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00:00Cat shark.
00:03What's that?
00:03Got a shark.
00:04Got a shark?
00:05Yeah.
00:06Is this Joe snorkeling?
00:08This is Joe spotted for us, yeah.
00:42Welcome to the unmistakable and slightly blustery Isle of Wight.
00:46Known for its fabulous views, gorgeous sandy beaches and tourist attractions.
00:51And thanks to its geology and southerly location,
00:54this island is also home to a range of plants and animals that may come as a surprise.
01:01Around a mile from the mainland at its closest point,
01:05the Isle of Wight sits just off the Hampshire coast opposite Portsmouth,
01:09the only English county that is entirely an island.
01:12It covers around 150 square miles, with the capital Newport at its heart.
01:20It's a place with a unique mix of wildlife,
01:24where rare species are clinging on as new ones make their home here,
01:28while all the time the coastline constantly shifts.
01:32We get these massive landslips.
01:34And how quick could that be, you know, at its worst example?
01:38So, recently at Bondchurch we had a massive erosion event and that closed the road
01:43and people had to be evacuated during the night.
01:47Just a little bit windy for a potter bee today.
01:50This is not the bee we're looking for.
01:51No.
01:52Do you want to let it go?
01:53OK.
01:55My goodness, if that grove suddenly has trees like this with all that fruit,
01:59that's going to be quite spectacular.
02:01It really will.
02:03And Adam's also on the island, visiting the UK's largest garlic producer.
02:08And it all comes from a clove.
02:10You just plant one clove.
02:11Yeah.
02:11That's the seed.
02:12Yeah.
02:13Well there you go.
02:13So you're farming on my life, I didn't know that.
02:15Yeah.
02:17I'm heading to the beach.
02:18You?
02:19OK, I'm going this way.
02:20Right.
02:20See you later.
02:27The geology of the Isle of Wight shapes its famous coastline and helps create a diverse
02:33environment beneath the water too.
02:36Along the island's northern shore facing the Solent, the shallow and sheltered seabed supports
02:43rich marine life.
02:45Here on the Isle of Wight, sharks and stingrays are gathering off these shores.
02:50And scientists are only just beginning to understand why.
02:55Theo Vickers is a PhD student from the island, studying the behaviour and ecology of sharks
03:01and rays in these waters.
03:04Tell me about this research you're doing.
03:06So my PhD at the University of Portsmouth is about sharks and rays around the Isle of
03:10Wight, with a specific context on the common stingray.
03:13We're looking at the distribution of all the inshore sharks and rays that we see, so things
03:17like cat sharks, dogfish, smoothhound, thornback rays, you know, where are they on the island,
03:21how they're using our inshore marine habitats.
03:23And then kind of diving in a bit more deeper into common stingrays in particular.
03:26So this is a really charismatic species that actually is only found in a few spots across
03:30Britain.
03:30We know relatively little about it.
03:32There's a lot of anecdotal evidence and knowledge from anglers, for example, but scientifically
03:35quite little.
03:36And so then looking into that in more detail, all the big questions, why are they here in the
03:39Solent, for example.
03:40What is it that's so special about the island and its coast particularly?
03:43So we've got a real mosaic of marine habitats here.
03:46So if you think about the island as a whole, you've got things like seagrass, you've got
03:49salt marsh, you've got kind of kelpy rocky reefs on the south coast of the island.
03:54So the site we're at now, it's a major seagrass meadow, and that's one of the Solent's
03:57really big inshore marine habitats.
03:58This is a flowering plant, it creates beautiful meadows across these kind of sheltered areas,
04:02sand banks, gravel banks that we can see out here, areas of salt marsh as well.
04:06So it's a real mix that we see in the Solent.
04:08And how important is that for the stingray?
04:09Well, I think we know little so far, but I think we'll find out that, yeah, it's very
04:13important, particularly things like gravel banks and seagrass in particular, if they're
04:16feeding and they're foraging, I reckon.
04:18And what is the plan today?
04:19I mean, here we are sort of starting to heat up in our wetsuits.
04:22Yeah, so we'll grab some paddle boards, we'll get some camera units and we'll head out
04:25there and try to get some footage of some of the species that might be about.
04:27Ooh, footage?
04:28You think we might actually be able to catch some of the cameras?
04:30We've got a good chance, I think.
04:31Maybe some catch sharks, maybe some stingrays.
04:32We'll see how we do.
04:33Excellent.
04:34Right, let's head, shall we?
04:35Cool.
04:37We'll also have fellow PhD student Joe Sargent on snorkelling duty.
04:42He'll scour the seabed to find some of the more elusive wildlife here.
04:47But to get our cameras to the best spot, we're taking the paddle boards out around 100 metres
04:52into the Solent.
04:53Right, so we've got everything here.
04:55Yeah.
04:55Great, thank you, Joe.
04:56That's great.
04:57You're coming out as well, but you're going to go get your snorkelling stuff, are you?
04:59I am indeed, I'll see you out there.
05:00Brilliant.
05:00Thanks, Joe.
05:01See you in a bit.
05:02So, Theo, just talk me through the kit here.
05:04What is it and what does it do?
05:05So, this is a BRUV, this is a baited remote underwater video station.
05:08Okay.
05:08Or unit.
05:09So, essentially, you can see it's a frame.
05:13We have a camera mounted onto it.
05:14There's a bait arm that comes out.
05:16Then we have a bait pot, at the moment filled with some local mackerel.
05:18They're very good for kind of looking at the diversity and abundance of things like sharks and rays and bony
05:25fish and crustaceans.
05:26And we can see anything that's attracted into the scent of the bait and then we can get some data
05:30from it.
05:30So, how useful is it, this data?
05:33Because essentially what you're doing is capturing a little bit of video.
05:36I think the data is really valuable.
05:37It can tell us things about the relative abundance of some of these species.
05:40If we had kind of units with two cameras, we can have a look at the size of some of
05:44these animals.
05:44So, they're a really valuable tool.
05:47Actually, as you can see, quite low cost and quite effective.
05:50Theo thinks these shallow waters play an important role for shark and ray species.
05:56But exactly how they use them and where they're found around the island hasn't been investigated before.
06:04And if these animals are using the island's seas to feed, shelter or even to breed,
06:11understanding that could help shape decisions on everything,
06:15from marine protection zones to how activities in these waters are managed in the future.
06:22At the moment of truth, Theo, can we get on these things without capsizing them?
06:25Let's give it a go.
06:26I want to watch you do it first.
06:27Okay.
06:31Expertly done.
06:31There we go.
06:32Well, didn't I?
06:38There we are.
06:39Okay.
06:39We're going for the kneeling today, are we?
06:41Yeah.
06:42And the depth, I mean, it just doesn't feel very deep at all.
06:44This whole area is quite shallow, is it?
06:45Yeah.
06:46So, I mean, the tide's flooding in now.
06:47At high tide, maybe three metres deep.
06:49At low tide, it can be less than two metres out to almost to the forts out there.
06:54Really?
06:54So, a real distance out.
06:56And we're deliberately putting the cameras down now as the tide's coming in.
06:59So, there's opportunities for creatures to move into the area.
07:02To move in.
07:02So, as the tide rises, you might get some larger fish species, some predatory fish species,
07:06sharks and rays as well, coming in to use the habitat when it's a bit deeper, a bit safer,
07:10perhaps.
07:10And so, that's the kind of time that we aim these units for, at least, is to catch that
07:14kind of behaviour and that movement.
07:17How are we looking?
07:18I think we'll just drop it here.
07:19We'll go for it here, I think.
07:19Yes.
07:20So, yeah.
07:20We'll pop it down.
07:21And so, then we just want to gently bring the camera over the side, try not to capsize
07:26paddleboard.
07:26Yes.
07:27And we'll let it settle down onto the bottom.
07:29And the clarity is just fantastic.
07:33I feel like I need to even just show how clear it is today.
07:36We're dipping the camera in as we go past the gravel.
07:43Cat shark!
07:46What's that?
07:47Got a shark.
07:47Got a shark?
07:48Yeah.
07:50Is this Joe snorkelling?
07:51This is Joe spotted for us, yeah.
07:55Right, then we'll do the second camera here.
07:57Yes.
07:58Then we'll go out a little bit more, I think, then we'll just go back.
08:01The problem with boats or paddleboards or kayaks, they just don't stay still.
08:09Yeah, so we'll go for a drop about here, maybe.
08:11Part our paddleboards.
08:12Yeah.
08:13And down it goes.
08:15And it's got a sort of...
08:18Are you happy, that's all?
08:19Yeah, we'll do a little spin around, but yeah, it looks pretty upright and pretty solid.
08:23So, yeah.
08:24That's a deployment.
08:25Nice.
08:26I am very jealous today of Theo's colleague Joe over there, who is snorkelling, because
08:32he is getting to see some good stuff.
08:33So, we're going to go and give him a camera and see if he can film any of the sharks
08:36he's
08:36seeing.
08:38Okay, so Joe is tracking them.
08:41Okay, I'm going to throw this to Theo.
08:43Are you ready?
08:43Yeah.
08:46I'll stay back.
08:50So, we have both underwater cameras deployed, quite close together, but one a bit shallower
08:56and close to the gravel and one a bit deeper.
08:58I'm going to leave them for exactly one hour and see what they attract as this tide comes
09:03in.
09:04What do we know about when different species sort of come here?
09:08Are they here year round or are they sort of seasonal visitors?
09:11Yeah, I mean, it's a bit of both.
09:14There's quite a lot of species that are seasonal visitors.
09:15They might come here in the summer, spring and summer, probably to kind of mate and reproduce
09:20and give birth and lay egg cases.
09:22And the common stingray, your particular interest, are they seasonal visitors?
09:26They're very seasonal.
09:27So, we kind of see them arrive in the Solent around kind of late spring, early summer.
09:31They'll stick around for a few months, maybe, then they'll head off somewhere.
09:34But we don't know where.
09:35That's one of the big mysteries.
09:36Oh, interesting.
09:37Yeah.
09:38No idea?
09:38No idea.
09:41To make sure the data is consistent, the cameras are always left underwater for 60 minutes to
09:48film the marine life.
09:50So, after a short interlude, let's power out, we head back to collect them.
09:56Oh, wow, it's covered in welts.
09:58After an hour on the seabed, each camera now holds a snapshot of what's been moving through
10:03these waters.
10:05And back on shore, Theo can begin to piece together what they've captured.
10:10Well, I don't think we had any sharks.
10:12Okay.
10:13We're in the area, as we know, but didn't turn up on the cameras, at least.
10:17It's a bit strange, but, you know, it's how it goes with a lot of this kind of stuff.
10:21We did have, though, this is on the unit you dropped.
10:23Okay.
10:23We had a little group of mullet come by the camera.
10:26Oh, nice.
10:26Yes, if you look down here, you can see just kind of coming through.
10:29Oh, yeah.
10:30A little group of mullet that, you know, coming along there.
10:32So, pretty faint, pretty in the background.
10:33But they're big fish, clearly, you know, from the size and the scale.
10:36So, although it wasn't a shark, I kind of, a hunch was right that moving along that shingle bank,
10:40there would have been fish.
10:41I think it's when I deployed, wasn't it?
10:43It was slightly on its side.
10:43It was slightly on its side, but it doesn't really matter.
10:44You know, we had a good look.
10:46So, here, this is off the other unit.
10:48It's the unit I dropped.
10:48So, this is in a much denser seagrass meadow.
10:50Okay.
10:50You can see it's actually quite difficult to see off into the distance because of how much there is.
10:54And then you can see just now, look, a spider crab's arrived.
10:57Oh, yeah.
10:57So, a European spider crab, a small female, probably, based on the size of her claws.
11:02And she's just kind of picking out the cage, trying to get inside and trying to have her feed.
11:06So, yes, it wasn't a total failure, though.
11:08We did have, you know, some kind of activity happening.
11:10We had Joe out there snorkeling around.
11:12Yeah.
11:12And Joe did actually spot two cat sharks.
11:14So, even though they were in the vicinity of the cameras in the shop on ours, he was able to
11:17see some.
11:18So, if you watch the kind of clip here, he dies down.
11:21And you can see, probably, I think, a male and a female resting on the seabed together.
11:25That's fantastic.
11:26But it didn't look like they were actively sort of hunting or scavenging in any way.
11:30So, they wouldn't necessarily have found these.
11:31They seem to be resting.
11:32No, they weren't.
11:32But that's great.
11:33Well, that's really encouraging.
11:36So, no stingrays today.
11:38But even at this early stage in Theo's research, the data from previous camera deployments suggest they're appearing here more
11:45often than we once thought.
11:47Although exactly why remains a mystery.
11:51And all the time, you've got these big sort of ferries and container ships going by.
11:56And yet, this is a little haven.
11:58It shows it can co-exist.
11:59I think that's the really big thing.
12:00You can have this big urbanised environment here.
12:02But actually, if we take care of our marine environment and if we look after it in the right way,
12:06there's no reason why the two can't co-exist if we do a better job.
12:18It's not only the waters surrounding the Isle of Wight that support rare and fascinating wildlife.
12:24The island itself is home to one of Britain's rarest insects, the pot of flower bee.
12:32Found in only a handful of places in the UK, these bees nest in the island's coastal cliffs where they
12:39can dig their burrows into the softer top layers of exposed soil.
12:44I've heard these bees are extremely rare.
12:47In the past few months, they've only seen a few here.
12:49But I'm hoping today, with the help of some local experts, I might be lucky enough to see at least
12:55one.
12:57Countryside manager Paul Davies has been working for the National Trust for more than 30 years to protect endangered species,
13:05including the pot of flower bee.
13:08I understand you are the man when it comes to these pot of flower bees.
13:12Yes. So over the last three years, the National Trust has been fortunate to get some funding from Natural England
13:18to spend some time studying these bees.
13:22The pot of flower bee, which is found on Culverdown and preferentially nectars on this wonderful plant, which is ground
13:28ivy, which is behind us here.
13:30We know that it occurs on about four sites now in the UK. It used to be much more widespread.
13:35And the population here is really small. Over the last three years of surveying, we've only seen 22 bees.
13:4222?
13:43Yes.
13:43In three years?
13:44Yes. And so far this year, we've only seen four.
13:47Four bees seems an incredibly low number for this particular bee. How worried should we be?
13:52I think with the conditions we've had this year, it's been very challenging to find days to actually survey for
13:59them.
13:59But the species has hung on here for many decades. And certainly until we found it two years ago, it
14:07hadn't been seen for 17 years or recorded here for 17 years.
14:10So we know that it survives at very low numbers.
14:13And how important is this area to them?
14:15It's really important as a nectaring area because this grassland is an unimproved chalk grassland. It's got a host of
14:21wildflowers which this species use for nectaring.
14:24But early in the season, ground ivy is in flower when so many other species aren't. And it uses that
14:29at the beginning of the season.
14:30What's particularly amazing about it is it takes the nectar of ground ivy, and we think it mixes it with
14:35sand, and it produces a concrete, and it fills that with nectar and lays its eggs into it.
14:42So the pot part of the name is actually derived from the fact it produces a pot, which they fill
14:47with nectar and pollen, which they provision for their larvae.
14:52With so few potter flower bees living here, they need all the help they can get.
14:57And one small step that could make a big difference is to ensure there is more ground ivy for the
15:03bees to get their pollen and nectar from.
15:05And that's where the Hebridean sheep grazing on these 17 acres of headland come in.
15:11In charge of the flock is National Trust Ranger Sean Adams.
15:16So for a tool of nature conservation, they're absolutely marvellous.
15:20So basically, being Hebrideans, a very old breed of sheep, they're used to eating all the rough stuff.
15:28That's what they tend to favour, so it's everything that we want controlled, they'll go for first.
15:34So it became apparent that the ground ivy was proliferating because of the effect of the sheep's grazing.
15:40And they're not too keen on the ivy?
15:42The ground ivy? No. It has a really pungent smell to it, so they do tend to avoid it.
15:48If you crush the leaves between your fingers, you'll smell.
15:52It'll give you a fair indication as to why the sheep don't eat it.
15:57Well, it's strong.
15:58It is a strong scent.
16:00Definitely clearing the sort of nasal passages. It's that kind of strong.
16:05Wow. But the potter bees, it's heaven for them.
16:08Absolutely. Apparently so.
16:09And how quickly did you know it was having that effect with the ivy and the potter bee and that
16:14you'd...
16:14Well, the sheep have only been under this grazing regime on the Culver Downs for two years
16:20and within a year we could see the difference that they'd made.
16:24And they're absolutely tucking in.
16:26Yeah.
16:29Helping Paul to record any bee sightings today is a team of dedicated volunteers.
16:35They've come equipped with their nets and special marking pots.
16:39And I'm hoping I might even see one of these elusive bees myself.
16:44You all move at the speed of light when you see one of these.
16:49So what have we got here, Paul?
16:50So once we've got a bee out of a net and we're just using a buff tail as an example,
16:55we get it into the marking pot and then we use a water-based permanent marker
17:00and we just mark the thorax of the bee with a yellow dot.
17:04And then when we come to survey again, we can, one, see what we've marked
17:11and we don't end up catching it again and we reduce the risk of post-capture stress.
17:16And then we can very quickly just release it back into the grass and it can go on its way,
17:21necturing.
17:25Fiona and Theresa spend hours walking these chalk downlands to help map the vital ground ivy
17:32and search for these rarely seen bees.
17:36What have you got?
17:38So the bee's at the top. That's it. Keep it up.
17:42Well, it's quite an intricate affair, isn't it?
17:44The bees now are the right way. If we wanted to mark it, we can see the thorax.
17:49Once you've observed that it's absolutely, if it was a fossil bee.
17:53Yeah.
17:54But you can tell that just from looking at it, it's not the one we're after.
17:57Yes.
17:57This is not the bee we're looking for.
17:59No.
17:59Do you want to let it go?
18:00Okay.
18:05There you go.
18:06Hey.
18:07Little friends away.
18:15Just a little bit windy for a potter bee today.
18:18There's always hope.
18:22So on a day like today, when we're getting buffeted around, I'm unlikely to see one.
18:29But have you seen one yourselves?
18:31Yes.
18:32Yes.
18:32Over the last few years, the group we've funded, we've managed to see one.
18:37And last week we had one.
18:38Yes.
18:39We had one last week.
18:40Last week.
18:40We were searching for about three or four hours and we were just about to finish and right
18:46at the last minute.
18:47Just saw one.
18:48Just saw one.
18:49What was that like though when you found one this year for the first time?
18:52Yeah.
18:52How exciting.
18:53It is.
18:53Looking at the identification features and finding that golden spur, that was the key identification.
18:58So when we got up close with our lenses to see that, yeah, it was really exciting.
19:03And that must have been really magical because I know the numbers have been so small that you've
19:07actually seen this year.
19:08And when you think actually we have found that rare bee that's only found here, small area in Purbeck and
19:17East Sussex and that's it.
19:19So it is a very rare bee.
19:23You're putting so much work in here.
19:25What would it mean to you to see this site flourish?
19:28Well, I'd be absolutely thrilled.
19:30And I think the thing to bear in mind is that we have been restoring the site for a number
19:35of years.
19:36And the bee itself has hung on for so many years.
19:39So hopefully with the improvements of habitat management, we'll see it proliferate.
19:43And that would be so special to see this bee do so well and also possibly spread onto other sites.
19:49And while I may not have been so lucky, the very next day, with calmer conditions, the team struck gold,
19:59spotting three pot of flower bees in one afternoon and boosting this season's total from four to seven.
20:14The Isle of Wight is known for having a mild climate compared to the rest of the country.
20:20But there's one pocket on the south coast of the island that's a real anomaly,
20:24with conditions often described as more akin to the Mediterranean.
20:28Here at Ventnor Botanic Garden, there are all sorts of plants you don't expect to see in the UK,
20:34from giant water lilies to towering palms.
20:36It feels almost tropical.
20:39And the plants that thrive here give us a little glimpse into what might be possible elsewhere in the UK
20:44as temperatures rise.
20:49Head gardener Wayne Williams and his team are using this microclimate to test the limits of what can be grown
20:56outdoors year round.
20:58Now, Wayne, first of all, this looks amazing. Where are we here in the gardens?
21:03So we're in the Mediterranean garden now, and it's nice and sunny.
21:06Now, is this really a microclimate or is it just one of those things we sort of say to explain
21:11a nice bit of sunshine here?
21:12Oh, it's definitely a microclimate.
21:14So it's much warmer than other parts of the Isle of Wight, in fact, being on the south of the
21:19island.
21:20We're also sheltered from the under cliff, which cuts off the north winds from the rest of the island.
21:25And then, of course, at Ventnor here, we've got lots of south-facing terraces as well.
21:30So a combination of those plus more keeps us warmer than the rest of the island.
21:34As soon as I came in, I think it said something like Britain's hottest garden.
21:39Yes. What it is, it means that we are milder in the wintertime.
21:43We're five degrees warmer than most places on the mainland in the winter, and that's critical.
21:48Interesting. Right, okay.
21:49For when you're growing plants, of course, because cold can be a killer.
21:51Yeah.
21:52So we can grow a wide range of palms here and cacti and succulents.
21:56Oh, really?
21:56And lots of Mediterranean-type plants.
21:58And I guess the sea, it's always going to give you relatively quite warm air in the winter.
22:02And that's what protects it here, isn't it?
22:04Exactly.
22:05So what's it like to work here as a gardener? There must be so many possibilities.
22:08Oh, it's absolutely amazing to grow all of these sorts of plants that you normally grow inside a conservatory or
22:12a glass house.
22:14Yeah.
22:14To have them outside all year round is just phenomenal.
22:16And does that make this quite a pioneering place, then?
22:18There's quite a lot of things you can try here that you wouldn't get away with elsewhere.
22:21Definitely.
22:22So these gardens have always been experimental, and we're always experimenting.
22:26So there's lots of interesting plants to show you, actually, in a second.
22:30Right, come on then, let's go and have a look.
22:36Across Britain, growers are already having to adapt to a changing climate.
22:41But this garden offers a glimpse of the opportunities ahead, such as an outdoor citrus grove, 40 trees strong.
22:49So this is the UK's first citrus grove, and it was planted only last year, March 2025.
22:55We have lemons, oranges, grapefruit, Buddha's hand citrus, which is hand-shaped fruit.
23:01So last year was all about putting their roots down, and this year it's all about putting the top growth
23:07on.
23:07So you can see this one over here, it's got the growth coming on it.
23:12This has come onto it in the last two weeks.
23:14You can see those lovely deep purple leaves.
23:17Oh, they're the new leaves?
23:17They are, yes.
23:18OK.
23:19And you can see the flower buds appearing here.
23:21Yeah.
23:21And of course we've got some homegrown lemons already.
23:24No way.
23:24Yeah.
23:25So here we are.
23:26I mean, we're in this bowl you talked about earlier.
23:28I can hear the wind still howling in the trees up there, but it feels very sheltered here.
23:33Yes.
23:33So that's in their favour.
23:35What else do they need?
23:36Well, they like lots of organic matter on the top of the soil.
23:41And as you can see, it's quite rocky.
23:43We have chalk here.
23:44And in fact, I've got a soil pH test, which I can use to test the soil.
23:49OK.
23:50So we've got these test tubes here with a capsule inside.
23:53Yeah.
23:54And it's important to take the soil from about ten centimetres or four inches down.
24:01So I'm going to put some soil into this, to the first line.
24:07Take the top off that.
24:09That goes into there.
24:11There's a sort of powder that's been crumbled in from the capsule.
24:14And then some bottled water.
24:17And I'm going to fill this to the top line now.
24:20OK.
24:21And bottled water because you want it to be neutral.
24:23You don't want it to be okay.
24:24Exactly.
24:24Yeah.
24:24We don't want any alkalinity there or anything like that.
24:27It would give a false reading.
24:28That's my cocktail mixing skills coming in, in micro.
24:32So we've got a colour chart and we can match that up.
24:36It's got a kind of dull pea green.
24:39Yeah.
24:39A grey green, which on the colour chart is pH 7, which even I remember from science lessons.
24:47It's smack bang in the middle, exactly where you want it to be, neutral.
24:50So you're happy with that?
24:51Yeah, very happy with that.
24:52This is definitely the sweet spot.
24:54It's a good balance between alkalinity and acidity.
24:57So, perfect.
24:58And I suppose if you naturally have chalk here.
25:01Yes.
25:02That tells you you do need to keep making sure there is organic matter to balance it out.
25:06Exactly.
25:07When will these lemons be ready?
25:09So these ones will be ready in the wintertime, this coming winter.
25:13So they need colds to actually ripen the fruits.
25:15Could it be that you could actually have a very functional grove here of citrus plants?
25:21Very much so.
25:22We know we can do it because we've got some plants that have been here for a long time already.
25:26And they're doing really well.
25:30So over here, Joe, you can see there's a really old lemon tree up there.
25:35Absolutely loaded with fruit.
25:37Oh, wow.
25:38Now that is a lemon tree.
25:39Yeah, it's amazing.
25:40That's incredible.
25:41Yeah.
25:42So these are 20 year old plants.
25:44Oh.
25:44Yeah.
25:45And they used to bring them inside for the wintertime.
25:47And then about 15 years ago, someone either forgot or was lazy.
25:51Okay.
25:52And left them out for the wintertime and they survived.
25:55And so they decided to plant them here.
25:57And they've been here ever since.
25:58And they're doing really well.
26:00And that gave us the inspiration then to extend it and make the UK's first citrus grove.
26:05Wonderful.
26:06And that really does show the potential of what you're doing.
26:09I mean, my goodness, if that grove suddenly has trees like this with all that fruit, that's going to be
26:13quite spectacular.
26:14It really will.
26:18What you're doing here, do you think it shows there's potential future commercial possibilities for citrus in the UK?
26:26Definitely on the Isle of Wight, definitely.
26:28And as things change, are some things more difficult now to grow here?
26:32Things like apples, we might not be able to grow in the future when it gets too warm because they
26:38need a certain amount of coal to produce the flowers.
26:41Yeah.
26:41But we will be able to grow citrus.
26:43So both private and public gardens look at Benton Botanic Garden and learn about what we're growing here to see
26:50what they'll be growing in the future.
26:51But actually, there is a wider significance. You think people are looking at what can be achieved here?
26:55Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah. And it's amazing for farmers to think that farmers could grow these in the future.
27:00It's just amazing.
27:17Conditions on the island create both opportunities and challenges.
27:21Adam's meeting a pioneering local farming family.
27:26Garlic is something you usually associate with warmer parts of Europe.
27:31Yet here on the Isle of Wight is Britain's largest garlic producer.
27:38For more than 50 years, the Boswell family have been growing garlic here on the Isle of Wight, with three
27:44generations still involved.
27:48The bulbs will be lifted later in the summer.
27:51But currently, Joe, Natasha and her husband Barnes are picking an unexpected part of the plant that's become a product
27:58in its own right.
28:01So right in front of us is elephant garlic, which has these flowering scapes, which together we're going to harvest
28:07a few of for lunch.
28:08I know you've been quite innovative then with what you're designing in the ways of dishes and different uses of
28:14garlic.
28:14I think you could say that we have stretched garlic in every direction it could possibly go.
28:19So we have about 60 products.
28:20Wow.
28:21All with garlic in them and novel things like garlic beer, garlic ice cream.
28:26Garlic is an unusual crop for the UK.
28:28But it's been grown here since Tash and Joe's granny, Nora, first planted some in her market garden 70 years
28:35ago.
28:38With mum and dad, Jenny and Colin, scaling up commercially in the 1970s.
28:44I'm one of five.
28:45It was my grandparents who first started the business and then my parents came and they were the ones who
28:50started the garlic.
28:51But Barnes and I came back to the farm about 12 years ago and then Joe joined us a few
28:55years ago and my brother and his wife run the holiday properties.
28:59So there's lots of us involved.
29:03So what is it we're harvesting then, Joe?
29:05So we're harvesting the scape, this flowering head of an elephant garlic bulb.
29:10So if we were to leave this to its own devices, it will grow into a beautiful pinky purple allium.
29:16But we're going to snap it off here.
29:18Right.
29:18And that is going to be a delicious sort of garlicky asparagus stir-fried in a pan.
29:24And is this something you've developed or, you know, in history would these things have been thrown away?
29:29Until fairly recently, all over the world, these were being dropped on the ground until some genius realised that they're
29:35very, very edible.
29:36So just snap it off?
29:37Just snap it off.
29:38Okay.
29:39Yeah.
29:39And so the garlic bulb is under the ground?
29:42Yeah.
29:42And as a result of snapping this off, all of the energy will go down into the bulb.
29:46We're six weeks off harvest.
29:48Yeah.
29:48So we're giving that bulb six weeks of just real punch to bulb it up.
29:53Sure.
29:53And we should get a nice elephant garlic the size of about a cricket ball.
29:57And how many different varieties of garlic have you got?
30:00We're growing elephant garlic plus about five or six other varieties as well.
30:04Okay.
30:05Yeah, lovely.
30:05Yeah.
30:06You missed one, I'll get that for you.
30:07Oh, thanks.
30:10And is garlic planted like maize?
30:14Is it precision planted?
30:15Yeah.
30:16We've got a four row planter with cups that put it in.
30:20You've got to plant the clove so you can't direct drill it.
30:22So you've got to have a seed bed.
30:24And it all comes from a clove.
30:26You just plant one clove.
30:27That's the seed.
30:28Yeah.
30:28Well, there you go.
30:29So you're farming on my life, I didn't know that.
30:30Yeah.
30:31Yeah.
30:33And weather conditions then.
30:35Here you are, you know, on an island.
30:38How does that affect it?
30:39Is it good or bad?
30:40It's good.
30:40Garlic likes light.
30:42We have one of the highest light intensities of the UK down here on the Isle of Wight.
30:46We're south of these downs so we've got fairly free draining soil.
30:49Yeah, I think we're in a really good place for growing garlic.
30:53And it would seem the way the weather's going getting even better for it.
30:58Barnes may be a relative newcomer to the family business,
31:02but he's helped find new ways to keep the business evolving.
31:06Not least by championing the move to organic farming.
31:11And with the yield from the organic system, is it lower?
31:15For a couple of years it was radically lower.
31:19A few giggles from the family.
31:20That was a moment of sort of transition.
31:23Were they all pointing at you?
31:23They were basically, yes.
31:24You got this wrong.
31:25Yes.
31:26Never.
31:26We told you so.
31:28We were all very pro the organic move.
31:30But after year two, was it?
31:32Last year was great.
31:33It was one of the best harvests we've ever had.
31:35And you're the largest garlic grower in Britain.
31:40Why aren't lots of people doing this?
31:42Well, we sort of hope that one day more will.
31:45Really?
31:45If we can really prove that this system of growing garlic can work,
31:49then we'd love to explore working with more farmers to have it in their rotation.
31:52And everybody uses garlic, don't they?
31:54Yeah.
31:55Everyone's pantry's got garlic in it, hasn't it?
31:57Barnes, let's have a look at one.
31:58It's going, there we go.
31:59Oh, you've got it.
32:00Yeah.
32:00Oh, wow.
32:01So this is how far off harvest, did you say?
32:04Six weeks.
32:05Look at that.
32:06Some of that back.
32:07Beautiful.
32:08Yeah.
32:08And that's elephant because it's large.
32:11Yeah, exactly.
32:12It's that basic.
32:16Garlic's a very nutrient-hungry crop that takes a lot out of the soil.
32:21So these fields will need at least five years to recover before it's grown here again.
32:27Going organic means finding new ways to help the land recover.
32:30And Barnes is using cattle to help bring life back to last year's crop fields.
32:37Pulled the garlic out in July, and now we're grazing the cattle through here.
32:41And we'll be doing that for the next four years before we bring garlic back.
32:46So the rotational lay and cattle is part of a system?
32:50That's what we do.
32:52Yes.
32:53She agrees.
32:54That's the yes.
32:55How does it help?
32:56How does it work?
32:57The theory is, as we move from chemical to make the garlic grow, and we rely on a natural
33:03system, what we are hoping is that the diversity of plants and root structures and biological
33:10activity within the plants themselves will condition the soil.
33:14Yeah.
33:14And then we can grow good garlic.
33:16And as a farmer, are you enjoying this?
33:19Have you always had cattle or is it...?
33:20No, I'm a very new farmer.
33:22So I sort of began my farming about five or six years ago.
33:25You know, I went through an accelerated learning programme and got lots of help.
33:28We've got some really good farmers on the island and across the UK who were experimenting
33:31with this sort of thing.
33:33And for you, you know, you've married into the family, haven't you?
33:36Yeah.
33:36So you had to integrate yourself and bring your ideas.
33:39Yeah.
33:39Has that been your challenge?
33:41It has, in lots of ways.
33:42You know, we've been on a journey of, I guess, sort of proving our mettle on the commercial
33:46side.
33:47That was important to do.
33:48And once we got that underway, we were ready to kind of experiment and I was prepared
33:53to go, this is all going to be super weird, but we're just going to go for it.
33:57Great.
33:58And...
34:00They sound impatient.
34:01Are they due for a move?
34:03They are, yeah.
34:04Every day we move them.
34:06So they eat here for a day and that patch is left to rest.
34:09Okay.
34:10For weeks and months.
34:12We're a little late this morning.
34:14I'll climb over.
34:14Is this on?
34:15No, it's not on.
34:16Okay.
34:16Good.
34:18Okay.
34:18Alright, girls.
34:19That's it.
34:20A quick shuffle of electric fencing opens up a new section of fresh pasture for the herd.
34:26Quite a mix of breeds.
34:28Yeah.
34:28We've got some traditional Herefords.
34:30We've got a couple of Highlands.
34:31We've got some Angus and some Crosses.
34:34Are you outwinter?
34:35We do, yeah.
34:35They're outside all the time.
34:36We're Pasture for Life certified, so they only eat what is here.
34:41So premium for the beef?
34:43Yeah, we serve it through our restaurant.
34:44That's our only market.
34:47They love it, don't they?
34:48Yeah.
34:48I mean, that's just gorgeous to look at.
34:50Look at her munching it, taking all the tops off that chicory.
34:54Yeah.
34:54So you've got chicory, plantain, clover, all sorts in here.
34:58Yeah, there's 18 species and that diversity is really crucial.
35:02It doesn't all come at once, but the way we're sort of managing it by building rest into the system,
35:06does help to kind of promote that diversity.
35:08It checks back those thuggish plants and gives space.
35:11It all works as a whole.
35:13Your cash crop being your garlic, is that enough income then to generate the farm and keep it going?
35:19It's not, if I'm honest.
35:22So we've got a very diversified business.
35:24We're growing an amount of garlic, but we employ 100 people.
35:28We've got a tourist attraction.
35:29We've got a restaurant, a shop.
35:31We've got a wholesale business.
35:32We've got seed garlic for amateur growers, kitchen gardens, all those things.
35:37OK, so they'll be happy there for another day.
35:40The move to organic has changed the look of the farm, from new hedgerows to ponds that clean up their
35:46wastewater.
35:47But change here is nothing new.
35:49The family have been diversifying since the 1970s and they're continuing to find new ways to add value to their
35:55produce.
35:56Can I come in here?
35:57So this is what we've just harvested. Green garlic and the scapes.
36:02And what sort of flavours should I be expecting?
36:04The green garlic has got a pronounced garlicky flavour, but it's not as pronounced as it would be when it's
36:09dried.
36:09So it's a bit milder and the scapes are very mildly garlicky.
36:14Lovely. Can't wait.
36:16And this is smoked garlic butter.
36:17So we smoke the garlic over oak chippings for 48 hours and then put it into a butter.
36:23And yeah, smoky garlic flavour.
36:25Joining us for a bite to eat are more of the family.
36:28Just in time, the rain's started.
36:30So, meet the family.
36:31Hello.
36:32Brother Hugo, his wife Melanie and mum Jenny.
36:35Where do you recommend I start then?
36:37Green garlic, some sourdough.
36:40Thank you very much.
36:42Frittata down that side.
36:44Bioli.
36:45And on the scapes, just eat the whole thing?
36:47Absolutely, the head, everything.
36:48They're really tender.
36:50Jenny, a bit of toast.
36:51Well, I've never had garlic scapes before.
36:53They're a delicious flavour.
36:56Really, really lovely, aren't they?
36:57Nothing too strong.
36:58Definitely something I'd want to try again.
37:00So Jenny, tell me, how did the whole garlic idea come about on the Isle of Wight?
37:04Well, yes, it was my husband's idea.
37:06We were looking for something that was a growing market for.
37:09Garlic was fairly new going back to the 70s.
37:13Right.
37:13And, you know, magazines would say, use one clove of garlic optional.
37:18Now there's no optional about it.
37:21It's seven, eight cloves of garlic in everything.
37:23It's quite extraordinary.
37:24An amazing achievement, you must feel, that you've got to now.
37:28I'm very pleased, the family, of taking it on.
37:30And as a family, I can feel it and see it.
37:32You don't lack enthusiasm.
37:34Yeah.
37:37With its love of the sun, garlic certainly isn't suited to everywhere.
37:42But this innovative family here on the Isle of Wight
37:44might just inspire more farmers across the sunnier parts of the country
37:48to give it a go.
37:49Glad to be part of the party, thank you.
37:52Good to have you.
38:00Some truly remarkable wildlife can be found here,
38:04including plants that have clung on tenaciously
38:07as they've disappeared elsewhere.
38:10The island is home to several sites of special scientific interest,
38:16including one of the smallest in the world
38:19that contains one of the UK's rarest plants,
38:23field cow wheat.
38:25Now, it used to flourish in our fields and in our countryside,
38:27but due to our need for higher food production
38:30and a change to more intensive farming methods,
38:33field cow wheat was brought to the edge of extinction.
38:37But thanks to a small, dedicated team here,
38:40it's fighting back.
38:44Jamie Marsh from the local wildlife trust
38:47has spent the last 15 years working to conserve field cow wheat.
38:53Thousands of these plants can be found growing in less than half an acre
38:57of St. Lawrence Field Nature Reserve.
39:01So, Jamie, I'm told it's here. What am I looking for?
39:05Well, you will see these stunning purple flowers
39:08standing out amongst all the grasses and the other vegetation.
39:10As the flowers develop, they create these lovely yellow fringes
39:13on the individual flowers, so it's really quite a striking flower.
39:16They're almost tropical, very orchid-like in some respects.
39:19Why is it so special?
39:21It's an amazing species.
39:23This is the last native site in the whole of the UK,
39:25so it's a really important plant,
39:27and it's an important one we can serve for future generations to enjoy.
39:31It's part of not only our natural history but our rural history.
39:35It's a point to the past,
39:36and it's also a really important species for us to understand.
39:38It has an important role for other species,
39:41so if we don't look after it, it will go extinct.
39:43So how did it survive here on the Isle of Wight,
39:47in this tiny corner of this field?
39:49So this was a plant that was very common in old arable systems.
39:52It's a hemiparasite, so it would parasitise the arable crops,
39:56so things like barley and wheat.
39:57The seeds are very similar to the size of wheat grains.
40:00They got mixed in, and then it would turn the flower black and distasteful.
40:04But that must have been a nightmare back then.
40:07Absolutely.
40:07It was turning the bread a different colour.
40:09Exactly.
40:09So people were paid to remove it.
40:11It was once so common.
40:12And this bank was the last sort of bastion for it.
40:15It clung on, surviving on this bank, just on the edge of the arable.
40:19And what are we doing to help protect it?
40:20One of the key things is to stop the competition.
40:23More dominating species will take over, swamp out the plant,
40:26and then it won't be able to grow.
40:29Helping to create the ideal conditions for field cow wheat to grow
40:33is a team of volunteers who aren't afraid to get stuck in
40:37with some pretty hefty tools.
40:40So we're removing these saplings,
40:43and we're using these bits of kit called tree poppers,
40:46so it helps us get the roots out.
40:48Jamie, we usually plant trees.
40:49It seems a bit counterintuitive to sort of be digging them up.
40:53Yeah, so on this site, the priority is for the field cow wheat.
40:56So if we allow these trees to develop, they'll just shade out of the air,
41:00and that will stop the field cow wheat from growing.
41:02So it's important to get the balance right.
41:05Karen and Tracy are two of those helping to safeguard the future of field cow wheat,
41:11clearing brambles, gorse and saplings to shape the perfect habitat for the plant.
41:18What does it feel like to be working to protect such a special plant?
41:21It's very exciting and satisfying to see a very small area of a plant that's in danger,
41:29and to know that we're doing a bit of work that might help it survive.
41:33What do you hope your work here will achieve, especially with this rare species?
41:37Well, I think that it continues to grow here,
41:39and hopefully that the area that it grows in extends so that it's not in danger anymore.
41:46Well, I'm happy to help out. What do you need me to do?
41:48Yeah, I've already clamped the popper around the base of the tree,
41:53so you're just levering it down.
41:56What you might want to do is release it and then put it back down further down,
42:01so you're pulling it from a different angle as well.
42:04Okay.
42:04Yep, here we go.
42:07Are you waiting for that satisfying pop when it comes out?
42:11We are.
42:12Oh, got a good root system going on here.
42:15And the show's only an hour.
42:20There we go.
42:21Ooh.
42:22Woo-hoo.
42:23Wow.
42:24But it's a big root system.
42:25Look how, oh my goodness.
42:27Oh, that one did not want to leave, did it?
42:30So, success.
42:33Just a few more left.
42:36Tiffa Lester and Kate Garnham from the Wildlife Trust have spent five years monitoring the field cow wheat and have
42:43an understanding of the broader ecosystem these plants support.
42:48So, we're using the quadrats and we're doing a survey to count how many plants are here.
42:53So, we're not just looking for the flowering ones but the ones that are still yet to come up.
42:58It's a little bit earlier than we'd expect but hopefully that's a good sign of what's to come later in
43:02the year.
43:03We like to measure how far they've spread into the field too because that's another gauge on how well they're
43:09doing.
43:09Is it only the plants or are you counting insects and invertebrates around the plants?
43:14So, our primary two that we're actually looking for are ants and bumblebees.
43:18When the flowers come to seed and the seeds drop, the ants will actually come and they'll collect the seed
43:25from underneath.
43:25They'll then carry it off and actually it's by them carrying it which causes the spread of field cow wheat.
43:31So, what do we all lose if we lose this particular plant?
43:34The plant's beautiful in itself but it's also the knock-on effect on species like the bee that are there
43:40to pollinate it.
43:41And obviously bees are eaten by birds so it affects the whole food chain if we lose a single species.
43:48We've lost so much already as a country. We can't keep taking, we can't keep losing.
43:53We need to be doing better and I think it's rarities like this that we need to protect
43:58and I'm really proud to be a part of, you know, its story and hopefully its legacy.
44:04This is the next stage in trying to save the field cow wheat.
44:08They're ploughing up this field to plant a mix of seeds like winter oats and forage rye.
44:14The idea is that the cow wheat will piggyback on these new plants as they grow,
44:18helping it to spread naturally through the landscape.
44:22Everyone that's been working on the site today has been so excited about what you could achieve here.
44:27What are your dreams for its future?
44:29Well, we'll continue to manage the site and hopefully encourage a spread of the field cow wheat across the bank,
44:34into the field margin and hopefully into the arable crop at some point.
44:37And here behind us you can see us prepping the ground ready for an autumn sown crop.
44:41That will coincide with the seed germination and hopefully we can get it slowly popping into what will be a
44:47nice little overwintering sort of crop.
44:48I think ultimately its about having a really vibrant, sustainable population of the plant,
44:53so that one day we might see a sea of purple across this field.
45:04Our countryside is full of people making a difference and we want to celebrate them.
45:16Countryfile are in search of a young countryside champion for the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026.
45:24It might be a young farmer trying out new ideas to boost yields or farm more sustainably,
45:31a young naturalist helping to protect local wildlife or a volunteer opening up opportunities for others to experience the countryside.
45:40However they're making a difference, we'd love to hear their story.
45:44So if you or someone you know is aged between 16 and 24 and passionate about improving the British countryside,
45:51then please get in touch.
45:52To nominate for the countryfile young countryside champion, go to bbc.co.uk forward slash food awards,
46:00where you can also find the terms and privacy notice.
46:04Nominations close at midday on Monday the 15th of June 2026.
46:09Good luck.
46:16Sun, sea and a blustery day, perfect weather.
46:20How's it looking though for you in the week ahead? Here's your Countryfile forecast.
46:32Hello. For many areas of the UK today's been pretty cloudy, but we've managed a bit of hazy sunshine,
46:38some lovely skies here in the Shetland Islands,
46:41and we've managed to see temperatures in the low 20s across parts of eastern England.
46:45But further west, we've had the cloud thicken through the day,
46:48with outbreaks of rain turning up.
46:49Some of which have been quite heavy for West Scotland and for Northern Ireland as well.
46:53It has been a wet month so far.
46:56We're only one week into June, but already Shap in Cumbria has seen over-the-month average rainfall.
47:0285mm of rain has already fallen here.
47:04And I think it's fair to say in the next week,
47:06we can probably double those rainfall totals.
47:08We are all going to get a bit of a soaking.
47:11It's fair to say you won't be needing to water your gardens anytime soon this week
47:14because the jet stream will be doing that for you.
47:17Areas of low pressure being developed by the jet stream pointing straight at the UK,
47:21interspersed by zones of heavy showers as we'll see.
47:25Now overnight tonight we have some heavy rain at the moment in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
47:29That's going to be pushing into parts of Wales and Western England later in the night.
47:32It's the rain picking up here.
47:34The rain will clear away from West Scotland and Northern Ireland with clearing skies.
47:37That's where we'll see some of the lowest overnight temperatures down to about 8 or 9 degrees.
47:41Otherwise about 12 or 13 for most of us.
47:44Now this cold front will continue to push its way eastwards tomorrow, bringing outbreaks of rain.
47:48The heaviest rain working quite quickly into the middle and central southern England,
47:53East Anglia and the southeast.
47:55And that could loiter into the early afternoon, maybe with some rumbles of thunder on it.
47:59Behind that we should all see a bit more in the way of sunshine tomorrow.
48:02But there will be plenty of heavy showers across the northwest.
48:05Some of those will turn thundery.
48:07The temperature is a little bit down on those of today and it will feel a bit fresher as well.
48:11Now looking at the weather charts into Tuesday, we have a trough in the jet stream sat right over the
48:17top of the UK
48:18and that encourages the air to rise.
48:20That's why we're going to have lots of showers.
48:22It's one of those days where the showers might last 20 or 30 minutes, but there are going to be
48:26loads of them.
48:27So quite a few places will see several showers during the day and a number of them will turn heavy
48:32and thundery.
48:33So hefty downpours around. In between those downpours, yes, a bit of warm June sunshine.
48:38And although temperatures will be below average for the time of year,
48:40the strength of the June sun should still make it feel okay between those showers.
48:45It's a similar kind of setup on Wednesday, another day of sunshine and heavy showers.
48:50This time it's Scotland, central and eastern England will see the biggest downpours.
48:54Some are turning thundery with hail around as well.
48:56Maybe fewer showers across western areas, but a bit of high cloud could make the sunshine a little on the
49:01hazy side here.
49:03Now we swap the showers on Wednesday for more general outbreaks of rain for Thursday.
49:07Yeah, another area of low pressure moves in off the Atlantic.
49:10This one not just bringing rain, but also some strong gusts of wind.
49:14Those gusts of wind reaching the low fifties of miles an hour, the rain extensive and heavy.
49:19It will tend to clear away from Northern Ireland, Wales, Western England,
49:23perhaps Western Scotland late in the day.
49:25So it may well brighten up, but overall it's going to be a soggy day on Thursday with a pretty
49:31heavy rain around.
49:31And it will still be a little bit cool for the time of year.
49:34We clear off that rain into the near continents as we head into Friday,
49:38but replace it with sunshine and showers.
49:40The majority of the showers across northern areas of the UK, a little ridge starts to build into the west.
49:45That should tend to kill the showers off Friday afternoon for Wales,
49:49Southwest England and Northern Ireland, so it should become that bit drier.
49:51And there are little hints that into the following weekend we could see something a bit drier and warmer,
49:56but much of the week we'll see big clouds like these coming our way.
50:10We're spending time on the Isle of Wight, an island that, with its southerly location and unique geology,
50:17is home to a range of surprising plants and animals.
50:24And what better way to see the island and its wildlife than the King Charles III England Coast Path?
50:32This path, which is now around 80% complete, will stretch for almost 2,700 miles around the entire English
50:41coastline.
50:42And here on the Isle of Wight, it will form a continuous 92-mile trail, with the project now reaching
50:49its final stages.
50:53Now, true to form, the Isle of Wight section will be a little bit different to the rest.
50:57It will be the only English county to be completely enclosed by the path.
51:01So, with enough time and stamina, you could actually walk a full loop of the island.
51:09And as more people look to explore this coastline, the unique geology here creates its own challenges,
51:15which makes something as simple as building a footpath a lot more complicated than it first appears.
51:23And it's up to Chloe Walker Pass from Natural England to navigate those challenges,
51:29on a coastline that refuses to stay still.
51:33So, Chloe, tell me about this coastline then, and what is it that makes it so remarkable?
51:37It's really such a dynamic coastline.
51:40So, further in the north, you've got your nature reserves, your estuaries, a new town.
51:45You've got your boating community in Cowles.
51:48On the east side, you've got your tourism, your beaches, your family holidays.
51:54And then here, yeah, it's just like a really dynamic coastline.
51:58And what do you mean by dynamic?
52:00It's ever-changing. There's lots of erosion.
52:02Okay.
52:03So, we've got our chalks behind us.
52:05So, they're a bit harder.
52:06So, they take a little bit longer to erode.
52:10And then more on the west side of the island, we've got our softer sediments.
52:14So, our mud, sands and silts.
52:16And they tend to erode in quite big chunks.
52:19Okay.
52:20And even here, like, this is, I mean, clearly it's not chalk, is it?
52:23It's a darker brown.
52:24Yeah.
52:24So, you've got your clays as well.
52:26So, once the clays become saturated, they just pulse and they just separate.
52:31And we get these massive landslips.
52:33And how quick could that be, you know, at its worst example?
52:36So, recently at Bond Church, we had a massive erosion event.
52:41And that closed the road and people had to be evacuated during the night.
52:45So, that was a massive landslip event.
52:47That was good.
52:48And in other areas, it can be 0.5 metres a year.
52:52But, yeah, it all depends on the geology.
52:54So, the softer sediments go a lot quicker.
52:58And even if it was just an average of 50 centimetres a year, I mean, over time, that's huge, isn't
53:01it?
53:02Yeah, exactly.
53:13With cliffs eroding and landslips reshaping the coastline, some sections of the path are simply being lost.
53:20So, instead of fixing it in place, the route must be ready to adapt into the future.
53:26So, our original route for the King Charles III coast path was actually following along the clifftop here.
53:33And then we were following these steps on the left here, down here, and then there was a footbridge.
53:38And then there was a storm in 2023, and it just took the bridge and it just completely destroyed the
53:45area.
53:46Right, it was just taken away in one night, as it were.
53:48Yeah, in one night.
53:49And then you can just see it's just slowly slumping.
53:52It does look very unstable here, doesn't it?
53:54Yeah, it's just gently, just constantly being eroded.
53:58So, we're now actually, under the legislation, we've got this thing that we can do, which is called rollback.
54:03Okay.
54:04So, it means that if the coast path goes, we can just continually roll the path back.
54:10So, we future-proof it forever.
54:12Because currently, if a public right away at the top of the cliff goes, it's gone.
54:16It's a much longer process to reinstate it.
54:20Yeah, that's amazing.
54:21So, it's real legacy.
54:22So, in other words, normally a right-of-way is kind of set in stone.
54:25It's often been used over many, many decades or years.
54:29And then when it's gone, it's gone.
54:31But here, you're saying there's this sort of renewal that can happen.
54:34Yeah.
54:34So, we looked at going just a little bit further back.
54:37But because of the designated features of the SSSI, we can't do that.
54:41Okay.
54:42And we've got the houses further up.
54:44So, it's just meant that we've had to go inland and inputting a footbridge there.
54:49Wow.
54:49Sometimes, we just can't stick by the coast.
54:51We want to, but we'll still have that coastal feel.
54:54We'll still be walking on the cliff top.
54:56And then coming back and rejoining the coast path.
55:03And here at Grange Chine, a site of special scientific interest for its important geology and wildlife,
55:10that approach is already being put into practice.
55:14With the path moved inland and new sections built to keep it one step ahead of the coastline.
55:20Right.
55:20So, this big structure here, this is the brick viaduct we can see from the beach, right?
55:24Yeah, that's right.
55:25So, people working busily away.
55:28Yeah.
55:29I'm sure they always are, not just because we're here to check on them.
55:31What are they doing?
55:32Yeah.
55:32So, they're putting in some timber footsteps.
55:36And then in time, once those join down to about this point here, we're putting,
55:41there'll be a crane on the bridge.
55:42Uh-huh.
55:43And then we're bringing footbridge.
55:45Oh.
55:45It's already been constructed over and putting it down here.
55:48Oh, wow.
55:49So, we're quite a way in from the coast.
55:51Not that far.
55:52Yeah.
55:52We still, still has that coastal feel.
55:55But it's the only option that we have here.
55:57So, yeah, with the landowner's agreement, it's a win-win.
56:01And this will cost quite a lot of money.
56:02But it's deemed to be worth it that you feel people need this access.
56:06Yeah.
56:06It's beneficial for the local economy.
56:09You know, they thrive on tourism.
56:12It'll be a national trail for people to enjoy.
56:19It's just beneficial for the locals as well, you know.
56:21The ones that want to walk their dog along the coast path.
56:29It's easy to take a path like this for granted.
56:32But with a coastline that's always shifting,
56:34keeping a route around the entire island is anything but simple.
56:37And in many ways, this is a never-ending project
56:40that will continue to evolve along with the island itself.
56:59Margarita, I'm good. How's it going?
57:01Yes, I had a great day.
57:03Good.
57:03Now, this might be the ideal way to top off the programme.
57:06Okay.
57:07Adam's been on the island.
57:08Yeah.
57:08I haven't seen him, but he sent us these.
57:10He said, we're not allowed to look at the lid,
57:12and we have to guess what flavour it is.
57:14Okay?
57:15Okay.
57:16Oh, ice cream. Lovely.
57:17Ice cream.
57:18You know they love ice cream.
57:19That's so kind of him.
57:20I love ice cream.
57:21Oh, chocolate.
57:21Just what we need.
57:22So, it does look like chocolate.
57:24Guess the flavour.
57:25Guess the flavour.
57:26That's what he said.
57:27Chocolate and something.
57:28Yeah.
57:32It's really nice.
57:33It's really nice.
57:34And I'm getting chocolate.
57:35I don't know if I'm getting anything else.
57:36Are you?
57:37Not yet.
57:38It's very rich.
57:40Okay.
57:40It's good.
57:41Big reveal.
57:42Mm-hmm.
57:43You are eating black garlic and chocolate ice cream.
57:47Garlic?
57:48Yeah.
57:50Who knew?
57:52Well done, Adam.
57:53It's good.
57:53Although I think we should probably send him
57:54strawberry picking next time, don't you think?
57:56Well, that's all we've got time for this week.
57:58But join John and Vic next week.
57:59They're in the Cotswolds.
58:00Without ice cream.
58:05I can feel it moving.
58:06Yes.
58:07Oh, we have a lift off.
58:08Right.
58:09There you go.
58:09Wow.
58:10You're the first person to touch it since the dinosaurs roamed the land.
58:16So, what would that one be then?
58:18I'll call it a cock, yes.
58:20Right.
58:20Okay.
58:21We'll call this one a head.
58:22So they're together.
58:23And here's one more.
58:24Yeah.
58:26So it's a wrist flick.
58:27Yeah.
58:27So it's kind of...
58:28Oh, isn't it?
58:30Yeah.
58:30Explosive.
58:31Just at the end.
58:31Oh!
58:32That's it.
58:32That's really good.
58:36Well, we hope you can join us then.
58:38See ya.
58:42These majestic big cats have an amazing tale to tell next on BBC One.
58:47Come and explore Tiger Island.
58:49While close to her heart, Natalie Cassidy's training to be a carer.
58:53Follow her touching journey on iPlayer.
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