91Èȱ¬

Crisscrossing Dartmoor’s landscape are hundreds of miles of leats. These man-made waterways used to power Dartmoor’s historic industries and today they still provide a vital supply of water to farms so require regular maintenance.  John Craven meets ranger Rob Steemson from Dartmoor National Park to learn more about them, including how one of them has been built by one of our greatest seafaring Britons and that they can sometimes create a curious optical illusion.

Anita Rani makes an explosive entrance at the largest china clay pit in the world. She discovers how this industry has shaped St Austell’s landscape and tries her hand at ‘winning’ the white gold from the rock using a jet of water so powerful it could overturn a car. Industry expert Ivor Bowditch tells her that aside from crockery, china clay is used in everything from paper to pharmaceuticals to paint.  And artist Jenny Beavan loves the stuff so much she uses it in her work.  Anita joins Jenny just as she’s putting the finishing touches to her latest wall panel; a mix of natural ingredients all drawn from the Cornish landscape.

John is back on the moor giving a helping hand to local Livestock farmer Richard Gray. Richard relies on Dartmoor’s leats to provide water for his family and for the animals on his farm. He uses some ancient tools to keep the leats flowing and tells John how his biggest challenge is preventing the banks of the leats collapsing from the hundreds of animal hooves that traipse over them every day.

There is one breed of animal that couldn’t be more evocative of the county from which it takes its name, the Suffolk Punch. This thoroughbred is designed for strength, not speed, and makes light work of the county’s rich yet heavy clay soil. Matt Baker meets Roger Clarke who still uses them to plough his fields. For many decades these horses worked the land in Suffolk until the introduction of tractors saw their numbers plummet to near extinction. They are still significantly rarer than the giant panda. But, as Matt finds out, hope is not lost for the Suffolk Punch because of new ideas and an interested new generation.

The working landscape across Britain is nothing without the animals that live and work on it.  More known for their role as draught horses, Clydesdales are now part of the landscape in Dartmoor, but it's humans they’re now lugging around!  John meets Tim Ancrum and his horse Solo to learn more about the Clydesdale’s new role as trekking horses and their relationship with the moor.

Protecting Britain’s bees is a big concern.  Ellie Harrison travels to Shropshire and RAF Shawbury to visit a conservation project called Praise Bee that’s working with the RAF to boost the numbers of one of our most important pollinators; Mason Bees.  She meets Praise Bee Founder Viv Marsh to find out more and puts out some new Bee ‘barracks’ for Mason Bee pupae with MOD environmental officer Andy Parfitt.

For forty years photographer Chris Chapman has taken photographs of the working communities of Dartmoor.  Through his images he’s created a historical record of Dartmoor and its people. John meets Chris to see some of his images that reveal good times and bad on Dartmoor including the Foot and Mouth tragedy of 2001. 

Adam Henson heads for the Shetlands, the most northerly inhabited place in the UK. With only 100 growing days a year, the farmers and producers on these islands have to make every day count. Adam meets Ronnie Eunson, a champion of local rare breeds to learn more about farming in the Shetland Islands and what it takes to make it in the harshest of conditions.

Brimpts Farm has been in existence since the 14th century and is currently run by Andy Bradford. Andy is the co-founder of the Dartmoor Wood Cooperative, one of only a handful in the country.   Forestry work has been part of the landscape here for centuries but Andy is putting a new spin on tradition.  John also meets Andy’s 20 year old daughter Jo who is following in her dad’s innovative footsteps.  She’s started a camping pod business on the farm inspired by the landscape of Nepal!

The working landscape around Snowdonia National Park has undergone many transformations. In the 19th century the slate mining industry dramatically changed the landscape here and brought prosperity to the region.  But this part of Snowdonia is now undergoing another transformation, one that encourages thrill-seekers and adventurers to explore what lies beyond the mountain slopes. Helen Skelton takes a look at some of the new attractions on offer to visitors.

John climbs Crokern Tor to meet Jim Causley, local singer, songwriter, and former 91Èȱ¬ Radio 2 Folk Award nominee.   Crockern Tor was the meeting point of the Stannery Parliament of Dartmoor, where the 96 men of the mining industry would meet to enact laws. Jim has written an Ode to the Tin as part of a heritage project to honour the heritage of tin mining in the area, and along with some fellow singers, they perform the song for John as the sun sets in the sky.