Farming and Country Life

Countryfile – Compilation: Modern medicine has transformed our lives and wellbeing, but some ancient remedies still have a place in our hi-tech hospitals. Sean Fletcher is in Hendy, south Wales, visiting Europe’s most productive leech farm, which supplies 70 per cent of medicinal leeches worldwide. He joins for feeding time and discovers how these often-reviled three-jawed creatures are making a comeback, helping patients recover from trauma or severe infections. Leeches aren’t the only creepy crawlies with a place in modern medicine. In Swansea, Sean discovers how maggots are working their magic for a patient recovering from a major infection. And

Countryfile – Troubled Waters: The Wye is one of the most spectacular rivers in Britain, winding through stunning countryside, the muse of writers and artists, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest and conservation. With that sort of reputation, you’d expect the river to have a pristine bill of a health. But like so many of our waterways, the Wye’s waters are in trouble. Suffocated by pollution, it is slowly dying. But all is not lost.         Matt Baker and Anita Rani meet the volunteers going to the rescue of the Wye, from the cider maker turned

Countryfile – Dartmoor: Our national parks are beautiful wild spaces that are free for us all to explore and enjoy. But what does the future hold in light of funding cutbacks and the recent wild camping ruling on Dartmoor? Charlotte Smith discovers how cuts are affecting management of wild landscapes and finds out how political parties are squaring up to the right to camp debate. She also catches up with author Guy Shrubsole to discover a rare rainforest here on Dartmoor, while Matt Baker helps budding conservationists with a bird survey and takes to the airwaves of Skylark FM.