Episode 5
John Craven brings us autumnal stories from all over the UK and explores the countryside around the historic city of Oxford.
Paul Martin meets legendary Queen guitarist Brian May to discover why he has been buying agricultural land. The UK was once 98% covered by ancient woodlands. Now only 2% of these remain, so Bryan has decided to act to restore these vital habitats for the future. He began with a piece of land in Bere Regis in Dorset and engaged the help of landscape detective Julian Olsen to establish what types of trees were native to the area. So far they have taken 170 acres of land out of agricultural production, and planted 101,000 trees.
Dog attacks on sheep have jumped by 67% in the last seven years. Even if they survive an attack, pregnant ewes will often miscarry their young as a result. Jules Hudson investigates what enhanced measures farmers are taking to protect their livestock and how these could impact on you and your unsuspecting pet on a countryside stroll.
Margherita Taylor discovers how one of the UK鈥檚 most scenic autumnal landscapes could be at risk. The Lake District is a Unesco world heritage site, but 300,000 local people have signed a petition asking for even greater protections to be introduced to curb the use of motorbikess and 4x4s.
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SAVE ME TRUST
England was once a wild wooded land with majestic trees towered over the hills and valleys. Over the centuries we decimated our forests creating a crisis at the heart of the British countryside. With as little as two percent of our mature forests remaining, and an estimated one in ten wildlife species currently facing extinction we have reached a crisis point.
Paul Martin meets rock legend Brian May to find out more about his recent project in the Dorset, where he has been replanting trees in an effort to save habitats that would otherwise be destroyed.
LAKE DISTRICT IN CRISIS
The Lake District is a landscape which boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the world. It is not surprising that this Unesco World Heritage attracts around eighteen million people each year but this beautiful scenery is now at risk.
Margherita investigates how daytrippers, driving off road vehicles and motorbikes, could be jeopardizing the natural beauty.
ALPACAS
Keep a close eye on your dog when you are next out in the countryside, as there is an new unlikely sheriff in town. They will stamp out any bad behaviour, something farmers Gary and Felicia Sanders learned when they started breeding alpacas in Cornwall.聽 Their fiercely protective natures make them perfect a perfect guard animal to protect flocks of sheep. Jules finds out more.
SHIRE HORSES
The breed that inspired Warhorse was a shire.聽 A century ago these gentle giants were the backbone of our rural economy pulling ploughs through the fields and facing danger during war time. They are still used by riot police today, but the declining population numbers mean that the shire horse is now a breed at risk. Margherita is finding out what can be done to bring them back from the brink. 聽
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | John Craven |
| Presenter | Margherita Taylor |
| Presenter | Jules Hudson |
| Presenter | Paul Martin |
| Executive Producer | William Lyons |
| Series Producer | Nicola Lafferty |
