Saltmarsh, Sand and Sea
Steve Brown goes on a tour of the Isle of Sheppey. A flat landscape typified by saltmarsh, sea and big skies, this is a wilderness full of wildlife.
Steve Brown goes on a whistlestop tour of the place he calls home - the Isle of Sheppey. A flat landscape typified by saltmarsh, sea and big skies, this is a wilderness full of wildlife. The programme spends the day immersed in nature at Elmley Marshes on the north Kent coast. It's the country's only family-run farm that is also a designated national nature reserve.
With waders within the wetlands, livestock on the saltmarsh that snakes down to the sea and raptors soaring high in the enormous skies, Steve gives viewers an insight into the landscape he loves. The programme also looks back at some of Countryfile's favourite forays on to marshland, on the seas and in the sky.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:02Embrace
Ashes
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00:12One Direction
I Would
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00:39Richard Hawley
I Sleep Alone
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00:41Belle and Sebastian
I'm Not Living in the Real World
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00:42Bombay Bicycle Club
Leaving Blues
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00:45Bonobo
On Your Marks聽
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00:52Tribute Mega Stars
History Maker
Elmley National Nature Reserve
Steve spends the day immersed in nature at Elmley Marshes, a family-run farm that is also a designated national nature reserve.聽
Along the way, Steve meets award-winning photographer Robert Canis to get some tips on getting that perfect wildlife snap...before taking to the sky for a birds' eye view of this magical landscape.
The Pioneer
The Essex coastline, once a hub for shipbuilding and fishing has a maritime history that dates back centuries.聽
Matt heads out on the water on board the Pioneer, a restored seventy-foot Essex Smack from 1864, to learn聽about its former life and the restoration process.聽
On board, he meets artist James Dodds and discovers how he鈥檚 captured the rebuild through his art.
Matt has a go at sailing and chats to the crew, whose job it is to keep this beautiful piece of maritime history afloat.
Red Seals
Ellie is exploring the glistening backwaters of Essex in search of seals of a different kind - they're neither grey nor brown but a surprising red.聽
We join coastal warden Leon Woodrow on board his boat to navigate the creeks searching for the seals out on the mud flats.聽
Ellie then meets Darren Tansley, from the Essex Wildlfie Trust, who鈥檚 been running a major study on the seals. A number of them have been tagged and tracked, revealing some astonishing findings.
West Rise School
West Rise in East Sussex is no typical state junior school. With its on-site farm, adjoining marshland and bronze-age settlement - it does things a little differently!聽
John meets headmaster Mike Fairclough and his staff who actively encourage outdoor learning as part of a project called Forest School.聽
John joins a class of pupils as they learn about the Bronze Age through flint-knapping, smelting and bow and arrow making.聽
The school also benefits from links with the local farming community and a range of livestock including six water buffalo that live on the marsh.
Salt Marsh Sheep
Adam is visiting a farm on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, where the livestock live along the edge of this unusual coastline.聽
The sheep graze on the salt marshes and during a high tide they need moving to higher ground.聽
The working dog is essential on this terrain, as many parts of the salt marshes are inaccessible by vehicle.聽
Adam helps gather the flock with his sheepdog, Peg, and puts her swimming skills to the test.聽
Raptor Rapture
The Isle of Sheppey has become one of best places in the UK to spot birds of prey - so we join wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones as he sets out to see just how many he can track down in just one day.聽
Starting at sunrise, Richard begins to tick off his list by capturing footage of a Kestrel, a Barn Owl, a Merlin and a Hen Harrier to name but a few.聽
He ends a long day's filming at sunset with Hen Harriers coming home to roost - a spectacle not to be missed.
Leech Charming
Anita is on the hunt for medicinal leeches in Anglesey!
No longer used in medicine, they are now an endangered species found in only about twenty locations across the UK.聽聽
Anita meets up with Chris Wynne while he's is out catching leeches for a survey and聽catches up with Hannah Shaw, who is surely one of the only people in Britain who keeps one as a pet...so meet Lesley the leech as he/she make his/her Countryfile debut!聽
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Steve Brown |
| Executive Producer | William Lyons |
| Series Producer | Joanna Brame |
