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S37 E43 – Countryfile 🌾🐑
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00:00Esta es la juvena, ¿sí? ¿Se ve ahora?
00:02Oh, sí. ¡Oh, Dios mío!
00:04Hay más, pero no quiero que te preocupes, realmente.
00:08Nunca me ocurrió, Debbie, que se ve una.
00:11¡Es magia!
00:30This, John, is the way to travel.
00:47Isn't it? A fantastic way to see autumn at four miles an hour.
00:52We're here on the Kennet and Avon Canal.
00:55For about 200 years, it has helped to connect London and Bristol.
01:00And on its way, it flows through Wiltshire with these wonderful tree-lined banks.
01:06Now, this year, because of the long, hot, dry summer,
01:09we are expecting a spectacular autumn display of colours.
01:13And it's also a mast year.
01:15That's when trees produce an abundance of seeds and nuts and berries.
01:20Which is part of what makes autumn, in my opinion, the best time of year.
01:25Our journey through Wiltshire begins along the Kennet and Avon Canal,
01:32before heading into Green Lane Wood,
01:34a peaceful pocket of ancient woodland in the west.
01:39Then it's south to Oysterskopis
01:41to discover the natural beauty of this landscape in autumn.
01:45The woodlands truly come alive in autumn.
01:53We'll be exploring everything from the hidden wonders on the forest floor
01:57to the treetops above.
01:59As well as getting stuck in,
02:01with a bit of woodland maintenance on the way.
02:03Well, here's some overhanging branches
02:06that could really do with a trim.
02:08There we go.
02:10Right.
02:10You've got me.
02:11You've got me.
02:14It's amazing to use paint
02:16that literally comes from the place that you're painting about.
02:20How cool is that?
02:21And Adam joins a remarkable flock,
02:25taking part in the annual sheep drive across the River Thames.
02:29What a treat this is.
02:31Come on, then.
02:35Well, don't you need to be somewhere else?
02:37Well, are you just throwing me off your boat?
02:39Yes.
02:40I'll see you later.
02:41Off you go.
02:42Yeah, I'll be seeing you, I hope.
02:45Bye.
02:45Bye.
02:46Take care.
02:47Winding its way through Wiltshire's woodlands
02:57is the picturesque Kennet and Avon Canal,
03:0087 miles of waterway connecting Bristol to the River Thames.
03:08And as it meanders through Wiltshire,
03:11the canal has some remarkable man-made features,
03:14like the flight of no less than 29 locks at Cane Hill
03:19and aqueducts such as this one at Avoncliffe.
03:25And under this blanket of trees,
03:27the canal has a magical feel to it,
03:30with the woodland on either side hugging the waterway.
03:38But the never-ending growth of the woodlands
03:41means this stretch of canal needs special attention.
03:46Liz Hollis is a Canal and River Trust volunteer
03:49dedicated to the canal's upkeep.
03:53Whereabouts are we now?
03:55We're just leaving Avoncliffe.
03:56We're between Avoncliffe and Bradford-on-Avon.
03:59This is a very popular spot, is it?
04:00It's very popular because it's a lovely towpath to walk up
04:04and you get walkers, dogs, cyclists, fishermen.
04:07And a lot of moored boats as well.
04:09Yes, yeah.
04:10Well, Liz, what made you become a canal volunteer?
04:13We live right next to the canal at Bradford-on-Avon.
04:15And I thought, well, what can I do,
04:17because I've taken early retirement?
04:19Boats, canals.
04:21What does it make you do as a volunteer?
04:22Oh, all sorts.
04:24One of our main things is chopping down vegetation
04:26to keep the canal clear and visible for boaters.
04:30In autumn, you've got loads and loads of leaves coming
04:40and they can be a bit difficult for boats,
04:42but we can't do anything about those
04:44because there's just so many of them.
04:45But what happens then is that you get them caught
04:47around the propeller.
04:48What you have to do is just sort of reverse hard
04:50every now and again.
04:51Well, we're used to leaves on the lines with the trains,
04:55but I never thought about leaves on the canal for boats.
04:58Yeah, yeah.
05:01Every year, more than 5,000 boats make their way
05:05along the Kennet and Avon Canal,
05:07so keeping the route clear of low branches
05:10is vital for safety
05:12and for keeping the waterway moving smoothly.
05:15Well, here's some overhanging branches
05:18that could really do with a trim,
05:20so are you ready, Graham?
05:25There we go.
05:27Over to you, Liz.
05:29Good job.
05:29Thank you.
05:32There you are.
05:33Fantastic.
05:34We need to take them down
05:35because a lot of the boats
05:36that are high up over the water,
05:39they can't see when they're going under the branches,
05:41so they have to duck right down.
05:42And I know a lot of people store things
05:45on the roof of the canal boats, don't they?
05:47They do, and they get knocked off,
05:48and then we have to go and pick them up
05:49from the canal later on.
05:51There we go.
05:53Let's drop it.
05:53That's fine.
05:54Right.
05:55You got me.
05:56You got me.
05:58Right.
06:01OK.
06:02Thank you.
06:03That's brilliant.
06:03That's a great job.
06:04Thank you.
06:05You're employed.
06:08Falling trees and branches
06:10are one of the hazards of life on the canal.
06:14Well, that's a big bit of branch, isn't it?
06:15I can see how hazardous that would be.
06:18It's quite a long one,
06:19so do you want to grab a bit of it?
06:20There we are.
06:20Make sure you have got your gloves on.
06:22It looks good.
06:23When we get close enough to the edge,
06:25you can chuck it into the trees.
06:27There we go.
06:27Yay!
06:28That's OK.
06:29That's safe.
06:30Surprise the ducks, then, I think.
06:32Yeah.
06:32And that will now join
06:34all the rest of the rotting wood
06:36on the floor,
06:37helping all kinds of wildlife.
06:39Yes, absolutely.
06:40Yes.
06:40That's what we like to do.
06:41We like to try and increase
06:43the biodiversity
06:43and just encourage little animals
06:45and things to have someone to shelter.
06:48And what kind of wildlife might we see?
06:50There are water bowls in places.
06:52And the other lovely thing
06:53is further up that way,
06:54we get a lot of little moorhens,
06:56and they tend to hide in the reeds.
06:58Ah, right.
06:59And they're quite shy,
07:01and you can hear them,
07:02so obviously you don't want
07:03to cut across too many of the reeds.
07:04Herons, quite common,
07:11and swans and cygnets.
07:13If you're lucky,
07:13you'll see a kingfisher.
07:15And they often follow the boats
07:17because I think the boats
07:19encourage the fish to come up.
07:23Wow.
07:24That was in...
07:25I mean, that's just a branch.
07:26I thought it was a tree.
07:27Very fortunate that there was no boat passing
07:30when this happened.
07:31Exactly.
07:33And is that reasonably common?
07:35It's getting more common, yeah.
07:42We're about halfway to Bradford-on-Avon,
07:46and John Stokes from the Tree Council
07:48is joining us.
07:50Hello, John.
07:51Hello, John.
07:51Welcome aboard.
07:53To shed light on why Liz
07:55and the other volunteers
07:56are busier than ever.
07:58That's a great job.
07:59John, our volunteer crew here
08:00have been finding an awful lot
08:02of fallen trees and branches.
08:04Is that unusual?
08:05There are quite a few pests and diseases
08:07that have been affecting the trees.
08:09We have this combination of ash dieback,
08:11which is affecting lots of the ash trees
08:13and killing lots of the ash trees
08:15across the country.
08:16Historically, we've had Dutch elm disease,
08:18which has taken out millions and millions
08:20of elm trees from our landscape,
08:22from our hedgerows.
08:23And then this unusual climate
08:25that we're getting this summer,
08:27particularly hot and dry,
08:28it's caused trees to...
08:31Well, the autumn colours this year
08:33are fabulous because of it,
08:34but it's put some strain on the trees
08:36just because of the lack of water.
08:38So when is the sort of critical time of year
08:41for trees and the fact
08:43that they might lose their branches
08:44or lose their lives?
08:46Well, it's a really difficult one
08:48to be precise about
08:49because it happens all year round.
08:51But obviously, if a tree is under stress,
08:53then the hot weather
08:55will reduce that crown in the summer.
08:57The leaves will start to drop early.
08:59Autumn will come on a bit early.
09:01It's called summer branch drop.
09:03I can't give you an absolute answer
09:05to the best time of year
09:06or the worst time of year,
09:08but definitely summer
09:09and the heat is causing problems.
09:12In woodland terms,
09:13the most biodiversity is in the deadwood.
09:16And so what we see along this canal bank
09:18is we see lots of fallen trees
09:21left lying, decomposing,
09:24providing fabulous habitat.
09:25And because these trees
09:26are all along the sides of the canal,
09:29they're really protected, aren't they?
09:31Because nobody's going to go in there
09:32and disturb them.
09:33No, and that's what makes this
09:34such a brilliant habitat for wildlife.
09:37The perfect habitat for dormice.
09:38It's the perfect habitat
09:39for all sorts of other creatures
09:41that will live in here.
09:43And it's that lack of human presence.
09:45It's the water that's protecting the wildlife.
09:47It's fantastic.
09:48As autumn takes hold,
10:06the trees of Green Lane Wood
10:07slowly turn.
10:09But many years ago,
10:10the woodlands of Wiltshire
10:11looked very different.
10:13These woodlands used to be distinguished
10:17by their elm trees.
10:19But then, in the 1970s,
10:21Dutch elm disease destroyed these trees,
10:24not just here,
10:25but all over the UK.
10:29A team of dedicated volunteers
10:32from the Wiltshire Woodland Trust
10:33are helping to rebuild these sites.
10:36Roger Beckett is one of them.
10:38He started helping out here in 1994.
10:42He's been looking after
10:43these young elm saplings
10:45in his back garden.
10:46And by planting them out
10:47here in Green Lane Wood,
10:49they'll hopefully help revive
10:51the ecosystems
10:52so badly affected
10:53by Dutch elm disease.
10:55Right.
10:56See, I was thinking
10:57I was just going to dig a hole,
10:58but actually,
10:58I'm going to chip away
10:59into a hole, aren't I?
11:01That's unbelievably dry.
11:03Yeah, this is going to be
11:04a bit tougher, isn't it?
11:05Blimey.
11:07So, these elms,
11:08they'll be resistant, will they?
11:10Yes.
11:10They've been bred
11:11to be resistant.
11:12Yeah.
11:13This is a variety called Vrada.
11:15The English elm
11:16was really badly affected.
11:18Yeah.
11:18So, these are mostly
11:20sort of continental, I think.
11:22There are species
11:23that need these trees
11:25to survive.
11:27There's a butterfly
11:28called the white-letter hairstreak.
11:30It is a lovely little butterfly
11:32that really loves
11:34the canopy of a tree.
11:35You very rarely see them
11:37coming down to the ground.
11:39It's very frustrating.
11:41So, for somebody
11:41who's interested in butterflies,
11:43when they do come to the ground,
11:46you know,
11:46it's one of those
11:47sort of heart-flutter moments.
11:48Really?
11:49Yeah, it is.
11:51Right, shall we try
11:52the root ball in?
11:54Got it?
11:55Yeah.
11:55There you go.
11:56Excellent.
11:58Great.
11:59Yeah.
11:59Right, soil.
12:03We'll put the stake in next.
12:05So, what we'll do now
12:10is we'll put...
12:10Water and a guard.
12:11Yeah.
12:12We've got to sort of, like,
12:13fold it up.
12:14Oh, can't let in.
12:15Oh, Lord.
12:15As much as possible.
12:16Why did we choose
12:17the tool of the tree?
12:19Keep going.
12:20A little bit there
12:21to tuck in.
12:22It's like a reverse flower arrangement.
12:25It is.
12:26The guards should protect
12:28the saplings
12:28from being nibbled
12:29or damaged
12:30by deer and rabbits.
12:33Well, hopefully,
12:34this elm will like it here.
12:36Yes.
12:36Oh, watering.
12:39As well as planting
12:41new species,
12:43traditional woodland management
12:45is in full swing.
12:49So, we've got lots of hazel,
12:51lots of filled maple,
12:52dogwood,
12:53all sorts of stuff in here.
12:54Right.
12:55Aim us at a tree.
12:57Green Lane Wood Warden
12:59Matt Calloway
13:00is leading a coppicing project
13:02to support biodiversity.
13:06What exactly is coppicing?
13:08Coppicing is the process
13:09where you take the tree
13:10down to ground level.
13:12And why would you want to do that?
13:13To stimulate more growth,
13:16but you're also letting in
13:18much more light
13:19onto the ground.
13:21The extra light
13:21will help the growth
13:22of bluebells
13:23and primroses
13:24in the spring.
13:26Right.
13:27Let me at it.
13:28Sure.
13:29So, just take that one away
13:30so we've got a bit more room
13:32to get that one down.
13:33Okay.
13:35Oh, hold on.
13:37It's not quite as easy
13:38as you think to get in,
13:39is it?
13:39No, you got it.
13:40You got it.
13:40It's all done.
13:41Try that one as well.
13:42Let's get rid of that one.
13:43I'm going to come around
13:44this way, hang on,
13:45because that's going to be...
13:46It's hard work
13:47and for the second time today...
13:49The coat's coming off.
13:51Volunteering in here,
13:52you don't need a coat, do you?
13:53No, you work to keep warm
13:54in the winter.
13:56So, this is kind of
13:56the way we want it to go.
13:58It's going over here.
13:59Yeah.
13:59So, if you put a little
14:00front cut in
14:01and then come in behind
14:03and eventually that will
14:04snap off and drop down.
14:07You can pull.
14:08Go on.
14:12It's very physically demanding,
14:13isn't it, after all?
14:14Oh, crikey.
14:15There we go.
14:15Just knock everyone out.
14:16There we go.
14:17Perfect.
14:18It's huge.
14:19How many years' growth
14:21do you reckon that is?
14:22I think this was last cut
14:23in 2012,
14:24so it'll be about 13 years.
14:25Yeah.
14:26The light has completely changed
14:28where we're standing.
14:30Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?
14:31It just makes such a difference.
14:32How much of the wood
14:33do you coppice, then?
14:34Only about half a hectare
14:35every year.
14:36Oh, so not that much?
14:36No, the woodland's
14:37about 45 hectares,
14:39so it's a very small proportion.
14:41Some of this we use for firewoods,
14:43but a lot of this
14:44will go into dead hedges,
14:45which are great corridors
14:46for mammals,
14:48nesting spaces for birds,
14:50and it allows the wood
14:51to continue rotting down
14:52back into the soil.
14:53How important
14:55are your volunteers?
14:57Hugely important, yeah.
14:58Because this is quite hard work.
14:59These guys are here
15:00every Tuesday morning.
15:01Every week?
15:02Every week,
15:03from September
15:04through to March.
15:05Wow.
15:07I love that.
15:08Just as we talk about
15:08how hard that you're working,
15:10you all sit down.
15:11LAUGHTER
15:12Whilst we explore
15:27the woodlands of Wiltshire,
15:29Adam's in Bedfordshire
15:30meeting a flock of sheep
15:32who are preparing
15:33for a truly extraordinary
15:35day out.
15:38I've been around sheep
15:39pretty much all of my life
15:41and I've seen some
15:42very interesting things
15:43with livestock over the years,
15:45but this lot
15:46are going to be taking a walk
15:48that you really don't see
15:49every day of the week.
15:51It's quite exciting, really.
15:54Every year,
15:55this flock trots
15:56through the City of London
15:58and across the Thames
15:59to celebrate the history
16:00and importance
16:01of the British wool trade.
16:03The annual event
16:04started in 2013,
16:05with special guests
16:07invited to help
16:08drive the sheep
16:08over Southwark Bridge.
16:11Last year,
16:12they had actor
16:12Damien Lewis,
16:13before that,
16:14Mary Berry,
16:15and this year,
16:16they've invited me.
16:19Of course,
16:20not every sheep
16:20is up for the hustle
16:22and bustle.
16:23It takes a steady temperament,
16:25good training,
16:26and a sheepdog handler
16:27who knows his ewes well.
16:30And for the past 13 years,
16:32that man
16:33has been David Seamark.
16:36Hello, Adam.
16:37Thank you for letting me
16:38come and visit
16:38by disturbing you
16:39in the middle of it all.
16:40Just about to feed the sheep.
16:44I've come to his farm
16:46in Bedfordshire
16:46to meet the man,
16:48his dogs...
16:49Good girls.
16:50..and the North Country mules
16:51that will be taking a trip
16:53to the big city.
16:55So the mule
16:56is a cross between
16:58a blue-faced Leicester
17:00and a swaled owl,
17:01isn't it?
17:01Yes, that's it.
17:03And you get the best
17:03of both worlds?
17:04Yeah.
17:05It produces plenty of lambs,
17:07plenty of milk.
17:08It's a good hardy sheep.
17:09And got good wool
17:10from the blue-faced Leicester.
17:11Yeah, yeah.
17:12So how do you select
17:13the animals
17:14for the sheep drive
17:15over Southwark Bridge?
17:16Try to pick
17:17the prettier ones.
17:19Yeah.
17:19We're working them
17:20all the time
17:21with the dogs,
17:22more than you normally would.
17:24Sure.
17:24Just so that
17:25they're what I call
17:27humanised.
17:27Ted!
17:31Ted!
17:32Lie!
17:33David uses faves
17:34or I call them shearlings.
17:36They're basically
17:36a sheep that are
17:37just over a year old
17:38that haven't had lambs yet.
17:40So they're agile,
17:42young and they manoeuvre
17:43well, particularly as a flock
17:44if you're using a dog.
17:45And with no lambs at foot
17:47and hopefully no bad habits,
17:49they're the perfect animal
17:50for showing off
17:51in front of a large crowd.
17:52The flock's training
17:54for London
17:55began months ago
17:56with David
17:57and his sheepdogs
17:58helping prepare the ewes
17:59for their big day.
18:01Hello.
18:02Who have we got here?
18:03This one's Lassie.
18:04She's the old lady
18:05of the team.
18:07Lassie is just
18:07one of the pack though
18:08as David manages
18:10to work five dogs
18:11at once.
18:12Hello.
18:13Good boy.
18:13Hello.
18:15Glenn.
18:16Lie down.
18:17Good boy, Glenn.
18:18Glenn.
18:19This is the real hyper dog.
18:21OK.
18:22Moss.
18:24Did you see him?
18:25Yeah.
18:26And he's just
18:27all the time.
18:28Look at him.
18:31Unbelievable.
18:33And this is little Ted.
18:35He's lovely, isn't he?
18:36Hello, Ted.
18:37He's a lovely little boy.
18:38Hello.
18:39But bless him,
18:40we don't have
18:40a great deal of concentration.
18:43No, we're not.
18:44Whereas if you,
18:45you know,
18:45look back there
18:45at that mac dog,
18:46he's just there focused.
18:47Little Ted.
18:48No, no, no, no.
18:49I'll just go and see
18:49everybody else.
18:51Ted.
18:52Ted.
18:53Come on,
18:53you've got to concentrate.
18:54Yes.
18:56Can you not concentrate?
18:57No.
18:58We've got to try harder.
19:00Well, that's five dogs.
19:02I've got no idea
19:03how he's going to
19:03control them all.
19:04They've all got their own
19:05left and rights, you see.
19:06Most people have
19:07one left and right,
19:08so come by
19:10to the left,
19:10away to the right.
19:11That's how the old lady is.
19:13But then you've got
19:14four other commands for that.
19:15Yes.
19:16What are they?
19:16So,
19:17Glenn,
19:17what language was that?
19:21Shut up,
19:22Moss.
19:23Spanish.
19:24Mac.
19:25He's on a whistle.
19:26Yeah.
19:27And Ted.
19:28We've got Bob the Builder.
19:30Spud and Lofty.
19:32So Spud being left.
19:33Yeah.
19:34And Lofty being right.
19:35Correct.
19:35Why don't you just say
19:36left and right?
19:36No, no, no.
19:38So he's already
19:39picked them ones up.
19:40Oh, yeah, look.
19:41My word.
19:42We've got dogs
19:43working out here already.
19:44We haven't even started yet.
19:45Lassie, Lassie.
19:46She says,
19:47oh, Dad,
19:47I'll go and pick them up.
19:48And when they're running around,
19:49you've got five dogs,
19:50you've got the five different commands,
19:51and you've got Bob the Builder,
19:53you've got some Spanish,
19:54you've got some whistles.
19:55How do you remember
19:55which ones on which?
19:57Well, I will admit
19:59I haven't done the odd time
20:01when I'm in that arena
20:02and I think,
20:03hey, I want to move him
20:04round there
20:05and I give the command
20:06and he doesn't move.
20:07The wrong one goes.
20:08And the wrong one goes.
20:10Oh, sure.
20:10Oh, my word.
20:11I'd get in a right old muddle.
20:13I'd struggle with
20:13just the two commands.
20:14I'm looking forward to this.
20:16With some sort of, you know,
20:17I'm keeping my fingers crossed
20:18that it goes well.
20:19With some sort of, you know,
20:19nervous anticipation.
20:21Not that I'm doubting
20:22your expertise, David,
20:23but I just can't imagine
20:26how you're ever going to
20:26control all these dogs at once.
20:28All right.
20:28Well, we'll let you have a go as well.
20:30OK.
20:32Sheep handling runs
20:33in the family here.
20:35David's dad, Norman,
20:37was a herding pioneer,
20:38running trials,
20:39arena displays
20:40and even chairing
20:41the International Sheepdog Society.
20:43OK.
20:45These days,
20:46David's keeping
20:47the family tradition alive,
20:49wowing crowds at shows,
20:51parties,
20:52even weddings.
20:53So, little Mac.
20:55He's gone.
20:56And all the others
20:57are still here.
20:57Yeah.
21:01Look at that.
21:01Just stopped instantly.
21:03Beautiful.
21:05Right.
21:05Let's see how they respond to me.
21:07If you just say,
21:08king.
21:10What?
21:10As in the king.
21:12OK.
21:13Key.
21:15There we go.
21:16Marvellous.
21:16And it isn't the words,
21:20it's the music, isn't it?
21:21It's the sound,
21:23the tone.
21:23The tone.
21:24Yeah.
21:24Yes.
21:25If you just say,
21:26derecha,
21:27he'll come round this way.
21:28Derecha.
21:30Off he goes.
21:30Goodness me,
21:31he's got good hearing.
21:31Yeah.
21:32And also,
21:33my Spanish is,
21:34you know.
21:35Lie down.
21:36There's something really special
21:40about working sheepdogs,
21:41but having the opportunity
21:43to work someone else's
21:44is quite unusual,
21:46particularly when they've got
21:47so many different commands
21:48that I'm not used to.
21:50Come.
21:51Come.
21:52Come.
21:53Just say,
21:53calm.
21:55Calm.
21:56That's it.
21:56That's it.
21:59Calm.
22:00Good girl,
22:02isn't she?
22:03And so these are
22:05the selected sheep.
22:06That's it.
22:07These are the ones
22:07that are going up to London.
22:10Lie down.
22:14Lie.
22:15Well, they're very friendly,
22:16aren't they?
22:16And I suppose
22:16that's what you need.
22:17Well, it's seriously impressive.
22:19I have to say,
22:20it's filled me with confidence
22:21that you're in charge
22:22of taking these sheep
22:23over Southwark Bridge.
22:25Thanks very much.
22:25I'm hoping I am.
22:26Keeping my fingers crossed.
22:28I'm glad I'm not bringing my sheep
22:29that have been everywhere.
22:33The big day has arrived.
22:41Thankfully,
22:42David's flock are so well-trained
22:44they know exactly what to do.
22:46So today,
22:46I'll just be using one dog,
22:48Ted.
22:50The annual event
22:51is organised
22:52by the worshipful company
22:54of Woolman.
22:55It celebrates
22:56an old city tradition
22:57when freemen
22:58have the right
22:59to herd their sheep
23:00through the streets of London.
23:03Nowadays, though,
23:04it happens just once a year
23:06and takes a lot of organisation
23:07with vet checks,
23:09traffic control
23:10and careful planning
23:11to make sure the sheep
23:12and city
23:13are ready for their big day.
23:17David's not on his own
23:18with the sheep.
23:19Making sure it all runs smoothly
23:20is very much
23:21a family affair.
23:22So you're David's sons,
23:25Charles and Robert,
23:26and one day
23:26this will all be yours.
23:28Yeah, something like that.
23:29So he does a great job,
23:30doesn't he,
23:30and puts on a good display.
23:32So something to live up to,
23:33I think, one day.
23:34Because if it went wrong
23:35and they were misbehaving
23:36and jumping over
23:36and getting in the Thames,
23:37I mean, it would be disastrous,
23:38wouldn't it?
23:39It would not be ideal, no.
23:40I mean, my wife here,
23:41she's a vet,
23:42so, you know,
23:43she might be able to help out,
23:44but when they're in the Thames there,
23:45I think that might be
23:46the end of that.
23:47David, when you first got asked
23:49to drive sheep through London,
23:52how did you feel about that?
23:53Rather nervous,
23:54to say the least.
23:56And now you're the man to go to
23:58with the perfect sheep.
24:00Well, I keep my fingers crossed
24:01they're perfect.
24:02What keeps you coming back?
24:04We must keep British wool
24:06at the forefront all the time.
24:09And that's exactly
24:10what it's all about,
24:11celebrating wool,
24:13with a whole event
24:14showcasing the very best of it.
24:17There's stalls galore,
24:20all showing people
24:21what you can do
24:22with this amazing product.
24:24It's gorgeous.
24:27The highlight of the day
24:29sees more than 1,200
24:30registered freemen
24:32taking it in turns
24:33to herd the flock
24:34across the bridge.
24:37Back in medieval times,
24:39freemen of the City of London
24:41included merchants, craftsmen
24:43and farmers
24:44bringing their goods to market.
24:45Their status came
24:47with special privileges,
24:49including the right
24:50to drive sheep
24:51through the city
24:51without paying tolls.
24:54Back then,
24:55wool was the backbone
24:56of Britain,
24:57central to the nation's
24:58wealth and pride.
25:05How times have changed.
25:07Today, wool isn't much
25:08of a moneymaker
25:08and farmers like David
25:10struggle to cover
25:11the cost of shearing.
25:13Prices have improved
25:14recently,
25:15the sharpest rise
25:16in a decade.
25:17But it's not the money
25:18that brings the freemen
25:19or the crowds
25:20back year after year.
25:21It's the heritage
25:22and the belief
25:23that wool is still
25:24something special,
25:25with a future
25:26that's as bright
25:27as its past.
25:28Now it's David's turn
25:31to shine.
25:32So we're about to set off.
25:33We've got the Lord Mayor,
25:34all the people
25:35in their finery,
25:35the sheep are going
25:36to come in here
25:36and then we're going
25:37to drive them
25:37over the bridge.
25:38Right, ready for action.
25:40Can you all move
25:41to one side?
25:42Because these sheep
25:43have got to come by.
25:44We've got to get
25:44the sheep through first.
25:50And we're off.
25:51Come on then.
25:57Good girls.
25:58There's good girls.
25:59Come on then.
26:00There's good girls.
26:02Well the sheep
26:03are being wonderfully behaved.
26:07I'm in distinguished company,
26:09walking alongside
26:10the Lord Mayor,
26:11the Master Woolman
26:12and other dignitaries.
26:16What a treat this is.
26:18Come on then.
26:21And of course,
26:22one very handsome
26:23if slightly distracted
26:24sheepdog, Ted.
26:26Here.
26:27Here.
26:27Here.
26:28Here.
26:30Lie down.
26:32Lie down.
26:36Don't let me down, Ted.
26:40Lie down.
26:42Lie down.
26:45Oh well.
26:48Go on girls.
26:49It's clear though
26:50that everyone's cameras
26:52are pointed at the stars
26:53of the show.
26:54David's sheep.
26:55Go on then.
26:57And their woolly fleeces.
27:04Well we've now
27:05practised our ancient
27:06right as freemen of London
27:08to walk sheep
27:09over the bridge.
27:10Wonderful.
27:11Well done sheep.
27:15Well that was
27:16quite extraordinary.
27:17Never done anything like that
27:18obviously in my life before.
27:19and the sheep
27:21were immaculately
27:22well behaved.
27:23Ted joined me
27:24and then he just sort of
27:25dragged me around
27:26and wanted to smell
27:27all the wonderful smells
27:28of London.
27:29But we made it.
27:30What a great afternoon.
27:31Never seen anything like it.
27:32Back in Wiltshire
27:45it's not just woodlands
27:47that provide wildlife habitats.
27:49Our hedgerows
27:50are just as important too.
27:51This is the traditional
27:58management technique
28:00for hedges
28:00and although
28:01it looks quite destructive
28:03it is in fact
28:05regenerative.
28:07Hedges are easy
28:09to overlook.
28:10They can seem like
28:11little more than
28:12the boundaries
28:12between fields
28:13and farmland.
28:15But to master hedgelayer
28:16Paul Lamb
28:17they're living corridors
28:18that thread
28:19through the landscape
28:20connecting woodlands
28:22and providing vital shelter
28:23for all kinds
28:24of wildlife.
28:26If we think of hedgerows
28:28as linear woodlands
28:29the oldest method
28:30of woodland management
28:32was coppicing.
28:33And coppicing
28:34is when you
28:36cut a tree down
28:37at the base
28:38and then you
28:39encourage this response.
28:41Hedgelaying then
28:42is almost
28:43just a play
28:44on coppicing
28:45we're basically
28:46cutting it off
28:47at the stump
28:48so we're encouraging
28:49the plant
28:50to put on
28:50that new growth
28:51but we're retaining
28:53just a living
28:54ton of wood
28:55at the stump's
28:56front edge
28:57and that allows us
28:58to lay the stem over
28:59and create a barrier
29:01from the outset.
29:02So I'm going to get
29:02this vigorous new growth
29:04in the spring
29:04from all around
29:06the stump
29:06but also from along
29:07this diagonally laid stem.
29:09That's going to
29:10give us that habitat
29:12that we want.
29:13Originally
29:14they were planted
29:16to act as living fences
29:18but they are
29:19so much more than that.
29:21Hedgerows are
29:22a surrogate woodland.
29:24It's still serving
29:25that purpose.
29:26It's going to store
29:27carbon in the woody
29:29stems
29:29but also in the leaf matter
29:31and the soil beneath it.
29:33So laying a hedge
29:35it's not harking back
29:37to some golden era.
29:39It still is relevant today
29:40and there's still a place
29:42in the countryside
29:42for the hedge layer.
29:47So if we look
29:48at this farmland
29:49this pasture
29:50and arable fields
29:51you can see
29:52that the hedgerows
29:54connect the different
29:56areas of woodland
29:57and so they offer cover
29:59for the wildlife
29:59when they're travelling
30:01between those woodlands.
30:03So not only are they
30:04a habitat for nesting birds
30:06but our small mammals
30:08but our small mammals
30:08will use them to travel
30:10between these woodlands
30:11and so they'll also be
30:12predated by some
30:14of our larger mammals.
30:15You'll find that the fox
30:17and the badger
30:17will hunt along the hedgerows
30:20as will our birds of prey
30:22just waiting for
30:24perhaps a vole
30:25to break cover.
30:26So they really are essential
30:29and they provide
30:30that habitat
30:31and that cover
30:32that our farmland
30:33wildlife relies on.
30:38So I got into the woods
30:40and hedgelaying
30:41and hedgerows
30:42when I was a young man
30:43and I'd grown up
30:44in New Zealand
30:45and I'd lived
30:45a very outdoors life.
30:47When I came to the UK
30:50I found it very hard
30:51to settle
30:52and it was
30:53as a teenager
30:54at 18 years of age
30:55I went to work
30:57on the farm
30:57and then into the woods
30:59and I found
31:01wisdom, integrity
31:02love of the countryside
31:04slower pace of living
31:06that I recognised
31:07from my time
31:08as a school boy.
31:10As soon as I got
31:11into the woods
31:11I felt at home
31:13and I've worked
31:13in the woods
31:14and in the hedgerows
31:15ever since.
31:17So this part
31:20of the job
31:21is coming through
31:22with a line of stakes
31:23in this case
31:24I'm using hazel
31:25but you can use
31:27anything
31:27and this will just
31:29strengthen the hedge
31:30while it's
31:31at its most vulnerable
31:32and then obviously
31:33I come through
31:34with the sledgehammer
31:37and just really
31:38hammer these home
31:40as much as I can.
31:44Different styles
31:45of hedgelaying
31:46evolved
31:47depending on
31:48what was available
31:49and there's
31:51about 30
31:52different styles
31:53still in use
31:56today
31:57some
31:58like this one
32:00which is a
32:01Midland style
32:02will create
32:04a barrier
32:04to livestock
32:05from the outset
32:06others are laid
32:07and then left
32:08for a period
32:10of years
32:10where they
32:12will go on
32:14to thicken up
32:15and then serve
32:17their purpose
32:17in the coming
32:19seasons.
32:20You know
32:21we've seen
32:21a huge decline
32:22in biodiversity
32:24and farmland
32:25wildlife
32:25and that
32:27correlates directly
32:29with the demise
32:30of habitat
32:30hedgerows
32:31in particular
32:31and so hopefully
32:33we can reverse
32:33that trend
32:34but if we don't
32:35if hedgerows
32:36disappear from
32:37our landscape
32:37altogether
32:38you know
32:39we'll end up
32:39living in
32:40an ecological
32:40desert
32:41so I'm hopeful
32:43that the tide
32:44has turned
32:44so that's
32:47that's a good
32:48day's work done
32:49and I'm happy
32:50with that
32:51and now this is
32:52only
32:52this is only
32:53a short stretch
32:54and it can feel
32:56like a drop
32:57in the ocean
32:57thankfully
32:58there's still
32:58tens of thousands
33:00of miles
33:01of hedgerows
33:01in the United
33:02Kingdom
33:02nevertheless
33:03it all adds up
33:05and if you take
33:06into account
33:07these hedgerows
33:08these hedgerows
33:09the other hedgerows
33:10that I've worked
33:11on in the area
33:11it all adds up
33:13and it all makes
33:14a difference
33:14and I'd like to think
33:16that going forward
33:17there's an increased
33:18awareness
33:18of the conservation
33:19benefits
33:20and we will continue
33:21to see
33:22hedgelaying
33:23become more popular
33:24once again
33:31Tucked away
33:36just outside
33:37Trowbridge
33:38Green Lane Wood
33:39is one of
33:39Wiltshire's
33:40treasured
33:41ancient woodlands
33:42At this time
33:47of year
33:48it's a great place
33:49to slow down
33:50and connect
33:51with nature
33:51something local
33:52artist Naomi Joy
33:54knows well
33:54She gathers
33:55natural materials
33:57from the woods
33:57to make paint
33:58This is it
34:02This is it
34:02I see it
34:03And what exactly
34:04would possess you
34:06to go down there
34:07then?
34:07Why are we here?
34:08So when I saw
34:09all the dug out clay
34:10at the bottom
34:11of this pond
34:11they're creating
34:12I saw some really
34:13interesting colours
34:14at the bottom
34:14and I was very excited
34:16and I did jump
34:17straight in the ditch
34:18to go and get
34:19You did?
34:20Yeah
34:20To go and get
34:22some minerals
34:23out of the soil
34:24It's amazing to use
34:25paint that literally
34:26comes from
34:27the place
34:28that you're
34:29painting about
34:29But I suppose
34:30that's how
34:31we made paint
34:32way back when
34:33isn't it?
34:33Yes
34:33I think the
34:35original first
34:35cave paintings
34:36were made
34:36from ochres
34:37found in
34:38soils and clays
34:39so it's a really
34:41ancient way
34:41of making paint
34:42and still
34:43a lot of paints
34:44are made that way
34:45Right
34:45So we just have
34:46to get in there
34:47and get some more
34:48Is that the idea?
34:49Yeah
34:49Hang on
34:50I'm going to come
34:50this way
34:51Once you start
34:54looking
34:55you see so many
34:56colours in this
34:57don't you?
34:57Yeah
34:58they really are
34:59Look
34:59this is yellow
35:00Yeah
35:00Look at that yellow
35:02So you literally
35:04just bring a trowel
35:04Yeah
35:05Oh yeah
35:07That is surprising
35:08And you can see
35:09the different veins
35:10of the yellow ochre
35:11going through the clay
35:12so it's various
35:13amounts of iron
35:14and oxide
35:15forming the colours
35:16Right
35:18in box
35:18Yeah
35:19Once gathered
35:22the clay is left
35:23to dry
35:24before being ground
35:25into powder
35:26So you've set up
35:27a little studio
35:28in the woods here
35:29Yeah
35:29beautiful little
35:30autumn studio
35:32That's amazing
35:32While big paint
35:34manufacturers rely
35:35on machines
35:36and synthetic binders
35:38to speed up
35:38this process
35:39We need to put on
35:40masks
35:41because we don't
35:41actually know
35:42what we're grinding
35:42up inside this rock
35:44it could be anything
35:45OK
35:45Naomi takes her time
35:48patiently grinding
35:49by hand
35:50with a pestle and mortar
35:51And it will last
35:54in the painting
35:55Acres are really
35:56permanent coloured
35:57and that's why
35:58the cave paintings
35:59lasted so long
36:00With the dried clay
36:01ground into a fine powder
36:03it's blended
36:04with a plant-based binder
36:05which transforms dust
36:07into a smooth
36:08usable paint
36:09What got you
36:10into the woods
36:11in the first place?
36:12So I'm carrying out
36:13a project
36:13It's called Wild Palette
36:15and it's all to do
36:16with connecting back
36:17to our local nature
36:18So I'm trying to use
36:20ochres and minerals
36:21for local sites
36:23and also research
36:24what overlooked animals
36:26we have locally
36:27and create kind of
36:29a wild palette
36:30to use
36:30to respond
36:31to that research
36:32So you're using
36:34materials from the wood
36:35to create the paint
36:37and then painting
36:38what's in the wood
36:39Exactly
36:40I think that's a great idea
36:41I'm just going to blob
36:43a little bit in
36:44In these woods
36:46how limited
36:47is your colour palette?
36:48It is mostly
36:49those kind of
36:50yellows and oranges
36:51and reds
36:51that I found locally
36:53from this site
36:53but you can find
36:55different colours
36:56from around the world
36:57in rocks and minerals
36:58these are ones
36:59that someone else
37:00has handmade
37:01I really do have
37:02to do a lot of swatches
37:03to work out
37:03what they're each
37:04going to do
37:05but it is lovely
37:06to work with them
37:07Amongst the wildlife
37:11Naomi paints
37:12is the rare
37:13Beckstein's bat
37:14a woodland dweller
37:16that roosts
37:16in the hollows
37:17of trees
37:18here at Green Lane Wood
37:19I've absolutely
37:22loved bats
37:22ever since
37:23I was really small
37:24I just think
37:25they're really fascinating
37:26I'm going to add
37:29the finishing touches
37:30to a painting
37:31that I've been working on
37:32So there's not
37:34a lot of yellow
37:35on this painting
37:35but actually
37:37the Beckstein's bats
37:38do have a very
37:39slightly yellow tinge
37:40to the top
37:41of their fur
37:41so I'm quite excited
37:43to add it
37:44Perfect
37:50How cool is that?
38:05Autumn often brings
38:09a dramatic range
38:10of weather
38:10so what's it got
38:11in store for us
38:12for the week ahead?
38:13Let's find out
38:14with the Contraval forecast
38:15Thank you John
38:25Well the details
38:26still to be released
38:27the number's been crunched
38:29by the Met Office
38:29but it does look
38:30as if October
38:31was really very grey
38:33across the UK
38:34there's been a lot
38:36of regional variation
38:37but generally
38:37well below average
38:39sunshine amounts
38:40warmer than average
38:41and also drier
38:43than average too
38:44but of course
38:44it's felt
38:44really quite different
38:46for the first weekend
38:47in November
38:48we've seen plenty of rain
38:49some strong winds
38:51around as well
38:51but for the first week
38:52of November
38:53into next week
38:54it certainly will still
38:55be very mild
38:56but the unsettled theme
38:57is set to continue
38:58so yes wet and windy
38:59at times
38:59and here is the pressure chart
39:01just showing low pressure
39:03firmly in the driving seat
39:04for the next five days
39:05plenty of weather fronts
39:06heading our way
39:07it's going to be blustery
39:08and it's going to be
39:09really very wet
39:10at times too
39:11and if we just take a look
39:13at the rainfall
39:14accumulation chart
39:15you can see how much rain
39:16is heading our way
39:17up to 100 millimetres
39:18perhaps across parts
39:19of north-west England
39:19maybe north Wales
39:20western Scotland
39:21seeing plenty of heavy rain
39:22but drier for east Anglia
39:24but also possibly
39:25for north-east Scotland
39:26as well
39:26as we'd expect
39:27in a south-westerly flow
39:29so this is tonight then
39:31we'll initially see
39:32temperatures drop out
39:33towards the east
39:33underneath clear skies
39:34but this is our warm front
39:35it's bringing plenty
39:36of heavy rain
39:37across north-west England
39:38north Wales
39:38as we said
39:39temperatures rising
39:40unusually through the night
39:42so it's a curiously mild start
39:43to Monday morning
39:44double figures all round
39:46we have a brisk
39:47south-westerly wind
39:48and it's that
39:49that's scooping up
39:49all of the mild air
39:50from the south
39:52so you can see
39:53that mild air
39:53marked in yellow here
39:55now there is more rain
39:56in the forecast
39:57for western areas
39:58in particular
39:59on Mondays
40:00the warm front
40:00makes its way through
40:01plenty of cloud around
40:02some brightness perhaps
40:03some drier weather
40:04for north-east Scotland
40:05for east Anglia
40:06brisk winds blowing up
40:07through Irish Sea coast
40:0840 or 50 mile an hour gusts here
40:10and it's mild
40:1115 or 16 degrees celsius
40:14above the seasonal average
40:15more rain in the forecast
40:16on Tuesday
40:17this time it's spreading in
40:18from the south-west
40:19now there's a lot of uncertainty
40:21a lot of differences
40:22between the weather models
40:23at the moment
40:24as to the timing
40:25of this rain
40:26but it's spreading in
40:27from the south-west
40:28drier towards the north
40:29and it's still mild
40:30it's still rather blustery
40:31for many of us as well
40:33with further weather fronts
40:34making their way
40:35further northwards
40:36on Tuesday
40:37and into Wednesday
40:39now towards south-western coast
40:40in particular
40:41there could be some
40:42coastal overtopping
40:43with the high spring tides
40:44from the full moon
40:45but again it's out
40:46towards the south-west
40:47where we'll probably see
40:48some of the heaviest rain
40:49the air is still mild
40:5013 to 16 degrees celsius
40:52you can see
40:53tight squeeze on the ice bars
40:54again through the course
40:55of the week
40:56there is another area
40:57of low pressure
40:58just pulling in
40:59from the west
41:00as we head through Wednesday
41:01and into Thursday
41:02and that's moving its way
41:03further eastwards
41:04now it will still be
41:06quite showery
41:06longer spells of rain
41:08some areas of cloud
41:09around at times too
41:10and a danger that we'll see
41:11some coastal overtopping
41:13out towards the west
41:14once more
41:14but it's still mild
41:15particularly out towards
41:16the east
41:17there's a little ridge
41:18of high pressure
41:19that's building in
41:19on Thursday into Friday
41:21potentially
41:22and that is going to lead
41:23to some slightly cooler
41:24feeling conditions
41:25so it won't feel quite so mild
41:27on Friday
41:28temperatures taking a bit
41:29of a dip
41:29and it could be that
41:30we start the day off
41:31with some mist
41:31and some fog patches
41:32as well before our next
41:34weather front works its way in
41:36but again a lot of difference
41:37in the timings of these
41:39these will be the temperatures
41:40so temperatures starting
41:41to slip a little
41:43take a look at the BBC weather app
41:45for more details
41:45in the meantime
41:46I will hand you back
41:47to Charlotte and John
41:49who are still in Wiltshire
41:51bye for now
42:01from the woods
42:01from the woods
42:01to the waterways
42:03we've been meeting those
42:04helping the Wiltshire
42:05landscape flourish
42:06fantastic
42:08you're employed
42:10and what is that?
42:12that is the yellow ochre
42:14going through the clay
42:15but there's plenty more
42:18to explore
42:19autumn brings a riot of colour
42:23to the nation's trees
42:25but beneath that dazzling display
42:27the forest floor
42:29is full of surprises
42:30Fred Gillum
42:34has spent more than 30 years
42:36foraging in woodlands
42:38yet every autumn
42:39still brings something new
42:41to discover
42:42they're ephemeral
42:43they're here one day
42:45and gone the next
42:46and it's really really hard
42:47to predict
42:48it's not like looking for plants
42:50where you kind of know
42:50where that plant grows
42:51and you can go and see it
42:52it's more like some kind of
42:53a strange easter egg hunt
42:55it's really exciting
42:56as a field mycologist
42:58he's helped thousands of people
43:00learn to forage safely
43:01and sustainably
43:02gorgeous isn't it?
43:04isn't it lovely
43:04seeing all the leaves
43:05coming down now
43:06we're in Green Lane Wood
43:08it's a woodland
43:10that's got lots of
43:11old oak trees in it
43:12and there are many
43:12many interesting fungi
43:13that associate
43:15particularly with oak
43:16looks like we've got
43:19something here
43:19got a little hen of the woods
43:21here at the base
43:22of this oak tree
43:23in Japan
43:24this mushroom is a
43:26highly prized edible
43:28known as meitaki
43:29or the dancing lady
43:31and culturally
43:32it's very very important
43:33and it's absolutely delicious
43:35some of the deadliest fungi
43:38on planet earth
43:39occur in the United Kingdom
43:41things like the death cap
43:42and the destroying angel
43:43and if you ate one of those
43:45it would be really really bad news
43:46so it's important to
43:48never ever
43:50swallow anything
43:51unless you are 100% certain
43:53of its ID
43:54this time of the year
43:59is amazing for woodland fungi
44:01everything is falling down
44:03and hitting the deck
44:04and when it does
44:05it has to be broken down
44:06and that's the job
44:07of the fungi
44:07I think we've got a
44:11Scarlatina belit
44:12this is fascinating
44:13we're not going to pick it
44:15or destroy it
44:16but we're just going to
44:17cut a little slither off of it
44:19we should be able to see
44:20a really amazing colour change
44:22so it started off bright yellow
44:25and it's now going very very blue
44:26it's an oxidation reaction
44:28that causes a colour change
44:30when I was a small boy
44:35I peered through the undergrowth
44:38in this little field hedge
44:39and there were panther caps
44:42fly agaric
44:43parasol mushrooms
44:44it was like looking at
44:46sort of jewels really
44:48you know bright colours
44:49reds and oranges
44:50it took my breath away
44:52check this out
44:55I love this
44:56we've got an old
44:57fallen piece of oak timber here
44:59and growing from the end of it
45:02we've got the fruiting bodies
45:03of the oak maize gill
45:06you can see again
45:07where the name comes from
45:08so you've got this
45:09maize-like network
45:11of somewhere in between
45:13gills and paws
45:14it looks absolutely incredible
45:16and the reason the mushroom
45:18is fruiting on this log
45:19is because there's a whole
45:20microclimate in here
45:22this is retaining moisture
45:23so we've got moss all around
45:25the outside keeping the moisture in
45:27the fungus will be gradually
45:28hollowing it out
45:29and creating a habitat
45:31for invertebrates like beetles
45:33when I'm out in the woods
45:36I feel like I'm in my happy place
45:38the smells
45:40the sounds
45:41there's just something
45:42I just sink into nature
45:44and everything feels alright
45:45Alan Smith is another fan
45:55of the fungi here
45:56he's a local amateur photographer
45:58who puts these often overlooked organisms
46:01at centre stage
46:03I found you Alan
46:04deep in the woods
46:05hi John
46:05how are you?
46:06I'm very well thank you
46:07obviously busy taking pictures
46:09of mushrooms
46:10they're very interesting subjects
46:11and of course they don't move very much
46:13so I can get quite creative
46:15with lighting and what have you
46:16does that mean you've got
46:17expensive bits of kit?
46:18not at all no
46:19it's bits and pieces
46:20I find around the kitchen
46:21that are due for the recycle bin
46:23so if you'd like to be my assistant
46:25for a little while
46:26I'll show you how I do it
46:27one of the pieces I used
46:30is a card insert
46:32from a smoked salmon packet
46:34never
46:34yeah
46:35yeah
46:36and there's more equipment
46:41rescued from Alan's recycling
46:43they're from a kebab
46:44kebab skewers
46:45yeah
46:45is there another one in there?
46:48great
46:48so what I do then is
46:51I get the light
46:53as I want it
46:54and then prop it up
46:56using the
46:56skewers
46:57skewers
46:58the light on the mushrooms there
47:01oh I can see the impact
47:02of the light
47:02yeah
47:03what that does is
47:04it fills in some light
47:05into the shadows
47:06and so you don't get that
47:07horrible kind of
47:08murky shadowy area
47:10and it just helps
47:12with the form of the mushroom
47:13well that's very clever
47:14and very cheap
47:16very cheap
47:18well this isn't the first time
47:19that I've seen your photography
47:21Alan
47:21because I was one of the judges
47:23in our photographic competition
47:24this year
47:25yeah
47:25and you had that amazing picture
47:27of a slug
47:29on a mushroom
47:30it's just one of those
47:32unbelievable moments
47:34it was the slug
47:35crawling up the mushroom
47:37so I set up
47:38using the cards
47:39when I first saw your photo
47:41I was a bit suspicious
47:43because of the lighting
47:45it looked to be almost in a studio
47:47it couldn't be simpler
47:49it couldn't be cheaper
47:50use it to be creative
47:52with the lighting
47:53and this particular slug
47:55has found its place
47:56in history
47:57well you probably saw
47:58the calendar being revealed
48:00on the programme
48:01yes
48:02but I don't think you know
48:03which month it's on
48:05do you
48:06no I don't
48:06it's in September
48:08oh fantastic
48:09there you are
48:09oh fantastic
48:09that's lovely
48:11it is isn't it
48:13yeah that looks great
48:14doesn't it
48:15we're always on the lookout
48:18for great seasonal photos
48:20for our calendar
48:20and now is a perfect time
48:22to get snapping
48:23if you'd like to buy one of these
48:26with that beautiful slug and all
48:28well this is how you get one
48:30it costs £11.99
48:34which includes UK delivery
48:36you can go to our website
48:38bbc.co.uk forward slash country file
48:42where you'll find a link
48:43to the online order page
48:45or you can call
48:480330
48:49333
48:504564
48:52to place your order by phone
48:54standard geographic charges
48:57will apply
48:57to both landlines
48:59and mobiles
49:00the phone line
49:02will be available
49:03from Monday to Friday
49:049am to 5pm
49:06and Saturdays
49:08from 10am to 4pm
49:10if you prefer to order
49:12by post
49:13then send your name
49:15address
49:15and a check
49:16to BBC country file calendar
49:18PO box 25
49:20Melton Mowbray
49:21LE 13
49:231ZG
49:25and please make your checks payable
49:27to BBC country file calendar
49:29a minimum of £5.50
49:33from the sale of each calendar
49:35will be donated
49:36to BBC children in need
49:37over the years
49:40your support has helped
49:42the country file calendar
49:43raise more than
49:44£33 million
49:45for BBC children in need
49:48the photographs
49:49taken by viewers
49:50not only brighten up our homes
49:52but they help to
49:53change the lives
49:54of countless families
49:56right across the UK
49:57so thank you
49:59Wiltshire's woodlands
50:11don't just team with life
50:13on the forest floor
50:14they're home to
50:15all sorts of wildlife
50:16that are using autumn
50:18to prepare for winter
50:19and that includes
50:22the elusive
50:23hazel
50:23dormouse
50:24it's tiny
50:25secretive
50:27and endangered
50:28Caroline Longley
50:33from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
50:34is the conservation lead
50:36here at Oyster Coppice
50:37and is part of the team
50:39keeping a very close eye on them
50:40I've talked about
50:42dormice before
50:43here on country file
50:44probably 20 years ago
50:46so it's just
50:47quite demoralising
50:48to hear that
50:49they're in so much trouble
50:50because we knew that
50:52back then
50:52it's always the way of things
50:54that you wish people
50:55had done something sooner
50:56but there's also
50:57more thinking now
50:59that goes into
50:59how do dormice
51:01connect across the country
51:02we've got
51:03lots of projects
51:04including dormice
51:06tunnels and footbridges
51:07across major roads
51:08so change is happening
51:10it just needs to be ramped up
51:12so how do you know
51:13how many you may or may not
51:15have in here
51:15we have several
51:17tens of dormice foxes
51:19which are dedicated volunteers
51:21monitored year after year
51:22to give us an indication
51:23of the population trends
51:25and Caroline has found
51:28some signs that dormice
51:30may be close by
51:31this is pretty perfect
51:33dormice territory
51:34we've got this lovely
51:35mature hazel
51:36which will be giving off
51:37hazelnuts all through the year
51:38and also honeysuckle
51:39which is a favourite
51:41of dormice
51:42both in their food
51:43and in their nest materials
51:44these are the inner nests
51:46of dormice
51:47oh they're very distinctive
51:49aren't they
51:50and they'll make this
51:50perfect little nest
51:51where they'll curl in
51:52and they'll spend
51:53a lot of the year
51:55in that
51:56really
51:56it's amazingly intricate
51:58isn't it
51:59so that's what we always
52:00hope to find in the boxes
52:01or in the wild
52:02yeah
52:02good exercise
52:07Debbie Carter
52:09is a licensed
52:10dormice handler
52:11every month
52:12she checks the boxes
52:13for signs of life
52:15no one at home
52:16sadly
52:17well
52:18no luck in that nest
52:20but
52:21in a matter of minutes
52:23sort of
52:25frotting
52:25dormice
52:26dormice
52:28dormice
52:28we get the call
52:30this is the juvenile
52:35there
52:35can you see it now
52:36oh yeah
52:37oh my goodness
52:39there may be more
52:40but I don't want to
52:41disturb them really
52:41it never occurred to me
52:43Debbie
52:43that we'd actually see one
52:44that's magic
52:47so we've just
52:50put the lid
52:52back on the box
52:52and we're going to
52:53creep away
52:54as quietly
52:54as we can manage
52:55so hopefully
52:56we won't have
52:57disturbed them
52:58I can't believe
53:01we saw a doormat
53:02that's the first one
53:03I've ever seen
53:03in real life
53:04so I am
53:05very very excited
53:06putting up
53:11wildlife boxes
53:12is one way
53:13to give nature
53:14a helping hand
53:15in our woodlands
53:15but another
53:17is to make the most
53:18of what's already here
53:19the trees themselves
53:21like many woodlands
53:23this one has lost
53:24a lot of its
53:25ancient trees
53:26to disease
53:27and deforestation
53:28and with them
53:29vital homes
53:30for native wildlife
53:31but arborist
53:35and ecologist
53:35Sean Sherriston
53:36is helping to bring
53:38that balance back
53:39using a technique
53:40called
53:41veteranisation
53:42veteranisation
53:43effectively
53:44is the process
53:45of creating features
53:46that you would
53:47normally see
53:47in ancient trees
53:49in younger trees
53:50and what features
53:51are we talking
53:52about here then
53:52so this is
53:53a small cavity
53:55that we've designed
53:57to be suitable
53:58for Barbastelle
53:59maternity colonies
54:00that's a group
54:01of female bats
54:02raising their young
54:03Barbastelle bats
54:05choose to roost
54:06in fairly ephemeral
54:07features
54:08like cracks
54:09and splits
54:09and loose
54:10flaking bark
54:11the bat species
54:13itself is declining
54:14and that's primarily
54:15due to habitat loss
54:16so I cut a wedge
54:23out of the tree
54:24and the dimensions
54:25for all of that
54:26are taken from
54:27something called
54:28the bat tree habitat
54:29key
54:29which is a database
54:30of roost records
54:31in trees
54:32so you've sort of
54:36created a bat box
54:37but within the tree
54:38exactly
54:39why not just have
54:39a bat box
54:40the thermal stability
54:41and the humidity
54:42in a living tree
54:44is much more stable
54:45than in a bat box
54:47so this is creating
54:48the kind of perfect
54:50environment for them
54:51it's the most natural
54:53way that we can provide
54:54roosting habitat for them
54:55it's not great for the tree
54:56though
54:57the work that we do
54:58is aiming to keep
54:59the tree alive
55:00and it will over time
55:01structurally acclimatise
55:03to the wound
55:04that we've created in it
55:05wow
55:06how long will it take
55:07the bats
55:08to realise what you've
55:09done do you reckon
55:09in Green Lane Woods
55:12which is another
55:13similar woodland
55:15we had bats
55:16using the feature
55:17within six months
55:18that fast
55:19yeah
55:19yeah
55:19it'll be so interesting
55:20to see if you get bats
55:22won't it
55:22it will yeah
55:23hopefully we can put
55:24a camera on this
55:25and monitor it
55:26over a long period
55:26and see what
55:27ends up using it
55:28to find out
55:31whether bats
55:32are using features
55:33like this
55:33you can use
55:34a special bit of kit
55:35Matt Calloway
55:38who I met earlier
55:39is a licensed bat handler
55:41who regularly
55:42surveys the species
55:43across the region
55:44so this one actually
55:46has got quite
55:47a big cavity in
55:49right so it goes
55:50right the way
55:50sort of round
55:51so it goes right
55:51round and it goes
55:52all the way up as well
55:53oh I see
55:54so there's a big void
55:54so they could be
55:55right at the very top
55:56how are you going to
55:57work out if that's
55:58the case
55:58wow
55:59I've used my torch
56:01to start with
56:02but I can't see
56:02anything initially
56:03so then we go in
56:04with an endoscope
56:05an endoscope
56:06really
56:06yeah so this is
56:07a really good way
56:08of surveying
56:09oh my goodness
56:10right
56:10cavities in trees
56:11yeah yeah
56:12so as you're
56:12watching the screen
56:13yeah
56:14kind of feels like
56:16going caving or
56:17something
56:17that's a metre
56:19a metre
56:19we've had bats
56:20that will go
56:21right in the entrance
56:22yeah
56:23and they will just
56:23be here
56:24depending on
56:25temperature during
56:26the day
56:26yeah
56:26it might get
56:27hotter
56:27so they might
56:28then go somewhere
56:29slightly deeper
56:30what are our chances
56:32of seeing bats
56:33at this time of year
56:34there aren't that
56:35many features
56:35in this wood
56:36another site
56:37where we've got
56:38over 150
56:40roosting features
56:41quite a lot of those
56:42are known
56:43to have bats in
56:44yesterday
56:45checking about 20
56:46I found one bat
56:47so you brought us
56:50to this tree
56:50it's a lovely
56:51old hazel tree
56:52this was probably
56:54a branch
56:54you can almost
56:55see it would have
56:56been sticking out
56:56there
56:57and it's come off
56:58and it's come off
56:58that way
56:59so you're hoping
56:59that there's a bat
57:00in there
57:00shall we have a look
57:01come on
57:02so just go in
57:03very carefully
57:04down
57:05what's that
57:06it's just debris
57:08oh that's so
57:09disappointing
57:09yeah
57:10yeah
57:10that's it
57:13you've got to be
57:15patient haven't you
57:16in this
57:16yeah
57:17but it's worth it
57:18so what is it
57:20about bats
57:21that makes you
57:22like them so much
57:23oh they're just
57:25amazing
57:26they're just
57:26amazing creatures
57:27we know so little
57:29about bats really
57:30that there's just
57:31that want to go
57:32and find them
57:32well John it's been
57:43a pretty magical
57:43day hasn't it
57:44it certainly has
57:46hasn't it
57:46I mean we both
57:47love this time of year
57:48we do
57:48in the meantime
57:49that's all we've got
57:50time for this week
57:51but do join us
57:52next week
57:53when we will both
57:54be in Lincolnshire
57:55for the vegetable
57:55harvest
57:56you've got to be a bit
57:59more smooth
58:00I think
58:00because this looks
58:01like it's been
58:02in a fight
58:03I suppose it's a bit
58:04like a talent show
58:06it's a talent show
58:07where everybody has
58:08some good characteristics
58:09and what we're trying
58:10to do is pick them
58:10all out and then
58:11breed them all together
58:12and get a star
58:13you're doing a good job
58:15well I haven't
58:15crashed yet
58:16so that's good
58:16no you've landed
58:18well done
58:19that's brilliant
58:20we'll sawn you on
58:21that's next week
58:25at 5.20
58:26so hope you can
58:29join us then
58:29winter wildlife wonders
58:38in Hamza's hidden
58:39wild isles
58:40wrap up warm
58:41come explore
58:41with BBC One next
58:43casting off on iPlayer
58:45from riverbanks
58:46across the country
58:47Mortimer
58:48and Whitehouse
58:49gone fishing
58:50in a new series
58:51I'll see you next week
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