.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33I do, I do wish. All right, what am I doing?
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Feet wide apart, that's the idea.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Yes, yes, yes.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Oh, sun.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Nice and steady.- Lovely.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47'What made this training climb so tricky is the shape of the valley.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50'It's been cut by water instead of glaciers
0:28:50 > 0:28:52'forming squarer, steeper walls.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- There we go.- Perfect.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Yes, I'm down.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04- I bet that was an easy climb, wasn't it, in climbing terms?- Not at all.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Not for me it wasn't.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Actually, in climbing terms, we have a grading system,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11the English grading system, and this is graded very difficult.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Oh, very difficult. Hey, that was good, that was good.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Nice and short, as well.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19'A successful training session but will it hold me
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'in good stead for the main climb ahead?'
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Well, I'm very glad I had a couple of training climbs
0:29:24 > 0:29:27because sitting at the bottom of this...
0:29:27 > 0:29:28SHE SIGHS
0:29:28 > 0:29:32..feels slightly terrifying.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35I think I'm just going to sit here and think about it for a while.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Now, earlier, we heard how controversial method of extracting
0:29:45 > 0:29:51untapped underground gas deposits has had a shaky start in the UK.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54But, with the government now firmly backing plans for fracking,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57are there any credible reasons for standing in its way?
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Here's Tom again.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05The United Kingdom is an energy-hungry country.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09But, in the next few years, there's a chance we may be energy starved.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14The regulator, Ofgem,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18has warned that we might run short of electricity in the next decade
0:30:18 > 0:30:24and that's partly down to our reliance on this mucky stuff.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27So, let's shed some light on the situation.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Last year, the UK relied on coal to generate
0:30:32 > 0:30:35nearly 40% of our electricity.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40But due to EU emissions rules, at least 5 of our 17 coal-fired
0:30:40 > 0:30:44power stations will have closed by the end of 2015,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47taking 10% of our power capacity off-line.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55Ofgem want the energy industry to get new sources of power on the grid
0:30:55 > 0:30:58so we can prevent the lights going out.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01For the British government, at least,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04that could be where shale gas comes in.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07At a time when we're crying out for reliable home-grown
0:31:07 > 0:31:11sources of energy, the answer could be under our feet.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13It's beneath the old coalfields
0:31:13 > 0:31:16so if we look to see where we extracted the most coal, the
0:31:16 > 0:31:21chances are, beneath that is where we're going to find the most shale.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'You can find shale gas under most of the UK
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'but Professor Peter Styles from Keele University thinks the most
0:31:27 > 0:31:31'interesting reserves might be under the north of England,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35'Central Scotland, south of London
0:31:35 > 0:31:37'and on the Irish border.'
0:31:37 > 0:31:40So these are where there are promising shales
0:31:40 > 0:31:44but does that actually mean we can get gas out of them viably?
0:31:44 > 0:31:49We will never get the total volume of gas out and, on average,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53we'd be lucky to get 10% out, but 10% of these numbers are still
0:31:53 > 0:31:58very large amounts, potentially many tens of years of UK gas supply.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Are we going to see a rash of wells across the country?
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Individual holes in the ground,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07probably of the order of 1,000, but that's not what you
0:32:07 > 0:32:10see at the surface because these wells
0:32:10 > 0:32:13are drilled from a pad about the size of a football field
0:32:13 > 0:32:17and perhaps 10, perhaps 20 wells will be drilled from one of those.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21So we may have 100 of those
0:32:21 > 0:32:25across an area the same as Yorkshire and Lancashire.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Shale gas sites could be coming to some of the most beautiful
0:32:30 > 0:32:32parts of the country.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36In Lancashire, where they've already had a small
0:32:36 > 0:32:39taste of the industry, the anti-fracking movement is still
0:32:39 > 0:32:42working hard to make people aware of the potential problems.
0:32:49 > 0:32:50I don't know what's going to become of it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I think it's going to go ahead.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54I don't know if it's something you've ever looked at.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58- I really think we should go for it. - You think we should go for it, right.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00It's a joke. An absolute joke.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Ian Roberts runs a local anti-fracking group from the small
0:33:04 > 0:33:07town of St-Anne's-on-Sea on the Fylde coast.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10There's a whole range of issues.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13If you look at where these sites are, the infrastructure,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15the roads just aren't there.
0:33:15 > 0:33:16These are country tracks often
0:33:16 > 0:33:20and you're going to be bringing thousands of heavy-duty wagons
0:33:20 > 0:33:23full of chemicals and waste water to these sites.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28And tourism. This is an absolutely beautiful coast.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Are people going to be attracted to the rural Fylde coast
0:33:32 > 0:33:35if you've got an industrialised zone?
0:33:35 > 0:33:36But in the next few years,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38doesn't shale gas play a role in keeping the lights on?
0:33:38 > 0:33:39I don't believe so.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42I think we need to shift our investments into renewables.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45This is exactly the wrong point in history at which to be
0:33:45 > 0:33:49investing in, scrambling for the last bits of fossil fuel.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55Fracking also uses huge amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58The water companies have voiced concerns over the possibility
0:33:58 > 0:34:04of contamination of local supplies and potential shortages.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07So, are the environmental worries credible enough to halt
0:34:07 > 0:34:10the so-called dash for gas?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Francis Egan is the CEO of Cuadrilla,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17the only company to have actually fracked for shale gas in the UK.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21100 sites takes a total land area of two square kilometres
0:34:21 > 0:34:23across 1,200 square kilometres.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I think that can be fitted into the County of Lancashire fairly
0:34:26 > 0:34:28easily without a huge amount of disruption.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Are there not big environmental concerns over water here?
0:34:31 > 0:34:34You're going to use a lot and it comes out of the ground polluted.
0:34:34 > 0:34:35You say it's polluted but actually,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38the Environment Agency classification under EU legislation
0:34:38 > 0:34:40is non-hazardous, but it does need treatment.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43So it's officially classified as a non-hazardous waste, OK?
0:34:43 > 0:34:46That's not to say that you would put into your drinking supply.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51It does need treatment. But it's not a threat to public health.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55But what about the concerns over our continued reliance on fossil fuels?
0:34:55 > 0:34:58After all, the UK is legally bound to
0:34:58 > 0:35:02an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,
0:35:02 > 0:35:07so should we rush to a carbon-rich fuel like shale gas?
0:35:07 > 0:35:09The question is not will we be using gas, because we will.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11The question is, where is it coming from?
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Now, is it better for the environment to develop it here
0:35:14 > 0:35:17in a highly regulated UK, European Union environment?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Or to import it from halfway across the world in a ship?
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Gas is a much more environmentally benign fossil fuel than coal,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26so there is plenty of room to reduce emissions and still use gas.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28And, in fact, that's what happened in the US.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32The US has increased its share of gas and electricity generation
0:35:32 > 0:35:35and increased its renewables and it's reducing CO2.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36We've done none of those.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Fossil fuels helped build modern Britain
0:35:40 > 0:35:43but pulling more of them out of the ground can only increase
0:35:43 > 0:35:46the levels of climate-changing gas in our atmosphere.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51With concerns over energy supplies, and the country's financial worries,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54the big question is, do we have any choice?
0:35:54 > 0:35:59Just like coal in previous centuries, reserves of shale gas appear
0:35:59 > 0:36:05to be plentiful and the technology to reach them is developing fast.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09And, when you combine that with the government's obvious enthusiasm,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13then environmentalists are going to have to work hard to keep it
0:36:13 > 0:36:16all locked up underground.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Adam doesn't have dairy cows on his farm, but he knows just how
0:36:23 > 0:36:27tough dairy farming is and he's taking a look now at two very
0:36:27 > 0:36:30different approaches to meeting the challenges faced by the industry.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39These are my Gloucester cattle.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41They're a lovely old-fashioned, dual-purpose breed
0:36:41 > 0:36:45so quite good at producing milk and quite good at producing beef,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47but not brilliant at either.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49And, after World War II,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52we were a starving nation and we needed farmers to go for
0:36:52 > 0:36:56out-and-out production and so we specialised in our cattle farming.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59We went for the dairy cow for milk, the Friesian
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and then the Holstein and, in the beef world,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04we went for the Hereford and then Continental beef breeds.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08So now, in modern-day farming, we have beef cattle and dairy cattle.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16I'm off to see two dairy farms just down the road from me
0:37:16 > 0:37:19in Gloucestershire that have very different approaches to
0:37:19 > 0:37:20producing milk.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Rob Alan farms a herd of 150 cows.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Yeah, let's have a look around.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Would you consider yourself a very typical dairy farm here?
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Yeah, I'd say so. I'm a third-generation dairy farmer.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38What sort of cows are you farming?
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Years ago, when my father first came to this farm,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42we were very much Friesian-type cows.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45But now, in more recent times,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47we've obviously introduced the Holstein genetic.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49So you're getting a productive cow
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- but also one that can survive off grass?- That's right, yes.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56So, really, what you want is lots of lovely leafy grass that's
0:37:56 > 0:38:00full of sugar and protein that the cow churns up with its rumen
0:38:00 > 0:38:02to produce great quality milk?
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Yeah, that's right. It's important to get the timings right,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08get the cows out to the grass at the right growth stage.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10When the sun is out, I think the grass is like everybody else.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13It's essentially happier and it's more nutritious
0:38:13 > 0:38:16and hopefully we'll get more milk from it.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19You're a young man. Where do you see the future?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Well, I'd like to be running a viable dairy business
0:38:22 > 0:38:23in years to come.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Obviously, to double the number of cows out in this field,
0:38:25 > 0:38:27it wouldn't make sense.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29I need more land area to do that.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32You could run out of grass quickly, if you put too many cows out?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34That's right cos, essentially,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36they've got to stay within reason to the holding
0:38:36 > 0:38:38because obviously we're bringing them in early mornings
0:38:38 > 0:38:40and late afternoons to be milked.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43So even if there was land available three or four miles away,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45it wouldn't suit what we're trying to achieve.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Yeah, cos the cows can't walk all the way there
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- and all the way back again.- No.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52You all right, girls?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- So this is the business end then? - That's it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56This is where all the magic happens, yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59What sort of yields are you getting? How much milk per cow?
0:38:59 > 0:39:03On an annual basis, we'd be doing about 8,500-9,000 litres.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06And the cows would be doing about 28 litres a day.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09How does that compare to when your dad first started milking cows?
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Well, the old Friesian-type cows
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- were doing between 4,000 and 6,000 litres, really.- Crikey!
0:39:14 > 0:39:16So you've really pushed things on?
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- Yeah, that's right.- And can you push things any further now?
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- Where's the future?- I think for the system we're running at the moment
0:39:22 > 0:39:24we're about maxed out, really,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27without introducing a lot more supplementary feeding.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And you're happy with that?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Yeah, I enjoy seeing the cows out at grass
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and I enjoy the different management techniques.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35It's going well.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Rob has ambitions for the future, but he's at the limit of how much
0:39:40 > 0:39:42milk he can produce with his present system.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47So I'm taking him to a farm where they have a herd six times
0:39:47 > 0:39:52greater than Rob's and achieve a 30% higher yield from their cows.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54David Ball is the farm manager.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- It's a lot of dairy cows, Rob, isn't it?- Yeah, that's a lot of cows.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Very impressive. And so, how many have you got here, David?
0:40:04 > 0:40:09- We've got 900 cows in the herd. - And these cows don't ever go outside?
0:40:09 > 0:40:12That's correct. We keep the cows inside all the time.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15We do that because, on this farm,
0:40:15 > 0:40:20it's not a suitable farm for growing grass all year round.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21It's very drought prone
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and particularly with the weather conditions at the moment,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25grass growth is very unreliable
0:40:25 > 0:40:29and so we choose to house these cows so that we can provide
0:40:29 > 0:40:33ration for them, for their needs, and comfortable beds for them
0:40:33 > 0:40:37to rest in the relatively cool environment in the shed here.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39And what about the breed?
0:40:39 > 0:40:40These are Holstein cows
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and they are bred for high production of milk.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50They require high levels of input in terms of their nutrition
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and their diet to support that sort of milk yield.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58This is what we call a total mix ration, a TMR.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's available to them 24 hours a day.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04It's made up of the three forages that we grow on the farm.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07That's grass, lucerne and maize and we add to that
0:41:07 > 0:41:11a blend of by-products that we buy from the human food industry.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14We use a nutritionist who visits us fortnightly
0:41:14 > 0:41:16to construct a ration in great detail.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19We do monitor the cows very closely.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22We take blood samples and we take dung samples
0:41:22 > 0:41:25so that we can monitor the effect of the ration
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and how the digestion of the cow is going on.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Here they are investing heavily in the future,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34with this new state-of-the-art high-tech facility
0:41:34 > 0:41:37where all the cows' needs are catered for.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43But there's still no getting away from the fact that this is intensive.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46And, for some, this type of farming is hard to accept.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50While David shows Rob around, I've invited along Amy Jackson,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53who's an agricultural PR consultant with two decades' experience
0:41:53 > 0:41:56in the farming industry.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59The public like to see cows out at grass, don't they?
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Absolutely, because that's what they have become accustomed to
0:42:02 > 0:42:04over the years,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08pictures of cows on green fields, but actually, the reality is,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11if you look at British cow hours, more than 50% of them
0:42:11 > 0:42:13are spent inside because of the winter period
0:42:13 > 0:42:17and probably up to a fifth of cows are in 365 days a year now.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Year in, year out.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20So I think what we have to do is try
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and get people used to the idea that some cows are inside.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25So, with Rob's system and David's system,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28what are the problems that they might face?
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Rob obviously has his cows going outside in the summer
0:42:30 > 0:42:32and that brings its own issues.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36You know, there's flies outside and on a day like today,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38you have to make sure they have enough shade.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41You have to make sure that when the grass growth slows down
0:42:41 > 0:42:43they're actually getting enough food into themselves.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Something you can't control is the weather.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Here, obviously, you can
0:42:46 > 0:42:48make sure their nutrition is more balanced
0:42:48 > 0:42:50but then we have to make sure that their udders are clean
0:42:50 > 0:42:54and feet are healthy so you have to keep on top of that continually
0:42:54 > 0:42:56and quite often, on a farm like this,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59you have weekly foot trimming and vets in on a regular visit
0:42:59 > 0:43:01to make sure that that's on top of as well.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So, with all the different systems, cows outdoor all year,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08half and half, and then this kind of system, is there a right or wrong?
0:43:08 > 0:43:10No, I think it's about how it's all managed.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Certainly there are different risks with different systems,
0:43:12 > 0:43:13different pros and cons.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16It's all about how you manage those on each farm.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Is this kind of system then, keeping the price of milk at the right price?
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Well, it's not about keeping the price of milk down.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25We've lost about a billion litres' worth of milk production
0:43:25 > 0:43:27in this country in the last ten years
0:43:27 > 0:43:29and that's 1,000 farms' worth, 1,000 average farms,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32so we need to think, if we want to keep having British milk
0:43:32 > 0:43:34we need to support farmers who are expanding
0:43:34 > 0:43:36so we can keep milk production in the UK.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Rob, for you, you've got your cows out at grass during the summer.
0:43:44 > 0:43:49- Do you find this going against the grain a bit?- No, not necessarily.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52I think, in terms of investment for my future,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54I'd quite like to incorporate maybe the two systems
0:43:54 > 0:43:58so cows giving more milk, run a very similar system to David,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02but then still maintain the cows out at grass.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04And if you're going to expand, because you haven't got enough
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- fields, I suppose that's the only way forward?- Yeah, that's right.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11It's natural progress and, like I say, we could have an indoor
0:44:11 > 0:44:15group and an outdoor group and utilise the best of both worlds.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18It's been fascinating for me to meet two dairy farmers
0:44:18 > 0:44:20that keep their cows in very different ways
0:44:20 > 0:44:22but what seems to be crucial is that,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25whatever system they are in, that the cows are well looked after.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Next week we're busy making hay and I'll be taking a look
0:44:30 > 0:44:34at the effect the weather has had on my other crops over the past year.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41- JOHN:- Right now I'm heading into the hills above Tintern Abbey
0:44:41 > 0:44:44to one of the oldest commercial vineyards in Wales.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47For over 30 years, it's been producing wines from the very
0:44:47 > 0:44:51slopes thought to have been farmed by the monks.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54The monks down at the Abbey abided by the rule that they should
0:44:54 > 0:44:58live by the labours of their own hands and not accept charity,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01so one way of doing that was to produce
0:45:01 > 0:45:05and sell alcohol from their vineyards and from their own brews.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15The monks worked this hillside from as early as the 12th century.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Today, in the shadow of the spectacular ruins,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Colin and Judith Dudley are continuing the tradition.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29I must say, Judith, the words "Wales" and "vineyards"
0:45:29 > 0:45:32don't normally come in the same sentence to me.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37There are actually 17 vineyards in Wales now. Ours is the oldest one.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41You are not just producing wine, but mead as well.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Yes, we started doing the mead
0:45:43 > 0:45:46because we would get visitors coming to the vineyards
0:45:46 > 0:45:49asking what the mead was that the monks used to drink at the abbey.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53- Because mead is a mixture of honey and water, fermenting?- That's right.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55That's the traditional mead.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59The mead that we actually make here is called a hippocras.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03It's made with white wine, honey and spices in it.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05It would have been used medicinally.
0:46:05 > 0:46:11These days, spiced drinks, fancy ciders are all the rage.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14- Do you think there is a good future for mead?- I do, yes.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16It does seem very popular.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Particularly, I would say, at Christmas time.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22The spices we use are similar to the ones in mulled wine.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24People associate that with Christmas,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27but people drink it all the year round.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Judith says that just as a wine's character is determined by the type
0:46:31 > 0:46:35of grape, the flavour of mead is all down to the honey that is used.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41And for Richard Liddell, his bees help make a mean mead.
0:46:43 > 0:46:44Just get my gloves on.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48What effect does smoking have on the bees then, Richard?
0:46:48 > 0:46:51It's kidding the bees there is a forest fire on the way.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56So really what they want to do is fill their stomachs with honey,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00so that they can decamp and make another hive
0:47:00 > 0:47:04somewhere far away where the fire isn't.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08And of course the beauty of that is that if you have a bee that has
0:47:08 > 0:47:12- a full stomach with honey, it's not going to sting you.- Right.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15So a little gentle smoke on the top there.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16Would the monks down at Tintern
0:47:16 > 0:47:20have used the same technique of smoking to get their honey?
0:47:20 > 0:47:22I'm not absolutely sure, but one thing is certain,
0:47:22 > 0:47:26they did used to have to destroy some of the hives
0:47:26 > 0:47:28in order to recover the honey from the bees.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Of course, don't forget, in history,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34honey wasn't the food of the ordinary person.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36It was the food of kings, lords and ladies.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38What about mead, was that the same?
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Mead was the same, yes, and historically, farms used to have
0:47:42 > 0:47:47to give barrels of mead to the lord of the manor as their due tithes.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51- Look at that beautiful texture of that.- Wonderful.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53Fantastic, God's wonderful nectar.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58The honey is added to white wine
0:47:58 > 0:48:01and spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Leave to ferment for a couple of months,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07and you've got a mead any monk would be proud of.
0:48:07 > 0:48:14Right, Judith, I'd very much like to taste this Welsh spicy mead of yours.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17- Yes.- Grown with your grapes and using your honey, Richard.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19Absolutely, there's no food miles here.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Everything gathered within a few yards of this table.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26- Absolutely right. - And now for the tasting.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Mmm, it is very nice. But it's not quite what I expected.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35It's not as sweet as I thought it would be.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37This is because it's a wine mead, wine-based.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41But you can't taste the wine as such, you get the spices
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- and the honey at the end. - Yes, you do.- I'm glad you said honey.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48- And this was the monks' medicine, was it?- Oh, absolutely.- Nice medicine!
0:48:48 > 0:48:50I'll have a drop more of it.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53In the meantime, I'm going to hand you over to the BBC weather studio
0:48:53 > 0:48:56for the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:48:56 > 0:48:57Cheers.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11The majestic River Wye has carved out the splendour of the valley
0:51:11 > 0:51:12that shares its name.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16But while many come to appreciate the tranquillity
0:51:16 > 0:51:20this place has to offer, I'm enjoying anything but.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22Earlier, I conquered a tricky abseil
0:51:22 > 0:51:25before enduring a testing training climb,
0:51:25 > 0:51:29all in preparation for my next challenge.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33And now I'm at the foot of the Pinnacle.
0:51:34 > 0:51:3780 feet of sheer hell.
0:51:37 > 0:51:43350 million unforgiving years have shaped this beast.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Stacks like this are normally only found at sea.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51And how I wish this one was too.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53But it's not. It's here.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Surrounded by jagged rocks.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01And it's what I've got to conquer if I'm to make the Tyrolean traverse.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06And here is that traverse.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09If I make it up to the top, that's how I'll get off.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14Travelling high above the valley floor, on the thinnest of ropes.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18Fewer than one percent of climbers have ever done one.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Sven may be an experienced hand, but I'm still mighty nervous.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Right, then.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Oh, I've actually got to do this now.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Oh, man!
0:52:35 > 0:52:38LABOURED BREATHING
0:52:38 > 0:52:41I've only just started. It makes me want to cry.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45That's it, Ellie, that's it.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53Come on, come on.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Yes, yes, yes.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58OK, I need to take a second.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00- No worries.- Just to breathe.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04I'm making schoolboy errors, using my arms. It's all about the legs.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05Don't look down.
0:53:11 > 0:53:12No, I can't do this.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16OK.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Robin, you can see. Have I got a good hold?
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Yeah, it's pretty good.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30I can't bear this. Come on, come on. Yes, yes, yes.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40That's it. There's nothing else to hold onto.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Yes, I'm OK here.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56I'm not even looking, I'm just going to chat to the rock.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Me and the limestone.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01It's nice lichen.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04Chewing the grain, this is just where I want to be(!)
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Having a great time.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Nice climbing, Ellie.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20OK, nearly at the top.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22- Nearly at the top.- Nice one.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Yes, yes, yes.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Ah, I'm nearly there, nearly there.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Go on, Ellie.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36Right, don't mess, I've still got to get up there. Lovely big rocks.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Lovely big steps.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Sven, I'm here!
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Oh, wow!
0:54:51 > 0:54:57That's amazing. I can barely speak, I'm so nervous. Oh, it's incredible.
0:54:58 > 0:54:59That's awesome.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04I just wish there was a lift down.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Having conquered the Pinnacle, I'm feeling very relieved.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15But I can't tell you how glad I'll be to get off.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Oh, I'm looking right down the line
0:55:18 > 0:55:21at this enormous disappearing ground beneath me.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24- What have I got to do? - Whenever you are ready,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28I'm just going to ask you to shuffle on down, sit down here.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30And then step on the blocks down below,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32OK, and we'll take it from there.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34OK, so I'm sitting down here.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37You're going to sit down where your feet are now.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Man, looking down is a disaster, isn't it? Just don't do it.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45- Right, so shuffle, shuffle. - Down to the edge.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48- This is crazy. OK. - Lower yourself down.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50- Really?- Yes.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52All right.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Hang on. OK, I'm lowered, I'm lowered.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Ohh!
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Oh, yes!
0:56:03 > 0:56:07Look at the view. I've got time to enjoy it.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Hey, it's incredible!
0:56:13 > 0:56:17The whole of Symonds Yat is buzzing on a summer's day.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Right, at some point, I need to turn round. Is this the point now?
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Spin myself round. Now the work begins.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Come on. I've got a tree to get to.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Oh, work those biceps.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Let's get up off that edge. My word!
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Oh, my goodness, I can't believe I just did that!
0:56:44 > 0:56:45Got it.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I'm alive. LAUGHS
0:56:49 > 0:56:53That was amazing. I'm exhausted...but alive.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57Well, that is definitely it for this week.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Next week, John is in Northumberland on the trail
0:56:59 > 0:57:01of a creature that is rarely seen
0:57:01 > 0:57:03and he joins the team of people
0:57:03 > 0:57:07who have discovered an amazing Bronze Age burial.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11I'll still be having a lie-down by then. See you soon.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd