Countryfile - Aberystwyth: Joe Crowley is in Aberystwyth to meet scientists behind some of the biggest new developments in farming and food security, from insect brownies to the revival of historic crops and why some South American visitors could be the saviours of upland farming. Charlotte Smith is in the Lea Valley, home to 3,500 acres of glasshouses providing 75 per cent…
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…
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…
Countryfile - Vanishing Villages: John Craven and Matt Baker are on the east coast of England to find out how storms are devouring the coastline, putting homes and livelihoods at threat. John is in Happisburgh in north Norfolk which loses two metres of land to the sea every year, a rate predicted to accelerate in the near future. One resident has already lost her home but…
Countryfile - Going to Extremes: Celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the first recorded summit of the highest point on earth, Mount Everest, Ellie Harrison is in Kettering at one of the world’s most advanced materials research facilities to put outdoor gear – and herself – to the test. As well as getting to grips with a pair of expedition boots that made it to the top…
Countryfile - Livestock Market: Adam Henson and Charlotte Smith are in Derbyshire at Bakewell Livestock Market as hundreds of sheep and cattle are auctioned. Among the farmers looking to make a penny or two is Keith Harrop, who is hoping to get top dollar for one of his beef cattle. But is business brisk enough today? As well as following a busy market day, Charlotte discovers…
Countryfile - Small Fishing Village: Joe Crowley and Steve Brown are on the North Yorkshire coast in the beautiful village of Staithes to find out how the traditional fishing community is adapting for the future. Where once there was a fishing fleet of 80, now there is just one fisherman left. Joe goes out to sea to discover how one skipper has swapped nets for wildlife…
Countryfile - Underground Britain: Sean Fletcher is in Cornwall, but he’s not here to explore its fabulous 300-mile coastline. Instead, he goes underground to unearth the legacy of the county’s renowned tin and copper mining industries. Sean encounters an endangered mammal that has set up home in disused mine shafts at Prideaux Wood, and at Penwith we delve underground to discover the history and geology of…