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Open Country

First broadcast from 20020824 to 20100130.

Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique

348 episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Description
	20020824		Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20020928	20021003
	20021005	20021010
	20021012	20021017
Buckinghamshire	20021205		Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20021221	20021226	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
Sheklands	20021228	20030102	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20030104	20030109	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20030118	20030123	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20030125	20030130	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20030201	20030206	Helen Mark collects more stories from the British countryside.
	20030215	20030220	Richard Uridge returns to his old stamping ground - and has a close encounter with a dead squirrel.
	20030222	20030227	Richard Uridge visits an oasis of calm amid an urban Hertfordshire environment and learns, among other things, the art of wooden spoon making.
	20030322	20030327	Richard Uridge encounters Victor Hugo, green turtles and knitted stockings on a visit to Guernsey.
North Wessex Downs	20030329	20030403	Richard Uridge visits the North Wessex Downs where he joins conservation volunteers and learns how to butcher a pig. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
Somerset Levels	20030405	20030410	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. Today, he meets a mud-horse on the Somerset Levels. [Rptd Thurs at 1.30pm] "Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. Today, he meets a mud-horse on the Somerset Levels.
	20030419	20030424	Richard Uridge visits the North Wessex Downs where he joins conservation volunteers and learns how to butcher a pig.
	20030426	20030501	Helen Mark goes tree-felling in Sherwood Forest.
	20030503	20030508	Helen Mark goes Cuckoo in Marsden. [Rptd Thurs, 1.30pm]
	20030510	20030515	Helen Mark visits the Gower Peninsula in South Wales and experiences a spectacular sunset and a blustery dawn chorus. [Rptd Thurs, 1.30pm]
	20030816	20030821	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] / From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Helen Mark explores rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20030830	20030904	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20030906	20030911	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles.
	20030913	20030918	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] / Helen Mark discovers the secret underground life of Northamptonshire. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm] / Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] / Helen Mark discovers the secret underground life of Northamptonshire. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20030920	20030925	Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
Aberdeenshire	20030927	20031002	As the wild mushroom industry sits on a knife edge between bumper crop and abysmal pickings, Helen Mark visits the Muir of Dinnet in Aberdeenshire to meet some local fungi fanatics. Open Country sent them on a mushroom hunt to see what fungal fancies they could find. The Muir of Dinnet is situated on the north side of the River Dee and surrounded by two lochs, Davan and Kinord. To get a full picture of the surrounding countryside Helen met up with Ewen Cemeron, from Scottish Natural Heritage. Helen found Dick Peebles down near Loch Kinord rummaging for mushrooms. Dick owns Caledonian Wild Foods, a Glasgow based company that specialises in supplying the catering industry with a vast variety of wild foods, especially mushrooms. Dick is mad about mushrooms, whether picking, protecting, researching or simply speaking about them; his enthusiasm is infectious. Unfortunately mushrooms were some what thin on the ground in the Muir of Dinnet so Helen headed north to Culbin Forest in Morayshire where she met up with keen mycologist Liz Holden. Liz has recently written a list of English names for the 3000 species of fungi found in Britain. Previously the mushrooms had only their Latin names which are almost impossible for the novice to remember. Thanks to Liz’s work names such as Lemon Disco and Rooting Poisonpie are now common place in the mushroom world! Back at the Muir of Dinett near Loch Kinord, still faced with a lack of chanterelles and ceps, Helen met Ann Miller who has found a unique way cultivating mushrooms. As Anne explains growing Shittake mushrooms on logs and Oyster Mushrooms on toilet rolls is much easier than many people would think! With the group back together again and comparing bounties, Jimmy and Amanda Graham were kind enough to cook them for us! James is a top Scottish chef and the husband and wife team own the acclaimed restaurant Ostlers Close in Cupar, Fife. Being big mushroom enthusiasts, they refuse to buy mushrooms and the menu always revolves around what mushrooms have been gathered that day.
Isle Of Mann	20031004	20031009
Living In The Woods	20031011	20031016	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20031018	20031023	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. Weather follows. [Rptd Thurs 1.30pm]
	20031025	20031030	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20031101	20031106	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20031108	20031113	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20031115	20031120	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat, 6.10am] / From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Richard Uridge explores rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20031122		Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. Repeated Thursday.
	20031127		Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. Repeat.
	20031129	20031204	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. [Rpt of Sat, 6.10am]
	20031206	20031211	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat, 6.10am]
In Search Of Wild Boar	20031213	20031218	Helen Mark uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
Gone Fishing On The Banks Of The Weir	20031220	20031225	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles.
	20040103	20040108	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. / Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20040110	20040115	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
Bosworth Field	20040117	20040122	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Richard Uridge explores rural life.
	20040124	20040129
	20040207	20040212	Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10pm]. / Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10pm]. / Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10pm]. / Helen Mark uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thurs, 1.30pm] / Helen Mark uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thurs, 1.30pm]
	20040214	20040219
	20040313	20040320	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat, 6.10am]
	20040320	20040327
	20040410	20040417	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat, 6.10am]
	20040417	20040424	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20040424	20040501	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. Weather follows. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
The A44	20040508		We take for granted the roads we drive along, their routes and the flora and fauna along them. They are traditionally the conduits for trade and ideas as well as for people traversing the country. Richard Uridge follows part of a rural road, the A44 as it winds its way from the coast of mid-Wales at Aberystwyth to Herefordshire, Worcestershire and beyond. He meets Professor Richard Moore-Colyer on what used to be the main road for the cattle drovers out of Aberystwyth but was superceded by the A44 in the 1830s when a less mountainous route was preferred. Until the 1960s it remained nothing more than a track but it was decided to tarmac it when tourists began to be drawn to the beauty of the area. Further into mid-Wales, the A44 is bisected by the Monk's Trodd, an ancient road which is now a footpath. It covers 25 miles and joins the ruins of two Cistercian monastries. It runs along a plateau and has outstanding views to the north where you can see Cader Idris and to the south the Brecon Beacons. Richard’s next guest, Liz Fleming-Williams thinks it is one of the most symbolic places in Wales, signifying Wales' wildness and is one of the few wild places south of Hadrian's Wall. This wildness was protected in part by the large numbers of dams and reservoirs that were created in the area one hundred years ago this year to provide Birmingham's water. The dams stopped the area from being used for forestry and this in turn protected the blanket bogs and upland habitats which are so precious. Monks Trodd The Elan valley It’s difficult to drive anywhere and not notice the roadside verges on your journey. In Powys the county council have had more complaints about roadside verges than any other issue. In 1999 they cut the flora back rather earlier than usual there was outcry from the community. Pressure from the public and conservationists led to a project being set up and so far it has been a great success both in deciding how these habitats can best be protected and working in partnership with all of the concerned groups to ensure the best action is taken. Michelle Delafield of the Powys Living Highways Project looks after verge management on Powys’ minor roads. 85 stretches have been designated as nature reserves some are only a few feet long and others stretch for miles. They have been so designated because they contain a particularly rare species, (this might be a type of flower or butterfly or even a dormouse population) or include a vast diversity of species. The Powys Living Highways Project Wiz Clift is an expert at finding free food from the so-called “Larder Hedgerow”, and also at cooking delicious meals with the produce she finds. Her restaurant situated on the A44 near Worcester is a haven of local seasonal produce. She takes Richard away from the more polluted roadsides of the A44 to a quiet country lane where she searches the verges and hedgerows to find some wonderful spring ingredients such as wild chives, hedge garlic and nettles for salads, quiches and tarts – sometimes made using abandoned pheasant eggs found by the roadside too.
	20040515
	20040522	20040529	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20040814	20040819
	20040828	20040902
	20040911	20040916
	20040918	20040923	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20040925	20040930
	20041002	20041007	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20041009	20041014	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20041016	20041021	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20041023	20041028	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
Rutland Water	20041030	20041104	is the largest man made lake in Western Europe. It's home to 20000 birds and last year successfully introduced young ospreys from Scotland. Created to provide water for the conurbations of the East Midlands, it has blossomed into a major tourist attraction for fishermen, sailing clubs and birdwatchers.
	20041106	20041111
	20041113	20041118	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20041120	20041125
	20041127	20041202	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Richard Uridge explores rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
Nottinghamshire	20041204	20041209	A piece of fabric used by a king to declare war on his own people gives this week's Open Country its starting point. Helen Mark looks out from the roof of Nottingham Castle towards the mound, later christened Standard Hill, to which Charles I rode in great ceremony to raise the Royal Standard in August 1642. Historian Dr Trevor Foulds explains the huge significance (and ultimate farcical quality) of the act which effectively began the Civil War, and also of the flag itself, which represented the power of the king over his subjects, the old order which was itself, of course, soon to become history in its turn. The royalist symbols on the flag told anyone who saw it that this was a king quite separate from, and infinitely superior to, his subjects. Those symbols - a shorthand form of communicating power - find an echo on the walls of Church Hole, part of the Creswell Crags cave complex where Britain's earliest examples of Ice Age art have been found by Sheffield University's Dr Paul Pettitt and colleagues in the field. Overlooked by generations of archaeologists, these drawings, which include etchings of what are thought to be reindeer and bison, give an insight into why early man created such works of art. For the most part incomplete and so hidden away that they were not apparently drawn to be viewed, it seems that the artists were expressing a sense of belonging to a group of fellow hunter-gatherers, and fulfilling a spiritual need in evoking the animal on which they so heavily relied for life. This sense of belonging to a group finds very clear expression in miners' banners and Paul Whetton, a lifelong NUM member, tells Helen how his colliery colleagues at Bevercotes saved to pay for their own, and what it meant to be chosen to carry that banner at the miners' gala in Mansfield. On strike for 12 months in the 1980s, Paul feels that the solidarity felt by miners gathered behind a banner is similar to family feeling - gathering below a banner provides a sense of support, of belonging, of unity, of strength and of working class power. Holding up a banner, he says, is like holding up pride in yourself, in your industry and in your community. Just down the road from Paul's home, at St Paulinus' Church in Ollerton, Reg Pritchard and his wife Dorothy have created a stained glass window in memory of the miners who worked, lived and died in the Nottinghamshire pits. Reg's father, uncles and grandfather were miners and, seeing what it had done to them, he chose to leave Ollerton and escape the industry. But he is, he says, imbued with the mine and put into the window his emotions about his family and his pride in what miners gave for the community. Now that most evidence of the industry has been erased from the landscape, Reg - and people like Joan Seger, whose idea the window was - wanted to make sure that the work, so integral to the community, was never forgotten. And anyone looking at the window, with its two miners and Christ each carrying a lamp, should know instantly what story is being told. It's as simple, as symbolic and as easily understood as that royal standard raised by Charles over his people in Nottingham.
	20041211	20041216
	20041218	20041223
	20041230		Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20050101	20050106
	20050108	20050113	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20050115	20050120	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20050122	20050127	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20050129	20050203	Richard Uridge explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British isles.
	20050212		Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20050217		Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside.
	20050219	20050224
	20050226	20050303	Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] Helen Mark explores rural life across the length and breadth of the British Isles.
	20050305	20050310
	20050312	20050317
	20050319	20050324
	20050326	20050331	Open Country uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm] From the Shetland Isles to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, open country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20050402	20050407	From the Shetland Isles to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, open country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] From the Shetland Isles to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, the programme explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20050409	20050414	From the Shetland Isles to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, the programme explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20050416	20050421	From the Shetland Isles to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, the programme explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20050423
	20050430	20050505	More stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Saturday 6.10am]
	20050507	20050512
	20050514	20050519	The programme uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20050521	20050526
	20050528	20050602
	20050604	20050609
	20050611	20050616
	20050618	20050623
	20050625	20050630	More stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Thu 1.30PM]
	20050702	20050707
	20050709	20050714
	20050716	20050721
	20050723	20050728
	20050730	20050804	The programme uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20050806	20050811
	20050813	20050818, RptofSat6.10am	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life.
	20050820	20050825
	20050827	20050901
	20050903	20050908
	20050910	20050915
	20050917	20050922
	20050924	20050929
	20051001	20051006
Mersea Island	20051008	20051013	A few miles south of Colchester lies Mersea Island, though technically it's only cut off from the mainland at the highest tides. The name means "island of the pool or mere" and you get there by crossing a road known as the Strood which was built around 1300 years ago. It's only five miles long and a couple of miles wide, and although it's a popular spot for Essex weekenders, remarkably unspoilt. And although holidaymakers bring prosperity to the area, the island is also a focus for farming and fishing.
County Clare In Ireland	20051015	20051020	This weeks programme travels to County Clare in Ireland, home to folklorist Eddie Lenihan. Eddie takes Richard to the newly built motorway just outside Ennis to show him a rather ordinary, stunted hawthorn bush. But this is no ordinary bush - Eddie tells Richard that this is a fairy tree, a meeting place for the fairies of Munster, a staging post as they gathered to do battle with the fairies of Connaught. In fact the motorway was diverted at the cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds to accommodate the tree. This motorway and the bush symbolise perfectly the meeting of two cultures: post-industrial modern Ireland and rural traditional Ireland.
	20051022	20051027
	20051029	20051103
	20051105	20051110
	20051119	20051124
	20051126	20051201
	20051203	20051208
	20051210	20051215
	20051217	20051222	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20051224	20051229	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20051231	20060105
	20060107	20060112	We celebrate the oak - the tree that built Britain.
	20060114	20060119
	20060121	20060126
	20060128	20060202
	20060211	20060216
	20060218	20060223
	20060225	20060302
	20060304	20060309
	20060311	20060316
	20060318	20060323
	20060325	20060330	Richard Uridge takes a 'from dusk 'till dawn' journey around the island of Mull with landscape photographer Colin Prior.
	20060401	20060406	Richard Uridge makes a spiritual journey to the island of Iona. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am] Richard Uridge makes a spiritual journey to the island of Iona. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20060408	20060413
	20060415	20060420
	20060422	20060427	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.10am]
	20060429	20060504
	20060506	20060511
	20060513	20060518
	20060520	20060525	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm] From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.05am]
	20060527	20060601
	20060603	20060608	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm] From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rpt of Sat 6.05am]
	20060610	20060615
	20060617	20060622
	20060624	20060629
	20060701	20060706
	20060708	20060713
	20060715	20060720
	20060722	20060727
	20060729	20060803
	20060805	20060810
	20060812	20060817
	20060819	20060824
	20060826	20060831
	20060902	20060907
	20060909	20060914
	20060916	20060921
	20060923	20060928
	20060930	20061005
	20061007	20061012
	20061014	20061019	From the Shetland Islands to the Channel Islands, from Ireland to East Anglia, Open Country explores Britain's rural life. [Rptd Thu 1.30pm]
	20061019	20061022	Richard Uridge uncovers more stories and characters from the British countryside. [Rptd Sun 6.05pm]
	20061022	20061026
	20061028	20061102, RptdThu1.30pm	A tour of the British countryside.
	20061029	20061102, RptdThu1.30pm	A tour of the British countryside.
	20061104	20061109
	20061111	20061116
	20061118	20061123
	20061125	20061130
	20061202	20061207
	20061209	20061214
	20061216	20061221
	20061223	20061228
	20061230	20070104
	20070106	20070111
	20070113	20070118
	20070120	20070125
	20070127	20070201
	20070203	20070208
	20070210	20070215
	20070217	20070222
	20070224	20070301
	20070303	20070308
	20070310	20070315
	20070317	20070322
	20070324	20070329
	20070331	20070405
	20070407	20070412
	20070414	20070419
	20070421	20070426
	20070428	20070503	Helen Mark visits Sutton Fen in north Norfolk, recently purchased by the RSPB as its 200th reserve. She learns about the fen's history and its new purpose, and hears the booming of the bitterns.
	20070505	20070510
	20070512	20070517
	20070519	20070524
	20070526	20070531
	20070602	20070607
	20070609	20070614
	20070616	20070621
	20070623	20070628
	20070630	20070705
	20070707	20070712
	20070714	20070719
	20070721	20070726
	20070728	20070802
	20070804	20070809, RptofSat6.07am, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine
	20070811	20070816
	20070818	20070823
	20070825	20070830
	20070901	20070906
	20070908	20070913
	20070915	20070920
	20070922	20070927, RptofSat6.07am, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine.
	20070929	20071004, RptofSat6.07am, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine.
	20071006	20071011, RptofSat6.07am, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine.
	20071013	20071018
	20071020	20071025
	20071027	20071101
	20071103	20071108	Helen Mark visits Sidmouth in Devon to see how rare certain species of fish have become and how they might be protected.
	20071110	20071115, RptofSat6.07am	Countryside magazine.
	20071117	20071122, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine. Helen Mark visits North Wales to meet Ian Strurrock, who has spent his life searching for long-forgotten varieties of apple tree and rescuing them from the brink of extinction.
	20071124	20071129	Matt Baker reports from the Yorkshire fishing town of Whitby. This popular holiday resort is home to a Goth Festival twice a year, attracting over 4,000 visitors dressed in black from head to toe.
	20071201	20071206	Matt Baker visits the last working slate mine in England at the top of the remote Honister Pass in the Lake District. The mine has a contentious recent history, and its future is uncertain.
	20071208	20071213, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine. Matt Baker explores the old tin mines of Cornwall, the last of which was shut down nine years ago. As the price of tin soars, however, plans to reopen the South Crofty mine are going ahead. But does the county's economic future lie in tin or tourism?
	20071215	20071220
	20071222	20071227	Bethan Bell visits Aviemore to see what effect climate change is having on Scottish ski resorts. The lack of snow is forcing the local tourist industry to seek alternative means of attracting holidaymakers.
	20071229	20080103, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine. Helen Mark visits Kielder Water in Northumberland as England's largest reservoir celebrates its 25th anniversary. Kielder Water is Europe's largest man-made lake. It was constructed to service the industry in teesside, but just as the dam was being built, that industry was in decline. A valley was flooded and people lost their homes. Twenty five years on, Helen Mark finds out whether the new man-made landscape has been a success for local people and the environment.
	20080105	20080110	Helen Mark explores the Sculpture Trail in the Forest of Dean. This series of large sculptures, which includes a giant's chair, a large stained-glass window and a wallpapered tree, was begun 21 years ago by Martin Orrom, who wanted to encourage people to reconnect with the forest environment.
	20080112	20080117, RptdThu1.30pm	Countryside magazine. In the first of two programmes from Dumfriesshire, Helen Mark visits Wanlockhead and Leadhills, two of the highest villages in Scotland. She goes panning for gold and sees wild salmon spawning.
	20080119	20080124	In the second of two programmes from Dumfriesshire, Helen Mark visits the town of Sanquhar. She goes dog sledding and hears of Robbie Burns's close association with the town.
	20080126	20080131	Matt Baker visits the New Forest.
	20080202	20080207	Matt Baker visits the New Forest.
	20080209	20080214	Caroline Sarll visits Tower Colliery in South Wales to find out how a mine is closed down and the land made safe.
	20080216	20080221	Helen Mark visits the Western Weald on the border of the South Downs, a unique landscape rich in history. Campaigners are fighting for the area's inclusion in the South Downs National Park.
	20080223	20080228	Matt Baker visits two post offices in North Yorkshire.
	20080301	20080306	Matt Baker meets Richard and Jason Clarke, who operate the last fishing boat working out of Great Yarmouth. The brothers are fourth generation fishermen, but they fear that they may be the last to follow the family tradition.
	20080308	20080313	Matt Baker spends the day with a shepherdess in Ashdown Forest.
	20080315	20080320	Helen Mark visits the south Shropshire town of Church Stretton nestling in the hills that earned it the nickname of Little Switzerland. The town is currently divided over the issue of building affordable homes, which residents say will compromise the town's beauty and not help the local community.
	20080322	20080327	The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, near Wrexham, is the UK's only 2008 nomination for World Heritage Site status. Helen Mark reports.
	20080329	20080403	Helen Mark investigates willows grown on the Somerset Levels. Traditionally used for basket making, these are increasingly being harvested for charcoal.
	20080405	20080410	Caroline Saarl travels to Longwood Community Forest to meet some of the Ceredigion Young Carers taking time out from their stressful lives to learn about having fun in the outdoors.
The New Equestrians	20080412	20080417	Horse ownership is increasing all over the UK. Helen Mark visits Yorkshire villages to meet a variety of horse owners of different ages and from very different walks of life. She finds out why they have taken up riding and asks what effect this will have on the countryside.
Camel Valley Vineyard	20080419	20080424	Helen Mark investigates the UK's increasing share of the wine market for consumption at home and abroad. Both red and white wines are produced at the award winning Camel Valley Vineyard, but their speciality is a sparkling wine which cannot be called Champagne so instead rejoices in the name of Cornwall.
The Hastings Fishing Fleets	20080426	20080501	Helen Mark finds out how sustainable fishing is raising the profile of local food in Hastings. The town has maintained a successful fishing industry for centuries, and now the fishermen want to show their continued commitment to sustainable fishing. They want to see Marine Stewardship Council certification, which Already covers mackerel and herring, also apply to all Dover sole caught.
The Isle Of Mull - 1	20080503	20080508	Helen Mark explores the Island of Mull, the second largest of the Inner Hebrides. She visits the town of Tobermory, location of the children's TV programme Balamory. Visiting a bird hide, she hopes to get a glimpse of Britain's biggest bird of prey, the sea eagle. She also looks into the history of the island with the help of the Mull Historical Society and finds out more about the island's second biggest industry after tourism, fish farming.
The Isle Of Mull - 2	20080510	20080515	Helen Mark explores the Island of Mull, the second largest of the Inner Hebrides. She boards a yacht to explore the seas around the island's northern coast, where whales, dolphins and porpoises are regular visitors. She also visits Arnamurchan Point, the most westerly point on the British mainland.
High Peak	20080517	20080522	Helen Mark visits the Peak District to see the battle to save peat bogs vital to the area's ecosystem.
	20080524	20080529	Helen Mark looks into the demise of rural pubs in Yorkshire and finds a family-run pub in Rippondale which is maintaining its popularity and continuing to serve its local community.
	20080531		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman visits Eymet in the Dordogne to find out why so many Brits have decided to make this part of rural France their home.
	20080605		Elinor Goodman visits Eymet in the Dordogne to find out why so many Brits have decided to make this part of rural France their home.
	20080607		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman visits Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, where mountain bikers, riders, walkers, and rare plant species all compete for space. How can the common's owner, the National Trust, balance all these interests?
	20080612		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman visits Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, where mountain bikers, riders, walkers, and rare plant species all compete for space. How can the common's owner, the National Trust, balance all these interests?
	20080614		Helen Mark rides the Poacher line in Lincolnshire and asks why rural railways are vital to the countryside.
	20080619		Countryside magazine. Helen Mark rides the Poacher line in Lincolnshire and asks why rural railways are vital to the countryside.
	20080621		The countryside magazine visits the North Kent coast to examine the battle the coast has fought with the sea over the centuries.
	20080626		The countryside magazine visits the North Kent coast to examine the battle the coast has fought with the sea over the centuries.
	20080628		Elinor Goodman visits Glastonbury.
	20080703		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman visits Glastonbury.
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	20080710
	20080712	20080717	Elinor Goodman meets the finalists in England's first Green Village competition.
	20080719	20080724	Countryside magazine. Helen Mark asks whether animals which have become extinct should be re introduced into the wild in Scotland.
	20080726	20080731	Countryside magazine. Helen Mark looks at the work of wildlife police in Tayside, for whom crimes against animals carry the same weight as those against people.
	20080802	20080807	Matt Baker discovers why bees make the Devon countryside so special.
	20080809	20080814	Matt Baker finds mud, fish and relics in the Bristol Channel.
	20080816	20080821	Caz Graham visits Northumberland to see how fire has shaped the landscape.
	20080823	20080828	Helen Mark visits Exmoor, where local farmers and businesses are saving rare butterflies.
	20080830	20080904	Helen Mark follows a mobile library van in Herefordshire to find out how traditional rural services survive in the age of internet mail order and downloading.
	20080906	20080911	Helen Mark visits Tory Island off the coast of Donegal, a tiny isle steeped in Celtic legend and home to some rare wintering birds.
	20080913	20080918	Elinor Goodman visits the Chilterns to find out if this part of the UK really does offer the best rural life in Britain.
	20080920	20080925	Helen Mark sails the length of Lough Foyle to find out how the return of a ferry route has reunited the land.
	20080927	20081002	Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman finds that there is more to West Sussex than stately homes when she visits Markwell Woods, Horndean Parish and the surrounding areas where the next great oil rush may be about to occur.
	20081004		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker goes hopping in Kent, exploring how this essential ingredient in a pint of bitter has influenced the landscape of the Weald and Downs.
	20081009		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker goes hopping in Kent, exploring how this essential ingredient in a pint of bitter has influenced the landscape of the Weald and Downs.
	20081011		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman explores Lambourn in Berkshire and finds out why horse trainers are having to recruit staff from as far away as India and Brazil to help prepare future champions for the race track.
	20081016		Countryside magazine. Elinor Goodman explores Lambourn in Berkshire and finds out why horse trainers are having to recruit staff from as far away as India and Brazil to help prepare future champions for the race track.
	20081018		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker goes to Bournemouth to investigate Europe's first artificial surfing reef.
	20081023		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker goes to Bournemouth to investigate Europe's first artificial surfing reef.
	20081025		Countryside magazine. Helen Mark finds that spring is in the air on the Isles of Scilly, with the scented narcissi flowering and bird watchers making rare sightings.
	20081030		Countryside magazine. Helen Mark finds that spring is in the air on the Isles of Scilly, with the scented narcissi flowering and bird watchers making rare sightings.
	20081101		Countryside magazine. Food critic Charles Campion goes foraging for lunch on the Kent coast.
	20081106		Countryside magazine. Food critic Charles Campion goes foraging for lunch on the Kent coast.
	20081108		Countryside magazine. Helen Mark investigates the mysterious spate of cockle deaths in Cornwall that have puzzled local cockle farmers and the Environment Agency.
	20081113		Countryside magazine. Helen Mark investigates the mysterious spate of cockle deaths in Cornwall that have puzzled local cockle farmers and the Environment Agency.
	20081115		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker investigates traditional freemining in the Forest of Dean.
	20081120		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker investigates traditional freemining in the Forest of Dean.
	20081122	20081127	Matt Baker discovers the latest attempts to save red squirrels from extinction. Countryside magazine. Matt Baker visits Cumbria to discover the latest developments in the fight to save the country's red squirrels from potential extinction.
	20081129	20081204	Helen Mark visits Mourne in Northern Ireland, a place fabled in song and literature and mooted as the country's first national park.
		20081206	Matt Baker finds out about a new project to revive the hydroelectric plant at Grassington in Yorkshire and others like it using a 2,000-year-old invention called Archimedes' Screw.
	20081206	20081211	Matt Baker finds out about a new project to revive the hydroelectric plant at Grassington in Yorkshire and others like it using a 2,000-year-old invention called Archimedes' Screw.
	20081213	20081218	Helen Mark chats with owners of small woodlands and the creator of the nation's newest and largest forest, Felix Dennis, who is creating the forest of Dennis.
	20081220	20081225	Countryside magazine. Matt Baker reports from a valley in Yorkshire. Countryside magazine. Matt Baker reports from a valley in Yorkshire in which an unusually high number of monks and nuns have taken up residence.
	20081227	20090101	Reporting from the tiny Channel island of Sark. Reporting from the tiny Channel island of Sark, which has thrown off the last vestiges of feudal rule and has voted for the first time for its own government.
	20090103	20090108	Matt Baker visits Northumberland to see how the fledgling red kite population is faring. Countryside magazine. Matt Baker visits Northumberland to find out what the new year might bring for the fledgling red kite population.
	20090110	20090115	Helen Mark visits the Black Mountains. Countryside magazine. Helen Mark visits the Black Mountains to find out how the credit crunch is affecting people living in one of the most sparsely populated areas of the UK.
	20090117	20090122	Countryside magazine. Matt Baker visits the first wild beaver colony in the UK, at Lower Mill Estate nature reserve in Gloucestershire. Beavers are set to be reintroduced elsewhere in England and in Scotland, and Matt finds out what they might bring with them. Matt Baker visits the first wild beaver colony in the UK, in Gloucestershire.
	20090124	20090129	Countryside magazine. Matt Baker finds out about the role of Morris Dancing in the life of the Cotswolds. Matt Baker finds out about the role of Morris Dancing in the life of the Cotswolds.
Winter Wildlife Crisis	20090131	20090205	Helen Mark investigates the sharp frosts and winter storms which have devastated the delicate wildlife of Cornwall. The sharp frosts and winter storms which have devastated the delicate wildlife of Cornwall
Portland Quarry	20090207	20090212	Stone from the Isle of Portland envelops London's most prestigious buildings, so why do some locals want the quarrying to stop? Helen Mark finds out. Helen Mark finds out why some Isle of Portland locals want quarrying to stop.
	20090214	20090219	Countryside magazine. Matt Baker travels to Essex to see the vast area that the RSPB is turning into a nature reserve. In a hungry world, can we justify the surrender of prime farmland to the birds? Matt Baker travels to Essex to see the vast area the RSPB is turning into a nature reserve
	20090221	20090226	Helen Mark finds out how whisky production has shaped Speyside in Scotland, with the opening of a new 'green' distillery in Roseisle. Helen Mark finds out how whisky production has shaped Speyside in Scotland.
	20090228	20090305	Helen Mark finds out how whisky production has shaped Speyside in Scotland, with the opening of a new 'green' distillery in Roseisle. Matt Baker investigates Cumbria's industrial coastline, which is being given a makeover.
	20090307	20090312	Countryside magazine. Helen Mark visits Scotland's rivers to find that the freshwater pearl mussel, Already endangered, now faces new threats from unscrupulous thieves who kill all the mussels they gather in the hope of finding a precious pearl inside. Helen Mark visits Scotland to find that the freshwater pearl mussel faces new threats.
	20090314	20090319	As Snowdon emerges from a tough winter, Helen Mark meets the people and wildlife that make their home on the highest mountain in Wales. Helen Mark meets the people and wildlife that make their home on Snowdon.
	20090321	20090326	Countryside magazine. Caz Graham joins the tenth anniversary celebrations of Keswick's Theatre by the Lake, which has inspired a revival of Cumbria's literary heritage. Caz Graham joins the tenth anniversary celebrations of Keswick's Theatre by the Lake.
	20090328	20090402	Matt Baker investigates how the parklands and wetlands of the Lea Valley are being transformed for the 2012 Olympics into the largest urban park created in Europe for more than 150 years. Countryside magazine. Matt Baker investigates how the parklands and wetlands of the Lea Valley are being transformed for the 2012 Olympics into the largest urban park created in Europe for more than 150 years. How the parklands and wetlands of the Lea Valley are being transformed for London 2012.
	20090404	20090409	Helen Mark joins archaeologists and descendants to explore the legacy of Abraham Darby, who 300 years ago kick-started the Industrial Revolution from a smelter on the banks of the River Severn. Helen Mark joins archaeologists and descendants to explore the legacy of Abraham Darby.
	20090411	20090416	Helen Mark finds out if Canon Frome, an eco-community in Ledbury, could offer a solution to the challenges faced by those who wish to live sustainably outside of cities without building village suburbs.
Border Mires Of Keilder	20090418	20090423	Matt Baker investigates the work of the Border Mires Project, which has spent one million pounds and uses 21st-century machinery to undertake the difficult work of restoring the fragile ecosystem of the 10,000-year-old Border Mires of the Keilder Forest in Northumberland. Home to rare dragon flies, damselflies and plantlife, the Border Mires also store carbon more efficiently than the many trees of the forest that surround them.
Skye Scavengers	20090425	20090430	Matt Baker joins an archaeological dig to find out just how idyllic life was for Neolithic man on the Isle of Skye. When the ice sheets finally released their grip on Britain, the Isle of Skye was one of the most attractive options for the new human settlers. Until now, evidence of these mesolithic islanders was sparse, rotted by the wet climate and the acidic peat soil. Matt joins a dig which is gradually revealing the lifestyle of these early residents. Matt Baker finds out just how idyllic life was for Neolithic man on the Isle of Skye.
	20090502		Countryside magazine. The extensive survival of historical records for the Worcestershire village of Rushock enabled historian Peter Edwards to complete his first research project in the early 1970s. Helen Mark joins Peter as he revisits the village and people and charts the highs and lows of farming in the last 400 years. In 1972, Peter found a treasure trove of historical documents outlining the farming history of the small rural parish of Rushock. When he matched the dusty maps and land agents' reports to the fields and farms of the village, a new interest in social history was born. He spent many months traipsing the fields of the parish looking for agricultural clues to the past and getting to know the people who worked the land. What changes will Peter see on his return, and will he find the people who helped his research all those years ago? Helen Mark joins historian Peter Edwards to visit the Worcestershire village of Rushock.
02/05/2009	20090507		Helen Mark joins historian Peter Edwards to visit the Worcestershire village of Rushock.
	20090509		Countryside magazine. Matt Baker visits one of the most beautiful yet hard to build railway lines in the country, from Settle to Carlisle. It was completed in 1876, and over the five years it took to build, hundreds of men, women and children died in the navvy camps set up along its path. Today it stands as a monument to their work and tragic deaths but 20 years ago it could easily have closed. A vigorous campaign was set up to save the line and today the numbers who use what is known as Britain's most scenic railway route are increasing. Matt discovers the history of the line and why it remains so vital for the rural communities it links. Matt Baker visits one of the railway line between Settle to Carlisle.
09/05/2009	20090514		Matt Baker visits one of the railway line between Settle to Carlisle.
	20090516		Helen Mark takes to the sea to find out how the perilous conditions of the north Devon coastline have affected life there from prehistory to the present day. She tours Baggy Point with National Trust archaeologist Shirley Blaylock in search of the first coastal dwellers, attempts the perilous crossing to Lundy Island and crosses the Cornish border to hear the story of Parson Hawker, the eccentric vicar of Morwenstow and purported scourge of the wreckers. Helen Mark explores the north Devon coastline.
North Devon Coastline	20090521		Helen Mark takes to the sea to find out how the perilous conditions of the north Devon coastline have affected life there from prehistory to the present day. She tours Baggy Point with National Trust archaeologist Shirley Blaylock in search of the first coastal dwellers, attempts the perilous crossing to Lundy Island and crosses the Cornish border to hear the story of Parson Hawker, the eccentric vicar of Morwenstow and purported scourge of the wreckers. Helen Mark explores the north Devon coastline.
Orkney Energy	20090704	20090709	Helen Mark drives a chip fat-powered car around the Orkney island of Westray as she meets the pioneers determined to turn their island into the first community in Britain to be entirely self-sufficient in energy. The local kirk is powered by a wind turbine, holiday homes are heated by ground source heat-pumps and local farmers and fishermen are making their own fuel from cattle manure and cooking oil. Helen also takes to the water to discover more about the enormous energy resource contained within the tides and currents of the Orkney Islands. Can a parade of new gadgets harness the power without disturbing the birds and mammals that feed in the rich waters of the Pentland Firth? Helen Mark meets the Scottish islanders determined to become self-sufficient in energy. Helen Mark meets the Scottish islanders determined they become self-sufficient in energy.
Sussex Visions	20090711	20090716	Matt Baker takes a fresh look at one of Britain's most visited landscape. His first step is to join the Natural Navigator, Tristan Gooley, to learn how to travel the Sussex Downs without a map or compass, relying instead on the angle of plant growth and the tracks of animals. The beauties of the Sussex landscape lacked a certain something in the late-18th century, according to local landowner, 'Mad' Jack Fuller, and so he embarked on Britain's greatest programme of folly building. His pyramids, observatories and towers continue to dominate the landscape. Matt joins local writer John Naish for a tour of Fuller's follies. Matt will also be examining the literary landscape of Sussex, from the pre-war works of Edward Thomas and Virginia Woolf through to the darker visions of the landscape from sci-fi writers like John Wyndham and contemporary thriller writer, Peter Moore. Matt Baker takes a fresh look at one of our most visited landscapes.
Doggerland	20090718	20090723	Helen Mark explores a land lost beneath the waves off the Northumbrian coast. ‘Doggerland’ is the name for a huge area that, ten thousand years ago, before the end of the last Ice Age, linked the British Isles with Denmark and Northern Germany, a time when the Thames was a tributary of the Rhine. Besides speaking to archaeologists who are investigating Doggerland, she is joined by the storyteller Hugh Lupton who imagines the myths of those long-lost hunter-gatherers. Helen Mark explores the history of Doggerland, a land lost beneath the waves. Helen Mark explores a land lost beneath the waves near Craster on the Northumbrian coast. Archaeologists and storyteller Hugh Lupton evoke the contours of Doggerland, reclaimed by the North Sea at the end of the last Ice Age. Helen Mark explores the history of Doggerland, a aland lost beneath the waves.
Firth Of Lorne	20090725		Helen Mark reports on the dispute between fishermen and conservationists over the wildlife-rich waters of the Firth of Lorne on the west coast of Scotland. Dotted with tiny islands, the Firth of Lorne on the west coast of Scotland is a yachtsman's dream. Fishermen also covet the Firth's prawns and scallops, whilst conservationists fret over threats to the extraordinary reefs, the sea bird colonies and the whales and dolphins that pass between Mull and Jura. Helen joins local wildlife biologist Tessa McGregor for a boat trip around the Firth, meeting fishermen, farmers and naturalists, all of whom are anxious to reach a balance that preserves livelihoods without further threatening this precarious natural environment. Scallop dredging is currently banned in the Firth, much to the displeasure of local fishermen who have to sail further and into more dangerous waters to bring home a profitable catch. The Scottish government may reverse the ban, but a local diver tells Helen that such a move would cause further damage to the sea bed, the rocky reef and the aquatic life that depends on it. On her voyage around the Firth's tiny islands Helen will also be meeting the local Luing breed of cattle and seeing the beehive huts used by the first generation of Scottish monks. Helen Mark on the battle between fishermen and conservationists over the Firth of Lorne. Helen Mark reports on new peace proposals to resolve the long-running battle between fishermen and conservationists over the wildlife-rich waters of the Firth of Lorne on the west coast of Scotland. Rich blue waters dotted with tiny islands, the Firth of Lorne on the west coast of Scotland is a yachtsman's dream. Fishermen also covet the Firth's prawns and scallops, while conservationists fret over threats to the extraordinary reefs, the sea bird colonies and the whales and dolphins that pass between Mull and Jura. She joins local wildlife biologist Tessa McGregor for a boat trip around the Firth, meeting fishermen, farmers and naturalists, all of whom are anxious to reach a balance that preserves livelihoods without further threatening this precarious natural environment. Scallop dredging is currently banned in the Firth, much to the displeasure of local fishermen who have to sail further and into more dangerous waters to bring home a profitable catch. The Scottish government looks set to reverse the ban, but local divers tell Helen that such a move would devastate the sea bed and the aquatic life that depends on it.
Firth Of Lorne		20090730	Helen Mark on the battle between fishermen and conservationists over the Firth of Lorne.
	20090801	20090806	Matt Baker discovers the Second World War secrets of the Peak District. Nestled away in the Peak District are two Second World War 'training grounds'. The first is the Derwent Valley, with the wide open dam that heard the roar of Lancaster bombers as they prepared for the historic Dambuster raids. The second is the lesser known Burbage Valley, where in secrecy, British and Canadian troops were trained for war, leaving their battle scars across the landscape. Burbage Valley is also home to one of the first bomber decoys in the country. In an extroadinary bid to distract German bombers, a mini-Sheffield was built. This hoax site comprised an elaborate arrangement of lights and fires contained in baskets and trenches that were designed to replicate Sheffield's railway marshalling yards as seen from the air at night. This 'model city' was set into action by brave Sheffield men who had to run straight into the decoy to activate it, knowing full well that if they were successful it could mean that they were running to their own graves.
Ospreys Of Rutland Water	20090808	20090813	Our growing population in the UK is creating more demand for water and so several new reservoirs are planned and others extended. Helen Mark explores Rutland Water to investigate the controversy it caused in the 1970s when plans to flood two villages and vast swathes of farmland were announced. Now it is home to thousands of wildlife species, including the rare osprey. Helen finds out about the success of the reintroduction project there and gets within touching distance of three new chicks as they are ringed. But once again farmland has been sacrificed for the lagoons. She explores how well new species are taking to the man-made pools and investigates who wins in the battle for food, water and wildlife. Helen Mark looks at the battle between water supply and wildlife at Rutland Water.
Trouble On The Teifi	20090815	20090820	Matt Baker reports on the dispute going on between anglers and canoeists on Welsh rivers. The River Teifi, almost exactly in the geographical middle of Wales, is set against a backdrop of heather moors and rugged Cambrian mountains. Matt visits the valley town of Llandysul in Ceredigion, which lies along the banks of the river. The people who use the river are in bitter dispute, because Llandysul is one of the most popular places in Wales both for freshwater angling and for white-water canoeing. The anglers have to pay to fish in the river, and the canoeists want access for free. The canoeists are campaigning to change the law to allow full access to use the river, and the anglers are unhappy about it. In fact, this is not just an isolated problem - the Welsh Assembly is conducting an inquiry into this issue across all rivers in Wales.
Cumbrian Power	20090822	20090827	One of the proposed sites for the new generation of nuclear power stations is farmland near the villages of Kirksanton and Silecroft on the Cumbrian coast. Helen Mark finds people there fighting the plans, but also some who support the idea. Kirksanton lies south of Sellafield, and this rural community, which nestles between the most southerly fells of White Combe and Black Combe, was shocked to hear of the plans. Many villagers believe that the development would destroy the tranquility and beauty of the area they love. Others welcome the plans and the one opportunity they may bring to reinvent the Millom area as a centre for excellence in the nuclear industry, providing jobs, improving infrastrucure and ensuring young people have a future in the area. Helen considers what would be gained and what would be lost. Helen Mark visits rural Kirksanton, a possible site for a new nuclear power station.
Dunluce Castle	20090829	20090903	So many stories are told about Dunluce Castle and its surrounds that it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Helen Mark visits the ruins on the north Antrim coast to try to establish some facts at the first major archaeological dig to be held there. The archaeological team have been astounded by the wealth and quality of their finds, which include an entire lost merchants' town and the location of a 13th-century settlement. Helen also goes underground to find how the sea caves and their legends have inspired a photographer to capture their image. But does Helen's experience of unexplained howls add more to the myths than to dispel them? Helen Mark unearths some new truths about Dunluce Castle in County Antrim.
Tales From The Serpentine	20090905	20090910	Matt Baker starts the day with a splash when he joins the early morning swimmers at the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park. For almost 300 years, the Serpentine has played a role in the history of London and formed a central part in the lives of the people and wildlife who use it on a daily basis. Matt takes a walk around the lake, chatting to the people involved with the lake today and with the wildlife that live in and around it and finds out more about a recent project to improve water quality. Created in 1730 when Queen Caroline ordered the damming of the River Westbourne, the 40-acre body of water has been the playground of poets and queens, a meeting place for the fashionable and the not so fashionable, and a favoured spot for swimmers. These range from the 10,000 people in the mid-19th century who were described as a 'mass of human flesh in motion' to the early morning bathers of today, described by AA Gill as 'shelled turtles'. Matt also takes a trip on the solar-powered shuttle boat that silently and effortlessly glides from one side of the lake to the other, ferrying visitors from the boat house on the north shore to the Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain on the south. The day ends with a chat with 'Captain Hook', aka actor Jonathan Hyde, before he takes to the stage in the current production of Peter Pan, running in the specially-commissioned state-of-the-art Kensington Gardens Theatre Pavilion. Matt Baker visits London' s Hyde Park to discover the history of the Serpentine Lake. For almost 300 years, the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park has played a role in the history of London and formed a central part in the lives of the people and wildlife who use it on a daily basis. Created in 1730 when Queen Caroline ordered the damming of the River Westbourne, the 40-acre body of water has been the playground of poets and queens, a meeting place for the fashionable and the not so fashionable, and a favoured spot for swimmers, from the 10,000 people in the mid-19th century who were described as a 'mass of human flesh in motion' to the early morning bathers of today, described by AA Gill as 'shelled turtles'. Matt Baker starts the day with a splash when he joins the Serpentine Swimming Club. He then takes a walk around the lake, meets and chats along the way to the people involved with the landscape and wildlife around it and finds out about a project to improve the ecological quality and environment, which has included the planting of several floating reed beds. Matt also takes a trip on the solar-powered shuttle boat that silently and effortlessly glides from one side of the lake to the other, ferrying visitors from the boat house on the north shore to the Princesss of Wales Memorial Fountain on the south. The day ends with a chat with 'Captain Hook', aka Jonathan Hyde, before he takes to the stage in the current production of Peter Pan, running in the specially-commissioned state-of-the-art Kensington Gardens Theatre Pavilion.
Haweswater	20090912	20090917	The village of Mardale was flooded in 1935 to create Haweswater reservoir to provide for the needs of Manchester. When water levels are really low the walls of Mardale reappear. Helen Mark meets Booker-nominated novelist Sarah Hall to talk about the power the landscape has had on her writing, including her first novel, Haweswater. Helen joins Ian Winfield from the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology as his team count the fish in the lake using hydroacoustic equipment. Haweswater is now managed to protect the rare Shelley and Arctic Char which are found in its waters. John Gorst from United Utilities explains that the fish are recovering in numbers since it was realised that low lake levels in summer were having a detrimental effect on their ability to breed. Helen also meets Spike Webb from the RSPB in the only valley in England which is a permanent home to a golden eagle. Helen Mark meets Booker-nominated author Sarah Hall at Haweswater Reservoir in Cumbria. Helen Mark meets novelist Sarah Hall at Haweswater Reservoir in Cumbria to talk about the power the landscape has had on much of her writing, including her first novel, Haweswater, which fictionalised the flooding of the valley - and the disappearance of the village of Mardale - in 1935 to create a reservoir to provide for the needs of Manchester. Today, when water levels in the reservoir are really low, the walls of Mardale reappear. Helen joins Ian Winfield from the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology as his team count the fish in the lake using hydroacoustic equipment. Haweswater is now managed in order to protect the rare Shelley and Arctic Char which are found in its waters. John Gorst from United Utilities explains that the fish are recovering in numbers since it was realised that low lake levels in summer were having a detrimental effect on their ability to breed. Helen also meets Spike Webb from the RSPB in England's only valley which is a permanent home to a golden eagle. Helen Mark meets booker nominee Sarah Hall at Haweswater Reservoir in Cumbria.
Brian May's 3-d Village	20091031	20091105	Queen guitarist Brian May uncovers the story of an Oxfordshire village captured in time by Victorian photographic pioneer T.R. Williams. May has been fascinated by 3-D images since collecting cereal packet picture cards as a boy. He was particularly intrigued by a set of stereoscopic images of village life taken by photographic pioneer T.R. Williams. Further investigation revealed all the images to be 3-D pictures of the tiny Oxfordshire village of Hinton Waldrist, taken in the 1850s. Brian joins presenter Helen Mark for a time-travel tour of the village. Together they discover how the people and wildlife of this Thames-side community have changed since Williams recorded these evocative images of blacksmiths, spinners and farm workers. Kerry Lock of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust describes the waxing and waning of wildlife over the past 160 years, while Nicola Verdon of the British Agricultural History Society examines the telling detail in photos taken at the height of farming's golden age. To discuss the past, present and future of 3-D photography Helen is also joined by Brian's collaborator, the photo historian Elena Vidal and by David Burder of the British Stereoscopic Society. Has the boom in 3-D cinema and the launch of a 3-D digital camera come at just the right time for a revival of interest in T.R. Williams and a re-birth of the art of stereoscopic photography?
Owenstown	20091107	20091112	The philanthropist Robert Owen brought about sweeping social reforms in his model village of New Lanark. Workers in the mill town were given improved housing and working conditions while the children were taken out of the mills and schooled instead. But his vision for a self-sufficient community was never fully realised in his lifetime. Matt Baker explores new plans for Owenstown, a new town of 20,000 planned just a few miles from New Lanark. The co-operative society will be encouraged to foster a sense of community and the town will be carbon neutral, generating its own power from wind and waste. Matt also visits the nearby village of Rigside; once riding high on the jobs and prosperity of the coal pit, it is now facing severe decline and hopes that some of the excitement and prosperity from Owenstown will benefit their area. However, the site chosen for the new town has no natural resource to provide jobs, unlike Rigside's mine and New Lanark's river to power the mills. Matt asks how the planners envision starting their town from scratch. Matt Baker explores plans to create a new Lanarkshire town based on Robert Owen's ideals.
A Journey Through The New Forest	20091114	20091119	Matt Baker joins the team involved in a unique restoration project which is using a light railway to help restore areas of New Forest wetland that have been missing since Victorian times. He takes a wander along part of the 800-metre long rail line, learning more about the project which it is hoped will see the return of habitat and wildlife lost to the forest for years. Matt also joins the team involved in the hugely successful British-built Steam Car ahead of its triumphant return home to the New Forest after smashing the 100-year-old world land speed record for a steam-powered car. Finally, Matt reduces his hoof-print even further and rounds off the day at nature's pace by meeting the Suffolk Punch horses of the New Forest Horse-Drawn Omnibus. Matt Baker discovers some alternative methods of transport in the New Forest.
The Hanbury Crater	20091121	20091126	In the Staffordshire countryside, just a few miles from Burton-on-Trent, a wire fence surrounds a deep crater measuring over half a mile wide. Nearby signs warn passers by of the sudden drop and that the land contains unexploded bombs which, in the event of an explosion, could cause injury or death. This is where what is widely believed to be the UK's largest explosion occurred on November 27th 1944 when an underground ammunition store at nearby Fauld blew up detonating 3-4,000 tons of explosives and devastating acres of countryside, killing 70 people, hundreds of sheep and cattle and completely obliterating a nearby farm. The Cock Inn in Hanbury was so badly damaged that it had to be completely rebuilt. For 18 people whose bodies were never found the crater remains their graves, marked by a granite memorial stone close to the perimeter fence. On the 65th anniversary of the explosion, Helen Mark visits Hanbury, the scene of this wartime tragedy, and talks to local people and survivors about their memories of that day and how the explosion changed their lives and the landscape around them forever. For over 40 years, nothing would grow in what became known to locals as the 'bomb hole' until slowly nature began to reclaim the Hanbury Crater. Helen is joined by the Time Team's Professor Mick Aston and together they visit the crater and go underground at Fauld Gypsum Mine, which dates back to Roman times. The mine was connected to the ill-fated ammunitions store by the reservoir supplying the steam to operate a nearby plastic factory. The greatest loss of life occurred among the factory workers and those underground, who were either drowned or gassed as tonnes of mud and toxic fumes engulfed them. How could such a tragedy happen? Helen Mark and Time Team's Mick Aston investigate the story of the Hanbury Crater.
The New Face Of The Clyde	20091128	20091203	The people of Cumbria are embarking on the massive clean-up operation after record rainfall and devastating floods over the past days. But flooding has become an all too familiar experience across the UK. In this week's Open Country Matt Baker heads to Glasgow to explore the River Clyde. The waters of its White Cart tributary can rise by 20 feet in less than 12 hours. It's flooded significantly 20 times in the last century and Matt meets residents who have given up barricading the doors and accept living upstairs until floodwaters recede. But a massive engineering project is now underway to reduce the likelihood of flooding. Matt finds out where the water will go and just how the surrounding wildlife will be affected. Matt also explores the changing face of the Clyde. Traditionally it's been seen as an exit point from Glasgow. The massive shipbuilding industry and the docks meant both the ships and their goods left from the city. For Glasweigians too they headed to the river only to go on their holidays 'doon the watter' to the seaside. But now the image of the river is changing. Shipbuilding has declined so industry's dominance of the waterside has waned. 1.5 billion pounds has been invested to regenerate the Clyde and residents and visitors are being encouraged to rediscover it as a destination in itself. Matt Baker jumps aboard one of the new riverboat tours to see the city from a new perspective and see how tradition and the new wave of business and leisure sit side by side. Matt Baker finds how the River Clyde is being prevented from flooding Glasgow. Helen Mark visits Northern Ireland to find out about an exciting new community project taking place along the banks of the Ballinderry River. She meets people who have grown up with the river and who are now helping to protect and conserve its environment, the landscape around it and the wildlife that depend on it. As she travels along the river from its source in the Sperrin Mountains, Helen gets up close and personal with the endangered white-clawed crayfish, once a common sight in rivers and lakes and now on an ever-increasing list of globally threatened species. She also meets several local people involved with RIPPLE, a project designed to encourage people to get more involved in planning the future of their river, and takes to the water with canoeing enthusiasts. Further along the river, Helen hears from local sound artist Paul Moore and hears the river sing before finishing her journey on the shores of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles and the winter home for a huge number and variety of birds. But are there as still as many arriving as the 90,000 that wintered here in the late 1980s? Helen Mark is in Northern Ireland to follow the Ballinderry River from mountain to lough.
28/11/2009	20091203		Helen Mark is in Northern Ireland to follow the Ballinderry River from mountain to lough.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Er	20091205	20091210	Helen Mark visits Vale Wildlife Rescue, a hospital where wild animals and birds are taken when they're found injured in Gloucestershire and the surrounding region. Perhaps surprisingly, the hospital provides good indicators of the health of local wildlife: it's possible to tell which species are flourishing by the numbers brought in. They also run wildlife rehabilitation courses for people who want to know what to do when they come across an injured animal or bird. Helen talks to the staff, and meets patients and long-term residents, including owls, buzzards, foxes, deer....and a skunk. A colony of skunks has sprung up in the nearby Forest of Dean and one was recently brought into the Rescue centre. The family who captured the skunk tell of their adventure, and why it is that skunks are now to be found living wild in the UK. Helen Mark goes in search of the wild animals of Gloucestershire.
Ripples Of The Ballinderry River	20091212	20091217	Helen Mark visits Northern Ireland to find out about an exciting new community project taking place along the banks of the Ballinderry River. Along the way Helen meets people who have grown up with the Ballinderry and who are taking part in a very special project, protecting the environment and the wildlife around it and reconnecting people with the river. Helen begins by going on a hunt for the endangered white-clawed crayfish, once a common sight in rivers and lakes and now on an ever-increasing list of globally threatened species. She also meets local people involved with RIPPLE, a project designed to encourage people to get more involved in planning the future of their river, and takes to the water with canoeing enthusiasts. Further along the river, Helen meets local sound artist Paul Moore to hears the river sing, before finishing her journey on the shores of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles and the winter home for a huge number and variety of birds. But are there as still as many arriving as the 90,000 that wintered here in the late 1980s? Helen Mark is in Northern Ireland to follow the Ballinderry River from source to lough.
Growing Tents Not Crops On Gower	20091219		What does it mean for the future of agriculture when farmers find that tents are more profitable than crops? Helen Mark visits the Gower Peninsula in south-west Wales, one of the UK's most popular holiday locations, to explore the long-term impact of tourism on farming.
Blue Moon	20091226	20091231	Helen Mark celebrates December's Blue Moon with artist Elspeth Owen, who is living outside and walking every night as part of an eccentric and unique project. When there are two full moons in one calendar month, the second of those moons is called a Blue Moon. Elspeth Owen, who is in her 70s, has decided to live outside between the first full moon (on the 2nd of December) and the second full moon (on the 31st). She wants to discover something about the dark, about fear and about using her senses differently. For this Open Country special, Helen Mark visits Elspeth, who lives in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester, when the sky is at its darkest - mid-way through her project. Helen Mark celebrates December's Blue Moon with artist Elspeth Owen.
Southwest Shipwrecks	20100102	20100107	Helen Mark explores Devon and Corwall to investigate why so many shipwrecks still happen. The grounding of the MSC Napoli in Lyme Bay in January 2007 made headlines around the world. The hull of the 62,000-tonne vessel cracked in waters off The Lizard, and while being towed to safety the situation worsened and she was grounded off Branscombe Beach. Several containers also fell overboard and were washed ashore, leading to scavengers coming from across the UK. The 50 million-pound cleanup operation and breakup was only completed in July 2009. Helen Mark revisits the famous beach to find out how the wreck and the drama affected their lives and landscape. Modern wrecks still happen and the European Maritime Agency records show an increase in the number of ships sunk in European waters in recent years. Helen meets master mariner and lecturer Paul Wright to find out why these accidents still happen. She also learns about the HMS Scylla, a decommissioned frigate which was deliberately sunk off the south-west coast. One reason for the danger is that our records of the sea bed can be surprisingly out of date. Some charts still have recordings made by the Victorians with a lead weight. Other areas have not been charted at all. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are at the start of a 100-year project to accurately scan the seabed using modern 3D technology. But their findings are also discovering lost ships and submarines and revealing more about the geology of our sea floor.
Purbeck	20100109	20100114	In May 2008, a huge fire swept across Godlingston Heath National Nature Reserve in Purbeck, Dorset, devastating acres of heathland rich in wildlife, rare reptiles and birds. It was estimated that the landscape could take up to 30 years to recover. Yet, in the right circumstances, fire is still used as a means of controlling the landscape to ensure a healthy environment for plants and wildlife. Helen Mark discovers more about the various forces at work in our nature reserves and begins by tracking down the increasing population of sika, the small Japanese deer that have taken up home on the moors and heaths. Left unmanaged, the deer can cause problems both for the heathland and for neighbouring farmers and so are now being monitored and managed through a programme of culling. Helen visits the scene of the devastating fire at Godlingston Heath to meet the people who dealt with the aftermath and who are still working to restore the landscape. She then canoes out onto freshwater Littlesea Lake in search of the invasive crassula plant, which can grow to a meter thick, taking oxygen from the water and suppressing other wild plants. Helen Mark visits Dorset to find out about controlling the elements and forces of nature.
Eel Pie Island	20100116	20100121	People who have heard of Eel Pie Island, in the Thames off Twickenham, probably associate it with trad jazz, free love and the birth of the British blues boom of the 1960s. Indeed, Ken Colyer and the Rolling Stones often played in the island's crumbling hotel ballroom before they were famous and the place did have a decidedly bohemian reputation. These days it retains a special air, even though a suburban housing development has replaced the hotel. Helen Mark explores the nature reserve, the boatyards and the homes of some of its residents, including inventor Trevor Baylis, and the authors of a new history of the island. Helen Mark discovers rural bliss and community spirit on Eel Pie Island in the Thames.
Eel Pie Island	20100123	20100128	Most people who know anything about Eel Pie Island know it was home to traditonal jazz, British blues and some pretty wild weekends for teenagers and art students in the 1950s and 60s. The bohemian days are long gone but the memories live on for at least one islander, the septugenarian inventor of the clockwork radio Trevor Baylis. Helen Mark meets him as she tours the tiny island in the Thames and discovers it is possible to have it all - the peace, the wildlife and the community spirit of country life combined with the convenience of being 20 minutes from the centre of London. Helen Mark finds a rural lifestyle within striking distance of the centre of London.
	20100130	20100204	Helen Mark travels a chalk stream that gives its name to Wandsworth. In the second of two programmes set within striking distance of the centre of London, Helen Mark seeks a sense of community and being 'away from it all' more usually associated with the countryside. Among the people she meets on the banks of the River Wandle, which flows into the Thames in Wandsworth, are the journalist Richard Sharp who, among other things, harvest grapes from south London allotments and gardens to make a wine known as Chateau Tooting; Theo Pike of the Wandle Trust, which works hard to keep the river clean and full of fish; and anglers, gardeners and walkers who just love messing about on, in or by the river. It can be a challenge; two years ago a chemical spillage from a sewage treatment works caused major pollution and thousands of fish were killed. There is an upside, though: as a result Thames Water has invested 500,000 pounds in the Wandle Trust's work.
Haweswater
Owenstown
Wwii Secrets Of The Peak District