- 4 weeks ago
Countryfile - River Nidd
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00:00Well, I'm sorry I can't help you. I've broken the number one country fire rule and I haven't brought my wellies with me.
00:10Oh, well.
00:30I've spent around half a lifetime telling stories from all over the UK countryside.
00:47Well, that's quite a climb.
00:50But now, in four special countryside programmes, I'm back on home turf.
00:55Frame descent.
00:56Frame descent.
00:57Don't you know that?
00:58No.
00:59Everybody says that to me.
01:00Frame descent.
01:01Exploring the traditions.
01:04You can taste the difference, can't you?
01:06The heritage.
01:07Carry on.
01:08Oh, yeah, there we go.
01:09Carry on.
01:10Whoa.
01:11Yay!
01:12The legacy and the characters that make me so proud that I was born here in Yorkshire.
01:22Would you like to drive?
01:23Really?
01:24Yeah.
01:25I'm an engine driver.
01:27Yeah.
01:28Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
01:34For this leg of my North Yorkshire journey, I'm visiting a stretch of the River Nid.
01:40Starting in the Yorkshire Dales, it flows for more than 50 miles before joining the River Ouse near York.
01:47I'm along the banks of the River in Nurseborough.
01:50It's a place that I first got to know when I was a young newspaper reporter in the area.
01:57With its castle, its cliffs and its caves, Nurseborough is steeped in history and running through it all is the story of the River Nid.
02:08Without the river as it is, there wouldn't be a town.
02:13Today I'll meet the locals for whom this river brings both joy...
02:18There's a lot of community support for this.
02:21People love this river.
02:23...and responsibility.
02:25We're the custodians of the river whilst we're here, so we have to stand upon the river's behalf.
02:31I'll discover the legends.
02:33A young baby called Ursula Sontail.
02:36Her face became the iconic witch's face that we all know.
02:40And the history.
02:42The mill had the sole right to produce Queen Victoria's linen.
02:46What, her bloomers?
02:47No, no, no, no, not these.
02:50That made the River Nid in Nurseborough so special.
02:53People were terrified of this well because it turned things to stone as if by magic.
02:58We'd also dip into the archives.
03:01Welcome aboard, John.
03:02Thank you very much.
03:03I'm looking forward to this.
03:04To explore how water has shaped the wider landscape.
03:08Whoa, this is stunning.
03:10And the people of Yorkshire.
03:12Wow.
03:23I'm here to find out more about the River Nid's story.
03:27And who better to guide me than former Mayor Margie Longhurst, who knows it's every twist and turn.
03:34Well, Margie, the river's always been vital, hasn't it, to the town?
03:39Oh, yes.
03:40Without the river as it is, there wouldn't be a town here.
03:43After the last ice age, of course, everywhere was glaciers and so on.
03:47And when they melted, they forged their way through where there was porous rock.
03:52And, of course, in Knaresborough, you've got millstone rock, which is the hard one, which you can't get through.
03:57But a lot of magnesium limestone, which, of course, the river just forced its way.
04:02So this is how the gorge was created.
04:04Yes.
04:05Yes.
04:06And Knaresborough's made the most of that.
04:07Oh, definitely.
04:08Definitely.
04:09Well, it really started going after the Norman Conquest because Knaresborough means fortress on a rock.
04:16And so because you've got this big rock up there and the river below, it was a natural place for people to settle.
04:24And when the Normans came here, they started their castle there.
04:27Yeah.
04:28So that's still ruins of it, that there.
04:30Yes.
04:31And it had connections, I think, with King John.
04:34Oh, yes, yes.
04:35He used to come here because it was a royal castle.
04:38There's an area called the Forest of Knaresborough, which is 20 miles by eight miles.
04:43And it was all the king's property where he could go for his hunting.
04:46And he also built a dry moat around the back of the castle.
04:51So on one side of the castle, you've got 120 foot drop down to the river.
04:55And then you've got a dry moat protecting it around the other side.
04:58And, of course, over the centuries, it became a very important route for trade, the river, didn't it?
05:04Yes. The linen business was the main industry here.
05:07Well, you need a lot of water for the linen industry.
05:10And it started off as a cottage industry.
05:13People would harvest and process and deal with things in their own home.
05:17But later on, in the 19th century, then you get the big mills and so on, and that took over.
05:23But 80% of the population at one point were employed in the mills.
05:28It became very famous, didn't it?
05:29Nasborough linen.
05:31Oh, yes.
05:32What was it used for?
05:33Well, the most famous thing is the mill had the sole right to produce Queen Victoria's linen.
05:40Oh, what, her bloomers?
05:42No, no, no, no, not those.
05:45No, tea towels, the household linens.
05:47Oh, right.
05:48So they could put Balmoral on the tea towels and so on.
05:51So that was a great boost.
05:52And when did the railway come to Nersborough?
05:55It came in 1851.
05:58That was when the viaduct was built.
06:01Mm-hm.
06:02And, um...
06:03How's the train going over?
06:06By that time, of course, people were more prosperous, and the train brought them in.
06:12They would come to see the castle and the views and generally have a nice time.
06:17And, of course, today one of the main industries here is tourism.
06:21Oh, yes, yes.
06:22Isn't it?
06:23You can hear people enjoying themselves on boats, on the ribboner.
06:25Yes, and they come to spot the wildlife, too.
06:29The River Nid has been cutting through and shaping this landscape for thousands of years.
06:40The same powerful combination of water, limestone and thyme that carved out the gorge at Nersborough
06:47has also sculpted a much wilder scene to the west of here, at Mallum Cove.
06:53Back in 2017, Yorkshire-born and Leta headed there to see it from a very different perspective.
07:02People always wonder what it is about folk from Yorkshire that make them so proud, like me.
07:08Well, it's growing up in environments like this.
07:11This is one of my favourite places on earth.
07:14The limestone amphitheatre, that is, Mallum Cove.
07:19So I grew up in Bradford, not too far away from here, and this was the place we'd come out to on day trips.
07:32My dad had let me and my brother out of the car, and we'd run around on top here, getting rid of all that energy.
07:39But one of my most cherished memories and visits was coming here on New Year's Day about ten years ago.
07:45It was covered in snow. It was a pitch of postcard beautiful.
07:48And I remember standing up here, looking out and wondering what lay ahead for me and my family.
07:54Looking out to the future, to new beginnings, to new beginnings, to new beginnings.
07:59All those possibilities, but still connected to the past, with history quite literally beneath my feet.
08:13Look Chris?
08:29Cracking view.
08:30Isn't it spectacular? Every time it takes my breath away.
08:34Yes, there is one man who loves this place as much as I do, even in weather like this.
08:40The man in the waterproofs is Chris Wildman, chair of the Kirkby Mallamdale Parish Council.
08:47To me, this place is just a marvel. But living here, do you think you take it for granted a bit?
08:53I probably do take it for granted, apart from the rain, of course.
08:56But, yeah, I mean, even just looking here, it's amazing what you can see that you haven't maybe seen before,
09:03or haven't noticed before. So, yeah, it's a fantastic place, and very atmospheric this morning.
09:08Isn't it? It's perfect.
09:12At the end of the last ice age, more than 11,000 years ago, rainwater began to erode this limestone landscape,
09:19following the cracks and crevices to form the distinctive pavement we see today.
09:24And Chris has a clever way of remembering some of the unfamiliar technical language.
09:29Now, the cracks and the slabs, they're great. I always used to struggle how to remember it,
09:35but basically the big slabs are hard, and they're clints, Clint Eastwood.
09:41And the gullies are called grikes.
09:44So, clints, because they're hard, like Clint Eastwood.
09:48And grikes, I can remember, because it's like yikes,
09:51because running around as a seven-year-old, you don't want to fall down one of those.
09:55As the ice sheets began to melt, Malham Cove became a colossal cascading waterfall,
10:02helping to carve out the valley below.
10:04I remember that sense of anticipation, and it hasn't changed.
10:20As you get closer and closer to the rock, it just gets bigger and bigger.
10:25And whether you're seven or 77, the magic never goes.
10:34It's 80 metres to the top, some of the most spectacular views once you get up there.
10:45But that's easier said than done,
10:47because these are some of the hardest rock climbs in the world.
11:00I have so much respect for climbers.
11:02What they do is so difficult.
11:07Not only is it a fantastic sport,
11:09but they're conquering this huge, dramatic, terrifying bit of nature.
11:16They need strength not only in body, also in mind.
11:21Neil Gresham is one of Britain's best all-round climbers.
11:25What?
11:30Oh, my goodness me.
11:34Having scaled incredible heights around the globe, the grandeur of Malham Cove still keeps drawing him back.
11:41I've been coming here my whole life, and I've always wondered what it is that makes you climbers climb this thing.
11:48I don't know, really. I mean, when I first came here, I wasn't a climber at all.
11:51I was a schoolboy on a geography field trip.
11:53It didn't really occur to me that I was ever going to climb it, but I just knew that I wanted to come back.
11:57And as I grew up and got into climbing, I always vowed that one day I would come and try and sort of pit my wits against this place.
12:04I am, and always have been, completely in awe of climbers.
12:08I think just the physicality and also the beauty of this sport has always amazed me.
12:15Well, I think it might be your turn next, Anita. You can't come all the way to Malham and not have a go, can you?
12:20Of course I'll do it. Of course I'll do it.
12:23Good, that's what I like to hear. Up for a challenge.
12:26It's one of the hardest, if not the hardest, places in the UK to go climbing, and even the easiest route is really difficult.
12:32So, yeah, you're going to need all the skills you can master and a little bit of good luck as well.
12:40I've got to get over my fear. I've been coming here my whole life.
12:44Never in my life will I have had this perspective. But now or never. Now or never.
12:53Just how hard is it to climb limestone? How does it compare to other rocks?
12:56Limestone is probably the most difficult rock type because it's really smooth and the holds on it tend to be really small.
13:02There's no friction. And yeah, you often feel like there's just nothing positive to grab hold of.
13:06And what about on a day like today, freezing cold, wet?
13:10You would normally just stay inside and sit by the fire and read a book.
13:13But seeing as we're here, we probably just have to make the most of it.
13:17OK, well, I don't fancy my chances, but I am here. Look at that drip of water in my eyes.
13:21Shall we go for it? Yeah, let's give it a go. Come on.
13:23OK.
13:24How can you right towards that plant? Yes.
13:26And then back left? Yeah.
13:27And then follow the orange clips.
13:29All right. Now or never, as I said. Now or never.
13:31Shall I just stand on here? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just go for it.
13:33Go up a little bit more. Up a little bit more.
13:37With my leg? Yeah, yeah, that's good. Yeah. Pull on that. That's great. Really good.
13:47A little bit higher. There's a hold for you. But you'll need to stand up on that left foot.
13:51Perfect. There you go. That's it. It's really good.
13:57And you have to trust some quite small footholds that look for your foot.
14:06Yeah, yeah, yeah. There. That's great. And now pull. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it.
14:11That's it. And now reach.
14:13Ah! OK. Good try. It's a good try. You're nearly there.
14:18Yeah, there. There. There. That's it. Well done.
14:21No way. You can do it. You definitely can do it.
14:24You can nearly reach the next lane. Go on.
14:26So, that's it. Left. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:30That's it. Go on, Anita. Come on. Come on.
14:36You got it. You got it. Come on. One more move and you've done it.
14:43Come on. Come on. Touch the top.
14:48Yeah, there you go. Yeah, brilliant. Well done. That's it. Yeah, yeah.
14:55That's the top now. You don't have to go any higher.
14:59Wow. Well done. Well done.
15:03That was so exhilarating and utterly terrifying, but what a view.
15:09I've got a smile on my face, but my legs are totally shaking.
15:13I've just got to figure out how to get down now.
15:15I'm in Knaresborough where the waters of the river Nid are being stirred up by Adrian Sturdy.
15:33Away from his job in digital communications, he's a conservationist and member of the Nid Action Group, an organisation set up by local people to protect the health of the river.
15:45Hi, Adrian. What's going on here?
15:51I'm doing some kick sampling for the river fly in the water.
15:55Well, I'm sorry I can't help you. I've broken the number one country fire rule and I haven't brought my welles with me.
16:00Oh, wow.
16:01So what is that doing then?
16:03So we're kicking up the substrate, which is all the base layer of the river.
16:08Yeah.
16:09And we're kicking up all the flies and the larvae that live in there and we're keeping it downstream so it goes into the net.
16:15Right.
16:16And then we're going to empty it out into the bucket and we're going to see what we find.
16:19And what is that going to help you with then?
16:22Understanding what's in the net and the larvae that's living in there will give us an idea of how the water quality is.
16:31Right. Oh, you've got quite a lot on your net, haven't you?
16:33There's an awful lot in there, but we have to pick through it because there's a lot of debris.
16:37Can I carry the bucket through?
16:38You certainly can.
16:39Right.
16:40Okay, John, so if you want to just slowly empty that into here.
16:48Right.
16:49What are you looking for?
16:51So there's all sorts of flies and larvae that live in the water.
16:54Certain types will only live in good quality water.
16:57Right.
16:58So what we're looking for now is movement.
17:01And there's a shrimp.
17:03So that goes in the shrimp.
17:05That's a minute, right?
17:06Well, that's like a mosquito larvae, that one, that red one.
17:10And do you actually sort of count the number of invertebrates that you find?
17:14We do.
17:15So we do three different kicks in three different places for one minute.
17:19And then we count the number of the different types that we find.
17:22There's a nice little mayfly.
17:24We're going there.
17:25That's a mayfly.
17:26It's got three tails and it's brown, so we'll put that in the mayfly.
17:29Is that a good sign, finding a mayfly?
17:32Very good.
17:33They are, with stoneflies, the top of the tree.
17:36They only live in very decent water quality.
17:39And then we go down to sort of the bottom end, which are these leeches and the chiropods and the segmented worms in there.
17:47You'll find these in any type of water.
17:49Right.
17:50So the fact that you're finding mayflies here is a good indicator.
17:54So the fish feed on them and the birds and everything feeds as it goes up.
17:58The Riverfly Partnership refer to these invertebrates as the canaries of the river system.
18:04They're the warning signs.
18:06They are indeed.
18:07Although the river may appear full of life, there's another side to this story.
18:12The Nid's water quality has come under the spotlight in recent years, with sewage, farm runoff and even old metal mines polluting the river.
18:22It's left many locals worried, especially with harmful bacteria like E. coli turning up in the water.
18:33We live by this river and we walk by the river every day.
18:36And the guys that I met that were doing this water testing told me what they were finding in the river.
18:41Because if my son picked up stones, threw them in the river, that E. coli's on your hands.
18:47And as soon as you pick up a sandwich or something to eat and you're having a picnic out, nobody really thinks about that.
18:53And you do this, don't you, as a volunteer?
18:55Yeah.
18:56We live here and we're the custodians of the river whilst we're here.
18:59We should look after the countryside, the rivers.
19:01The river can't speak for itself, so we have to stand up on the river's behalf.
19:05For my children or my grandchildren.
19:07Yeah.
19:08You want them to be able to enjoy it.
19:09They want a safe environment in the river.
19:12It's not hard to see why people care.
19:15Rivers are often the heart of a community and the soul of a place.
19:20Few people understand this better than filmmaker Mark Barrows.
19:29For the past 35 years, he's been capturing Yorkshire's River Wharf and others like it, uncovering the hidden life beneath the surface.
19:39I've got to admit, every time I get out of the river, I get so excited, I end up with a big smile on my face.
19:46You're filming stuff that people don't generally see.
19:50They're unaware when people see the footage that, oh, is that in our river?
19:54And I said, yeah.
19:55And it's like, oh, wow.
19:56My interest in water developed when I was around about eight year old, watching the various documentaries on great white sharks.
20:05And that is what I wanted to do.
20:06I wanted to film and study great white sharks.
20:09I then learnt to dive when I was 19, so I was around about 1989.
20:13And to date, I've never dived abroad.
20:16I've never seen a shark.
20:18It was that first dive of actually going into fresh water and realising how amazing this area is,
20:24that I then thought, well, I need to document and spend the best part of my life filming all this.
20:31I'm an underwater cameraman, but I'm also a landscape gardener as well.
20:36During the summer, I'm generally out, certainly three nights on an evening, and then I'm out on a Saturday and Sunday.
20:42Literally any spare time that I get, obviously I'm in the river.
20:47My wife thinks I'm absolutely bonkers.
20:49My footage is generally used.
20:51I sometimes enter film festivals, but obviously a lot goes out on the social media channels and various angling clubs.
20:58They're absolutely amazed about what's in the river, because rivers are, they're an untapped resource.
21:04There's been many, many highlights over the years, but I think probably the one that stands out the most for me was the filming of the barbell spawning.
21:15And it was just purely by chance that I was walking along the riverbank and just happened to see him spawning.
21:21Flew home, got the camera gear, and I ended up getting the entire process of barbell courtship, the egg laying.
21:28And then I went back in 15 days' time, obviously later on, and actually got the little baby barbell that had emerged from the gravels and obviously decided to travel downstream.
21:38I mean, that was just... I couldn't have planned it any better.
21:41Another interesting fish that I've encountered over the years is the European eel.
21:48It was about three years back I filmed this eel that was following a shoal of minnows.
21:55They've got such bad eyesight, but they've got four nostrils and they've got a remarkable sense of smell.
22:01And it was evident that the eyesight was so bad because every time it was snapping at the minnows, it missed.
22:06And in the end, after three hours, it gave up.
22:08But they're such a fascinating species because they're born in the Sygasso Sea and they travel across the Atlantic.
22:15So they're part of one of nature's greatest migrations. So when I see them, it's remarkable.
22:21We're actually at Grassington at Linton Falls. It's a beautiful part of the country.
22:27But for me, what's interesting about this river is not only have we got the salmon coming through at the moment,
22:33but it's a real prime spot for filming Grayling.
22:36The most interesting aspect about the Grayling, what I love, is not only its name, it's called the Lady of the Stream,
22:42and she's known for her style, grace and elegance, but it's the colours on the Grayling.
22:48They're so, so beautiful. And when she lifts up that dorsal fin and uses it for full potential in the flow,
22:55it's quite remarkable to watch. But then you can watch them coming along and they'll pick up gravels
23:00and you can see them swirling them around in the mouth, taking off food deposits,
23:05and then they deposit the gravels back down.
23:07The best encounter with the Grayling is the nibbling on the top of the lip
23:12when I've obviously got the mask and the snorkel. And I think there was about three of them,
23:16the small ones just came up and they were just nibbling like that. It's one of the most amazing feelings,
23:21but it's the weirdest feeling as well.
23:25The baddest days I tend to get on the wharf tends to be in connection with pollution.
23:31And certainly ten years back I was filming a shoal of perch and I was coming upstream.
23:38I hit this, I presumed it was a wall of silt, and it wasn't until I then surfaced I realised a full sewage discharge was going on.
23:46And unfortunately I was covered from head to toe in obviously what got flushed down the toilet,
23:52which wasn't a pleasant experience I've got to admit.
23:57The effects of pollution on the river, the gravels are just completely swamped with algae
24:02and a slime that's on the riverbed, it's just appalling.
24:06And we certainly need to do a lot more to get these rivers cleaned up because they're so, so valuable.
24:15So my hopes for the future for this river and the wildlife is that we actually get the river restored back to how nature intended
24:23so that it's not only thriving but flourishing as well.
24:27I think for me it's been a joy because you know filming in rivers has shaped who I am today
24:34and I think probably one of the most remarkable things about being in a river is
24:38when you actually get into that environment and you allow it to take you on its journey
24:43you not only become part of the flow you become part of something magical and unique
24:47which will never be repeated again because then when you get in again it's completely different.
24:52Much like Mark's hopes for the wharf, the people of Mersboro are doing their bit to improve water quality in the river Nid.
25:09As well as regular sampling by volunteers like Adrian,
25:12the Nid Action Group, alongside other conservationists,
25:16campaigned to get this stretch of river designated as having bathing water status.
25:22I'm meeting one of their members, David Claydon, to find out what that really means.
25:33Well David, this is a beautiful stretch of the lid, isn't it? But it has its problems.
25:38It certainly does. It's a very popular spot. Locals have been swimming here for years.
25:42But it has problems. It's got high levels of E. coli
25:46and it's caused a lot of kids and adults to have diarrhoea and stomach upsets.
25:52Well isn't that ironic? Because this area has been now granted bathing water status.
25:58That doesn't mean it's clean and safe to swim in.
26:01Well the status simply means that the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water,
26:05who actually are responsible for the cleanliness of the water,
26:09have to produce a plan, get evidence, monitor it, take action.
26:16And here's some modern technology for you, isn't it?
26:18This is a project led by the Environment Agency. It's a national project.
26:21It's called Hello Lampost, which is because the lamppost talks back to you.
26:26It's an interactive sign because you put information in, the Environment Agency probably didn't know.
26:33And what happens to all this information and how is it analysed?
26:37AI is used to answer questions based on websites that we've recommended,
26:43official websites, you know, proper data.
26:46AI is just reflecting that data.
26:49And have people been using it, do you know?
26:51We've had 400 what's called conversations.
26:54I know now, for example, that people are most concerned about the health of their dogs.
26:58Really?
26:59Yes, it's a big question.
27:00The AI is really quite surprisingly good.
27:03But in particular it will say there are responsible sources.
27:07Sewage is an obvious one. Agricultural, runoff for roads.
27:12It'll also give you some information about what recent levels of pollution there are on this spot.
27:18The app works both ways. It collects information and offers advice to anyone who logs in.
27:25And it gives everyone the chance to get involved and help protect their local river.
27:31Well, you say that one of the big concerns from local people is, is it safe for their dogs to swim in the Nid?
27:37So let's find out what the QR code says.
27:40Caution advised for dogs swimming in the river Nid.
27:44Due to high levels of E. coli, chemical pollutants and ongoing sewage spills, it can be harmful.
27:51It's best to keep your dog away from the water to ensure their safety.
27:56How about that?
27:57And I suppose it gives the people of the area a reassurance that maybe something is going to be done about cleaning up their river.
28:06It does and it gives them a sort of a link in.
28:09Here's a direct line and an opportunity to express your opinion and to find out things you didn't know.
28:16It may take some years to get it better.
28:19There's a lot of community support for this.
28:22People love this river, the whole river.
28:25High-tech tools may be helping people along the river Nid to keep a close eye on water quality.
28:32But in other parts of Yorkshire, the signs of a healthy river can be found in more natural ways.
28:42Last year, we visited a project in East Yorkshire on the banks of the Driffield West Beck.
28:49Aiming to restore one of the world's rarest habitats, the chalk stream.
28:56It's happening thanks to the work of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and their living landscapes manager, John Trail.
29:11Back to about 2007, we bought two grass fields. Ecologically not particularly exciting.
29:19But what was really interesting to us was the chalk stream adjacent to the grass fields.
29:24And then we were very fortunate to be made aware that the former commercial fish farm came on the market.
29:30I saw it and sort of had that little light bulb moment, what if.
29:34So I actually literally walked into the chief executive's office at the Wildlife Trust and pitched the idea.
29:42It was right next to the river.
29:44This was a critical piece of the jigsaw in terms of landscape connectivity.
29:49And that then led to us in 2012 actually taking ownership of a commercial fish farm.
29:56When we took the fish farm over, it did look completely different.
30:01The site had a whole network of concrete posts with wires on to stop aerial predators getting in and catching the fish.
30:08And all the ponds themselves were obviously kept clear of vegetation so they could harvest all the fish regularly.
30:15So the vegetation regrowth has happened since we took the site on.
30:19The site effectively started to regenerate the vegetation and the reed started to come back.
30:29And by us helping it with water level management, we managed to get the reed bed to really recover.
30:36And we now have the biggest block of reed bed in the whole of the headwaters.
30:42The site is surveyed at different levels by different people.
30:54My specialism is mammals.
30:57Small mammals are hard to see, so recording them by sightings is almost impossible.
31:03I've got a small mammal trap here.
31:05You can set a series of these out on a site and then you can actually start to get a reasonable picture of the site.
31:11A reasonable picture of population.
31:14We do have a real broad range of mammals on site.
31:18Check these traps this morning and found possibly one of Britain's rarest small mammals.
31:25It's actually a water shrew.
31:28Absolutely amazing that we've managed to pick this little fella up.
31:32We'll put it back out on the pond and let it go about its day.
31:36The knock-on of having the small mammals and the range of small mammals is that link to the next set of species that rely on them.
31:44Come on you. That way.
31:49There we go.
31:50So I grew up in a small village just outside York and I lived a very rural life.
31:57I would regularly see this little brown furry creature swimming around.
32:02It was actually a water bowl.
32:04I just watched these waterfalls swimming about and they sort of just fascinated me.
32:10The fact they almost allowed you to be part of their world.
32:18Having loads of waterfalls is a really good thing because it feeds things like marsh harriers and barn owls.
32:22When I first started surveying for waterfalls, it very much was rummage through the vegetation, searching for droppings, food remains, burrows.
32:42And I thought, I wonder if we'd change this slightly.
32:54So this is a water vole recording raft.
32:58Water voles will come along patrolling their territory and go to the toilet on it and leave their droppings.
33:03And when we come back to do our survey, we can confirm that waterfalls are here.
33:17This is a good place for us.
33:19It's got good coverage of vegetation.
33:22It's got a bank that they're going to burrow into.
33:25If we get some dry weather, some sunny days, we can come and check it and hopefully find droppings and field signs.
33:41Since filming, John's been carrying out regular surveys.
33:45And at the last count, 18 of his 20 rafts showed signs of water voles.
33:50It's a strong indication that these endangered mammals are thriving here.
34:00Back in Knaresborough, I've been learning about life in and around the River Nid and the hopes for its future.
34:08But the river's past is just as captivating.
34:13Along the banks of the River Nid, there have been many tales of myths and mysteries over the centuries.
34:20And none more powerful than the story of Mother Shipton and her cave.
34:27This ancient cave on the banks of the Nid is believed to have been formed 6,000 years ago.
34:34And it's claimed to be England's oldest tourist attraction, apparently drawing in visitors since 1630.
34:41If anyone can unravel its mysteries, its heritage guide, Jay Stelling.
34:47Well, just who was Mother Shipton?
34:51So Mother Shipton was a baby born in this cave.
34:53In 1488, her mother, Agatha Sontail, was kicked out of the town of Knaresborough for being slothful and lazy.
35:00And she wouldn't give away the name of the baby's father.
35:03So she came here to this cave looking for shelter.
35:05And she gave birth to a young baby called Ursula Sontail.
35:08And she was born here, said to have cackled like a witch instead of cried like a baby.
35:14And they lived here in the cave for two years.
35:17So it was said that Ursula's mother, Agatha, was sent away to a convent in Nottinghamshire.
35:22And Ursula went to live with a local family in Knaresborough.
35:25She came back to this cave and the woodland surrounding it for the peace of nature, the calmness that this small cave gave her.
35:31And she became very famous, didn't she?
35:35She really did. So her name became known all around the world.
35:38And it's still known all around the world.
35:40Her face became the iconic witch's face that we all know.
35:44Her name was used for fortune tellers because little Ursula grew up to predict things like the Great Fire of London,
35:51the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the discovery of potatoes, invention of the internet.
35:56All these things she predicted.
35:58So many things she predicted.
36:01Over a wild and stormy sea shall a noble sail from whence he shall bring a herb and a root that all men shall suit.
36:10Around the world thoughts shall fly in the twinkling of an eye.
36:17Did she get anything wrong?
36:20Well, there's one prophecy that was said to have been the world to an end shall come in 1881.
36:25It was then changed to 1991 when that didn't happen.
36:29But we say that prophecy goes that the world shall end when thrice the high bridge is fallen.
36:34You came over that bridge when you came in today.
36:37Still there.
36:38It's fallen twice already.
36:39Oh, has it?
36:40First passed on by word of mouth, Mother Shipson's prophecies weren't written down until decades after her reported death.
36:49Since then, they've been interpreted and reinterpreted time and again.
36:56You could say she was Nersboro's very own Nostradamus.
36:59So with all these prophecies and that kind of mystic connection, did people think she really was a witch?
37:07There was a lot of different attitudes towards Mother Shipson.
37:11She was both feared and revered during her lifetime.
37:14People respected her and came to ask for her advice.
37:16It's only after the fact that we started referring to her really as a witch, someone who had incredible powers.
37:23And that word has been reclaimed a lot today.
37:25We start to respect the word witch rather than fear it so much.
37:29From a cave set to hold secrets of the past and perhaps even glimpses of the future,
37:35to sea caves alive with creatures of the present.
37:38A few years ago, Tom headed to the East Yorkshire coast to explore more.
37:46Along the coast of Flamborough Head, there are more than 200 sea caves.
37:52Formed over millennia by waves crashing against the chalk cliffs,
37:57the caves are a protected feature of this special area of conservation.
38:03Once a hideout for smugglers, they're now home to rock-boring creatures
38:08that may be small, but they're also mighty.
38:14Bex Lynham is a marine expert from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
38:18and she knows all about these caves and the creatures that live in them.
38:24So I can see a handful of caves even from here.
38:27Why are they so unusual?
38:29Well, they're unusual because they're in the chalk.
38:32So it's relatively rare throughout the UK to find that combination of the soft chalk and the caves.
38:39And for a plant or animal in the cave, is the kind of world different than it is if you're outside?
38:44Absolutely, it's really different in there. It's obviously very dark.
38:48There is some light, but very, very little, comparatively speaking to what we've got out here, of course.
38:53It's very damp in the cave and there's a difference in temperature from the outside temperature,
38:57which is very open to the elements. Of course, you've got lots of wind, potentially rain.
39:02Are there some particular animals that are adapted to the chalk?
39:06Yes, the chalk is really soft.
39:08So some of the animals that live in this area are able to bore into the chalk and make a home out of it.
39:15Even before we reach the caves, Bex comes across evidence of creatures who reside in these rocks.
39:22Oh, here we go. We can take a look at this here.
39:26What's going on there?
39:27Right, so you can see lots and lots of different holes in this rock, right?
39:33So these are made by piddocks and they grow into that hole as they burrow into it.
39:39So they spend their whole lives in the rock and then when they die, it leaves the hole,
39:44which is really important because it's just increasing the nooks and crannies for lots of other animals to live in.
39:49Provides perfect habitat for things. Exactly, yep.
39:54Many of these caves become completely submerged when the tide's in,
39:58so we've just got a narrow window at low tide to explore them in all their glory.
40:08Whoa, this is stunning!
40:11It's huge!
40:13I've no idea it's going to open up like this.
40:15Wow.
40:16It's like something out of Lord of the Rings.
40:17What are we hoping to see here?
40:18So I'm really hoping we can find one of the many sponge species that live in the caves, or perhaps the lichens.
40:35Now, I'm no sponge expert, but quite possibly this is the type of breadcrumb sponge.
40:40It's pretty common in this area.
40:42Like this here?
40:43This yellow-looking stuff, yeah, here.
40:44Slightly snotty, I have to be honest.
40:47It is, isn't it?
40:48And we've got about 400 different species of sponge in the UK, so they're notoriously difficult to ID.
40:54Often you need to do so under a microscope.
40:56Mm.
40:57But I think it's probably quite likely it's that species.
41:00It's very common here, and it likes this type of environment, sort of overhangs areas where they can have access to running water over them, because they can't dry out.
41:10They have got a spongy texture.
41:11They do, yeah.
41:12They do, yeah.
41:13It's actually covered in these little pores, these little holes, and that's where it's taking the water in, and then just sending it out again.
41:19Like a sponge?
41:20Exactly.
41:21This species may be plentiful here, but chalk-boring sponges are rare nationally.
41:27They make holes by secreting acid, which wears the rock underneath them away, and despite appearance, they're animals rather than plants, using their pores to filter seawater for tiny plankton, once submerged at high tide.
41:41And they're not the only fauna to be found here.
41:44We've got lots of anemones here on the rock face.
41:47Oh, they're lovely, aren't they?
41:49Yeah, so there's quite a few of them, isn't there?
41:51What we've got here is beadlet anemones.
41:52You do get these on the other parts of the rocky shore in this area as well, so they're very common, but here they've got a lot of space and more protection from predators, because there just isn't as many in the cave.
42:02Yeah.
42:03And they can survive here well, just as well as in the rock pools, because they're kept constantly wet by the dripping water.
42:09They are really beautiful in their own way. They're kind of jewel-like, aren't they?
42:12They're incredibly beautiful, and both when they're feeding and their tentacles are out and when they're closed up, they really stand out in this environment, don't they, as well?
42:22And I've seen them elsewhere, but they look happy here. There's quite a sort of density of them, aren't they?
42:27Yeah, absolutely. There's loads of them, isn't there?
42:30With the tide coming in, it's time for us to beat a retreat.
42:34But my trip into the dark has been enlightening.
42:37These truly remarkable, if unassuming, creatures are a reminder of the beauty that lies beneath, and the power of life to take hold in even the most extreme environments.
42:49Well, I've had a great day beside the River Nerd, but wherever you're going to be in the week ahead, you'll need to know what the weather's going to be like. So here's the country fare forecast.
43:11Good evening. Well, for some of us, we've seen three consecutive days of heatwave conditions, but in other areas it has been turning a little bit cooler.
43:27But for most of us there's been some of this, some blue sky, some sunshine, and it's been dry too.
43:33Now dryness is going to be a real theme to the weather for this summer of 2025.
43:37This is how much rainfall we've had since the start of summer, and would expect to be around 85% since the start of June.
43:44But look at that Boscombe Dam, we've only had 31% of expected summer rainfall in Durham, for instance, just over half the expected summer rainfall so far.
43:52So it has been particularly dry, wetter across the northwest of Scotland.
43:56But through the week ahead, some rain for some of us, especially in the far southwest of England, south Wales, could be the odd spot close to those east coasts too.
44:04But for the vast majority, it's looking dry. We're also on track for one of the warmest summers on record.
44:10But that anomalous warmth that has been with us gets squeezed away towards the west through the week ahead, the bluer colours, the colder air on the way.
44:18So, yes, a lot of dry weather through the next five days or so. Cooler, cloudier conditions towards the east and warmest weather always to be found in the west.
44:27So through this evening and tonight, then, we've got that cloud across parts of eastern England and eastern Scotland drifting its way further west.
44:33But clear skies all night for the likes of Northern Ireland and lows between about 10 to 16 degrees as we start Monday morning.
44:40But many of us will start the day with quite a lot of cloud around.
44:43Best of the sunshine towards the west from the word go.
44:46And the cloud in the east tends to burn back, but there could be a bit of drizzle around northeast Scotland, eastern England as well.
44:52So temperatures here in the high teens, whereas towards the south and west, somewhere like Cardiff, getting up to about 25 degrees.
44:59Now, Monday night into Tuesday, we've still got an area of low pressure close to the southwest and a weather front also approaching from the northeast.
45:05That'll bring some cooler air into northern and eastern Scotland, perhaps the odd spot of light rain here.
45:10There'll also be one or two showers across parts of Devon and Cornwall.
45:13But for the vast majority, another dry day with cloud breaking up through the day.
45:18Warmest spots in the south around 24, 25 degrees.
45:21But in the north and east, typically the high teens.
45:23Now, into the middle of the week, those weather fronts get out of the way.
45:26And it's high pressure sitting up close to Iceland that's going to be dominating our weather for the rest of the week.
45:31So Wednesday, again, quite a lot of cloud, particularly for some eastern areas.
45:34We've got this north or northeasterly breeze coming in from the North Sea.
45:38So across the board, temperatures down a little bit.
45:4122 or 23 in the south and southwest.
45:43Only about 16 for the likes of Newcastle and Aberdeen too.
45:47We're heading through into Thursday and the weather doesn't change very much.
45:50Again, we've got that high pressure to the north.
45:52But what you will notice is some colder nights.
45:54So Thursday dawn in our towns and cities getting down into single figures.
45:58But colder than that, I think, the more rural spots.
46:01We're not expecting a frost, but certainly will be colder than it has been.
46:04So Thursday, again, variable amounts of cloud.
46:06Coolest in the north and the east with that breeze off the North Sea.
46:09Warmest of the weather to be found down towards the south and southwest up to about 22 degrees or so.
46:15A similar day for Friday. Again, it's looking dry.
46:18Again, variable amounts of cloud with probably the best of the sunshine in the southwest.
46:22Temperatures 22 or 23, but only the high teens in the northeast.
46:26Now, let's quickly take a look at what's happening the other side of the Atlantic.
46:29This is major hurricane Erin.
46:31It's not going to be affecting us directly.
46:33But over the next week or so, the path of that storm heads to the north, then towards the northeast.
46:38It's got the potential to bring something a little different as we head towards the bank holiday weekend.
46:43One to watch. But for now, I'll pass you back to John in Yorkshire.
46:48I'm in Knaresborough, a place steeped in history.
47:01And it's the story of the River Nid that runs through it all.
47:05Water has helped shape not just the Yorkshire landscape, but the lives of those who've grown up in and around it.
47:12For me, it stirs memories of my own childhood.
47:19Family holidays by the sea in Bridlington.
47:25And in 2018, I went back there.
47:31On those holidays, I used to love to come down to the harbour here with my dad
47:39and watch the fishermen unloading their catches from their small wooden boats called cobbles.
47:45Now, in those days, there were about 40 cobbles in the harbour here.
47:48But times changed and now there's just a handful left.
47:55Historically, there were fishing cobbles all along the East Yorkshire coast.
47:59Their flat bottoms meant they could be hauled onto a beach
48:03and their high bows help them cope with the rough and tumble of the North Sea.
48:09Today, Brid is still a busy shellfish port,
48:12but the cost of repairing wooden boats means they've fallen out of favour.
48:16But not with craftsmen like John Clarkson, who built this one.
48:20All right, mate.
48:26Well, a great way to come ashore, John.
48:30It's easy. It's easy.
48:32With the help of volunteers, it took him three months to build
48:35and there's just a few nails left to knock in.
48:38I'll give you these.
48:40That's the punch.
48:41Right.
48:42So when I knock the nail in, you can take it that last little bit so I can't knock it.
48:46The final touch.
48:47The final touch, yeah.
48:48Right.
48:49John's got the knack.
48:54It looks to be in already.
48:56But have I.
48:59It's harder than he makes it look.
49:05It's a bit of an awkward angle, this.
49:07Yeah.
49:09Is it good enough or not?
49:10Yeah, be all right.
49:11As long as it goes in.
49:12Just all right.
49:13It's all right.
49:14Typical Yorkshire.
49:15That'll be all right.
49:16John's a natural around these boats.
49:20He's been working with them for most of his life.
49:24And how did you get into building cobble, sir?
49:26Well, when I was 15, I left school.
49:29I went into the family building firm.
49:33I'd send me apprenticeship there.
49:35And then I decided to go on my own.
49:39So I come to Brillington and started building the same type of boat.
49:43We made a good career out of it until all of a sudden it just stopped dead.
49:48Everybody went on to fiberglass and steel and that was it.
49:51It was nothing else.
49:52And what did you do then when the business suddenly died?
49:56I went general joinery.
49:58So it's only when I retired that I could actually say, right, I'll do something that I want to do.
50:03And the only problem is it gets into your blood and you take cover.
50:07And you think, I retired now.
50:09I can relax.
50:10I'm busier now than when I ever do.
50:12But for today at least, John's work is done and it's back into the water for the cobble, the free spirit.
50:22There's only one way to get the feeling of these really beautiful boats.
50:26And that is to take one for a trip around the bay.
50:30Welcome aboard, John.
50:31Thank you very much.
50:32I'm looking forward to this.
50:33It should be a reasonable sale today.
50:35It's thanks to boatbuilder John and fellow members of the Bridlington Sailing Cobble Preservation Society that they still take to the water here.
50:51Each one is different because there's never been a blueprint.
50:54But all have flat bottoms and another striking feature, red sails.
51:01How's the lane sail, eh?
51:03Several.
51:05Why is it red, John?
51:07They used to use bark to do the ropes and the pots and everything.
51:12And to keep them in good condition, they used to bark everything.
51:17The only problem is when they barked is your hands were covered in bark.
51:22They never dry hardly.
51:25Barking sails is a traditional technique.
51:28A mixture of oak bark, linseed oil and ochre is used to coat the sails, keeping them subtle and strong.
51:35So it's not a proper Bridlington Cobble unless it's got a red sail?
51:38No, not really, no.
51:39All our sails are, er, red.
51:45Cobbles don't have a keel.
51:47Instead, they have an extra-long rudder.
51:49At the tiller is Cobble Society Chairman Ian Thompson.
51:54Hello, Ian.
51:55Hello.
51:56How's it all going?
51:57Very well, thank you.
51:58You're in charge of this big rudder, aren't you?
51:59Yes, it is.
52:00It's quite a substantial piece of kit.
52:02Is it quite hard to handle?
52:04Not too bad once you've got, if you like to get a hold of it there.
52:09And of course, we go this way, and we head towards the cliffs.
52:14That's right.
52:16We go this way, and we're safely out to sea.
52:18Yeah.
52:19Yeah.
52:30Well, I never believed that when I was in Bridlington as a boy, looking at these cobbles,
52:35I would ever be on one, out in the bay, and actually being in charge of it.
52:40I'm a sailmaster for a moment, controlling the rudder.
52:45And now we're going to turn about.
52:47How about that?
52:50Everyone has to work together during this manoeuvre.
52:58There she goes.
53:05As you can see, this is a pretty complicated manoeuvre as the sails go back up again.
53:10What I've learnt is that you need an awful lot of muscle power to be a crewman on a cobble.
53:19But it's worth the effort.
53:20And what better way to enjoy Bridlington Bay?
53:23Tell me how it feels, John, to be sailing in these distinctive boats, which simply wouldn't be here if you hadn't built them.
53:46It's fantastic.
53:47You start off with three or four trees, and then over a three-month period, it takes shape to what you wanted.
53:58And then to come on the water and think, it's absolutely unbelievable.
54:04And then you're thinking, if it's looked after, it'll be here for a hundred years.
54:08You know, if they maintain, they will last.
54:10Well, you're obviously a good boat builder, but are you a good sailor?
54:15Not really, no, I'm seasick.
54:21Well, it's been quite a day here in Bridlington, recapturing my boyhood dream of sailing a cobble.
54:27And thanks to people like John and his friends, these little boats will hopefully inspire the next generation of visitors to East Yorkshire shoreline.
54:40From a childhood dream realised sailing aboard the cobbles, to a waterfall steeped in legend.
54:51Emerging from Knaresborough's cliffs is a curious spring that's been stirring imaginations for many generations.
55:01Well, just a few steps in Mother Shipton's cave is this, the petrifying well.
55:06So it's a unique geological phenomenon. And during Mother Shipton's time, people were terrified of this well.
55:12Because it turned things to stone as if by magic, people were scared to come anywhere near here for fear of being turned to stone themselves.
55:19And still doing the same job then, isn't it? Turning lots of things into stone.
55:24Lots of teddy bears up there and clothing. And how does it work, this petrifying process?
55:30So the water that's flowing over the petrifying well, which used to be called the dripping well or the dropping well, has a uniquely high mineral content.
55:40And the minerals in the water flow over these items, the items soak them up, and then as it evaporates, it leaves behind a hard rock on the outside of the item.
55:48So inside a teddy bear, there's still a soft teddy bear inside, a hard armour.
55:53Really? And how long does it take to turn to stone?
55:57So something small and porous, like a teddy bear, would only take three to five months to turn to stone.
56:02Something larger and non-porous would take about a year to form just a half-inch crust.
56:06And what are the oldest things here then, hanging?
56:10Well, I bet you can't spot them on this line, but if you look a bit further up to where the petrifying well used to come to before it's built up, you can see two lumps sticking out of the face of the well.
56:20Oh yeah, like half mushrooms.
56:21That's right, yeah. So it's actually a lady's Victorian bonnet and a gentleman's top hat, left on the way to York races.
56:28They never came back.
56:29So people used to leave their own items and they would go over the top of the well and drop it down, hence the name dropping well.
56:37Health and safety nowadays, we have to go up on very tall ladders or a big pole to get these up there.
56:43And people would leave in a book what they'd left.
56:47We get so many requests now that we don't accept visitor items.
56:5020 years ago, Jay, around 20 years ago, I was here and I hung a sock in the petrifying well, but I don't see any sign of it now.
57:02Well, you won't see it here. It's been in our museum and gift shop.
57:06Never!
57:07There it is.
57:09My sock!
57:11And there it is! Gosh, I never ever imagined it would still be around.
57:15No holes in it or anything?
57:16No.
57:17How about that?
57:19And you've got it in the museum.
57:21How honoured I am!
57:23Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
57:27Thanks to the care and dedication of the people I've met today, the River Nid is in safe hands.
57:34Its story is far from over.
57:36Next time, the legacy of three remarkable women who devoted their lives to preserving the traditions of Yorkshire's rural communities.
57:49It's not just a diary, it's a total record of everything she saw in the Dales.
57:56What does this mean?
57:58I'm fast for a bit of bound.
58:00No idea.
58:02I'm fast for, I'm stuck, I'm short of a piece of string.
58:05You can stop now, let go.
58:06Alright.
58:08Yep.
58:09There we are.
58:10Let's have a look, shall we?
58:11How about that?
58:12Hey, John.
58:13Is that a good one?
58:14Do you want a job?
58:15So, until then, bye for now.
58:27More stunning surroundings from England to Kenya, balancing risk and reward in the world's abundant grasslands.
58:34Parenthood continues here next.
58:46Thank you very much.
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58:48Bye for now.
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58:52Again, from England, a fact-defeated.
58:55I hope you've counted a lot.
58:57Okay.
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