Countryfile - Season 35

John Craven is at the National Hedgelaying Championships as competitors go chainsaw to chainsaw, billhook to billhook in a bid to claim the coveted title as they set about specific regional styles and work against the clock. John gets a lesson in the Midland Bullock style and finds out why hedgerows are so important to our countryside. He also discovers the Cornish hedge tradition reckoned to be as old as the pyramids, and he delves into the Countryfile archives to celebrate rural heritage skills, revisiting the time Anita Rani met a traditional cricket bat maker and when Matt Baker helped with the ancient craft of wheelwrighting.

Love it or hate it, shooting contributes around £2 billion to the rural economy. But it's a sporting industry under the cosh, as the UK is gripped by the worst ever outbreak of avian flu. Can game bird shoots survive the 21st century? Charlotte explores the 12,500-acre Rhug Estate in north Wales to see what it means to be a traditional shooting estate in the modern world and looks at how it contributes to local business.

Sean is in Perthshire on the 1,300-acre Bamff Estate, which has eschewed shooting for eco-tourism, including a colony of beavers. Tom is in Wiltshire to investigate the threat posed by avian flu to the industry, and in the Cotswolds, Adam puts his new sheepdog Gwen through her paces. Will she pass muster?

John Craven and Charlotte Smith are at Audley End House in Essex, one of the finest Jacobean houses in the UK. They may arrive in grand style but are quickly despatched to the servants' entrance to roll up their sleeves and muck in with winter cleaning and maintenance. As well as discovering the provenance of some of the house's eclectic collection of thousands of artefacts, John discovers the intricacies of cleaning delicate seashells while Charlotte finds out why skimmed milk works a treat on flagstone flooring. There's an ancient vine to tame as well as Charlotte's fear of horses as she takes on groom duties in the stables. Adam Henson is busy making sure his animals are in the finest of fettle to get through a cold winter, and Charlotte reveals the trials and tribulations of the rural midwife.

It's 60 years since the Big Freeze, one of the coldest winters on record, when even the sea froze over, and rural communities were cut off by blizzards and towering snowdrifts. Anita Rani and Joe Crowley are in Flash, the UK's highest village, to see how the community coped then and how they brace for winter now. They also find out what sort of weather can be expected in future winters.

Anita unlocks the secrets of Flash's history, from special buttons to a booming business in counterfeit money, while Joe discovers the secrets of seaweed in the village brewery. Adam Henson reveals a new insulating product for chimney flues, and Tom Heap is on the Isle of Eigg, where islanders aren't waiting for government to help them level up but are doing it for themselves.

Charlotte Smith and Steve Brown are visiting first-time famers around the country to discover the trials and tribulations of trying to break into the industry.

Steve is in Hampshire finding out what made a former marine and a recruitment worker decide to enter the notoriously tough dairy industry. Charlotte is in Worcestershire to discover what made a successful hairdresser ditch the salon to rear a Valais sheep and Wagyu cattle.

In West Wales, Charlotte meets a pair of duck famers who quit the rat race in London and put all their eggs in one basket. On the Isle of Wight, Adam Henson is visiting Medina College which has started a new GCSE course in agriculture, joining the pupils as they get hands-on experience looking after livestock. Charlotte also finds out why farm tenancies are few and far between.

Sean Fletcher is in Cornwall, but he's not here to explore its fabulous 300-mile coastline. Instead, he will be going 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 a 500-year-old tin mine that contains some of the deepest seams in the country.

Meanwhile, Adam Henson is in search of a super fertiliser hidden deep under the North York Moors, and Tom Heap finds out if mining Cornish lithium could herald a new gold rush.

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 tourism, while Steve takes a look at Staithes's art heritage and tastes some locally smoked goodies. Adam Henson finds out about the challenges facing a sheep dairy, and Charlotte Smith investigates the latest developments behind one of Britain's biggest ecological marine disasters.

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 the history of markets and how Bakewell is adapting for the future with pop-up shops and also a pop-in health clinic. Joe Crowley is in East Anglia, where a proposed new multibillion-pound power grid has been met with stiff opposition.

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 of the world, how will Ellie bear up in a cold chamber where the mercury can hit -40 Celsius? The UK may not be able to match the dizzying heights of Everest, but we do have our own extreme landscapes, so how can we best be braced to deal with them?

Ellie also dips into the Countryfile archive to remind us of some pretty bracing encounters with the worst the weather can hurl at us.

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. Tom Heap is in East Anglia, investigating the threat to Britain's breadbasket, while Adam Henson looks into the impact of new farm payments. In the first of a four-part strand, Adrian Chiles is in North Wales, finding out just what it takes to be a hill farmer.

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 also catches up with author Guy Shrubsole to discover a rare rainforest here on Dartmoor, while Matt Baker helps budding conservationists with a bird survey and takes to the airwaves of Skylark FM.

With the Cheltenham Festival around the corner, Adam Henson visits an equine rehab centre to find out what it takes to keep racehorses in peak condition. Paralympian Sammi Kinghorn meets the volunteers opening up Dartmoor for everyone in Miles without Stiles, and in the second of a four-part strand, Adrian Chiles discovers what it takes to be a hill farmer in Wales.

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 pollution, it is slowly dying. But all is not lost. Matt Baker and Anita Rani meet the volunteers going to the rescue of the Wye, from the cider maker turned citizen science champion, whose findings may have forced the farming industry to own up to its role in putting the river into its death throes, to the volunteers creating a 30-acre wetland to harbour some of our most cherished wildlife.

Adam Henson meets the farmer trying to do his bit to save the river, while Tom Heap investigates why the Wye has been allowed to decline almost to the point of being declared ecologically dead. Meanwhile, Adrian Chiles is in north Wales, discovering what it takes to be a hill farmer.

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 of the UK's home-grown salads, to investigate why what's known as London's salad bowl is on the brink of collapse. Adam Henson finds out why the shift towards sustainable farming could mean boom time for native breeds, while Adrian Chiles discovers what the future of sheep farming could be in his final report from the Welsh mountains.

Margherita Taylor and Joe Crowley are in Sherwood Forest to unravel some hidden histories as they discover how much more there is to this nature reserve and site of special scientific interest than Robin Hood.

Margherita finds out the role Sherwood played as a training ground in the First World War and catches up with 94-year-old Kevin Topham, who shares the story of how the discovery of black gold in the forest helped to shape victory during WWII. Joe discovers why Sherwood has a missing generation of oaks and how premature ageing is helping to fill the gap. We meet 17-year-old ornithologist Indy Greene, who is on the trail of the forest's woodpeckers, including the rarest and most secretive: the lesser spotted. And we find out why the new deal for Northern Ireland hasn't included veterinary medicine, with potentially devastating consequences for animal and human health.

Modern medicine has transformed our lives and wellbeing, but some ancient remedies still have a place in our hi-tech hospitals. Sean Fletcher is in Hendy, south Wales, visiting Europe's most productive leech farm, which supplies 70 per cent of medicinal leeches worldwide. He joins for feeding time and discovers how these often-reviled three-jawed creatures are making a comeback, helping patients recover from trauma or severe infections. Leeches aren't the only creepy crawlies with a place in modern medicine. In Swansea, Sean discovers how maggots are working their magic for a patient recovering from a major infection. And we meet Dr Christina Lee, who is taking a fresh look at remedies going back 1,000 years.

Sean also dips into the Countryfile archive to explore nature's medicine cabinet in our countryside, and he looks into warnings that veterinary medicine in Northern Ireland is being overlooked, posing serious consequences for animal welfare and the economy.

Picking up the baton from Sir David Attenborough's Wild Isles, Countryfile launches 'Wild Britain', an ambitious 12-month initiative to galvanize us all to help and save our precious wildlife.

Ellie Harrison and Hamza Yassin are lending a hand on the Lincolnshire Fens, as a group of local volunteers and school children begin the transformation of an old playing field into a wildlife haven by building a bog, a dead hedge and a bug hotel. Hamza also takes the children on a wildlife safari at a nearby nature reserve to show what nature their playing field could attract in a few years' time.

Twenty years after his first visit, John Craven heads to Chester Zoo to discover how our smallest rodent, the harvest mouse, is getting on and takes a trip on the Macclesfield Canal to find out how we can all create our own wildlife haven, no matter what size of space you have. Tom Heap looks at the UK's track record for protecting nature, and if a new bill currently going through Parliament could undermine it. There will also be special appearances from nature lovers Dame Judi Dench and Deborah Meaden.

Charlotte Smith and Hamza Yassin travel to Dumfries House, a showcase for the King's passion for rural life.

Charlotte meets schoolchildren at the estate's education farm and garden to find out about the King's ambition to create the next generation of nature-loving food producers. Charlotte also looks into the King's mission to reinvigorate traditional crafts.

Hamza discovers how the 2,000-acre estate has been transformed to help wildlife and welcomes the newest residents to the walled garden – hedgehogs. And organic farmer Elizabeth Buchanan, who was agriculture and environment advisor to Charles III, reveals how she travelled across the country with the King as he experienced for himself working rural life, supporting small family farms and helping to protect countryside communities.

Meanwhile, Joe and Hazel Relph talk about how they came to host Charles III in their farmhouse after the foot and mouth crisis of 2001.

There is no surer sign that spring is here than millions of lambs being born across the UK. Charlotte Smith visits the Outer Hebrides to meet teenage farmer Archie, who despite only being 17, already runs a 600-acre farm on the island of North Uist.

Paralympian Sammi Kinghorn is back home lambing on her family farm in the Scottish Borders. She grew up there, developing a love of animals and farming, but it's also where she suffered the accident that left her paralysed; something that's never stopped her helping with lambing.

Veterinary student Olivia Linares is fulfilling a lifelong dream as she embarks on her first ever lambing season in Hampshire. And, in north Wales, there is a look at how wool fleeces might be helping to make the UK's next great wine.

Ten months on from their first visit, Matt Baker and Margherita Taylor are back in the New Forest in Hampshire to catch up with the community and families who have come together to help Ukrainian refugees. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, nearly 170,000 people have arrived in the UK, with rural communities across the country giving them a warm welcome.

Margherita catches up with a mother and daughter who fled the war to find out how life has been since arriving in rural Hampshire over a year ago. Matt revisits a group of volunteers collecting and packing humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Poland to find out how their operation has changed over the past year.

We also spend time with Ukrainians working on our farms and look at the change in seasonal worker recruitment after the war cut off much of this vital workforce. Adam reconnects with a farmer in Ukraine to find out the impact the war has had on its agriculture since they last spoke 10 months ago.

Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, Charlotte Smith travels to the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall to visit Chaos Farm, which stands for Community Helping All of Society. Charlotte meets the farm's founder, Babs Rounsevell MBE, to see how their support programmes, based on agriculture and the great outdoors, help people with both their mental and physical wellbeing.

Elsewhere on the farm, Charlotte meets equine therapist Penny Tempest to discover how the gentle presence of horses can help with mental health, and then joins the farm's ‘Men Outside' group, which offers peer-to-peer support for men struggling with their mental wellbeing.

Charlotte also travels to the north Cornwall coast to see how surfing can help young people cope with stress and anxiety. Marathon runner and champion for diversity and inclusion in the countryside, Haroon Mota, is hiking in Snowdonia, exploring why the great outdoors is so important to him and his mental wellbeing.

Datshiane Navanayagam investigates the impact that debt is having on our farmers, and Adam looks at how women in agriculture are facing up to the mental health challenges of rural isolation.

For the first of three visits this year, Sammi Kinghorn is on a hill farm in Cumbria, as she catches up with a passionate young farmer, 16-year-old Katie. From dawn to dusk it's all go, as Katie and Sammi get stuck into all the daily chores and a surprise birth. But it's not just the farm keeping Katie busy this year – it's also GCSE year! Sammi finds out how this determined young lady is not fazed as she juggles her studies with caring for her animals.

Adam Henson looks into the dangers facing sheep and lambs from an increase in dog attacks this year, Charlotte Smith investigates fears a 40-year-old chemical dump is threatening a village in Wales, and in a new strand, we meet four young farmers from around the country as we follow their trials and tribulations over the next few months.

Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker travel to Upper Teesdale in the Durham Dales to celebrate one remarkable lady who has made it her life's work to look after one of the most important botanical sites in the UK, and to meet the people helping to protect the important species that call this area home.

Charlotte meets 97-year-old botanist Dr Margaret Bradshaw on Widdy Bank Fell, who for the last 70 years has been at the forefront of classifying, surveying and protecting the rare Arctic and alpine flora that make up the exceptional Teesdale assemblage. Charlotte hears how in the 1960s Margaret campaigned to stop the building of a reservoir on the site of these special wildflowers. Although unsuccessful, Margaret was inspired to set up the Teesdale Special Flora Trust, which is still responsible for looking after this precious habitat. Charlotte joins the trust as they survey such botanical gems as the spring gentian and lady's mantle.

Matt joins the Durham Wildlife Trust as they survey endangered ground-nesting wading birds by using sound monitoring posts that can remarkably distinguish calls from individual species and calculate how many birds are in the area. On another site, Matt joins the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust as they monitor threatened birds, using remote camera traps to capture predator activity.

Adam is embracing a new venture as he diversifies into farming wildflower meadows, and Tom investigates the possible impacts of calls to ban one billion fast-bred chickens from being produced in the UK each year.

Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker are at Lower Hampen Farm in the Cotswolds to meet Lydia and Clive Handy, who have turned back the clock to adopt a more traditional approach to farming. Matt weaves a yarn, using wool from the farm's rare breed sheep, whilst Charlotte lifts the lid on soil microbiology and how it could impact the way we grow our food in the future. Adam looks at how the discovery of a major food fraud has impacted an already beleaguered British pig industry, and Tom investigates how food price inflation could impact the nation's health.

There are 151 hope spots around the world, including the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. They are areas identified as critical to the health of the oceans, championed by their local communities.

Hamza Yassin visits the only one in the UK – the Argyll Coast and Islands. Hamza meets marine biologist Chris Rickard and discovers that the area was designated hope spot status in 2019 because it's home to the only known nursery in the world of the critically endangered flapper skate. Hamza joins Chris as he conducts research, searching for more nursery sites in the hope of a better understanding of these mysterious creatures of the deep.

Hamza also meets RSPB Officer Dave Sexton in Oban to witness the highly unusual sight of black guillemots, which usually live far out at sea, residing in the harbourside alongside the townspeople. We also meet the team behind sea wilding, a community-driven native oyster and seagrass restoration project using a groundbreaking technique never seen before in the UK.

Adam Henson looks at the robots and artificial intelligence being developed that promise to revolutionise UK agriculture. And John Craven is at the Wilder Blean project in Kent, where he is on the lookout for ancient animal species such as long-horned cattle and bison, introduced to rewild a former commercial pine plantation. Cameras at the ready as John launches this year's photo competition in aid of Children in Need.

We're in Porthcawl, Bridgend County, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Welsh Surfing Federation. John Craven meets Linda Sharp, the UK's first female European champion, who helped shape Welsh surfing culture in the 1970s, and further along the coast, John joins Swansea's Surfers Against Sewage at one of their monthly beach cleans to help combat the never-ending battle against beach litter.

Margherita Taylor discovers the magical landscape of the Kenfig sand dune system, which is home to a wealth of flora and fauna, including one of the UK's rarest wild flowers – the fen orchid. Joe Crowley explores how nature could be threatened by the UK's growing demand for water, and Adam catches up with our young farmers to discuss the highs and lows of starting out in agriculture.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, a charity founded by Adam's father, Joe Henson, to reverse the decline of rare breed numbers in the UK. To mark this date, we visit Adam's farm to see how he's taken on the mantle.

With summer temperatures rising, Adam welcomes a shearing gang on site to remove the coats of his commercial sheep, before learning more about their ancient cousins. We catch up with an Exmoor pony stallion, Willow Warbler, to find out if he has been welcomed by the mares on the farm and sired any foals. Lexi, a Suffolk punch horse, goes for a pregnancy scan. A Gloucester bull is prepared for a day at a country show with a thorough head-to-tail wash, and Adam is visited by the chief executive of the British Pig Association for a very special moment.

John Craven and Margherita Taylor travel to the village of Charsfield in the heart of Suffolk to celebrate one of our most respected rural writers, Ronald Blythe, who passed away this year at the age of 100. Charsfield and the area around it provided him with inspiration for his bestsellers, including his classic, Akenfield. John and Margherita embrace Blythe's world by visiting key locations in his work, exploring old rural professions and meeting those who still embrace the way of life portrayed in his books.

Margherita talks to nature writer Melissa Harrison, who moved to Suffolk, having been moved by Blythe's works. She explains the importance of Blythe's life and the magical rural world he created. Margherita heads up onto a thatch roof to see how this traditional craft is kept alive today by Nick Walker, one of only 20 master thatchers left in the UK.

John meets blacksmith Paul Stoddart, and the pair create a Suffolk latch. John also meets Charlie Haylock, a proud Suffolk speaker, who explains how the dialect evolved and its subtle difference to the Norfolk accent.

We also explore how a pioneering project in Cornwall and a new generation of engineers could be vital in the UK's drive for green energy. And Adam Henson catches up with young farmers Ioan and Emily to hear about the highs and lows of starting out in agriculture.

Joe Crowley and Charlotte Smith are in Spalding, south Lincolnshire – the historic hub of Britain's bulb and flower farming industry – to explore its rich heritage, learn about the economic changes growers have faced, and discover how a new generation of farmers is shaping the future of the UK's flower industry.

Charlotte meets James Lacey at his family farm to see how a UK favourite, the sunflower, is produced, picked and packed. James shares his love of high-tech harvesting explaining how it's changing the way he farms, and Charlotte gets hands-on making a bouquet.

Joe joins Hannah Benson, a young grower, as she delivers hand-cut blooms to the UK's oldest flower auction, and he meets Nicholas Watts, who stumbled into bird seed farming through his love of flowers and protecting wild birds.

Tom Heap exclusively reveals a groundbreaking study using flower chemicals in feed that could dramatically reduce livestock methane emissions and help save the planet, while Adam Henson discovers how planting trees in arable fields can revolutionise a small farm's income while improving soil health and the area's biodiversity.

Joe Crowley and Sammi Kinghorn are in the Lake District finding out how cycling is still one of the top outdoor pursuits in the UK and how electric bikes are opening up the countryside like never before.

Joe joins a group of electric bike riders called the Electric Cranks, who have all suffered from heart attacks, leading to them being fitted with life-saving devices called LVADS. It wasn't until the recent boom in electric bikes that this group could leave the house, let alone go for a ride across the country. As the miles rack up on their journey, the group tackle a 1,300-foot climb to the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain.

Sammi meets Dom Ferris, founder of Trash Free Trails, an organisation at the forefront of combating litter and plastic pollution in the UK's outdoor spaces. Joining a trail clean, Sammi speaks to local ambassadors Lauren and Chloe, and other Trash Free Trails volunteers, to hear why they feel it is so important to care for this part of the natural environment. Meanwhile, Adam Henson has a close shave as he talks to farmers taking part in a sheep-shearing competition called the Golden Shears.

Tom Heap explores free-running snares, which are used to trap foxes, and looks at what impact a ban could have on farming, game shooting and the protection of vulnerable species.

In the aftermath of one of the biggest fires to ever engulf the UK countryside, Joe Crowley and John Craven explore the impact of increasing wildfires.

Joe is in the Scottish Highlands, scouring the ashes around Cannich for signs of life as he meets those who have been tackling a wildfire that has been burning since May, and he wades into the Forsinard Flows, a prospective World Heritage Site and peat bog, that survived a fire to now thrive and is key to combatting climate change.

John rolls up his sleeves to help nature bounce back at Chobham in Surrey after a fire in 2020 destroyed 30 acres of the common, and learns how we can adapt nature reserves to stop fire in its tracks. He then steps into the past to delve into a 3,000 year old treasure trove preserved by wildfire in Cambridgeshire, that's helped to re-shape our understanding of ancient life in Britain.

We also spend time in Hampshire with young farmer Flavian Obiero, who's introducing sheep and goats to his pig farm, while Adam looks at fire safety on his farm, and visits a local fire station to see how they tackle fires on farms.

Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson discover what makes hay, one of our oldest crops, so special. And Tom Heap investigates how heatwaves are threatening the sea life that lives around our coastline.

Matt Baker and Charlotte Smith return to Dumfries House where the summer activities are in full swing.

John and Hamza judge this year's entries to the Countryfile photographic competition with the help of photography enthusiast and DJ Edith Bowman.

Anita Rani heads to Somerset to meet sheep farmers Andy and Jen, and their sons, as they prepare to transform Fernhill Farm for an annual festival.

Sean Fletcher and Matt Baker find about the changes being made in the management of the national park of Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly referred to as the Brecon Beacons.

In a special episode, Dame Judi Dench reveals her love of the countryside – and Scotland in particular. She's joined by her grandson Sam to check in on a tartan that's being created for her.

Sammi Kinghorn returns to Cumbria to find out how young shepherdess Katie is doing now that she's finished school for the year.

From the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, four of the UK's top sheepdog handlers go head-to-head, aiming to claim 2023's One Man and His Dog trophy.

Adam Henson and Sean Fletcher join the Martin family on their Cambridgeshire arable farm at harvest, a time that can be financial 'make or break' for many UK farmers.

Adam Henson and Sean Fletcher are back in the ‘breadbasket' of East Anglia as farmer Tom Martin learns if this year's harvest has been a success.

Hamza Yassin fulfils a long-standing ambition by taking a trip to Royal Deeside to attend the Braemar Highland Gathering.

Joe Crowley and Charlotte Smith head to the Wash in Norfolk to see one of the greatest wildlife events in the UK, the Snettisham Spectacular.

Adam Henson and Charlotte Smith are in Cambridgeshire at Cheffins' famous agricultural machinery auction, the ultimate trading floor for farm equipment.

It's time for presenters Matt Baker, Charlotte Smith, Margherita Taylor, Joe Crowley and John Craven to pull on their bobble hats and get rambling in aid of Children in Need 2023.

As part of Countryfile's Wild Britain initiative, Ellie Harrison and Hamza Yassin visit Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire.

John Craven and Sammi Kinghorn visit the South Downs to see how the past is inspiring residents to preserve the future of this diverse landscape.

Countryfile returns to Dumfries House as autumn is in full swing and the first year of teaching gets underway at the new rural skills centre recently opened by the King.

Ellie Harrison and Anita Rani are at Poole Harbour for the conclusion of a three-year environmental study, and thety celebrate Ellie's last Countryfile episode with a trip down memory lane.

Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker head to Elan Valley, nestled in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, where the Welsh natural world is getting ready for the onset of winter.

The team meet with experts to learn about nature and the behaviour of wildlife in the winter, and what folk wisdom across the centuries can teach us about the season.

The team return to the Cumbrian fells to learn of 16-year-old shepherdess Katie and her family's Christmas traditions on their upland farm.

Margherita Taylor goes for a wintry walk alongside the River Lea, meeting historian Dr Jim Lewis, who describes its history from the ice ages to the present day.