- 2 months ago
Countryfile - Chatsworth: An Evolving Estate
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00:00This is a really special experience. It was worth getting up at 4am.
00:04It's so tranquil.
00:06The deer know that we are here because they keep looking over.
00:30It's stunning and it's fresh.
00:39It is and it's just breathtaking, isn't it? What a view.
00:42Now we're on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire, a vast expanse of farmland, woods and meadows.
00:48For centuries the land was managed with the best knowledge available.
00:52But times change and now the team at Chatsworth are reimagining it for a whole new era.
01:00Chatsworth Estate stretches across thousands of acres of the Peat District National Park.
01:07It may be famed for its house and decorative gardens, but there's so much more to explore here.
01:14Everywhere you look there's work being done to restore, preserve and protect this vibrant living landscape.
01:25Good. Do you want a job?
01:27I'm not sure I do on this slope. Put it on the flat I would.
01:31Right, I'm in. She's in.
01:34Come on, all my strength.
01:37There we go, timber.
01:40You don't get many chances to get it wrong or right.
01:42Right.
01:43And away from Chatsworth, with the clock ticking on new inheritance tax rules, Charlotte investigates the pressure facing farming families.
01:56It's really difficult for us as a family. Dad's obviously still very ill. We're virtually not going to make a profit for 20 odd years.
02:04The vast Chatsworth Estate is comprised of farmland, moorland and woodland.
02:17And every part of it features in its whole estate plan. An ambitious land management project designed to protect the natural beauty, cultural heritage and biodiversity here.
02:29To the west lie the rugged valleys of Monsaldale.
02:34These valleys are home to some of Derbyshire's most beautiful woodlands, especially at this time of year. But right now they're under threat.
02:43John Everett leads Chatsworth's forestry team and his roots in this line of work run deep. He's the fifth generation of his family to work the woods.
02:59John. Hi, Sean. Great to meet you. Nice to meet you too.
03:02And what a brilliant place to meet. This vantage point, you can just see for miles, can't you?
03:07Yeah, it's pretty special, isn't it? Yeah, really good. So what are we looking at?
03:10We're looking at a fairly young woodland, which is dominated by ash.
03:14Ah. So the problem you can see is the recent onset of ash dieback, which is causing the ash trees to basically all die.
03:22Yeah. I mean, the more I look at it, the top of that valley, they're all dead, aren't they? Tell me, what is ash dieback then?
03:29So ash dieback is a fungal infection that travels on the air, but has come over to the UK in about 2010.
03:34And it has basically infected the majority of the European ash species within the country.
03:39And we're seeing about 90 to 95% mortality rates.
03:43I mean, that's, that's horrific, isn't it? Yeah.
03:45I mean, is ash a really important species here?
03:47Well, interesting you should say that. Ash obviously forms quite an important part of the ravine woodland type.
03:53But actually, what we're looking at here isn't what you would class as a stereotypical European ravine woodland.
04:00Probably about 200 to 300 years ago, there was agricultural changes, which meant a lot of the original woodlands in this area would have been cleared for grazing.
04:10Around 100 years ago, the estate took the livestock back out of the ravine, leaving ash trees to quickly spread and take over the area.
04:18It kind of leaves us with a monoculture of ash, which is what we're seeing now, which was okay, I suppose, until ash dieback came in.
04:27A lot of people speak about monocultures in forestry and they think of conifer plantations, but it's exactly the same with native tree species as well.
04:34That's why it's really important to have that diverse species range.
04:38The most important part about this woodland is having a woodland canopy, so that's what we're looking to try to restore.
04:42John's work here is part of a much bigger story. Old woodlands like this are being rejuvenated all across the estate.
04:55It's a huge task. Here in Monseldale alone, more than 25 hectares of woodland are being replanted with a mix of 14 native tree species.
05:05It's a long way up there, isn't it? It is a long way. You've just come down a long way.
05:11Yeah, sorry about that.
05:13The hope is that this diverse planting will restore the canopy and lock in the humidity that makes ravine woodlands unique.
05:21We're just going to head up here. Up there? That's practically a cliff face.
05:25But to make space for the new, first the dead ash must be felled.
05:31You're like a mountain goat.
05:34Today's job for John's colleague Sam is to fell two trunks of a huge dead ash.
05:40So Sam's going to drop this larger ash tree straight down the hill and because it's leaning downhill when it goes, it's going to go quite quickly.
05:47He's going to come down and cut in what's called the dog tooth, which will release all the tension.
05:55So here we go.
05:56Coming down at a diagonal angle.
05:59There you go.
06:00And off he goes.
06:02Crash.
06:04That's brilliant.
06:06It's like a precision game, isn't it?
06:07He's not just charging in and doing it.
06:09Definitely not.
06:11You don't get many chances to get it wrong or right.
06:17It's quite amazing, isn't it?
06:21Yeah.
06:22It goes pretty quickly, yeah.
06:24But every single tree is different.
06:26Yeah, it's just brilliant to watch.
06:28With the dead ash removed, preparation begins for the new species of trees that will be planted here.
06:35I'm going to put these stakes into the ground and if you could just follow on.
06:40Put them over the top and bash it in.
06:42It's easier to get sort of top side of them so you're uphill.
06:45Yeah, I see.
06:49Good.
06:50That's perfect.
06:51Absolutely.
06:52Do you want a job?
06:53I'm not sure I do on this slope.
06:54Put it on the flat, I would.
06:56Gosh.
06:58So you're placing, this is where the trees are going to be for the next 150 years, 200 years.
07:02You feel the kind of responsibility.
07:04Hopefully, it's got to be in the right place.
07:06We do, within these quarter of a hectare, we do 320 trees in each felling area.
07:11So that's what we're doing here.
07:14We lay them out about three metre spacing, which equates to the same spaces we want.
07:19We do probably three a day when we're all planting together.
07:22Three of these areas a day?
07:23Three of these areas.
07:24So yeah, about...
07:25It's fast.
07:26It's pretty fast, but the hardest bit is these things, trying to carry these around.
07:31It's pretty hard work.
07:32It's hard work.
07:33But this will be, you know, in 100, 150 years time, a really thick wood.
07:36It definitely will be, and a real mixture of tree species we're putting in.
07:39It's going to be a real diverse wood and fit for the future.
07:41I feel like we've picked one where it's a bit steeper.
07:48Well, I've stitched you up a bit, haven't I?
07:51There's not much soil, but we'll have to make sure it's doubly planted nicely.
07:54So sort of make yourself a bit of a hole.
07:57Have you got a preference?
07:59What sort of species would you like?
08:00We've got some oak.
08:01We've got some...
08:02I think we've got oak.
08:03I was thinking about this earlier.
08:04I really want to plant an oak.
08:05Okay.
08:06We dig that out and just sort of place it, place it in as best as we can.
08:09And then you sort of give it a bit of a stamp, a stamp down.
08:14So how many of these trees are you planting on the whole estate?
08:17In this project, on our land alone, there's about 24,000.
08:2124,000?
08:22That's ambitious, isn't it?
08:23Yeah, so we've got 70-something areas like this.
08:26Yeah.
08:27So yeah, it's, well, if I say 74,000, 73,999.
08:32Yeah.
08:33You've seen how much hard work it is.
08:34But, you know, even standing here and looking over our shoulder,
08:36you can see the coops that we did last year.
08:39Yeah.
08:40And know that each one of those little matchsticks on the hillside
08:42is one of these trees.
08:43And then, you know, leaving it for the next 300, 400 years
08:46for nature to take over and do the rest.
08:50These aren't plastic.
08:52These are made out of wood.
08:53And even these ties are biodegradable as well.
08:57So just squeeze them in nice and gently.
09:00Yeah.
09:01Do the top one first.
09:02Do the top one first.
09:03The guard shelters young saplings from wind, frost and grazing animals,
09:07giving the tree a much better chance to grow.
09:11Do you ever think in your line of work you're doing something
09:14that you will actually, you won't see the peak of these trees?
09:18Yeah, I think legacy is a massive part of what we do.
09:21Obviously, it has to be like that.
09:22You know, it's not like sowing a field of barley.
09:25You know, you're not going to be the person coming in and harvesting this
09:27or even seeing these trees reach maturity.
09:31So, yeah, absolutely everything that we do is all about legacy
09:34and history, actually.
09:35This estate has got a long history already
09:38and we're providing part of that.
09:52While Sean is down Dale, I'm heading uphill to Stand Wood.
09:59This 400-acre medieval woodland looks like the perfect sanctuary,
10:03but looks can be deceiving.
10:07200 years ago, rhododundrons were seen as the height
10:10of horticultural fashion for the wealthy.
10:13But what was once a symbol of great prestige
10:16has these days become a serious horticultural nightmare.
10:20Rhododundrons were first introduced to Chatsworth in the 1760s,
10:27but over time have spread and become a threat to Stand Wood.
10:33Trying to undo the mistakes of the past
10:35is head gardener, Steve Porter.
10:41Steve, it feels enchanted.
10:43It's an amazing woodland, isn't it?
10:44It's straight out of a fairy tale.
10:46So, tell me about Stan Wood.
10:49In fact, tell me about this magnificent tree that we're looking at.
10:54What's this?
10:55So, this is an oak tree that was here long before the estate,
10:58probably up towards 1,000 years ago.
11:00This was planted as part of a huge deer park that covered this area
11:03and it survived through all the changes over the centuries
11:05and sits here happily producing acorns at the moment.
11:09I'm going to just...
11:11It's great!
11:12You might think it might be a bit weird, but...
11:13Lots of energy, it's good.
11:14...wise, wise, beautiful tree.
11:16Seen a lot of things, hasn't it, over the years?
11:17It has, if only it could talk.
11:19But what are you here to show me, apart from the beautiful tree?
11:22We're here to have a look at this rhododendron ponscombe,
11:24which is causing us challenges in this woodland at the moment.
11:26I thought rhododendrons were beautiful and desired.
11:29They are, they are.
11:30And this has beautiful flowers in May, purple flowers,
11:33and was originally introduced as an ornamental species.
11:35However, here, it's taken over.
11:37It's just going on for as far as the eye can see.
11:39It's huge, isn't it?
11:40So, the challenge today is it's, you can see here, choking our watercourses,
11:43it's swamping out all the other species,
11:45but the particular concern at the moment is it carries a disease
11:48which is attacking our larger trees.
11:50We've had to do some felling, we've had to remove some,
11:52we don't want that to continue, so we need to do something about it.
11:57Rhododendrons can carry Remorum disease,
12:00a potential tree killer of larch and ornamental species like sweet chestnut.
12:07To halt the spread, the rhododendrons must go,
12:10but in Standwood, that's no easy task.
12:15Each autumn, a team of dedicated volunteers,
12:18led by landscape volunteer coordinator George Hoey,
12:21roll up their sleeves and get to work.
12:26If you go down to the woods today,
12:29you never know what you find.
12:30Hello everybody!
12:32Hello!
12:33Hello George!
12:34Hello!
12:35What is happening here?
12:36So, we're just burning up the rhododendron ponticum.
12:38Why burn it?
12:39This is the easiest way for us to remove it from site essentially.
12:42We've got a legal obligation to remove it in a way that won't allow it to spread.
12:47Each bush, if it's a mature bush, can produce up to a million seeds,
12:49so it really can spread quite violently.
12:52And once it starts spreading, once it takes hold,
12:54it's so extensive that nothing else can grow around it.
12:57So, I'm here and I can give you a hand.
12:59Lovely.
13:00Want some of these?
13:01Yes, please.
13:02Lovely, fine.
13:03I'll get some gloves.
13:04Are you going to join the volunteers?
13:05I will go and join your army.
13:06Yes, George.
13:08George's army of willing volunteers are on the front line in the fight to keep this plant under control.
13:14But it's not just rhododendrons they're tackling.
13:18They've also cleared silver birch and non-native invasive species such as Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed.
13:27Right.
13:28Hello.
13:29Nice to see you all.
13:30I've come to give you a hand.
13:31Where can I start?
13:32Anywhere?
13:33Jump on in.
13:34Anywhere.
13:35Just to cut it down.
13:36You can see how dense it is.
13:37That's all rhododendron, is it?
13:39Yeah, it just ends up in this absolute knot.
13:43And in times it's like spaghetti and you just don't know where to sort of attack it from.
13:48Right.
13:49I'm in.
13:50She's in.
13:51Come on, all my strength.
13:54There we go.
13:55Timber.
13:59If we cut this piece off here and put that on the ground, that would put roots down and create another bush, which is why we can't just pile it.
14:09Volunteers have been clearing this wood for the past three years.
14:13Why did you decide to volunteer?
14:15We all want to be able to keep stable and fit and this is a great way to do it because you don't really feel you're working entirely much.
14:20You're chatting to your mates.
14:26Got it.
14:27I work at home.
14:28I just work for myself and so it's nice to see other people and get out in the fresh air.
14:32I think it just lifts your spirits.
14:34We live quite nearby so we walk around here anyway and you can actually see what you've done.
14:39It's really lovely.
14:40We've all come from different backgrounds and yet we do work as a group now.
14:47Yeah.
14:48There's idle chatter as we go along through the day and we do enjoy our lunch breaks and the like so it is a sociable day as well.
14:54Cake?
14:55Cake.
14:56I wasn't going to mention cake but some people might tell you that that's the only reason I come here.
15:02Who doesn't need a bit of cake and conversation?
15:05The team are doing some very important work here, both controlling the problem and helping biodiversity.
15:13These birch branches can be used in dead hedges, natural structures that not only guide visitors along the woodlands paths but also provide vital new habitats.
15:25These will decay over time and that's brilliant for fungi and bacteria and then from that you're getting a lot of insects and vertebrates and arachnids going in there.
15:34From that you're getting things like small mammals and birds going in to hunt for the invertebrates.
15:39It's a little corridor.
15:40It's a little corridor that things shelter in but nesting as well.
15:43Isn't it amazing how quickly nature finds its spaces?
15:46Yeah, absolutely.
15:47Right, shall we get going?
15:48Yeah.
15:49So you're weaving it patiently?
15:50It's just weaving.
15:51That's exactly it.
15:52So I'm going to go on the inside of this one, outside of that one, inside of that one, push it down.
16:01So essentially you just do that over and over and over again and eventually you get a hedge.
16:05Could anyone do this at home?
16:07Anybody can do it.
16:08It doesn't need to be birch.
16:09Could you use an old Christmas tree?
16:10Yeah, yeah.
16:11If it were me I would just lop it up a little bit, take the branches off and stack it quite neatly somewhere and that way it'll just gradually degrade and things will find their way in.
16:19It's better than leaving it on the side of the pavement, isn't it?
16:22Yes, exactly.
16:23Waste nothing, recycle everything.
16:25Absolutely.
16:29Through the team's hard work, Stand Wood is slowly being reclaimed and maintaining these Dead Wood habitats is another key part of Chatsworth's whole estate plan.
16:41It's so brilliant that you have George and his team of volunteers to help, you know.
16:45The team are amazing.
16:46The landscape team look after everything around the house and then the volunteers make so much more possible than would normally be.
16:52Absolutely.
16:53And so what's the plan for the future?
16:54We have a whole estate plan but for us, the landscape team and the garden team, we have a park management plan.
16:59So that really is looking forward 10, 25, 50, 100 years and that informs our work, it gives us direction, it tells us how do we work to make sure it will look as beautiful as it does today.
17:11But the challenges around climate and pests and diseases are really pronounced at the moment.
17:15So, for instance, these trees that you see across the park today, Capability Brown planted 200 years ago, more than 200 years ago, they won't be around in the future.
17:23We know they're struggling.
17:24So we're planting a much wider, diverse palette of trees to safeguard that view.
17:28How can you predict though, Steve? How do you know?
17:30We can't. It's really difficult. There's so many variables.
17:32So we're planting a wide palette but we've got to look long term, we've got to aim long term.
17:52With less than six months to go before the government's changes to inheritance tax come into force,
17:57Countryfile has been told of a surge in farmers seeking financial advice, while at the same time, rural mental health charities say they're receiving calls from distressed farmers.
18:09Charlotte has been investigating and a warning that you may find parts of this film upsetting.
18:15From April 2026, the first £1 million of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all.
18:29But for assets over £1 million, inheritance tax will apply with a 50% relief at an effective rate of 20%.
18:39Last October's budget sparked the biggest shakeup to inheritance tax for farms in decades.
18:46And the response was immediate.
18:48Thousands of farmers marched on London, warning the proposals could be disastrous for family farms.
18:55With industry groups disputing the government's claim that most farms wouldn't be affected.
19:01But ministers said it was fair and that over time the changes could raise more than half a billion pounds a year for the public finances.
19:12As well as targeting investors, who they said were buying up farmland to avoid inheritance tax.
19:19Data from one of the largest property consultancies in the UK shows that in 2024, around a fifth of the farms sold were bought by private investors.
19:32Here's Steve Reid, then Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, talking to Countryfile last November.
19:38We are deterring those wealthy individuals who are buying up agricultural lands as a means to bypass their own inheritance tax.
19:46This really will only affect the very wealthiest individuals and the largest farms, and it's right to ask them to pay their fair share.
19:53If the government thought that would be the end of it, they were very wrong.
19:59Farmers have spent the year staging protests in towns and cities across the country.
20:05But with just a bit over 150 days until the tax kicks in, pressure is mounting on farmers who'd hoped this would all go away.
20:18Greg Parks, a fourth-generation beef farmer in Leicestershire, runs a 110-acre farm that's diversified into storage lettings and school book fairs, all of which are still in his dad's name.
20:32The government's plan taxes agricultural and business assets for the first time in a generation.
20:38Greg says for their small family farm, it means with their combined assets, they face a potential inheritance tax bill of up to half a million pounds.
20:48So, over the past couple of months, the family has sought financial advice to plan for succession.
20:55All this kicks in in April. Are you feeling a sense of urgency to get it all sorted?
21:00Yeah, I think we're at the point where we're kind of accepting it's going to happen.
21:04I think like a lot of farmers, we've probably sat for the first six months thinking, you know, do we want to go down the route of spending a lot of money with professionals if things are suddenly going to change?
21:14Greg is not alone. Countryfile has spoken to several leading financial and legal firms who report a sharp rise in farmers seeking advice in the run-up to the inheritance tax changes coming into force in April.
21:29Rural insurance company NFU Mutual says its financial advisors have seen a 300% increase in cases, while legal firm Tease Law says its succession instructions have increased five-fold.
21:43But before any formal financial plans come honest conversations around the kitchen table.
21:48It is difficult because there's a lot of emotion, a lot of personal considerations, a lot of personal feelings wrapped up in it.
21:55And it's also a conversation about the fact that one day your parents are going to die.
22:00It's hard this, isn't it?
22:01It is really hard. I don't think there's ever any easy answers.
22:04Is all this costing you money?
22:06It is, yeah. So, I think kind of so far to date we've probably spent around £4,000 with professionals.
22:13It's a small price to pay, but obviously it takes that money away from investment elsewhere on the farm.
22:19Do the new rules make you think differently now about putting more investment into the farm?
22:25Yeah, so we've got enough cattle to fill the one livestock shed we've got, so we'd be possibly thinking about adding another one.
22:33But we've kind of pressed pause on that at the moment.
22:36Because at this point you don't want to make the farm worth more money, really, because that just puts it higher...
22:42That's fundamentally it. The burden as such would be increased.
22:46You know, the more capital value you add to the farm, the more the whole estate's worth.
22:52There are other signs pointing to a possible decline in investment in farms this year.
22:58A survey for Family Business UK reports that 23% of family businesses and farms are cutting jobs or pausing hiring,
23:07while 49% have paused or cancelled planned investments ahead of the changes.
23:13And a major farming machinery association told Countryfile that so far this year, new tractor registrations are down 14% on the same period in 2024, with inheritance tax a factor.
23:25For some farmers, the impact of this announcement goes beyond business,
23:30coming amidst other financial changes and the recent drought.
23:35We spoke to several rural mental health charities, who told us they've been getting calls about inheritance tax.
23:42One said there's a documented increase in family and relationship related issues, including family conflict,
23:50as farming families begin to address the implications.
23:54Another said,
23:55Very sadly, we're hearing some older farmers saying they are feeling they're a liability or burden on their family farming business.
24:03And there have already been some devastating stories.
24:08One of the mental health charities we spoke to told us of two farmers who have taken their own lives.
24:17Both their families cited inheritance tax as a contributing factor.
24:21Charles Rees is a fifth generation farmer who owns 370 acres of a 1,200 acre farm in Pembrokeshire.
24:32He is one of a group of elderly or unwell farmers that farming unions are particularly concerned about,
24:38because they say they don't have time to plan for the inheritance tax changes.
24:43In February, Charles was diagnosed with cancer.
24:47His son Tom, an NFU Cymru official, has inherited his dad's love of arable farming.
24:53He now runs the farm and fears he could be facing a potential inheritance tax bill of a million pounds.
25:02With the calculations I've done to pay that debt back in full,
25:05we're virtually not going to make a profit for 20 odd years.
25:09So you are looking at now a business that's going to have a generation
25:13where there's not going to be a lot left for investment.
25:16You've got about six months before this probably becomes law.
25:19What are you doing with that time?
25:21It's really difficult for us as a family.
25:23Dad's obviously still very ill, struggles to talk,
25:27so having conversations about this is quite difficult.
25:31So, you know, spending time with the accountant as best we can
25:34to see is there anything we can do, but the realistic is we can't.
25:39Due to Charles's health, which has affected his speech, life insurance or gifting,
25:44which allows assets to pass tax-free to the next generation,
25:48if the giver survives seven years, may not be possible.
25:51The latest inheritance tax plans echo a struggle the family has faced before.
25:56When Charles's own father died in the late 1970s,
25:59farmers were then subject to a similar tax.
26:02It took me ten years to pay it off, so I couldn't do anything,
26:09but found me a little tractor and a stick.
26:12And then once I managed to pay my tax off, really two good years.
26:17Tell me about the farm then. What's special about it for you?
26:20Well, I've been here for 70 years, yeah.
26:24It's everything I've ever done.
26:27What's been the impact on you of this announcement this year?
26:31It's been hard for me, lying in the hospital bed,
26:35thinking, how am I going to save my farm?
26:38And I'm trying to have all this treatment to save my life.
26:44And sometimes I think, what the hell are you doing all for?
26:48Because if something's gone through the next April,
26:51I'd probably drop myself.
26:53You've really thought about it?
26:55Oh, God, yes.
26:57Because of the farm?
26:58Yeah.
26:59I'm only looking after the place for Tom.
27:03My father looked after his family and my grandfather...
27:06It's...
27:07That's what it is.
27:09You think it will be harder for Tom...
27:11Oh, God, yes.
27:12..this time round to pay the tax?
27:13Yeah, he's not going to have any plans.
27:15I hope.
27:17Ruth, how were you, Coate?
27:19I mean, you've had a rough year anyway,
27:21aside from...
27:23perhaps.
27:24I see.
27:30He'll be back now.
27:31Give him a second.
27:32Yeah.
27:33Yeah, you try and carry on.
27:35Er, excuse me.
27:36He's starting me now.
27:38But, erm,
27:40I find it very sad that
27:42when he was diagnosed,
27:44erm,
27:46he generally said to me one day,
27:48he said,
27:49to be honest with you,
27:50I...
27:51for the farm point of view,
27:52I'd be better off
27:53if I
27:54didn't have treatment.
27:56But since April,
27:57Charles has undergone surgery.
27:59Sorry about that.
28:01And with the support of his family,
28:03is now recovering.
28:04What is it now, Charles,
28:05that gives you hope
28:06for the future?
28:07Rory.
28:09That's your grandson?
28:10Yeah.
28:11Yeah.
28:12It's nice to see Rory
28:13and with his tractors,
28:14he's got his own farm,
28:15hasn't he?
28:16Anything that happens
28:17on the farm.
28:18The most tractors
28:19I ever have.
28:20I mean,
28:21there's a massive collection
28:22just in the corner of the kitchen.
28:23Yeah.
28:24Yeah.
28:25No, he's just so full of life.
28:26And it does give you
28:27something to look forward to then.
28:29Yeah.
28:31While Rory has helped
28:32restore Charles' hope,
28:33the fear for the future
28:34of their family farm remains.
28:42Cases like Charles' are one reason
28:44why in May,
28:45MPs on the Environment, Food
28:47and Rural Affairs Committee
28:48urged the government
28:49to delay the plans until 2027,
28:52saying a pause would give vulnerable farmers
28:55more time to seek appropriate
28:57professional advice.
29:01Tom Bradshaw is the president
29:02of the National Farmers Union.
29:05So Tom,
29:06when we spoke about this initially,
29:08after it was announced,
29:09you were hopeful
29:10that there would be a change.
29:12There hasn't been.
29:14So I have to believe
29:15there's hope at this stage.
29:16We've got the autumn budget coming up
29:18and I guess that's another moment
29:20where if the government
29:21want to demonstrate
29:22that they really are
29:23resetting the relationship,
29:24they can take the opportunity there.
29:26So if there are things
29:27that could be changed,
29:29what would your priorities
29:30be at this point?
29:31We still have to find a way
29:33of mitigating the impacts
29:34on that elderly section
29:35of our community
29:36that are so unfairly treated
29:38by the current proposals.
29:39We'd like to see a threshold
29:40which is reasonable.
29:41At the moment,
29:42£1 million,
29:43it's not reasonable.
29:44We're asset rich,
29:45but cash poor
29:46and we're making very low returns.
29:48So a £5 million threshold
29:50would be much more acceptable.
29:51Although,
29:52as the government
29:53would point out,
29:54most farms
29:55are either not affected by this
29:57or will have time to plan.
29:59And that, I suppose,
30:00is the silver lining of all this,
30:01that it has made farming families
30:03sit down and talk about the future.
30:05I don't see that as a silver lining, Charlotte,
30:08because if they wanted a grown-up conversation
30:10about succession planning,
30:11then we should have sat down
30:12and had a consultation
30:14rather than burdening the industry
30:16with the toll that this has put on them.
30:19Since that interview,
30:22ministers have ruled out any changes
30:25to the inheritance tax policy
30:27in next month's budget.
30:29The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
30:32told us in a statement,
30:34Our commitment to farming and food security
30:37is steadfast.
30:38We're backing farmers
30:39with the largest investment
30:41in nature-friendly farming in history
30:43to grow their businesses,
30:44get more British food on our plates
30:46and help restore nature.
30:48Our reforms to agricultural
30:50and business property relief
30:52are vital to fix the public services
30:54we all rely on.
30:56Three quarters of estates
30:57will continue to pay
30:58no inheritance tax at all,
31:00while the remaining quarter
31:01will pay half the inheritance tax
31:03that most people pay
31:04and payments can be spread
31:06over ten years interest-free.
31:13With the inheritance tax changes
31:15looming closer,
31:16some farmers are clearly getting
31:18their succession plans in place,
31:20but others have been left
31:22questioning the future of their farms.
31:25You're just a custodian of that business.
31:27You only ever want to just try
31:29and improve that business
31:30to make it better for the next generation.
31:32What worries you most
31:33about the future for the farm?
31:35Being that generation
31:38that fails the next one.
31:41And you can get information and support
31:43for some of the issues raised in this film
31:45at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line.
31:49We're in Derbyshire exploring the Chatsworth estate.
32:07For centuries, the farmland here was worked
32:10to maximise production.
32:12But times are changing,
32:14and now the focus is shifting towards sustainability.
32:18As well as being a stunning place to visit,
32:20the Chatsworth estate is actually the largest farm in Derbyshire.
32:24And it's David Howlett's job to manage it.
32:29He's responsible for 5,000 acres
32:32made up of grassland, arable pasture and moorland.
32:38When you came to the farm 10 years ago,
32:40what was your vision?
32:41What did you want to do?
32:42The vision was basically to just try and farm
32:44in a sustainable way as we possibly can.
32:46So for us, that's without fertiliser, chemicals,
32:49and also bought in purchased feed.
32:52We live in a heritage landscape
32:54and it's about just producing beef and lamb
32:56off of what Chatsworth provides.
32:59Was that a challenge?
33:00It has been a challenge, yes.
33:02So we had to get the breed of animals right.
33:04So we moved from continental animals
33:06to more of a native breed,
33:08just because we felt that they were doing better
33:10off of the grassland that we've got.
33:12So we rear these animals on grass,
33:14but we also just use barley and feed
33:17that's grown on our arable farm.
33:18So it's all homegrown.
33:20So it's a really traditional old fashioned method
33:22of farming, but also very forward thinking.
33:25Yes, we sort of respect the heritage
33:27that is Chatsworth,
33:28but also look forward to the future
33:29and how we can make this work as well.
33:31One such futuristic project
33:33is virtual fencing for Chatsworth's cattle.
33:36No posts, no wires,
33:39just fancy collars that use GPS
33:42to keep the herd in designated grazing sites.
33:47Well, it is even more gorgeous up here than down there.
33:50It's a special place.
33:54So this is where you're planning on bringing the cows?
33:56Yep, they'll spend the winter up here.
33:58So there's 2,000 acres of moorland.
34:00We want them to keep out of certain areas on the moor.
34:03So if you imagine the moor,
34:05it's really difficult to fence.
34:07There's watercourses,
34:08there's blanket bog on the moor
34:10that we don't want the cows going into.
34:12So we plan to use the collars
34:13to be able to keep them away from these areas.
34:15And can they go missing as well?
34:17I mean, it's 2,000 acres up here.
34:192,000 acres,
34:20and some days it takes us a long time to find them.
34:22So it's great for us to be able to look on the phone,
34:24see the area they're located in,
34:26and then just go straight to them.
34:34Back on the farm,
34:36David's livestock team,
34:38Richard, Sam and Josh
34:40are rounding up a trial herd of the Ling cattle
34:42to be fitted with collars for the first time.
34:46Morning, Anita.
34:47Morning.
34:48I've come to see some cows get collared.
34:50Yes, yes.
34:51Is that the right terminology?
34:52So what we're doing today
34:54is fitting our new cow collars.
34:56Have you done this before?
34:57So this is the first time we're doing this.
34:59Shall we give it a go?
35:00Yeah, let's go for it.
35:03So Sam here is going to put on the collars
35:05and I will assign each individual collar
35:07to each individual animal.
35:09Fantastic.
35:10Yeah, yeah.
35:11Volunteer number one.
35:12Step right up.
35:13Yeah.
35:180-3-0.
35:190-3-0.
35:200-3-0.
35:213-7-4.
35:22Yeah, so that's saved now.
35:24So that's assigned to that cow.
35:25There we go.
35:27Future cow.
35:30Soon, sir.
35:35There you go.
35:37So it'll take her a minute to get used to it.
35:39Yeah, it'll take a bit of adjusting.
35:40It's a new experience for them, for sure.
35:446-6-9-3-4-5.
35:47Yeah, got it.
35:55It's fascinating watching them react.
35:56There's that initial shock, but the collars themselves
35:58are designed specifically with the welfare of the cows in mind.
36:01So they're not heavy?
36:03No, no, they're very light on the neck.
36:05And when we're attaching the collars to the cows,
36:07we make sure there's a pan's gap between the neck and the collar,
36:09just to allow that comfort for the cow.
36:11Yeah.
36:12They seem to be all right.
36:13I mean, I think they're checking each other's necklaces.
36:14Yeah, yeah.
36:15With the ling now kitted up with their bling...
36:16See you later.
36:17..it's time to move the herd into the training paddock.
36:27So what happens next?
36:28Well, I can now see the GPS location of each individual collar.
36:32There they are.
36:33So I'm going to set a perimeter fence on the app.
36:35So what happens if they get too close to the fence?
36:37They'll start hearing a noise, and that'll get progressively louder
36:39the closer they get towards the virtual fence.
36:41The idea is to match the virtual fence to a real one,
36:44so the cows learn the sound means stop.
36:47Then you bring that invisible boundary a bit closer in.
36:50If they ignore the warning, the collar buzzes until the cow steps back.
36:54And then they'll learn and tell you what they're going to do.
36:57They're going to get too close to the fence.
36:59So what happens if they get too close to the fence?
37:01They'll start hearing a noise and that'll get progressively louder
37:03the closer they get towards the virtual fence.
37:05And then they'll learn and adapt to know that they can't go beyond that point.
37:09That's the idea, yeah.
37:11And then we'll move them onto the moorland from there on.
37:13They seem quite settled now, don't they?
37:15Yeah, they certainly seem a lot more relaxed now.
37:17They started grazing, so that's always good.
37:21The collars mean the cattle can graze up on the moorland
37:25safely throughout winter.
37:27And that's good news for the moorland too.
37:31The grassland up here is getting quite long,
37:34so what we're trying to do is get the cows to graze them down
37:37to then allow the heather to come through and other various things.
37:40Because I am a strong believer that these environments
37:42need herbivores grazing them.
37:44So it's a win-win?
37:45It is.
37:46Yeah, for everybody.
37:47And how lucky are you, David, that you get to look after this?
37:49It's a pretty special place, isn't it, to be fair?
37:51Yeah.
37:52The cows are going to love it.
37:53They will.
37:54The jewel in Chatsworth's crown is, of course, its house and gardens.
38:09Home to the Cavendish family for five centuries.
38:12We've all seen TV dramas and films about amazing country homes like this one,
38:19but it makes you wonder about the stories behind the fiction,
38:22the real people who lived and worked in places like this.
38:29Historians Fiona Clapperton and Lauren Batt have PhDs in the history of Chatsworth,
38:34so they are sure to have the answers.
38:38We're so fortunate at Chatsworth to have an enormous archive.
38:42There are over 8,000 boxes of archival material in storage here,
38:48and about 60% of it is catalogued.
38:52So part of our job when we came here as PhD students
38:55was to look through that material
38:57that hadn't really been given much attention before.
39:00If you look at the building,
39:02Chatsworth projects the story of one family, the Cavendish family,
39:05but there were thousands of other families and individuals
39:08who lived here over the centuries,
39:10and I think their stories deserve to be told as well.
39:15One of the big names that people may have heard of
39:17is Sir Joseph Paxton.
39:19He wasn't a sir when he first arrived at Chatsworth.
39:22He was a 23-year-old gardener,
39:25son of a farm labourer, so quite humble beginnings.
39:29And he came and he really started to make lots of changes in the gardens.
39:33So this shows the...
39:35It's called the Great Stove or the Great Conservatory.
39:38This enormous glass building was constructed between 1836 and 1840,
39:43and it was the brainchild of Sir Joseph Paxton.
39:47In its day, when it was completed,
39:49this was the largest glass house in the world.
39:51It was 227 feet long and 67 feet high,
39:55and it contained all kinds of new and exotic plants,
40:00from palm trees to bamboo to the banana plant.
40:03One of Joseph Paxton's many achievements
40:05was he cultivated a species of banana called the Musa Cavendishi,
40:10which was named after his employer, William Cavendish.
40:14And it was so successful that today it is the banana that we eat most often.
40:21So the Cavendish banana that we all know was cultivated first here?
40:25It was, that's right.
40:26Paxton became a much lauded celebrity of the 19th century,
40:33and the archives reveal that his wife, Sarah Paxton,
40:37also played a crucial role in the success of Chatsworth's Gardens.
40:41So Sarah Paxton was an extraordinary woman in her own right.
40:47While Paxton was off travelling the world with the Duke of Devonshire
40:51and winning horticultural prizes,
40:53she stayed at Chatsworth and kept things running in his absence,
40:57whilst raising the eight children.
41:00Eight children, that's phenomenal.
41:02If you kind of pick through this letter,
41:05around here he basically says that at this point
41:09Sarah knows more about what's going on in the gardens than Joseph does.
41:13So in April 1836 he's down in London at the Royal Horticultural Society
41:19showing fruits and flowers that are being grown at Chatsworth.
41:23So we can see here he's talking about some flowers of rhododendrons,
41:27and he's asking his wife Sarah to send as many as she can.
41:31And given we know that the issue of rhododendrons now are on the estate,
41:35maybe he shouldn't have been doing this.
41:37Yeah, absolutely.
41:39It's part of a wider picture, the archives paint,
41:42of how Chatsworth's gardens and the workforce changed with the events of history.
41:47So we have a very interesting document here,
41:50and it lists the age of the men that are employed in the gardens
41:53during the period of the First World War.
41:55This is the ages here. You'd think they'd be retired.
41:5861, 64, William Schwimmel.
42:01I mean there's a 59-year-old, another 61-year-old.
42:04Yeah, we've got a 72-year-old just here as well.
42:0672-year-old Henry Olssoff.
42:08Yeah.
42:09I mean he's put in a shift for the estate, isn't he?
42:11Absolutely.
42:12Length of service.
42:13Yeah.
42:1444 years.
42:15It tells you how long they worked on the estate.
42:17As you can see, it's a lifelong pursuit working on the Chatsworth estate.
42:22So all the people who would normally work here had gone to fight in the war?
42:25Absolutely.
42:26They're bringing men out of retirement to work in the gardens
42:29and they're bringing in young boys and also girls.
42:32These days the estate employs more people than ever before.
42:37But what happened to the Great Stove, Paxton's giant glass house?
42:43We're about to enter what was the Great Stove and is now the maze.
42:49This entrance and the walkway through the conservatory was so wide
42:53that you could actually drive a carriage down the middle.
42:56And that's what Queen Victoria did when she came in 1843.
42:59Really?
43:00So the walls there are the outer bit of the glass house?
43:03Oh, and this is it here?
43:04Exactly.
43:05Right.
43:06Gosh, so that's the wall that we can see.
43:08The rest of it's all gone.
43:10In 1919, the decision was made to demolish the structure.
43:15And for reasons lost to history, they did this by blowing it up.
43:21It's incredible to think that this was a site of real devastation
43:24at the end of the First World War.
43:26You can sometimes still see shards of the glass in the borders around here
43:31and the gardeners will come across that sometimes here.
43:34And yet now it's absolutely thriving.
43:37So it's wonderful to see how things have come full circle in a way.
43:40And I suppose history is always being made, isn't it?
43:42So people will look back in hundreds of years' time on this period.
43:46And you're part of that history, though, that's being created now.
43:49It feels wonderful.
43:50And I think you just feel part of this kind of, like,
43:53long line of people who've interacted with the estate,
43:56walking the same routes that they would have walked,
43:58in the same places and gardens and the grounds that they would have been
44:01and they would have seen.
44:03And knowing that perhaps in years to come, you know,
44:06future generations will be doing the same thing.
44:08It's wonderful.
44:12And thanks to the work of historians like Fiona and Lauren,
44:15these remarkable stories from the history of Chatsworth will live on.
44:30The start of autumn this year might be a little warmer than we're used to,
44:34but the colours have been spectacular, haven't they?
44:36Anyway, what's it looking like for the week ahead?
44:38Here's the Countryfile forecast.
44:40Good evening to you.
44:49This weekend's been quite mixed weather-wise.
44:50We've certainly had the first chill of the season,
44:53but in the sunshine, the autumn colours have been looking pretty stunning.
44:56Now, for the week ahead, though, it's looking very changeable.
44:59We'll lose that cold Arctic northerly
45:01and pick up an Atlantic flow of wind and rain in areas of low pressure.
45:05And what you will notice by the end of the week,
45:07it'll be turning milder for all areas.
45:09Our wind's coming up from the south.
45:11This is the pressure chart for this week ahead.
45:13You can see how these low pressures
45:15can start to gang up in the Atlantic and push their way in.
45:18This is Thursday and Friday.
45:19In fact, some deeper areas of low pressure,
45:22which will bring some rain and gales.
45:24And the rainfall accumulations, as you'd expect with all these low pressure systems,
45:27will be totting up, particularly across northern and western areas.
45:31I think Northern Ireland and Western Scotland look like being very wet by the end of the week,
45:35less so further south and east.
45:37Now, today's weather's been mixed.
45:39We started off with all that sunshine,
45:40but these weather fronts pushed their way quite quickly southwards
45:43and it brought a grey, chilly afternoon.
45:45Most of that rain and cloud will clear away this evening and overnight,
45:48and then we'll see clearer skies,
45:49but a rash of blustery showers pushing into the northern half of the country.
45:52And again, with that cold air in place,
45:54we'll likely see further wintry falls over the Scottish hills in particular.
45:58Further south, lows of around 5 to 9 degrees.
46:02So for Monday, we lose those weather fronts,
46:04which bring the blustery showers overnight.
46:06This is a brief bump of high pressure.
46:08It's a ridge of high pressure, which should kill off most of the showers.
46:10So Monday's actually not looking too bad.
46:12It is going to be a chilly start.
46:14The winds turn a little bit lighter.
46:15Lots of sunshine around, in fact.
46:17A few showers across eastern areas,
46:19and then the clouds start to build up out west later on.
46:21And it may be a little less cold, I think, tomorrow afternoon in the south.
46:24Certainly for England and Wales.
46:26We're looking close to the mid-teens, but still another chilly one to come in the north.
46:29For Tuesday, another rash of rain pushes in from the west and brings some showers as well.
46:36And you'll notice Tuesday, it'll be a little bit milder across most of the country,
46:40away from the north of Scotland.
46:42Here, still some cold air around, so any rain will be wintry over the hills.
46:46Further south that you come, though, it should be largely dry with a brisk westerly breeze.
46:50Some good spells of sunshine.
46:52And there's that milder influence.
46:54You've got 14 or 15 degrees in the south.
46:56Still quite chilly, though, for the northern half of Scotland.
46:58Another area of low pressure moves in for Wednesday.
47:00The centre of it's across Scotland.
47:02This weather front's running southward.
47:04So that front could bring a band of cloud and rain to southern areas throughout Wednesday,
47:08slowly clearing away.
47:10And for the northern half of the country, it'll be sunshine, blustery showers.
47:13Some of these showers, again, wintry over the hills in the north, milder in the south.
47:17You can see the temperature contrast there.
47:19Double figures, I think, for the southern half of the country.
47:22Then we switch our wind direction.
47:24Start to pick up this low pressure system and southerly winds,
47:27which will push the very mild air northwards.
47:30Could start off with a bit of mist and fog across northern England and Scotland
47:33because the winds will be light.
47:34And then through the day, we think it'll turn cloudier and windier
47:38with outbreaks of rain starting to push into the west later on.
47:41And at this point, we start to see 15, 16 degrees in the south,
47:44but even double figures pushing up in towards Scotland and Northern Ireland.
47:48For Friday at this stage, it's still some uncertainty this far out,
47:51but it looks pretty unsettled.
47:53Wet windy, we could see coastal gales and outbreaks of heavy rain pushing northwards.
47:57Maybe chance of seeing some brightness across England and Wales in the south later on
48:01before more wind and rain arrives.
48:03And then we're all into that very mild air.
48:05You can see 12, 13s in the north, mid-teens in the south.
48:08So it is quite an unsettled week, a very autumnal week coming up,
48:12but it will be turning milder for all later on.
48:14That's it from me. Back to Anita.
48:16We are in the magnificent Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire.
48:28Here, everyone from gardeners, foresters and farmers to volunteers
48:34are working to redefine Chatsworth's grounds for a new era.
48:39In the deer park, landscapes once reserved for the few are now open for all,
48:45giving an opportunity to witness nature at its most dramatic.
48:54And it doesn't get more dramatic than the deer rut,
48:57one of autumn's most primal scenes.
49:00But you have to be up early to catch it.
49:07Luckily, my guide, 23-year-old wildlife photographer William Hickey,
49:13is used to pre-dawn starts.
49:15We met before sunrise under the cover of darkness.
49:19Morning, William. Morning.
49:21Nice to see you. You too.
49:23The moon's still up. The sun's yet to come up.
49:26Isn't this the best time to get the shots? This is the best time for the rut.
49:29A little bit before the sun's coming up.
49:31But as it comes up and the light comes in, it's going to look amazing.
49:33How do we know where they are?
49:35We can usually hear them, but I know there's some down near the bank.
49:38And there's one. Oh, there we go. Yeah.
49:41That's amazing. Sounds like a dinosaur.
49:44Right, that went? Yeah. Let's do it.
49:49So when did you first pick up a camera and get into photography?
49:52I started when I was 14, which is nearly 10 years ago.
49:55So I've been doing it for what seems like all my life.
49:58And did you always know that you wanted to do wildlife photography?
50:00Not specifically wildlife photography,
50:02but anything that involves being outside.
50:05So I do a lot of landscapes.
50:06And then last year I was photographing some woodland,
50:09and that's when a deer came into one of my shots.
50:12And that sparked it again.
50:13Wonderful.
50:14So now that's why this year I'm coming here to photograph the rut.
50:18But to get a photo requires us to actually find some deer.
50:23There's a group that way and that way.
50:25And the vocal one is over there?
50:27Yeah, but they're under the trees, so there's quite a lot of shadow.
50:30Whereas the group over that side are out in the open.
50:33So for the camera, I think the better it'll be.
50:35That's the way then? Yeah. Let's go.
50:37I think there's one just there. Is that something?
50:49We don't want to spook them, so what do you reckon?
50:52Just quietly walk in that direction.
50:54It's probably better to drop lower.
50:56All right.
50:57Even at our quietest, the deer are not fooled.
51:08They sound like they're laughing.
51:09They do sound like they're laughing at us.
51:15Hopefully, now that the sun is rising, we'll have more luck.
51:18I think there's a big group over there.
51:23So let me just, let me set this up quick.
51:26Oh, yes.
51:27Yes, yes, there they are.
51:29There they are.
51:42So when you set up, what are you looking to capture?
51:45Do you have an idea in mind?
51:47With wildlife photography, instead of doing a super close portrait,
51:51I always like to get a bit of the environment in with it.
51:54So I try and shoot a little bit wider.
51:56I think it tells a better story to the image, in my opinion.
51:59And I always look at different colours if I can incorporate
52:02maybe a nice autumnal tree, which is perfect at this time of the year.
52:05I think this time of year is brilliant, isn't it?
52:19This is a really special experience.
52:21It was worth getting up before here.
52:23It's so tranquil.
52:25The deer know that we are here because they keep looking over.
52:30Or we're going to leave William to it so he can try and get a good shot.
52:35If we all travel as a herd, it spooks them.
52:38I'm just up at the top of Chatsworth State.
52:50And there are a few stacks walking around.
52:53They could rot, potentially.
52:56I'm going to try and follow them.
52:58But it's like a wild goose chase.
53:02I've had to move around to the side a little bit.
53:12Because there's two stacks bellowing at each other.
53:19And I was kind of in the middle of them.
53:22And I definitely don't want to be there.
53:24I've come round the side to get a different angle.
53:28And basically just trying to stay safe and out of the way.
53:31I don't really want to get any closer than this.
53:36Because they are just, just behind there.
53:40And I've got this, I've got a couple of trees in front of me.
53:44Which is helping with gov with a sort of bracket.
53:47I would really like to get a shoulder stuck.
54:14Here he comes.
54:17Is he smiling?
54:18Is he smiling?
54:19Yeah.
54:20Yeah.
54:21I've got some great shots.
54:22Have you?
54:23Oh, I can't wait to see.
54:24I think my favourite one was probably right up at the top.
54:27There was a stag in the middle of all the bracken.
54:29Look at that.
54:30And if you look close enough, you can actually see his breath.
54:33That's a fantastic shot.
54:36Congratulations.
54:37That's beautiful.
54:39You should enter the Countryfell calendar competition.
54:42In the next years, yeah.
54:44You've got a visual impairment as well.
54:46Yeah, so I've got a lazy eye.
54:48So my left eye is basically really out of focus.
54:51So, just everyday life, I'm kind of only using my right eye.
54:55There's still a bit of peripheral vision there, but not much.
54:57I don't think it affects my work in any way.
54:59Well, you see things in your own way, your own special way.
55:02And obviously you have a very good visual eye.
55:04Yeah.
55:05And I'm colour blind as well.
55:06Just on top of that.
55:07How does that play out then?
55:09Usually in the edit is when it can be a little bit tricky
55:13because there's some colours that I'll struggle with.
55:15But everyday, like on the shoot, it doesn't make any difference.
55:19Would you say you're a photographer or a storyteller?
55:22I mean, I love photography.
55:24And then being able to tell a story through the image is even better.
55:28If you can get some kind of emotional connection or emotional feeling
55:33out of seeing an image and I can imagine myself being there
55:36and it transports me and takes me back, then that is ideal.
55:40Especially the stag last year in the woodland.
55:43That was perfect.
55:44Maybe Williams inspired you to get your camera out and maybe one day
55:53you could feature in this.
55:54Look at that.
55:55That's just the front cover.
55:56Isn't that spectacular?
55:57If you'd like to know how to get your paws on the Countryfile calendar,
56:00here's our John with all the details.
56:03It costs £11.99, which includes UK delivery.
56:09You can go to our website, bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryfile,
56:14where you'll find a link to the online order page.
56:18Or you can call 0330-333-4564 to place your order by phone.
56:27Standard geographic charges will apply to both landlines and mobiles.
56:33The phone line will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm,
56:39and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
56:43If you prefer to order by post, then send your name, address and a cheque
56:48to BBC Countryfile Calendar, P.O. Box 25, Melton Mowbray, LE131ZG
56:58and please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
57:03A minimum of £5.50 from the sale of each calendar
57:07will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
57:11Over the years, your support has helped the Countryfile Calendar
57:15raise more than £33 million for BBC Children in Need.
57:20The photographs taken by viewers not only brighten up our homes,
57:24but they help to change the lives of countless families right across the UK.
57:30So thank you.
57:32Sean!
57:42Anita!
57:43Nice to see you!
57:44What a day!
57:45I feel like I've walked half of Derbyshire and I've only just scratched the surface.
57:49But there's so much of it to see and it is so spectacular.
57:53And it's really nice that Chatsworth are investing not just in the past but in the future too.
57:57Speaking of the future, next week John and Charlotte will be celebrating autumn
58:01in and around the woodlands of Wiltshire.
58:03Dormouse!
58:05Dormouse!
58:06This is the juvenile there, can you see it now?
58:09Oh my goodness!
58:10There may be more but I don't want to disturb them really.
58:13That's magic!
58:15Well here's some overhanging branches that could really do with a trim.
58:20Fantastic!
58:21You're employed!
58:22Once you start looking, you see so many colours in this.
58:28Yes it is!
58:29Oh yeah!
58:30And what is that?
58:31That is the yellow ochre going through the clay.
58:34Oh that's going to be a good one!
58:35Can't wait for that!
58:36See you then!
58:37Bye!
58:40DIY in sunny Andalusia.
58:42Amanda and Alan's Spanish job to brighten up dark nights on iPlayer.
58:47Wake up with Scott Mills tomorrow at his Radio 2 breakfast show with guest,
58:51Chris McCausland on BBC Sounds.
58:53While here next, Autumn arrives in Hansa's Hidden Wild Isles.
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