Y Twyni Deheuol Natur Gwyllt Iolo

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I'm on a journey

-to six areas in England.

-These areas are renowned for

-their beauty and incredible scenery.

-These locations attract millions

-of tourists to enjoy the landscapes.

-There's some excellent wildlife

-that you will rarely see in Wales.

-That's the main reason for visiting

-these remarkable locations.

-This week, I'm visiting an area

-I know very little about.

-I'm on West Sussex's

-'Twyni Deheuol' (South Downs)...

-..and I'm following

-the South Downs Way.

-The South Downs Way stretches

-100 miles from Winchester...

-..to the famous white cliffs

-of southern England in Beachy Head.

-It's an area

-I've rarely visited before.

-A lot of the wildlife

-will be new to me.

-The South Downs are a range

-of rounded chalk hills.

-They stand above the levels

-and lowlands of south-east England.

-I start my journey on Harting Downs

-north of Portsmouth and Chichester.

-It's one of Britain's

-most ancient chalk downs.

-Very little of Harting Downs

-has been intensively farmed.

-It's an important

-and beautiful habitat.

-During July, the downs are covered

-in grass, wild flowers...

-..and butterflies.

-It's an excellent habitat.

-As I look around me, I see nothing

-apart from fields and woods.

-That's a surprise.

-I'm surrounded

-by large towns and cities...

-..such as Bournemouth, Southampton

-Portsmouth, Reading and Swindon.

-London's not so far away.

-I didn't expect

-such a rural setting here.

-There are some wonderful views

-from the top of the downs.

-The lowlands below are just as rich

-and rural in terms of wildlife.

-On the lowlands,

-seven miles from Harting Downs...

-..there's common land in Ambersham.

-It's special moorland and a habitat

-I hadn't expected to see.

-It's a great place for a naturalist.

-This is a male stonechat

-with a grasshopper in its beak.

-There are plenty of those here

-and plenty of food for its chicks.

-Its nest is somewhere in the bushes.

-Most of the birds

-nest on land like this.

-There's a little bird here.

-I've been trying to catch up with it

-for a while.

-It's a Dartford warbler.

-It's a rare bird,

-very rarely seen in Wales.

-On moorland such as this,

-you can see it nesting.

-The main problem is trying to

-spot it in the heather.

-It goes down,

-hides away and pops back up.

-You think you're going to have

-a good look and it disappears again.

-In Wales,

-you'll only find a handful of pairs.

-In an area like this, you'll find

-half a dozen pairs in a small space.

-It's a rather strange bird.

-Its long tail points upwards.

-It's not difficult to recognise...

-..but it's very busy and wary

-during its nesting season.

-The South Downs are very close

-to the sea and Channel.

-In the distance, we can see

-Chichester and its cathedral.

-I'm dropping down the south side

-of the downs...

-..to see one of Europe's

-most unusual and rarest forests.

-A yew forest.

-This is the first time

-I've walked into a yew forest.

-I've seen yew trees but

-I've never been in a yew forest.

-They say the oldest trees here

-are 2,500 years old.

-That's 500 years

-before the age of Christ.

-Incredible.

-I can see why our forefathers,

-the pagans...

-..believed that these yew trees

-were special.

-There's an unique atmosphere here.

-It's incredible that this forest

-has survived.

-During the Middle Ages, yew trees

-were used to make bows and arrows.

-There was such a high demand

-for bows during this time...

-..most yew trees disappeared.

-This is one of the few

-that still exists.

-This is one of the oldest trees

-in the forest.

-These branches have grown outwards,

-it's huge...

-..and they're so heavy,

-they've bent down to the ground.

-You can see them here.

-Once they've done that,

-they've taken root.

-A new tree has started to grow.

-Eventually, these branches

-will rot and disintegrate.

-This one will lose contact

-with the mother tree.

-The copse and the ancient meadow

-resemble preserved history.

-There's also

-some great wildlife here.

-A badger has come out

-before nightfall.

-It's early since it knows

-it will be left alone.

-This is a special way

-to end the day.

-I'm sitting here,

-the sun is setting behind the hill.

-I'm listening to the sounds

-of the summer.

-I can here woodpigeons

-and see bees everywhere.

-One badger has ventured out

-from the undergrowth.

-It's feeding. It's the perfect

-conclusion to the day.

-This is the sow.

-She often comes out first

-at this time of year.

-It's July and her young have grown.

-As it gets darker,

-they will emerge with their father.

-This one is evidently hungry.

-I've reached Bignor Hill,

-halfway along the South Downs Way.

-It's 50 miles to the end

-of the path in Beachy Head.

-From here, I'm looking north.

-The hills in the distance

-are the North Downs.

-We tend to think of 'twyni'

-as sand dunes...

-..but these downs

-are raised mounds or rounded hills.

-The North Downs

-and the South Downs.

-The South Downs are part

-of Britain's youngest national park.

-The park was established in 2011.

-The South Downs Way

-crosses fertile agricultural land...

-..which is at its best

-on a summer's day.

-As you walk along the ridge...

-..you realise how close

-you are to the sea.

-It's about 10, 15 miles away.

-I think I can see Bognor Regis

-and Worthing in the distance.

-It's nice to see

-the red poppies amongst the crops.

-They add some colour

-to the landscape.

-The poppy's seeds can live

-in the land for a century.

-When the land is ploughed and

-the seeds rise to the surface...

-..they blossom and grow once more.

-I'm veering off the South Downs Way

-and heading north to the lowlands.

-I've reached Pulborough Brooks

-nature reserve.

-This nature reserve is also part

-of the South Downs National Park.

-I'm here at dusk.

-It's the perfect time

-to spot wildlife.

-This is a habitat you wouldn't

-expect to see in this area.

-I'm on an RSPB's nature reserve.

-They've felled some of the trees

-to open out the landscape.

-There's a lot happening here even

-though it's late on a summer's day.

-A kestrel is hunting -

-it's sitting on a branch over there.

-There are two or three

-green woodpeckers in the vicinity.

-I'm going to sit and wait for the

-sun to set to see what else appears.

-They keep cattle on the reserve

-to control the vegetation.

-These like the taste of birch trees.

-Animals that benefit from the work

-done by the cattle and the RSPB...

-..are rabbits.

-They like fresh growth.

-This one's keeping an eye

-on its own territory right now.

-It has a gland under its chin.

-It rubs it to leave its mark

-on the ground...

-..as if to say, "This is mine."

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I've moved to the lowlands

-north of the South Downs.

-I'm visiting a small nature reserve.

-This is a very worthwhile journey.

-This is Woods Mill nature reserve,

-near Brighton.

-I'm here at the crack of dawn.

-More than anything,

-I want to hear the song of a bird...

-..a bird I've not heard for years.

-You might think I'm silly

-visiting a small woods...

-..to listen to one bird...

-..especially a dove.

-But this is a special dove.

-The turtle dove.

-This is a sound

-that's disappeared from Wales.

-A turtle dove.

-I remember travelling down to Gwent

-as a young boy...

-..to listen to these birds.

-There were around half a dozen pairs

-there at the time...

-..about 25 years ago.

-They disappeared completely

-from Wales.

-You'll only find them

-in the south-east of England now.

-Early in the morning...

-..you'll hear them

-and see them perched on a branch.

-There's one in front of me...

-..and another one responding

-from behind me.

-It's a great sound -

-it's an unique sound.

-You can't confuse it

-with anything else.

-It's like a cat purring.

-It's a very rare bird.

-You'll only find them

-in the south of England today...

-..because of food shortages.

-They need seeds and grain

-when they're nesting.

-This is one of the few areas

-in Britain...

-..where corn is grown side-by-side

-with good nesting locations.

-I'm back on the South Downs Way.

-This is one of the best views

-on my journey.

-Devil's Dyke,

-just north of Brighton.

-This is the northern side.

-I can see the Wealds, the lowlands

-that stretch all the way to London.

-Devil's Dyke is in a valley

-on the south side.

-It's a dry valley without a river.

-It was carved out of limestone

-during the ice age.

-It's a great example

-of human influence on the land.

-One side of the valley is pasture

-without wild plants...

-..while the other is a habitat

-for wild flowers and insects.

-There's thick growth in July.

-It's a great place to hide.

-Once again, the wealth of plants

-and flowers is striking.

-They've grown on a bed of limestone.

-I've seen one or two rabbits.

-They play an important part

-in this habitat.

-Normally, this land

-would be covered in trees.

-If a young tree starts to grow...

-..the rabbits eat it.

-The slope faces south

-and the warmth of the sun.

-That helps attract butterflies.

-July is a period of reproduction

-for many of them...

-..including the small heath.

-This butterfly is common

-throughout Britain.

-These two are mating.

-The male transfers his seed

-to the female.

-I've reached Ditchling Beacon.

-The South Downs Way is used

-by both cyclists and walkers.

-One of them is Iestyn George

-who lives locally.

-It's a bit of a shock to meet

-a Welshman on the South Downs Way.

-Things like this never happen

-in TV programmes!

-No, never.

-What brought you here

-in the first place?

-I live close to the centre

-of Brighton.

-It's less than five miles from here,

-from my front door.

-It's the closest place

-to which I can escape.

-We can cycle for 50 miles

-if we choose.

-It's something

-that helps keep me healthy.

-The weather changes all the time -

-that's fantastic.

-From day to day,

-it's always different.

-The nature is different every day.

-You'll see sheep everywhere

-one day...

-..and no sheep at all

-the following day.

-It changes all the time.

-Since we're down

-in south-east England...

-..I was expecting to see

-towns and villages everywhere...

-..with roads crossing the

-countryside, but it's very rural.

-Brighton would definitely be

-three to four times larger...

-..if the downs weren't there.

-In a way, it preserves nature.

-It's a layer that stretches

-for 100 miles...

-..and prevents

-any further construction.

-It's great because there are too

-many houses and people in the south.

-When you come here,

-it's so peaceful.

-It's fantastic.

-I agree with Iestyn.

-The entire South Downs Way

-is peaceful.

-Having said that...

-..evidence shows that parts of the

-downs once looked very different.

-There are remains

-of lime quarries in numerous places.

-Lime was mined in the quarries

-and used to regenerate barren land.

-This happened for many centuries.

-Today, artificial fertilizer

-is available.

-Demand for lime has decreased and

-the old mines are left to nature.

-The South Downs Way

-reaches the coast.

-I'm almost at my journey's end...

-..but there's one creature

-I've yet to see.

-For many who pass it, this is

-an insignificant butterfly...

-..but for me,

-this is a jewel of the downs.

-There are very few of them here.

-When I was a young boy...

-..Mam said I spent half my life

-crawling around like this.

-There's good reason this time.

-This is a very rare butterfly.

-This is a chalkhill blue.

-It's one of the butterflies

-I wanted to see before I left.

-These are rare and are most often

-found in limestone regions.

-There are two together now.

-This is the first time

-I've ever seen one.

-They're so pretty.

-This butterfly can only be found

-in south-east England.

-It's survived because

-the limestone grassland it needs...

-..has been preserved.

-I've seen many excellent habitats...

-..on my journey

-along the South Downs Way.

-It was rather unexpected in one

-of Britain's most populated areas.

-I complete my journey in Beachy Head

-with the lighthouse behind me.

-My journey ends where the land ends

-and England ends.

-France lies across the Channel.

-This is the first time

-I've visited this area.

-I've enjoyed

-every step of the journey.

-The landscapes,

-the wildlife, everything.

-It's taken almost half a century

-for me to get here.

-I won't wait so long next time.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

-.